Archive Magazine 1996/ARCHIVE_96.iso/text/magazine/volume_9

Text File | 1996-08-28 | 4MB | 78,120 lines

Products Available
9.1
20/20 credit Ö Up to Christmas, Acorn are offering a very generous
credit scheme for buying computers. Basically, if you are buying a
computer and a monitor, you can have 20 monthsæ interest free credit.
There are limitations, of course, and these are: (1)áthe minimum deposit
is 10%, (2)áthe maximum loan is ú1485, (3)áthis offer cannot be combined
with any other Acorn offer, such as Clan Cash-Back or Special Purchase
without monitor.
9.1
So what does this offer mean in practice? The box below gives some
examples.
9.1
As you can see, once you are buying something costing more than about
ú1600, you are onto the maximum loan figure, so the more you buy from
there upwards, the more the deposit. i.e. (Deposit = Full Price Ö ú1485)
and the repayments are ú74.25 per month.
9.1
This scheme is a good one for several reasons. (1) It does not cost you
a penny. (2) It does not cost NCS a penny because, unlike previous
interest free schemes, Acorn are covering the full cost of the finance.
(Thank you, Acorn!) (3) It will allow people who havenæt saved up enough
money yet to buy their computer now rather than waiting. (4) It will
allow others, who have the money now, to buy a bigger monitor, or other
peripherals, or more software or whatever. This can save money in the
long run and it is more convenient to have peripherals fitted and tested
by NCS rather than doing it yourself later.
9.1
N.B. The Acorn 20/20 scheme only lasts until
9.1
31st December 1995.
9.1
A4 scanners Ö The Epson GT6500 is now obsolete and has been replaced by
the GT8500 with 30-bit colour and 400 dpi optical resolution and the
GT9000 which also has 30-bit colour but an optical resolution of 600
dpi. The prices are ú599 +VAT and ú699 +VAT respectively plus ú12.50
+VAT carriage from Irlam Instruments or ú710 and ú830 inclusive
respectively, through Archive. In each case, the Irlam software is for
either parallel or SCSI connection, although the scanners have both
types of interface. Please specify which you require when ordering.
9.1
Acorn Pocket Book II (1Mb) Ö There is now a 1Mb version of the Pocket
Book II which costs ú285 +VAT or ú335 through Archive inc p&p. The 256Kb
version is still available at ú205 +VAT (ú240 through Archive) but it
looks as if the 512Kb version may be on its way out.
9.1
Acorn RiscáPC 700 & A7000 Ö People have been asking about the
availability of the new computers. Since the RiscáPC 700s computers
became available in mid-August, there has been no difficulty in supply,
except for the ACB76 (10Mb with CD-ROM) and, in any case, most
purchasers prefer to have the Eesox quad speed CD-ROM instead of Acornæs
dual speed drive, since it only costs ú40 more (ú170 cf ú130), and it
and the ACB75s are available from stock.
9.1
The A7000s are more of a problem. The 2Mb versions are beginning to be
available in limited quantities but the 4Mb versions are said to be
available at öthe end of the yearò! Apparently they are having problems
sourcing the 4Mb memory chips.
9.1
If you want to buy one of the new Iiyama monitors (see below) with a
RiscáPC, as an alternative to the Acorn monitors, Acorn have provided a
scheme for you to do this. Just ask us for a form, fill it in and send
it back to us with your order. (This does not apply if you are buying on
the 20/20 scheme. Sorry!)
9.1
Alsystems SCSI 2 card Ö An alternative to the established Cumana SCSI 2
interface is Alsystemsæ Power-Tec giving up to 5Mb/sec data transfer
through podule slots 1 or 2 in a Risc PC (up to 2Mb/sec on ARM3
machines). The card has built-in CDFS v2.21, Kodak Photoview and DAT
tape streamer driver, plus a number of valuable performance and
operating features, including the ability to read from one device while
concurrently writing to another, auto-termination, auto-spindown and
password protection. The price is ú175 + carriage +VAT from Alsystems,
or ú205 through Archive.
9.1
Archive CD Ö This is still available at the special price of ú8 if
ordered with a subscription renewal, provided this is done before 15th
September. (Thatæs the date we set last month but the magazine only goes
out on the 12th, so weæd better make it Friday 22nd September Ö which is
my birthday anyway!!) The CD-ROM seems to have been well received and
people are finding it contains some extremely useful information. Having
it all on one CD is a bonus. There are one or two minor technical
hitches that have come to light Ö these are dealt with in Hints & Tips
on page 17.
9.1
ARM710 upgrades Ö (Still no ARM700s yet but...) If you have an old
RiscáPC 600 and want to upgrade to an ARM710, you can do so for the
promised ú100 +VAT (well, sort of). What you have to do is get it from
Acorn Direct in Wellingborough (address and phone number in Factfile)
for ú146.88 (thatæs ú125 +VAT). Then, when (if) you send them the old
ARM610 card back, they will refund you ú29.38 (ú25 +VAT). Some may
prefer to keep the old processor card, just in case... !
9.1
Atomic Software have released two scientific programs. Elements is a
Periodic Table like youæve never seen Ö it will need someone with a big
brain to review it! Itæs a database containing the latest information,
in graphical form, on all the elements and their isotopes up to element
110. It contains information on boiling points, melting points, highest
valency, isotropic purity and atomic weight (to name but a very few!).
Nuclides is a graphical database containing information on the 2400+
isotopes of elements, or nuclides; both stable isotopes and radioactive
isotopes, displayed on a Serge chart.
9.1
To use the programs you will need a machine with at least 2Mb RAM, mode
31 capability (for Elements) and mode 20 or 39 for Nuclides, i.e. a
multisync monitor is essential. Elements and Nuclides can be bought
together for ú14.95 or separately for ú9.95 each, from Atomic Software.
9.1
CD-ROMs from Anglia Ö The Art Store Ö Looking at Animals CD brings
together a collection of paintings and sculptures from over forty art
galleries and museums around Britain and the Republic of Ireland. The
images range from lap-dogs to lion skins, domestic animals to exotic
wildlife. As well as the pictures, there are nearly 150 activity sheets
for use in the classroom; and a museums and galleries guide giving
details of the pictures contributed, opening times, detailed location,
and other related pictures in the collections. This CD costs ú50 +VAT
from Anglia or ú55 through Archive.
9.1
British Isles from the Air brings the best of the Aerofilms collection
to CD-ROM. The 230 photos cover a wide range of natural and man-made
features, with some of the photos going back to 1919. Designed initially
for the classroom, the selection of photography has already been well
received on a wider front. For users of the Key Plus database system,
the photographs are also duplicated in that format, together with
references for the powerful mapping facilities which Key Plus offers.
This CD costs ú40 +VAT from Anglia or ú45 through Archive.
9.1
Chroma Genlock Ö Wild Visionæs Chroma-Genlocks allow you to overlay and
record to video any computer graphics. You can overlay colour graphics
from the computer onto a colour video signal to create exactly the
result you want. The combined output can be recorded to video or
displayed on a video-compatible monitor.
9.1
Chroma Genlock expansion cards are supplied as a package with Sideshow
and Overlay software. Sideshow acts as a flexible medium for taking
text, draw objects and sprites in drawfiles and overlaying them, either
as full screen or selectively, onto video. It provides scaling,
sequencing, looping, screen blanking and scrolling. Overlay is the
utility which controls the overlay and interlace status of the desktop.
The package costs ú149 +ú6 p&p +VAT from Computer Concepts or ú175
through Archive. (Itæs important to state which computer itæs going into
when ordering.)
9.1
Cine Works Ö Oregan Developments have updated their video mixing and
editing studio program to version 1.03. New facilities include support
for multiple ARMovie sound tracks, improved AVI support, MPEG video
encoding and audio support, WAV audio export, new transitions and video
filters, timeline colour coding, improved YUV rendering and improved
trigger interface. Upgrades are free to registered users. The price from
Oregan Developments remains at ú159.95 inclusive or ú152 through
Archive.
9.1
ClickArt Animals & Nature Pack Ö from Matt Black is a collection of 150
high-quality images for education and DTP users. In addition to the 150
drawfile images supplied on four floppy discs, thereæs also a collection
of over 120 drawfile silhouettes (normally costing ú29.95) given away
free! And, to help ClickArt users manage their collection of clipart,
Matt Black have thrown in a copy of Hugh Eagleæs freeware application
PickAPic. PickAPic features include fast loading of saved images and
thumbnails and presentation of thumbnails in filer style windows.
9.1
The images in the Animals & Nature pack are not compressed, making them
easier and faster to load from floppy disc. The pack costs ú35 +ú2 p&p
in UK and Europe (ú4 to the rest of the world). All of Matt Blackæs
ClickArt packs come with a free school site licence.
9.1
FaxModems Ö US Robotics have re-priced their modems. The WorldPort
14,400 portable is now ú190 inclusive through Archive and the non-
portable Sportster has dropped to ú160. There is now also non-portable
28,800 baud Sportster at ú250 through Archive. This is a V34 fax/data
modem, with VFC capability, MNP4/5 data compression and error detection,
class 1 and class 2.0 fax support.
9.1
They all come with PC cables and PC software. The cables are OK for
A5000 computers and later but if you have a pre-A5000 computer, you will
need a special cable costing a further ú13. In terms of Acorn software,
our recommendation would be ArcFax (ú33) for providing fax facility and
Hearsay II (ú82) for access to bulletin boards etc. These two packages
work well together with the modems. We use them in the office and so are
able to give advice in setting them up.
9.1
(Weæll make some recommendations for software for accessing the Internet
once weæve sorted it out ourselves!)
9.1
Guardians of the Greenwood is an eco-fantasy on a single CD-ROM, aimed
at the 9Ö14 age range at home and school. The story is a simple one:
industrial development by ÉHawk Enterprisesæ is threatening the
Greenwood and its inhabitants. Crinkle, the heroine of the story, sets
out to save the forest from destruction... with assistance from the
forest folk, and a bit of magic, she is able to save the environment,
etc. There are 30,000 words of narration; a talking dictionary providing
definitions and examples of usage of over 500 difficult words found in
the program; thereæs sampled music, speech and sound effects, plus
graphics and animations. Thereæs also an adultæs guided tour to help
parents and teachers familiarise themselves with the program.
9.1
Guardians CD costs ú49.50 +VAT (p&p is free) from 4Mation, ú56 through
Archive.
9.1
High Risc Racing Ö a plan-view car racing game from a new(ish) company
to the Acorn market Ö Modus Software who were recognised as one of the
countryæs most promising enterprises, when they were a Scottish National
finalist at the 1995 LiveWire awards. Their first product is an arcade-
style game Ö a plan-view car racing game called High Risc Racing. Itæs
compatible with all RISC OS 2+ machines with 2Mb or more of memory, is
hard-disc installable and sells at ú25 inclusive of p&p from Modus
Software.
9.1
High speed Internet access Ö Intelligent Interfaces have responded to
usersæ demands to remove the computer-modem communication bottleneck by
introducing their new dual high speed serial interface card for Acorn
computers. This provides two additional RS232 compatible serial
interfaces, with standard 9-pin D¡type connectors, capable of
communicating at baud rates from 50 to 230,400 including 9,600, 19,200,
38,400, 57,600 and 115,200 baud. The software includes Block Drivers to
enable the use of Hearsay II, ArcFax, ARCterm 7, the Internet Starter
Kit, etc. The card can be used in any computer with a backplane and
requires RISC OS 3.1 or later. The dual high speed serial interface card
is available from Intelligent Interfaces for ú149 +VAT + carriage or
ú175 through Archive.
9.1
Iiyama VisionMaster monitors Ö Four new monitors have arrived this month
from this company that has gained such a high reputation in such a short
space of time. (NCS has not sold any other monitors, apart from Acorn,
since taking on the Idek Iiyama range of monitors!) There are two 17ö
and two 21ò monitors and they replace the existing models which are now
no longer available.
9.1
The final figure in each column is the extra that you have to pay if you
are buying one of these monitors as an alternative to the Acorn 14ö
(AKF60) monitor. Weáhave special forms for you to fill in if you want to
do this Ö ask us for an ÉAcorn Special Purchaseæ form.
9.1
InterTalk allows access to both electronic mail and news, locally and
via the Internet. You can create local newsgroups for general discussion
and information, and to make your views known throughout the world. The
administrator or single user decides the choice of sites that the
individual may talk to, and controls the costs of wide area networking
ownership. At a later date, a World Wide Web browser will be added
(hopefully before the end of the year Ö maybe sooner) and for those who
bought InterTalk before the browser was available, there will be a free
upgrade. There are two versions of InterTalk, a single-user version and
a multi-user version, priced at ú79 +VAT and ú299 +VAT respectively, or
ú88 and ú330 through Archive.
9.1
Land, Sea & Air is the second of a series of interactive strategy
simulations from UK Software. The object of the game is to achieve a
high total profit over 15 and 30 years. This is achieved by identifying
concentrations of passengers and commodities, then taking them to where
they are required. You do this by building stations and tracks, then
designing routes for your trains to take. To ensure that your trains go
to the correct destinations, you have at your disposal a timetabling
system which enables you to schedule your trains with their cargo and
routes. You have the opportunity to start an Airline, a shipping line or
even a football team Ö you can even make a take-over bid for your
competitors (before they get you!). Land, Sea and Air works on all 2Mb
RISC OS machines, except the Risc PC, and costs ú19.95 inc. from
UKáSoftware.
9.1
LIVE Accessory Pack Ö Longman Logotron have released the complete plug-
in-and-go solution to recording and analysing information collected from
experiments in and around the classroom. Pupils can now collect data
with Longman Logotronæs LIVE interface box, control and analyse
experiments with the Junior Insight program, and access and monitor data
from different sources with the new LIVE accessory pack. The pack
comprises a range of sensors measuring light, temperature and sound, and
an extension cable which makes it possible to collect data on field
trips and in other situations where it is difficult to locate the
computer close to the data source. The LIVE accessory pack for Acorn
users is ú45 +VAT (single user). The LIVE interface box costs ú99 +VAT
and Junior Insight is ú44 +VAT. The complete kit is available at ú178
+VAT for a single user.
9.1
Merlin Ray Tracer Ö Merlin is a program which allows you to create
images using a technique called ray-tracing, where each pixel is
affected by light sources, shadows, reflection, refraction etc. Merlin
offers an excellent 3D editor (until now Acorn machines have only had
textual script files with which you are meant to Édescribeæ your scene),
a texture/material editor and, of course, a ray-tracer. Its features
include texture-mapping, Phong and Gouraud shading, anti-aliasing,
polygons-into-lines, transparency, mist/fog, different classes of light-
sources, various cameras and the ability to import Draw and DXF
(professional CAD) files, and it is designed with ease-of-use in mind.
Merlin costs ú100á+ ú6 p&p + VAT from Evolution Computer oráú120
inclusive through Archive. (Merlin was reviewed in Archive 8.11 p9.)
9.1
Mission Control: Crystal Rain Forest 2 Ö Sherston Software are launching
a sequel to their much acclaimed package. This new package is an
adventure in its own right but it is aimed at control technology at Key
Stage 2. Mission Control costs ú44.95 +VAT or ú50 through Archive.
9.1
Oak SCSI cards Ö IFEL have limited quantities of the Oak SCSI card
available. Although somewhat dated, they are a popular interface and
compatible with a wide range of SCSI 1 devices (check with Jim
Nottingham about your specific combinations). The price from IFEL is
ú99+VAT. Ifáyou want CDFS v2.20 individual on the card, the price is
ú124 +VAT. Existing users of Oak cards can obtain CDFS v2.20 upgrades
direct from IFEL for ú25 +VAT.
9.1
OmniClient Ö This is designed to make the business of connecting RISC OS
machines to PC, UNIX and Apple networks as simple and cost-effective as
possible. It is a software-only solution, so no additional hardware is
required, which enables the sharing of hardware and software including
hard discs, printers, JPEGs, MPEGs and text files Ö all on the same
physical Ethernet network. It supports the use of NTServer, LanManager,
Windows for Workgroups, Windowsá95 and NFS as well as RISC OS solutions
such as Level 4 and Acorn Access, all through a single software
interface. It allows the transfer of data to Éselectedæ servers and
retrieval when required Ö this includes RISC OS applications. Files can
be simultaneously shared with RISC OS, PC and Apple machines, and
OmniClient provides a Éwhole-site networkæ for mixed environments.
OmniClient happily co-exists with all other Acorn networking solutions
and a site licence costs ú249 + VAT or ú275 inclusive through Archive.
If you are a lone Acorn computer user trying to link onto alien
networks, you can buy a single user copy of OmniClient from ANT Ltd for
ú50 +VAT or ú56 through Archive.
9.1
More (Stage 3) Talking Stories Ö Sherston have released another set of
their Talking Stories, based on popular stories from the Oxford
University Press ÉOxford Reading Treeæ scheme, as used in many schools.
The stories, narrated by Sinead Cusack, include Kipper the Clown,
Strawberry Jam, The Jumble Sale, At the Seaside, Kipperæs Idea and The
Snowman. More Talking Stories costs ú40 +VAT (ú45 through Archive) for
the single user version Ö site licences are also available.
9.1
Padlock Ö Base5 Technical Graphics have produced a desktop security
manager aimed mainly at schools and small businesses. Facilities include
password-controlled access, access privileges by group allocation, user
privileges set by supervisor, anti-theft protection for selected
applications, independent access control of directories, applications
and files, blanket cover of files by filetype, automatic user log
available to Supervisor, and optional additional anti-hacking
safeguards. The application comes in two versions: Padlock at ú49
inclusive from Base5 (no VAT) and Padlock Junior at ú15 inclusive, which
contains the main features of Padlock but not all, and does not include
the programmeræs documentation for the ÉSecureæ module which is at the
heart of the system.
9.1
Pop-up Cards is a novel idea from Southern Printers. Itæs a do-it-
yourself card-making package with designs for pop-up cards, front and
back type cards, and folded cards. Two compressed discs contain ready-
made templates that can be loaded into any package that takes drawfiles.
Once printed, the templates can then be cut out and assembled to produce
a variety of greetings cards. Coloured paper or card can be used to
brighten up cards printed on mono printers Ö there are even black and
white outlines for children to colour in, instead of using the coloured
examples. The pack comes with the two discs, an instruction manual with
ideas for using the designs, and a manual showing the designs contained
on the discs.
9.1
Pop-Up Cards costs ú14 or 24 for an educational site licence (fully
inclusive) from Southern Printers. Also available is a disc of the line
art drawings only for ú6.
9.1
Quad speed ATAPI CD-ROM drives Ö Eesox now have quad speed CD-ROM drives
available which are suitable for the RiscáPC and the A7000. They cost
ú145 + VAT + p&p from Eesox or ú170 inclusive through Archive.
9.1
RISCáOS 3.1 Ö Those of you who having been waiting to get hold of copies
of RISCáOS 3.1 will be pleased to know that, after several months delay,
some have come through. Not a lot, and we havenæt fulfilled all the back
orders yet but we are hopeful. Also, the way it is being sold has now
changed in that you can (will be able to!) buy the documentation
separately for ú25 inc p&p and the chip sets for ú35 per set through
Archive with discounts for bulk orders (3+) bringing the cost down
towards ú30 per set. So, the one-off set, including the documentation,
which was ú89 is now ú60 through Archive.
9.1
RSDFS Ö Remote Serial Disc Filing System is a program from ARMed Forces
which is designed to allow you to access the contents of the disc drives
on one computer from another. (It is ideal if you have just bought a
RiscáPC and are thinking, öI donæt fancy using floppy discs to get all
my files and applications across onto this new machine!ò Ed.) It is a
versatile system that allows the user easy access to remote file
resources in a variety of ways. You can link two machines, network up to
5 slaves and 1 server and view the hard drives of certain bulletin
boards, but this requires the more advanced version. The standard
version, which allows you to link two computers together, costs ú38 from
ARMed Forces or ú38 through Archive. (There is no discount because ARMed
Forces is not VAT registered, so we lose 17.5% of the ú38!) If you need
a serial lead to link the two machines, these cost ú12 through Archive.
The advanced version costs ú66 from ARMed Forces.
9.1
SchoolServer Ö The Acorn SchoolServer provides a complete fileserver
solution to meet schoolsæ networking needs, with the capability to
consolidate curriculum and administration networks. It uses a powerful
RISC-based (PowerPC, not ARM!) hardware server, offering high
performance, reliability and expansion capability, that comes supplied
with Microsoft Windows NT software, offering the latest in advanced
server software.
9.1
The Acorn SchoolServer can also be supplied with Acorn OmniClient which
is unique in offering the advantages of integrated networking in a mixed
environment of RISC OS, Apple Mac, PC and UNIX-based network stations,
and gives a consistent user interface to Acorn and other network
servers. There are two variants of the hardware and each can come with
or without OmniClient. The REPs are: ú5199 for the AS500 with OmniClient
and ú5099 without, ú7999 AS1000 with OmniClient and ú7899 without. The
SchoolServer is only available through Acorn Education Agents, i.e. not
from NCS.
9.1
Simon the Sorcerer Ö Taking advantage of the CD-ROM medium, Gamesware
have employed professional actors to bring speech to the game. Taking
the role of Simon is Chris Barrie of Red Dwarf fame. Simon the Sorcerer
is now available on CD, priced ú45.99 inc VAT from Gamesware or ú42
through Archive.
9.1
Sound upgrades (for RiscáPC) Ö For owners of existing RiscáPCs who want
SoundBlaster capabilities, there is a program available that will allow
you to play .WAV files. This will give you much of the functionality you
need, especially for CD¡ROMs. This is available free on the Acorn ftp
site but if you donæt have Internet access and have already bought a
sound upgrade from NCS, send a blank formatted disc and weæll send you a
copy. Otherwise, please send in an order for it to NCS with ú2 to cover
admin.
9.1
There will be, say Acorn, öa chargeable upgrade available in Novemberò
that will allow the use of Midi synthesis files which should then allow
PC games, etc, to be fully functional in terms of sound.
9.1
Twain Ö David Pilling has now produced Twain drivers for Agfa Arcus Plus
and the UMAX Vista S6 and S8 scanners. These are ú19 each through
Archive or ú53 if bought with ImageMaster.
9.1
VerbMaster-French Ö Version 1.10 of this Shareware aid to learning
French verbs is now available. New features include a variety of
configuration options for schools, the ability to Éturn offæ tenses and
some brief grammar text notes to accompany each tense. In addition, the
subjunctive mood has been added and many of the criticisms expressed in
Archiveæs review have been addressed, including a clearer, more user-
friendly test verb screen. For full details, an unregistered version
(ú1) or the full registered version (ú7.50), please contact: Nigel
Caplan, 33 Alwoodley Lane, Leeds, LS17 7PU.
9.1
Review software received...
9.1
We have received review copies of the following: ÅArtáStore Ö Looking at
Animals CD (e), ÅElementsáand Nuclides (e), ÅLand, Sea & Air CD (e),
ÅPop-up cards (he), ÅRemote Serial Disc Filing System, ÅVerbMaster
German (e), ÅVistamusic-3 (e).
9.1
e=Education, b=Business, bk=Book, c=Comms, g=Game, h=Hardware,
l=Language, m=Multimedia, u=Utility, a=Art.
9.1
If you would like to review any of these products, please contact the
Archive office. Potential reviewers will need to show that they would
use the product in a professional capacity or that they have some
knowledge of the particular field.áuá
9.1
4Mation    14 Castle Park Road, Whiddon Valley, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32
8PA. (01271¡25353) (01271¡22974)
9.1
Abacus Training    29 Okus Grove, Upper Stratton, Swindon, Wilts, SN2
6QA. (01793¡723347) (01793¡723347)
9.1
Acorn Direct   FREEPOST, 13 Dennington Road, Wellingborough, Northants,
NN8á2BR. (01933¡279300)
9.1
Acorn Computers Ltd    Acorn House, Vision Park, Histon, Cambridge, CB4
4AE. (01223¡254254) (01223¡254262)
9.1
Akalat Publishing  (p5)  P.O. Box 231, Barton, Bedford, MK45 4HQ,
(01582¡881614) (01582¡881614)
9.1
Alsystems   47 Winchester Road, Four Marks, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 5HG.
(01420¡561111)
9.1
Alternative Publishing   Suite 91, 9A Pentagon House, 36 Washington
Street, Glasgow, G3 8AZ. (0141¡248¡2322) (0141¡248¡3638)
9.1
Anglia Multimedia   Anglia House, Norwich, NR1 3JG. (01603¡615151)
(01603¡631032)
9.1
ANT Ltd   P.O.Box 300, Cambridge, CB1 2EG. (01223¡567808) (01223¡567801)
9.1
APDL    39 Knighton Park Road, Sydenham, London, SE26 5RN.
9.1
Apricote Studios   2 Purls Bridge Farm, Manea, Cambridgeshire, PE15 0ND.
(01354¡680432)
9.1
ARMed Forces   38 Main Road, Littleton, Winchester, SO22 6QQ. (01962-
880591)
9.1
Atomic Software   1 Fells Grove, Worsley, Manchester, M28 7JN
9.1
Avie Electronics (p9)  7 Overbury Road, Norwich. (01603¡416863)
(01603¡788640)
9.1
Base5 Technical Graphics   P.O. Box 378, Woking, Surrey, GU21 4DF.
(01483¡761197)
9.1
Colton Software   2 Signet Court, Swanns Road, Cambridge, CB5 8LA.
(01223¡311881) (01223¡312010)
9.1
Computer Concepts   Gaddesden Place, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 6EX.
(01442¡63933) (01442¡231632)
9.1
Cumana Ltd   Pines Trading Estate, Broad Street, Guildford, GU3 3BH.
(01483¡503121) (01483¡503326)
9.1
Dalriada Data Technology   145 Albion Street, Kenilworth, Warkwickshire,
CV8 2FY. (01926¡53901)
9.1
David Pilling   P.O.Box 22, Thornton Cleveleys, Blackpool, FY5 1LR.
9.1
Desktop Laminations    P.O.Box 332, Bristol, BS99 7XL. (0117¡979¡9979)
9.1
Eesox   5 Hillfield Road, Comberton, Cambridge, CB3 7DB. (01223¡264242)
9.1
Euro¡Asia Systems Ltd   334 Queenstown Road, Battersea, London, SWB 4NE.
(071¡498¡7816) (071¡498¡3218)
9.1
Evolution Computer   An den Klippen 23, 57462 OLPE, Germany.
(00¡49¡2761¡3062)
9.1
ExpLAN   St Catherineæs House, 20 Plymouth Road, Tavistock, Devon, PL19
8AY. (01822¡613868) (01822¡610868)
9.1
Granada Microcare  01234-226866
9.1
Hazelnut Software   197 Blackshots Lane, Grays, Essex, RM16 2LL.
(01375¡375514)
9.1
Intelligent Interfaces Ltd   P.O.Box 80, Eastleigh, Hants, SO5 5YX.
(01703¡261514) (01703¡267904)
9.1
Kudlian Soft   8 Barrow Road, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8á1EH.
(01926¡851147)
9.1
Longman Logotron   124 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge
CB4 4ZS. (01223¡425558) (01223¡425349)
9.1
LOOKsystems   Unit 1, The Gables Yard, Pulham Market, Diss, IP21 4SY.
(01508¡608585) (01508¡608575)
9.1
Matt Black   6 Henry Court, Henry Street, Peterborough, PE1 2QG.
(01733¡315439)
9.1
Modus Software   90 Telford Road, Lenziemill Industrial Estate,
Cumberland, Glasgow G67á2NJ.
9.1
Oregan Developments   36 Grosvenor Avenue, Streetly, Sutton Coldfield,
B74 3PE. (0121¡353¡6044)
9.1
Repair Zone   421 Sprowston Road, Norwich, NR3 4EH. (01603¡400477)
(01603¡417447)
9.1
Sherston Software   Angel House, Sherston, Malmesbury, Wilts. SN16 0LH.
(01666¡840433) (01666¡840048)
9.1
Sibelius Software   75 Burleigh Street, Cambridge, CB1 1DJ.
(01223¡302765) (01223¡351947)
9.1
Southern Printers   47 Drake Road, Willesborough, Ashford, Kent TN24
0UZ. (01233¡633919)
9.1
T¡J Reproductions   Unit D, Canada House, Blackburn Road, West
Hampstead, London NW6á1RZ. (0171¡372¡4430) (0171¡372¡0515)
9.1
UK Software   38 Midlands Estate, West End, Southampton, SO3 3AD.
(01703¡474681)
9.1
Archive Monthly Disc
9.1
u Beginneræs Basic program from Ray Favre Ö page 76.
9.1
u ExtASM assembleráÖápage 39.
9.1
u Files from Gerald Fittonæs ColumnáÖápage 64.
9.1
u Serial Mouse application from Stuart TyrrelláÖ page 19.
9.1
u Two programs for Pocket Book II Ö page 14.
9.1
u Sample Sibelius files from Ian Beswick Ö page 51.
9.1
u Sound coversion program from Rick Hudson.
9.1
u Sparkplug for decompression of parts of the Archive CD-ROM Ö page 17.
9.1
u Keystrip for TableMate3 (for Ovation) by Aneurin Griffiths.
9.1
u VZap virus Protection program from Paul Vigay Ö see the review on page
74.
9.1
Norwich Computer Services     96a Vauxhall Street, Norwich, NR2 2SD.
(01603-766592) (764011)
9.1
áááááá        áááááááááááemail: [e-mail]
9.1
Fact-File
9.1
(The numbers in italic are fax numbers)
9.1
Government Health Warning Ö Reading this could seriously effect your
spiritual health
9.1
If, as you read my burblings each month, you feel moved to respond,
either with a comment or a question, please donæt hold back. Iæm always
happy to correspond with anyone who is genuinely interested in the
Christian faith. As I have said many times, if Jesusæ claims are true,
they are of infinite importance to everyone but if they are not then
youæve lost nothing by looking into them.
9.1
A couple of years ago, I was writing to someone who lives down on the
South coast Ö Ron, weæll call him Ö not his real name. I was trying to
say to Ron that it was important to check out Jesusæ claims and not to
Éleave it until tomorrowæ because who knows if weæll still be here
tomorrow? I told him about my 26-year old friend, Nick, from our church
here in Norwich. A few weeks earlier, he had gone to a nearby flat to
try to mediate in a marital feud. The wife was brandishing a knife and
threatening to use it. Nick tried to intervene and she stabbed him
straight through the heart and he died. Nick had been married for one
year. We were stunned.
9.1
I didnæt get a reply from Ron for some months. Maybe I had been too
melodramatic Ö but Nickæs death had really affected me and made me think
about what is really important in life. But, eventually, I got a reply.
Of all the people I have written to over the eight years of Archive,
people all over the country and around the world, Iáhave (I think) only
mentioned Nickæs death once. Ron said, öSorry I didnæt reply earlier but
I was a bit shocked by your letter. I presume you were talking about
Nick Stanley Ö I was at school with him!ò
9.1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
9.1
If you want to check out Jesusæ claims, there are now about 1,600
churches around the UK, and some overseas, running Alpha courses. (It is
anticipated that, during 1995, around 100,000 people in the UK will have
been on an Alpha course.) These courses are for anyone interested, there
is no charge, there will be lots of other sceptical people attending
them, you can ask anything (and I mean anything) and if you go to one of
the meetings and then decide not to go again, there is no Éfollow upæ.
In short, youæve got nothing to lose.
9.1
If you are interested, ring 0171-581-8255 and ask to speak to the Alpha
Coordinator who will be able to tell you if there is a course near you.
The courses run three times a year and most of them start during
September, so donæt delay Ö give them a ring today Ö or fax them on
0171-589-3390.
9.1
P.B.
9.1
Paul Beverley
9.1
Mark Colton
9.1
Everyone in the Acorn family was saddened recently by the sudden death,
in a motor racing accident, of MarkáColton of Colton Software. Our
thoughts and prayers are with Markæs friends and family. Gerald Fitton
has kindly written an appreciation of Mark in his Column on page 69.
9.1
NCS Ö The future
9.1
Many of you wrote to express your concern about the future of NCS Ö it
seems you donæt want to lose us! That is most gratifying, thank you.
Yes, we have lost all our educational sales and, yes, Acorn have dropped
the dealer margin but, at the moment things are just about OK. Thatæs
because people are buying the new RiscáPC 700 in reasonable numbers. If
you want a RiscáPC, we have them in stock Ö feel free to order one!
9.1
Another major problem this month is that Greyhound Marketing have gone
into liquidation. They were an excellent company that supplied our
software needs so that, if you ordered an Acorn title we didnæt have in
stock, we could ring them and, the following day, it would be delivered.
So, if you have been waiting for some software, please accept our
apologies (Other Acorn dealers will be having the same problems, I
guess, as Greyhound was the main Acorn distributor.) There are two
companies trying to gear up to fill the gap but, if there are some
teething troubles, please bear with us. There may even be some titles
that we will have to take off our list. öNormal service will be resumed
as soon as possibleò!
9.1
Thatæs it for now. Happy reading!
9.1
  Full Price  Deposit  Loan  20 Payments of
9.1
ACB60 + AKF60  ú1349  ú135  ú1214  ú60.70
9.1
ACB70 + AKF60  ú1599  ú160  ú1439  ú71.95
9.1
ACB71 + AKF60  ú1729  ú244  ú1485  ú74.25
9.1
ACB75 + AKF60  ú1989  ú504  ú1485  ú74.25
9.1
ACB75 + AKF85  ú2315  ú830  ú1485  ú74.25
9.1
20/20 Scheme examples
9.1
Model  AKF85  17  Pro 17  21  Pro 21
9.1
Screen  FST  FST  DiamondTron  FST  DiamondTron
9.1
Dot pitch (mm)  0.27  0.26  0.25  0.27  0.30
9.1
Horiz. Freq. (Hz)  50-120  50-160  50-160  50-160  50-160
9.1
Vert. Freq. (kHz)  30-82  27-86  27-92  25-94  25-94
9.1
Resolution  1280╫1024 (70)  1280╫1024 (80)  1280╫1024 (85)  1280╫1024
(90)  1280╫1024 (90)
9.1
Resolution  1600╫1200 (60)  1600╫1200 (65)  1600╫1200 (70)  1600╫1200
(75)  1600╫1200 (75)
9.1
Weight (kg)  21  21  23  31  34
9.1
Archive Price  (ú620)  ú660  ú740  ú1490  ú1590
9.1
With RiscáPC  ú326  ú370  ú450  ú1200  ú1300
9.1
Avie
9.1
New artwork
9.1
Club News
9.1
Suffolk Acorn Risc Club Ö The club meets every month, usually on the
second Thursday of the month, in Ipswich Central library (use the side
entrance in Old Foundry Road). Doors open at 7 p.m. with tea and coffee
available, and talks start at 7.30 p.m. Special events include:
9.1
Saturday, 23rd September Ö Club BBQ in Felixstowe, 5 p.m. (social event,
bring your own meat and drink)
9.1
Wednesday, 11th October Ö Colton Software demonstrating Fireworkz, etc.
9.1
Saturday, 28th October Ö Coach trip to Acorn World (8.30 a.m. departure
from Ipswich)
9.1
Thursday, 9th November Ö Games weæve liked for years... (informal
Christmas games Ö bring your machine, competitions and prizes on the
night)
9.1
Thursday, 14th December Ö Christmas Cracker (Design session with a prize
for the best Christmas card)
9.1
For more details, please contact: Paul Skirrow, Chairman, SARC, 9
Randwell Close, Ipswich, IP4á5ES. (01473-728943) (01473-270643)
([e-mail])áuá
9.1
Is Suffolk the only place in the universe that has interesting Acorn
club meetings? OK, so tell me about it! Ed.
9.1
Acorn 1995 Christmas Card Competition
9.1
Ding Dong Merrily.....!
9.1
Donæt groan Ö you could win a Risc PC! Following the success of last
yearæs competition, budding artists and would-be designers are once
again invited to try their hand at producing a design for Acornæs 1995
Christmas card. The winning entry will be professionally printed and
used by Acorn this Christmas, and the winner will receive a fabulous
Acorn Risc PC600 4Mb HD425 system.
9.1
All entries must be original work and should be produced using an Acorn
computer. Designs should be submitted in both drawfile format and as an
A4 hard copy.
9.1
Please send entries to:
9.1
  Acorn æ95 Christmas Card Competition
9.1
  Corporate Affairs Department
9.1
  Acorn House
9.1
  Vision Park,
9.1
  Cambridge, CB4 4AE
9.1
Entries must be in by no later than Monday 9th October æ95.
9.1
Designs from groups and individuals, young and old, are all welcome.
9.1
Terms and conditions
9.1
1  All entries must be received by second post 9tháOctober 1995.
9.1
2  The prize will be an Acorn Risc PC600 4M HD425.
9.1
3  The winning entry will be chosen on 23rdáOctober 1995 and the prize
winner will be announced at Acorn World æ95 (27th-29th October 1995,
Wembley).
9.1
4  Photographs and other promotional material may be requested of the
prize winner.
9.1
5  All designs must be original.
9.1
6  Only one entry per person or per group.
9.1
7  Designs cannot be returned.
9.1
8  The following are not eligible to enter: employees and contractors of
Acorn Computer Group plc, Advanced RISC Machines Limited and their
subsidiaries, agents, dealers or anyone connected with the competition.
9.1
9  Entries must be submitted in drawfile format and A4 hard copy.
9.1
10  Acorn Computer Group plc and its subsidiaries shall have the right
to reproduce all designs for future use and applicants shall, if
requested, sign an appropriate form of authorization.áuá
9.1
Acorn World æ95
9.1
Weæve not had time this year to get round to companies to find out what
new products they are going to be launching, so all weæve got is Acornæs
own PR Ö but at least it gives you some idea of what will be on offer Ö
youære unlikely to be disappointed. (Mind you, some of the PR sounds a
little over-optimistic to me Ö there are going to be a few late night
sessions down at Vision Park if all this is to be fulfilled in time!
Ed.)
9.1
A great venue for the school half-term holidays Ö take a trip down the
Information Superhighway at Acorn World æ95, Wembley 27-29th October.
9.1
Itæs the best show in town to educate and amuse the whole family, and it
comes at just the time when you want to know more about the Information
Superhighway, the Internet, browsing the World Wide Web, and the
emerging, broadband network ÉSet-Top Boxæ technology.  Acorn World æ95
is a super event to find out what all this means, and the best way to
Éget onlineæ. With lots of demos, information from experts and good
savings on advance tickets Ö itæs altogether too good to miss!
9.1
Each day thereæll be a variety of topical theatre presentations,
including one by Acornæs Chris Cox at which heæll explain all about the
Superhighway, and answer questions from the audience.
9.1
At the Cyber Cafe...
9.1
Youæll be able to get online at the event, both by getting hands-on
experience of the Internet in the futuristic Cyber Cafe area Ö a chance
to find out what itæs like Ö and by buying-in through VTI, which will be
selling Internet subscription. So come on down and have a browse.
9.1
Also in the Cyber Cafe, thereæll be a live Internet link with the Blue
Peter stand at the CBBC Big Bash in Birmingham at the NEC. Whizz kids at
both events will be able to chat over the net. Blue Peter will be
filming them at Wembley on Friday, the first day of Acorn World æ95, for
transmission on their programme later that day.
9.1
At Technology City...
9.1
This is the mecca of the event, and the place to see the latest
technology from Acorn:
9.1
ÅáNew Acorn models Ö Risc PC700 and A7000
9.1
ÅáNext generation of PC Cards demonstrated, with redesigned ASIC. Hear
the significantly improved soundblaster quality.
9.1
ÅáMultimedia as part of Risc PC system Ö an opportunity for some face-
to-face questioning, and on the upper level of the exhibit, a whole
Multimedia Experience area.
9.1
ÅáSimtec multiprocessor card will be running.
9.1
Networking
9.1
There will be a feature on networking which picks up the theme of the
show:
9.1
ÅáOmniclient running in conjunction with a Power PC Schools Server.
9.1
ÅáAccess and other networking protocols running on the Risc PC.
9.1
ÅáA Risc PC 700X demonstrating the use of UNIX on the Risc PC.
9.1
ÅáAnd itæs likely youæll see Risc BSD. (Iæll try to find out what this
means by the time of the next issue of Archive! Does anyone know? Ed.)
9.1
ÅáTAOS Ö see the latest version for the Risc PC Ö this is a microkernal-
based operating system, recently released.
9.1
Something for everyone...
9.1
An Early Learning area reflecting Acornæs recent link-up with the Pre-
School Learning Alliance to promote IT in playgroups nationwide. An
opportunity for parents and toddlers to play on computers and get some
sound advice.
9.1
PLUS a futuristic computer games arcade, competitions with prizes,
jugglers, magicians, face painting and a free, colourful, toy-packed
crΦche!
9.1
And over 100 organisations showing their IT products and services.
9.1
Call the Acorn World æ95 Ticket and Information Hotline on 01933-441448,
who are including a special P&O cross-channel offer for those who book
early.
9.1
Acorn World æ95 special offers
9.1
The Acorn A3010 Early Years Learning System, the ideal IT start for very
young children, comprising computer, mouse, joystick ports for two users
and a variety of colourful and stimulating software programs, normally
ú399, will sell for ú199 +VAT.
9.1
Acorn PC Exchange will be released at Acorn World æ95. It will enable
you to move text, graphics and sound between RISC OS and Windows. It
will cost ú25 +VAT, including three discs and a manual.
9.1
Acorn Pocket Book II 256Kb inclusive of RAM disc worth ú42 will be on
sale for ú205 +VAT.
9.1
...plus other selected equipment at attractive prices.
9.1
The biggest attraction...
9.1
The Archive stand is likely to be the biggest attraction at the whole
show (thatæs edæs totally unbiased view!) so donæt miss it...
9.1
Charity Bring and Buy Ö Weæve been saving up charity bits and pieces and
now have lots to sell, but please bring more with you when you come.
Even old BBC programs on tape will sell Ö youæd be amazed Ö  itæs for
fun, itæs for charity, so why not join us?
9.1
Chat Shop Ö Come and meet each other and chat. If you have ever
contributed to Archive, come to the stand, pick up a badge, write your
name and area(s) of expertise and hang around the stand for a while Ö
you may even be accosted around the exhibition hall as people see your
badge and want to chat to you.
9.1
CD-ROM Offer Ö The Archive CD-ROM special offer (ú8 if you buy it at the
same time as a subscription before 15th September) will be resurrected
for those three days and it will apply to new subscriptions to Archive
as well.áuá
9.1
Small Ads
9.1
(Small ads for Acorn 32¡bit computers and related products are free for
subscribers but we reserve the right to publish all, part or none of the
material you send, as we think fit. i.e. some people donæt know what
Ésmallæ means and there are certain things, as you can imagine, that we
would not be prepared to advertise as a matter of principle. Sending
small ads (especially long ones!) on disc is helpful but not essential.
Ed)
9.1
A310, ARM3, RISC OS 3.1, 4Mb RAM, no monitor, Oak SCSI interface and
Quantum 105Mb HD, Atomwide VIDC enhancer 1.61, CC ROM/RAM board, Watford
2¡slot backplane, 5╝ö floppy interface and drive. Software including: PC
emulator 1.82, Wordz 1.03, Robico, Stranded, Enthar 7, Lemmings, Caverns
and lots of PD. ú450 o.n.o. Phone Rob on 01895¡423179 or 01705¡631747.
9.1
A310, 4Mb, ARM3, RISC OS 3.1, 40Mb HD, AKF17 monitor, fan quietener,
PCEmulator 1.6, leads, manuals, discs, ú450 o.n.o. + p&p. Phone
01275¡393203.
9.1
A310, 4Mb, RISC OS 3.1, ARM3, 4¡slot four¡layer backplane, two 3╜ö disc
drives, 80Mb ext. IDE , stereo speakers, multisync monitor, joystick, PC
emulator, 180 discs utils/games/music/art, dust covers, ú550. Phone Eric
on 01603¡259052.
9.1
A4 portable, 4Mb RAM, 60Mb HD, various software, vgc (original boxes)
ú1000. Phone 01792¡771513 after 6.
9.1
A410/1, 4Mb RAM, 33MHz ARM3, 50Mb HD (2 off), Newlook desktop, I/O
podule, MIDI, sound sampler, keyboard extension cable and postage ú500
o.n.o. Phone Mark after 6 on 01905¡754277.
9.1
A540, 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, 120Mb SCSI HD, Eizo 9060S, s/w + games inc.
Wonderland + Interdictor 2, ú800. Can deliver within reasonable distance
of Nottingham. Phone 0115¡953¡2122.
9.1
A540, 8Mb RAM, 120Mb SCSI HD, RISC OS 3.10, Acorn SCSI board, Eizo
9060S, ú590. Software inc. EasiWriter, PipeDream 4 and Prophet. Phone
01342¡714905.
9.1
A3000, 2Mb, 40Mb IDE drive, RISC OS 3.1, 14ö AlphaScan high res monitor,
Style, EasyFont, PipeDream, etc, ú400. Phone Ian on 01256¡461566.
9.1
A3000, 4Mb RAM (IFEL), 40Mb ICS HD, RISC OS 3.1, Acorn monitor, ú450
o.n.o. Phone 01373¡462213.
9.1
A5000, 4Mb RAM, 40Mb HD, RISC OS 3.1, 14ö multisync, external floppy
interface, good cond, ú600. Phone Steve on 01803¡873073.
9.1
A5000, 4Mb RAM, 234Mb IDE, AKF18, RISC OS 3.11, ú550. Risc PC 2nd slice
ú75, 2Mb VRAM ú100. SCSI card ú50. Eagle M2 ú185. Scanner 256 ú90. A310
and b/w monitor ú75. Publisher ú90. Artworks ú90. Photodesk ú90. NEC 14ö
multisync ú100. LQ850 ú30. Phone 01827¡330118 eves.
9.1
A5000, 4Mb RAM, 80Mb HD, Acorn 14ö, Watford I/O card, RISC OS 3.1, 3 car
simulators, 5áflight simulators, 8 games, 2 modem packages, 2ámusic
composers, 2 WPs, PC emulator with DOS 5 and Autoroute, ú690. Phone
01235¡766374 eves.
9.1
A5000, 4¡8Mb memory board, Eizo 9060, fan quietener, 240Mb HD, PC
emulator, TouchType, Squirrel 2 and more! ú850 o.n.o. Phone
0181¡898¡0447 eves.
9.1
A5000LC, RISC OS 3.11, 4Mb RAM, 2 ╫ 40Mb HD, monitor, software, discs,
magazines etc, ú750. Pete on 01276¡28433.
9.1
ACB25 Risc PC 600, 6Mb + 2Mb VRAM, 210Mb HD, 17ö monitor, quad speed
CD¡ROM drive, Oak SCSI card, Acorn 486 co¡processor, ú1500. Phone
01202¡740710 eves.
9.1
ACB25 Risc PC 600 9Mb, 425Mb HD, Cumana Indigo CD¡ROM drive, exc cond,
also some software, ú1300. Phone Steve on 01803¡873073.
9.1
Aleph One 386 PC podule with 4Mb RAM, fast PALs, !PC versions 1.72 and
1.52, and Windows driver, ú270. Phone Ray on 0181¡864¡7208.
9.1
Aleph One 486SLC PC podule with 4Mb RAM, 50MHz, IPC software, Windows
drivers, DR DOS and manual, ú250. Phone 01342¡714905.
9.1
ANSI C release 3 ú50, Z88 computer + bits ú50. Phone Mike on
01462¡434061.
9.1
Archive magazines (complete set) and Risc User magazines for sale. Best
offer for either or both. Phone 01424¡753303.
9.1
Conner IDE hard disc, 420Mb, 3 months old, formatted and with many PD
and shareware programs, ú115. Phone 01992¡462072.
9.1
Expansion card: Acorn MIDI c/w EMR Studio 24+ (v2) & MIDI music/utility
discs etc ú90, GammaPlot (v2) ú15, System Delta+ (v2) ú25, Genesis (v2)
ú20, Investigating Local Industry ú20, Sporting Triangles ú5, The Art
Machine 1&2 ú20, Word Up Word Down ú3. Books: MS¡DOS Quick Reference ú5,
RISC OS 2 PRMs ú35. Phone 01737¡832159 eves.
9.1
Fireworkz Pro, boxed with full documentation, ú100. Phone 0131¡477¡8624.
9.1
Games, Chuck Rock ú5, Zool ú10, Lotus Turbo Challenge 2 ú10, Boogie
Buggy ú5, Enter The Realm ú15, Swiv ú5, Gods ú5, The Krisalis Collection
ú10. ú50 for the lot. Phone Chris on 01925¡755250.
9.1
IDE hard disc, 210Mb (ex Risc PC) ú70, Cumana 3╜ö floppy drive with PSU,
hardly used, ú45. PRES A3K6 disc buffer board for A3000, ú20. Phone Ian
on 0151¡678¡9879.
9.1
Old¡style Econet cards, 10 for ú250 or ú30 individually. Phone Mr Bartle
on 01263¡713271.
9.1
PipeDream 3 (Unregistered) ú15, Joystick Interface ú10, Tracker ú10,
Euclid ú10, Disc Rescue ú10, Speech! ú5, DataWord ú5, Impression Borders
ú5. Games inc Real McCoy 1, 2 and 4, Wonderland, Chopper Force, etc. ú10
each. Acorn User magazines Jan 1991 Ö Aug 1994 with discs from September
1991, offers. Phone Robert on 01256¡27519.
9.1
PipeDream 4, unopened, unregistered, ú35. Phone Paul on 0831¡612025.
9.1
Pocket Book, as new, with Schedule, boxed with manuals, ú100. Phone Camp
on 01952¡247783.
9.1
Pocket Book 1, 256Kb, Schedule, Plotter, exc cond, ú100. Phone Andrew
Jackson on 01935¡881835 or 0378¡930659.
9.1
Printers Ö CC LaserDirect HiRes8 ú700; Panasonic KXP1124 (24¡pin dot
matrix) ú90. David on 01908¡501951 eves.
9.1
ProArtisan 24, boxed with manuals, ú90. Phone Major Tompkins on
01276¡28932.
9.1
Psion games disc one (7 games). Works with Pocket Book, PB II, Series 3
or 3a. Phone Mark after 6 on 01905¡754277.
9.1
ScanLight 256 (standard podule, v2.06) hardly used, ú100. Revelation 2
CD (inc. CDFS 2.21Y) ú50. ProArtisan 2 CD (inc. ProArt24 upgrade voucher
and a PhotoCD) ú50. PinPoint 2.01d, ú50. Magpie 1A.51b, ú30. All for
ú280. Telephone David on 01752¡840027 eves.
9.1
Wanted Ö CC Colour Card Gold for an A5000. Phone 01992¡462072.
9.1
Wanted Ö AKF17 or AKF50, or similar, suitable for an A420/1. Phone Paul
on 0831¡612025.
9.1
Wordz, unused copy, boxed with manual and two Abacus ZLine discs of
resources/suggestions/helps, etc ú30. Phone 01952¡247783.áuá
9.1
Pocket Book Column
9.1
Audrey Laski
9.1
The pigs flew! As I had half-hoped, half-feared, no sooner had I got my
text off early to Paul, than the letters came in Ö still not many, but
full of good information and questions.
9.1
Pocket Book tuning
9.1
John Woodthorpe of Rugby, one of the columnæs most regular
correspondents, has been testing a Californian program called PSTuner
which samples sounds received by the built-in microphone and very
accurately determines the pitch; he has uploaded it to Arcade and the
Datafile PD library on behalf of the author, who asks for a donation to
be made to his favourite charity. He remarks, öI think this is a really
innovative use for the machine, and perhaps gives us a glimpse of how
Psion may be moving towards voice recognition, as they hinted when the
Series 3a was launched. One supplied example uses it as a sound monitor,
constantly displaying the waveform on the screen. It is easy to imagine
someone extending this by writing a program to be triggered by a loud
noise (e.g. turning off an alarm by shouting at it).ò Itæs very exciting
to see the range of activities in which the Pocket Book can be of
service.
9.1
Still more about linking
9.1
John also writes of the problems experienced by an acquaintance who had
been trying to get a Psion 3-Link to work with a Risc PC and PocketFS Ö
initially an impossibility. öThe solution was to (bravely) hack off the
9-pin D plug from the 3-Link (fortunately, all the shorting links are in
that end of the wire) and replace it with one wired correctly for an
Acorn. This can best be appreciated by looking at the little round mini
DIN plug that goes into the Ésoap on ropeæ, with the flat portion at the
top. You then have an arrangement of:
9.1
  pin  space  pin  pin
9.1
  pin  pin  pin  pin
9.1
    pin  pin
9.1
The 3-Link has them connected to the following pins on the D-plug:
9.1
  8    7  5
9.1
  2  6  5  4
9.1
    5  3
9.1
For the A-link, things are somewhat different. It goes:
9.1
  8+9    7  N/C
9.1
  2  1+6  5  4
9.1
    4  3
9.1
N/C = no connection.ò
9.1
After discovering this with the aid of a continuity checker, they wired
the pins as for the A-Link and öeverything now works fineò.
9.1
Printing problems
9.1
Jeremy Mitcheson, of Portishead, Bristol, is an enthusiastic Psion 3a
user, particularly keen on öthe To-Do lists, the Agenda and the great
convenience of typing letters and notes, whether with my thumbs when
sitting in an easy chair or with fingers at a tableò. He enquires about
printing directly to a printer Ö say, a Canon BJ200 Ö in different
print/font sizes, especially with a view to using a large typeface for
the convenience of readers with failing eyesight. John of the other side
of the bed, waving a banner with the strange device ÉRTFM!æ, points out
that p103 of the Pocket Book manual shows how to set the font-size for a
chosen printer; presumably there is similar advice somewhere in the
Psion 3a manual. He adds: öCanon can use IBM Proprinter X24E (Canon DIP
switch 1-10 off) for which, certainly, a printer-driver is provided, or
its own command rules (DIP switch 1-10 on). Because of the different
character sets, top-bit set characters will probably have different
effects. ú is the most likely to be awkward...ò He recommends that you
experiment with the byte numbers in the manuals of all the machines
involved.
9.1
Loading PD software
9.1
Jeremy also mentions difficulties experienced in loading programs from
PD software such as PDCD1 from Datafile. John of the other side of the
bed agrees with him that the problem is the incompatible filenames
syntax of the two OSs, expanding thus: öDOS names are seven characters,
a fullstop and then three characters (<name>.<ext>). This is too long
for RISC OS, and it would construe the dot as another branch in the
directory. RISC OS displays DOS filenames by substituting É/æ for É.æ,
and truncating. (Sparc uses another character which I canæt remember for
É/æ.)ò
9.1
He notes that PocketFS helpfully uses the Acorn É/æ convention, when
taking files from the Acorn to the Pocket Book, but warns of the risk of
losing the last extension character and suggests making a note of the
filenames before transferring, to be able to repair the effect of
RISCáOSæs too narrow channel. The first file to be passed over should be
immediately renamed, as a lost character from the end of the extension
might make two files with similar names indistinguishable.
9.1
Power Pack Blues forever?
9.1
My Pocket Book is back with a new gizmo attached to the power pack lead
to try to keep it connected. The green light still blinks out from time
to time when I am trying to use it on a very uneven surface, but
jiggling the gizmo restores it. Iæll have to be satisfied with that, I
guess; but Iæm probably the only user who both works in bed and keeps
the power pack engaged.
9.1
Endnote
9.1
It was good to see a substantial article praising the Pocket Book in the
September issue; please keep the letters coming so that we can continue
to spread the word.áuá
9.1
Flexible Memory Allocation
9.1
Robert Lytton
9.1
When programming in Basic, if you need to store some data, such as text,
the usual approach is to use the DIM command to set aside a block of
memory and store the data there. This means that you need to know the
size of block required when writing the program and set up an
appropriate Wimpslot in the Run file to make sure you do not run out of
memory.
9.1
Also, the block of memory is permanently allocated by the Basic
interpreter and cannot be reduced or increased in size, nor removed to
enable the memory to be used for other purposes. This causes problems
when you do not know the size of the data to be stored, particularly
when the data could be quite long, e.g. text files.
9.1
One solution is to run the program with the largest possible Wimpslot
and allocate the largest possible block of memory using DIM, thereby
being able to accommodate large data blocks. This, however, is very
wasteful if the data is only very limited. Swallowing up all available
memory, when you only need a few Kb, can be very annoying to the user!
9.1
Memory usage in Basic
9.1
The diagram opposite shows how memory in the Basic programæs WimpSlot is
used. The lower section is the program code. Above this, variables,
strings, array and blocks of DIMensioned memory are all allocated space
once, and once only. Starting from the top (HIMEM), a stack is
constructed for use by the Basic interpreter. If all is well, the stack
does not meet the variable storage space! The answer to flexible memory
allocation is to use memory above that used by the Basic interpreter.
9.1
The WimpSlot
9.1
If you increase the WimpSlot, your task will have an area of memory
above the current Basic interpreter (HIMEM). This is now available to be
used as you wish and may be increased or decreased using the following
SWI:
9.1
SYS öWimp_SlotSizeò,NewSize%,Ö1 TO
9.1
 ActualNewSize%
9.1
where NewSize% is the desired WimpSlot in bytes and ActualNewSize% is
the WimpSlot actually allocated.
9.1
Two other very useful SWI calls are:
9.1
SYS öWimp_SlotSizeò,Ö1,Ö1 TO
9.1
 PresentSize%
9.1
where PresentSize% is the present WimpSlot size in bytes, and:
9.1
SYS öOS_ReadMemMapInfoò TO PageSize%
9.1
where PageSize% is the step size in bytes by which the WimpSlot can be
increased. This varies from machine to machine and any requests made to
alter the WimpSlot will always be rounded up to a multiple of the
PageSize% bytes.
9.1
Altering HIMEM
9.1
If you know that your program only needs, for example, 12Kb of memory
and, when run, 32Kb has been allocated to it due to the page size being
32Kb, there will be a wasted 20Kb of memory within the Basic
interpreteræs space, see top right of this page.
9.1
It is possible to move the top of the Basic interpreteræs memory by
altering the value of HIMEM. This will then make the 20Kb available for
your own use, and it can then be further increased (in 32Kb blocks, in
this case) using SYS öWimp_SlotSizeò, NewSize%,Ö1 TO ActualNewSize%. You
should do this at the beginning of the program, before any function or
procedure calls, by entering:
9.1
HIMEM=HIMEMÖ20*1024
9.1
This will lower HIMEM by 20Kb, as follows:
9.1
How do you know how much to lower it? The easiest way is by trial and
ÉERRORæ and when a minimum is found, increase HIMEM by a few Kb to be on
the safe side. (The empirical approach!)
9.1
How you use this block of memory is up to you. It starts at the address
given by the value of HIMEM, and the size is equal to the amount by
which HIMEM was lowered, plus the amount by which the WimpSlot has been
increased or decreased. You will need to keep a check on its usage and,
preferably, decrease its size when it is not needed, by using a call to
SYS öWimp_SlotSizeò, NewSize%,Ö1 TO ActualNewSize%. This will place the
memory back into the free pool for other programs to use. The block of
memory should be accessed using the indirection operators ?, !, $ and
|.áuá
9.1
Hints and Tips
9.1
Alt(ernative) characters Ö (This is a reprinted and updated version of a
hint from Archive 6.1 Ö many people seem to be unaware of these special
characters.) On upgrading from RISCáOS 2 to RISCáOS 3.1, I thought I had
lost my É╫æ character. I eventually found that it had moved from <alt-,>
to <shift-alt-,>. So I investigated all the other possible
ALTernatives(!). Here are all the ALT characters I found. They are laid
out in QWERTY order but where no special character appeared, the key is
not included in the list.
9.1
  key  alt  shift-alt
9.1
  `  ¼  ░
9.1
  1  ╣  í
9.1
  2  ▓
9.1
  3  │
9.1
  4  ╝
9.1
  5  ╜
9.1
  6  ╛
9.1
  9    ▒
9.1
  r  ╢  «
9.1
  y    Ñ
9.1
  o  °  ╪
9.1
  p  ■  ▐
9.1
  \    ª
9.1
  a  µ  ╞
9.1
  s  ▀  º
9.1
  d  ≡  ╨
9.1
  f    ¬
9.1
  z  ½
9.1
  x  ╗
9.1
  c  ó  ⌐
9.1
  m  ╡  ║
9.1
  ,    ╫
9.1
  .    ≈
9.1
  /    ┐
9.1
(On the RiscáPC, you also get ñ with <shift-alt-3>. The A4 also has some
different characters, Iábelieve, but we donæt have one available for
test.)
9.1
There are some additional Alt-key characters that donæt actually produce
a character themselves Ö they just set up an accent so that the
following character is changed into an accented character. This only
happens if the accent is suitable for the following character.
9.1
For example, to type an Θ, hold down <alt>, press and release <[>,
release the <alt> and then press and release <e>. Characters available
in this way are:
9.1
  alt-[  Θ ╔ φ ═ ≤ ╙ · ┌ ² ▌
9.1
  alt-]  Φ ╚ ∞ ╠ ≥ ╥ ∙ ┘
9.1
  alt-;  δ ╦ ∩ ╧ ÷ ╓ ⁿ ▄
9.1
  alt-É  Ω ╩ ε ╬ ⌠ ╘ √ █
9.1
  alt-,  ± ⌡ ╒
9.1
  alt-.  σ
9.1
  alt-/  τ ╟
9.1
The only other Alt-key character missing from the previous list is Alt-
hyphen which gives character 173. In the Acorn fonts, this looks exactly
like a normal hyphen, but is a non-breaking hyphen, i.e. it does not get
split across two lines when it occurs near the end of one line. (But
does anyone know how to avoid the slash character splitting at the line
end, as öaround 4/5 of them are splitò?)
9.1
Ed.
9.1
Archive CD Ö Some of you may have difficulty in accessing some of the
Spark format archives if you only have ArcFS. The solution is to use
SparkPlug which (space permitting) you will find on the monthly program
disc. The other problem that has come to light is that, because ISO
standard filenames do not allow hyphens (ASCII 45), they are converted
to underscores (ASCII 95). This means that some of the Genesis
multimedia applications are not able to locate their internal resources.
The solution is to copy the application to another disc and then rename
any of the files within it which have underscores, back to hyphens.
9.1
JamesáTaylor, NCS.
9.1
ATAPI CD-ROMs Ö Following the warning last month that not all ATAPI CD-
ROMs would work on Acorn machines, I thought you might like to know that
I put a quad speed Mitsumi FX400 drive in a RiscáPC 700 and it seems to
work fine. It cost me ú105 +VAT from a PC Éboxshifteræ.
9.1
Malcolm Churchill, High Wycombe.
9.1
BJC-600 ink cartridges Ö I had some trouble with my BJC-600 colour
bubble jet printer after replenishing inks from a refill kit. Some
colours refused to print, despite repeated nozzle-cleaning operations. I
eventually found the trouble Ö there is a filter pad for each colour on
the print block that holds the four ink cartridges. When the cartridge
is snapped into place in the print block, this filter projects slightly
into the cartridge and is supposed to make contact with the sponge
filling which is saturated with ink. Perhaps I was heavy-handed with the
syringe supplied for filling with ink. This has a hypodermic needle
which has to be passed through the sponge into the rear ink compartment.
It appears I had pushed the sponge in so that the filter was failing to
contact it. Teasing it out slightly with a pin cleared the trouble.
9.1
Eric Ayers, Ipswich.
9.1
Directory and filenames Ö How do you force directories or files to the
top (or bottom), so that they are easy to find (or are out of the way)?
Iáused to use Éaaæ or Ézzæ at the beginning of the name, then I started
using É!æ. This is OK for files, but not for directories as they become
applications and you have to <shift> double-click to open them.
Recently, I discovered É~æ which pushes files to the end and found that
the hard space, <alt-space>, which I had used regularly within
filenames, could be used to pull the file to the beginning of the
directory. The only disadvantage of using the hard space is that it is
invisible and may therefore be a little confusing.
9.1
(P.S. Why not use É<hardspace>!Nameæ? Although you canæt see the hard
space, at least the exclamation mark would remind you that there is
something odd about the name and you wonæt be fooled into thinking
youæve left the files sorted by date or something.)
9.1
Ed.
9.1
Image scanning Ö It is becoming increasingly commonplace to introduce
photographs into DTP documents by using a scanner so that the photograph
can then be processed. Recent advances have made it possible to handle
24-bit colour photographs (16 million colours) and to print the document
in colour with equipment of modest cost.
9.1
As always, it needs experience to learn the Éwrinklesæ necessary to
obtain the best results. An intriguing example is the fact that Kodak
paper, as used for normal colour prints, is mottled, although only to an
extent indiscernible in its normal use. However, if a photograph is
scanned and is then magnified several times, the mottle is also enlarged
and will entirely spoil the picture which will appear very Égrainyæ.
9.1
The only real way to avoid the problem is a big enough photograph so
that it doesnæt need to be enlarged electronically.
9.1
You could scan from a negative or a transparency which, of course, has
no mottle, but the equipment required to scan small size negatives at
high resolution is elaborate and expensive.
9.1
Another solution is to download from a Kodak PhotoCD which Kodak produce
for you on high¡resolution scanners. However, unless a Kodak PhotoCD is
required for other purposes, this would be a complicated and expensive
procedure.
9.1
However, in most circumstances, 4ö ╫ 6ò prints will suffice because
computer prints larger than this are not likely to be required.
9.1
George Foot, Oxted, Surrey.
9.1
Impression borders (Noel Williams, Archive 8.12 p19) Ö It seems that
when Impression imports a border of 3pt or less, it ignores rounded or
mitred corners and substitutes squared corners. It is rather strange,
therefore, that the standard, built-in, borders do not have squared
corners, as Cain Hunt pointed out in Archive 8.10 p14. 3pt is about 1mm,
so you need a magnifying glass to see the difference. Iáwonder how many
users had noticed the messy corners of the standard borders?
9.1
It is possible, if you really insist, to create a border 2pt thick, for
example, with rounded or bevelled corners. Draw a rectangle 2 pts wide
(see Cain Huntæs article), no line colour, filled black. Group with it,
on its right-hand side, an invisible rectangle two pts wide, no line
colour, no fill colour. The group object is now four pts wide, and will
not be trapped by Impressionæs 3pt limit. The corner shape should be as
shown (for a bevelled corner), no line colour, filled black. Although
the two objects do not overlap, it is important that the corner shape
should be defined in Draw as being Éin frontæ.
9.1
The only possible disadvantage of this is that this border will appear
two pts outside the defined edges of the Impression frame, rather than
immediately outside the frame.
9.1
Colin Singleton, Sheffield.
9.1
Impression: spurious styles and effects Ö Having discovered the Cnf1
trick in Impression (8.3 p29) Ö thank you, Paul Ö I can now see all the
years-old effects, generally unused, which are cluttering up my
documents.
9.1
With a bit of research, I now have a better idea how they arise. If I
select a piece of text and centre it, Publisher creates a new effect in
my document, appropriately named Centre. If I then centre another piece
of text in the same document, Publisher assigns the same named effect to
that text. If I change the size of a piece of text, Publisher creates an
effect named 10pt, or whatever. Similarly, underlining text creates an
effect named Underline. All very helpful.
9.1
However, if I select a piece of text and italicise it, Publisher creates
an effect with the un-helpful name Effect 298, or some such. Similarly,
if I select Bold, Superscript or Subscript. If I italicise another piece
of text, Publisher applies the same numbered effect to this text, so
there is only one numbered definition for each effect. Can I put
Meaningful Effect Names on my wish list for the next Publisher upgrade?
9.1
I can change the name of an effect using the Edit Style feature, though
in order to select the effect for editing I must first apply it to a
piece of text, since it does not appear on the list of styles shown by
the Edit Style feature. There are, however, a few pitfalls.
9.1
An edited effect becomes a style, which is handled slightly differently.
It does now appear on the list of styles in the Edit Style function, but
it does not now appear in the style menu where Cnf1 originally caused it
to appear! The latter can be remedied by setting Show on style menu in
the Edit Style options.
9.1
If I change the name of an automatically-created effect, Publisher will
not then use it when I try to apply the same effect again Ö it will
create another numbered effect. This can be partially remedied by
assigning the standard keyboard short-cut (<ctrl-I> for italic) to the
re-named Style, using Edit Style. This will cause the re-named style to
be used in future if I select italic by <ctrl-I>, but if I select italic
from the toolbar, I get a new numbered effect!
9.1
In my master document for contributions to Archive Iáhave created styles
called Heading MathGreek, Dingbats and Program. These define fonts only
(superimposed on my Normal style), which Paul can, I hope, easily change
to his choice of font.
9.1
I have also created Styles called Italic, Bold Superscript, and
Subscript. These define the appropriate effects only, and provided I
remember to select Italic and Bold by <ctrl-I> and <ctrl-B>, Paul will
not be confused by mysterious effect numbers.
9.1
Colin Singleton, Sheffield.
9.1
PC mice Ö Richard Torrensæ article on mice (8.12 p31) was interesting,
but for those of us who donæt know which end of a soldering iron is
which (Ouch!), there is a plug-and-play alternative. APDL has a PD
program called SerialMse by Stuart Tyrrell which allows a serial PC
mouse to be used with an Acorn computer. (!SerialMse is on this monthæs
disc. Ed.)
9.1
Sudipta Sarkar, Chester.
9.1
Printing from Write Ö Regarding Keith Hodgeæs query about printing from
the Risc PC using Windows Write, I had the same problem myself; after
consulting the Oracle (MS Windows guide), I discovered a DOS command to
test the printer to computer interface. The command from the DOS prompt
is
9.1
COPY C:\WINDOWS\SETUP.TXT LPT1
9.1
Full of anticipation, I tried this Ö zilch. Further consultation Ö yet
more zilch. Stopped to think, applied logic. öIf it is possible to copy
to LPT1, it must be possible to copy to LPT2ò. Changed 1 to 2, pressed
<enter>, öEureka!!!ò Ö reams of printed matter everywhere.
9.1
A quick check in the !PCconfig doodah and there it was, a choice of
printer outputs, an equally quick change to LPT2, start Windows again,
type rubbish into Write (eminently suitable), choose PRINT, even more
EUREKA, success!
9.1
I checked with my computing comrade and found that he was using LPT1
without any problems, the only difference being that his Risc PC was one
of the first and mine is a Dec æ94 vintage.
9.1
B. Coleman, Cleveland.
9.1
RISCáOS <ÖÖ>áPC interchange Ö I have used the Risc PC (8Mb+2Mb VRAM)
with a PC486 coprocessor running Windows 3.1 and several bits of
commercial software, such as MS-Word, as well as some specialist
freeware scientific software for fluorescence cell analysis. I have been
most impressed and have found very few problems.
9.1
However, I still like to do as much as I can under RISC OS and this
requires data transfer between the PC partition and RISC OS. I know of
several people who have reported problems with corruption of their PC
partition, but I have found that the following seems to work well and
avoids problems.
9.1
1) I have avoided installing options for disc compression under DOS/
Windows.
9.1
2) If I use the RISC OS filer to transfer files to and from the PC
partition, I always quit from !PC rather than just freezing the
application.
9.1
3) Better still, for data up to 1.44Mb, you can transfer data whilst
multitasking using 1.44Mb DOS formatted discs. The trick is that, once
you have modified the disc under RISC OS, you must click on Édismountæ
under the RISC OS filer menu before you modify the disc using PC
software. If you donæt, you will find that RISC OS gets confused about
the disc contents and may corrupt the data! This is, of course, exactly
the same problem as using one disc in two computers without dismounting
in between, except that, in this case, the disc doesnæt physically move
from one drive to another!
9.1
Mike Clark, Cambridge.
9.1
Runny letters Ö David Holden suggested spray fixative to stop inkjet ink
from running. At school, I use the cheapest hair spray I can find. Does
the same job, quarter of the price and comes in bigger cans so lasts
longer. However, like the fixative, use as little as possible and keep
the target flat if possible. (The only problem I have is going into the
local chemist to buy a product I obviously donæt use!)
9.1
Jim Wyllie, Edinburgh.
9.1
SlideShow problems Ö The version of SlideShow that comes with the new
RISCáOS 3.6 machines contain an absolute reference to the JPEG
decompression code within ChangeFSI, and this means that if you move
ChangeFSI from its original position, you will get the error öCouldnæt
find <JPEG$File>ò. You can correct this quite simply by altering the Run
file within ChangeFSI. The current Run file looks like this:
9.1
Set SlideShow$Path <Obey$Dir>.
9.1
Set Images$Dir <Boot$Dir>.^.Images
9.1
Set JPEG$File <Boot$Dir>.^.Utilities.!ChangeFSI.
9.1
CFSIjpeg
9.1
Set Shell$Messages <Obey$Dir>.ShellMess
9.1
WimpSlot -min 32k -max 32k
9.1
Run SlideShow:!RunImage
9.1
...and it should look like this:
9.1
Set SlideShow$Path <Obey$Dir>.
9.1
Set Images$Dir <Obey$Dir>.^
9.1
If ö<ChangeFSI$Dir>ò=öò then Error
9.1
 Open a directory containing
9.1
 ChangeFSI and try again
9.1
Set JPEG$File <ChangeFSI$Dir>.CFSIjpeg
9.1
Set Shell$Messages <Obey$Dir>.ShellMess
9.1
WimpSlot -min 32k -max 32k
9.1
Run SlideShow:!RunImage
9.1
James Taylor, NCS.
9.1
Upgrading VRAM Ö Surely Fred Williams is wrong regarding reconfiguring
the machine before removing your VRAM. If I remove mine, when I turn the
Risc PC back on, it automatically detects the lack of VRAM and defaults
to a lower resolution. (Yes, I get the same behaviour. Perhaps Fredæs
monitor simply cannot cope with the mode to which it defaults. JT.)
9.1
Dave Floyd, London.
9.1
Online Media
9.1
Graham Jones
9.1
Itæs been too long since I last wrote concerning Online Mediaæs
exploits, which means that thereæs an awful lot to report now. I donæt
intend this to turn into a list of achievements, but whilst I have been
quiet, Online Media has been very busy!
9.1
NatWest
9.1
Probably the first thing to report is that the NatWest Bank joined the
Cambridge trials, providing the UKæs first cable TV home banking
service. Account transfers, statements and balances will be available
through interactive TV.
9.1
NatWest havenæt been inactive in the world of multimedia. They already
have a video conferencing system giving a visual and audio link between
some ofátheir branches and their insurance specialists in Bristol. They
will also be taking part in BTæs interactive TV trials in Colchester and
Ipswich, amongst other things.
9.1
ICL
9.1
The Cambridge trials moved into phase 2 a short while ago. Initially,
the trials were only taking place in a few homes of people connected
with the companies involved. With phase 2, the coverage is increased to
around 250 homes throughout the area. As phase 2 began, the consortium
heading the trial was joined by ICL who have supplied a server to hold
some of the services on offer such as movies, music, home shopping, etc.
9.1
What makes up an iTV system?
9.1
There are four main components of an interactive TV system:
9.1
1)áPowerful servers which hold the services (in digital form) and are
capable of getting that information onto the fibre network at extremely
high speed. No Risc PCs here Ö ATM and ICL have supplied the necessary
hardware.
9.1
2)áA Set Top Box (STB) Ö This is where Online Media comes in. The STB
receives the digital data from the network and presents it to the
Évieweræ. The information could be in the form of a movie, a screen full
of pictures and selections which can be made or a music video and so on.
The viewer has control over what he/she does, even down to putting a
movie into reverse, slow play or paused, even though it is the server
that supplies the data.
9.1
Online Mediaæs STB was initially based around the ARM 610, basically a
Risc PC in a different box with a remote control instead of a keyboard.
It also included an MPEG card for decompressing video data which also
allowed connection to the cable network.
9.1
The second generation STB was announced recently which is now based
around the ARM7500. This is the all-in-one processor now used in the new
A7000 machine which was reported on in the last issue of Archive. It
also has single chip MPEG support. These developments have reduced the
size and overall cost of the machine, also allowing other parts of the
system to be made more efficient.
9.1
3)áA cable network Ö without the Cambridge Cable network, there would be
no Online Media interactive TV trials. Of course, any network capable of
delivering the data fast enough will do. BT will be using something
equivalent to a phone line in their trials.
9.1
4)áThe interactive services. Digitised films, music videos, home
shopping/banking etc.
9.1
The technology currently being used in the trials is capable of
supplying interactive TV services to thousands of households.
9.1
Catch 22
9.1
There is one big problem to overcome with interactive TV Ö until there
are STBs in a significant number of homes, schools and businesses, no-
one will be inclined to provide services on a suitable scale. However,
no-one is going to buy an STB until there are some services to make use
of. Online Media call it ÉThe catch 22 in DiTVæ (Digital interactive
TV).
9.1
Online Media are also breaking this catch 22 by providing a ÉService
Nurseryæ.
9.1
Potential users of the system have had a chance to try it out with the
services provided so far. Now potential service providers can try out
the system and see what it might hold for them. Amongst the first to
join this initiative are Tesco, the marketing research company NOP,
advertising agency BMP DDB Needham, and Anglia TV. The idea is to
reverse the catch 22; once some equipment is installed (having provided
some services) there will be a need for more services. This in turn will
create demand for more equipment, and so on.
9.1
Science Museum exhibition
9.1
By the time you read this it may be a little late, but fortunately all
is not lost. Let me explain.
9.1
Running from April to September this year, the Science Museum has an
exhibition entitled ÉThe Information Superhighwayæ Ö although Iæm not
sure if anyone has really managed to define exactly what that is yet.
Anyway, when I was in London recently, Iádecided to visit the
exhibition.
9.1
The press release is well-written and makes it sound as if there is a
large and comprehensive exhibition there. Itæs split into three stages.
In the first area öComputer models are used to explain the technology
behind global computer networksò. In reality, this was a video intro to
the exhibit followed by two Risc PCs running an information system
controlled by touch screens allowing you to select information about the
Internet, email, the World Wide Web (WWW), etc.
9.1
I think this could be a good introduction for people who have no
experience of such things, but personally, I wasnæt too excited by
standing around reading screens of text, even if they were interspersed
with pretty pictures.
9.1
The second stage is ÉSurf Cityæ consisting of computers donated by
Hewlett Packard. Here you can sit down and surf the Internet, with the
assistance of experienced helpers if need be. There are two Sun
workstations and six other HP machines, all running Netscape. This is a
widely available WWW browser available for UNIX platforms, PCs and
probably Apple. Arcweb and Webster are the main equivalents currently
available for Acorn machines, although Termite Internet and ANTs
networking software are, or soon will be, available. There may be more,
including one from Acorn.
9.1
The Suns responded at the speed I would expect but the HP machines
seemed to respond slower than a Risc PC over a phone line. Here you can
sit and try out the WWW for a while.
9.1
The last section consisted of three parts. First, an Online Media STB
with the same demo as you will find at the Acorn shows during the year.
Unfortunately, some of the buttons were broken on the large museum style
control panel which made it hard to find your way around the
demonstration. When I had worked out what to do, I found example Movie
trailers, pop videos and a demonstration of home shopping.
9.1
Alongside that is Éthe latest technology from Philips CD-iæ (Compact
Disc interactive). This setup was running an interactive encyclopaedia,
controlled by a big tracker ball with a couple of buttons. It seemed a
little more gimmicky than useful, with little animations to move you
between sections. I wasnæt particularly inspired by it and canæt say I
would be keen on using it at all.
9.1
Finally, there was a third Risc PC looking after an interactive
questionnaire, asking questions such as ÉDo you think the Information
Superhighway exists alreadyæ and ÉAre you wary of using computersæ. At
various times some stats about previous answers are given.
9.1
Overall I wasnæt impressed by the exhibition and Iæm glad I didnæt make
a special trip to go and see it. Outside the museum, there were enough
banners advertising its existence but once inside we took ╛ hour to find
the exhibition, having asked directions twice! Since the exhibition is
going on tour from early September, starting in Manchester, it couldnæt
be too big. Probably a better way of getting the same information would
be to read one of the slightly less technical magazines and ask a friend
or two.
9.1
Online Media boldly goes...
9.1
Probably the most surprising (and encouraging) announcement to date is
that OM will be supplying STBs to The Lightspan Partnership Inc, a US
educational company. The idea is that STBs will be installed in the
schools, and also in the pupilsæ homes, allowing parents to become
involved and follow their childrenæs progress.
9.1
DEC again
9.1
DEC are getting further involved with Online Media by selecting them to
supply their STBs for Westminster Cableæs iTV trials starting at the end
of the year. Online Media will be modifying its hardware and software to
work with Westminsteræs Superstar network. Superstar is an intelligent
network enabling homes to get iTV services without the need for an STB.
However, somewhere along the line, the work of an STB must be done and
this is where Online Mediaæs modified STB comes in.
9.1
The Post Office
9.1
The very latest news is that The Post Office is joining the Service
Nursery that I mentioned earlier. The objective is to develop new
delivery services by Royal Mail and Parcel Force to fulfil orders placed
by home shoppers Ö someone has to deliver the goods to your home if
youære not going to go and get them yourself.
9.1
I canæt say that home shopping is something Iæm in a hurry to try.
Personally, I enjoy wandering into a shop and having a real look at what
I want to buy, especially food. I also get a bit of exercise, get out of
a stuffy office and breathe real air. (OK, so in Oxford City Centre, the
real air is largely real car and bus fumes but itæs the principle that
counts!) Iæve glanced at QVC, the satellite shopping channel and,
looking at that, I suppose one benefit of DiTV shopping is that we will
be spared the presenters who havenæt a clue about the products that
theyære demonstrating and have to fill time!
9.1
One concern I have about the technology Iæve seen so far is the
flexibility of the whole system. The examples of Online Mediaæs system
involve a fixed Émenuæ of options. If you canæt find the service you
want through the menus, thereæs no easy way of searching for something.
You can connect a keyboard or joystick to the STB but that entails
typing in addresses which might be lengthy and hard to remember. I donæt
see Éthe average useræ wanting to start using the STB as a computer Ö
use of the system should be made easier than current technology, not the
same or harder! The situation I was thinking of is that it should be
possible, in the end, for anyone to make information available over the
cable network. There could be local community information, schools with
their own services etc, but they are useless if you canæt find them.
9.1
If anyone has any views on anything associated with Online Media and
interactive TV or has experience with the Cambridge (or any other)
trials, I would be interested to hear your views. Iæm sure Paul would be
happy to forward any letters, or you can contact me via email:
[e-mail]áuá
9.1
Comment Column
9.1
Acorn Édealersæ Ö I have lived in a number of parts of the country
during the last few years, and always make a bee-line for the nearest
Acorn dealer to try out new machines or listen to what they have to say,
and Iæve always found an enthusiastic bunch of fellows thoroughly
dedicated to selling the Acorn philosophy as well as the machines
themselves.
9.1
Recently, however, a friend of mine was interested in buying a powerful
computer for home use. I immediately spouted all the usual arguments in
favour of Acorn, including my impressions of the Étop endæ PCs I have to
use at work. Having never heard of them, he remained less than
impressed, so I took him straight to the local Acorn dealer for a dose
of medicine (my Risc PC had not arrived at that point).
9.1
The dealer sold both Acorns and PCs in roughly equal number, and I told
them of my friendæs needs, which I knew would be best suited to a Risc
PC. The dealer on the other hand (who I guess ought to remain nameless)
was unbelievably pro-PC from the word go! Every time I tried to steer
the conversation to the wonderful OS or the amazing upgradability, I was
cut down by crummy arguments about industry standards. The worst comment
was when he said öThe Acorn is a good enough tractor, but a PC is a
Rolls Royceò and he was demonstrating a 486SX25!! If the professionals
canæt support Acorn, how will any of them survive?
9.1
Alastair Orchard, Sherborne, Dorset.
9.1
Acorn Ésupportæ? Ö In Archive 8.11 p30, Jim Nottingham was complaining
about Acornæs support. I have had Acorn machines for about 13 years and
was responsible for buying quite a few for work but I realised that,
until recently, I had never actually dealt directly with Acorn Ö only
via their dealers who have given excellent service.
9.1
A short while ago, I took delivery of my PC Card and found that the DOS
discs were missing. I contacted my supplier and was told that (a) they
were sealed packages, and (b) he was just the middle man, so I should
contact Acorn because they would not believe him!
9.1
I contacted Acorn who said they would look into it and report back Ö but
nothing happened! Weeks went by but Acorn had öno record of the first
phone callò Ö öWe will look into it and let you knowò Ö nothing! The
supplier then said that Acorn had promised him they would supply the
discs direct Ö nothing arrived! I sent letters because long distance
phone calls are expensive and, nine weeks after the original dispatch, I
finally got the discs.
9.1
Such poor service makes a mockery of initiatives like Clan Acorn that
are supposed to promote Acorn machines.
9.1
Alan Wilburn, Hartlepool.
9.1
Acornæs future? Ö I would like to support Paulæs remarks in his
editorial last month. I too believe that Acorn has a good future and
that Acorn Ébox shiftersæ werenæt doing any favours either to Acorn or,
ultimately, to its users. As for so-called Acorn dealers who come in
from a distance and sell PCs into schools against a local dealer selling
Acorns... Iæm lost for words. (Actually, that last sentence is an
edited, but printable, version of what Keith actually wrote!)
9.1
Acornæs move is very bold, but if the Acorn Educational Agents plan
properly, the drift of schools away from Acorn can be reversed.
9.1
Where Acorn has failed over this issue is in its PR. They should have
called a meeting to outline their plans and to ask the 70 educational
dealers to do a presentation on their plans to sell Acorns into schools.
Some dealers probably deserved to be kicked into touch, but others
didnæt. The faithful dealers who werenæt big enough to support being an
Agent should have been informed personally before the whole world
learned of the changes. When will Acorn learn? They have, arguably, the
best overall platform available but in terms of PR and timing, they come
some way down the league!
9.1
Now that Acorn has beefed up its educational setup, how is it going to
support these dealers/agents? I hope they will embark on a training
programme to equip these agents with the necessary marketing skills, and
their sales forces with the selling skills required. (Yes, that is the
plan and, with only 25 agents, that is realistic. Ed.) I know plenty of
good sales and marketing people who do not know the finer points of
computers but, given the right training, could sell Acorn computers with
very little difficulty. Acorn must seedcorn these developments or else!
9.1
So much for education, but what about retail? I have a list of dealers
(as does anyone who has got the Acorn User CD-ROM) and it includes
companies such as A (in central London) and C. I have never seen an
Acorn advert from either company but I did see a stand which C set up at
an Apple Print Show! Iáonce tried to see what A had to offer its Acorn
customers Ö nothing! You had to make an appointment to visit and when I
asked, in all innocence, about DTP, I was told öyou need an Apple for
that!ò Acorn needs to weed out the dealers who are simply box-shifters
and get closer to its good and effective dealers like Beebug and Watford
Electronics.
9.1
Both are large organisations, both are developers for the Acorn market,
one exclusively Acorn, the other into PCæs as well. Working with Watford
(perhaps sharing costs) could see advertising in PC magazines like
Computer Shopper and Personal Computer World. This may seem like a small
move, but it is a cost-sharing and effective way of trying to expand the
user base.
9.1
Working with Beebug could involve resource-sharing for the development
of the missing products in the product line-up. After all, MicroSoft and
IBM cooperate with other companies (not by taking them over) to fill
gaps Ö just look at PC¡DOS 6.3 from Central Point Backup. Finally,
working with people like NCS, they could get their names better known
locally Ö by sponsoring local press adverts or arranging drop-in shows.
The sponsorship list is endless but, if done well, is ultimately
cost¡effective and mutually beneficial.
9.1
If I have Édronedæ on for too long, I apologise but I feel strongly that
the good dealers must be supported, the average improved and the dross
dumped. Acorn must address this now Ö we donæt want to see dealers like
NCS go bust, DO WE? (Er, speaking personally, no! Ed.)
9.1
Keith Parker, London.
9.1
In the wake of Acornæs decision to (effectively) axe a number of
dealers, PC and Mac supporters are moving in to try to take over. NCS
has been phoned by an Apple representative to ask if we would like to
consider selling Apple machines into schools. (We said, politely, öNo,
thank you.ò) Also, a couple of PC companies have tried hard to win us
over to selling clones. We declined.
9.1
Ed.
9.1
CD-ROM driver problems Ö I have a Wearnes CDD 120X IDE CD-ROM drive
which Iáobtained from VTI with a driver. I am having a problem with it,
but only on the audio side. I use the ARM Clubæs Smart CD+ for playing
my audio CDs, which I play constantly when working (playing!!!) on the
computer, and the driver doesnæt appear to be keeping time properly. If
I play an audio CD, the time display skips forward, sometimes only a few
seconds, sometimes great chunks. This happens to such an extent that I
might be playing a 20-track CD and, when Iæm actually on track 14, the
audio player thinks it has finished and stops playing!! This also
happens on the Acorn application !CDPlayer. As SmartCD+ has a nice
catalogue and displays the title of the track, it is a little
disconcerting not to be able to match up the output with the written
word. VTI recently sent me an updated driver, version 1.53, but this
made no difference, so they sent a replacement drive Ö still no joy. Is
anyone else having the same problems?
9.1
Peter Young, Northallerton.
9.1
CD-ROM drivers Ö Last year, I bought a Ébargainæ CD-ROM drive. It was
such a bargain that Iácould not get hold of any driver software for it!
I have just discovered that Eesox (who supply a range of CD-ROM drives)
sell a Éuniversalæ CD-ROM driver for drives which support the SCSI 2
protocol Ö you donæt need a SCSI 2 interface, though. Most modern SCSI
drives do support this and I was happy to get my drive working with no
trouble. Mark Watson at Eesox told me that if the driver would not work
then they would either öget it to workò or give me my money back.
Excellent service, Eesox! (Now available through Archive for ú29. Ed.)
9.1
Brian Cowan, Wembley.
9.1
Chess for promoting the Risc PC (Archive 8.9, p22) I agree with what Rob
Pollard said, yet at the same time I totally disagree. Yes, a couple of
the strongest dedicated chess machines do indeed use ARM processors.
These are ChessMachine Schr÷der and ChessMachine The King. Both
Émachinesæ are plug-in cards for PCs, containing an ARM2 processor at
30MHz. Both have an ELO rating of approx. 2300. Being plug-in cards for
PCs means that Acorn users canæt use them. Besides, they are expensive,
about 1000 guilders (~ú400) and probably now out of production. So these
cards, beautiful as they are, were never a big success. The Tasc R30
computer which Rob mentioned is by the same author as ChessMachine The
King, but at a price of more than 3000 guilders (ú1,200+)!
9.1
A couple of years ago, I spoke to both programmers, Ed Schr÷der and
Johan de Koning, both Dutchmen. Iáasked them whether they had any plans
for releasing the programs for Acorn computers. In my opinion, they only
needed to add some input-output routines, which couldnæt be difficult.
They made it clear that they had no plans to do so, because the size of
the Acorn market was simply not big enough to make it financially
viable.
9.1
How are things today? Well, both programmers have switched to 90MHz
Pentiums. Unfortunately, all good chess programmers are working on
Pentiums, probably because it is the fastest processor around, as well
as having access to the enormous PC market. There is no sign of Acorn
programmers any more. Besides, the trend is clear: the market for
dedicated chess machines is getting smaller all the time, and it is the
chess programs for computers that are making big progress. You (that is
a PC owner) can buy a very strong program for around ú60 to ú80.
9.1
So, what is my conclusion? Forget about finding a programmer willing to
convert the code to an Acorn computer. The only chance you have is to
ask Richard Lang, an Englishman and author of the strongest program at
the moment (Chess Genius 3.0 running on a Pentium 90), if he would like
to help the English computer industry by porting the code to Acorn. I
guess I know his answer!
9.1
What, then, are the options if you want a strong chess program? Well,
simply buy an Aleph One PC card or a Risc PC with PC card. According to
the Swedish rating list (April 1995) the programs ChessGenius 1.0 and
Fritz 2.0 have an ELO rating of 2200+ and  2100+ respectively, running
on a 33MHz 486, so the recent versions are probably even stronger. If
you buy one of these recent versions, you get access to the fantastic
chess databases (ChessBase and NicBase) as well. It is not so bad to
follow this route, because that is why the PC cards were invented: to
run the kinds of software that are not (and will not become) available
on the Acorn platform.
9.1
Final question: is it possible that one of the many talented Acorn
programmers in the world could write a very strong chess program? I
think not, because writing good chess programs takes many yearsæ work.
Ed Schr÷der of Rebel, Johan de Koning of The King, Richard Lang of Chess
Genius and Frans Morsch of the Fritz programs have all been working on
their programs for more 10 years, as full time professionals. So donæt
expect too much of the chess programs from David Pilling. As Tord
Eriksson has pointed out, for most of the people who know how to play
chess (including öhouse, garden and kitchen playersò) Chess II will be
more than adequate. Iáestimate (although I have never seen the program)
that it will have an ELO rating of about 1600. If you want more than
1600 ELO, then use the PC programs.
9.1
Piet Muis, Den Haag, Holland.
9.1
Clan Acorn Ö I am a little disgruntled with the Clan at the moment after
discovering that those members with access to the net have been offered
beta tests of the new filecore! What about the rest of us Clanners who
havenæt access to the net? I spoke to ÉElæ Cox about this and
remonstrated that the Clan was perpetuating the elitist thing already
and now it was creating an Éinner sanctumæ amongst the elite! He did say
that the Érestæ of us should be getting something in the post round
about the time Iæm writing this note, 14th August!! (Itæs now September
4th and I gather the mailing is coming RSN. Ed.) I did ask what
proportion of Clan members had access to the net and he said roughly
50%. So come on you unclean 50% who arenæt on the net, ring your bells
and complain!
9.1
As an aside, would someone please write a blow by blow account, for the
idiot and less accomplished, about BBS access and use, and the same for
Internet!
9.1
Peter Young, Northallerton.
9.1
As a starter, I have an Internet Glossary which I hope to publish next
month and Chris Claydon is starting a Comms Column, Chris Johnson is
starting a Networks Column and Adrian Bool has promised to kick the
Internet Column back into life, so perhaps people should write to them:
9.1
Chris Claydon, 38 Main Road, Littleton, Winchester, SO22 6QQ.
([e-mail])
9.1
Chris Johnson, 7 Lovedale Grove, Balerno, Edinburgh, EH14 7DR.
([e-mail])
9.1
Adrian Bool, 8 Dudlow Green Road, Appleton, Warrington, Cheshire, WA4
5DS. ([e-mail])
9.1
Corel Draw3 Ö In Archive 8.11 p36, Corel Draw3 was mentioned by Keith
Parker as a good source of clipart. There is another program on the CD
called CorelTrace which is quite useful, being in the same stable as
Trace and Tracer on the Acorn machines. Like them, it can produce
outlines that are then filled in what I call a silhouette approach, but
it can also trace lines with no fills to give line drawings. Both modes
can give some very good results.
9.1
There are a large number of choices to customise the tracing to your
needs. The system is slightly complicated to use from the Acorn platform
because you first have to change your sprite to a usable format such as
BMP or PCX with ImageMaster or a PD program such as !Creator. Then you
trace it, save it in Trace EPS format, load it into CorelDraw and export
it in a suitable format, such as EPS or WMF. This is not all that
complicated once you have set it up because the programs remember which
directories and formats to use for saving and loading. The files can
then be loaded into ArtWorks or changed to draw format with a PD
application.
9.1
The CD version of Corel Draw3 is available at prices ranging from ú41 to
ú100 +VAT so it is sensible to shop around but the end result of 15,000
items of clipart plus CorelTrace which make it a worthwhile proposition
if you have a PC Card. Applications to change formats, both vector and
bitmap, can be found on APDL Careware 19 and B233. At the moment, there
donæt appear to be any applications to change Corel Draw (CDR) or
Professional Draw (form of EPS) files directly to an Acorn standard.
9.1
Alan Wilburn, Hartlepool.
9.1
Cumana SCSI 2 card problems? Ö When I purchased my Risc PC some five
months ago, I also decided to buy the Cumana SCSI 2 card because I
already had a fair-sized investment in SCSI devices, hard drives, CD-
ROM, SyQuest removable and a tape streamer. I couldnæt really afford to
replace them as well as my old A3000. Since then, I have been a little
unhappy with the problems I have been experiencing with the card.
9.1
In the beginning, the problems centred round öTarget error Ö medium
errorò when writing to the SyQuests, both a 44Mb, 5╝ö drive and a 270Mb,
3╜ò drive (prior to getting the 270Mb, I was using a 105Mb drive with
the same problems). The errors were not constant but frequent enough for
me to be unhappy about the numbers Ö generally occurring when writing
fairly large files. If I attempted a Éretryæ, that also failed on the
first attempt but mostly appeared to work on the second attempt. If a
retry Éretryæ failed, eventually I resorted to Éskipæ and then
transferred the file in question again with no problems!
9.1
I spoke to Cumana about this and eventually it was suggested that I
should turn the Block Mode Transfer flag OFF for the SyQuest drives.
This I duly did! It didnæt cure the problems but what it did do was to
slow down the speeds of read/write to the SyQuests (see the table below)
to an unacceptable level.
9.1
I returned the Block Mode Transfer flag to its normal ON state and lived
with the transfer failures/errors. Iádonæt mean to be unkind to Cumana
(as they are certainly not the only ones) but it took a letter addressed
to the Managing Director before I actually found out what was going on.
I received a phone call from Chris McGee who assured me that there was a
new version of SCSI software almost ready for release. Unfortunately,
when the new release eventually arrived, I found that things had
actually got worse! When I related the tale to Cumana, a further release
followed Ö still no improvement. Myáoriginal release of SCSIFSDriver was
1.95, and Iáreceived versions 1.96 and 1.98 as flash ROM upgrades.
Remembering that my original problem was the ötarget errorsò, I found
the following additional problems in 1.96 and 1.98:
9.1
Å   On closedown there is a two minute wait if either of the SyQuests is
not loaded. With version 1.95, all Iágot was the message öThe disc drive
is emptyò, and once that was acknowledged, the machine closed down.
9.1
Å   The transfer speed of my Fujitsu hard drive was reduced by 35%. See
the table for speed comparisons.
9.1
Å   Eject ceased working on my 44Mb SyQuest.
9.1
Also, the problems identified with all versions to date are:
9.1
Å   Target errors whilst writing to SyQuests from any source.
9.1
Å   The SCSI Manger CONFIGURE menu is wrong and the entry for
SCSIFSEject has the entries for SCSIFSDirCache and the SCSIFSDirCache
has no submenu!
9.1
It is not my intention to knock Cumana but to find out if anyone else is
having these sorts of problems. I have sent a copy of this report to
Cumana so they are fully aware of my problems and my actions. I am not
sure if I will be relieved to discover others having the same problems,
or not. I am currently talking to Nigel Taylor at Cumana and Iæm sure he
would be grateful if people experiencing similar problems would contact
him at the usual Cumana address.
9.1
I see that other SCSI 2 cards now offer far more facilities than the
Cumana one and therefore I would be very interested to learn if anyone
has used the Alsystems PowerTec SCSI 2 card and with what success. (So
would I! Ed.) Cumana tell me that they will be offering the same
facilities as the filecore of RISCáOS 3.6 by allowing huge partitions
sizes!
9.1
If anyone has any news for me, I can be contacted at Appleby House, 20
Racecourse Lane, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL7 8RD.
9.1
Jim Nottingham, if you read this, I am not interested in taking over
your SCSI column!
9.1
Peter Young, Northallerton.
9.1
Alan Angus also had some problems with the Cumana SCSI 2 and SyQuest
combination. His response, which is later than Peteræs, may offer some
hope of a solution to Peteræs problems.
9.1
Cumana have responded to my letter about the problems I was having with
the SCSI 2 card by sending me a disc. On it there is an upgrade to the
flash memory and a new version of the SCSIMgr utility. The manager
software now partitions the SyQuest cartridge to the correct size,
256Mb, solving the previous partitioning problems.
9.1
The update to the flash memory, version 1.98(beta), should also overcome
the problems I experienced when copying large numbers of files. I have
tested it by copying a lot of files from one SyQuest cartridge to
another using a directory on the main hard drive for intermediate
storage. This worked well, without the ÉParameter not recognisedæ error
and other problems I experienced with the previous version of the SCSI 2
software. I am now much happier with the Cumana card and SyQuest drive
combination.
9.1
The problem of the card not recognising the SyQuest as a dismountable
drive was solved by switching on the external SyQuest drive first so
that, when the computer was switched on and the SCSI link was scanned on
start-up, the drive was ready and the interface recognised it as having
interchangeable media. So now, the correct ejectable drive icon appeared
on the iconbar. (Er, but what would happen if it were an internal drive?
Ed.)
9.1
To be continued... (I suspect)
9.1
Alan Angus, Blyth, Northumberland.
9.1
Disc Rescue-ing Ö Iæd like to say a few words about Adrian Lookæs
technical comments that were published together with my own article
öUnderstanding Disc Formatsò in Archive 8.11 p17.
9.1
First of all, Iæd like to make it clear that I wrote the Shareware
program fsck which I mentioned in my article and that it was included on
the Archive monthly disc: I am sorry that Paul didnæt add an editoræs
note saying so! (Ooops, sorry! Ed.)
9.1
Although Adrian seems to suggest that you should öbackup and reformatò
the disc in the case of map corruptions (i.e. when *CheckMap reports
öMap inconsistent with directory treeò), Iæd like to emphasise that this
is almost never required and it isnæt even the Ésafestæ action! In fact,
fsck has been able to fix a lot of discs with this problem with a
success rate of 100%! If you think this sounds like an exaggerated
claim, try it on a broken map and see Ö the version on Archive Program
Disc 8.11 hasnæt been crippled in any way so you may try it for free.
You can use fsck to save the disc map to a file first, so if the fix
fails and the map is more corrupted than before, you can always restore
your original map.
9.1
Concerning broken directories, again, a öbackup and reformatò can always
be avoided. Once the directory has been Éeliminatedæ, fsck can recover
the lost space.
9.1
The important thing to note is that a Éfixedæ map can be trusted just as
much as a map that has never been corrupted! A disc map is either broken
or healthy, so once a map has been completely fixed, there is no reason
to reformat the disc. It is more probable that youæll lose some data
during the backup procedure (if it isnæt well organised or if it is made
to floppies) than if it were left on the ex-corrupted disc!
9.1
The öDisc not understood. Has it been formatted?ò error might be thought
to be more serious than an inconsistent map or broken directory, because
the contents of the whole disc is unreadable. Generally, this error can
be easily fixed by fsck (actually, by its companion utility hardfix)
although it may be caused by a complete map corruption (i.e. both copies
of the map filled with random data) and hence it can be completely
unfixable (I have never encountered this second case).
9.1
There are a number of other weird errors that may lead to a broken root
directory (you canæt just eliminate it!), such as unwritable disc,
unreadable files, etc. Fortunately, they are rather uncommon Ö Iádid my
best to enable my programs to fix them, but I canæt be sure that every
possible case has been covered.
9.1
What I said can be applied to both floppies and hard discs, although I
never specifically considered floppies since it is less likely that they
become corrupted (except for physical disc errors) and they can be
easily backed up and thrown away!
9.1
I hope this will not look like an advertisement for my programs (after
all you can try them for free and then choose whether to register). I
just wanted to point out that, regardless of Adrianæs experience, I am
absolutely against his Ébackup and reformatæ policy because it is
generally not needed and, moreover, it has nothing to do with real disc
fixing!
9.1
Sergio Monesi, Via Trento e Trieste 30, 20046 Biassono (MI), Italy.
([e-mail]).
9.1
(Not) Doom and gloom Ö Why doesnæt everyone just go out and buy a Risc
PC? Itæs cheap, fast, upgradable, has a great operating system,
brilliant graphics, good sound and plenty of software. Surely those
stick-in-the-mud PC users can see the light!
9.1
Suppose that the Risc PC really did out-perform PCs in every department,
would PC users switch? The answer is NO and until we understand the
reasons why, the Acorn community will continue to whittle on about size
of VRAM and whether a floating point unit is better than a faster
processor.
9.1
People want Windows machines because most other people have them. This
is not bigoted PC-ism, itæs common sense. Try thinking of the operating
system as a language Ö if two people use the same operating system on
their machines there is nothing they canæt exchange (copyright
excepted). They can download the latest version of Mosaic Netscape or
Doom or whatever they like and it will run on their machine (well,
usually).
9.1
Imagine that Windows was English, Mac OS was French and RISC OS was
Welsh. If you lived in England there would be no way that youæd bring
your children up speaking Welsh as their mother tongue Ö even though it
is a beautiful and musical language. All the books are in English,
everyone speaks in English, you canæt even get Welsh TV. OK, so you
could use Welsh for communication in your company/school/home but why
bother when you could use English?
9.1
Would you write a cookery book in Welsh if you want to sell it in
England? Of course not Ö but thatæs what all our software houses are
doing! They have to put in the same amount of effort to create a product
for a market 100 times smaller. Sure, thereæs more competition in the
English cook book market but what this probably means is that only when
a book is successful in English is it translated into Welsh Ö and
usually with some considerable delay. Does this sound familiar?
9.1
I was amazed at the throw-away comment in Septemberæs Archive from Keith
Parker: öEven if CC abandoned the Acorn market we would simply move to
Ovation Proò. Impression, Artworks and the Turbo Drivers are (for me)
the most important products in the Acorn market. If even CC are unable
to make a profit from selling Acorn software then times must be dire
indeed.
9.1
Do you believe that the desires of computer consumers influence the
products that computer suppliers make? Iádo! Therefore, if there is any
good idea in RISC OS which the rest of the computer world is crying out
for, it will eventually percolate into MS Windows. Do you remember
raving about a true 32-bit operating system with a drag-and-drop filing
system and real multi-tasking? Now read the feature list of Windows 95
or NT. OK, weæve still got text anti-aliasing but if they really want
it, itæll be in the next version.
9.1
It isnæt the computer suppliers who have insisted that computers become
more uniform. Before the MS-DOS PC came along, users were bewildered by
Commodore and Sirius and Atari and PC/M and  PC/N Ö none of which seemed
to be able to share data, let alone programs. When a half-decent
operating system came along, everyone bought the computer. This wasnæt
IBMæs idea Ö they were surprised too. Windows (especially NT) offers
users a stable, uniform environment where programs work together and you
know that (almost) everyone else uses the same system. Windows users are
not going to give this up, whatever you tempt them with. In any case,
they know that if enough of them want something, theyæll get it anyway.
9.1
Will Acorn still be making desktop computers in five years time? What do
you think? Iæd like to believe that they will, but I wouldnæt bet on it.
If DEC produce a 200MHz ARM chip, my next machine might well be a Risc
PC, but if CC quit the Acorn market it will definitely be a Pentium. I
think even Apple are going to find it impossible to resist the weight of
numbers forcing computer suppliers to conform in the long run.
9.1
This isnæt doom and gloom! Here we are, a community of enthusiasts who
love fast machines and adore hand crafted machine code (it is so
satisfying to watch my friends gasp at the speed of Impression on my
A410). The family spirit which produces magazines like Archive is
brilliant and we must strive to keep it alive. But unless we are going
to do the computer equivalent of sitting on an island in the middle of
nowhere, we have to move on.
9.1
Cain Hunt, Cambridge.
9.1
PC card screen resolutions Ö There is a program (unsupported) on the
Acorn ftp site which allows the PC card to work in screen modes of öany
resolutionò. Has anyone tried it?
9.1
Malcolm Banthorpe, Hayes.
9.1
Pricing of A7000 Ö I think Acorn have made a very poor judgement in
pricing the A7000. It is obviously aimed at schools who will appreciate
even the paltry saving of ú150 over a Risc PC, as it will add up when
buying a batch of machines. However, to appeal to home users, it needs
to be at least ú300 cheaper to justify the lack of expansion, especially
VRAM. I canæt imagine it staying as over-priced as this for long Ö it
canæt cost much to make compared with the RiscáPC.
9.1
Tony Houghton, Southampton.
9.1
Printing in colour Ö There has been quite a bit in Archive recently
about printers and it is useful to have unbiased comments based on
usersæ experience, so I offer my own. I feel that the merits of the
Epson Stylus Color have received too little attention and that the
exceptional quality of the results in its 720dpi microweave mode have
not been stressed sufficiently.
9.1
As an illustration, I have sent Paul two specimens of pages I produce
regularly for the newsletter of a small computer group. (I must say that
the printouts are of exceptional quality and are held here in the NCS
office in our Ésample printoutsæ file if anyone wants to see them Ö
sadly, I couldnæt reproduce them in the magazine for obvious reasons!
Ed.)
9.1
This printer employs a piezoelectric printhead which is far superior to
a bubblejet, is also more economical in ink and is particularly robust.
Every month, for example, I use it to produce the 50 copies (A4) that
Iárequire for my newsletter, printing in the background so I can get on
with other work, and all copies come out at identical quality. The
special paper used costs about 11p per sheet.
9.1
The same printer, in black-and-white at 360dpi, can be used at adequate
speed for correspondence.
9.1
George Foot, Oxted, Surrey.
9.1
RAM and disc sizes Ö Two years ago, (Archive 7.1 p28) I analysed the
growth, over the years, of RAM and hard disc capacities for the top-of-
the-range desktop computer, fully enhanced. Largely based on figures
quoted by Paul in the previous issue, I concluded that both figures tend
to double each year, disc capacity always being about 12átimes that of
RAM.
9.1
Given that this is an approximation over a period of time, my formulµ
for capacities in Mb at the beginning of the year 199n are RAM =
5á╫á2n▒1 and Disc = 60á╫á2n▒1. This allows an error factor of two either
side of the estimate. Two thirds of the way through 1995, this gives RAM
= 128Ö512 Mb and Disc = 1╜Ö6 Gb.
9.1
These figures seem reasonable. In the case of RAM, there is a grey area
between total capacities theoretically available (and quoted in
advertising) and those your dealer can actually supply. PCs are
certainly available with 256 Mb, using 8╫32 Mb SIMM boards.
9.1
Discs seem to be growing apace Ö witness the new Risc PC 700 with nearly
1 Gb as standard! Two years ago, I did not foresee a desktop machine
with expanding sides which would accommodate four internal hard drives,
each of which, referring to the latest NCS Price List, could be 1.9 Gb.
9.1
Whatever the maxima, I suspect that, in the PC world, the latest memory-
guzzler known as Windows 95 will lead to a doubling of typical RAM and
disc sizes. As I write, W-day (August 24th) is still in the future Ö I
wonder whether it will be a great leap forward, or a magnificent non-
event?
9.1
I will stick with my formulµ for the time being.
9.1
Colin Singleton, Sheffield.
9.1
Redefining filetype sprites Ö I think that Brian Cowan may have got the
wrong end of the stick in the Help! column over sprites. The Wimp will
always use the sprites that it was told to use most recently with an
*IconSprites command; the trick is that it isnæt always told.
9.1
Most applications contain a !Sprites file that contains sprites for the
application and for filetypes that it uses. When an application is first
seen on the desktop, the Wimp checks to see if it already has a sprite
of the same name as the application. If it hasnæt, then it öbootsò the
application, either by running the applications !Boot file or, if there
isnæt one, by loading the !Sprites file. Since the !Boot obey file
almost invariably loads the !Sprites with an *IconSprites command, what
happens is that we see the files for that application appear with its
defined sprite on the desktop, and the files for that application are
shown with the sprite that the application gives to them. If these
happen to be of one of the public filetypes that some other application
has used in the past, tough; they get the new sprite whether they like
it or not.
9.1
When a second application with the same name as the first is first shown
on the desktop, it isnæt booted because the wimp already has a sprite of
the same name as the application. However, when you run the application,
it is quite common for it to *IconSprites the !Sprites file again, on
the off-chance that it hasnæt been loaded yet. At this point, you get
the new application sprite, new filetype sprites perhaps, and so on and
so forth. We usually donæt notice the new application sprite, since the
first thing that most of us do is close the directory window that had
the application in it.
9.1
Rhodri James, ([e-mail])
9.1
RISC OS 3.6 upgrades Ö Reports are starting to appear in the Acorn press
about the new machines being good, but Acorn do not seem to care much
about the enthusiasts who have bought RiscáPCs already and who want to
be able to upgrade soon, not at some indefinite time in the future. The
24-bit version of Paint, for example, might well be all I need as an art
package, and some of the other features of RISCáOS 3.6 make it sound
like a reasonably desirable upgrade. If there is a problem with RISCáOS
3.6 upgrades due to the need for reformatting of the hard drive, then
let Acorn issue the various utilities, such as the JPEG loader and new
versions of Draw and Paint, in a form that can be run from hard disc; I
would be quite happy with this. However, there must be many RiscáPC
owners who have good backup facilities and who could cope with having to
reformat the main hard disc.
9.1
Alan Angus, Northumberland.
9.1
Risc PC 600/700 Ö I understand the ARM610 in the new Risc PC 600 has a
clock speed of 33MHz, instead of the previous 30MHz. It does not
automatically follow that it will process 10% faster but, in this case,
that is probably about right. The new ARM710 runs at 40MHz. The 33%
increase in clock speed compared with the old ARM610 is probably a
pessimistic indication of the increase in processing speed, because the
new processor should be more efficient. I would expect about a 40%
increase in Dhrystones/sec.
9.1
[See my notes on Dhrystones in Archive 7.9 which Iáhave no reason to
change. Risc User have published figures in their supplement to the
July/August issue. (This has just arrived, a week after the Archive
September issue!) Their figures generally confirm mine, but I would like
to know where they got them.]
9.1
Colin Singleton, Sheffield.
9.1
Tablemate 3 Ö This is a really excellent piece of software. The best
improvement over version 2 (not mentioned in the publicity) is the fact
that the program does not slow down when lines are removed or Éhiddenæ.
The older versions used to be dreadfully slow once lines were taken out.
9.1
Dennis Croome, Bracknell.
9.1
Teacheræs Guide to IT Ö The desirability of IT in the school is in
inverse ratio to the amount of money available for it. Governors are
keen on having it, inspectors look for it, headteachers rarely
understand it.
9.1
Network Ö System of storing and making available information passed
between headteachers. Sometimes known as the OB network, its speed,
encryption and inaccuracy are legendary, exceeding any known or claimed
clock speed; handshaking protocols and communication via the telephone
are both complex and meaningful. System failure is unknown, while output
is highly predictable.
9.1
Standalone Ö The IT teacher is expected to shoulder the entire
responsibility for the failure of the school to provide computer
expertise to all and sundry.
9.1
Inspections Ö These take place every four years. They cause total
failure of printers and photocopiers. They are the most efficient and
incurable viruses in the computing world, causing horrible network
failure one day before the inspection, destroying pupilsæ work, and
causing widespread apoplexy amongst colleagues.
9.1
Discs Ö Once respected as the only things which could make a BBC Micro
do anything. Now that they have grown hard plastic coatings, they
function as useful table mats. Pupilæs discs, like some of their owners,
are known to carry notifiable diseases.
9.1
Mouse Ö This device invariably assumes the neuter gender, and refuses to
be sociable to its associated lady computer. Methods of preserving its
masculinity include the timely application of superglue (sadly not to
the offending pupils), melting the base of the mouse with a soldering
iron, or removing the mouse altogether and pretending the cursor keys
are just as good.
9.1
Modem Ö Telephone/computer devices supplied free to every school. With
no money to buy telephone lines, schools when asked, öDo you want more
of them there modems?ò, answered öNo moædem, thank you.ò
9.1
Binary Ö This ridiculous way of adding up was foisted on IT teachers to
conceal the unpleasant fact that their pupils were destined for the
Tertiary system anyway.
9.1
DTP Ö Under this regime, the IT teacher replaces the combined resources
of the local printers, school secretarial staff, and local commercial
artists, and produces immaculately designed school brochures, notepaper,
prospectuses, concert programmes and personal headed notepaper for the
headteacher.
9.1
Network Manager Ö The IT teacher who stays behind until seven oæclock
every evening, undoing the cunning rejigging of the network undertaken
by pupils who, while preparing a simple pi-chart, break into the
network, discover every password, and generally foul up the whole
contraption. A fortune awaits the first publisher of a network manageræs
companion book entitled öA Million and One Alternative Passwordsò.
9.1
Pen Ö Rare and little understood piece of technology, despised by
pupils; allows three sentences to be written on paper in a minute, when
the pupil could spend an hour poking a computer keyboard with one finger
to produce the same result using ú1,000 worth of laser printer.
9.1
Printer Ö Output from this is claimed by pupils to constitute a
satisfactory piece of work, irrespective of quality, size and content.
9.1
Sublimation Ö A process in which the anxieties and woes of the IT
teacher melt smoothly and richly into premature retirement with fifteen
yearsæ pension enhancement. At present merely a dream, but a
consummation devoutly wished for.
9.1
John Hughes, Newport, Dyfed.
9.1
School admin with Acorns Ö Following Chris Wraggæs comments on using
Acorn machines for school administration, I can assure him that he is
not the only one to be looked at slightly askew by colleagues and
others. At my school, a small village primary school of 100 children, I
have been using Acorn machines for school administration for at least 7
years. What Chris says is quite true: in Norfolk, all primary schools
were issued with an Apple Mac Ö in my case, an SE30. Well, whilst my
fellow headteachers were extolling the virtues of this machine, I
quickly dismissed its tiny screen, single tasking and awful software
(Works 2, I seem to remember) and used my own A310 with Ovation, Draw
and a Laser Direct printer. My colleagues could not understand how I
could produce such relatively classy reports, fliers, posters and
brochures! Indeed, on a number of occasions, I produced brochures for
them. (How did I find the time?)
9.1
Well, since those days, the technology has leapt forward on all
platforms and, despite the continued pressure from County Hall to revert
to the Mac, Iáhave resisted. Now my office computer is a 33MHz A5000
with 8Mb of memory, attached either to a Canon A4000 (for occasional
colour work as well as general printing) or BJ230 (for A3 printing). I
still use Ovation for all word processing and DTP work and look forward
to Ovation Pro when it is ready. All our output is of the highest
quality, which prompted a chief adviser, who is privy to publications
from lots of schools, to comment that it was very rare for a primary
school to produce such excellent documents. (This is NOT bragging Ö it
is just true!)
9.1
However, it is school finances where using our A5000 has really scored.
Using Eureka, school budgeting is a doddle with budget control
reporting, commitment and expenditure control, forward projections and
financial planning all available at the touch of a button Ö or mouse.
All spreadsheets can be exported to Ovation (as a drawfile) and adjusted
accordingly, ready for reporting. Once again, my colleagues who have
watched me work with Ovation, Eureka and Draw all at the same time,
switching at will between them, just look in awe.
9.1
And that is not all. Recently, Norfolk schools have been given complete
control Ö with the exception of salaries Ö over all their expenditure,
through the use of a cheque book. The recording of these transactions
has been a nightmare to understand. Again, using Eureka, I have copied
the spreadsheet structures given to us by County Hall. Now all
transactions are computerised, but with one major difference. Using
Eurekaæs linking feature, all reporting is taken off one master sheet.
Even the journal that County Hall insist is handwritten on a very formal
form has now been faithfully reproduced and is automatically generated.
This saves my secretary a great deal of time, and more could be saved if
County Hall would accept the journal. When my finance officer last
visited, he commented that County Hall had been trying, for 6ámonths, to
do what we had done and still failed.
9.1
Elsewhere, we use Eureka for class lists and registration (wonderful Ö
it just gives you an up¡to¡date percentage). Ovation produces school
calendars, policy documents, National Curriculum Carpets, Reports,
Worksheets and all the other administrative paraphernalia that schools
have to contend with these days.
9.1
Back in those early days, Acorn did not have a machine to compete with
the Macs (the A3000 had only just been produced). There was also a
dearth of easy-to-use software Ö no PIMS Iæm afraid. Consequently,
having committed themselves to Macs, most schools have continued using
them and have bought more, with the encouragement of County Hall. I am
leaving my school for a yearæs secondment and have helped by deputy who
will be acting headteacher to get to grips with all that I have
mentioned above. She is familiar with the Acorn desktop, having used an
A3000 for some years in her classroom. The school secretary (who now has
an A5000 at home which her husband uses to design his office furniture
layouts) is also leaving at the end of September. It will be interesting
to see how the acting headteacher and new secretary come to grips with
the office machine. My real hope is that they will both find the
structures easily accessible and trouble free.
9.1
If anyone else out there uses any of the programs Iáhave mentioned and
would like copies of the spreadsheet or DTP templates, please contact me
on 01603-742638 during the evenings. A final thought echoing Chrisæ
comments Ö öAre there any other mavericks out there using Acorns for
school administration?ò
9.1
Richard Rymarz, Norwich.
9.1
School admin with Acorns? Ö I read this article with much sympathy and
understanding. Iástarted my company, T-J Reproductions, with an Acorn
A540 and a LaserDirect printer in 1990. Today, I have two 40Mb Risc PC
600s, (I remember when ö40Mbò would be the hard disc size, not the
memory size! Ed.) an A540 (8Mb), an A4, two PowerMacs (7100), two
Quadras (900/700) and one 486/DX4 PC and I still do 90% of all my
business administration on the A540. My secretary has used PCs before
and therefore is happier with them, but she has come to grips with the
Acorn OK!
9.1
Like Chris Wragg, I get a lot of pressure to move to PCs for admin but I
am reasonably happy to continue with the Acorn. In fact, some of the new
software coming out, like Prophet, is much better than anything
available on the PC and (happily for me) cheaper.
9.1
Not only is the software cheaper but the hardware overheads are so much
lower. Take Richard Lambley, for example Ö he used to produce Land
Mobile magazine on an A440/1 (4Mb RAM) and an A4 (4Mb RAM) but he now
has a 10Mb Risc PC 600 whereas his office needs a 16Mb PC just to run
WordPerfect6 easily.
9.1
Having said all that, there is one major thing that would improve the
usability of RISC OS software (and assist the post-PC learning curve)
and that is the ability to save without drag and drop. Windows brings up
a dialog box that allows the destination of the file to be typed in.
Now, if RISC OS 3.7 could allow my secretary to type in the destination,
and me to drag-and-drop, it would help me no end. Change to PCs for
admin? Not if I can help it!
9.1
Tony Tolver, T-J Reproductions, London.
9.1
TRUK Ö Talk Radio UK (8.12 p43) Ö The attitude displayed does not
surprise me in the least. In London, there used to be LBC NewsTalk which
had a regular computer (sorry, PC) phone-in. Iáwrote to them extolling
the virtues of the Archimedes but got no joy, so I wrote to the then
chairman and, for a few weeks, there was a marked change of attitude.
They at least acknowledged the fact that Acorn was (and is) out there
and that it could often match the Éwondersæ of the PC. I suggest that we
all write to the chairman of TRUK demanding that ÉCaesar the Geezeræ has
his education completed and that we attempt to flood his ÉCaesarTECHæ
phone-ins. If all of that fails, perhaps it may help to send a letter of
complaint to the Radio Authority about accuracy and honesty in
broadcasting.
9.1
Keith Parker, London.
9.1
Windows 95 Ö Donæt dismiss it too quickly! Ö Acorn and Risc PC users
should take great care not to dismiss Microsoftæs new baby too quickly.
As a long-standing Acorn enthusiast (four BBCs, two Masters, an A310 and
currently an A440/1) I have to admit that Windows 95 now puts uses of
PC-based systems into a very attractive environment. It is by no means a
Éhalf bakedæ mix of RISCáOS and Appleæs System 7, as suggested by Mike
Clarkson in the September issue of Archive. As for DOS, well thatæs now
firmly in the sidelines. Windows 95 no longer uses DOS, booting directly
into Win 95 as a full operating system. However, should you wish to run
older DOS applications you can, by simply launching DOS like an
application Ö rather like we used to with the old Acorn BBC emulator on
the Archimedes.
9.1
Presentation Ö This may seem to be a rather superficial place to start
but appearances really do count! The visual presentation of Win 95 is,
to put it mildly, very professional, and can make RISCáOS look somewhat
tired to the uninitiated. Even when compared with Acornæs Énew lookæ
display, Windows 95 has a sharper, crisper Élookæ and letæs face it, for
many users this will be what hooks them, when they are making their
choice.
9.1
In action! Ö So far, so good, but whatæs it like to actually use. Again,
Iæm sorry to have to say, Acorn take note! For a RISCáOS user, Win 95 is
a real breath of fresh air in the PC world. Pure Windows users may well
find the change somewhat of a trauma initially. However, users of
RISCáOS will feel right at home. Mike Clarkson noted the ÉTaskbaræ. To
an extent, this is similar to the iconbar in RISCáOS, displaying an
Éiconæ for each application you run. However, it has some very nice
additional tricks which I would love to see in a future version of
RISCáOS.
9.1
1.áIt can be on permanent display or on only when needed.
9.1
2.áIt can be set to be Éalways on topæ or not.
9.1
3.áIt can be enlarged or reduced, as required, at any time.
9.1
4.áIt displays an entry for every current activity, making it very easy
indeed to switch between tasks.
9.1
All in all, this makes it a very powerful tool indeed in managing your
system use. And when this is linked to the Windows ÉAlt Ö Tabæ switch
facility, where the user can hold down the ÉAltæ key and then press TAB
to flick from one running application to another without having to
locate its window or the icon bar, multitask management is simplicity
itself.
9.1
Windows grows up Ö Probably the biggest down side of the old Windows was
its file and application management, with the Program and File Managers.
This was where many users found Windows most lacking and unhelpful. It
is now history! The general desktop can now be run in a very similar way
to RISCáOS (sticky board and all!). By using an option called ÉMy
Computeræ (Yuck! Ö terrible name, powerful tool) you can display drive
and directory windows as required Ö including network links, shared PC
areas, etc, launch files or applications, perform file management
operations, etc, etc. While some of RISCáOSæs nice refinements, such a
Élive draggingæ rather than the more crude Éoutline onlyæ arenæt there
yet, other more useful features are. Most notably...
9.1
1.á A folder does not have to be open in order to drag files, etc into
it. (Yes please, Acorn! A firm requirement for RISCáOS 4.)
9.1
2.áWhen an application is launched, it automatically opens a window
(Windows has always done this) rather than the RISCáOS format of placing
an icon on the iconbar and the user having to click on this again to get
the first window. Again, yes please, Acorn.
9.1
3.ááFiles can now be dragged and dropped into their applications, as in
RISCáOS. However, as yet the Édrag and dropæ to save ability isnæt
there.
9.1
System requirements Ö As indicated, Win 95 is Édemandingæ on your
system. A full 486 running at 66MHz with 8Mb of RAM and at least 3Gb
plus of hard disc would be my recommended base line. Winá95 itself uses
66Mb to 70Mb of disc space for normal installation, including a small
selection of optional elements. This is somewhat more than Windows 3.1
or 3.11, but not that much. The real penalty for Windows users is still
the vast amount of disc space required for Windows applications, making
a 0.5Gb drive nothing out of the ordinary (my Arc is still running
happily on 4Mb RAM and 53Mb hard disc!).
9.1
Conclusion Ö Even with these demands on the system, it is now going to
be even harder to get non-Acorn users to consider the Acorn alternative
seriously. Ináthe past, I have been able to show the distinct advantages
of the RISCáOS environment, resulting in a number of Acorn converts.
Now, Iæm not at all sure this is going to continue. All-in-all, this new
generation of Windows comes a great deal closer to the sort of
environment we RISCáOS users have always thought should be the standard.
Microsoft have certainly done their homework with this one and, while it
does require quite a powerful system to make it work, for about ú1000
thatæs not a real problem!
9.1
Mike McNamara, Dunstable.
9.1
Will someone please explain to me why Acorn can put an operating system
in 4Mb of ROM, including some fonts, Draw, Paint, Printers, etc, etc,
and it will run very acceptably on a 2Mb A7000 when Microsoft need
66Ö70Mb of hard disc space and a minimum of 8Mb of RAM? Jim Nottingham
tells us elsewhere that the Windows 95 applications are 8Ö30Mb in size Ö
surely, with a bigger operating system, the applications should be
smaller. Is it just a marketing ploy? i.e. itæs padded out with zeros
because if something is bigger, it must be better? Or is Microsoft part
of a big cartel with the RAM and hard drive manufacturers? I canæt buy a
hard drive smaller than 500Mb these days! Ed.
9.1
Windows 95 Ö I enquired about purchasing Windows 95 after the review I
read of it in Archive. (My company is a beta testing site, so Iæve used
it, and agree with much that was said.) The PC vendor informed me that
he would not recommend using Win95 with less than 16Mb of RAM.
Apparently, Microsoft has increased the minimum requirements from 4 to
8Mb, but that itæs only really usable with 16Mb or more! Apart from the
fact that this is a crazy amount of RAM (and money), surely Micro$oft
has mislead millions who have been waiting for months and now have to
upgrade. (I wish I were a PC dealer selling memory! Ed.) (No I donæt!!
Ed.)
9.1
Alastair Orchard, Sherborne.
9.1
Windows 95 Ö I was reading a review of Windows 95 in the Church Computer
User Group magazine where they were saying that Windows 95 has a great
innovation. Apparently, you can define a task or a file and create an
icon for it which you can then attach to the Desktop (i.e. the
background). You can then double-click on these icons and the task or
file will be automatically executed. Wow! Unless Iæm very much mistaken,
that sounds like the pinboard facility which Acorn users have had for
several years and have long since taken for granted!
9.1
I find it so sad and frustrating when I think of the countless man-hours
of programming that must be going into cobbling together a half decent
OS onto an archaic (but industry standard!) hardware platform. Ifáa tiny
fraction of all that programming effort were able to be applied to
RISCáOS 4, or Taos, or whatever, for the ARM platform, the world would
be a very much better place! Dream on!
9.1
Ed.
9.1
Device  SyQuest 105Mb removable  SyQuest 270Mb removable  Conner 420Mb
Fujitsu 528Mb
9.1
Free space  79Mb  256Mb  101Mb  84Mb
9.1
Software version  1.95  1.98  1.95  1.98  1.95  1.98  1.95  1.98
9.1
Block Mode Transfer Flag  ON  OFF  ON  OFF  ON  OFF  ON  OFF  ON  OFF
ON  OFF
9.1
Write Speed (Kb/s)  154  153  197  194  1111  630  1051  598  1202  1275
2541  1676
9.1
Read Speed (Kb/s)  891  669  1138  698  1707  698  1707  697  1311  1323
2560  1681
9.1
Average (Kb/s)  743  565  949  597  1587  684  1568  677  1305  1313
2556  1680
9.1
Speed Tests on Cumanaæs SCSI 2 Card
9.1
Graphics Column
9.1
David Thornton
9.1
This month, I shall preview the forthcoming ImageFSá2 from Alternative
Publishing and review DeskTop Laminationsæ Graphics Loaders.
9.1
ImageFSá2 preview
9.1
In my previous article (Archive 8.11 p73), I wrote about the benefits of
CCæs Graphics Loaders package. Since I wrote the review, I have had the
opportunity to evaluate an alpha version of the forthcoming ImageFSá2,
from Alternative Publishing. In this article, I intend to preview some
of the features which may appear in the final version of ImageFSá2. You
may also like to refer to the original review in Archive 8.6 p71.
9.1
ImageFS is an application which allows a variety of foreign bitmaps to
be imported into any sprite-accepting RISC OS application. All
operations in loading the foreign bitmap are virtually transparent to
the user. ImageFS is actually a dedicated filing system designed for
bitmap manipulation.
9.1
I received version 1.72a which, while still in its alpha version, seemed
virtually complete and bug free. The program now supports most of the
major and many of the minor bitmap file formats. SunRaster files are now
fully supported, as are Macintosh PICT and AmigaIFF/ILBM files.
Additions have been made to some of the other formats, in that TIFF,
GIF, PCX and others have improved handling. The accompanying
documentation described over one hundred improvements which have been
made to ImageFS since the original version.
9.1
One of the most useful features of ImageFSá2 is the TinyView option. By
<Ctrl> double-clicking on any supported bitmap, an attractive preview
window displaying the sprite is opened. The window can either be 200╫200
or 400╫400 pixels, and it also displays some information about the
bitmap. From here, the bitmap can be dragged into a bitmap editor or
other application.
9.1
Bitmap export
9.1
The most important new feature of ImageFSá2 is that it will allow a
sprite to be saved, in most of the supported file formats (see above
table). Export in MacPaint and IMG is not supported, but as these are
only 1bpp (2 colours), it would be pretty useless anyway.
9.1
The save procedure is invoked in a simple and logical manner. To save a
sprite from most applications, a file name is entered into a field and a
sprite icon dragged to a disc directory. Saving as an alternative file
format, using ImageFS, is performed in exactly the same way except that
<Alt> is held down when dragging the sprite icon to disc. The following
window then appears.
9.1
It is a simple matter of selecting the desired foreign format, and
clicking on convert. The sprite is then saved as the selected foreign
bitmap. This is a very useful option and allows any sprite application
such as Paint, PhotoTouch or Studio24 to export a sprite as a foreign
file format. The PICT format is especially useful for transfer to an
Apple Macintosh, where PICT files are used extensively. To a graphics
artist, support for this format alone is worth the entire cost of the
application.
9.1
Other new features include a new global options window. The new one will
avoid the need to scroll the window in order to view all of the options.
9.1

9.1
There will also be a separate utility which, when a supported bitmap is
dropped onto its icon, will display information about it. I have wanted
a utility like this for a while, and suggested the idea to Alternative
Publishing.
9.1
Alternative Publishing are considering the PNG and Photoshop formats for
future implementation. JPEG may also be implemented, depending on the
responseáto the launch of RISC OS 3.60 which has JPEG manipulation
utilities built in. If PhotoCD filesáare implemented, it will be done in
a slightly differentáway from the other formats, due to the size of the
files.
9.1
Summary
9.1
ImageFS is one of those essential products that anyone who is remotely
interested in DTP and graphics should have. At around ú29 +VAT it is
definitely worth every penny, if not a lot more. ImageFSá2 will be even
better. I would not be surprised if it came bundled with every computer
in the future, especially as it allows you to transfer the vast majority
of bitmaps between RISC OS and other operating systems. Donæt hesitate
to buy it. Itæs the ultimate in bitmap file transfer.
9.1
Desktop Laminations Graphics Loaders
9.1
As I mentioned in my first article, Archive 8.11 p73, Computer Concepts
have devised a standard way of importing and exporting bitmap graphics
(and other files) to and from any application. This is only possible if
an application chooses to recognise the standard. According to the
letter from Desktop Laminations, they believe that the CC standard is
the way forward for importing and exporting files, so they have produced
their own loaders, using the CCácode. The new loaders import the
following bitmap file formats: PCX, BMP/DIB, ICO, GIF, WPG, and PCD (the
latter is an enhanced version of the CC one.) Desktop Laminations also
intend to rewrite the CC JPEG and TIFF loaders (what about the Clear
loader?) to the standard of their other loaders. They also hope to write
loaders for vector line-art files including a TransCDR (CorelDraw!
format) loader.
9.1
The package
9.1
I received two program discs (in two CD style cases). The first disc
entitled Trans-Graphic Loaders contains the BMP, GIF, ICO, PCX and WPG
loaders. This disc costs ú45 +VAT from Desktop Laminations. The loaders
function in a similar way to the CC loaders, but there are some new
features.
9.1
Features
9.1
With the CC Graphics Loaders, dragging a bitmap onto, say, an Impression
frame would always produce a dialogue box allowing the user to select
import options. With the Desktop Laminations Loaders, dragging a
supported bitmap onto an Impression frame automatically imports it
without displaying a dialogue box. However, dragging a graphic onto an
Impression frame while holding down <Alt> will display the import
options dialogue box, from which the bitmap quality can be selected as
shown.
9.1
The Éas inputæ option is a feature which the CC loaders do not have. It
basically reads the bitmap and imports it with its current values, i.e.
number of colours/bpp. This is a useful option and probably the one that
most users would choose. The loader can also force the bitmap to be
imported as 8¡bit colour or 24¡bit colour.
9.1
There are also two new buttons on each loader. Theádefault button
returns the import options to the default values. The save button saves
the current import options. This is useful as it removes the need for
the import options dialogue to appear every time aábitmap is loaded. The
window only needs to be displayed when you want to change the import
options. The saved options are used every time, unless <Alt> is held
down.
9.1
The PhotoCD loader utilises a slightly different dialogue box from the
other loaders, having the Floyd/Steinberg dithering option, but not the
simple one. It also contains six radio buttons for each of the six
PhotoCD resolutions. The Éas inputæ button is also missing because it is
not applicable to PhotoCD files. It has been replaced with an 8¡bit
greyscale option. Iámentioned in my review of the CC Loaders that the
Base/64 option always seemed to be greyed out. I am happy to say that
the Desktop Laminations PhotoCD loader has implemented it.
9.1
The GIF loader also contains an extra option, over and above the
standard dialogue box. GIF 89a files can also contain text, so selecting
the text option allows text to be included in the GIF. If appropriate,
the GIF loader will import the text into a text editor. This is like
having a separate caption embedded in the bitmap.
9.1
The ICO loader does not display a dialogue box. Windows ICO files are
used for displaying icons and resource files. There is a template
dialogue box inside TransICO but it would not invoke, using <Alt>.
Iáexpect it has been disabled. The ICO loader imports ICO files as a
sprite. All the other loaders import their bitmaps as drawfiles but this
is only relevant to Impression. Drawfile import prevents direct OLE.
9.1
The WPG loader allows WordPerfect metafile files to be imported.
Unfortunately, the loader cannot render vector line-art files and had
problems with some of the later WPG files which I tested.
9.1
Darkroom, version 2
9.1
The second disc I received contained another application called
Darkroom2. This disc costs ú35 +VAT from DeskTop Laminations. Darkroom2
can be described as a front end for the loaders, and it works with all
loaders, including the CC ones. Loading Darkroom2 and clicking on its
icon produces an empty window. Here, any file supported by the loaders
can be dragged to display a thumbnail image (a small copy of the main
image). Multiple images can be dragged to the window and a slide show
can be activated which displays all of the imported files. Double-
clicking on any image in Darkroom2 will convert it to a sprite and allow
export, again using the loader.
9.1
The thumbnails and file location can be saved out of Darkroom2 as a shoe
box application (yes, I said shoe box!). This can be reloaded into
Darkroom2 to display the thumbnail. It will also find the file, on disc,
and allow it to be exported.
9.1
Darkroom2 has a number of greyed-out options on its menus. I assume
features like undo and redo (which are greyed out) will be implemented
some time in the future.
9.1
Darkroom2 removes the need for the user to have Impression or ArtWorks.
As Darkroom2 is the front end for the loaders, it is easy to export any
supported bitmap as a sprite. I recommend that Darkroom2 is also
purchased, along with the Desktop Laminations loaders for optimum
usability.
9.1
Summary
9.1
The Trans-Graphics disc of loaders is an excellent application. If
Desktop Laminations rewrote the CC loaders for TransTIFF, TransJPEG and
TransClr to the same specification but with the new features, the CC set
of loaders will be effectively obsolete. Iásuppose thatæs what can
happen if you give away your code.
9.1
I would like to see an issue two of the Trans-Graphic loaders. It should
include all of existing Desktop Laminations loaders, including the new
TransPCD loader, new TransJPEG, TransTIFF, and TransClr loaders, and
what about TransPBM+, TransILBM, TransPCT2 (PICT2) and TransTGA (Targa)?
9.1
Itæs a shame that only a few applications support the loaders. I
recommend the pack to any graphics user. They will soon totally
supersede the CC offerings, and there are plans for loaders to handle
other media files, including Text, Replay, Fli, Draw, ArtWorks, Vector,
Sound and others. Watch out for TransCDR (Corel Draw) and other vector
loaders. Darkroom2 will also be developed to utilise these formats.
9.1
The Desktop Laminations loaders, especially with the new TransJPEG,
TransPCD and TransTIFF, loaders are an ideal combination with ImageFS.
On the plus side, ImageFS is faster than the loaders (the loaders
require the same amount of RAM as the size of the file to function), and
it also works with all sprite-accepting applications.
9.1
ImageFS 2 will also allow saving in different formats. However, Desktop
Laminations seem very committed to producing new and improved loaders
quite quickly. They also provide WPG and ICO loaders, which ImageFS does
not have. My advice is to buy them both, for a complete solution.
9.1
Final comments
9.1
I will be at Acorn World æ95 on the Friday and the Saturday. If you have
questions, comments, or other information, I will be more than happy to
help.
9.1
In my next column, I will suggest ideas for future articles/columns. I
would like to thank all the software developers who have sent me
software to be featured in the Graphics Column. If you have any ideas,
suggestions, questions, etc, my address is: 1áCastleáCourt, Lower
Burraton, Saltash, Cornwall, PL12á4SE. (No telephone calls, please.) If
you want a reply, please include postage, preferably as stamps.áuá
9.1
ExtASM Assembler
9.1
Chris Coe
9.1
Sometimes you buy a new program and then wonder how you ever survived
without it. Well, if youære into ARM code programming, ExtASM (short for
Extended Assembler) is one such program.
9.1
The package consists of a single disc, with no written documentation
but, fortunately, extensive instructionsáare provided on the disc. Since
the manual is provided as a StrongHelp file, as well as text, I strongly
recommend that you get a copy of theáfreeware StrongHelp program. This
is a very useful program which provides help files with hypertext links
so that you can browse around with ease. It also comes with several
manuals on Basic, SWIs and so on.
9.1
ExtASM is an assembler which means that it takes ARM assembler mnemonics
and turns them into machine code ready for the processor to execute. The
ARM Basic assembler comes free with the machine and is useful in that
you can use Basic expressions to do calculations and use makeshift
macros, etc. I have always used this assembler ever since I learnt ARM
code, despite having seen several others. ExtASM blows them all away.
9.1
The first step is to enter your program in your favourite text editor.
(StrongEd provides special facilities for assembling code with ExtASM,
although I prefer to use Zap.) You then drag it to the ExtASM icon and
it is assembled and saved in the same directory as the source code Ö
very handy.
9.1
ExtASMæs strengths
9.1
Where ExtASM stands out from other assemblers is that it oozes with
extra instructions and directives that make writing ARM code much, much
easier. Some of these features include full ARM2/3/6 instruction support
(so that you can use ARM3æs SWP instruction and ARM6æs status register
instructions), full FPA instruction support (so you can do things like
sines, square roots and polar co-ordinates in single instructions!),
extra instructions which I will come to later, many switches (commands
to the pre-processor which alter the way the code is assembled) and some
smart features like auto-expansion, register relativity and most of
Basicæs mathematical and string functions.
9.1
One of the most impressive features of ExtASM is the auto-expansion of
instructions. Just to explain that a bit, most ARM instructions have
limits imposed on them as to how they can operate, and itæs very easy to
break the limits without realising it. For example:
9.1
ADR R0,label
9.1
; 8 kbytes of code here
9.1
.label
9.1
Unfortunately, the range of ADR is only 256 bytes, so that attempting to
assemble this would normally result in a Ébad address offsetæ error.
However, in ExtASM, the ADR will automatically be replaced with the
appropriate instructions required to achieve the equivalent result. For
example:
9.1
MOV R0,#&4321
9.1
However, after reaching the value 256, only certain values can be used
as immediate constants in MOV, and the above instruction would actually
cause a Ébad immediate constantæ error when assembling. ExtASM,
therefore, automatically assembles it as:
9.1
MOV R0,#&4300
9.1
ORR R0,R0,#&21
9.1
which is the best way of doing the same thing. It will even work on CMPs
and CMNs with illegal immediate constants, LDRs, STRs, bitwise
operations and so on.
9.1
Another useful feature is that, if you enter something like
ADDáR0,R0,#Ö123, it will automatically assemble it as SUB R0,R0,#123.
Similarly, if you use MOVáR0,#Ö5, it will be correctly assembled as
MVNáR0,#6 and so on.
9.1
Extra functions
9.1
There are a number of extra instructions which Iæm sure will prove
extremely useful. For example, DIV operates exactly the same as MUL,
except that it divides one register by another and puts the result in
aáthird. (This instruction, needless to say, is a extremely useful.) EXG
will swap the contents of two registers, TEMP and LOCK reserve temporary
registers and lock them again (see below), STRUCT will define a
structure (as in C!) and MACRO defines a macro, which can take different
types of parameters and be neatly called by just putting the macro name
as an instruction, even using a condition code! For example:
9.1
macro ADDREG$cc regr:r reg1:r reg2:r
9.1
{regr ,reg1,reg2
9.1
}
9.1
...
9.1
CMP R3,#4
9.1
ADDREGEQ R0,R2,R4
9.1
The $cc part in the macro definition takes any condition code applied
into the variable cc, and at any point in the macro, if you issue an
instruction with $cc on the end, will apply it to that instruction.
9.1
Structures are great fun! You can define them, as in C, as:
9.1
struct screen
9.1
{0 9.1
.width  DCD 0
9.1
.height  DCD 0
9.1
.size
9.1
}
9.1
Unfortunately, theyære not addressed quite as well. Once the struct has
been allocated with .screendata DBB size,0 you have to refer to it as
LDR R0,screendata + screen.width, whereas it would be preferable to use
LDRáR0,screendata.width.
9.1
However, in reply to the long letter I penned to the author of ExtASM
concerning this and many other points, he agreed that this should be
changed, so you may see an improved version released soon.
9.1
The use of TEMP and LOCK is interesting. Instructions such as DIV
require extra registers to store temporary results. At the start of a
program, all registers are LOCKed. This means that they should not be
corrupted by instructions like DIV. If the assembler encounters a DIV
instruction, it has to stack some registers, perform the calculation,
then unstack them. This uses a lot of time, so if you use TEMP to
allocate some registers that you arenæt currently using, instructions
like DIV will use these instead, saving lots of processor time.
9.1
There are several other extra instructions, but anotheráexcellent
feature is the preprocessor which, by the use of switches in the source
code (directives that begin with a hash, like #include and #define in
C), allows extra control over the way the code is assembled, saved, and
so on. In ExtASM, these switches include setting variables, compile-time
repeat-until and if¡else-endif constructs, floating-point space
allocation, load and execution address settings, importing external
variables, including other source files and so on. Apparently, you can
do things like this:
9.1
#import printf
9.1
...
9.1
BL printf
9.1
The options
9.1
The ExtASM options menu includes a comprehensive range of things to
experiment with, from throwback and variable listings to auto-code
shrinking and auto-run-after-save. You can even bring up some pie charts
showing what percentage of different groups of instructions your program
contains! This is actually very useful, because you can see how much
time your program is wasting doing branches, etc. There are also
numerous facilities for creating AOF (ARM Object Format) files, which
can be linked with C source to produce powerful hybrid code.
9.1
Overall
9.1
You will by now realise that this is an extremely powerful program.
Compared to other ARM assemblers, ExtASM wins hands down. A couple of
things that arenæt catered for which would have been nice are run-time
if-else-endif constructs, and arrays Ö mind you, there are a number of
difficulties involved in programming such items which may mean it isnæt
worth the effort. The amazing thing about all this is that ExtASM is
shareware and the author is only asking ú20 per copy, an absolute
bargain! Buy it now.áuá
9.1
ExtASM is available at HENSA if you have access to Internet, or you can
write for a copy to Terje Sletteb°, Bjerregaardsgt 21 (Leil. 1304), N-
0172 Oslo, Norway. Itæs also available at a BBS in Norway, InfoLink (+47
225-71600). The monthly disc is pretty chocka this month, but if we get
space, weæll put it on.
9.1
PC486 Card Ö Hints & Tips
9.1
Jim Nottingham
9.1
I was sorry to read that Simon Coulthurst had had to call it a day,
because I always found his RiscDOS Column very valuable (thanks, Simon).
I do hope someone will be able to take over the reins but, in the
meantime, I trust the following notes will be of benefit to anyone who
has installed a shiny new PC486 card and isnæt too sure where to go from
there.
9.1
Iæm a reasonably experienced user of PC applications (bleghhh...) but
probably fall in with the majority of Archive subscribers in that I had
no previous experience of the rigours of installing DOS, Windows and the
like, having either used machines where these were pre-installed or
having had it done for me by a competent person!
9.1
Inevitably, I ran into some problems which I had to resolve by using a
modicum of gumption, a lot of trial and error, comparing notes with
other users and, as a last resort, asking the PC fraternity for help. So
hereæs a few hints and tips, doæs and donæts:
9.1
Buying Windows
9.1
Do shop around for Windows, as prices range from under ú60 to over ú100!
I bought mine from ESL in London for ú58.76 inclusive and they supplied
overnight; an excellent service. They sent Windows for Workgroups which
is the network version (v3.11), but this also works fine on a single
machine, automatically detecting and configuring itself for the stand-
alone platform. (We gave up selling Windows when Greyhound Marketing,
our main software distributor, went bust. Ed.)
9.1
Documentation
9.1
Donæt be put off by the dreadful Microsoft PC DOS and Windows user
guides; the Acorn user guide and the helpful on-screen prompts should
make installation a straightforward process. But do follow the
procedures in the Acorn user guide to the letter as there are some
fairly critical configuration options to be set.
9.1
Jargon
9.1
Donæt be put off by the PC jargon. In very general terms, the
öAUTOEXEC.BATò file equates to an Acorn main !Boot file, the öWindows
desktopò is a poor-manæs RISC OS desktop, the öMS DOS promptò is where
we can type in DOS commands (similar to pressing <f12> and typing RISC
OS *commands), and the öDOS shellò screen roughly equates to our icon
bar display of drive icons and directory displays.
9.1
Storage
9.1
Do believe everything youæve heard about PC applications being very
memory-hungry. PC DOS and the configuration files come to some 3Mb and a
full Windows v3.11 installation takes a hefty 25Mb (Win95 is reportedly
90Mb)!! Your typical PC application is 8Ö30Mb so, clearly, all this may
have your hard disc drive bulging at the seams, even before you start
using the kit.
9.1
Second partition
9.1
To ease the storage problem and if you have the bonus of a second drive,
do consider having just DOSáin a partition on your main drive (drive_c
in DOS-speak), with Windows, PC applications and your data files in a
second partition on the second drive (drive_d). Similarly, if you have
the luxury of having a removable media drive (e.g. Syquest or magneto-
optical), do consider having a separate cartridge or disc dedicated to
PC stuff.
9.1
Partition size
9.1
The !PCconfig program supplied with the card makes it very easy to set
up the partition(s) and the Acorn user guide is very clear. With a
single partition, Acorn recommend a size of at least 80Mb but, looking
at the numbers in the previous paragraphs, and if you have the capacity,
do consider something bigger. With two drives and partitions, you can
split the applications as you think fit; Iæve taken my own advice and
gone for just DOS and the configuration files in a 5Mb partition on my
hard disc, with Windows, a number of PC applications and all the
document files being given lots of elbow room in a large partition on a
270Mb SyQuest cartridge. This arrangement works very well.
9.1
Drive formatting
9.1
If you decide to dedicate a storage device to PC stuff, as suggested
above, you may see a formatting funny. When you format a device, it is
quite usual to Éloseæ a few Mbytes. For example, on my 270Mb Syquest,
both Size and Free come up as 256Mb. So when I configured the PC
partition for the drive, I selected the (apparently) full 256Mb as the
partition size. This seemed to work OK in that performing Count on the
partition came up with 256Mb. However, if I click menu on Free on the
iconbar, Used comes up as only 243Mb, leaving 13Mb Free! Iæve no idea
why this happens but, by a process of trial and error, I found I could
create a 270Mb partition even though, on the face of it, this exceeded
the free space available. This also seems to work on other devices,
regardless of their type (fixed or removable media) or whether they are
SCSI or IDE, so is well worth trying. Does anyone have an explanation
for this strange behaviour?
9.1
(No, I donæt have an explanation, but counting files and free space
rarely work out because directories themselves take up, sometimes, a
considerable amount of space. This is not consistent, however, as small
files may be fitted into the space that might otherwise have been
allocated to the directory. JamesáTaylor, NCS.)
9.1
Configuring for Windows
9.1
One command described in the Windows manual but not included in the
Acorn guide is that, for the PC card to boot up with the Windows desktop
display, you have to add a öWINò command at the end of the AUTOEXEC.BAT
file (this is the equivalent of adding *Desktop as the last line in our
main !Boot file). To do it, find the AUTOEXEC/BAT file in the drive_c
partition (note: /BAT, not /BAK). Load the file into !Edit and, at the
bottom, type in C:WIN. Save the file and, when you next start the PC
card, you should finish up with the Windows desktop display.
9.1
DOS shell
9.1
I say öshouldò but, if you finish up with the DOS shell display instead,
donæt panic... The probable reason is that, when installing PC DOS, you
opted to select the DOS shell instead of the DOS prompt. As a result, a
DOSSHELL command will have been added to the AUTOEXEC.BAT file and
Windows will not get a look in. Quit the PC card and re-load AUTOEXEC/
BAT back into !Edit. Look for a line (probably immediately preceding the
C:WIN command) which reads something like C:\DOS\DOSSHELL.EXE[0d] and
delete it. Re-save the file and now, when you start the PC card, you
should finish up with the Windows desktop display.
9.1
Display resolution
9.1
At this stage, donæt worry if the Windows display resolution looks less
than the screen mode string you specified when first using !PCconfig
(pageá9 of the Acorn manual). This is because you havenæt yet installed
the enhanced Windows 3.1 Screen Driver supplied with the card. Follow
the procedure on p22 of the manual (also described in Archive 8.9 p38)
and everything should then come good.
9.1
CD-ROM drive
9.1
If you configure the system to use two partitions (i.e. drive_c and
drive_d) and also have a CD-ROM drive, leave setting up the CD-ROM until
last. Configure it by following the procedure on p24 of the Acorn user
guide. However, although logically the drive will finish up as drive_e,
do not change the various commands shown in the user guide from
        /D:MSCD000 to /E:MSCD000; it wonæt work. Enter them exactly as
shown in the guide and it seems the system detects the presence of
drive_d and automatically configures the CD-ROM drive as drive_e. Clever
Stuff.
9.1
I hope all this helps and that, at the end of the day, you will be as
enormously impressed with Acornæs implementation of the PC card as I am.
9.1
As ever, if you hit problems, please do drop me a line at 16 Westfield
Close, Pocklington, York, YO4 2EY. Iæll aim either to offer some help or
Ö more likely Ö ask someone who knows about these things...áuá
9.1
STOP PRESS: Michael Clarkson, who did the excellent article on Windows
95 last month, has agreed to be our new RiscDOS Editor. In order that
Jim can concentrate on his text transfer articles and SCSI card
compatibility, it would probably be better to send your questions, etc,
to: Michael Clarkson, Riggæs Hall, The Schools, Shrewsbury, SY3 7AZ.
(Some of our contributors are of school age but Michael is actually a
teacher!)  Ed.
9.1
Printers and Printing
9.1
Dave Floyd
9.1
Welcome to a new regular column dedicated to printers and printing. The
intention is to provide a forum, and help, for those experiencing
problems with their printer set ups. I will try to keep the answers as
general as possible so that they will be of use to as many readers as
possible.
9.1
Of necessity, much of the usefulness of this column will come from you,
the reader. I obviously do not have access to every make or even type of
printer, so will be unable to emulate the more specific problems that
people come across. Most, if not all, problems will have been
experienced and overcome by other readers, however, and so any help or
suggestions you may have would be gratefully received.
9.1
On a more general level, I also hope to give advice and suggestions for
obtaining the best quality output for various needs. Let me know which
subjects you would be interested in and Iáwill see what I can do.
9.1
Paper alignment
9.1
Neil Dickson writes with problems he is experiencing with paper
alignment. Apparently, the default paper definition supplied with Turbo
Driver (v.4.00) for the Canon BJ10ex does not seem to work properly.
When using the grey printer margins to position text or graphics in
Style or Draw, for instance, he often finds that they are cropped on
printing, even though on screen they appear to be inside the borders.
9.1
My initial instinct here would be to check the configured paper size.
Load the printer driver and click <menu> over the icon on the iconbar,
making sure that the relevant printer definition is highlighted if you
have more than one present. Next, select ÉEdit paper sizesæ which should
present you with a window containing the current configuration. The grey
printer borders that appear in Draw and Impression are read from the
values held in the ÉGraphics marginsæ section of this window. Change the
values for top, bottom, left and right to match those of your printer,
save the new configuration and, in future, the grey border should
correlate correctly with the non-printing area required by your printer.
The correct values should be found in your printer manual.
9.1
For those who do not have a manual to hand, reset the values to zero and
save. Load Draw and create a page with one line running the complete
height of the page and another line running the complete width. Print
the page and measure with a ruler how much the lines have been cropped.
9.1
Graphic positioning
9.1
Neil also has a problem regarding graphics positioning when using
Impression Style. He says that a graphic which Style claims to be 2cm
from the top of the page (for example) is not printed 2cm from the top
on the printed sheet. Even when he moves the frame by the required
amount to rectify its misplacing, the graphic does not appear to move by
that distance when reprinted.
9.1
This sounds to me as if it is caused by the way Neil has his Impression
print setup configured. From the Style print window, select ÉSetup...æ.
Deselect ÉCentreápagesæ and select ÉIgnore page borderæ. Click ÉOKæ,
then back on the main print window, select ÉSet valuesæ. Style should
now print exactly what is visible on screen without trying to reposition
anything.
9.1
Turbo Driver and KX-P4420
9.1
Mick Carroll has a Panasonic KX-P4420 laser printer. He has owned the
printer for almost two years and experienced no problems with it until
he invested in a copy of Turbo Driver to speed up his printing. Single
page documents print perfectly, as do single pages of multi-page
documents and multiple copies of single pages. When he tries to print a
multi¡page document all at once, however, only the first page and the
first couple of lines on page two are printed. All other pages to the
end of the document appear as blank sheets.
9.1
As a friend of Mick, and somebody who also owns a KX-P4420, I was the
obvious person for him to turn to and after some three months of re-
installing the software, reconfiguring everything we could think of and
phone calls to Computer Concepts we had all but admitted defeat. We had
even installed it on my system where it had worked perfectly.
9.1
It was only when I visited him at his office for an entirely different
reason and started idly flicking through the options menu on the printer
(as one does!) that I realised there were not as many options as
appeared on mine. A quick status print later and Iáhad the solution.
Mickæs KX-P4420 has a version 1.00 ROM fitted. Mine has version 2.01.
9.1
The moral of this story would appear to be that if you use a KX-P4420 to
print multi-page documents and are considering buying Turbo Driver, make
sure you do a status print first. If you find that you have version 1.xx
firmware, youæve got problems unless you can find someone to supply a
ROM upgrade Ö Panasonic stopped selling them some time ago. Can anyone
help Mick?
9.1
The part I find confusing with this, is that both versions 1.xx and 2.xx
function perfectly with the HPáII driver supplied with !Printers.
Computer Concepts claimed on the phone that this was irrelevant, as
!Printers and Turbo Driver function in completely different ways. While
I accept that, for the great speed gains obtainable by using Turbo
Driver, this must be true, surely HP-compatible output is HP-compatible
output?! If somebody could explain this perversity to me in easily
understandable language, Iáwould be most grateful.
9.1
Turbo Driver hazard warning
9.1
Further to his problems detailed earlier, Neil Dickson suggests a
solution to Eddie Lordæs problem with Turbo Driver (Archive 8.11 p26).
Eddie commented that, ö... the printer icon cycles between the hazard
warning and the standard printer icon at regular intervals and, each
time, accesses the hard drive.ò Neil suggests that this can be (sort of)
solved by loading !Printers then quitting it. Applications can still
print, but you do not experience the constant clicking of the hard disk,
which also slows down RISC OS significantly.
9.1
Bad compression field
9.1
In the Help!!!! Column (Archive 8.10 p25), Torben Steeg commented that
when printing long documents using Impression II and a Canon LBP8 Laser
Direct version 2.61, he often got an error message along the lines of
ÉBad compression fieldæ, which required a hard reset to rectify. David
Worden writes to say that he regularly encounters a ÉBad compression id
fieldæ error with his setup of Impression Publisher and a Canon LBP4
Laser Direct.
9.1
David finds that he can clear the problem by freeing some memory.
Although he only uses a small number of fonts, he normally allocates 1Mb
of memory to the font cache so that he can resize the document without
repeatedly running into delays while the fonts are re¡built at the new
size. Reducing this cache size to 128Kb appears to do the trick without
having to resort to a hard reset.
9.1
Lasers vs. inkjets
9.1
I suspected that my comments (Choosing a printer, Archive 8.12 p59) on
this subject would not be the last. To the defence of monochrome inkjets
comes Peter Robertson.
9.1
Peter writes that, for those who have limited desk space, upright
inkjets take up far less space than even the smallest lasers. This may
be worth bearing in mind for those who are severely limited for space
around their computer and cannot create any more. The downside to the
small upright printers is that their paper handling is not as convenient
as that of the desktop models. I also understand that they are more
expensive to run, although I cannot verify this.
9.1
On a similar note, Panasonic recently released a couple of upright PC
GDI laser printers, and if they prove to be popular, I assume that
Panasonic will expand the range further.
9.1
A very serious point is that inkjets do not produce ozone, whereas most
lasers do, due to their printing methods. Ozone is generally toxic and
is particularly bad for people with asthma or a heart condition. Laser
printers do contain ozone filters which alleviate the problem to some
degree, and I have not come across anybody who has suffered any side-
effects from using a laser, except where ventilation and airflow in the
room were deficient. Anybody using a laser printer should ensure there
is enough space around the machine to allow proper airflow and open a
door or a window if the room it is in is small or stuffy.
9.1
An interesting observation is that laser prints (and photocopies) will
offset onto the inside of plastic file covers if you are not careful. To
avoid this, you should place a blank sheet of paper at the front of your
file. Image transference can also occur if you use plastic pockets to
batch laser printed or photocopied documents together. Once again, this
can be solved by the insertion of a blank sheet at the front, but if
this is unsuitable, I believe that you can buy specially manufactured
plastic pockets to take laser printed and photocopied sheets without
this occurring. Inkjet copies do not suffer from this problem.
9.1
Peter also raises the question of cost differentials, and how long it
would take the average home user to recoup the extra cost of the
printer. Every useræs requirements being different, this is impossible
to answer. It is also very difficult to compare the relative costs, as
those who print more graphical documents will obviously use more toner
or ink and will therefore spend more on running costs.
9.1
The following figures from the September 1995 issue of What Personal
Computer may be of interest, however. The tests all involved colour
inkjets and were based around a ten page document, mainly text, with a
couple of tables and charts which used small areas of colour. All
calculations include paper costs at ú6.99 for 500 sheets. To allow a
rudimentary comparison, I have printed some 18,000 copies from my
Panasonic KX-P4420 over the last three years and had I used the same
paper, this would have cost me about 3.3p per copy.
9.1
Printer              Cost per page
9.1
Canon BJC-600  5.7p
9.1
Canon BJC-4000  7.1p
9.1
Citizen Projet IIC  16.2p
9.1
Epson Stylus Color  8.8p
9.1
HP Deskjet 540  14.7p
9.1
HP Deskjet 560C  6.6p
9.1
HP Deskjet 1200C/PS  7.7p
9.1
Lexmark Execjet IIc  6.6p
9.1
Olivetti JP360C  14.8p
9.1
Printing envelopes on a BJ200
9.1
Peter also felt that it may be of use to some readers to share the
details of how he goes about printing envelopes with his BJ200 inkjet.
He writes:
9.1
In case any readers may be getting frustrated about this, here is how
one distinctly non-technical reader goes about it.
9.1
My filing system branches out through main headings like ÉPhotographyæ,
ÉWritingæ, ÉEuropeæ, ÉMarketingæ, ÉHydrogenæ, ÉSolaræ and so on, each of
which has a correspondence directory. Each of those has a subdirectory
called ÉEnvelopesæ. Each of those is furnished with a copy of an
EasiWriter Éstationeryæ item called ÉEnvelopeæ.
9.1
During a correspondence session, I copy the address from every letter to
a new Envelope file, or check that it is already filed.
9.1
Having printed out the letters, I prepare my BJ200 by re-setting the
printer head, paper transport lever and paper guide. This takes about
ten seconds.
9.1
I use two kinds of letter envelopes: heavy Conqueror ones and Éordinaryæ
light ones. I find the BJ200 will cope unaided with the latter, almost
without fail. It needs a little help with the stiffer envelopes: I bend
each of these a little by Émassagingæ it gently over the edge of my
desk, which seems to have just the right, slightly rounded, profile.
9.1
Using the printed letters as a guide, I place the appropriate type of
blank envelope in the feeder. Then I drag the icon of the appropriate
address file to the printer icon on the iconbar.
9.1
I have had no trouble at all since I began Éconditioningæ the Conqueror
envelopes. Even though I feed the envelopes singly, I find I can address
twenty or so in about five minutes.
9.1
Labels would certainly be more convenient for some jobs, but for
individual correspondence, where tasteful presentation is desirable, I
prefer directly addressed envelopes.
9.1
Future columns
9.1
If anyone has any queries, problems or solutions to problems regarding
printers then please write. Subjects that have already been suggested
include, scanning sprites to obtain a good quality print and how to
print sprites that photocopy well, both of which I will look into over
the next couple of months. To contact me please write to, Dave Floyd,
          c/oáPOáBox 2795, London NW10 9AY.áuá
9.1
C++ Column
9.1
Tony Houghton
9.1
This month, I will be looking at derived classes which are C++æs
mechanism for implementing inheritance, an essential feature of Object
Oriented Programming (OOP).
9.1
Defining a derived class
9.1
Imagine you had written a class in the past to describe an Archimedes:
9.1
class Archimedes {ram ;
9.1
  const int processor;  // eg 2, 3, 250
9.1
  const int riscos;    // eg 200, 310
9.1
  // ...
9.1
public:
9.1
  Archimedes(int mem, int arm, int os) :
9.1
    ram(mem), processor(arm), riscos(os)
9.1
  int get_ram(void) {ram ;}
9.1
  int get_processor(void) {processor ;}
9.1
  int get_riscos_version(void) {riscos ;}
9.1
  // ...
9.1
};
9.1
Now you want to write a class to describe a Risc PC; this has a great
deal in common with an Archimedes and you just want to add a few members
without disturbing the original class or rewriting the same members for
a new one. You can do this with a derived class:
9.1
class RiscPC : public Archimedes {vram ;
9.1
  // ...
9.1
public:
9.1
  RiscPC(int mem, int arm, int os, int vram) :
9.1
    Archimedes(mem, arm, os), RiscPC::vram(vram)
9.1
  int get_vram(void) return vram;
9.1
  // ...
9.1
};
9.1
The colon after the new class name (RiscPC) signifies that RiscPC is
derived from any classes following the colon. Classes after the colon
are base classes Ö each one has its own access specifier (e.g. public)
which I will describe below. A derived class inherits all the members of
its base classes; they become members of the derived class. When the
base class is public, as in this case, the members of the base class can
be accessed from Éoutsideæ exactly as if they were defined in the
derived class. So here you could call the members get_ram(),
get_processor() etc, as well as get_vram() for RiscPC objects.
9.1
Derivation can continue for as many levels as you like. For instance,
you could define:
9.1
class RiscPC700:public RiscPC {/*...*/ };
9.1
RiscPC is a direct base class of RiscPC700; Archimedes is an indirect
base class of RiscPC700.
9.1
Friends
9.1
Friends are not inherited.
9.1
Inheritance and constructors
9.1
Constructors are not inherited, so if a base class has a constructor
with arguments, it must be called from the constructor of any class
derived from it. This must be done in the constructoræs initialisation
list, i.e. between the colon and the body of the constructor function in
its definition (see my previous article). More than one base class can
be initialised here along with other members (such as the vram member
above), separated by commas. Order of initialisation depends on the
order of declaration of the base classes at the top of the derived
classæ definition, not the order in the derived classæ constructoræs
initialisation list. Base classes are initialised before members.
9.1
Access control
9.1
There are three access specifiers: public, protected and private. These
can be applied to members of a (base) class and to the whole class when
it is inherited into a derived class. I will summarise the rules for
each specification of a base class:
9.1
Public base class
9.1
Public members of the base class can be accessed from any other
function.
9.1
Protected members of the base class can be accessed only from members of
the base class or classes derived from it.
9.1
Private members of the base class can only be accessed from other
members of the base class.
9.1
Protected base class
9.1
Public and protected members of the base class can be accessed only from
members of the base class or classes derived from it; they become
protected members of the derived class.
9.1
Private members of the base class can only be accessed from other
members of the base class.
9.1
Private base class
9.1
Similar to protected base class, but the public and protected members of
the base become private members of the derived class.
9.1
The most significant effect of the difference between protected and
private base classes occurs when you derive a further class from the
derived class. It determines whether the indirectly derived class has
access to the original base.
9.1
The access specification of a base classæ member can be adjusted by a
derived class, provided it has access to the member and does not try to
reduce access:
9.1
class Base {a ;
9.1
public:
9.1
  int b;
9.1
};
9.1
class Derived : private Base {base::b ;  // Error: attempt to reduce
9.1
 access
9.1
public:
9.1
  Base::a;  // Error: Derived does not
9.1
have access to Base::a
9.1
  Base::b;  // Now external functions can
9.1
 access Base::b via Derived
9.1
};
9.1
Pointer conversion
9.1
One thing that makes inheritance so powerful is that a pointer to a base
class can also point to a class derived from it, if the function
performing the conversion has access to the base class.
9.1
class Base {/*...*/ };
9.1
class PubDerived : public Base {/*...*/ };
9.1
class ProtDerived : protected Base {{ Style öBox headingò Off}  Base
*get_base(void);
9.1
};
9.1
class PrivDerived : private Base {{ Style öBox headingò Off}  Base
*get_base(void);
9.1
};
9.1
void f(PubDerived *pub, ProtDerived *prot,
9.1
 PrivDerived *priv)
9.1
{*b ;
9.1
  b = pub;    // OK
9.1
  b = prot;   // Error: no global access
9.1
 to protected bases
9.1
  b = priv;   // Error: no global access
9.1
to private bases
9.1
}
9.1
Base *ProtDerived::get_base()
9.1
{this ;  // OK: member has access
9.1
 to its protected bases
9.1
}
9.1
Base *PrivDerived::get_base()
9.1
{this ;  // According to Stroustrup
9.1
 this should be an error,
9.1
                // (PrivDerived theoretÖ
9.1
ically not having access
9.1
 to Base)
9.1
                // but it is OK with Acorn
9.1
 C++ at least
9.1
}
9.1
The same rules apply to references to objects.
9.1
It is also possible to explicitly cast a pointer to a base class to a
pointer to a class derived from it. In either case, the compiler
modifies the integral value of the pointer if necessary (a base class
will not necessarily be placed at the very start of the derived class in
memory). The compiler cannot detect whether a pointer to a base class
does in fact point to a sub-object within a derived class, so trying to
cast a pointer in this case will not cause a compilation error, but may
crash the program at run-time.
9.1
Assignment
9.1
A derived class can be assigned to one of its base classes:
9.1
  Base b;
9.1
  PubDerived d;
9.1
  b = d;  // OK
9.1
  d = b;  // Error
9.1
The first assignment assigns bæs members with the subset of those from d
which are inherited from Base. The second is not allowed because it
would potentially leave some of dæs members unaccounted for.
9.1
Virtual functions
9.1
A derived class can have member functions with the same name and
arguments as member functions in its base class. The derived classæ
function will override the base classæ function when called from the
derived class, but the base classæ function will be called when used via
a derived objectæs base sub-object:
9.1
#include <iostream.h>
9.1
class Base {f(void) {<< öBase::f()\nò;}
9.1
};
9.1
class Derived {f(void) {<< öDerived::f()\nò;}
9.1
};
9.1
int main()
9.1
{= new Derived;
9.1
  Base *b = new Derived;
9.1
  b->f();  // Base::f()
9.1
  d->f();  // Derived::f()
9.1
  d->Base::f();  // Base::f()
9.1
}
9.1
Virtual functions provide us with a very powerful mechanism to ensure
that a derived classæ overriding function is always called even if
called from its base sub-object:
9.1
#include <iostream.h>
9.1
class Base {void f(void) {{ Style öParaIndentò On}öBase::f()\nò;}
9.1
  void g(void) {f() ;}
9.1
};
9.1
class Derived {f(void) {<< öDerived::f()\nò;}
9.1
};
9.1
int main()
9.1
{= new Derived;
9.1
  Base *b = new Derived;
9.1
  b->f();  // Derived::f()
9.1
  b->g();  // g() calls Derived::f(), not
9.1
 Base::f()
9.1
  d->f();  // Derived::f()
9.1
  d->Base::f();  // Qualification allows
9.1
 access to Base::f()
9.1
}
9.1
If a derived class does not have its own definition of the virtual
function, its base classæ function is used.
9.1
Selecting the correct function is done at run-time. Toáachieve this,
certain implementation-dependent information needs to be stored with
each class, so you cannot make assumptions about the storage space
needed for objects with virtual functions.
9.1
A virtual function may be declared pure; this means that a version is
not defined for the base class, but must be provided by a derived class.
To declare a pure virtual function, append ö=0ò to its declaration. For
example:
9.1
class Base {void f(void) = 0;
9.1
};
9.1
Any class containing a pure virtual function is an abstract class.
Objects cannot be created from an abstract class, and classes derived
from it are also abstract unless they contain definitions for all
virtual functions. A virtual function can be redeclared virtual
(optionally pure) in a derived class if you intend to derive further
classes from it.
9.1
Since a base classæ constructor is called before constructing the rest
of a derived class, calling a virtual function during a constructor
calls the base classæ function; the mechanism to find a suitable
overriding function in a derived class is not invoked. This is not
possible for pure virtual functions, neither is explicit qualification
(::) with the name of the base class.
9.1
The access specification of a virtual function (public/private/
protected) depends only on the initial declaration in the base class;
access specification of overriding functions is ignored.
9.1
A good way to see how powerful virtual functions are is to consider a
collection of shape classes. There would be a base class called Shape
and several classes derived from it eg Circle, Square, Triangle. If
Shape had a virtual function void draw() which was defined for each
derived shape, you could then draw any shape from Éexternalæ functions
without needing to know what sort of shape you were dealing with:
9.1
class Shape {public: 9.1
  virtual void draw(void) = 0;
9.1
        // Abstract shape canæt be drawn
9.1
  // ...
9.1
};
9.1
// Definitions of derived shapes:
9.1
// Circle, Square etc
9.1
void update_screen(list_of_shapes &list)
9.1
{= list.get_first();
9.1
  while (shape)
9.1
  {shape->draw() ;
9.1
    shape = list.get_next();
9.1
  }
9.1
}
9.1
Virtual destructors
9.1
Although the default operator delete does not need to be passed the size
of the object it is deleting (the size is stored alongside the object),
it is possible to redefine delete (this will be the subject of a future
article) in ways that do require the size to be passed. This can lead to
a crash when deleting derived objects from pointers to their base sub-
objects. For example:
9.1
void f()
9.1
{= new Derived;
9.1
  // ...
9.1
  delete b;  // Trouble
9.1
}
9.1
This is because delete, in this case, is passed the size of a Base
instead of the size of a Derived.
9.1
If a class has a destructor, the actual removal of an object from memory
is done as if called from the destructor, and the size is calculated at
this point. Aávirtual destructor has a slightly different meaning to an
ordinary virtual function. Declaring a base classæ destructor virtual
effectively provides all derived classes with a destructor if they do
not provide one themselves, and the correct size will always be passed
to delete. Virtual destructors are not overridden, but a derived class
can have its own destructor which will be called before its baseæs
virtual destructor.
9.1
class Base {public: 9.1
  // ...
9.1
  virtual ~Base() {additional 9.1
 clearing up */}
9.1
};
9.1
It is good practice to give all your classes destructors (even empty
ones), and make them virtual if there is any possibility that other
classes will be derived from them.
9.1
ÉVirtual constructorsæ
9.1
It is not possible to have a virtual constructor, but sometimes it would
be nice to have one so that you can create a new object of the same type
as another, even if the original is referred to by a pointer to its base
class. This effect can be achieved by something like:
9.1
class Base {public: 9.1
  // ...
9.1
  virtual Base *_new(void) {{ Style öParaIndentò On}Base;}
9.1
};
9.1
class Derived {public: 9.1
  // ...
9.1
  Base *_new(void) {derived ;}
9.1
};
9.1
// etc
9.1
void f(Base *p1)
9.1
{p1->_new() ;  // If p1 actually
9.1
    // points to a Derived, a new
9.1
    // Derived will be created instead
9.1
    // of a Base
9.1
  // ...
9.1
}
9.1
Multiple inheritance
9.1
Multiple inheritance is very simple in itself, but the ambiguities that
can result cause complications. Consider a modified hierarchy of classes
representing computers:
9.1
class ComputerWithVRam {/*...*/ };
9.1
class AcornComputer {/*...*/ };
9.1
class RiscPC :
9.1
  public ComputerWithVRam, public AcornComputer {... };
9.1
Class RiscPC is derived from both ComputerWithVRam and AcornComputer.
Whatáif both of the base classes had a function intáget_ram(void); which
one is called by the statement rpc.get_vram() if rpc is a RiscPC object?
In this case, the compiler would be unable to decide; neither of the
base classes has priority and you would have to qualify the statement
with rpc.ComputerWithVRam::get_vram() or rpc.AcornComputer::get_vram().
9.1
In some cases, the compiler can make a sensible decision for you; the
full rules are beyond the scope of this article, but they should not
cause any unpleasant surprises.
9.1
It would also be reasonable, in this example, that ComputerWithVRam and
AcornComputer would both be derived from a class Computer. In this case,
a RiscPC would include two copies of Computer and you would have to
qualify all statements involving Computeræs methods. In practice, you
would avoid wastefully duplicating data in that way unless it was
necessary to have two or more similar base sub-objects (e.g. having an
object on more than one linked list).
9.1
Virtual base classes
9.1
It is not possible, in the general case, to ensure that a derived class
only has one copy of an indirect base class, but it is possible to make
a number of derived classes all share one base sub-object. This is done
by using a virtual base class. All derived classes that declare the base
virtual share the same copy of that sub-object. If the base has a
constructor, it is called once when its first derived object is
constructed.
9.1
class Screen {public: 9.1
  void draw(void);
9.1
  // ...
9.1
};
9.1
class ScreenWithBorder : virtual public
9.1
 Screen {{ Style öParaIndentò Off}  // ...
9.1
public:
9.1
  void draw(void);
9.1
  // ...
9.1
};
9.1
class ScreenWithStatusBar : virtual public
9.1
 Screen {{ Style öParaIndentò Off}  // ...
9.1
public:
9.1
  void draw(void);
9.1
  // ...
9.1
};
9.1
All ScreenWithBorder and ScreenWithStatusBar objects will share the same
Screen sub-object; this is a good example, because a computer (usually)
only has one screen.
9.1
There is one point to beware. Suppose the definitions of draw() in the
derived classes are:
9.1
void ScreenWithBorder::draw()
9.1
{screen::draw() ;
9.1
  // Draw border
9.1
}
9.1
void ScreenWithStatusBar::draw()
9.1
{screen::draw() ;
9.1
  // Draw status bar
9.1
}
9.1
and you also define:
9.1
class ScreenWithBorderAndBar :
9.1
  public ScreenWithBorder, public
9.1
 ScreenWithStatusBar
9.1
{public: 9.1
  void draw(void);
9.1
};
9.1
void ScreenWithBorderAndBar::draw()
9.1
{{ Style öBox headingò Off}ScreenWithBorder::draw();
9.1
  ScreenWithStatusBar::draw();
9.1
}
9.1
The last function causes Screen::draw() to be called twice. This is, at
best, inefficient, and it could cause corruption of the screen. To avoid
this, you would have to give each derived class two drawing functions,
one to just draw what is specific to each class and one to draw that
plus what is specific to each base class. Iæll leave that for you to
work out.
9.1
Conclusion
9.1
Derived classes are implemented in C++ quite simply, but they give rise
to subtle effects throughout the language, particularly in the ability
of using a pointer to a derived class where a pointer to its base class
is expected.
9.1
Unfortunately, I lack the time and experience to provide a tutorial on
the wonderful uses (and abuses) to which you can put C++æs powerful OOP
concepts, but I hope that you are finding this series useful for
learning syntax and implementation details.áu
9.1
Sibelius 7
9.1
Ian Beswick
9.1
Sibelius has received a lot of favourable publicity in recent months,
both in the Acorn and the non-Acorn press. But what exactly is it all
about? This short series of articles aims to look beyond the hype, and
take a more detailed look into the workings of Sibelius.
9.1
From the outset, I should point out that I am neither a composer nor a
professional musician. In fact, I am a software engineer with a keen
interest in music and, as such, I will be looking more at the technical
side of the package rather than its benefits as a composition tool. (See
the interview with John Rutter in Archive 8.6 p9. for this viewpoint.)
9.1
To play or not to play
9.1
Most music software tends to be either for the playback or the printout
of music, and Sibelius falls most definitely into the latter category.
Having said that, it contains some excellent playback facilities, but
you would be disappointed if you purchased it expecting to get a MIDI
sequencer package.
9.1
The purpose of Sibelius is to produce musical scores. For those
unfamiliar with musical jargon, a score is a musical document containing
all the instructions for a group of musicians to be able to perform the
music. A score is generally extracted into a number of separate parts,
each containing just those instructions for a single musician, and it is
for this purpose that Sibelius really comes into its own.
9.1
First steps
9.1
The Sibeliusá7 package includes two discs, a function-key strip, an
audio cassette, and one of the best written manuals I have ever read.
The first 60 pages include details on how to set up your system, plus a
helpful tutorial. This includes details on both software and hardware
installation, even down to the level of setting up any MIDI equipment
and/or printer that you might be using.
9.1
Like many people, I could not resist the temptation of diving straight
in after reading the first part of the tutorial. However, the reference
section of the manual is excellent, and well worth reading from cover to
cover, although it is probably best left a few days after starting to
use the package. The wry humour helps to keep the manual interesting as
well as informative.
9.1
One word of warning, however, relates to the copy protection mechanism
used by Sibelius. The program disc must be registered, by typing your
name, and then its contents can be installed onto your hard disc using
the program supplied. This effectively removes the original program from
the floppy disc, thus preventing it being installed on another machine.
Iápersonally far prefer this method of protection, to having to insert
the original disc each time, but it does carry the risk of losing the
software in the event of accidental deletion from the hard disc. I would
strongly recommend following their advice of making a backup (to a blank
floppy disc) immediately after installing the package. This backup
cannot be used on another machine, but will enable the software to be
deinstalled back onto the original disc if required.
9.1
Not entirely WYSIWYG
9.1
Upon loading Sibelius, a colourful logo and licence details are
displayed briefly on screen, and then a É7æ icon is added to the
iconbar. This icon can be clicked upon (to start editing a new file) or
an existing file can be dragged to it or double-clicked. This is all
quite normal for a RISC OS application, but what is not so normal is
what happens next. The desktop disappears and is replaced by the
Sibelius editing screen (see the screenshot below).
9.1
At first sight, it would appear that Sibelius has taken over the system,
and is single tasking. In fact, any other tasks are still running in the
background and may from time to time pop up their own windows over the
Sibelius editing screen (e.g. an Alarm notification, or an Impression
öDocument has just been savedò message, etc). In fact, the screenshot
was created by using Paintæs screengrab with a 10 second delay, during
which time I switched into Sibelius.
9.1
All that has happened is that Sibelius has put its editing window in
front of all the other windows and is filling the whole size of the
desktop. At any time you can toggle the editing window to a small
version by clicking on the normal RISCáOS Échange sizeæ icon in the top
right of the screen. This small version cannot be used for editing,
despite the fact that a small amount of music may be visible in it, and
clicking on it reverts it back to full size.
9.1
The editing window enables Sibelius to run at its much publicised speed.
The fact of being able to overwrite the whole screen avoids the need to
continually render the screen in arbitrary rectangular regions as passed
by the Wimp. (Try creating a number of small filer windows in front of a
Draw document and watch how the screen is redrawn). The editing window
also uses a number of tricks in order to gain speed. One of these is the
fact that the display is almost, but not quite entirely, WYSIWYG. For
example, a four-colour screen mode is used and so very limited anti-
aliasing is possible, and the music is always shown at the same scale.
Some of the more obscure music symbols appear as boxes rather than the
actual symbol.
9.1
All of this does enable the program to redraw and scroll around very
quickly, but what about seeing the real ÉWYSIWYGæ music? Well, this is
what the overview window is for (see second screenshot). When the
editing window is in its small state, the overview window is displayed.
This display does use anti-aliased fonts, and may be scaled from 3% to
3700%! It also enables the score to be saved, exported as a drawfile or
printed.
9.1
Printing
9.1
The results obtained even from a low cost dot-matrix or ink-jet printer,
are quite amazing. One feature which contributes to this quality is the
ability to Éregularizeæ lines, which ensures that thin lines appear at a
uniform thickness, regardless of the scale at which they are printed.
This attention to apparently small details is what really sets Sibelius
apart from the competition.
9.1
However, even this would not be quite up to scratch for publishing
purposes and, to this end, a utility is provided which takes the output
from the Acorn PostScript printer driver, and converts it into an EPS
(Encapsulated PostScript) file for sending to the printer. This enables
really high quality printing to be done.
9.1
Radar??
9.1
No, Sibelius has not been adopted for use by the RAFáfor tracking
missiles, but it does include a radar nonetheless. This is the clever
little gadget in the bottom right-hand corner of the editing screen, and
shows a miniature skeleton version of the current and adjacent pages. A
white rectangle represents the area of the score which is currently on
view in the main editing window. It is particularly useful for scrolling
around the score at high speed.
9.1
Give me the Moonlight...
9.1
For my first assignment in using Sibelius, I decided toátranscribe one
of my favourite piano pieces, Beethovenæs öMoonlightò Sonata (Opus 27 No
2). Atáfirst sight, the first (well known!) movement appears relatively
simple, but it contains sections which pose quite a challenge!
9.1
To create a new score, it is easiest to copy one of the style sheets
which are supplied with the package. These contain a single system of
empty staves reading for starting work.
9.1
Titles can be put at the top of the page using the text style options.
There is a preset number of styles, each of which can be defined to
appear in a particular way. For example, the öTitleò style, by default,
appears centred at the top of the page in 30ápoint Trinity Bold, whereas
the öExpressionò style is 12 point Trinity Medium Italic. New styles
cannot be created, but some of the more obscure styles can be redefined
for other purposes.
9.1
Sibeliusæ way of using the mouse initially takes a bit of getting used
to. Objects are added to the score using <adjust>, while the <select> is
used for selecting and moving existing objects. Sibelius helpfully
changes the pointer into a mouse with the appropriate button highlighted
at certain times.
9.1
The currently selected object is highlighted in red, and may be copied
using <adjust>. This can be a single note or chord, a whole bar,
multiple bars, or even bars across all the instrumental parts. This
feature allows scores to be built up amazingly quickly, since
rhythmically similar sections can be copied, and the notes then dragged
up or down to the appropriate pitch. A selected region of bars may also
be transposed up or down by any specified interval.
9.1
The first movement of öMoonlightò was particularly difficult to
transcribe because of the two distinct rhythmic parts contained in a
single stave, namely the triplet quavers and the dotted-quaver semi-
quaver rhythm. The triplets are inserted into the second, or alternate,
övoiceò by holding down <alt> whilst creating the note. I found the
quickest way to work was to create a stack of bars with nothing but
triplets in the second voice, and then add the melody in a second pass.
Note that the first (normal) voice always has note stems pointing up,
and the second (alternate) voice has stems pointing down. This means
that the triplets on the lower stave have to be inserted into the first
voice, and the bass semi-breves have to go into the second voice.
9.1
All spaced out
9.1
Sibelius uses various algorithms to determine how notes should be
positioned on the stave, and constantly re-applies these algorithms as
you edit the score. For example, the bar you are working on may grow too
large to fit on the end of the current system. It is automatically
wrapped round to the start of the next system, and the bars on the
previous system are reformatted to fill up the extra space. This is not
all that dissimilar to typing into a word-processor in fully-justified
mode, whereby a word will wrap to the start of the next line as it is
being typed.
9.1
Just as with a word processor, you can override the default spacing if
required. The simplest way of doing this is to drag a note horizontally
to create an extra gap in front of it, although this is seldom necessary
due to Sibeliusæ Éexpert systemæ generally knowing what your score ought
to look like.
9.1
The most useful way of overruling the default layout is to specify that
a particular bar will always fall at the end of a page, in order to make
a convenient point for the performer to turn the page. Sibelius
reformats the whole of the previous page to distribute the bars
uniformly over the page. It is a process that you have to witness in
order to fully appreciate! (What would be really impressive is if
Sibelius could work out for itself a convenient place for a page turn!!)
9.1
Another way of marvelling at Sibeliusæ reformatting ability is to change
the size of the paper that you are using. This causes the whole score to
be reformatted, which happens at a speed that can only be described as
breathtaking.
9.1
How does it sound?
9.1
Whilst editing the score, you can choose for the notes to be played as
they are selected. This reduced the number of errors I made. At any
time, the score can be played (either through the internal speaker or
via MIDI), optionally sounding just the current stave.
9.1
The ÉEspressivoæ feature enables Sibelius to play the part with a
configurable amount of expression, such as putting stresses on the
Éstrongæ beats in the bar (e.g. first and third, in common time). Whilst
the playback is certainly passable, it is not ideally suited for a piece
such as öMoonlightò, especially the first movement which requires a
considerable amount of Éfeelingæ to make it sound right.
9.1
Comparing Sibeliusæ playback with my own attempts at playing the piece,
I would say that I win on the first movement, but Sibelius most
definitely wins on the third movement. Those of you who know the music
will understand what I mean!
9.1
(I have sent a copy of the öMoonlightò sonata file to Paul for inclusion
on the monthly disc, so you can try it for yourself if you have a copy
of Sibeliusá7.)
9.1
Next time...
9.1
Iæll be creating an orchestral score, extracting some parts, and taking
a more detailed look at Sibeliusæ playback facilities. If any Archive
readers would be interested in an article about setting up MIDI
equipment, this might go into a third article.
9.1
If you have any questions, suggestions, ideas, etc, write to me c/o the
Archive office.áuá
9.1
Help!!!!
9.1
Archive CD Ö The Archive CD-ROM is proving very popular and we want to
improve the information it contains ready for either a re-run or an
Archive CD 1996 version. So can you help, please? Can you make comments
about the way it is laid out? Suggest improvements? What other
information would you like on it? Can you help us to improve the
glossary? Are there words you looked up that were not there? A couple of
minor technical hitches have come to light (see Hints & Tips page 17).
Have you come across any other Éfunniesæ?
9.1
Ed.
9.1
Audio tapes Ö Have you got an öIntroduction to RISCáOS 3ò audio tapes
gathering dust (or any other usable audio tapes)? We need some for doing
recordings for partially sighted people. If you have any spare, weæd be
most grateful if you could send them in to us at NCS. Thanks very much.
9.1
Ed.
9.1
IDE et al Ö There was an excellent article in Computer Shopper last
month about IDE, E-IDE, etc, comparing them with SCSI and describing the
nightmare that PC owners face when upgrading hard drives and CD-ROMs. A
subset of that nightmare is available to Acorn users(!) and so it would
be good to have an article about this in Archive. (The CS article would
provide good background reading for the author.) I realise that itæs
very dangerous to put anything on paper about IDE as it is such a Éblack
artæ, but would anyone be prepared to have a go at writing such an
article? If so, do get in touch. Thanks.
9.1
Ed.
9.1
Impression reader Ö Has anyone seen any software that would allow a non-
Impression owner to read Impression files? (Youære not thinking of the
Archive CD-ROM are you? If so, donæt worry, the words files are on the
disc as well as the Impression files. Ed.)
9.1
R Breese, Sheringham.
9.1
Music on Acorns Ö I would like to see more about music in Archive. For
example, is there an expert who can explain Midi files? Is there anyone
who can give comments on the bugs in Rhapsody 3 and, especially, how to
overcome them?
9.1
Peter Avis, Buckingham.
9.1
Panasonic KX-P4420 Ö Does anyone know where I can get a Éfirmware
upgradeæ for a P4420 from version 1.xx to 2.xx? Panasonic discontinued
the upgrade a couple of years ago.
9.1
Mick October, 27 Henniker Mews, London SW3á6BL. (0171-351-9871)
9.1
Problematic PC software Ö öConflict in Jerusalemò from Lion Publishing
seems a fascinating way of exploring the events of Holy Week and Easter,
moving about Jerusalem at will and interrogating the personalities
involved. It looked beautiful, as the salesman demonstrated it on his
Pentium PC laptop; its full colour pictures of Jerusalem were
magnificent.
9.1
I bought a copy, loaded it into my Risc PC with PC card, 8Mb DRAM, 1Mb
VRAM and Windows 3.1. Fine Ö except that the pictures were visible for a
millisecond and then remained black, as did the instruction panels I was
supposed to click on...
9.1
I rang Lion Publishing. öIt doesnæt work with the Risc PCò, I was told.
He said it was something to do with having been written in Asymmetric
Toolbook release 1.5, and the graphics/video drivers not being
compatible. Does anyone know different?
9.1
Michael Harding, Newcastle.
9.1
RISCáOS 4 wishlist Ö If you sent in a wishlist on a blue disc with a
label that had a picture of an electronic circuit board on it, thank
you. Who are you, please? There was also some other useful info about
RTF and about printing from Windows. The disc may have got detached from
the associated paper documentation. If so, sorry about that. Tell me who
you are and weæll be able to use the info. Thanks.
9.1
Ed.
9.1
Space Simulator Ö The PC486 card was extremely easy to fit and I now
have it working, running a lot of my old DOS software such as Derive,
plus Windows for Workgroups. I hope that the DOS screen support is
improved to cover more modes and 256 colours so that more games are
playable on it. The one I am particularly looking forward to using is
Microsoftæs Space Simulator; it does work, but slowly and with regular
breaking up of the display Ö but, according to the release notes, this
happens on PC compatibles as well. If anyone has managed to get Space
Simulator working in single-tasking mode with a full VGA or SVGA
display, I would love to know how to do it.
9.1
Alan Angus, Northumberland.
9.1
Stolen RiscáPC Ö If anyone sees an ACB25 going cheap, check the serial
number, please. If itæs 1010483, please contact me and/or the police!
9.1
(As long as it is covered on insurance, Simon, at least you can replace
it with one of the newer machines! And you did have the hard disc backed
up, didnæt you?! Other people please note Ö this could be you! Ed.)
9.1
Simon Anthony (0115-981-7409).
9.1
StrongARM information Ö I asked for someone to find out about StrongARM
for us and write an article. I noted in my Éarticlesæ file that ÉAlex
Singletonæ had offered to do it. Unfortunately, I canætáfind anyone of
that name on our subscriber database. If youære there, Alex, I have a
letter from someone asking specific questions about StrongARMáthat Iæd
like to pass on to you. (Yes, I know Iæm inefficient, sorry!)
9.1
Ed.
9.1
Thin Ethernet cabling Ö Is there a charity needing some thin Ethernet
cable? I have several bundles I would be pleased to give to a good
cause.
9.1
Sherwin Hall, Cambridge.
9.1
Vistamusic Ö We have a package for review that enables people with
physical disabilities to compose or arrange music via an RISCáOS
computer linked to a Midi keyboard. Would anyone feel able to review it
or does anyone know of someone who might?
9.1
Ed.
9.1
Windows configuration Ö On my Risc PC, I have configured DOS for a UK
keyboard which works fine in both DOS and GWBasic, but when using Write
or Notepad from Windows, the keyboard is configured US. This is
particularly noticeable when using the quote key next to the hash. Any
ideas?
9.1
B. Coleman, Cleveland.
9.1
HolyBible Revisited
9.1
Gabriel Swords
9.1
It was good to see the new version of HolyBible (v1.24) free of charge
from ExpLAN. Since version 1.11, a number of improvements have been made
to the way it works, as well as in the options it gives you. Itæs good
to see a software company that responds so quickly to the wishes of its
customers!
9.1
The NRSV Study Bible, so weæll have a brief look at this new module, but
first, in no particular order, these are the improvements you will find
in HolyBible version 1.24:
9.1
Å  The new version has been prepared to interface with external
dictionary applications. At the moment, the only available dictionary is
Strongsæ, which is provided by the HolyBible application itself.
However, other dictionaries will be made available as separate
applications, and they will then automatically appear on the dictionary
menu.
9.1
Å  Individual words are now highlighted when selected using <adjust>.
This allows an individual word to be exported, and shows more clearly
which Strongæs definition is being selected in the KJV. A ÉLookupæ
option leads to a list of installed dictionaries, e.g. Strongæs in the
KJV and presumably any of the other dictionary applications as they
appear.
9.1
Å  When using export, you can now transfer text with paragraphs merged,
so that four or five individual verses now become one paragraph. There
are also some shortcuts provided for exporting as DDF or plain text.
9.1
Å  The whole of a notes file can be exported to WP Ö each item is
preceded by the reference it refers to, enclosed in square brackets.
9.1
Å  Word search has been greatly enhanced, giving more flexibility over
the kind of search you can do, e.g. it can now do word, phrase or
proximity searches.
9.1
Å  There is a new wildcard É?æ, which stands for any single letter, e.g.
É?oesæ finds: does, foes, woes etc.
9.1
Å  It is possible to search for Strongæs numbers. Strongæs numbers can
be entered into any search input field by prefixing the number with É@Hæ
for the Old Testament and É@Gæ for the New Testament.
9.1
Å  The style window contains a ÉLine spacingæ field. This is a
percentage of the font size, (the default being 120%).
9.1
Å  The verse reference added to exported text can now contain the full
book name or its abbreviation.
9.1
Å  The ÉCompile indexæ function has been enhanced and now shows the
index in biblical order and does not show duplicated entries.
9.1
Å  Interactive help is now supported.
9.1
Å  Book menus can now be displayed in sections, as in version 1.11, or
laid out as either OT/NT or a simple flat menu, displaying Genesis to
Revelation.
9.1
Å  Resources can now be opened from the toolbox as well as from the
iconbar.
9.1
Å  Any verse list can be re-sorted into Biblical order.
9.1
The NRSV
9.1
The NRSV Study Bible is a direct copy of the standard paper version Ö
including the mistakes! Youæll find, for example, a note on 2
Corinthians 13: 1Ö10 referring to Mark 15:56 which, of course, doesnæt
exist. But as the paper version also contains this reference, ExpLAN
canæt really be blamed. There are one or two other anomalies concerning
Strongæs numbers and the Apocrypha which may be corrected some time in
the future.
9.1
In operation, the NRSV works in the same way as the other versions.
However, once you open the study notes from Resources, you get a Éread
onlyæ window with comments about individual verses or passages of
scripture. Itæs rather like a mini commentary. Within these notes, where
other verses are referred to, double-clicking will bring up that
reference in another window Ö this window doesnæt have to be the NRSV Ö
it can be any of the other versions you might have. What you get then is
one window with the original verse highlighted, and another window with
the new verse/passage you want to look up. It makes looking up other
verses really quick and easy, and you donæt lose your original passage.
9.1
As well as the study notes, there are also notes on other topics, such
as The Canon of Scripture, Translations of the Bible, The Growth and
Structure of the New Testament, etc.
9.1
Is it worth getting the NRSV? Well, the answer to that question depends
on whether you like the NRSV as a translation, and as a study Bible. If
youæve never read the paper version, you might be disappointed to find
it isnæt a full blown commentary. On the other hand, if you like the
hard-copy version youæll be stunned at the speed and ease of use which
HolyBible offers. If you are one of the former, my advice would be to
borrow a paper version first to see if you like it. If you do, I would
certainly recommend the electronic version. The NRSV module costs ú45
+VAT from ExpLAN or ú52 through Archive.áuá
9.1
The Russian module is also now available. This also costs ú45 +VAT from
ExpLAN or ú52 through Archive. Here is a well known verse, as used in
the God slot two months ago, but in a slightly different guise...
9.1
á16╕╤▐ Γ╨┌ ╥▐╫█ε╤╪█ ▒▐╙ ▄╪α, τΓ▐ ▐Γ╘╨█ ┴δ▌╨ ┴╥▐╒╙▐ ╡╘╪▌▐α▐╘▌▐╙▐, ╘╨╤δ
╥ß∩┌╪┘ ╥╒απεΘ╪┘ ╥ ╜╒╙▐, ▌╒ ▀▐╙╪╤, ▌▐ ╪▄╒█ ╓╪╫▌∞ ╥╒τ▌πε.
9.1
(John 3:16 RST)
9.1
Need I say more?! Ed.
9.1
Text & Data Import
9.1
Jim Nottingham
9.1
When I started the discussion about Text Importing (Archive 8.3 p63), I
certainly didnæt envisage it stretching beyond two issues. But this is
Part 5... Calláit an occasional column? The meat of recent
correspondence has again fallen into specific areas, so it may help to
run over the various matters arising.
9.1
Top-bit set characters
9.1
Methods of entering the top-bit set characters were discussed in Archive
8.3 pp66/67, and readers have shown considerable interest in the
alternatives to Acornæs !Chars. For various reasons, I tend to use the
<alt-xxx> system of entering Éfunniesæ for preference, mainly because my
brain seems to be able to recall the 3-digit ASCII codes for those
characters I use most regularly; ASC 143 for a bullet, ASC 153 for a
dash, and so on. Fortunately, this has led to sussing out a fairly
straightforward way of solving an annoying problem which may work
equally well for others.
9.1
This came up when a reader on the Continent, who regularly uses a
notebook PC for inputting text for transfer to his A5000, wrote to say
that his documents were littered with top-bit set characters (Θáand the
like). Having imported the documents to the Acorn machine, all these
funny characters were being corrupted and he was spending more time
having to massage them in Edit than in stripping out the scribble,
sorting out linefeeds, etc. His question was öIs there a way of
automating the translation process or, better still, avoiding the
corruption altogether?ò.
9.1
My first reaction was to consider setting up a series of Keystroke hot
keys to aid translation but, in the event, I opted to look at what might
be causing the problem of the wrong characters appearing in the first
place.
9.1
Non-standard(!) notebook PCs
9.1
A clue came from my own poor-manæs notebook PC (the Samsung Magic Note).
On that, you enter top¡bit set characters by pressing a Code key, typing
a 2- or 3-digit code and pressing Enter so, in that respect, it closely
resembles the <alt-xxx> procedure on Acorn machines.
9.1
This led me to look more closely at the 2- and 3-digit numbers and I
found that the Magic Note codes for most of the normal keyboard
characters are identical to those in the standard ASCII range 32-127.
However, the codes for virtually all the top-bit set characters (ASC
128Ö255) are very different from those we are used to; in other words,
they do not follow the ISO 8859 international standard.
9.1
Checking with the reader who asked me the original question confirmed
that he was in the same boat Ö but that the character-mapping on his
machine was as different again! So who says PCs are öindustry
standardò?!
9.1
Eureka...
9.1
It took only a wee bit of lateral thinking to realise that, if we
entered the ISO 8859 ASCII codes instead of the oddball numbers into our
respective notebook PCs (although that inevitably would display the
wrong character), when we subsequently imported the document into an
Acorn machine, these funny characters would then miraculously become
correct Ö without our having to do any massaging!
9.1
Apart from that valuable bonus, a further advantage is that we can
discard the non-standard character table specific to a particular
notebook PC and simply use the standard, ISO 8859 table instead Ö or we
may already know the codes for characters we use regularly.
9.1
The only disadvantage I can think of is that, when we enter the ISO 8859
characters into our notebook PC, we have to accept that some other
character will probably be displayed. But knowing this is only an
interim step, we can easily live with that. For example, something like
this Érºtaæ on the Magic Note will look wrong; but when imported into
the Acorn machine, it will become the Ér⌠taæ we want.
9.1
The dreaded ú sign
9.1
A small extension to this discussion is that we may find one or more
keys on a notebook PC keyboard whose ASCII codes are outside the basic
keyboard set which lie in the range 32-127; the ú sign (ASC 163) is
going to be a common example. Following the earlier argument, pressing
the ú key will correctly display a ú character on the notebook PC but,
when imported to an Acorn machine, it will probably have become
scrambled. For instance, importing a Magic Note file to an Acorn returns
a £ instead of a ú sign.
9.1
In this event, we can make things easier for importing by treating it as
any other top-bit set character and, instead of pressing the ú key, type
in the relevant code (ASC 163) instead. We will see something else on
the notebook PC display but, following import to the Acorn machine, the
desired ú sign will appear.
9.1
Help!!!
9.1
These suggested procedures work fine on the Magic Note and two other
notebook PCs we have checked but, to be rigorous, could I invite readers
with an A4 or a notebook PC to please confirm whether the top¡bit set
character-mapping on their machine follows the ISO 8859 standard, or
not, and let me know. That is, are the ASCII codes in the range 128¡255
the same as in the table in Archive 8.3 p64?
9.1
ISO 8859 standardisation
9.1
It recently came to my notice that ISO 8859 may cover only the Latin 1-
5, Cyrillic, Modern Greek and Hebrew fonts, so we shouldnæt assume that
fonts outside this group, and from different manufacturers, will
necessarily exhibit any standardisation.
9.1
A Égotchaæ example of this is in the SCSI compatibility tables which
have appeared in Archive (e.g. 8.5 pp40/41), all the ticks and crosses
having come from an EFF Dingbats font which Iæve had since RISC OS2
days. However, when I recently tried to export the table for inclusion
on the monthly disc, it all went haywire...
9.1
This was because, to make it readable by everyone, using Acornæs RISC
OS3 standard fonts, Iæd converted all the symbols to Selwyn. It
immediately became apparent that, although EFFæs Dingbats and Acornæs
Selwyn include the same range of symbols, the character mapping (i.e.
which code produces which character) is very different. Thanks guys!
9.1
A bit of nifty massaging using Editæs find and replace facility solved
the problem, but it was another nail in the so-called standardisation
coffin.
9.1
Invisible returns
9.1
No, this is not a comment on the derisory interest rate on my meagre
savings, but a response to a readeræs letter asking why linefeed codes
were invisible.
9.1
I would think the probable intention is so that they donæt become
intrusive on the monitor display. All other printer codes in Edit, for
example, are shown in hexadecimal format and in square brackets (e.g.
[0d] is a carriage return) and I think we could do without the linefeed
equivalent ([0a]) appearing on every line of a document produced in
Edit, such as a Read_Me file.
9.1
However, let me say that linefeeds are not always invisible although, to
my knowledge, they are in Acorn word-processors, DTP packages and Edit.
Some PC and Mac applications do show the existence of linefeeds, opting
to use a representative character from the top-bit set to display
something like this:
9.1
  Now is the winter of our discontent╢
9.1
  Made glorious summer by this sun of York╢
9.1
  And all the clouds that louræd upon our house╢
9.1
  In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.╢
9.1
No thanks! I prefer invisibles...
9.1
But just because the linefeeds are invisible, we mustnæt forget they are
there. Few Éforeignæ packages allow the linefeeds to be stripped out,
even when a simple ASCII text file is exported. (But, Ovation doesnæt
export end-of-line returns and Impression Publisher has an option of
omitting them.)
9.1
These unwanted linefeeds, visible or otherwise, will almost certainly
prevent our being able to re-format the document as we may want it. So
we may still need to go through the massaging procedure described in
Archive 8.4 p44, or use a commercial package to do the job for us.
9.1
Commercial solutions
9.1
The availability of commercial packages was discussed in Archive 8.3 p63
and, since then, Hermes has appeared on the scene. This was reviewed in
Archive 8.10 p59, with an advert in 8.11 p20.
9.1
The extra information on p33 of the same issue suggests that it will do
the conversion for us. However, on the face of it, the procedure doesnæt
seem to be much less complex than the DIY system using Edit and it may
not be flexible enough to handle automatically all the variations we are
likely to see. You pays yer money...
9.1
Hard and soft returns
9.1
Another reader asked me what was the difference between Éhardæ and
Ésoftæ returns. I havenæt seen a written definition of the difference
but, as I understand it, a hard return is one which we have entered into
the document by pressing the return/enter key. In effect, this is Éset
in concreteæ as it will stay in situ whatever reformatting takes place
and, if a document is exported as ASCII text from packages such as
Publisher or Ovation, the hard linefeed characters (ASC 10) will be
exported with it.
9.1
On the other hand, an end-of-line return is one which has been entered
by the host application. What do I mean by that? Normally, in a word-
processor, we will set a right-hand margin where we want it. Then, as
text is entered into the document, it will come up against the limit set
by that margin.
9.1
Ignoring clever things like automatic hyphenation, the procedure then is
that the package will detect the margin limit has been reached, go back
to find the previous complete word and replace the space immediately
following it with a linefeed. This simple and automatic process will
continue to give a formatted paragraph Ö like this one Ö unless and
until we enter a hard linefeed by pressing <return>.
9.1
I believe these end-of-line commands entered by the package, by
convention, are called soft returns and differ from hard returns in that
their position in the text is not necessarily fixed. They will be
adjusted automatically if, for example, we edit the text or move the
margin and they are not normally exported from Acorn packages unless we
specify it (e.g. in Impression Publisher).
9.1
For these reasons, normally we donæt need to worry about the soft
returns generated by Acorn packages. However, we mustnæt forget that
both hard and soft returns will be present in files imported from most
Éforeignæ sources. So back to Hermes or the DIY procedure described in
Archive 8.4 p44.
9.1
Data import
9.1
In Archive 8.9 p28, I introduced the notion of using Edit to help us
import data files. The TableMate2 problem described has gone away with
TableMate3 (which is splendid) but the discussion has led to a deal of
correspondence from readers with data-import problems. This is too
extensive to relate in detail but perhaps a few general points are worth
covering.
9.1
Firstly, if you plan to import a data file to an Acorn spreadsheet or
database, try to get the incoming file sent in CSV format (comma-
separated values) or TSV format (tab-separated values) for preference.
Most Éforeignæ packages will allow the file to be saved in one or other
of these formats. Both reduce the data to their most basic levels, are
roughly equivalent to a text file transferred in ASCII format and,
normally, will make good sense after import. If this doesnæt happen,
more often than not, a modicum of massaging will put matters right.
9.1
If you have no control over the incoming file and it has been saved in
the format of the host-application, such as Lotus 123, all is not lost.
Your Acorn package may have a built-in filter to accept the file as it
is and, in my admittedly limited experience, these seem to be very
effective. Similarly, there are a number of commercial and shareware/PD
packages to assist.
9.1
But if all else fails, guess what...?
9.1
Using good old Edit...
9.1
Yes, as with text, there is no reason why we shouldnæt use Edit to help
us do whatever massaging is necessary to enable the file to be input to
our Acorn application. In principle, the procedures are the exact
parallel of what we have discussed in earlier issues, but concerning
data instead of text.
9.1
In the worst case (i.e. a file saved in the format of the host
application rather than in CSV/TSV), and as with an equivalent text
file, the content will normally be made up of three groups. These will
be some pages of Éscribbleæ which will be the general printer and
formatting commands, the actual data and, finally, some more scribble
bringing up the rear.
9.1
In this case, however, the actual data may well not be as easily
recognisable as the wanted text in a text file would be. The reasons for
this are two-fold. Firstly, instead of seeing whole lines of text
separated by some sort of linefeed code(s), the wanted data is likely to
be made up of much shorter segments of numerical stuff, perhaps
interspersed with short portions of text, such as labels.
9.1
Secondly, instead of fairly repetitive linefeed codes, you may find the
individual data elements are separated by rather more complex code, as
these are needed to support the moves from cell to cell, row, column or
field, line thicknesses, colours, and so on.
9.1
The net result is that, at first sight, we may not be able to see the
wood for the trees...
9.1
Perseverance pays off
9.1
So my primary advice on importing a datafile into Edit is not to be
dismayed by its apparent complexity. With only a little more
perseverance than is necessary for a similar text file, normally it will
be possible to identify the start and end of the section of wanted data,
allowing us to mark and delete (<ctrl-X>) the leading and trailing pages
of scribble.
9.1
Then, to make the file readable by the spreadsheet orádatabase, convert
whatæs left into CSV format. Byáthat, I mean replace any section of
formatting commands appearing between two adjacent sets of data with a
comma, using Editæs Find/Replace facility, just as you would with a text
file. Whether you can do this globally, or have to do it in progressive
steps, will depend on how the foreign application has formatted the
file.
9.1
All the usual document health-insurance rules apply. Never try to
massage the original file; always make a back-up and use that instead;
ideally, save an interim file as you progress so that Ö if you make a
mess of things Ö you donæt have to go back to square one.
9.1
Text import Ö Part 6??
9.1
Iæll purposely leave it at that for this issue and see if the above
generates any interest and further correspondence. So please donæt
hesitate to come back with comments and queries. If the subject warrants
it, Iæll aim to go into further detail and include some worked examples
in a future issue.
9.1
Suffice to say at this stage that, from experience to date, I believe
most data-import problems can be resolved using the same utilities and
general procedures we looked at in the earlier, text-import parts of
this series.
9.1
As an illustration of what can be achieved, recently an Archive reader
successfully transferred some 10,000+ database records from a defunct
application into Fireworkz Pro. It presented a slightly unusual problem
in that the final stage of the massaging process had to be done within
Fireworkz rather than Edit but, that said, the find/replace procedures
he employed were near-identical to those we have become used to.
9.1
Reportedly, Fireworkz Pro took over 2 hours to re-format the 10,000+
records, but it all came good in the end!!
9.1
The end bit
9.1
If new(ish) subscribers wish to go back to the start of this series of
articles (which started last December), please send me an A5 SAE and
Iæll return a booklet containing the text and illustrations to date. (Or
you could buy the Archive CD-ROM at ú12! Ed.)
9.1
If you would also like a copy of the example text files and ISO 8859/
ASCII tables (drawfiles) mentioned in the earlier articles, please send
me a formatted disc as well. In that event, could you send an A5 padded
envelope and allow 2╫19p stamps for return postage. My address is: 16
Westfield Close, Pocklington, York, YO4 2EY.áuá
9.1
Beginneræs Guide: Fonts
9.1
Dave Pantling
9.1
Many Acorn users came into the RISCáOS arena relatively recently,
missing out on detailed press coverage of the features of RISCáOS that
make it so special. I have come across many friends using various
machines running RISCáOS, all with different intentions and all using
different software. However, they all use one advanced facility.
9.1
Scalable fonts
9.1
RISCáOS has the ability to recognise fonts in ROM or loaded into RAM,
making a wide selection of styles and weights available at low cost.
These fonts take the form of a list of descriptions of the outline of
the characters in the character set. They can be scaled to virtually any
point size, then printed with great accuracy on todayæs modern, high
resolution printers. Monitors, however, do not have anything like the
display resolution of even a poor dot matrix printer. Characters
displayed at small point sizes suffer badly.
9.1
As you can see, each pixel, or picture element, is either set or unset.
Detail is lost and the character loses its shape. With modern display
technology, even on the lowliest RISCáOS machine, it is possible to
display 16 or 256 colours simultaneously Ö we will see how to use these
to enhance the display shortly.
9.1
Caching
9.1
When the OS is instructed to display a font, it Écachesæ it. Before
displaying the first character, the entire character set is turned into
a set of Ébitmapsæ of the correct size. A bitmap is an image of the
character made up of individual dots. This bitmap is stored in an area
of RAM along with other fonts or other sizes of the same font. This area
of RAM is a temporary store or Écacheæ. This massively increases the
speed of display Ö the font need only be prepared once, the first time
it is used in any given point size. After this, charactersæ bitmaps are
fetched from the font cache where they are stored, ready to be
displayed.
9.1
You can set an upper limit to the size of fonts being cached. If a
character is larger than the upper limit set for cacheing, the bitmap
will have to be worked out character by character, as required. Even if
the same letter appears a number of times, it will need to be converted
from an outline each time. If this size of text is frequently used, the
screen display is going to be very slow.
9.1
Anti-aliasing
9.1
If the machine is producing a bitmap for the character set, it can start
to do clever things in the conversion process. One such trick is Éanti-
aliasingæ.
9.1
Anti-aliasing uses shades between the foreground and background colours
to Ésmoothæ the edges of each character. The effect is best demonstrated
by example: two characters of the same size, one anti-aliased, the other
not.
9.1
In the first illustration, the bitmap was not anti-aliased. It has a
chunky appearance. If the character were much smaller, legibility would
be the first victim, (closely followed by your eyes!). The second
illustration has been Éanti-aliasedæ.
9.1
The font conversion routine calculates how much of each bordering pixel
would be covered by the outline of the character. If there are, for
example, six intermediate shades between the foreground and background
colours, the proportion of a given pixel which would have been covered
is worked out and an appropriate shade is allocated.
9.1
With fonts being proportionally spaced, the position of each character
is dependent on the position of the previous character. When displaying
fonts at smaller scales, it is quite likely a character may fall in a
different position in the pixel grid to the Éstandardæ position.
Therefore, RISCáOS has sub-pixel anti-aliasing. Instead of producing a
single version of each character, it can produce four versions, one in
each of four possible positions. It is possible to set upper limits to
horizontal and vertical anti-aliasing separately.
9.1
How big?
9.1
Cached fonts use memory. Anti-aliased fonts use more memory. The amount
of RAM increases dramatically with larger text sizes. You must make a
trade-off between speed and free memory. If you have a 34Mb RiscáPC,
this is not a concern, but 1Mb A3000s owners might like to be a little
more prudent, limiting the maximum cached, anti-aliased text to 14 or 16
points. Sub-pixel anti-aliasing would definitely be a disposable item.
If you limit the maximum size of the font cache to too small a figure,
it will slow down the screen update considerably. How much cache to
configure depends on your usage.
9.1
Common misconceptions
9.1
Some people think that anti-aliasing fonts on screen affects the final
quality of printing. This is not true Ö it is set by the resolution of
the printer. The only exception to that would be if you were printing
the contents of the screen as a graphic image or sprite, say by using a
Paint snapshot.
9.1
As you use different fonts in different sizes, they expand the font
cache to the cache limit. This is set, as you might guess, in the
Émemoryæ section of !Configure. Many people overlook it because it isnæt
immediately connected with fonts. The font cache could be set to 64Kb,
and the font cache limit to anywhere from nothing to 1020Kb (on my
RISCáOS 3.1 Archimedes).
9.1
I can only recommend you load up !Configure and play with the default
settings Ö itæs nice to be greeted with anti-aliased text when you turn
on your machine. If you think it doesnæt make much difference, turn it
off altogether by setting the ÉCache Bitmapsæ option in !Configure to
zero. You will soon realise what it is youæve been taking for
granted!áuá
9.1
Puzzle Corner
9.1
Colin Singleton
9.1
Owing to Paulæs early publication of last monthæs ÉRiscáPC700 Specialæ,
most readers received the answers to puzzles 26Ö29 before the entry
deadline. Honest competitors that you are, nobody cheated! In spite of
the shortened time limit, entries were more numerous than ever, and it
is pleasing to see new names appearing every month. In reply to one
readeræs enquiry, you are welcome to publish these puzzles elsewhere,
provided the other magazine does not insist on original work.
Appropriate acknowledgement would be appreciated. Now for the results.
9.1
(26) Race Tracks
9.1
This puzzle clearly kept quite a few machines busy for quite some time.
A few readers experimented (successfully) with different numbers of
posts, but no-one appeared to recognise that the post at position 3 was
my artificial restriction to reduce the number of solutions. Hence no-
one found the unique fundamental solution of order five which has posts
at positions 0, 1, 4, 14 and 16 on a 21-unit track. The prize winner is
Neil Dunford of Walton-on-Thames.
9.1
(27Ö29) Overlapping Squares Ö Harems Ö Back to Basics
9.1
Most entrants solved the first two Ö but were baffled by the third. I
thought it was an old favourite, perhaps not. One reader suggested I
should give two clues! The prize for this trio goes to Jeremy Miller of
Norwood, London.
9.1
Last monthæs solutions ...
9.1
(30) Rectangles
9.1
Martin Gardner acknowledged me as the originator of this puzzle Ö in the
puzzle world there can be no greater compliment! To make the sides all
different lengths, there must be at least five small rectangles, plus
the outer one. Can we solve the problem using the numbers 1Ö12 as the
sides? With trial and error you will soon convince yourself that the
answer is No! The nearest to this ideal uses the numbers 1Ö13, except 8,
the outer rectangle being 13╫11. There are four variations on the
detailed solution, ignoring rotations and reflections. This solution
minimises the total length of the 12 sides and, incidentally, the outer
perimeter. Further Ö preferably systematic Ö juggling will reveal the
minimum area solution, 16╫8, with the same perimeter. Again there are
four variations on the dissection.
9.1
(31) Tennis Balls
9.1
The total number must be 1▓ + 2▓ + 3▓ + ... + n▓, where n is the number
of layers in the pyramid. The only value of n which gives a perfect
square total is 24, the total being 70▓ = 4900. (I told you that in
Archive 3.4, January 1990. Remember?!)
9.1
(32) 27 Digits
9.1
One solution is 1á9á1á6á1á8á2á5á7á2á6á9á2á5á8á4á7á6á3á5á4á9á3á8á7á4á3,
but there are at least two others.
9.1
(33) Loony PAYE
9.1
You can prove this with simple calculus, or guess it by trial and error.
The optimum gross pay is ú50, leaving ú25 net.
9.1
This monthæs prize puzzle ...
9.1
(34) Euleræs Magic
9.1
This puzzle is based on one proposed by Leonhard Euler in 1779. The
diagram shows an Eulerian Square, also known as a Grµco-Latin Square, of
order 5. The 5╫5 grid contains all the base-5 numbers 00Ö44 arranged so
that each row and each column includes each digit 0Ö4 as a first digit,
and each as a second digit. In this example, the same is true of the two
diagonals, which earns extra Brownie points!
9.1
The problem is to find a Eulerian Square of each order from 3 to 10.
Some orders are easy, with many solutions. Some are not! Donæt feel
defeated if you cannot solve every order Ö send as many (one solution
per order) as you can.
9.1
This monthæs prize quickies (35Ö37) ...
9.1
(35) Multiple Factors
9.1
The number 60 has twelve factors Ö 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30
and 60. Which number less than a thousand has the largest number of
factors?
9.1
(36) Monkey Puzzle
9.1
Lewis Carroll posed this puzzle in the 1880s, and many of his
mathematician colleagues got it wrong Ö so be careful! A rope hanging
over a pulley has a ten-pound weight on one end balancing a ten-pound
monkey on the other. What happens to the weight if the monkey starts to
climb the rope? We conveniently ignore the weight and friction of the
rope and pulley.
9.1
(37) Multiplication
9.1
More recently, I contributed this to Computer Weekly in 1968 Ö my first
published puzzle. A single-digit number, a two-digit number, a three-
digit number, and their product, a four-digit number, contain all ten
digits between them. If the single-digit number is notá1, find the
solution.
9.1
Comments and Solutions
9.1
Good Luck! Please send comments, contributions and solutions to me at 41
St Quentin Drive, Sheffield, S17 4PN. Solutions by Friday 6th October,
please.áuá
9.1
Geraldæs Column
9.1
Gerald Fitton
9.1
Protechnic
9.1
Colton Software have merged with a company called Protechnic. I can only
guess what the long term effects of this will be but, in the past, some
of you have expressed your concern that Colton Software is a Éone
product companyæ. Your concern is whether Colton Software will be there
in the future to continue to service your package. Let me try to
reassure you.
9.1
Protechnic and Colton Software have co-operated on many projects for
over a decade. Indeed, it was whilst Mark Colton was at Protechnic that
he created the View family culminating in View Professional for the BBC
micro. This package was ported to the Z88 laptop computer as
PipeDreamá1.
9.1
Colton Softwareæs first product as a company, independent of Protechnic,
was PipeDreamá2. It was written for both PC and Archimedes computers,
and was completely compatible with the Z88 version and accepted View
files. The multitasking RISCáOSá2 versions for the Archimedes,
PipeDreamá3 and then PipeDreamá4, quickly became market leaders.
9.1
The combined ColtonáSoftware/Protechnic organisation has a strength of
25 employees. Stuart Swales will continue as the leading programmer for
the Colton Software range of products. He has been with Colton Software
from PipeDreamá2 days and knows the Colton Software range of packages
with the intimacy which comes from having written large parts of the
software.
9.1
Colton Software will still operate with the same staff but with the
reassurance of being part of a larger group. I hope and expect that
there will be a wider range of products coming from the enlarged group.
9.1
Disappearing line numbers
9.1
As yet, nobody has come up with a work-around for the loss of parts of
line numbers in PipeDreamá4 on the RiscáPC. In case you missed it, the
problem is that if you have a line number of, say, 12345 (a big sheet)
then all but the 345 disappears. The only news I have is that Rex Palmer
says that PipeDreamá3 doesnæt have the disappearing line number problem!
9.1
From PipeLine to Wordz
9.1
When I first volunteered to write this column (asáPipeLine back in
1989), I rather expected to be writing mainly about spreadsheets. Since
I understood mathematical things (am I a member of a dying breed?) I
knew that Iæd always have plenty to write and that Iæd find it easy!
Little did I know how the column would expand. Little did I expect to be
writing about monitor resolutions, font cache parameters, desktop
publishers and region editors.
9.1
Over the last year or so, Iæve received many letters about the use of
Wordz. Most beginners praise it highly; some experienced users are
critical. Of course, Wordz does have its faults but many frustrations
experienced by users who have changed from other packages arise because
they want Wordz to work in the same way as the package they understand.
On the BBC computer, I was a committed Wordwise user. When I changed to
PipeDreamá2, I found that I had no idea how to do some of the things I
could do easily in Wordwise. Later, when I understood PipeDream better,
I found that I could do much more with PipeDream than was possible with
Wordwise.
9.1
Of the many letters Iæve received about Wordz, let me choose a few
points from just one letter written by Gavin Dobson to NCS which
illustrate the exasperation felt by those who upgrade to an unfamiliar
system. The full text of his letter and my reply are on the Archive
monthly disc.
9.1
Readability on screen
9.1
Gavin complains about the readability of text on screen. He sent in a
disc file, so I have been able to load his file and see what he sees. I
suspect that Gavin is used to a WP which displays text in the system
font on a low resolution screen with superb clarity. In his view, the
screen display of outline fonts leaves much to be desired. Referring to
Wordz, Gavin says:
9.1
öScrolling. I am afraid the scrolling facility at 100% is dire (slow)
and, of course, to fit the whole document onto the screen requires an
electron microscope to help differentiate between Wæs and Hæs.ò
9.1
It is difficult for me to reproduce on paper what Gavin and I see on
screen but Iæll try with a screenshot of part of his letter in its
original form.
9.1
Now look at the screenshot below.
9.1
I hope that youæll agree that this second screenshot is much clearer.
Whatæs the difference? The first screenshot was taken with the Wordz
document at Gavinæs original scale of 75%. The second was taken at 150%;
every linear dimension is doubled. I refer to this doubling as
ödisplaying at twice the resolutionò. The System font was designed for
clarity on a much lower resolution screen.
9.1
Gavin is using the Corpus typeface. I think that Corpus is about the
worst choice of an outline font for a screen display at small point
size. Homerton is much betteráÖáit is readable when printed at 8ápoint
with a 300ádpi printer.
9.1
I have no doubt what Gavinæs response to me will be because so many have
written to me saying the same thing. It is that, if he displays at 150%,
he wonæt be able to see a full line on the screen.
9.1
If you are using a 14ö standard monitor in mode 12, then 75% is close to
the highest scale factor which gives a full line on screen. Now I use
150% and I donæt read half a line at a time, nor do I do as Paul
Beverley does in Archive which is to use two columns in order to shorten
the line. What I have is a 17ò multiscan monitor and this allows me to
display at 150%. Those of you who are regular readers of my column will
know why. It is because I can get nearly twice as many pixels across my
VIDCámodeá102 17ö screen as in modeá12.
9.1
Incidentally, the resolution you get on screen is not as good as that of
a printout. A standard 14ö monitor will give you an approximate
resolution of 75ádpi; this is about a quarter of the resolution you will
get from a typical 300ádpi printer.
9.1
Again, regular readers of my column will recognise that the slow
scrolling to which Gavin refers is almost certainly due to having
inappropriate sizes for the various font cache parameters Ö in
particular, that fontmax is too small. Yes! I know what heæll say about
memory, but my reply (as in my previous writings in this column) is that
he needs at least 4Mb and that he ought to be looking towards 8Mb.
9.1
Styles or effects
9.1
You will know that one of my golden rules is: öDo not use an effect when
you can use a style.ò Again, referring to Wordz, Gavin asks:
9.1
öMenus. Why does everything have to be menu driven? There are 12
perfectly serviceable F-keys up top. Why not use them along with Shift,
Ctrl and Alt? It can be much quicker than driving through menus.ò
9.1
Studying Gavinæs disc file, I discovered that he is using a mass of
effects. On the monthly disc (and on the disc I sent to Gavin) I have
included Gavinæs letter in its original form as the file [Original] and
my version as the file [Stylish]. My version looks almost the same, but
I have removed all his effects and defined a suitable set of styles.
These styles can be applied quickly and easily with function key
combinations such as <ctrl-F2>, rather than having to plough through a
set of effects menus for every indent and underline.
9.1
Apart from speed of application, a further advantage of using a style is
that it is easy to change your mind. You might want to reduce all your
indents by a couple of mm. If you had set up your indents as effects,
youæd have to go through them, one by one, changing the effect. It would
take you such a long time that probably you wouldnæt bother; youæd put
up with something less than the best you could do.
9.1
With a style, you can change the attributes, and all the indents change
together.
9.1
The region editor
9.1
Gavin writes: öHidden control codes. I may have the wrong approach but I
cannot seem to work out where half the control codes go to when typed
in. How about some form of Reveal Codes?ò
9.1
Some of you, brought up on the most recent word processors, will have no
idea what Gavin is talking about. Older word processors, and
particularly those on the PC machines, have a command which changes the
display so that tabs, carriage returns and the like become visible as
right and down arrows or other unusual characters. I remember some years
ago, one of our college lecturers who teaches word processing,
explaining to me how useful it was to use this facility to see whether
the student had entered a tab or used spaces to create a document
containing a table.
9.1
Nowadays, you need a completely new strategy. With Wordz, this involves
learning how to use the so-called Region Editor. What you have to do is
think about your document having regions (areas) to which a style or
effect has been applied (in the same way as you would apply paint to a
canvas). What you need to know is the extent of the region and what
particular effect or style has been applied to that region.
9.1
Place the cursor in your document and execute <ctrl¡R> to call up the
region editor. You will find that the region becomes highlighted and the
effect or style name will appear in the status line. You can work your
way through the layers of styles and effects like layers of paint and,
as each layer is displayed, you will be able to delete the effect or
style (scrape away the paint) if you wish. The painting analogy breaks
down; in Wordz you can scrape away a layer of paint which is underneath
another without disturbing the upper layer.
9.1
You may complain that the Wordz region editor compares unfavourably with
that of Impression; many have, but many others prefer the way Wordz
region editor works. Iæm not going into that argument right now; the
point Iæm making is that, if you become familiar with the concept of a
region editor, you will find it much better than trying to find a way of
displaying control codes.
9.1
Medians
9.1
As a result of this section in last monthæs column, Iæve had requests
for a simple explanation of how to use custom functions written by
others. Let me use the median function as an example. The median
function appears in the file called [c_median]. In the [Demo] file, in
slot C19, I have entered:
9.1
[c_median]median(C6C10)
9.1
This expression is in three parts. The first is the name of the file
[c_median]. The second is the name of the function, in this case aptly
called median. The third part, the argument of the function, (C6C10), is
the range of slots containing the data for which the median must be
found. Look at it this way; apart from the file name, [c_median] (which
prefixes the rest), the expression mimics such functions as avg(C6C10),
the average of a range, and sum(C6C10), the sum of a range. All you do
with a well-written custom function is to prefix it with the file name
and add the arguments.
9.1
Up to now, I have had many letters explaining to me what a quartile is
and how useful percentiles are but, as yet, no custom function which
returns quartiles. For example, I have been sent a copy of an article
explaining why it is true that (a) average wages have risen and also
true that (b) at least half the working population of the UK are poorer
than they used to be. Wages is a Élop-sidedæ distribution.
9.1
Many of you want to know who wrote the original median custom function
back in 1992, suggesting that I get in touch with that author with a
view to requesting a version which produces percentiles. OK,áI give in.
Anyway, three of you guessed that it was that brilliant mathematician
who used to work for Colton Software, Robert Macmillan. The last I heard
was that Robert was working for Acorn, so maybe heæll read this and take
pity on us. If he doesnæt, I suppose Iæll have to write it myself!
9.1
Fireworkz/Impression comparison
9.1
I quite regularly receive submissions for publication, both for our
ZLine or ILine user group discs and for my Archive column, which compare
features of these two packages. I always find these articles of
interest, not because I can publish them (often what they contain is
misinformation) but because they demonstrate to me common ways in which
the packages are misused or misunderstood.
9.1
Let me give you a simple example. One correspondent described how
difficult it is in Impression to move a block of text compared with
moving a block in Fireworkz. I couldnæt publish their method for
Impression (nor their comparison) because Impression now has drag and
drop editing Ö you just mark a block and drag it to the new position. In
my view, this is a much easier operation than the cut and paste
technique necessary in Fireworkz, but my correspondent didnæt know it
existed.
9.1
One area where there is a great deal of misunderstanding of both
packages is the creation, application and deletion of styles and
effects. I believe that one of the most misunderstood features is the
ruler, in particular knowing when dragging a Tab or Margin changes the
current or base style and when the change is only a local effect!
9.1
Applying a style
9.1
Before I start on rulers, letæs tackle something more basic. You will
know that I recommend styles and discourage the use of effects. It is
hard enough to get that point across but, even when I do, some of those
I have convinced still have their problems.
9.1
How do you apply a style? Well, this is what I do. I type my text in
whatever style I happen to be Éinæ at the time. Then I check what styles
are applied to the region I am in by entering the region editor. To do
this in Impression, I mark the block and click on the style button; in
Fireworkz I use <ctrl-R>.
9.1
My next move is to delete any unwanted styles from that region. Too many
people donæt do this and so they finish up Épainting overæ an unwanted
style or effect with a new style just to get rid of the old one. Ináone
submission for publication I received recently, my correspondent
recommends defining a new Base Style to paint over unwanted effects! If
you donæt get rid of unwanted effects, theyæll crop up where you least
expect them, often when you press <return>! Iælláleave you to guess
whether he was referring to Fireworkz or Impression. It could be either!
9.1
I mark the block to which I want to apply the style and apply it.
Judging from my correspondence, many of you will be surprised to know
that in both Impression and Fireworkz you can do this within a
paragraph. Let me repeat that in Impression, as well as Fireworkz, you
can mark a few words within a paragraph and apply, not an effect but a
style! There is no need to revert to effects.
9.1
This is what I donæt do. I do not get to the point in my text where I
want the new style to start, apply the style, type away, and then try to
cancel the new style in order to revert to the underlying style. You can
get in a real mess if you use that technique. You will finish up not
knowing what is toggled on and what is off. Youæll have spaces between
words to which a style or worse an effect has been applied; youæll have
to go to the region editor and clear up the mess Ö and good luck!
9.1
Of course, using my method, I sometimes have a region where I need to
know what is going on as I type in the text. What I do there is to type
a couple of dummy letters, apply the style to those two letters, split
them with the cursor and then type away in the new style. I delete the
two dummy letters at the end of this operation.
9.1
Style rulers in Fireworkz
9.1
Have a look at the screenshot above. What does not show on it is that,
after placing the cursor between the aa (it shows as a thin vertical
line), I moved the pointer over the Left tab which is just under the
2.7ácm mark on the ruler. (Pointers donæt show in screenshots.) What you
will see is that the Status line displays öStyle ZLáIndent01.á.á.á.ò.
This indicates that any changes I make to the ruler will be changes to
the ZLáIndent01 style and not an effect.
9.1
It is a common mistake to think that the ruleræs zero is the paper edge.
Please notice that it is at the left of the printable area. All other
Fireworkz ruler measurements (e.g. the Paragraph margin and Tab
positions) are made relative to the so-called Left margin (the downward
pointing triangle which, in my screenshot, is hidden by the tab stop).
9.1
On the screenshot overleaf, the principal difference is that the aa is
now highlighted. The effect of this is that, when I move the pointer
(not displayed in the screenshot) to the left margin marker (just below
the 3.5ácm position), the Status line reads öRegion.á.á.á.ò The word
Éregionæ indicates that whatever I do by dragging the markers will be
executed as an effect which will be applied to the marked block.
9.1
As another Éby the wayæ, if you move the left margin in Fireworkz, the
paragraph margin and all the tab stops will move, so that their position
relative to the left margin is fixed, i.e., they all move together. Some
people find this disturbing; others praise this feature. The right
margin and column width markers do not move with the left margin.
9.1
Style rulers in Impression
9.1
The screenshot below is the Edit style menu which pops up when you
execute <ctrl-F6>.
9.1
If you click on the Paragraph radio button in the Edit menu, the
Paragraph submenu will pop up.
9.1
You will see that the Ruler box is ticked. Provided the Ruler box is
ticked and that the Edit Style menu is displayed, any changes you make
to the ruler are potentially changes to the style. Changes to the style
are only executed when you click on OK in the Edit Style menu. If the
Edit Style menu is not displayed, any changes you make to the ruler are
effects.
9.1
Some of you donæt know how to get at the tabs. Look at the screenshot
below. In particular, just to the right of the style button are two
radio buttons one above the other. Click on the bottom one to see the
Margin and Tab stops.
9.1
Just to the right of these two radio buttons are a couple of horizontal
arrows. If you click on them, you will be able to use the dialogue box
to the right to change the Margin and Tab stops numerically.
9.1
Summary
9.1
Understanding the differences between styles and effects is just the
starting point. The next problem youæll have is learning how to create,
amend, apply and delete them. Get to know how the region editor works.
Rulers are the most difficult feature of styles.
9.1
So far as a comparison of ease or difficulty of use of Fireworkz and
Impression is concerned, many of the articles which are submitted to me
on this topic canæt be published without heavy editing because they
include misinformation which is due to the correspondent not
understanding or being unaware of features built into the two packages.
9.1
My own comparison starts by pointing out that Fireworkz is cellular
(slot based) and Impression is based on frames. So far as styles, rulers
and region editors are concerned, I find them different in Fireworkz and
Impression Ö but equally usable. Iáwould like Fireworkz to include some
kind of styles list and Iæd like Impressionæs Help facility to be more
like the Status line in Fireworkz, but these are minor niggles.
9.1
Generally, if you want multi-column text or overlay graphics,
Impressionæs frames are easier. If you want neat tables, Wordz is
simpler. If you upgrade from Wordz to Fireworkz, you can use all the
facilities built into the spreadsheet such as, Names, slot references
and custom functions.
9.1
Finally...
9.1
Thanks again for all your letters Ö write direct to me at Abacus
Training (see Factfile) rather than via the Archive officeáÖáand please
keep them coming.áuá
9.1
Mark Colton
9.1
One of Mark Coltonæs great passions was motor sport. Last year he was
ranked second in the British RAC Hillclimb Championships and was running
in second place again this year. During a practice session at
Craigantlet, Northern Ireland, on Saturday 5tháAugustá1995, one of the
front wing sections of his powerful Pilbeam Judd MP72 racing car became
detached on a bend; without his front wing (which provides the down
force necessary for fast cornering) Mark lost control at over 130ámph
and tragically died in the crash which followed.
9.1
Mark was already a director of Protechnic when he created the View
family of software for the Acornæs early BBC micro. In 1988, Mark formed
his own company, Colton Software, to develop PipeDream independently of
Protechnic. Over the years that I have known them, his staff have always
spoken highly of him, not only as a programmer but also as the person
for whom they worked. Without exception, they all have commented on the
friendly atmosphere which Mark created and nurtured at Colton Software.
9.1
To the outsider, Mark was always reserved and he tended to be the least
known member of the Colton Software team. However, those who took the
trouble to get to know him will remember him for his dry humour, his
vivacity, his disarming honesty when faced with the difficult question
and, not least, his dedication to the quality of his companyæs products.
9.1
We shall all miss him.
9.1
Gerald Fitton.
9.1
Programming Workshop
9.1
Colin Singleton
9.1
This embryonic column has already attracted some Évalue addedæ response,
which I would like to share with readers.
9.1
Quicksort (Archive 8.11)
9.1
Graham Campbell wrote from Hathern, Leics., to explain that he regularly
needs to sort a file of details of nearly 1000 school pupils. The
Quicksort reduced this task from a couple of minutes to a couple of
seconds. Graham has also re-invented a technique I used years ago when
RAM and machine time were very much at a premium. The record for each of
his pupils comprises 33 data fields Ö rather laborious to drag around in
the sorting process. His solution is what I called a Tag Sort.
9.1
First create a list of tags, one per pupil record. Each tag comprises a
key and a pointer. The key may be any selection of fields from the
record concatenated into a single alpha variable, to achieve the
required sorted sequence. The pointer is the address or record number of
the record on the data file, appended to the alpha key. The tags are
sorted using Quicksort.
9.1
The sorted list of tags may then by used to read the records (using
random access) to build a new file in the required sequence. If you only
need to print the sorted list, there is no need to sort the whole file.
The sorted tag list can be used as an index to read the records in the
required sequence.
9.1
Easter calculation (Archive 8.12)
9.1
D A A Fagandini of Dulwich has sent a version of the Easter Day
Calculation which works for years on the old, Julian calendar as well as
the modern, Gregorian. I must point out, though, that he should not
assume that the change was made in 1583 Ö in Britain it was made in
1753!
9.1
Mr Fagandiniæs code is very different from mine Ö rather more elaborate
Ö but a check of several thousand Gregorian years reveals, very
satisfyingly, that it gives the same answers! It appears that both
versions are derived from algorithms published by the Glasgow
mathematician, T H OæBeirne.
9.1
Establishing the revised code for the Julian calendar is not trivial,
though the change turns out to be a simplification. Firstly, the Leap
Year rule is different Ö on the old calendar there was a leap year every
four years, whilst on the new calendar, three leap years every 400 years
are dropped. Secondly, the official rules for calculating the date of
the Paschal Full Moon (on which Easter depends) were changed.
9.1
The astronomical rule was laid down by the Church of Rome at the Council
of Nicµa in 325AD, but the algorithm, which removed the need for annual,
often unreliable, astronomical observations, was not agreed until the
Venerable Bede wrote the definitive work in 725AD. This calculation
assumed that 235 lunations (Full-New-Full Moon cycles) are exactly
equivalent to 19 Julian calendar years. This lead to an algorithm by
which Easter Day recurred in a 532-year cycle.
9.1
The error in the 235 lunations = 19 years assumption was about 4╜
minutes per year, and Easter slowly drifted away from the full moon.
With the new leap year rule the error is about 6 minutes per year the
other way! Hence, in tandem with the new calendar style, new, more
accurate, rules for calculating Easter were introduced. The new cycle is
5,700,000 years!
9.1
In this column last month, I gave the code to calculate the date of
Easter on the Gregorian calendar. Assisted by Mr Fagandiniæs code, I
have modified mine to calculate when Easter was observed in a given year
under the Julian calendar, thusáÖ
9.1
DEFFNEasterJul(Y)
9.1
LOCAL G,C,E,A,W
9.1
G=Y MOD19
9.1
C=Y DIV100
9.1
Y=Y MOD100
9.1
E=(G*19+C+15)MOD30
9.1
A=(G+E*11)DIV319
9.1
W=(C+Y DIV4*2ÖY MOD4ÖE+A+32)MOD7
9.1
=EÖA+W+22
9.1
As before, the function returns the date in March, adding 31 if the date
is in April. This code is equivalent to the Venerable Bedeæs calculation
tables Ö somewhat pre-Acorn, but an insight into Éprogrammingæ in the
Dark Ages! The change of calendar was made at different times in
different countries, from 1582 to 1927. That is something you need to
know for your country.
9.1
Combinations
9.1
I take it, diplomatically, as a veiled compliment to be publicly mauled
by Gerald Fitton in last monthæs Archive. I will return the compliment,
not in kind, but by hijacking a piece of program code from his column in
Archive 8.9. Nothing to do with airing underwear in public Ö these are
mathematical combinations!
9.1
In how many ways can you select three objects, with five to choose from?
Answer Ö ten, namely └ 123, ┴ 124, ┬ 134, ├ 234, ─ 125, ┼ 135, ╞ 235, ╟
145, ╚ 245, ╔ 345. How many ways are there of selecting r objects with n
to choose from? Mathematicians write this function nCr and calculate it
nCrá=án!î(n-r)!á╫ár! where n! means factorial of n, ie. 1╫2╫3╫...╫n. As
Gerald explained, this is most easily calculated using a recursive
function, i.e. one which calls itself.
9.1
Many programmers fight shy of recursive functions. This could be a
hangover from the time, not so many years ago, when compilers and
interpreters were unable to cope with procedures or functions calling
themselves. The machine would either go into an endless loop, or crash,
probably with a memory overflow. Today, things are different. This
function can safely be written in Basic:
9.1
DEFFNnCr(N,R)
9.1
IF R=0áTHENá=1
9.1
ááELSEá=áFNnCr(NÖ1,RÖ1)*N/R
9.1
In this column, I use BBC Basic V for all programming code. This
language comes Éfreeæ with every Acorn machine, and is probably
understood by every programmer who reads Archive, even if it is not his
favourite language. I assume, I hope not na∩vely, that interested
readers can translate the code into C or, where possible, into
spreadsheet functions. The Combination function is extensively used in
statistical calculations (particularly those concerned with gambling!)
and frequently crops up in number-crunching puzzles. Although it is
uncommon in commercial programming, it is an old friend of mine.
9.1
Having calculated the number of combinations of r from n, we may need to
list them, or generate them for subsequent processing. In the above
example, N=5, R=3, we may need a procedure which will generate the
combination 2Ö3Ö5 given the sequence number S=7. PROCSeqComb, below,
serves the purpose Ö the combination is generated in the array variables
C(1) ... C(R). It is interesting to note that the value of N is not
required. The sequence number S must be in the range 1 to FNnCr(N,R).
9.1
DEFPROCSeqComb(S,R,C())
9.1
LOCAL Z
9.1
WHILE R>1
9.1
ááC(R)=R
9.1
ááZ=1
9.1
ááWHILE S>Z
9.1
ááááS=SÖZ
9.1
ááááC(R)=C(R)+1
9.1
ááááZ=Z*(C(R)Ö1)DIV(C(R)ÖR)
9.1
ááENDWHILE
9.1
ááR=RÖ1
9.1
ENDWHILE
9.1
C(1)=S
9.1
ENDPROC
9.1
The converse function which, given the combination in C() will calculate
the corresponding sequence number, is provided by FNCombSeq, below.
9.1
DEFFNCombSeq(R,C())
9.1
IF R=1 THEN =C(1)
9.1
ááELSE =FNCombSeq(RÖ1,C())+FNnCr(C(R)Ö1,R)
9.1
If anyone can improve on this code, I would be very interested Ö
especially if it is possible to avoid the double-nested loops which are
explicit in the procedure and implicit in the function. Please send any
comments or suggestions for this column to me at 41 St Quentin Drive,
Sheffield, S17 4PN.áuá
9.1
Prophet 2 in Action
9.1
Andrew Rawnsley
9.1
Accounting is, to me, one of the most time-consuming and nrewarding
aspects of running a business. Most people still process sales and
expenses by hand, possibly making use of a crude spreadsheet when the
VAT return comes round.
9.1
Having recently gone into business myself, selling Acorn software and
offering Internet solutions to larger organisations, I too might have
opted for this approach, had I not happened upon Prophet 2 for review at
the Harrogate show. The opportunity to let my Acorn take the strain
seemed too good to let slip.
9.1
First impressions
9.1
Not being at all familiar with accounting, I was initially rather
daunted at the size and flexibility of Prophet 2. The manual runs to a
staggering 230 A5 pages, with the tutorial weighing in at a whopping 137
of them!
9.1
So, one morning, I sat down at my computer, manual on lap, and turned to
page one. After installing the application as described in the first
chapter, I was somewhat reassured, as everything seemed to be written
clearly and with the novice user in mind.
9.1
To my delight, the installation section was immediately followed by a
clever introduction to accounting for the uninitiated, which I guess is
what many users want. It certainly helped me.
9.1
Armed with my new found knowledge, I was then ready to start setting up
my personal files.
9.1
The tutorial
9.1
After reading the first few pages of the comprehensive tutorial, I soon
realised that the best way to approach Prophet was to try and set up
things as I wanted, and use the tutorial to explain each area of the
package as and when I needed it.
9.1
This worked well, as the tutorial is divided into sections, and the
index quickly guides you to the part you require.
9.1
Getting going
9.1
Once the application has been loaded in the traditional manner (either
by double clicking on the icon or on a Prophet file), you can begin
setting up your accounts.
9.1
My first move was to set up my company details. You can enter the name
and address, VAT number and telephone/fax numbers. If any of these
categories is not applicable to your business, you simply ignore it. For
example, not being VAT registered, I didnæt need any of the VAT support,
so that field is blank.
9.1
This principle applies throughout Prophet. If you donæt need something,
just ignore it. It is a very important factor, as Prophet has to have
many complicated features for demanding users, which simpler accounting
situations donæt require. By working this way, if you ever find yourself
requiring the extra functionality, you simply fill in fields that you
had previously left blank.
9.1
The other simple field that can immediately be filled in is the name of
your accounts. This will never be printed, or seen by anyone else, so
you can make it as descriptive as you like. A traditional name would be
something like:
9.1
[company name] Accounts 1995Ö96
9.1
When the next financial year comes round, you simply change this to
1996Ö97. Herein lies the beauty of Prophet; you can update and edit any
of your entries at any time, as and when you find it necessary.
9.1
Setting up a simple Prophet file
9.1
One of the things you notice immediately is that Prophet will handle
almost all of your business details. I had envisaged using a separate
database for customers and suppliers, and a word processor for invoices
etc.
9.1
However, Prophet keeps track of all these things automatically. You can
then drag and drop things into other areas of the package as necessary.
For example, when you make a sale to a customer, you can simple drag the
customer name from your Prophet database directly into the Sales Ledger
and Prophet will fill in the details. Of course, should you so desire,
you can enter it all manually, or even enter the customer into the Sales
Ledger and then drag the name into the database!
9.1
My first stop, therefore, was to enter my first customer, and try to
record the sale. This was not, perhaps, the wisest move, and resulted in
a lot of reading up in the Sales Ledger section in the tutorial.
9.1
I would have been wiser to start with the Bank Accounts section where
you can enter up to 12 different accounts.
9.1
These might take the form of, for example:
9.1
Business Cheque Account
9.1
Business Interest Account
9.1
Personal Cheque Account
9.1
High Interest Savings Account
9.1
Naturally, any sales and purchases can operate on any of the accounts. A
total balance of all the accounts is available, as well as individual
amounts.
9.1
Account Transfers can be managed by the Banking section of Prophet. VAT
and Profit/Loss Statements also fall under the banking section.
9.1
Your next port of call is likely to be the Sales Headings window. This
allows you to set up some form of analysis for your sales. Up to twelve
main headings can be defined, as well as eight sub-headings under each
main one. One of my main headings is Software Sales. Under this, each
software title is a separate sub-heading. Naturally, you can update and
edit as your business expands.
9.1
At any point, you can get an accurate breakdown of how much each product
has earned you, and how much each heading has earned you. This in turn
allows you to consider which products are proving popular and which
arenæt maximising their potential. Whatæs more, as with almost every
section of Prophet, this information can be printed out as a report.
9.1
Style Guide compliance
9.1
Acorn produce a special manual for software developers containing
information on how a generic application should look and behave.
9.1
When I decided to save my work, I was struck by the way the author of
Prophet has obviously followed this Guide because, in many ways, the
package looks and feels like any other (<f3> to save etc), but in some
key places, he has deviated from Acornæs ideals Ö where it makes life
much easier for the user.
9.1
Let me give you an example. How often, when working on a crucial
document, do you save and make a backup? Some packages offer a timed
auto-save facility in addition to the standard save, a feature present
in Prophet 2, but what happens if your data gets damaged through no
fault of your own Ö a power cut as the data is being saved, perhaps.
9.1
With other applications, you would have to bring up the save dialogue
box, rename the file and drag it out to the directory. The next time you
saved, you would need to reset the filename to the old file. However, in
Prophet, the save window is divided into two halves Ö one for the main
file and one for a backup file. At any point, a click on the appropriate
OK button will save either a backup or your current file.
9.1
You can also save your work or backup your files automatically on
leaving the program. All in all, itæs very difficult to accidentally
lose data Ö a crucial selling point for a program which will be looking
after your data day in and day out!
9.1
More advanced features
9.1
By now, I was able to record sales of my software, and generally keep
track of my finances, but Iástill needed to be able to create invoices
for customers.
9.1
Knowing that Prophet would print invoices for me, Iádecided to explore
this side of the package. My first stop was the invoice template icon.
This leads to a page editing system very similar to that of a DTP
application. You can incorporate a company logo or background graphic
but you canæt create new frames on the page. However, all the fields
youæll need are displayed on the page, and can be moved around. Again,
if you donæt want to include something, you can turn it off.
9.1
I found this part of the package less easy to use, but you must remember
that Prophet isnæt a DTP system, rather an accounting package with an
invoicing capability. With a little effort, I had a design that I was
pleased with and, having saved my work, I could rest in the knowledge
that I wouldnæt have to edit it again in a hurry!
9.1
I now had to create the invoice. Since any related aspect of the package
is available from any other, I got at the invoicing tools from the
customer database, which I happened to be using at the time.
9.1
By entering the product sold, and dragging the customer details into the
appropriate place, I was ready to print my invoice. Since I had already
entered the sale into the Sales Ledger, I turned off the option to
automatically record the invoice (and hence the sale) in the ledger.
9.1
You can print as many copies as you like, but the default of two copies
(one for the customer and one for my records) seemed a sensible choice.
At the click of a button, I could also have turned this invoice into a
credit note for a returned item Ö a clever idea. One click on the print
button, and the laser printer quickly churned out two copies, even over
an Access network. Phew! My client had his invoice, and Prophet had
taken everything in its stride. Next time would be a lot easier!
9.1
In a larger organisation, security becomes an issue. Almost every area
of Prophet can be password protected, if you wish.
9.1
Another important aspect for larger companies is that Prophet will
accept data from Silicon Visionæs Payroll Manager, so handling employee
pay cheques becomes a lot simpler.
9.1
And finally
9.1
There are still many aspects of Prophet that I havenæt even touched on.
Suppliers and purchases are almost identical to sales, but in reverse.
These lead to stock handling which is also catered for in another sub-
section of Prophet.
9.1
I have purposely refrained from discussing standing orders, VAT returns
and retail (cash register) sales because I have no direct experience of
using these. However, having used the rest of the system, I can almost
guarantee that these tools will offer every facility you could ever
need. Knowing that the VAT tools would be a key selling point for many
people, I contacted several known users who confirmed that Prophetæs
handling of VAT was exemplary.
9.1
Conclusions
9.1
At ú199 inclusive (or ú180 through Archive), Prophet 2 represents superb
value for money. Whilst it might seem a large outlay for a small
company, it saves so much time, and does so much that it couldnæt
conceivably retail for anything less.
9.1
An equivalent PC application costing twice as much would still be
considered stunning value Ö underpriced by many Ö for whom Sageæs double
entry accountancy and resulting huge investment in resources on top of
the ú600 RRP seems peanuts, compared with the time (and hence money)
saved by computerisation.
9.1
Without doubt, I shall continue to run my business with Prophet 2, and
it would take something very impressive indeed to make me change Ö any
guesses as to the availability of Prophet 3!?áuá
9.1
VZap Virus Checker
9.1
John Laski
9.1
VZap, probably the best Archimedes virus checker in the world (sic),
costs ú5 (Shareware) from Paul Vigay, 104 Manners Road, Southsea, Hants.
PO4 0BG. Dr. Solomonæs Virus Checker for MS-DOS costs ú99 +VAT. Faced
with that comparison, can VZAP 1.09 be all that it is claimed to be?
9.1
Firstly, we must recognise that code for any particular purpose for the
ARM is only some 60-80% as long as equivalent code for Intel processors;
secondly, since much of RISCáOS is held in read-only memory, but MS-DOS
keeps everything except BIOS (Basic I/O Services) in RAM, RISC OS has
far fewer hooks to which viruses can attach themselves.
9.1
There are only some fifty known ARM viruses as against at least ten
times as many on MS-DOS. Therefore there are far fewer patterns of
suspicious code to scan for, and these are in RISCáOS !boot/!run files
only, where the infection puts in extra lines that run rogue
applications/modules. In MS-DOS, code that accesses hard disc and
floppies can become corrupted and leave damage in any file. This means
that many more patterns, in many more kinds of file, could be symptoms
of an infection.
9.1
Therefore, do not conclude, because VZap is one-twentieth the cost of
its MS-DOS equivalent, that it is only one-twentieth as reliable. ARM
and RISCáOSæs design saves you money, not only on all your software but,
very particularly, on your virus protection. Of course, the RISCáOS
community is much nicer than the MS-DOS community and has far fewer
members, not only absolutely but also relatively, who want to give
viruses to their fellow computer users.
9.1
What does VZAP do?
9.1
A virus checker has two jobs to do. It has to recognise and inoculate
against known viruses, and it must recognise and warn against
suspicious-looking patterns in files that may imply that, as yet
unknown, viruses may be present. There is no doubt in my mind that the
first task, including the viruses listed in the !Help file, is
successfully accomplished by VZap.
9.1
I believe that the second job will be effective for viruses that may
plague us in the future, but I can have no firm reason for this belief.
This is an inherent problem with virus checking programs, because their
writers must not publish or display their code. If they do so, they tell
prospective virus writers what patterns to avoid. Therefore, reviewers
cannot evaluate their code to see how extra-ingenious any virus writers
who want to get around them will have to be. A virus writer who wants to
get around VZap has to write the virus and see if it is detected Ö the
(probably) abortive work needed is a great dissuader.
9.1
Two modes for operation
9.1
For these two jobs, VZap has essentially two modes for operation:
9.1
1. To scan automatically for known viruses and render them harmless;
Autozap button on.
9.1
2. To mark and present to the user, suspicious lines in files, so that
the user can judge whether or not they belong there. This will, of
course, catch the known viruses of (1), but should also catch newly
invented and distributed viruses; Autozap button off.
9.1
For the beginner who does not yet understand the command lines of obey
files, the first is obviously best. For those of us who have some
knowledge of what should be in !boot files, the second is better.
9.1
Moreover, Paul Vigay offers: öAll registered VZap users are welcome to
contact me for personal help or advice if they are still confused, or
donæt understand these instructions Ö or just want to offer ideas for
future versions. You can also log onto my computer bulletin board
(01705-871531) for technical help and upgrades 24 hours a day.ò Thus, if
a non-technical user encounters a new virus and tries using VZap in
Autozap off mode, there is no need to fear getting out of your depth;
Paul Vigay is there to rescue you. In the Docs 1.9 file ÉContact?æ, it
tells you how to make contact with him.
9.1
Documentation?
9.1
Forgive me, but the documentation of VZap 1.7 was awful. It could have
served as a first-class example for David Holdenæs discussion of what
wouldnæt sell as Shareware (Archive 8.11 p47). Indeed, there was an
extension to the choices window that I never discovered until Paul Vigay
pointed me to it. (It is now explicitly in 1.9æs documentation.) Now, in
1.9, the documentation has been been reorganised into a Édocæ directory
of nine files, and by looking at the ÉIndexæ file , you can find your
way straight to the kind of information you want.
9.1
This applies particularly to new users who have acquired VZap only when
they suspect they have a virus and need to know what to do. There is now
a very friendly !help message directing them straight to the Énewusersæ
file which gives a friendly step-by-step rundown of using VZap in
autozap mode, with a cross-reference pointer to the Émanualæ file. The
full list of Édocæ files is: !Index, Advert, Conditions, Contact?,
History, Manual, NewUsers and Viruses.
9.1
History and Viruses, respectively, list the changes made between
successive versions, and the viruses currently dealt with in Autozap
mode. It appears, as Iáread these files, that only one new Virus that
required a special fix has turned up in the last 15 months, so users of
the non-Autozap mode can be moderately confident that new viruses which
VZap canæt spot or inoculate against will only turn up very rarely. I am
unclear as to whether VZap failed to spot this one new virus, or only
failed to inoculate against it. Moreover, Paul Vigay undertakes to
examine suspicious discs if virus-like behaviour is found, and the
current version of VZap canæt cope. He will then provide you with an
extended version that will cope.
9.1
The file Conditions defines Shareware, and disclaims responsibility for
damage caused by use of VZap. Advert encourages you to buy a package of
file utilities which is the system that provides the underlying services
for VZap.
9.1
The file Manual lists the items on the main menu, the buttons on the
choices menu, and a short list of topics with a short paragraph on each
one. These are very clear, and I shall only mention facilities and
buttons on which I feel I have a constructive comment to make. Readers
should recognise that this will introduce a bias towards finding things
wrong in the text, and should remember that my overall view of it is
distinctly positive.
9.1
Practicalities
9.1
VZap can initially be asked also to watch for *set lines, which could
have been added by viruses. This seems also to include *seteval and
*setmacro lines. However, many such lines will be perfectly good, and I
strongly suggest that you donæt try this unless you feel confident that
you can interpret the results.
9.1
You can drag a group of files and directories to the VZap iconbar icon,
or to the VZap status window, to have them checked. In the choices
window, there can be specified a directory that can be checked on entry.
It is a pity that this must be set by hand and cannot be set by dragging
a directory to that window. Iáwould also have liked to have a union of
subdirectories to scan, along the lines of DDEæs Find.
9.1
It is claimed that broken directories and Disk Errors will not abort the
virus scan. This is admirable, but, fortunately, I did not have the
facilities to check that it worked!
9.1
However, I made some tests to see what would happen if various files and
discs were locked. As far as I can see, if you attempt to scan a locked
disc, you will sometimes get confusing reports on the status window, but
if you want to comment a line, you will get a helpful öunlock discò
message. If Write Access is forbidden on some file, write access will be
forced to be set, and the file modified. This behaviour is undocumented,
but sensible. If the disc is locked and Stamp is requested, stamping is
not done, and this is not reported. It would be better to send the user
an öunlock discò message.
9.1
Finally, when VZap sets its iconbar icon, it forces it to the left hand
side of the application icons. This is self-centred. It is quite correct
that when there is a potential virus event, the icon should be strongly
visible, but there should be a facility, in the iconbar icon menu say,
to force the icon out of the way to the right. Also, the status window
is left on the screen after an event such as testing for viruses on
opening a (new) floppy, even if no suspicion of viruses has been found.
This is very self-centred indeed.
9.1
Conclusion
9.1
VZap will, I think, discourage virus writers from trying to write new
viruses. It is impossible to say whether, or when, a new virus that VZap
cannot find will come along, but I think it will be quite a long time.
The VZap system, i.e. the disc package, the documentation, plus Paul
Vigayæs support should provide users of any level of experience the
confidence to tackle their virus problems without anxiety. The value for
money should be obvious to anybody, and all shareware users should pay
their dues promptly to him. Perhaps Paul B will put VZap on the monthly
Archive disc.
9.1
All programs can always be improved, and I have suggested some ways in
which VZap can. The interesting question is how long it will be before
the guts of the program, the Virus Scan, will need updating because of
some nasty new virus. I expect that it will be at least a year, and
maybe two or three, before this is needed. To be on the safe side, I
shall send Paul Vigay an extra disc and s.a.e. to hold for just such a
time.áuá
9.1
Paul Vigay will be looking into Johnæs comments, improving the
documentation slightly and implementing one or two of his suggestions.
9.1
No sooner said, then done... Ed.
9.1
P.S.
9.1
I have now received version 1.10 in which many of the ideas suggested
above have been implemented. I hadnæt realised when I first looked at it
that *set is not needed in Autozap mode, since it only scans for known
viruses. The documentation is still unclear, but I think this would be
one way to put it. öIf Autozap is used, it only scans for known viruses,
therefore, *set set will only remove Éset linesæ that are known to be
harmful.ò It may be the case, although this is not clear to me, that all
known viruses can be removed without use of the *set analysis.
9.1
You can abort a virus scan by pressing the <esc> key. (Buttons wonæt
work since a virus scan is, properly, stand-alone and doesnæt call
Wimp_Poll.) This is documented for the first time in v. 1.10. It appears
to me that <esc> is ignored if pressed during the initial analysis, and
is effected only if the key is pressed during the subsequent scan; this
limitation is not documented.
9.1
The exchanges I have had with Paul Vigay shows how programmers can have
a healthy and productive dialogue which can improve the design, correct
the implementation and copy-edit the documentation. Iáhope some others
will take up filling the suggestion box for !VZap; as with any good
program, it will never stop growing.
9.1
I have one or two suggestions outstanding and look to see Paul Vigayæs
response. But 1.10 seems to me a version well worth any Archive reader
acquiring.áuá
9.1
(VZap 1.10 is on this monthæs Archive disc. Ed.)
9.1
Starting Basic Ö Part 2
9.1
Ray Favre
9.1
I want to start working on real programs as early as possible, even
though it means introducing some things before explaining them.
Therefore, weæll pick suitable projects and work on them in the
articles, gradually developing programs as different programming topics
are covered.
9.1
Rummaging around, Iæve found a program which will be suitable as a
short, starter project. On the surface, it doesnæt sound particularly
exciting Ö it works out loan repayments, interest rates, etc. (yawn) Ö
but it will allow us to approach some essential beginnersæ topics
sequentially, including graphics. It will be non-Wimp Ö deliberately, at
this stage Ö although it would also be a good subject for a later first
crack at the Wimp.
9.1
Weæll call this first project the ÉLoanæ project/program Ö and weæll
label each program version to correspond with the Series part in which
it is updated.
9.1
Planning the program
9.1
It does pay to use a pencil or word processor for a few moments at the
start of even a simple programming exercise. We need to be clear about
what we are trying to achieve. The Loan project will concern four main,
inter-related parameters:
9.1
  loan amount
9.1
  interest rate
9.1
  repayment amount
9.1
  number of repayments
9.1
If any three of these are known, the fourth can be found. Our initial
project is to produce a program which, as a bare minimum, allows us to
decide which parameter is to be the unknown, choose values for the other
three and then find and display the fourth value from them Ö and then
let us start afresh if we want to.
9.1
We can therefore hazard an outline program structure something like:
9.1
  Show menu of the four parameters
9.1
  Select the unknown one
9.1
  Input values for other three
9.1
  Do calculations to find unknown
9.1
  Output result
9.1
  End or go back to beginning
9.1
Jotting down a broad structure like this, in note form, before touching
the keyboard is highly recommended for all programs. (It is often
referred to as Épseudo-codeæ i.e. a shorthand English version of the
eventual program.) The main advantage is that it forces us to look at
the complete program from the start. It will highlight any major
sequence problems and start to break the program up into logical
segments. Ideally, we want the segments to be as self-contained as
possible. For instance, we might want to ÉOutput resultæ in several
different ways (screen text, screen graphics, printer, file, etc.) and
we donæt want to have to go back and modify the ÉInput values ...æ
segment each time we have a new output idea.
9.1
Weæll use the first segment (ÉShow menu...æ) as this sessionæs vehicle
for the programming topic of ÉVARIABLESæ.
9.1
The listing
9.1
In an Edit Basic window Ö see Part 1 Ö type in and save ÉLoan_2æ, (or
drag it to the Edit iconbar icon if you have the Archive monthly disc).
Run it just to check itæs all OK Ö an Éerror trapæ has been included to
point out any faulty lines. (This highlights the difficulty of providing
a listing for beginners which does not use features which are to be
covered in later articles! Iæve deliberately steered clear of
Procedures/Functions, but felt that an error trap was important, in case
of typing errors.)
9.1
10 REM>Loan_2
9.1
20 REM** Initial ÉLoanæ program,
9.1
 öStarting Basicò Part 2 **
9.1
30
9.1
40 ON ERROR REPORT:PRINTö at Line
9.1
ò;ERL:END
9.1
50
9.1
60 REM Declaration of initial variables
9.1
70
9.1
80 heading$=öLoan Calculationsò
9.1
90 subheading$=ö(Simple Interest)ò
9.1
100
9.1
110 menu1$=öThere are four parameters:ò
9.1
120 param1$=öLoan Amountò
9.1
130 param2$=öNo. of Equal Paymentsò
9.1
140 param3$=öAmount of Each Paymentò
9.1
150 param4$=öInterest Rateò
9.1
160
9.1
170 menu2$=öYou need to give values
9.1
 for any 3 of these to find the 4th.ò
9.1
180 menu3$=öPlease choose the unknown
9.1
 one:ò
9.1
190
9.1
200 REM ***** Print menu *****
9.1
210
9.1
220 PRINT heading$
9.1
230 PRINT subheading$
9.1
240 PRINT
9.1
250 PRINT menu1$
9.1
260 PRINT TAB(10)param1$
9.1
270 PRINT TAB(10)param2$
9.1
280 PRINT TAB(10)param3$
9.1
290 PRINT TAB(10)param4$
9.1
300 PRINT
9.1
310 PRINT menu2$
9.1
320 PRINT
9.1
330 PRINT menu3$
9.1
340 PRINT:PRINT
9.1
350
9.1
360 REM ***** User choices/input *****
9.1
370
9.1
380 REM** Choices made for first
9.1
 example. **
9.1
400 temp1$=öThe unknown parameter is:
9.1
 ò+param3$:REM** New string
9.1
 variable **
9.1
420 loanamount=1000:REM** Real numeric
9.1
 variable **
9.1
440 ratepercent=8.5:REM** Real numeric
9.1
 variable **
9.1
460 no_of_payments%=36:REM** Integer
9.1
 numeric variable **
9.1
470
9.1
480 REM *** Calculation of unknown ***
9.1
490
9.1
500 REM** Simple Interest for first
9.1
 example only **
9.1
520 REM** Result is put into new real
9.1
 numeric variable **
9.1
530 amount_per_payment=(loanamount+
9.1
        (loanamount*ratepercent/100)) /no_of_payments%
9.1
540
9.1
550 REM ***** Output *****
9.1
570 PRINT temp1$
9.1
580 PRINT
9.1
590 PRINT param1$;ö = úò;loanamount
9.1
600 PRINT param4$;ö = ò;ratepercent;ö%ò
9.1
610 PRINT param2$;ö = ò;no_of_payments%
9.1
620 PRINT:PRINT
9.1
630 PRINT param3$;ö = úò;amount_per_
9.1
payment
9.1
640
9.1
650 END
9.1
Lines 80-180 create several Éstring variablesæ, and then lines 220-340
print them on the screen as an opening menu. For now, the choice and
inputs are made for us in lines 400-460, where examples of the remaining
two types of Évariableæ are introduced: two Éreal numeric variablesæ and
one Éinteger numeric variableæ. The rest of the program calculates the
4th parameter, assigns it to a third Éreal numeric variableæ Ö all in
line 530 Ö and lines 570-630 print a results table.
9.1
This listing will undergo significant change as we develop it and is, in
its current form, solely to introduce Évariablesæ and to get you Éup and
runningæ.
9.1
Variables
9.1
Basic programs consist, almost entirely, of operations on variables. To
use a variable, it firstly needs to be created (Édeclaredæ) by giving it
a name, and then giving it a value. After that, the variable can be used
as much as you like, including changing its value. Fortunately, in BBC
Basic, declaring a variable is almost transparent and is done
automatically by simply assigning a value to the variable the first time
we use it Ö exactly as in lines 80-180, 400-460 and 530 of the listing,
i.e. it can be given a direct value, or it can be given the results of a
calculation, or the value of a previously- declared variable. (Some
languages require you to declare variables at the start of a program,
without assigning values.)
9.1
Declaring a variable sets aside a space in memory to store the name you
have given it plus an associated space to store the variableæs value.
Whenever the value changes, through the course of a program, the
contents of the memory space set aside for the value will change
correspondingly. By referring to the (unchanging) variable name, we get
access to the particular value of that variable at the time Ö most
importantly, by using the name in routines and formulae.
9.1
So, in Line 530, we have used:
9.1
amount_per_payment=(loanamount+
9.1
        (loanamount*ratepercent/100)) /no_of_payments%
9.1
which says Écalculate the expression to the right of the equals sign
(substituting the current values of the variables named) and put the
result into the variable amount_per_payment æ. Or, in Line 220:
9.1
PRINT heading$
9.1
which says Éprint out the string stored in the string variable heading$
æ.
9.1
Variable types
9.1
BBC Basic recognizes three different variable types, which are
distinguished from each other by using unique characters as the last
character of the names of integer and string variables: É%æ for integer,
and É$æ for string.
9.1
integeráÖáAn integer variable can only store whole numbers (positive or
negative). It must use É%æ as the last character of its name: e.g.
integer%, Day%, aa%, AXE%, X% could all be names of integer variables.
In the listing, no_of_payments% is our only integer variable, because
itæs the only one where we can be sure that only whole numbers will be
needed.
9.1
The main advantages of using integer variables (compared with real
variables) are that they are processed faster, their accuracy is precise
and they use less space to store their value.
9.1
(The 27 integer variables formed by a single capital letter, or the É@æ
symbol, are known as Éresident integer variablesæ e.g. A%, B%, C%, etc.
and @%. They are stored at a special location and their values are not
erased when a new program is run or loaded. They can therefore be used
to pass simple data between programs Ö a later article will look at
this.)
9.1
real Ö A real variable can store any number, whether a whole number or
one containing a decimal fractional part. It is also called Éfloating
pointæ because it is not fussy about how the decimal point is shown when
you assign a value to it, i.e. a real variable will recognise 1.2,
1234.56, 0.004567 equally happily.
9.1
A real variable is distinguished by not having any special symbol in the
last character of its name. So, real, vat, AXE, pp are all real variable
names. In the listing, three real variables are used Ö line 530 contains
all three, as well as the integer variable.
9.1
Real variables are slower to process, are subject to Érounding errorsæ
in calculations and use more memory than integer variables to store
their values. (For these reasons, it is sensible to use integer
variables whenever you can.)
9.1
string Ö A string variable stores strings, i.e. a sequence of letters/
characters. It is distinguished by using the É$æ symbol as the last
character in its name: e.g. a$, X$, day$ are all valid names for string
variables. Our listing uses several string variables.
9.1
The maximum number of characters that can be stored in a string variable
is 255.
9.1
As the Series progresses, you will find that this, albeit simple,
pattern of three types of variable will weave its way into several
topics, including arrays, procedures/functions and files Ö so it is
important to introduce it early on. We still need to say some words
about naming variables and precautions when declaring string variables,
but they can be picked up later.
9.1
There hasnæt been much Éhands onæ this time, but there are several
features worth looking at in the listing (for homework!). Notice, for
instance, the different uses of REM and, in line 380, the simple string
manipulation which takes place. Next time, we will look at Ékeywordsæ
and examine a few of the most common ones in more detail.
9.1
Even though the Series is aimed at beginners, Iæm a bit worried that the
first two articles have been pitched at too simple a level Ö but Iæm
even more concerned not to go to the other extreme. Please let me have
some feedback on this. Ray Favre, 26 West Drayton Park Avenue, West
Drayton, UB7 7QA.áuá
9.1
Number Time
9.1
Richard Rymarz
9.1
Number Time is a multimedia CD-ROM dealing with three areas of
mathematical skill. They are all specifically geared to the younger
child and one has special educational needs in mind.
9.1
1. Times Tables Ö Twelve applications covering the traditional times
tables
9.1
2. Number Bonds Ö An application that allows the user to add any two
numbers between 0 and 9
9.1
3. Tell Time Ö Three applications covering hours, half hours and quarter
hours
9.1
The company that produced the CD Ö Hazelnut Ö have used Genesis to
create an easy-to-use multimedia environment that includes hundreds of
animations, speech and sounds.
9.1
All in all there are sixteen applications.
9.1
Times Tables Ö Clicking on one of the applications loads it onto the
iconbar. Menu options include the obligatory quit and an option to
search for a text string. The program itself begins with a title page
with the words spoken. Clicking on the arrow leads to the tables page
and a question. This page is fairly basic, with the question in the
centre of the screen and the possible answers around the outside edge.
The question is voiced and the child has to click on the answer. The
reward for answering the tables correctly is an animated picture Ö
answer wrongly and a shrill cuckoo sound is heard. All this is very
basic but each table has a theme Ö the 4 times table has picture and
sounds of animals, the 7 times table has animations based around an
alien, and so on. The pictures are basic but quite attractive, and will
appeal to the younger child.
9.1
Number Bonds Ö With this series of exercises, the child clicks on one
digit and then another and has to click on the sum of the two. Answer
correctly and a picture is shown which has an animation which the
children have to discover. This is very basic, allowing number bonds up
to an answer of 18, but double digits Ö e.g. 10 or 12 or 15 Ö cannot be
used. The same pictures, albeit with slightly different animations, are
used fairly often.
9.1
Tell Time Ö These three applications follow the same pattern. The child
navigates through the exercises by clicking on the clock. Each
application involves a theme which holds the whole thing together. There
are three animations if the child answers correctly Ö two of which the
child has to discover themselves.
9.1
Conclusions
9.1
What we really have here is a series of drill and practice exercises
which will test whether the child has mastered the appropriate skills.
This it does in a fairly attractive and orderly way. The speech is
audible Ö a primary school child clearly enunciates the words, although
the linking of some sentences is a little disjointed Ö not really a
problem though. The quality of the pictures is also adequate, some of
them being very attractive. If I were to be critical, it would be with
the animations, which are sometimes difficult to find and are a touch
insignificant. Further, the exercises are quite linear, with the
questions always following the same pattern.
9.1
I did like the themes that held the exercises together, and the subjects
are covered quite thoroughly.
9.1
Number Time comes on a CD which, on my review copy, did not tell me
which side was which Ö a slight irritation. It is recommended that the
applications are loaded onto hard disc in order to speed up the running
time Ö CDs are notoriously slow compared with hard discs. The
applications can also be bought separately on floppy discs but would
probably take an age to load and run. A hard disc or CD-ROM drive would
appear to be essential.
9.1
Number Time Ö The CD-ROM costs ú50 inclusive + ú1.50 postage. (Does not
include the Subtraction element in Number Bonds.) Times Tables Ö 12
discs costs ú30. Number Bonds Ö 3 discs covering addition and
subtraction costs ú15. Tell Time Ö 4 discs costs ú20. Add ú2.50 postage
but no VAT, as Hazelnut are not VAT registered.áu
9.1
Products Available
9.2
10/10 at half price Ö All the 10 out of 10 products are currently on
offer through Archive for just ú12 each (rrp ú24.95). Subjects
available: Maths (Algebra) (6-16), Maths (Geometry) (6-16), Maths
(Number) (6-16) Maths (Statistics) (6-16), Essential Maths (5-12),
English (6-16), French (8-16), German (8-16), Essential Science (5-12),
Dinosaurs, Driving Test, Early Essentials (3-7), Junior Essentials (5-
11), Spelling (under 9).
9.2
Acorn Education Agency Ö Several schools are asking whether they can
still go on buying computers through NCS, despite Acornæs new Agency
scheme. There are two answers to that, both a qualified yes. First of
all, yes, you can buy computers from us at NCSæs own educational
discount prices. However, our discount prices are about 6% more than the
prices you would pay if you went direct to Acorn. Secondly, if you want
memory upgrades, CD-ROMs, etc, etc added to your computers, you can buy
from Acorn at their educational prices but have them delivered to NCS.
We will then install and test the extra bits and pieces and send the
computers on to you. Even if we have to make a fitting charge and a
carriage charge, it would still work out cheaper than buying the whole
system from us.
9.2
ANT Internet Suite Ö ANT Limited plans to launch its Internet Suite at
the Acorn World 95. The suite provides an easy-to-use integrated set of
programs including a full-featured World Wide Web browser, electronic
mail and Usenet news program, and FTP file transfer. Visitors to ANTæs
stand (80) will be able to buy copies, and there will be some special
offers for Internet users.
9.2
Archive (Internet) Glossary Ö We have created a glossary of Internet
terms which has now reached 12 pages (6,000+ words) long. (This is in
addition to our original glossary of 19 pages and 11,000+ words!) These
two glossaries are available on a disc in Impression, RTF and pure text
form costing ú5 through Archive. If you prefer a paper version, you can
buy a copy of the Archive Glossary Booklet. This is an A5 photocopied
booklet also costing ú5 through Archive. We have deliberately not
printed the booklet because it has to change so rapidly to keep abreast
with new terminology. The disc version is cheaper for us to produce but
is the same price because the price includes a free upgrade service Ö
just send the disc back at any time with a self-addressed adhesive label
and weæll update the disc for you.
9.2
(To increase the effectiveness of the Archive Glossary, please let me
know if there are any missing definitions, or if you disagree with any
of the definitions? Thanks Ed.)
9.2
ARM710 upgrades Ö Now that NCS is an Acorn Centre of Technology, we have
been given permission to sell the ARM710 upgrade(!). The cost through
Archive is ú147, with a credit note for ú30 if you return the old ARM610
processor card (or ú117 if you send the ARM610 with the order). We have
the ARM710 processors in stock, so the turnaround time should be quite
short if you want to save hassle by sending in your ARM610 card with the
order.
9.2
Bible Picture Library CD-ROM Ö Christian Computer Art have released
version 2 of their CD-ROM, containing over 3000 monochrome bit-map
pictures illustrating the Bible, and including all the pictures from the
Good News Bible. The pictures are all scanned at between 300-400 dpi and
are free of any known copyright (except for pictures from the Good News
Bible). A Thumbnail program is included to make viewing easier. Bible
Picture Library costs ú49 +VAT, p&p included. Copies are available on a
30-day trial period.
9.2
CD-ROM drives from Eesox Ö If you want a parallel port CD-ROM drive,
Eesox have improved the speed of their existing Bronze drives (ú205
through Archive) by 35%, to around 290 Kb/s. They have also added a
Bronze Elite drive to their range. This is a quad speed drive giving
over 500Kb/s data rate (<180ms seek time + 256Kb cache) and costs
ú254.47 +VAT from Eesox or ú299 through Archive.
9.2
Parallel port driver Ö Eesox have also developed a parallel port driver
that will allow their Bronze drives to work on PC compatibles. This
costs ú19.99 inc VAT from Eesox.
9.2
Parallel port conversion kits Ö If you have a SCSI CD-ROM drive and also
want to use it via a parallel port, Eesox can provide a special
conversion kit consisting of an adaptor cable and driver software. This
costs ú30 +VAT from Eesox or ú35 through Archive. This conversion kit
works with most SCSI CD-ROM drives. (Eesox also do a PC version at the
same price but this is not available through Archive.)
9.2
N.B. The quad speed Gold ATAPI drives mentioned last month (ú170 through
Archive) only work on the new RiscáPC and A7000, i.e. RISCáOS 3.6 or
later.
9.2
Chris the Bat is a CD-ROM from the Department of Theology and Religious
Studies at the University of Wales. In the story, Chris (the Bat) is
concerned to save his home, an old church condemned to demolition. With
the help of the church mice, they set off to find parts of a treasure
map that they think will save the building. On the journey, they learn
that real treasure is not what they thought and thereby save the church
but lose the building! The program consists of up to 900 full colour
photographs and various interactive games that test pupilsæ
understanding of the material studied. The program explores three
Christian denominations, as well as some of the parables of Jesus Ö itæs
aimed key stage 2/3.
9.2
Version 2 of Chris the Bat and another title, Christian Celebrations
(Key Stage 3), will be available in October from: Rev Michael Morris,
Computers & RE Project, University of Wales, Lampeter, Dyfed, Wales SA48
7ED, price ú55 +VAT.
9.2
Clipart CD Ö The second clipart CD from David Holdenæs APDL is being
made available as we go to press. It is similar in concept to the first
CD, but is all new, with nothing repeated, and has an on-disc viewing
program. The price of the new CD is ú24.50. But, if you have a copy of
the first CD, and are going to the Acorn Show, bring it with you and
Dave will give you a special price for volume 2. Dave also promises to
have at least one PD CD ready for the show, priced at ú19.50.
9.2
Creative Curriculum Software has several new releases. Language Master
builds on the successful concept of ÉSpelling Bookæ which was launched
earlier this year. Language Master does not replace Spelling Book but
provides easy and instant access, from any Acorn Word Processor/DTP
package, to your own lists of words and phrases. User configurable into
any one of four different languages Ö English, French, German and
Spanish Ö this powerful package is suitable for all ages. Language
Master is ú49 (single user), ú89 for a 10-user licence or ú199 for a
site/network. When Report Writer was first released, it was considered
to be a very flexible pupil reporting system. Now, with the new National
Curriculum, Report Writer has been completely redesigned to make it
suitable for reporting on any topic Ö not just for use in Education!
Report Writer (single user) is ú39 (without the new National
Curriculum), ú89 for a 10-user licence or ú199 for a site/network. The
new National Curriculum is ú10 when purchased at the same time as Report
Writer, or úl5 purchased separately. Easimenu is a new Menu System which
allows any Hard Disc RISC OS computer to be set up with a tailor-made
menu. Very easy to use and designed for Primary Schools and on networks
in particular, EasiMenu is only ú14.95 (single user) or ú39 for a site
licence. Magic Maths is a package for learning mental arithmetic and is
designed for Primary School and home use (and for some adults!). Magic
Maths (single user) is ú25.49 or ú89 for a site/network licence. All
prices are ex VAT.
9.2
Fast IDE Interface Ö RapIDE from Yellowstone Educational Solutions is a
32-bit DMA-based interface for the Risc PC. The interface provides
vastly increased throughput. Using alternative drives it is possible to
achieve reading speeds in excess of 8Mb per second with 32-bit direct
memory access. It provides two IDE ports, allowing up to four devices to
be connected, including IDE CD-ROMs. The RapIDE interface costs ú99
+VAT, +ú5 p&p per order.
9.2
Front_end allows users with learning difficulties to load their own
programs easily. Used in place of the desktop, it allows users to type
in their name and be shown only the programs and files they use, without
the need to work their way down a complicated directory structure.
Front_end will also help to prevent accidental messing up of your hard
disc. Requires RISC OS 3 or above. A single users licence costs ú29
+VAT, from NW SEMERC.
9.2
Hard drive price shake-up Ö Two factors are affecting the supply of hard
drives. For fixed hard drives, the coming of memory-hungry Windowsá95
has meant that it is almost impossible to buy a drive less than 500Mb.
The good news is that the 1Gb SCSI drives are now the same price as
340Mb drives were 12 months ago and 4Gb drives are almost as cheap as
1Gb drives were then. The new prices are given in the Price List
Supplement. There is also now a 1Gb IDE internal drive at under ú300 inc
VAT, carriage, fitting kit, and full fitting instructions!
9.2
On the removable drive scene, the much heralded (but not yet quite
available) 135Mb removable drive is affecting the prices of the other
removable drives which have all dropped quite markedly this month. See
the price list for details. The new 135Mb drives when they come
(possibly November) will be completely incompatible with any of the
other drives but have the advantage of being somewhat cheaper. Prices
arenæt fixed yet but it looks as if an external SCSI drive will be about
ú290 inclusive through Archive (cf ú450 for the 270Mb), an internal IDE
will probably be about ú250 (ú370 for 270Mb) and the cartridges about
ú20. If you are just using the removable for backup, the lower price per
Mb of the media is helpful although with hard drives now being 500Mb
minimum, 135Mb is beginning to look a bit small as a backup medium!
Also, if, like me, you want to use them for carrying transient data
around, the speed of the 270Mb drives and the fact that you have more
data on each cartridge will make the 135æs less attractive.
9.2
HTMLEdit is the first commercial, Internet Web Page Authoring System for
Acorn machines. Similar packages have been available for Windows and
Unix for some time, but Acorn owners have been forced to struggle with a
standard text editor. R-Compæs package has been distributed thus far via
the Internet, but the fully packaged version will be available for the
first time at Acorn World. Priced at just ú30 (no VAT) inc p&p, HTMLEdit
represents good value for professional Web Page creation, and is well
within the reach of the home user. ShortCuts, also from R¡Comp, is a
totally new release for the show. This suite of utilities permits
automation of repetitive tasks, such as loading applications, opening
work directories, viewing the contents of discs, and many more. Designed
primarily for ease of use, a flexible short cut editing tool allows the
creation of batch jobs via drag and drop. Several other time-saving
utilities are included, and the whole package retails at ú15 (no VAT)
inc p&p. R-Comp will be on stand 40 at the show.
9.2
InterLink from Liquid Silicon allows the transfer of files and
applications between 32-bit Acorn computers via a serial and or/parallel
link. It is particularly useful for transferring lots of small files or
for transferring large files which will not fit on a floppy disc, e.g.
colour scans, PhotoCD images and Replay files. The parallel cable
versions offer faster rates than serial, though serial cables can run to
over 50 metres in length. A talk option is also included which allows
messages to be passed between the two machines.
9.2
InterLink requires RISC OS 3.10 or later. A300, 400, 500 and the A3000
can only transmit through the parallel port, and so to receive files,
the serial option will have to be used (you can send files via parallel
and receive via serial, hence the option to buy both versions at once).
The prices (inc VAT and p&p) are: Serial 2m ú29.95; 5m ú31.95; 10m
ú35.95. Parallel 2m ú31.95; 5m ú35.95; 10m ú42.95. Serial + parallel 2m
ú43.90; 5m ú49.90; 10m ú60.90.
9.2
Padlock = WatchDog Ö The PadLock application mentioned last month (p7)
has been renamed. This is because an application of the same name
already exists (produced by ICS). Neither Acorn nor Archive knew of the
pre-existing product but, nonetheless, Base5 have changed their product
name to WatchDog, and the Junior version becomes WatchPup!
9.2
Physics Tutor from Kinetic Computing, is a very easy-to-use, but
powerful teaching and revision aid aimed at pupils studying for GCSE
Physics exams. It has a multiple choice format and most questions relate
to a specific statement in the current NEAB syllabus. There are a total
of 270 questions, and students are given the opportunity to re-attempt
all the questions they have answered incorrectly. Also available are
Biology and Chemistry versions in the same vein.
9.2
Physics Tutor will work on all RISC OS computers with a hard disc, 1Mb
of RAM and running RISC 3.0 or later. Site licence: ú120 for each
subject, with all three available for ú250. The individual price on a
stand alone computer is ú25 for each subject or ú49 for all three.
9.2
SENstore is a program designed to help take the burden out of writing
individual education plans for special needs children. It lets you
create a report with up to five different report headings and 15
different topic headings of your choice, simply by clicking the mouse.
It comes with over 750 comments about Strengths, Weaknesses, Targets,
Action Plans, Monitoring, Review and Assessment, across a wide range of
subjects. Itæs easy to alter these or add your own, and you can store up
to 3,750 comments on a hard disc or 1.6Mb floppy disc. SENstore costs
ú34.95 (or ú5 for a working demo version) from NW SEMERC.
9.2
Speak is a software speech system which allows you to listen to text
files. Text may be spoken continuously, or a word or clause at a time.
Various talk-as-you-type options are provided, and simple editing may be
performed while the text is being spoken. The Speak speech system is
already being used within third party educational software, and can be
found in a number of products, including Clicker, Writing with Symbols,
TalkWrite and Talking TextEase. The Speak module and its data takes
about 150Kb, and will run on any Acorn RISC computer. Itácontains a
comprehensive pronunciation dictionary, as well as an exceptions editor.
It costs ú19.50 inclusive, or ú1.50 for a demo version from NW SEMERC.
9.2
Textease 2 and Talking Textease Ö For creative productivity, ease of use
is far more important than functionality and there is no DTP package
easier to use than Textease which has now reached version two. The new
version allows text to be rotated (and still be edited), JPEG support on
RISC OS 3.60, drag and drop editing, Object Linking & Embedding (OLE),
an ellipse tool, arrow heads on lines, customisable button bar. Talking
Textease is the same as Textease with the addition of an extra button on
the button bar to make it start talking Ö highlighting each word as it
is spoken. There is also an option to talk as you type. Textease version
2 costs ú49 +VAT from Softease and Talking Textease is ú65 +VAT or ú55
and ú73 through Archive.
9.2
Touch IT is a touch screen from SEMERC. It is a robust infra-red touch
screen that fixes firmly over the front of 14ö monitors using strong
adhesive anchor pads. The user simply has to touch the computer screen
to play a game etc. This eliminates the complications of using the
keyboard, mouse or switches, allowing users to commit their attention to
the task in hand. The Touch IT comes with a driver disc to allow it to
emulate the mouse. This makes the mouse pointer follow your finger as
you move it around the screen, so you can use the Touch IT with any
software that normally uses the mouse. It fits most 14ò Acorn monitors
(not metal-cased Microvitec ones) Ö you can ring SEMERC if you have
anything unusual. Touch IT costs ú229 +VAT.
9.2
Trellis Adventure Interpreter has been upgraded by Soft Rock Software.
The major change is the addition of graphics. Trellis now displays a
drawfile along with each location in the game, a facility which has been
added thanks to Acornæs drawfile rendering module. The new version is
supplied on two 800Kb discs and, after December 31st, will be priced at
ú8.99 including p&p. Until then, the price will be held to ú7.99.
Existing users of the present version will be sent free upgrades.
9.2
TV splitter cables Ö A complete and inexpensive range of splitter cables
is now available from Eastmond Publishing Ltd (see 8.11 p29). Designed
in association with Acorn Computers, they allow any Acorn computer and
monitor to be connected to a classroom TV. The leads come with stereo
audio link and cost between ú13.50 and ú17.50 (depending on type) +VAT
and p&p.
9.2
Worldæs Weather CD-ROM Ö This CD-ROM from Anglia Multimedia focuses on
the National Curriculum at Key Stage 3, in Geography and Science. The
Worldæs Weather disc offers four principal sections, dealing with
Processes in the Atmosphere, Changing Seasons, Weather and Climate, and
Life in Different Climate Zones. Each section offers the student the
chance to dig more deeply into the subject, with the aid of photographs,
drawings, video and animation sequences. At all stages, text and images
can be extracted from the disc for students to use in their own project
or exam work. The Worldæs Weather costs ú50 +VAT or ú56 through Archive.
9.2
Review software received...
9.2
We have received review copies of the following: ÅBible Picture Library
CD (ae), ÅChris the Bat (e), ÅChristian Celebrations (e), ÅGuardians of
the Greenwood CD (e), ÅSpeak (e), ÅTrellis (u), ÅVistamusic-3 (music
package for the non-keyboard player).
9.2
a=Art, e=Education, b=Business, bk=Book, c=Comms, g=Game, h=Hardware,
l=Language, m=Multimedia, u=Utility.
9.2
If you would like to review any of these products, please contact the
Archive office. Potential reviewers will need to show that they would
use the product in a professional capacity or that they have some
knowledge of the particular field.áuá
9.2
4Mation    14 Castle Park Road, Whiddon Valley, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32
8PA. (01271¡25353) (01271¡22974)
9.2
Acorn Direct   FREEPOST, 13 Dennington Road, Wellingborough, Northants,
NN8á2BR. (01933¡279300)
9.2
Acorn Computers Ltd    Acorn House, Vision Park, Histon, Cambridge, CB4
4AE. (01223¡254254) (01223¡254262)
9.2
Aleph One Ltd   The Old Courthouse, Bottisham, Cambridge, CB5 9BA.
(01223¡811679) (01223¡812713)
9.2
Alsystems   47 Winchester Road, Four Marks, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 5HG.
(01420¡561111)
9.2
Alternative Publishing   Suite 91, 9A Pentagon House, 36 Washington
Street, Glasgow, G3 8AZ. (0141¡248¡2322) (0141¡248¡3638)
9.2
Anglia Multimedia   Anglia House, Norwich, NR1 3JG. (01603¡615151)
(01603¡631032)
9.2
ANT Ltd   P.O.Box 300, Cambridge, CB1 2EG. (01223¡567808) (01223¡567801)
9.2
APDL    39 Knighton Park Road, Sydenham, London, SE26 5RN.
9.2
Avie Electronics (p9)  7 Overbury Road, Norwich. (01603¡416863)
(01603¡788640)
9.2
Base5 Technical Graphics   P.O. Box 378, Woking, Surrey, GU21 4DF.
(01483¡761197)
9.2
Beebug Ltd    117 Hatfield Road, St Albans, Herts, AL1 4JS.
(01727¡840303) (01727¡860263)
9.2
Christian Computer Art   12 Crundale Crescent, Cardiff, CF4 5PY.
(01222¡758484)
9.2
Computer Concepts   Gaddesden Place, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 6EX.
(01442¡63933) (01442¡231632)
9.2
Creative Curriculum Software   5 Clover Hill Road, Savile Park, Halifax,
HX1 2YG. (01422¡340524) (01422¡346388)
9.2
Cumana Ltd   Pines Trading Estate, Broad Street, Guildford, GU3 3BH.
(01483¡503121) (01483¡503326)
9.2
David Pilling   P.O.Box 22, Thornton Cleveleys, Blackpool, FY5 1LR.
9.2
Eastmond Publishing   33 West Street, Oundle, Peterborough, PE8 4EJ.
(01832¡273444)
9.2
Eesox   Suite 8C, Newton House, 147 St Neots Road, Hardwick, Cambridge,
CB3á7QJ. (01954¡212263) (01954¡212263)
9.2
Icon Technology   9 Jarrom Street, Leicester, LE2 7DH. (0116¡254¡6225)
9.2
IFEL   34 Culver Road, Saltash, Cornwall, PL12 4DR. (01752¡847286)
(01752¡840029)
9.2
Jonathan Duddington   6a Old Mill Avenue, Coventry, CV4 7DY.
(01203¡415535)
9.2
Kinetic Computing   12 Marsett Place, Brookfield, Preston, Lancashire,
PR2 6ST (01772¡795202)
9.2
Liquid Silicon   2 Forth Avenue, Kirkcaldy, Fife, KY2 5PN.
(01592¡592265)
9.2
Longman Logotron   124 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge
CB4 4ZS. (01223¡425558) (01223¡425349)
9.2
Modus Software   90 Telford Road, Lenziemill Industrial Estate,
Cumberland, Glasgow G67á2NJ.
9.2
Northwest SEMERC   1 Broadbent Road, Watersheddings, Oldham, OL1 4LB.
(0161¡627¡4469)
9.2
Oak Solutions   Dial House, 12 Chapel Street, Halton, Leeds, LS15 7RN
(0113¡232¡6992) (0113¡232¡6993) [e-mail]
9.2
Oregan Developments   36 Grosvenor Avenue, Streetly, Sutton Coldfield,
B74 3PE. (0121¡353¡6044)
9.2
Quantum Software   35 Pinewood Park, Deans, Livingston, EH54 8NN.
(01506¡411162 after 6)
9.2
R-comp   22 Robert Moffat, High Legh, Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 6PS
(01925¡755043) (01925¡757377) ([e-mail])
9.2
Repair Zone   421 Sprowston Road, Norwich, NR3 4EH. (01603¡400477)
(01603¡417447)
9.2
Sibelius Software   75 Burleigh Street, Cambridge, CB1 1DJ.
(01223¡302765) (01223¡351947)
9.2
Softease   The Old Courthouse, St Peters Churchyard, Derby, DE1 1NN.
(01332¡204911) or (01684¡773173)
9.2
Soft Rock Software   FREEPOST (BS7978), Westbury¡on¡Trim, Bristol, BS10
7BR.
9.2
Texellence   2 Greenhill Road, Coleraine, N Ireland, BT51 3JE.
9.2
Yellowstone Educ.  Solutions   Welbeck House, Welbeck Road, Luton, Beds.
LU2 0HD.
9.2
Archive Monthly Disc
9.2

9.2
u Apollonius sample animation, Dave Wilcox, p77.
9.2
u Beginneræs Basic program, Ray Favre, p43.
9.2
u Beginneræs Edit text, John Temple, p37.
9.2
u C++ article (second half, to be published next month) Tony Houghton,
p38.
9.2
u C++ review (second half, to be published next month) Steve Poulard,
p29.
9.2
u Cassette Inlay printing application, Freeware, Malcolm Knight.
9.2
u Graphics sample, Christopher Jarman (advertising his services).
9.2
u Keystrokes, Stuart Halliday, p6.
9.2
u OPL sample program, Govind Kharbanda, p13.
9.2
u ProArt24 sample, Malcolm Banthorpe, p57.
9.2
u SCSI compatibility chart, Jim Nottingham, p22.
9.2
u Sibelius samples referred to in Ian Beswickæs review on p73.
9.2
u Satellite programs, Francis Crossley, p25.
9.2
Norwich Computer Services     96a Vauxhall Street, Norwich, NR2 2SD.
(01603-766592) (764011)
9.2
áááááááemail: [e-mail]
9.2
Fact-File
9.2
(The numbers in italic are fax numbers)
9.2
Government Health Warning Ö Reading this could seriously effect your
spiritual health
9.2
Only room for a quickie, so Iæll reserve it for a comment from a
Ésatisfied customeræ. Sara came on the first Alpha course we ran at our
local church. öI didnæt realise what Échurchæ was until I came on the
course Ö itæs very different from what I thought Ö not a building but a
group of people who love each other and love God.ò
9.2
Sara also now meets each week with a small group of other Christians to
study the bible, pray for each other and encourage each other. (We need
it Ö itæs not easy being a Christian these days!) She has also been
reading through the bible on her own to try to get an idea of Éthe whole
thingæ. (If you are one of those people who thinks öthe bible is full of
contradictionsò, listen carefully to what someone says who is actually
reading it and studying it, today, 1995.) She made the following
unprompted comment, öYou know, itæs amazing how all the different bits
of the bible hang together Ö they all seem to be saying the same sort of
thing about God.ò When did you last actually read any of the bible? Try
it Ö you might find it different from what you remembered!
9.2
P.B.
9.2
Paul Beverley
9.2
The times they are aæchanginæ
9.2
Itæs hardly what you would call a Édeep, meaningful, incisive commentæ,
but the Acorn community is going through a time of considerable change
at the moment. In fact, the change is so fast, itæs taking me all my
time to concentrate on keeping NCS on the road. Thereæs certainly no
time for quiet contemplation of the significance of all thatæs
happening. That will come later. One thing I would say though is...
9.2
Thanks for all your support!
9.2
Itæs been great to have so many letters and cards pledging support for
Archive and NCS. (Thanks too for the BD cards, faxes and emails!!!) Then
there are the great articles you are sending in Ö perhaps, as editor,
Iáshouldnæt say this but I think the range and depth of articles in
Archive is improving, donæt you? Finally, your orders Ö if NCS and
Archive are to survive the changes, to put it bluntly, we need your
orders.  Theá20/20 scheme (available to the end of æ95) is encouraging
lots of you to think about buying a RiscáPC. We believe that NCS has the
expertise to advise you on the best setup and can provide the after-
sales service you want. And it seems that you agree, because NCS has
been selected (with eight others) as an...
9.2
Acorn Centre of Technology
9.2
The selection was based on feedback from Clan members as to which
dealerships offered the best support. We arenæt quite sure what the
practical implications are yet, but Acorn are pledged to provide the
ACTs with ösupport to help them supply the advanced level of service
looked for by Clan membersò. For our part, we are aiming to improve the
support, the first small step being to open on Saturday mornings. That
might mean that some of you could think of driving to Norwich to collect
your purchases (please ring first to ensure we have what you want).
Saving ú15 on the carriage of a computer could pay for the petrol and
you could have a good day out in Norwich or around Norfolk.
9.2
Come to the Show
9.2
I hope that as many as possible will come and see us at Acorn World 95 Ö
stand 116 Ö you can meet up with other subscribers and contributors,
support the Charity Sale, introduce a friend to Archive (and take issue
with me over something I wrote that you didnæt agree with!?) We want the
Charity Sale to raise lots of money Ö itæs not too late to send stuff to
Norwich but, better still, bring it with you to Wembley. Also, if you
feel you could help out for an hour or so on the Charity Sale, please
let me know. (Sadly, even a stand in aid of charity is vulnerable to
thieving Ö please keep your eyes open, whichever side of the counter
youære on.)
9.2
Time for a change?
9.2
No chance! Thereæs no way Iæm going to leave the Acorn Family!
9.2
Happy reading!
9.2
Keystroke Column
9.2
Stuart Halliday
9.2
From the feedback Iæve had, it seems you all want more on how to
actually use Keystroke generally, rather than how to set up one
application as I did in the last article. So, in this column, Iæll try
to make it more of a hints and tips page.
9.2
One thing I got a lot of questions about was how to upgrade to the
latest version of Keystroke (currently v3.07). If you want the latest
version of Keystroke, return your original Keystroke disc to Quantum
Software and we will upgrade it free of charge, but please enclose two
first class stamps (or two international reply coupons if sending from
abroad).
9.2
Keystroke news
9.2
At the Acorn World æ95 in October, we will be showing off version 4.00
of Keystroke. It has been given a facelift, had some intelligence built
in and, consequently, youæll find that it has been made easier to set up
and use. Also, a totally new and bigger manual has been written by Geoff
Stilwell of The ARM Club fame and the entire manual is in the style of a
tutorial with lots of examples of how things are done. öNot before
time!ò, some people might say.
9.2
These two items should be available from the end of October, but there
will be an upgrade price of ú9.95 in order to get them. I also have to
announce that after the show, Keystroke 4 will be rising slightly in
price to ú34.95 to reflect its increased usefulness. Keystroke has been
the same price since 1992 and we canæt keep it down any longer, I fear.
9.2
Tip of the day
9.2
One of the many useful aspects of Keystroke is to bring up the ÉSave asæ
dialogue box of any application and then perhaps get it to automatically
press <return> Ö a kind of quick save facility. Some users do this by
setting up an ÉInsert textæ command with the text É\F3\|Mæ in the text
box. This is fine and dandy, but what if you want this key press to only
work on a particular application like Paint, but not Draw, for example?
You see, Keystroke has only been programmed to do it for any application
that will respond to the <F3> type keypress.
9.2
Here is how to get it to do it for a specific application. Make the
first Keystroke sequence a ÉMenu selectionæ type. Set this one to your
application by dragging the ÉDrag to setæ icon to the applicationæs
window and leave all the Menu items set to É0æ and only highlight the
ÉWindow at pointeræ and ÉMust match Detailsæ options. Create a second
Keystroke sequence to do the ÉInsert textæ type as before and highlight
the Link option.
9.2
Now, when you start this sequence off, only if the mouse pointer is over
the applicationæs window will the application be forced to perform a
quick save. The Menu selection sequence is not really doing anything in
this case except checking that the pointer is over the application you
want and, since the link option is on, the second sequence is performed
and the file saved.
9.2
New !KeysLib function
9.2
An interesting Keystroke library function has just been donated by Liam
Rudden of Edinburgh. It strips off those irritating É/xyzæ tags off PC
DOS files and then filetypes them as well! Iæve added it to the
Keystroke Library and it works a real treat. I can just point to a
directory, and Keystroke automatically strips off the DOS tags and sets
the correct filetypes of all the files. Thanks Liam for a really useful
function! Weære always on the lookout for useful functions to add to
Keystroke.
9.2
Youæll find a copy of this function and the ones used in the last
article on this monthæs Archive disc. (Yes, Iáforgot to supply the ones
used last month.)
9.2
Finally
9.2
If you have any queries or suggestions for subjects for future Keystroke
columns then please write to me at Quantum Software (with a S.S.A.E.
please) or even send some email!
9.2
Stuart Halliday, 35 Pinwood Park, Livingston, EH54á8NN.
([e-mail])áuá
9.2
Clan Acorn Column
9.2
Simon Ogilvie
9.2
Itæs been a quiet summer as far as the Clan goes, but itæs good to see
that, with Acornæs latest company restructuring, things are starting to
move again. Indeed, the new company structure will hopefully be better
able to design and build products that will be of interest to the
enthusiast market. With ART (Applied Risc Technologies Ö the R+D
division of Acorn) headed up by the highly charismatic Peter Bondar,
enthusiasts are certain of some interesting developments to look out
for. The Clan is still run by Chris Cox who now comes under the Acorn
Education division. This initially appears to be an unusual base for the
Clan until you realise that most Acorn enthusiasts are involved in
education in one way or another, and the educational market is the
largest driving force behind Acornæs development. With Acorn now divided
into smaller and more highly focussed divisions, hopefully the Clan
should be in a better position to build on its original concepts of
dialogue-feeding development.
9.2
Clan Newsletter N║4
9.2
The latest Clan newsletter has recently gone out to members, and
although this is the first one not to include a disc of software, it
includes some very interesting information. Not least of these is the
offer for Clan members who buy a Risc PC or A7000. Instead of the 20/20
finance scheme, Clan members can choose either to receive up to a ú150
rebate or a öProgrammeræs bundleò which consists of the C/C++ package,
the full PRMs and the Style Guide. This package would normally cost
nearly ú400, so represents quite a bargain, especially when you view it
in the light of the ú15 joining fee! Apparently, the offer is even
available for purchases of a machine without a monitor ö...in certain
circumstances...ò, and is valid until the end of the year.
9.2
Also in the newsletter are details of the appointment of Acornæs new MD,
and the restructuring that followed. This includes a öquestion and
answerò sheet that should put many peopleæs worries about Acornæs future
to rest. There has been a lot of discussion on the Internet newsgroups
about the direction of the company under its new MD, and an article in a
recent issue of the Daily Mail left a lot of people with the impression
that Acorn are about to turn into a PC clone manufacturer and that RISC
OS and the Risc PC are to be dropped. This is absolutely not true, and
the Clan newsletter, along with information posted to the newsgroups,
should dispel these rumours. Many people perhaps will be reassured only
by the appearance of new products and new OS releases Ö they will not be
disappointed.
9.2
Acorn Centres of Technology
9.2
A further sign of commitment to enthusiasts is the setting up of Acorn
Centres of Technology. This is in response to requests by Clan members
for ö...facilities, such as showrooms, demonstrating top-of-the-range
systems, customer service phone lines and in-depth knowledge of expanded
systemsò to quote from Acornæs press release. Currently, nine Acorn
dealers have been named under this scheme and will be receiving support
from Acorn to help supply the advanced level of service:
9.2
AJS Computing, Chelmsford, Essex
9.2
Alsystems, Alton, Hants
9.2
Atomwide, Orpington, Kent
9.2
Beebug Ltd, St Albans, Herts
9.2
CJE Micros, Worthing, Sussex
9.2
Davyn, Wakefield, West Yorkshire
9.2
Desktop Projects Ltd, Stockport, Cheshire
9.2
Norwich Computer Services, Norwich, Norfolk
9.2
Uniqueway, Cardiff, South Glamorgan
9.2
This scheme is a direct result of the dialogue between Acorn and the
Clan members, and these nine dealers were all recommended by members
(well done NCS!). Acorn is looking to expand the scheme and welcomes any
further recommendations of dealers who do a good job for enthusiasts.
Suggestions for products or services that they could provide under the
Technology Centre scheme are also welcome. Several of these dealers have
included details of special offers to Clan members in the latest
newsletter.
9.2
(The first spin off from the ACT setup is that NCS can now supply ARM710
upgrades Ö you donæt have to get them via Acorn Direct. Send either ú117
and your old ARM610 chip or ú147 and get a ú30 credit when you return
the ARM610. Ed.)
9.2
Finally, the newsletter has details of the latest generation of Risc PCs
with the new features of Risc OS 3.60, including the new filecore. There
is a form for Clan members to register for the beta test of the filecore
on their own hardware. (This has interesting implications for those who
buy new machines and install different discs in them!) Acorn will not be
releasing 3.60 as an upgrade for existing users, but there will be an
upgrade to a later version which will presumably include changes made as
a result of this beta test. Clan members will therefore have had a
direct input into the development of RISC OS! Unfortunately, I wonæt be
included in this as I have an Oak SCSI card in my Risc PC which does not
appear to support the new filecore, so unless Acorn does a special offer
on SCSI card upgrades, Iæll just have to wait until I can afford a new
machine (again!).
9.2
Acorn World
9.2
This yearæs Acorn World show should have plenty on offer to interest
Clan members. There will be a seminar given by Peter Bondar with entry
restricted to those who show their Clan membership cards, so donæt
forget to take yours with you to the show! As the öhead honchoò of ART,
Peter is in a good position to be able to give an insight into the
future direction of ARM technology as it relates to Acorn computers,
with the development of ARM800 and StrongARM processor cards. Chris Cox
is also giving a talk, on the subject of the Internet, which Acorn are
clearly committed to with their web site, ftp area and email, and
network software is now built-in to the RISC OS 3.60 ROMs.
9.2
Acorn will be showing the multiprocessor card, which is now at a much
more advanced state of development than it was at last yearæs show! In
fact, there is a picture of the card on the Clan page of Acornæs web
site, and you can even download a short Replay movie of it! (I can
confirm it is REAL! Those who went to the Big Ben Club Show in
Hardwijke, Holland saw it in action! Ed.)
9.2
The card plugs into one of the normal CPU slots, and provides two
ömasterò processor slots (one each for an ARM card and a PC card), as
well as five further slots for öslaveò processors. Obviously, the slave
CPUs will not automatically be used by the current version of RISC OS,
but applications could be written to access them in parallel with each
other. Also, TAOS, and perhaps even one of the Unix ports, could use the
multiprocessor capability directly, giving access to a very powerful CPU
resource, even with todayæs technology. With ARM 800 cards, StrongARMs
or later technology, this could lead to some extremely powerful
hardware. This is clearly of little use unless there is the software and
operating system to harness it, but Acorn have already shown that they
are developing this with the multithreaded microkernel (which was on the
first Clan disc), and TAOS. Windows 95 starts to look a very poor
competitor...áuá
9.2
Avie Electronics
9.2
New??? or use 9.1áp9
9.2
Acorn World æ95
9.2
Plans for the event are still very much on course, with Acornæs main
exhibit reflecting their newly announced structure of three operating
divisions: Acorn Education, Applied Risc Technologies (ART) and Online
Media (OM), and with a healthy exhibitor list in evidence.
9.2
This year a myriad of SuperHighway technology will be on show. The
popularity of Technology City, the heart of Acornæs exhibit, is likely
to be matched by that of The Cyber CafΘ area Ö the civilised spot where
anyone can learn about and ÉSurfæ the Internet for free, and by
demonstrations in support of the emerging world of interactive
television.
9.2
For children, thereæs a special attraction Ö Disneyæs Pocahontas. See
clips from the film, meet the characters on Friday and Sunday, win a
Disney GoodyBag, understand how the animation is created through
Disneyæs Film Education, and visit Buena Vista Internationalæs Movie
Plex on the Internet.
9.2
And in the Cyber CafΘ area, computer whizz kids can chat and video-
conference over a special live Internet link with their counterparts on
the Blue Peter stand at the BBC Big Bash in Birmingham Ö which Blue
Peter will be filming at Acorn World on the Friday.
9.2
Special show offers include the A3010 Early Years Computer at ú199 +VAT,
Acorn Pocket Book II, including a free RAM disc for ú205 +VAT, and Acorn
PC Exchange (a new product giving free data exchange between RISC OS and
Windows) for ú25 +VAT. Plus two Pocket Book IIs to be won each day of
the event in a free, twice-daily prize draw Ö just complete a
registration card.
9.2
Not a show to miss! Advance tickets save money Ö information and ticket
hotline [phone].
9.2
Acorn Corporate Affairs.
9.2
Aleph One Limited plans to show new additions to its range of PC cards
running the latest Windows software, including Windows 95, at Acorn
World 95. The companyæs stand (80) will feature the latest models for
the RiscáPC as well as its existing range of expansion cards suitable
for all RISC OS computers, and RiscáPC second processor cards featuring
486 DX-40 and DX/2-80 processors.
9.2
Longman Logotron have two new releases for the Acorn Show. The Big
Picture is an image processing package that takes advantage of the
graphics of the RiscáPC, whilst still being usable on even single Mb
machines. Images, including photographs and video stills, can be
captured, retouched and altered. It incorporates a virtual memory system
which makes it possible to create and edit large images in 32,000 and
16.7 million colours, even with only modest amounts of memory. The Big
Picture supports JPEG, PhotoCD, GIF, TIF, sprites and Clearfiles. It can
also accept drawfiles, which it translates into bit-images. Music Studio
32 is a 32¡track Midi recorder/score writer that offers schools, home
and semi-professional users powerful studio facilities. Music can be
played in and digitised for viewing on the screen prior to editing. Four
editors are available: sequence editor, where music is recorded and
represented as horizontal blocks or bars; a score editor, for editing
within the stave format; a grid editor, for detailed editing where
traditional notation is not required; and layout editor where the score
is tidied up prior to printing.
9.2
MidiWorks Ö Oregan Developments will be showing their forthcoming Midi
sequencer, MidiWorks, at Acorn World 95. MidiWorks answers a demand from
Midi musicians wanting to create music on the RISC OS platform, with a
tool offering professional editing facilities, and playback resolution.
There are no pricing details as yet Ö weæll have more details when they
become available.
9.2
P B Bear Ö Acorn Education has announced the release of ÉP.B. Bearæs
Birthday Partyæ, the first Dorling Kindersley educational CD-ROM title
available for the Acorn RISC OS platform. Other Dorling Kindersley CDs
will soon become available to Acorn users, including ÉThe Way Things
Workæ, due to be shown at Acorn World æ95. Already available in PC
format, the program to enable the discs to run on the Acorn platform was
written by Desktop Laminations. Initially, Acorn users will receive the
PC-format CD and an additional floppy disc containing the data required
for it to run on their RISC OS machine. Together, the package costs ú39
including VAT, available through Kindersley Family Library
distributors.áuá
9.2
Hints and Tips
9.2
Alt(ernative) characters Ö (Thanks to John Woodgate and Jim Nottingham
for stretching my list of special characters in 9.1 p17.)
9.2
I missed out several accented characters out, so here is the full list I
can now create:
9.2
  alt-[  ß ┴ Θ ╔ φ ═ ≤ ╙ · ┌ ² ▌
9.2
  alt-]  α └ Φ ╚ ∞ ╠ ≥ ╥ ∙ ┘
9.2
  alt-;  Σ ─ δ ╦ ∩ ╧ ÷ ╓ ⁿ ▄
9.2
  alt-É  Γ ┬ Ω ╩ ε ╬ ⌠ ╘ √ █ é ü å à
9.2
  alt-,  π ├ ± ╤ ⌡ ╒
9.2
  alt-.  σ ┼
9.2
  alt-/  τ ╟
9.2
To get the accented wæs and yæs for use in Welsh and Spanish, I had to
go back to using Trinity as Plantin does not have them.
9.2
Ed.
9.2
ArcTFS, from Texcellence, was written to run under Arthur on the old
A310 machine, so it will not run from a hard disc. If you happen to have
an old copy, it can be given a new lease of life by a simple brute force
kludge.
9.2
Copy the program to RAM disc and drag it into Edit. Create the following
two extra lines and save the modified program to the RAM disc.
9.2
81 *DISC 0
9.2
82 *MOUNT
9.2
Using Edit, create a simple !Boot file:
9.2
| !Boot file for TFS
9.2
IconSprites <Obey$Dir>.!Sprites
9.2
and a simple !Run file,
9.2
| !Run file for TFS.
9.2
| Alter WimpSlot as required.
9.2
WimpSlot -min 1100K
9.2
IconSprites<Obey$Dir>.!Sprites
9.2
Run <Obey$Dir>.TFS
9.2
Save all three files to the RAM disc.
9.2
Either create a new icon sprite with the name !tfs and save it under the
name !Sprites, or rename an old one and save that.
9.2
On the hard disc, create a new directory called !TFS and drag the four
files to it. Donæt worry if the new icon does not appear; it will, the
next time you switch on. Finally, format a disc using 800Kb (D) option.
9.2
The program can be started by double clicking on the !TFS icon, and the
first thing it will do is to look at drive 0. If it finds your blank
disc or one of your old data files, it will run without any problems.
All the data files must be saved on 800Kb (D) format discs.
9.2
Les May, Rochdale.
9.2
Cleaning HP cartridges (A last ditch measure) Ö Most articles I have
read on the subject of refilling mention that it is not possible to
refill the big HP cartridge because it is manufactured under reduced air
pressure.
9.2
This is not true; all you have to do is find an ink provider who sells
the right equipment (there are at least two in Germany, so there should
be some in the UK, too).
9.2
The trick is simply to blow 5 cm3 of air with a syringe (external
diameter of the needle provided with my refill set is 1.25 mm) through
the hole in the middle of the cartridgeæs cover (in the centre of the
light grey plastic circle) and then plug up the cartridge (I prefer to
use a piece of adhesive tape to cover the hole in the rear right hand
corner which, in a new cartridge, is closed with a little grey plastic
ball pressed into it.)
9.2
After the hole has been covered, both the syringe and the adhesive tape
across the ventilation opening in the bottom of the cartridge can be
removed, and there should be no leakage at all.
9.2
I find it far easier to refill the big cartridges than the smaller ones
which have a sponge inside. Because you can see through them, and
because you simply fill an empty container through a hole, a refill is
completed very quickly Ö I timed the last one I did for a colleague and,
altogether, it took me about 2╜ mins.
9.2
Jochen Konietzko, K÷ln, Germany
9.2
Coloured card Ö I found a source of cheap, coloured card that is fully
inkjet compatible. It is from Staples, called Adagio, weighs in at 160
gsm and is available in about half a dozen colours. 500 sheets cost
ú7.39 inc VAT. Another tip is to ignore Canonæs warning that paper over
100 gsm wonæt work in the BJ200 Ö this card works quite happily, as long
as you remember to set the feed selector to manual (the front position).
9.2
Nigel Caplan, Leeds.
9.2
ÉDeadæ mouse button? Ö If the select button on your mouse wonæt work
with, for example, the Éformatæ button on the floppy disc format window,
first check that you havenæt got Édrag delayæ and Édrag start distanceæ
in the Émouseæ part of !Configure set to zero. It took me a long time to
find that one!
9.2
Stuart Bell, Horsham.
9.2
Hard slash Ö Paul mentioned the splitting of things like É4/5æ across
the end of a line. This seems to be a Publisher Éfeatureæ. One possible
solution is to use the | character (shift-\) for the divider and
italicise it, as: 4|5. This acts as a Éhard slashæ Ö not elegant Ö but
it works Ö except that not all fonts change the vertical line into a
diagonal when italicised. (In Plantin light italic, the | is straight,
as you can see! The one above is a cheat using Trinity. Ed.)
9.2
Jim Nottingham, York.
9.2
Resetting the System beep Ö Lots of programs do horrible things to the
System beep, from changing the tempo to switching it off altogether. One
way to get it back easily is a one line Basic program, affixed to the
Pinboard.
9.2
As my computer stands in a rather noisy room, I load a module öGunshotò
in my Boot sequence to make sure I hear it Ö especially the Alarm Ö even
if I am, at the time, in another part of the room.
9.2
10 OSCLI (öChannelVoice 1 ò+öGunshotò):SYS
öSound_Configureò,0,0,100;SOUND 1,&17F,&4700,1
9.2
The last numbers determine the pitch of the sound Ö you can find the
details in the BBC Basic Guide.
9.2
Instead of öGunshotò, you can use any voice name the computer knows,
including the dull öWaveSynth-Beepò. The built-in voices will need a
different pitch setting though Ö experiment!
9.2
Jochen Konietzko, K÷ln, Germany.
9.2
Risc PC monitors and power saving Ö Have you bought a Risc PC with a
modern monitor (with power saving options), and does the monitor refuse
to switch off if you activate the RISC OS 3.5 screen saver? If so, you
should take a look at your monitoræs definition file which is hidden in
!Boot.Resources.Configure.Monitors.
9.2
One of the first lines in this textfile reads DPMS_state:x, where x (a
number between 0 and 3) defines the behaviour of the monitor.
9.2
0 Ö use just the standard screen blanker
9.2
1 Ö switch the monitor to standby mode
9.2
2 Ö interrupt all signals to the monitor
9.2
3 Ö turn off the monitor completely
9.2
The number you prefer can simply be typed into the file in any text
editor Ö there is no need to use the likes of !MakeModes.
9.2
Of course, if you use one of the many screen-savers on the market, you
can still continue to do so. My personal settings are: Out-to-Lunchæs
fish tank to come on after four minutes, the RISCáOS 3.5 saver (with
DPMS_state:2) after 15 minutes.
9.2
Jochen Konietzko, K÷ln, Germany.
9.2
Snippet and PC486 Ö Snippetæs screen grabbing facility seems to stop
working when the !PC486 software is run. This is, however, only a
question of choosing the right hot keys. <Tab-left-alt>, for instance,
works perfectly even in single tasking mode, as does <capslock-left-
alt>.
9.2
Jochen Konietzko, K÷ln, Germany.
9.2
SyQuests in RiscáPCs Ö A warning to all RiscáPC owners with a 3╜ö
SyQuest in the top right drive position. I have my machine with such a
configuration and a fairly long SCSI lead. An extra connector sits on
top of the SyQuest. It stopped working with what the system said was a
fatal hardware error. I tried to eject the cartridge to find out what
was wrong. The eject lever wouldnæt release to its full extent. The lid
which I had just replaced was pressing the connector of the cable on to
the SyQuest and preventing movement. Rerouting the cable fixed the
problem.
9.2
Chris Walker, Norwich.
9.2
Switching !PC486 to single tasking mode Ö This is one of those bits of
information in the manual that are very easily overlooked. If you want
to change !PC486 to single tasking mode (even if the window is currently
frozen), a double click somewhere on the window is enough Ö there is no
need to go through the iconbar menu. A single click will unfreeze a
window without leaving the multitasking mode.
9.2
Jochen Konietzko, K÷ln, Germany.
9.2
OPL Programming
9.2
Govind Kharbanda
9.2
This new column is intended for readers interested in programming the
Acorn Pocket Book or Psion Series 3 palmtop computers. It is written for
people who are already competent in Basic, and are completely new to OPL
(the programming language for the Pocket Book and Series 3). Rather than
being tutorial in form, it is intended to be more of a programming
forum, with example structures given in BBC Basic with the equivalent
OPL structure alongside. For example, in Basic, you can use FOR ...
NEXT, but in OPL, you canæt! So one of the ₧rst examples I shall give is
to show how that may be achieved in OPL.
9.2
To begin with, I shall guide you through writing a simple OPL program,
to introduce the language. I am using a Pocket Book II, but the
procedure should be similar on other variants. (N.B. OPL is not provided
as standard with the original Pocket Book Ö it has to be purchased
separately Ö ú24 through Archive.)
9.2
Your ₧rst OPL program
9.2
To start off with, weæll turn the following simple Basic program into an
OPL one:
9.2
10 CLS
9.2
20 PRINT öThis is my first Pocket Book programò
9.2
30 a%=INKEY(300)
9.2
40 CLS
9.2
50 PRINT öPress a key to finishò
9.2
60 IF GET
9.2
70 END
9.2
If you want to, you can type it out on your Acorn to see what it does,
if the suspense is too much!
9.2
Go to the Pocket Book system screen (press the Desktop button) and move
to the OPL Program Editor. On the Pocket Book II, you can use the
keyboard short-cut Control-Write to do this. The program editor icon
looks like this:
9.2
Select ÉNew ₧leæ from the ÉFileæ menu (Acorn-N). Create a new ÉProgramæ
₧le with the name of your choice (max. eight letters, e.g. ÉExampleæ). A
blank screen will appear. This is the Program editor.
9.2
You will see that the screen is not entirely blank but PROC : has been
entered on the ₧rst line and ENDP on the third. These two keywords are
used to mark the start and end of a procedure de₧nition Ö the equivalent
of DEF PROC and ENDPROC in Basic. Note that, ináOPL, the space must be
present after PROC and that a colon must be present. Also, procedure
names are limited to 8 characters, like Pocket Book ₧lenames. So, the
equivalent of DEFáPROCdisplayinfo in Basic would be PROCádispinfo: in
OPL. To call the procedure, simply give the name of the procedure (+ the
colon).
9.2
In OPL, there are no line numbers. However, for GOTO freaks, GOTO is
possible in OPL, but I shall come to that later in the series. All OPL
programs, or modules, consist of procedures. Our program, due to its
simplicity, consists of only one procedure. We shall call this
ÉExampleæ. So, alter the top line to read PROC example: and press the
arrow down key to move to the next line.
9.2
You will notice that the cursor is already indented, as if the Tab key
had been pressed. This is not necessary, but it is usual to indent
procedure contents to make them more readable (just like the LISTO
commands in BBC Basic). On the second line, type:
9.2
PRINT öThis is my first Pocket Book programò
9.2
and press <enter>. We do not need to put in the CLS before it because
all programs clear the screen when run.
9.2
The next line makes the computer wait for 3 seconds (= 300
centiseconds). In OPL, there is a simple command, PAUSE, which has the
same effect. PAUSE 20 would wait for one second, so PAUSE 60 would
produce the required effect, i.e. as with the SOUND command in BBC
Basic, durations are measured in twentieths of a second.
9.2
The next line clears the screen. OPL also uses the command CLS, so no
problems there. The PRINT command is also the same.
9.2
IF GET in BBC Basic makes the program wait for the user to press a key.
The equivalent in OPL is just GET. Then, to ₧nish the procedure, we need
the ENDP command which should already be there provided you havenæt
deleted it.
9.2
By now you may be thinking, ÉHow can the people who write these
incredible OPL programs put up with such a small keyboard and screen?æ
Well, you donæt have to! You can write programs using Edit or Zap on the
Archimedes and transfer them via the A¡Link. The only disadvantage is
that you need to transfer the program to the Pocket Book each time you
want to test it. Alternatively, you could use Psionæs Series 3a
emulator, which runs on PCs (including the Risc PC card, I think). I
have not tried this out yet Ö it is freeware, although not supported by
Psion.
9.2
Now your program is ₧nished. Check it through, and then save the listing
using <acorn-S>. (It will be saved as Example, or whatever name you gave
it.) In Basic, we could now run the program. In OPL, we have an extra
stage! It needs to be Étranslatedæ. This creates a separate version of
the program which the Pocket Book can run. To translate, select the
ÉTranslateæ option from the ÉProgæ menu (or use <acorn-T>). Provided the
program is free of errors, it should translate. If not, it will give
some form of error message and you can return to the program, correct
the error, and re-translate.
9.2
Once the program translates successfully, the translated form is saved
and you are given the option of running it. Once you have run the
program, and pressed a key to ₧nish, you are returned to the Program
editor. If you exit to the System screen (press <desktop>), you will
notice a new icon to the right of the Program editor icon. Translated
programs appear under this icon, and can be run by moving onto them and
pressing <enter>. To stop a running program, press <acorn-esc>, or go to
the system screen, move onto the program (which will be highlighted in
Bold), and press <delete>.
9.2
The FOR ... NEXT loop!
9.2
Since there is no FOR ... NEXT loop in OPL, we have to use the
equivalent of Basicæs REPEAT ... UNTIL instead, i.e. DO ... UNTIL.
9.2
The BBC Basic version:
9.2
10 CLS
9.2
20 FOR a%=1 TO 10
9.2
30 PRINT öa% =ò;a%
9.2
40 NEXT
9.2
50 PRINT öFinishedò
9.2
60 IF GET
9.2
70 END
9.2
The OPL version:
9.2
PROC loop:
9.2
ááLOCAL a%
9.2
ááa%=0
9.2
ááDO
9.2
ááááa%=a%+1
9.2
ááááPRINT öa% = ò;a%
9.2
ááUNTIL a%=10
9.2
ááPRINT öFinishedò
9.2
ááGET
9.2
ENDP
9.2
Notice that I always put GET at the end of the program. Unlike Basic,
with its ÉPress SPACE or click mouse to continueæ message, OPL will go
straight back to the system screen at the end of a program.
9.2
Variables
9.2
More about these next month. I shall tell you now, however, that since
you can use upper or lower case letters when entering OPL keywords, you
have to be careful that you donæt use variables with names such as
print%, cursor%, and type$ since PRINT, CURSOR, and TYPE are all OPL
keywords and will be recognised as such. LOCAL must be used to de₧ne any
variables used at the start of a procedure, otherwise you will get an
ÉUnde₧ned externalsæ message when you try translating the program.
9.2
For those of you who canæt wait till next month, I have included some
short programs on the monthly disc, along with their Basic equivalents.
These can either be printed out using Edit and typed into the Pocket
Book, or downloaded using the A-Link. The !ReadMe ₧le has descriptions
of what the programs do, so you can ₧have a go yourself at writing them,
and then compare your version with mine.
9.2
A word of warning
9.2
Donæt make the mistake I didáand order a Pocket Book II Programmeræs
Guide (from Acorn Direct). What you will receive is a Psion Series 3a
Programming Manual (which costs ú5.99 from Psion) and ordering the so-
called Pocket Book II Programmeræs Guide from Acorn cost me ú12.99! Paul
Beverley at NCS con₧rmed that there is in fact no separate Pocket Book
II Programmeræs Guide. But I do suggest you buy the Psion Manual, as it
is very good value, is well written, and has lots of example programs.
It also has a list of all OPL keywords and their usage which is very
helpful.
9.2
Endnote
9.2
I hope the less adventurous Pocket Book users among you will now have
been tempted to try writing something. Donæt despair if your programs
donæt work to start off with Ö feel free to pass them on to me via the
Archive of₧ce and I shall try and ₧x them if I can. I hope to make this
column a regular one but that depends on contributors, so get
programming!áuá
9.2
The Psion 3a Programmeræs Guide is available by sending a cheque for ú6
(made out to Psion UK Ltd) to Customer Services, Psion UK Ltd, 85
Frampton Street, NW8 8NQ or ring them on 0171-262-5580. Ed.
9.2
Operating Systems Column
9.2
Ian Beswick
9.2
Many Acorn users take for granted the most commonly used piece of
software on their machines Ö RISCáOS. This is the operating system,
without which the machine would just be a useless box of electronic
components. RISCáOS provides a very easy to use Graphical User Interface
(GUI). It contains some features not found in other systems, but lacks
certain others...
9.2
As much as we would all like to see the launch of an all-singing-all-
dancing RISCáOS 4, the harsh economic truth is that it simply isnæt
cost-effective for Acorn to develop such a product. Instead, it is more
likely that we will see gradual changes to RISCáOS, coupled with the
ability to run foreign operating systems on Acorn hardware. The first of
these, the Risc PC 486 card, enables the most common operating systems
to be run (i.e. DOS and Microsoft Windows), but this is not the end of
the story.
9.2
In the coming months, we are likely to see an explosion in the number of
operating systems which are going to become available to RiscáPC users.
These developments may come as somewhat of a culture shock to many Acorn
users, particularly the complexities involved in merely installing and
configuring certain systems. This is where this column aims to help,
acting as a forum for information and the exchange of ideas.
9.2
Some of the forthcoming developments which might be covered include the
following (although I suspect that the first three are in the domain of
Mike Clarksonæs RiscDOS Column, so weæll have to compare notes!):
9.2
ÅáHigh performance Risc PC 486 processors (Aleph One)
9.2
ÅáPC hardware compatibility (ISAdaptor)
9.2
ÅáOther PC operating systems on the 486 Card (Windowsá95, OS/2, Unix
etc.)
9.2
ÅáMultiple ARM processors in a Risc PC (Simtec multi-processor card)
9.2
ÅáTAOS micro-kernel operating system
9.2
ÅáUnix running on the ARM processor (RiscBSD)
9.2
ÅáX-Windows (RiscáPC 700X)
9.2
ÅáPowerPC Processor Cards (Aleph1)
9.2
ÅáUtilities for easy sharing of information between operating systems
(AccessPC, OmniClient etc.)
9.2
ÅáAdditions to RISCáOS
9.2
As soon as I can get hold of any firm information (or, better still,
products for review!) I will write about them. In the meantime, if you
have any topics you would like to see covered, advice to offer, comments
or queries on these issues, please write to let me know.
9.2
I am a professional software engineer working mainly on Unix and PC
systems. However, I only intend covering issues concerned with using
operating systems on Acorn computers, rather than clogging Archive with
information better covered in other publications.
9.2
My address is 58 Eden Vale, Worsley, Manchester M28á1YR (Please enclose
an SAE if you would like aáreply).áuá
9.2
Help!!!!
9.2
Beebug HDD problems Ö Advice and/or comments would be appreciated
concerning the continued use of the Acorn-installed 720Kb (Sony)
internal FDD with the Beebug High Density Floppy Disc Controller Board
with an external high density FDD. The internal Sony disc drive light
fails to function. Can this be overcome in any way? Beebug seem unable
to help. Please phone me on 01256-881338 or write to 3, Ringshall
Gardens, Bramley, Tadley, Hants. RG26 5BW. Thanks.
9.2
Michael Rutland, Basingstoke.
9.2
Cassettes for the blind Ö Many thanks to all those who sent in RISCáOS
demo cassettes. It is so encouraging to see just how much goodwill there
is around. If anyone is still wondering about sending cassettes, the
ones that are particularly useful are the double ones that have a
copyright 1991 on them. They are more useful than the 1992 ones because
they are longer, but they are all useful. Thanks. (Bring them along to
the show if you prefer.)
9.2
Ed.
9.2
Cheap colour scanning? Ö Does anyone know of an Acorn Twain driver for
the ColourMobile hand-held colour scanner which connects to the printer
ports of PCs and seems to offer 24-bit colour (105mm wide) at ú149 +VAT,
or ú199 with a feeder? ICS advertise it for use with a PC Card, Windows
and 12Mb(!), but canæt it be used Énativeæ?
9.2
Stuart Bell, Horsham.
9.2
Countdown Ö Does anybody know where I can get a program for öCountdownò?
9.2
Brian Duncalf, Dolgellau, Gwynedd.
9.2
Geoscan on Nexus Ö Now that we have moved over to using a Nexus network,
the Geoscan program has ceased working. It comes up with an öUnable to
move memoryò error. The producers of Geoscan donæt seem to be
contactable anymore. Can anyone help, please?
9.2
Di Hillage, Penzance.
9.2
Internet credit card fraud? Ö Does anyone know if there is any real
danger in sending orders via Internet using a credit card? Someone has
said that there are people around who are scanning messages for four
sets of four digits, and taking them as credit card numbers and using
them. Is there anyone knowledgeable about this? Is there any way of
avoiding it other than, say, sending the numbers in two halves in two
separate emails? Wadja fink?
9.2
Ed.
9.2
Music on the RiscáPC Ö Can anyone tell me what I would need to add to a
RiscáPC in the way of hard/software in order to replace my (BBC
computer) Hybrid Music 5000? Also, does anyone know if any of the people
who composed and programmed Ample music scores moved onto the 32-bit
machines? Did Hybrid ever do anything for the new machines? Can you
sample a Music 5000 through a printer port? Has anyone written anything
to convert Ample format to a RISCáOS package?
9.2
David Barton, Bury St Edmunds.
9.2
Omar Sharifæs Bridge Ö Since losing our main software distributor, we
have not been able to find a supplier for Omar Sharifæs Bridge and so
have had to remove it from our price list. However, we have a reader in
New Zealand who wants a copy so would anyone be prepared to give or sell
us a copy? We will then add a handling charge and send it on to NZ. This
seems the easiest way to do it  because the customer can then pay us,
without any hassle, by Visa (...unless you are prepared to send it
f.o.c. direct to NZ!). Give us a ring if you can help. Thanks.
9.2
Ed.
9.2
ProText Ö Arnor told us some time ago that they were not continuing to
develop ProText for RISCáOS, so I thought Iæd see if I could upgrade to
the PC version. Sadly, my letters have been returned, ÉAddressee gone
awayæ. Does anyone know where they have gone?!
9.2
Charles Martin, Shanklin, IOW.
9.2
High Risc Racing
9.2
Chris Coe
9.2
öIæll review it!ò, I shouted on hearing about a new driving game that
NCS had received for review. When I finally got my grubby mits on it, I
was at first disappointed to discover that this was a birdæs-eye view
game and not a Stunt Racer-type extravaganza. However, these games soon
grow on you...
9.2
The concept is simple. This is a no-nonsense, no ridiculous plot driving
game, the aim being simply to stagger your way around a fistful of
tracks (20 in total, spread over 40 levels) and finish in front of
everyone else. If you finish in 3rd position or better, you get some
money with which you can upgrade your car, or buy one of eight shiny new
models. If you donæt, Iæm afraid itæs game over time, and you have to
start again from level one. Thankfully, you can save your position
between levels!
9.2
The tracks vary from difficult to exceedingly difficult, complete with
the usual oil spillages and pot-holes to avoid. At first, I became very
frustrated with the impossible manoeuvrability of my car... then I read
the instructions! A quick trip to the garage to fit some power-steering,
improved braking and acceleration, plus a handy increase in top speed,
coupled with a little practice at turning corners, and I was soon
zooming around with all the other cars.
9.2
Other things you can purchase at the garage include reduced fuel
consumption, increased fuel tank capacity, tyre and chassis protection,
rocket fuel (for that extra kick in those tricky ten-car pile-up
situations) and two types of missiles for eliminating your opponents:
XorSet missiles move only in a straight line, but the more expensive
Punishers will turn corners and home in on a car Ö very useful! Each
purchase affects things like the caræs trade-in value, the cost of
petrol, new tyres and so on.
9.2
As I said earlier, there are eight cars to choose from; you start with
the pitiful Strata XS at ú95,000 and hopefully graduate to the all-
conquering Hornet Turbo FX, costing a mere ú755,000. As you progress
through the levels, your opponentæs cars improve too, though personally
I couldnæt make money fast enough to keep up with them, which was rather
annoying.
9.2
The title graphics are nothing special, and the in-game graphics really
need some more variety. The actual scrolling is superb, moving in every
possible direction. As for sound, the effects are annoying, as per most
games, but the music fares rather better, with the player being able to
select any of six music tracks. They are by no means brilliant though
and, annoyingly, you have to return to the desktop to change the track
you are listening to. Both effects and music can be switched off.
9.2
Some other items that I would consider important for a driving game are
also missing. There is no practice mode where you are the only car on
the track, and even worse is the absence of a two-player mode, either
split-screen or serial link. In fact, the only driving mode is when you
race round the track with the computer cars, so you are thrown straight
in at the deep end.
9.2
Despite these shortcomings, I enjoyed playing High Risc Racing overall.
It is just let down by the poor in-game graphics and the lack of a two-
player mode. After all, once youæve completed all the tracks once,
youære not going to want to play through them again, so its lifespan has
been somewhat limited. Nevertheless, itæs good while it lasts.
9.2
High Risc Racing costs ú25, and can be obtained from Modus Software.áuá
9.2
Pocket Book Column
9.2
Audrey Laski
9.2
Iæm delighted to report that I have now had so many letters that I must
hold some over for the next column, but I hope that wonæt discourage
anyone with palmtop news, views or problems from writing; this little
flood could easily be followed up by another drought.
9.2
Simultaneity
9.2
David Worden of Colchester, writes that öThe Pocket Book II is quite
brilliantò and reckons that, combined with his mobile phone, it gives
him a miniature mobile office. He finds particularly useful the way
that, having set up a number of applications to run simultaneously, (by
using <shift-enter>), he can switch between them by pressing the
appropriate desktop symbol. Similarly, he uses <tab> to cycle between
different charts in his Abacus spreadsheets, and so can leap about among
three separate diaries, two databases and two spreadsheets each with
multiple charts with the minimum of key presses. Itæsáthis kind of speed
and flexibility which makes the Pocket Book such an extraordinary little
object.
9.2
Lottery fever
9.2
He has used OPL to construct a short program to generate lottery numbers
Ö I have also received an even shorter one from Graham Campbell of
Hathern, Leicestershire. If the lottery has, as I suspect, done far more
harm than good, it has at least given a new impetus to programmers.
Davidæs program uses a number built from the current month, day, hour,
minute and second to seed the RND function, which he reckons gives
17,000,000 different seeds. Grahamæs program is simpler and more direct.
I have no evidence that either of them will make millionaires!
9.2
More about power
9.2
Graham notes that he uses öthe Uniross charger, complete with four
batteries, from Argos. For less than a tenner, thereæs at least 500
charges there.ò He can carry the two spare charged batteries in the ú10
Psion leatherette pouch.
9.2
More about carrying
9.2
ú10 is less than the ú13.95 pouch recommended by Richard Darby in an
earlier column, though his was real leather and so probably better
value. The cheapest way yet noted of attaching the Pocket Book to a belt
is recommended by Mike McNamara of Dunstable, who has found that Tandyæs
general purpose ÉCordless Carry caseæ, though meant for a mobile phone
and therefore a slightly tight squeeze, is öquite suitable for the
Pocket Bookò and costs only ú3.99. Research continues, but it seems
unlikely that this price can be bettered.
9.2
More about the A-Link
9.2
Peter Young of Cheltenham, one of the columnæs regular correspondents,
picks up the observation by Richard Derby in Septemberæs column that
transferring data at 19200 is only recommended for use with post-A5000
machines and claims that his ö(RISC OS 3) A420/1 does not know this, and
has been happily transferring at 19200 for the last nine months.ò
9.2
Screenshot problem
9.2
Peter also writes about the possibility of making Pocket Book screen
shots. He found information about this in the release note (on disc) of
A-link (version 2.03). He says, öIf you press <ctrl-shift-Acorn_S>, this
saves the screen in the Pocket Book root directory as ÉScreen.picæ. This
works perfectly for me, but if I then go on to load this file into
!ChangeFSI (version 0.92), as the release note says, and save the
resulting sprite, I get a pure black sprite, regardless of what the
screen originally showed.ò He hopes that someone with extensive
knowledge about !ChangeFSI can explain how to transfer his sprites
untransformed.
9.2
Clumsy dunceæs corner
9.2
John of the other side of the bed had taken the Pocket Book to the other
side of the bed to make a phone call to a number from our address
cardfile. He was disturbed when the information he was about to draw on
disappeared, plunging him back to the beginning of the address file, and
even more alarmed to find that the whole record had been deleted from
the file. Fortunately, the address book was, backed up on our desktops,
so I didnæt throw him out with nothing but a fine-tooth comb, and we
investigated the disappearance. It turned out that he was clutching the
Pocket Book to his chest and resting the phone on it preparatory to
punching in the numbers. Thus, he pressed down <Acorn> and <space>, and
this combination deleted the current record, without asking for
confirmation. This, I think, is a bug, since it is an effect not
mentioned in the manual; other users beware.
9.2
Endnote
9.2
Pocket Books (or Psions) seem to be playing an important part on the
peripheries of the war in former Yugoslavia. When watching BBC2æs ÉSiege
Doctorsæ, I was delighted to see that one of the British surgeons, who
have taken their skill and courage in their hands and gone to help the
wounded of Sarajevo, was casually using one. Then, in Marcel Ophulsæ
documentary, War Correspondents, one of the international reporters
covering Bosnia waved his palmtop, complaining that he had just
accidentally deleted his report. Another urged him to throw away the
machine and get back to paper technology, but the reply was (more or
less), öNot likely! Iæve got 2000 telephone numbers in here!òáuá
9.2
Me, my Acorn and OSCAR
9.2
James Miller
9.2
Itæs always interesting to know what our customers do with their Acorns.
They are so incredibly versatile, we suspect there are as many answers
as there are users. James recently sent us this report Ö let us have
yours and weæll publish the most interesting ones. Ed.
9.2
Iæve used computers virtually every day for over 30 years, but they only
entered my home in 1984 with the astonishing BBC Micro, which expanded
until it burst. Then, in 1987, came an A420 that also expanded until it
burst. Now I have a Risc PC that looks as if it is more elastic than any
previous machine, but even that may burst in due course.
9.2
These machines have one feature in common and that is that they are on
from breakfast till bedtime, often longer. Iæm a self-employed
electronics engineer, and thereæs virtually nothing that doesnæt get
processed by the Risc PC. Letters, faxes, accounts, record keeping of
all kinds, reports, design, analysis, simulation, drawing, number
crunching, programming, games, Internet email, FTP and WWW; even the CD-
ROM drive is kept busy playing music.
9.2
To my surprise, I find that very little of my software is purchased;
Style, SparkFS and Hard Disc Companion, of course (no-one should be
without those), plus Hearsay, ArcFax, TemplEd and a couple more,
including Flossy the Frog, Jim gets the Sneezes and Grannyæs Garden.
Guess who theyære for?
9.2
The remaining software, some 200Mb at least, is all PD, trawled from
monthly magazine discs, Internet archives or simply written by myself.
Indispensable PD includes StrongEd, Zap and BlackHole (no-one should be
without those either), FYEO2, Creator and Translatr for routine graphics
work and, for Internet use, TCP/IP2, TTFN and ArcWeb. If itæs PD, Iæve
probably got it... somewhere!
9.2
But wait, thereæs more
9.2
While you catch your breath, I have another obsession Ö sorry, Éhobbyæ Ö
amateur radio. This and computers were made for each other as youæll
see.
9.2
Amateur radio is a scientific recreational hobby which attracts 5
million devotees worldwide, including some 50,000 in the UK. The hobbyæs
purpose is self-training and recreation in the art and science of radio
communication.
9.2
Well thatæs the theory, but labels are useless. In practice, there are
as many interpretations of the hobby as there are practitioners, just
like computer users in fact. Amateur radio has scores of interesting
facets; one of the most challenging concerns amateur radio satellites.
9.2
Amateur satellites
9.2
Astonishingly, since 1962 over forty amateur radio satellites have been
built and launched, including the first non-military, non-governmental
and non-commercial satellite. Another in 1965 provided the first
satellite communications of any sort between the USA and USSR.
9.2
Currently, some eighteen of these satellites are operational, and are
being added to at a rate of about two per year. They are used daily by
thousands of radio amateurs. Many satellites include equipment and
facilities that are technically years in advance of commercial practice.
There are, for example, several 9600 bps store-and-forward systems and
bulletin boards which are truly remarkable tours de force.
9.2
My passion for satellites was triggered in 1958 by a childhood trip to
the Sputnik exhibition at Londonæs Science Museum. The seeds of that
visit flowered 25 years later. I began to take an interest in the
technical aspects amateur radio satellites, and before very long Iáwas
devouring their telemetry by the megabyte. That was around 1984 ... re-
read first paragraph.
9.2
Such was my zeal in this endeavour that, quite soon, Iárealised that I
actually knew more about one particular satellite than its controllers
did! That lead to my becoming an ex-officio manager for a few years
until the spacecraftæs demise due to an        electronicáfailure.
9.2
Shortly after, in 1988, AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Organisation)
launched a replacement, its most ambitious satellite up to that date,
OSCAR-13 Ö ÉOrbital Satellite Carrying Amateur Radioæ.
9.2
Thus it was that I found myself a member of the small team that looks
after the day-to-day management of a real live satellite, on behalf of
its thousands of amateur radio users. All the ground command station
hardware and software used to maintain this beast is my own design, and
has evolved over a decade, always using Acorn computers.
9.2
On the buses
9.2
The OSCAR-13 spacecraft is 84kg of spinning metal that carries what are
called Étranspondersæ. These are combined receivers and transmitters. A
user (radio amateur) speaks into a radio from home, beaming at the
satellite. The satellite receives this radio signal, amplifies it and
re-transmits it on another radio frequency back to listeners on Earth.
9.2
The clever bit is that the transponder supports lots of simultaneous
users, and that its orbit takes it over 40,000 km away from Earth. This
means its field of view is practically a hemisphere at a time, thus
linking users on half the planet at once.
9.2
Transponders are merely the payload, the öpassengersò, so to speak. The
structure that carries them is quaintly known as the öbusò. It carries
solar panels and batteries for electrical power, optical sensors to tell
it which way is Éupæ, a system to change its spatial orientation, a
rocket motor, lots of electronics including telemetry gathering and,
most importantly, an on-board computer to coordinate the various
electronic systems.
9.2
Computers in space
9.2
So, from one management point of view, the OSCAR-13 satellite is a
flying computer whose keyboard and screen happen to be on Earth Ö right
in front of me in fact, my Risc PC and, in former years, a BBC Micro and
an A420. Keyboard to spacecraft is the command uplink, and the
spacecraft to screen information flow is the telemetry downlink.
9.2
Commands are created as plain text in StrongEd or Edit, and dragged into
the command window of a program called COM13. This formats the command,
sends it down the serial port to a piece of electronics called the
uplink modulator. This turns serial data into voiceband signals for the
radio to transmit.
9.2
Satellite responses and general telemetry are received by my radio (at
145, 435 or 2400 MHz), decoded into a serial stream and displayed by a
program called TLM13. The data rate is 50 bytes/second which may not
sound much, but itæs there 24 hours/day and is more than adequate. When
the satellite is in a stable situation, the mean information rate is
about 2 byte/sec, and so the satelliteæs health is, in practice,
oversampled.
9.2
It might be of interest to know that the design of the spacecraftæs on-
board computer dates from 1979 and is built around a radiation-hardened
COSMAC 1802 running at only 200,000 instructions/sec. It has 32Kb of
radiation-hardened RAM, and runs a multitasking operating system which
is, on average, 25% loaded, though the peak is 100%. Together with I/O
ports and other services, it consumes well under 1 watt. It has run
since launch in 1988 without crashing, except for a couple of occasions
caused entirely by operator error. I still canæt remember if itæs <data>
<address> POKE or <address> <data> POKE!
9.2
On the iconbar
9.2
Command, Telemetry display and Tracking program are always on the
iconbar, and if my satellite is in view, they will be quietly gobbling
up telemetry for analysis. Through the miracle of RISCáOS multitasking,
and the Internet, it is entirely likely that I might simultaneously be
on-line to collect commands for uplink from one of my colleagues in
Germany and Australia, or indeed to squirt data back to them! Thatæs
thanks to an Intelligent Interfaces dual serial port card.
9.2
Off-Line processing
9.2
In fact, hands-on command and control is only the tip of the management
iceberg. After the spacecraftæs telemetry is gathered, it needs to be
analysed and studied for expected and unexpected happenings. For that
purpose, a large suite of off-line programs is brought to bear. For
example, the spacecraft has highly directional aerials, so itæs
important that theyære kept pointing at the Earth. The on-board optical
sensors are scanning for Sun and Earth, and data from these instruments
is used to calculate the spacecraftæs orientation.
9.2
Not only that, there are factors about the satelliteæs environment that
can be and are pre-computed years in advance, and these generate
constraints within which we have to operate the spacecraft. For example,
when the orbit takes the satellite into the Earthæs shadow it receives
no sunlight, therefore no solar power. So on-board facilities need to be
temporarily shut down. You need to be prepared for this.
9.2
People
9.2
The many users of the satellite need to be told whatæs going on, so an
important job is to create regular news bulletins. These are posted to
the satellite so it can broadcast them via the telemetry stream, to an
Internet mailing list [e-mail], to the worldwide amateur
packet radio network and to various newsletters.
9.2
The manager of a satellite, used by thousands of people worldwide, is in
a socially exposed position, and while few of those users really
appreciate whatæs involved in keeping their hobby alive, a significant
number do. As a result, Iæve acquired a large number of true friends
around the world whose doors are ever open. I know, æcos I pass through
them regularly, and they pass through mine. This social aspect of the
hobby, which you rarely hear about, is quite possibly amateur radioæs
greatest benefit.
9.2
Re-entry
9.2
The computational power of the Risc PC is awesome. A spacecraft is a
lump of metal moving though space subject to various gravitational
forces. Computing its position many years in the future, from its
position and velocity now, can be done by integrating the equations of
motion. An Acorn Risc Computer can do this at a rate of 20 computing
minutes per yearæs flight-time Ö in Basic!
9.2
The satellite is apparently circling the Earth in an orderly manner. But
all is not what it seems. When itæs 40,000 km away from us, the Sun and
Moon exert minute forces (a few micrograms) that have a non-trivial
cumulative consequence. On December 5th 1996 OSCAR-13 will collide with
the upper atmosphere at 7.5km/sec and be transformed into 84kg of
vaporised aluminium as 2.4 Gigajoules of kinetic energy are dissipated
in a flash.
9.2
Then perhaps I can start my re-entry back into the real world? But no;
OSCAR-13æs successor is already under construction. As it is due for
launch at around the same time as the re-entry, I suspect my window of
opportunity is rather narrow!
9.2
RISCáOS rules, OK?
9.2
A less obvious power of Acorn machines is demonstrated by the fact that
two of my colleagues, one in Australia, the other in New Zealand, wedded
to MS-DOS/Windows by myopic employers and the mighty dollar, liked the
flexibility of RISCáOSæs environment so much that, unprompted, they each
bought a 4Mb A3010 with hard disc specifically for OSCAR-13 satellite
management. Theyære now finding itæs pretty good at other jobs too!
9.2
Contacts
9.2
Amateur radio satellites cost a fortune to build and maintain. AMSAT
exists in groups worldwide to coordinate the effort. For further
information, send a large SAE to Amsat-UK, London, E12 5EQ. Also see
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/
9.2
My email address is: [e-mail]áuá
9.2
At Kourou, French Guiana June 1988. The completed amateuráradio
satellite OSCAR-13 awaits assembly ontoáanáAriane rocket just prior to
launch.
9.2
Some OSCAR-13 satellite telemetry information. Fresh data arrives every
30 seconds. There are logging and replay facilities. This program is
available from Amsat-UK.
9.2
The command window; about to transmit a user bulletin to the amateur
radio satellite OSCAR-13.
9.2
More on SCSI Compatibility
9.2
Jim Nottingham
9.2
A little while ago, I was asked if and when there would be another
update of the SCSI card compatibility survey which originally appeared
in Archive in November 1994 (Issue 8.2). My answer was öYes, probably in
1996ò. So here it is...
9.2
Actually, updating has been an ongoing activity as fresh data and news
have dribbled in and readers have been asking for information and ideas.
The first published update appeared in Archive 8.5 (February) and with
some recent, significant moves on SCSI interface availability, itæs as
good a time as any for this second revision.
9.2
It will be presented in the same format and use the same terminology as
before Ö you may need to refer back to the two earlier issues to refresh
your memories. New subscriber? Donæt worry, Iæll send you copies of
those reports on request Ö details below.
9.2
The database
9.2
I think it fair to say the value of the survey is improving all the
time. Not only are there additional interfaces and devices listed but
many more reports are being received which indicate those areas where
difficulties are few and far between and, just as importantly, where
difficulties lie. I donæt mind in the least getting duplicated
information Ö that just improves the general level of confidence.
Numerically, there are now many hundreds of data points Ö around six
times more than were available for the original survey.
9.2
The big problem (literally) is that the present table wonæt fit into
Archive! Not unless we talk Ed. into changing to an A4 format and grab a
double-page spread. So instead, the table is included on the monthly
disc as a drawfile, sized to fill an A3 page. To be able to read the
various symbols, you will first need to load Acornæs Selwyn font into
your !Fonts folder (or equivalent), before loading Draw. Selwyn comes
with your computer (RISC OS 3 or later) but, if you canæt find the
support disc, you will also find it on the monthly disc. (If there is
space! Ed.)
9.2
The code is the same as before. Every tick represents a reader-report of
a satisfactory Éplug in and goæ combination of that SCSI device and
interface; a cross represents a reported incompatibility; a ÉPæ is a
scanner report from David Pilling ( with his Twain drivers); an ÉAæ is a
report from Alsystems (regarding the NEC CD-ROM drives they supply).
9.2
An asterisk indicates either where success was achieved only after one
or more problems had first been ironed out or, alternatively, where
there is a residual adverse operating feature or limitation. The few
question marks cover areas where reports conflict; one reader recording
a failure but another enjoying success with the listed device and
interface.
9.2
The drawfile could be reduced to A4 for printing but, frankly, I doubt
whether it would be readable at much less than 600dpi, if then. If you
want a copy of the drawfile on disc and/or an A3 printout, please do ask
me. Again, details are given below.
9.2
The SCSI interfaces
9.2
In a number of cases, later versions of SCSIFS and CDFS in interface
firmware have been reported, so the relevant data has been updated as
shown.
9.2
Two VTI cards have been added to the range of SCSI interfaces; a
standard-size 16-bit podule and an 8-bit variant for A3000 etc, both
with user port and the latest versions of firmware.
9.2
A few interfaces are known to be no longer in production but Iæve
purposely left them on the table as they are still in use and it may
help owners who are considering adding further devices to their systems.
In any event, some obsolete cards are still supplied and/or supported by
other manufacturers.
9.2
For example, the ex-Lindis/Lingenuity interfaces are available from
Castle Technology (along with their own range of cards) and software/
firmware upgrades are available for existing owners. Supplies of the
popular Oak card are now available from IFEL, as are CDFS upgrades for
older cards. Details and prices were given in Archive 9.1 p7 but IFELæs
address was omitted so is included with this issue.
9.2
SCSI 2
9.2
The Cumana SCSI 2 interface is now well-established. All the asterisks
under this interface relate to the need to obtain or update software
support modules (e.g. drivers) in the early days. With the exception of
one reader who is having difficulties with his two SyQuests and Fujitsu
hard drive (under investigation), no problems have been reported lately.
9.2
A recently-introduced alternative to the Cumana card is the Alsystems
Power-tec interface; outline details and prices were given in Archive
9.1 p3 and I can supply some additional brochure detail on request.
Castle Technology have a 16-bit card available which they say is SCSI 2-
compatible but, at the time of writing, I havenæt any further details on
that, so watch for it in Products Available in due course.
9.2
It may be worth stressing that, to achieve full SCSI 2 performance, not
only must the interface be fitted to one of the bottom two slots in the
Risc PC (i.e. slots 0áor 1) but, in addition, the device(s) may also
have to be set to SCSI 2 (this may need a DIP switch setting or a link
to be changed). Some older devices simply may not be capable of SCSI 2
performance. Aágeneral problem here seems to be the very poor standard
of supporting documentation for SCSI devices, so you may need to chase
up the supplier or manufacturer on this point.
9.2
Hard disc drives
9.2
A few more drives have been added to the table with no major
compatibility problems reported.
9.2
Two new Éfeaturesæ have surfaced however. A number of readers have
mentioned that certain drives are rather noisy and, installed in a Risc
PC, can be quite intrusive. I have personal experience of this, having
moved a Fujitsu 540Mb drive into a Risc PC from a back-up A540 Ö only to
quickly return it to the Éwind tunnelæ from whence it came! Others have
also commented on how noisy the Fujitsu drives are, especially when
winding up and down, so they no longer use the power-save feature.
Quantum drives had a couple of öa bit noisyò reports but, from a
personal viewpoint, Conner drives seem to be unobtrusive.
9.2
The other one is the formatting Éfunnyæ discussed in Archive 9.1 p42.
This is the one where, if you set up a PC partition to use up all the
available space on the drive, the partition size can be apparently
larger than the free space available. To give a specific example, my
nominally 170Mb Quantum drive will return only 163Mb once formatted Ö
but will happily take a 170Mb PC partition. This phenomenon seems to
apply to all storage media, whether SCSI or IDE, fixed or removable
(e.g. SyQuest).
9.2
Cartridge drives
9.2
The SyQuest drives are becoming a very common and popular device in
reader-reports. The sheer convenience, speed and reliability of the
higher-capacity drives (e.g. 270Mb) is a frequent comment, while the
reducing cost of additional cartridges is making these drives an
increasingly economic option, even in the face of falling hard disc
drive prices.
9.2
Virtually all the asterisks under the Morley interfaces refer to the
problem reported in the earlier issues whereby, if a cartridge is not
inserted at start-up or shutdown, the computer may hang up or crash. I
am awaiting further advice from Morley on this one.
9.2
If anyone is considering getting a SyQuest drive for a Risc PC and isnæt
sure whether to opt for an IDE or SCSI version, I would advocate the
latter. My own IDE drive works a treat, but changing cartridges is not
so convenient as the SCSI version, as it requires the use of a rather
unwieldy icon-bar module for dismounting/mounting, to force the drive to
recognise the new cartridge (not required for SCSI drives). (Iáuse one
of each, and the IDE version drives me crazy!áEd.)
9.2
Magneto-optical (MO) drives
9.2
Iæve had no more reader-reports on MO drives since the last publication
but Cumana have come in with the Proteus, an interesting single-box,
multi-function solution which combines a conventional, quad-speed CD-ROM
drive with a 650Mb read-write MO drive.
9.2
CD-ROM drives
9.2
Although the range of CD-ROM drives available for use with Acorn
machines is becoming extensive, many of these are packaged IDE or
parallel port devices, so the SCSI range in this report isnæt much
larger than in the previous review. However, many more reader-reports
have been received indicating few problems which we donæt already know
about.
9.2
Soon after the last update, the reported anomaly with the Morley
Revolution Pro driver for Toshiba drives was resolved, so anyone still
having problems should contact Morley for an update (mine is v1.10 and
works fine on the Toshiba XM-3401).
9.2
Scanners
9.2
Falling scanner prices and a widening range of available models in the
last year or so have resulted in a big increase in the user-base. David
Pilling has again very kindly provided a wealth of advice based on his
testing in relation to his Twain drivers (öPò in the table) and which,
on the face of it, indicates the Ésafe areasæ.
9.2
The question marks in the table highlight the combinations where reports
of both success and failure have been received. David suggests this
might be due to firmware variations in later versions of some scanners
and/or alleged hardware variations in Oak interfaces. In two cases,
readers were able to resolve problems by getting firmware updates for
their SCSI cards.
9.2
Help wanted...
9.2
The value of these SCSI compatibility surveys can be only as good as the
data received, whether it be from manufacturers (not always readily
forthcoming), people like David Pilling (always very helpful) or
readersæ experiences. In this, a goodly proportion of recent data has
come from my spotting references to readersæ SCSI systems in Archive and
following them up with an invitation to the people concerned to
contribute to the database.
9.2
This bears out what I said in the original report that there are
probably far more readers out there with SCSI kit who have yet to add to
the database. So I hope Ed. wonæt mind if I simply repeat my earlier
requests that, if any reader is running a SCSI system but hasnæt yet
given me details (hint: I spotted two in Archive 9.1...), please could I
invite you to let me have full information. To be of maximum benefit, we
need to know the following:
9.2
Ö Computer model number, e.g. A410/1.
9.2
Ö Make + model of SCSI card, e.g. Morley cached.
9.2
Ö Version number of the SCSI software installed, e.g. v1.12. (How to get
this varies between interfaces, so probably the easiest way to do it is
to press <f12>, type *Help SCSIFS <return> and read off the number
returned after öModule is: SCSIFS...ò).
9.2
Ö Make, model number and other details of your SCSI devices. (Again, how
to do this varies between interfaces. Many will respond to pressing
<f12> and typing *Devices <return> but others do it by running !SCSIForm
or similar and doing a [S]can. In theory, the user-manual should tell
you the procedure.)
9.2
Ö Name and version of software drivers for the device(s), where
applicable. For example, to read the version of CDFS, press <f12> and
type *Help CDFS <return>. The answer will look something like öModule
is: CDFS v2.21ò.
9.2
Ö Whether the device works or does not work correctly with the SCSI
card. If not, how does the problem show up? Did you manage to solve the
problems and, if so, what was the solution?
9.2
Ö Ease or difficulty of connecting up, e.g. are the connectors standard?
9.2
Ö Any comments on manufacturer/dealer support?
9.2
Please do respond, even if your combination(s) of interface and
device(s) are already covered in the survey. The more the merrier and
two reports are better than one.
9.2
Help offered
9.2
So what do you get in return? If anyone would like a copy of the table
as a drawfile, please send me a formatted disc and return postage (I
damaged my disc drive last month so, sorry folks, from now on Iæll have
to insist on the use of a Jiffy-style bag; please see Archive 8.10 p14.)
9.2
If you would like an A3 printout of the table, or if recent subscribers
who donæt have access to the earlier issues would like a copy of the
text, or if you are considering a particular combination of interface-
device which has an asterisk against it and would like a copy of the
reader-report(s), let me know and include return postage; Iæll provide a
suitably-sized envelope. (If you want the lot, it might be safer to send
2á╫á19p stamps; Iæll return any surplus).
9.2
Finally, if you are having problems either with your system or getting
adequate support from the supplier, please donæt hesitate to send me
details. Iæm not a techie but will be happy to search through the
reports for clues or ideas and let you have them. We know that, to date,
and directly as a result of this survey, at least ten readers have
managed to either solve their problems or, failing that, get a usable
workaround. Also, we know of others who have avoided reported problem
areas and are happy with alternative choices. The information is there
so donæt hesitate to ask. Myáaddress is 16 Westfield Close, Pocklington,
York,áYO4 2EY.áuá
9.2
Receiving Weather Charts
9.2
Francis Crossley
9.2
This article explains how I am using C and assembler to receive and
display weather charts, broadcast by meteorological stations on short
wave. Many interesting maps can be received Ö only a few months ago, I
obtained a map showing the limits of ice around the N. Atlantic and
Northern Europe.
9.2
The system consists of several parts Ö a short wave radio, some
electronics to convert audio tones, provided by the receiver, into
digital signals for the computer and the software required to convert
the digital signals into a picture. This article outlines the production
and format of the facsimile signal, and the basic functions of the
electronics part but concentrates on the software I am using to provide
the picture. My system does not yet perform exactly how I want it to but
the ideas presented here might be useful, if only to provoke a
discussion!
9.2
The weather chart signals
9.2
A weather chart is drawn on a sheet of paper about 480╫660 mm. It is
scanned in some way to produce a continuously varying voltage which is
used to modulate the transmitter. In the original systems the chart was
wrapped on a large drum, about 152mm in diameter and 660mm long. The
drum rotates at a fixed known speed, usually 2 revolutions each second.
9.2
A lamp and photodetector unit moves along the drum so that a fine pitch
spiral is traced out on the chart. Over the course of 10 to 15 minutes
the whole chart is scanned. The output of the detector is a voltage
which represents the brightness of the drawing on the chart as it is
scanned point by point.
9.2
This voltage is used to change the frequency of the transmitter by a
very small amount; usually 400Hz too high represents white and 400Hz too
low corresponds to black. Half tone charts can be transmitted, in which
case, intermediate changes in frequency represent shades of grey. On the
radio, the signal is said to sound like a squeaky wheelbarrow!
9.2
Retrieving the chart
9.2
A short wave radio can receive the weather chart transmissions and, with
suitable hardware and software, a computer is used to display the chart.
Much software is available for PC-type machines, but it would not be
Éplaying the gameæ to buy one of these, so I built my own hardware and
wrote my own programs. The hardware consists of a special filter which
converts the changes in frequency into a varying voltage which is
sampled at the correct times by an analog to digital converter (A/D).
The digital output is sent to the computer using a versatile interface
adapter (VIA) and an Apec prototype board, which I described in Archive
6.2 p25. The computer then writes the digital value to screen memory.
Simple? In principle, yes, but in practice rather more must be done.
9.2
Hardware and software functions
9.2
There are three major functions that the system must perform. (1) It
must sample the incoming data regularly at the correct frequency. (2) It
must be able to start a new line on the screen at the correct time. (3)
As the chart takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete, itáis very convenient
to leave the equipment switched on and let the system detect the start
and end of eacháchart.
9.2
Some of these functions can be aided by hardware. For example, the
sampling is done using a fast A/D which is told when to sample (convert)
by pulses produced by the VIA Ö software then reads the digital value
when it is ready. The start and end of the charts are signalled by
particular tones which can be detected by hardware, thus informing the
program when to start or stop displaying the chart.
9.2
So far, my system displays a chart on the screen, but cannot orientate
the chart perfectly. I suspect that, unless the starting point of each
line is found, the sampling frequency must be correct to better than
1ápart in several thousand. My reasoning is that, with 640 pixels per
line on the screen, an error of 1 part iná640 would start the next line
one pixel wrong. Theánext line would start with another pixel in error,
thus producing a sloping line. Only with errors muchásmaller than this
would a good vertical line beáachieved.
9.2
The software
9.2
Now that we know, in broad terms, what the system must do, how have I
implemented it? The software is in two programs, one written in C and
the other in assembler (using the Wingpass Macro Assembler v 2.00). I
like using assembler but I use C for the harder parts. For example, one
version of the program uses data saved on the hard disc Ö opening a file
using C is easy, so I have not bothered to learn how to do it using
assembler. The C program contains a number of definitions of VIA address
offsets which make understanding the program easier, since a few well
chosen letters replace numbers. The complete program is on the monthly
disc, so I will not go through all of them here. Also, before the main
program, are several subroutines which again make writing and
understanding the program easier. These subroutines are to write and
read the VIA and hence, in the outside world, they are used as:
9.2
y=aread(offset) ;
9.2
and
9.2
awrite(offset,y) ;
9.2
where offset is an address in VIA space lying between 0 and 15; y is the
value being read or to be written. Since C does not know anything about
the Apec board etc, Acorn has supplied a number of very useful general
purpose commands in a file called Ékernel.hæ. The one I use most is:
9.2
_kernel_swi(code,ptr1,ptr2) ;
9.2
It is a command to call any software interrupt (swi) and is used as
follows. Four variables are declared as:
9.2
_kernel_swi_regs point1, point2, *ptr1, *ptr2 ;
9.2
Époint1æ and Époint2æ are variables of type É_kernel_swi _regsæ, and
Éptr1æ and Éptr2æ are pointers to this type of variable. Éptr1æ must be
made to point to Époint1æ using:
9.2
ptr1=&point1 ;
9.2
ptr2=&point2 ;
9.2
Époint1æ is actually a variable which allows us to place values into any
of the first ten registers, R0 to R9, while Époint2æ contains the values
put into these registers by the swi. Values are placed into the
registers as:
9.2
ptr1->r[0]=reg0_in ;
9.2
ptr1->r[1]=reg1_in ;   etc.
9.2
Values can also be retrieved from the registers,
9.2
reg0_out=ptr2->r[0] ;
9.2
reg1_out=ptr2->r[1] ;   etc.
9.2
ÉCodeæ is the actual swi number. Apec has registered swi numbers for
reading and writing its prototype board; e.g. the value for reading the
podule is 0x80941 and to write it is 0x80940. If the VIA is a 6522, the
clock and read/write pulse must be synchronised, and the swi to do this
is 0x80947. Here is an example of one of the subroutines:
9.2
int aread(int offset) ;
9.2
/* returns a value read from address
9.2
 Éoffsetæ in VIA space */
9.2
{point1 , point2,
9.2
 *ptr1, *ptr2 ;
9.2
int code=0x80941, temp, podno=0,
9.2
 blockno=0 ;
9.2
ptr1=&point1 ; /*relate ptr1 to
9.2
 point1*/
9.2
ptr2=&point2 ; /*and ptr2 to point2*/
9.2
ptr1->r[0]=podno ; /*put podule no.
9.2
 into R0*/
9.2
ptr1->r[1]=blockno ; /*put block no.
9.2
into R1*/
9.2
ptr1->r[2]=offset ; /* Éaddressæ to be
9.2
put into R2 */
9.2
_kernel_swi(code,ptr1,ptr2 ) ; /* call
9.2
 the swi */
9.2
temp=ptr2->r[3] ; /* put the value
9.2
 read into temp */
9.2
return temp ; /* send it back to the
9.2
 caller */
9.2
}
9.2
The last items before the main program are globally used variables and
function names defined outside this program module, but which are used
inside.
9.2
EXTERN
9.2
void afax(void) ;
9.2
char color[16] = {0 xff,0xfe,0xfd,0xfc,
9.2
                  0xd3,0xd2,0xd2,0xd0,
9.2
                  0x2f,0x2e,0x2d,0x2c,
9.2
                  0x03,0x02,0x01,0x00} ;
9.2
Écolor[]æ is a look up table for selecting a shade of grey. It could as
easily be put into the assembler coding. In fact, for this program, the
whole thing could be in assembler.
9.2
The main program
9.2
The main program simply sets up the VIA to give a square wave at one of
its output pins, makes one of its 8 bit ports an input and gives the
control pins suitable logic states. When this is done, the program calls
the assembler part:
9.2
afax() ;
9.2
The assembler program
9.2
This is the exciting part and does all the work! I will not give a Éblow
by blowæ account of what each line of the program does but will
concentrate on the principles. (The whole program is on the monthly
disc, but if you donæt want to pay ú2 just for that, send a blank
formatted disc to NCS and ask for the files.) Three files are É.INCLUDEæ
ones, to avoid writing all the swi name/number and register name/number
equivalents, and one is a macro to find the relative address of a label.
9.2
An É.EXTERNæ statement informs the linker that a number of functions
will be found elsewhere. Two of these are C functions and one is our
look up table. As in the C program, names are used to replace numbers to
aid understanding, and labels, such as ÉVDU_Input:æ or Écoloradr:æ,
represent addresses. For example, to reserve space for the address of
the look up table:
9.2
; anything after ; is a comment
9.2
; all code will be using ÉWingpassæ
9.2
 conventions
9.2
coloradr: .ADDRESS color
9.2
; the actual address of the look up
9.2
 table is put into R4,
9.2
ldr R4, coloradr
9.2
;
9.2
The address of the label, Écoloradræ, will be put into the above
command. Its contents will be transferred to R4, which will be the
address of the look up table Écoloræ, and the linker will find this
address in one of the files it has been instructed to examine in order
to find the externally defined labels.
9.2
The assembler program reads data from the A/D, modifies it, and writes a
value to the screen memory. Since I do not know where the screen memory
starts, SWI ÉOS_ReadVduVariablesæ is used. This swi expects to find a
block of memory starting at ÉVDU_Input:æ listing the numbers of all the
variables whose values are required Ö there are more than 40 of them.
The list is terminated by -1. The address of this block is in R0, and
there must also be a block of memory starting at Édisplaystart:æ to
receive these values. The address of Édisplaystart:æ is put into R1. The
code for the start of screen memory is 149. It is conventional to put
instructions that save blocks of memory before the actual program starts
but they will be concatenated in the example below.
9.2
; reserve space for 3 words of data
9.2
VDU_Input: .LONG 149  ; code for
9.2
 screen start
9.2
.LONG -1              ; end of list
9.2
 marker
9.2
displaystart: .BLKL 1 ; save 1 word
9.2
 for the reply
9.2
;
9.2
ADR R0,VDU_Input      ; address of
9.2
list in R0
9.2
ADR R1,displaystart   ; address of
9.2
 reply in R1
9.2
SWI OS_ReadVduVariables ; call the
9.2
 routine
9.2
; screen start address is now in R1
9.2
Reading the A/D
9.2
The state of the control pin of the VIA which is being used to detect
when a conversion has been completed, must be reset by reading the
output port. When this is done, the program tests the interrupt flag
register to see if the control pin has changed its state, indicating the
end of a conversion. When this happens, a second control pin is set to
logic 0, the output is read and this control pin is reset to logic 1.
These commands ensure that the most recent data is read from the A/D.
The program then continues by modifying this data before storing it in
the screen memory.
9.2
Writing to screen memory
9.2
It will be remembered that only 16 grey levels are available and the
most convenient way of reducing the possible 256 values from the A/D to
16 is to divide by 16! This is easily accomplished by shifting the data
in a register four places to the right. To find the code for the
appropriate shade of grey, we look up the næth element of the look up
table where n is one of the 16 data values. This is done by using an
indexed indirect addressing mode. Suppose that the data is in register
R6 and the address of the look up table is in R9, then the appropriate
value will be put into R6 by using:
9.2
ldrb R6, [R9, R6]
9.2
The values in R9 and R6 will be added and this will be treated as an
address whose contents will be put into R6. This value must be stored in
the appropriate place in the screen memory, and again indexed addressing
is used. This time a byte store instruction must be used and is:
9.2
strb R6, [R4, R5]
9.2
This store instruction works just like the load one but puts the data
into memory. R5 is assumed to contain a counter stating where in a line
the new value must appear. When the value in R5 reaches 639, the
contents of R5 must be reset to zero and the screen base address in R4
must be increased by 640, since there are 640 pixels in a line in mode
15 (the best I can use at the moment).
9.2
You might ask why I did not continue increasing the counter until all
the lines had been filled. The reason is that I wanted the freedom to
use fewer than 640 points per line, which is more easily accomplished by
using this two-stage incrementing scheme. The program continues reading
data and writing it to the screen, until all 256 lines have been used.
Registers which have been stored for safety are restored and control is
passed back to the C calling program.
9.2
Diagnostic comments
9.2
There is a string of commands which have been commented out. These are
there for diagnostic purposes and also show how C functions can be used
in assembler. The registers R0, R1, R2 and R3 are used to pass arguments
to functions which are then called using the Ébranch and linkæ command.
9.2
; an example of the C Éprintfæ command
9.2
; somewhere put these statements
9.2
s1: .ASCIZ   öValue in R5 is%x\nò
9.2
; format in C style
9.2
    .ALIGN       ; ensures that the
9.2
                 ; next command starts
9.2
                 ; on a word boundary
9.2
; now the code
9.2
     ADR R0, s1  ; put address of
9.2
 format statement into R0
9.2
     mov R1, R5  ; we want to see the
9.2
 value in R5
9.2
     bl _printf  ; branch to the
9.2
 routine and come back
9.2
There is no example of the weather map because I do not think that I
have one that is good enough for publication. It is not easy to obtain
perfect maps over the air because of interference and the variable
quality of the transmission. Work is continuing and as improvements are
incorporated, I will report them.
9.2
Any comments? Please write to me at 156 Holmes Chapel Road, Congleton,
Cheshire CW12 4QB.áuá
9.2
Acorn C/C++ and Beebug Easy C++
9.2
Steve Poulard
9.2
C++ being all the rage, Acorn owners finally got their chance to jump on
the bandwagon earlier this year with the release of products from Acorn
and Beebug. Although both support C, C++ and assembler programming, I
was primarily interested in the aspects relating to C++.
9.2
As neither package claims to teach users how to program in C++, a
language reference manual is essential. I prefer ÉThe C++ Programming
Languageæ Second Edition, by Bjarne Stroustrup.
9.2
For this evaluation, I was using an A5000 with 8Mb RAM and a ColourCard.
9.2
Easy C++
9.2
Beebugæs product comes in a small box containing three discs, a 200 page
manual, a 30 page appendix describing the debugger, and a few pages of
release notes. Apart from two third-party libraries, the software is
supplied uncompressed, and installing is a simple process of copying the
files into the directory of your choice, while SysMerge is used to
update the modules in your System directory. The installed files occupy
just under 3Mb of hard disc space.
9.2
The software consists of two main applications ù EasyC++ itself and
EasyDebug, a debugger. There is also a program, Archivist, for
maintaining libraries. ROSLib and DeskLib (a freeware library) are
provided for use with C or C++, while there are a further two libraries
provided specifically for C++. These are C++Lib (the equivalent of Clib)
and Vista, a third-party product, which provides an incomplete class
library for writing Wimp applications. Vista and DeskLib are both
archived, and a copy of SparkPlug is supplied to decompress them.
9.2
To start writing code yourself, a source code editor is required.
Although there is nothing to stop you from using Edit, it makes rather
more sense to get hold of a programmeræs editor that supports throwback,
such as Zap. If you want to go further and develop Wimp applications, a
template editor (i.e. FormEd) is almost essential.
9.2
Although there are a few applications supplied with DeskLib and Vista,
the examples are all rather trivial.
9.2
Program development
9.2
All aspects of program development (other than debugging) are controlled
from EasyC++. The main window contains two scrolling lists for source
and object file names, five buttons ù labelled ÉCompileæ, ÉLinkæ,
ÉStopæ, ÉCreateæ and ÉMakeæ ù and a few text icons containing status
information. Using the window menu and a setup dialogue box, a number of
options can be set, the most significant of which is whether the
language used is C or C++. Amongst the other options, you can select the
libraries to include and produce code for debugging.
9.2
With the default options, building a program from a single source file
is a simple matter of dragging a file to the source file scrolling list,
clicking on ÉCompileæ then ÉLinkæ. For more complex program development,
the ÉCreateæ button can be used to automatically generate a makefile
from a list of source files. Alternatively, for those with masochistic
tendencies, makefiles can be edited by hand. Makefiles are text files
and must be dragged to the iconbar to load.
9.2
According to the release notes, the C++ compiler conforms to the
language definition in Stroustrupæs book, with a few problems and
limitations. However, even within a few minutes of starting, I
discovered an omission not mentioned in the release notes ù after trying
to cin and cout a long double variable, Iádiscovered it was not defined
in the header file for the IOStream library.
9.2
Overall, this application provides all the features I was expecting, and
is simple and intuitive to use, with only a few niggles. For example,
the main window doesnæt tell you whether you are in C or C++ mode; both
C and C++ source code should be placed in a directory called ÉCæ; and a
Édebugæ directory needs to be created by hand before debug files can be
produced.
9.2
Libraries
9.2
The most interesting of the supplied libraries are ROSLib, DeskLib and
Vista. ROSLib and DeskLib are C libraries, although they can be used
with C++.
9.2
ROSLib provides a basic range of functions for graphics commands
(changing mode, moving, drawing and plotting etc) and for SWI calls
(os_byte, os_word and os_swi).
9.2
DeskLib is a freeware library and comes with a note stating that there
are unlikely to be any future releases unless someone takes it over from
its current compiler. It provides a large number of functions grouped
into about fifty categories, which include SWI veneers (e.g.
PrinterDriver, Font, Wimp), functions for handling Wimp objects
(windows, icons, menus, events, dialogue boxes etc) and other general
purpose functions (such as linked lists). Some of the individual
categories do not provide much functionality. For example, the sound
handler contains a single function that writes a character 7 to the VDU
stream. Beep!
9.2
Vista is a third-party product intended for writing Wimp applications,
and is also the only library written specifically for C++. It is based
around three complex classes ù ÉTaskæ, ÉWindowæ and ÉIconæ.
Incidentally, the examples provide the only decent illustrations of C++
programming in the whole package. This is a well thought-out product
which appears to have been written by one person. I only hope he is able
to develop this resource further.
9.2
Debugging
9.2
To use the EasyDebug application to the full, a program should be
compiled and linked with the debug option selected, in which case, the
executable code is given a special filetype. A debugging session can be
started by double-clicking on one of these files. The debugger will work
with ordinary files, but only at object code level.
9.2
When a debug file is loaded, two windows are opened ù a task window for
showing output from the program, and the main control window. This
contains: a list of source files used to build the application, a stack
trace, a list of breakpoints and a number of buttons along the bottom
which control program execution. Clicking on a source filename opens a
window showing the source code by line number (and/or address). Double-
clicking on a line of code adds a breakpoint at that point ù shown in
the source code by a black spot, and appearing in the breakpoint list in
the main debugger window.
9.2
Clicking on the Run button runs the code to the breakpoint, and opens
another window listing the local and global variables. Clicking on one
of these variables opens yet another window which displays its value and
allows that value to be altered. If the variable is a pointer or a
structure, double-clicking on it de-references it so that, for example,
the structure is displayed. If the variable is an array, the index value
can be edited to see all the individual elements. Once opened, these
windows persist to the end of the session. Program execution can be
continued, or single-stepped through the source code.
9.2
In common with most debuggers Iæve used, breakpoints can be conditional,
and can have before and after execution commands specified. A breakpoint
can also be turned into a watchpoint, which updates the displayed
variable values but doesnæt halt program execution (although it does
slow it down a lot). It is also possible to set breakpoints for specific
variable values.
9.2
Once the program has finished, it can be re-run, which opens a second
task window. I had problems trying to change or add breakpoints after
the first run. In order to debug another application, it is necessary to
quit the debugger and load another debug file from scratch ù which
starts another task window, but doesnæt remove any previously opened.
After a few sessions, it is quite easy for the desktop to become rather
cluttered.
9.2
There is also a profile window which shows the time taken for different
functions to execute (this requires code to be compiled with this option
on). There is also a memory editor window for displaying and editing the
contents of the registers and memory directly.
9.2
In general, the use of persistent windows makes this a very friendly
debugger to use. It works equally effectively with programs produced
from C and C++ code (but keep on reading!).
9.2
One very important aspect of the debugger is that it is multitasking.
This is good news when debugging non-Wimp programs, as it enables the
use of the different windows, and means you can still use your favourite
text editor. As admitted in the manual, the problem comes when debugging
Wimp applications, as the desktop has not been designed to cope with
stepping through a running program. The manual warns that the program
might not behave as it would outside the debugger. In practice, I found
it rather easy to crash Wimp programs when debugging them.
9.2
Another difficulty is in running a program when it is part of an
application. Assuming it is written as a standard application with
!Boot, !Run, !RunImage, Template files etc, it is not possible to run it
by double-clicking on the application directory as normal. Double-
clicking on the !RunImage (debug file) may not work either, as !Run will
usually set up a number of environment variables. In the example, Iáwas
debugging, I found that double-clicking !Run (which produced an error)
and then debugging !RunImage worked, although this might not always be
the case, depending on how much !Run does.
9.2
Documentation
9.2
I did not have any problems understanding the manual, which starts with
a gentle introduction to compiling and running a simple program (the
ubiquitous ÉHello Worldæ) in six easy steps. Unfortunately, it then
recommends the user compile three further examples, one of which
produces 20 compilation warnings, and one of which doesnæt link unless
the default settings are altered. Although changing the settings is a
comparatively trivial task, this is not dealt with until later, which is
unacceptable for a chapter called ÉGetting startedæ. The manual then
briefly describes how to use EasyC++, which is followed by an
introduction to C from the point of view of someone familiar with BBC
Basic. Most of the rest of the manual is taken up with a description of
some ANSI and all the ROSLib functions.
9.2
The main drawback with the documentation is that it is for Easy C rather
than Easy C++, and thus ignores all the features which relate
specifically to C++. Fortunately, the changes are obvious enough that
they are annoying rather than a problem. I donæt know if a new manual
has yet been produced.
9.2
Acorn C/C++ costs ú230 through Archive and Beebugæs Easy C++ is ú110
through Archive.áuá
9.2
This is only the first half of the article, which is rather long, so if
you want to read the second half of Steveæs review dealing with Acorn C/
C++ and the conclusion, it will be in next monthæs issue. (If you canæt
wait, look on the Archive monthly disc!) Ed.
9.2
A Tale of Three Stacks
9.2
Richard Bradbury
9.2
Over the summer, there has been a quiet revolution in communications on
RISCáOS machines. Internet on the Acorn has at last come of age.
However, the product responsible is no commercial offering: as its name
suggests, FreeNet wonæt cost you a penny.
9.2
In the beginning
9.2
For the past couple of years, Acorn users have been using a package with
the peculiar name ÉKA9Qæ to communicate with Internet. Ported from the
PC package of the same name, KA9Q is best described as a Swiss Army
Knife. It will automatically download your mail and news when you log
on, it allows you to conduct interactive Telnet terminal sessions, and
even offers file transfer facilities.
9.2
Two years ago, KA9Q was a pretty basic program, but since then it has
sprouted a fancy user interface and will scatter multiple windows across
the desktop given half a chance. There is plenty of supporting software
too: news readers, like TTFN, and World Wide Web browsers, like ArcWeb
and Webster.
9.2
The only trouble with KA9Q is that it is an Éall or nothingæ approach to
communications. You canæt just get rid of the mail and news parts of the
program once you have finished with them.
9.2
Divide and conquer
9.2
What makes FreeNet different is that it splits the complex structure of
a complete Internet stack into a number of simpler units. These can then
be coded and tested separately. Also, because each unit has a well-
defined interface, the whole thing can be assembled as a hierarchy Ö the
stack Ö with the confidence that it will all work. Well, thatæs the
theory; in practice there are always bugs, but extensive testing and
feedback to the author has shown FreeNet to be a very stable piece of
software.
9.2
The figure shows the FreeNet stack in comparison with KA9Q and Acornæs
own TCP/IP Internet stack. As can be seen, the FreeNet module is a
direct replacement for Acornæs Internet module. Indeed, FreeNet loads a
dummy version of the Internet module, partly to fool programs which
expect to find Internet, and partly to overwrite the module if it is
already loaded, since the two stacks cannot co-exist.
9.2
The setup illustrated is a typical one, using the SLIP protocol. This is
a simple link protocol which enables the IP packets generated by FreeNet
(or Internet) to be sent down a serial line, either to an Internet
provider via a modem, or directly to another computer via a Énull modemæ
cable.
9.2
Notice that, unlike Gnomeæs offering for the Acorn stack, FreeNetæs SLIP
driver talks to the serial hardware indirectly through Hugo Fiennesæ
serial port block drivers. This means that FreeNet can use third party
serial interfaces as well as the standard Acorn serial port. It also
means that you can use standard PC modem cables rather than the
decidedly non-standard Acorn wiring convention.
9.2
Of course, being modular, FreeNet will allow you to substitute any
suitable hardware driver in the place of SLIP. This may be the driver
supplied with your Ethernet card (either on the cardæs ROM or on disk).
Under development at the moment is a PLIP driver for fast parallel port
links. Another possibility is the more complex PPP (point-to-point
protocol), which many Internet providers are now supporting. The reason
why this Émix and matchæ approach works is thanks to Acornæs DCI
specification.
9.2
DCI what?
9.2
The Acorn Driver Control Interface is simply a standard for writing
device drivers. As long as the driver complies with the DCI
specification, it can be used by any DCI compliant stack.
9.2
Unfortunately, there is a fly in the ointment. With the advent of the
Risc PC, Acorn moved from revision 2 of DCI to revision 4. Up until now,
most Ethernet interfaces have been built to the DCI-2 specification.
However, the new ÉEtherBæ cards for the Risc PC (developed by Acorn and
ANT Ltd.) comply with DCI-4. To keep up with the hardware, the software
has been updated too, and Acorn now supply a DCI-4 Internet module in
the RISC OS 3.60 ROMs.
9.2
The bottom line for FreeNet users is that they will be unable to get it
to work with the Risc PC Ethernet card because FreeNet is a DCI-2 stack
and is unable to drive DCI-4 devices. There is light at the end of the
tunnel, though, because work is underway on an all-new DCI-4 version of
FreeNet. Of course, this has no bearing on SLIP users, since the DCI-2
SLIP driver can be Ésoft-loadedæ, even on a Risc PC.
9.2
Plugs and sockets
9.2
The DCI specification is actually only half of the story because a
protocol stack is only as good as its programming interface. When it
comes to Internet stacks, there is only one real choice: Berkeley
Sockets.
9.2
The Sockets interface was defined in the mid eighties by a research
group at the University of California who were developing networking
software for Unix machines. Sockets provide the programmer with a set of
high-level routines for manipulating TCP connections. He can open a
connection to a remote host and exchange data with it (a so-called
Éclientæ). Alternatively, he can wait for other people to connect to his
host and then do some processing on their behalf (a Éserveræ).
9.2
This client-server paradigm is at the heart of Internet communications.
Clients and servers exchange information according to a particular high-
level application protocol (such as SMTP for mail, NNTP for news or HTTP
for hypertext Web pages).
9.2
Under Unix, Sockets are built into the operating system and the
programmer simply includes a couple of standard header files with his
ÉCæ source. With the Acorn stack, the routines are implemented as SWIs
in the Internet module (which is largely based on the Berkeley source
code). The names of the SWIs bear a striking resemblance to their Unix
counterparts, too. The Éconnectæ call, for example, maps to ÉSocket_
Connectæ on the Acorn. Even the parameters match exactly Ö they are
simply presented in registers R0, R1, R2 and so on. Also, the FreeNet
module, being a straight replacement for Acornæs Internet module, offers
exactly the same interface to programmers.
9.2
Of course, programming using the SWIs directly is possible, but not for
the fainthearted. What is really required is a library which provides
the same functions available in the Unix header files. This would enable
software to be ported directly to the Acorn platform with only minor
modifications. Indeed, Acornæs now-discontinued TCP/IP Programmeræs Pack
provided such a library. Not to be outdone, FreeNet has its own
companion Sockets library, called NetLib.
9.2
Applications galore
9.2
Acorn supply the now infamous VT220 terminal emulator with their TCP/IP
product. It provides the user with an adequate interface to Telnet, but
it is the worst implementation of an FTP client I have seen. There is
also the recently released mail and news suite, InterTalk, although this
is aimed squarely at the education market rather than the individual.
Users requiring more bells and whistles will have to wait for the ANT
Internet Suite, available now in beta-test form, but not quite ready for
full release.
9.2
Seeing a rather large niche in the market, the FreeNet developers have
produced a wide selection of clients and servers, all available for the
price of a download. There are a number of standalone mail and news
programs, a sockets-based add-on for NewsBase, a terminal emulator
called FreeTerm, a proper command line FTP client and a wide selection
of servers which allow other people to log into your machine when it is
on-line Ö and donæt forget the freeware Web browsers which can fetch
pages over the Internet. There is also a plethora of programming
libraries and code fragments available which will help the budding
programmer to get started.
9.2
Stop press!
9.2
With the release of FreeNet in May, Acorn Internetters breathed a sigh
of relief. At last a freeware Internet stack to rival the pricey Acorn/
Gnome alternative. FreeNet had a promising future with a large number of
users actively working on applications for it. But then, in July, Acorn
threw a spanner in the works by releasing its own DCI-4 stack on a free
basis. So where does this leave FreeNet?
9.2
Well, FreeNet is still the only stack which includes a SLIP driver for
nothing. Moreover, Acornæs free stack includes none of the applications
supplied with the commercial version Ö not even VT220. The FreeNet
project has also served as a catalyst for new software development in
the networking and communications arena. Also, because standard
interfaces have been adhered to throughout, any software designed to
work with FreeNet will almost certainly work equally well with the Acorn
TCP/IP stack or even ANTæs forthcoming product.
9.2
At long last, Acorns across the land can move out of the slow lane on
the Global Superhighway.
9.2
How to get it
9.2
The FreeNet archive is maintained at two separate sites, the first at
the University of Southampton (for JANET users), and the other on Demon
Internetæs FTP server (for other users).
9.2
cslib.ecs.soton.ac.uk in directory /pub/Acorn/freenet.
9.2
ftp.demon.co.uk in directory /pub/archimedes/developers/freenet.
9.2
The file Ésoftware-indexæ is an automatically generated index of what is
available. The latest version of the FreeNet stack itself (including the
SLIP driver) can be found in the subdirectory Ét.hughesæ.
9.2
Contacts
9.2
Correspondence relating to FreeNet should be sent to
[e-mail], or to the author, Tom Hughes, at 5 Lampits,
Hoddesdon, Herts EN11á8EH.
9.2
Information about the current status of FreeNet can be obtained by
sending a blank message to [e-mail] with the subject
field ÉSEND freenet.infoæ.
9.2
I can be contacted as [e-mail].áuá
9.2
Jargon Buster!
9.2
If you are struggling with some of the jargon associated with the
Internet, Archive has come to the rescue(!) by providing a glossary Ö
which includes contributions from Richard Bradbury. The Archive Internet
Glossary is too large to publish in the magazine Ö 12 pages, 6,000 words
and rising Ö but it is available on the Archive Glossary Disc (priced at
ú5) which also contains our main Archive Glossary Ö 19 pages, 11,000+
words. If you would prefer a printout of these glossaries, they are
available as the Archive Glossary Booklet, also at ú5.
9.2
Three Internet stacks: KA9Q (left), Acorn TCP/IP (centre), FreeNet
(right).
9.2
Optical Mice
9.2
Richard Simpson
9.2
Fed up with cleaning the rollers on your mouse? Slowed down by a
recalcitrant rodent? There is a better way Ö get an optical mouse and
say goodbye to balls. öA mouse with no ball? Impossible Sir!ò
9.2
Itæs not impossible!
9.2
Last monthæs Archive contains an excellent article by Richard Torrens
describing how ordinary mice function. If you are not familiar with the
inside of your mouse, I suggest that you read Richardæs article before
proceeding.
9.2
An optical mouse has no ball. Instead, it uses a special mat covered in
small dots. As the mouse moves, a chip underneath the mouse watches the
dots go by and sends the relevant signals to the computer. Optical mice
have no moving parts (except the switches) and are therefore extremely
reliable. They have NO rollers to clean.
9.2
If you rapidly accelerate an ordinary mouse, the ball can skip and the
pointer may not move as far as you had hoped whereas optical mice
faithfully reproduce any movement. Many people will not notice this
improvement, but fast mouse users will find optical mice more
responsive. In a similar way, a high quality keyboard which would be a
godsend to touch typists will not be of benefit to Éhunt and peckæ
typists.
9.2
öIf they are so wonderful, why have I never seen one?ò Well, itæs a bit
of a mystery. Optical mice are very rare in PC land, but much more
common on Unix workstations. Indeed, they have been standard on
SPARCstations for several years. They are relatively expensive, but my
guess is that people stick with ordinary mice for the same reason that
they still use PCs (i.e. öI want the same as everyone elseò.)
9.2
Drawbacks? Well, apart from the price and the fact that no-one makes
them to fit Acorn computers, it is necessary to keep the sides of the
mouse reasonably parallel to the sides of the mat. My friends and
colleagues have had no problems, but I have no experience of how
children cope with them, and it may be that the very young or those with
a disability could have difficulty with them.
9.2
Beware of suppliers who claim to be selling öopto¡mechanicalò mice. This
is the technical name for an ordinary ball-based mouse. Another phrase
to avoid is ösemi¡opticalò. If you are not sure, phone and ask if the
mouse has a ball. If they say öYes, obviously, Sir. All mice doò then
you need to go elsewhere.
9.2
Converting an Atari mouse
9.2
Golden Image produce optical mice for a number of different computers,
including the Atari ST and the Amiga. They generate exactly the same
electrical signals as an Acorn mouse, so all that is required to convert
them is a suitable adaptor. The Atari versions come with a 9 pin D-type
connector and the table below shows the adaptor required. Alternatively,
you could cut off the D-Type and fit a new connector or let Paul sell
you a complete new mouse lead. (Not cheap, I fear, because they are
Acorn spares Ö the cheapest is ú11 through Archive. Ed.) For details of
the Acorn mouse connector, consult your manuals.
9.2
Suitable connectors are available from Maplin for about 90p (part
JX19V). Be warned that they are very fiddly, and unless your soldering
and eyesight are good, a new cable may well be the best solution.
9.2
The Golden Image mouse is reasonably well made (although a little slim
for my liking), but it provides a somewhat coarse resolution and its
mouse mat leaves something to be desired. It has a rubber construction
very much like a conventional mat but the top surface tends to peel and
generally disintegrate. After four years of use, mine is now in a sorry
state. The mat is also inclined to stick to your hand. The supplier
which I used no longer sells them, but if you get a copy of Atari
Monthly (or some such) you may be able to locate a source.
9.2
Mouse Systems PC Mouse III
9.2
Mouse Systems is a US manufacturer who produce a number of mice,
including an optical version called the PC Mouse III. This is a mouse of
exceptional quality which provides nearly twice the resolution of the
Golden Image, excellent ergonomics and a virtually indestructible metal
mouse mat. I have used one at work for three years and consider them
superior to the mice provided with SPARCstations.
9.2
After that build¡up, you will not be surprised to hear that there is a
downside. Apart from being one of the most expensive mice that money can
buy, they are only available as PC serial mice. öWhatæs a serial mouse?ò
Read on!
9.2
Ye olde mouse
9.2
Back in the mists of time when mice were first invented, computers
didnæt have mouse ports. Now, reading Richard Torrensæ article, it
should be clear that an Acorn mouse port consists of 7 digital input
lines and a 5V supply. The electronics required for this is very simple
and I seem to dimly recall connecting my BBC mouse to the user I/O port
Ö werenæt BBCs versatile?! Most manufacturers chose to add such simple
mouse ports, but with the limited exception of Ébus miceæ, the PC world
chose instead to use one of the serial ports. This was achieved by
installing a simplified UART into the mouse and encoding details of
mouse movement and switch operation into bytes which were sent down the
serial line. The required positive and negative supplies were sniffed
from the portæs output pins. Thus, at a stroke, the mouse was made
significantly more complicated. The PS/2 compatible mouse ports, fitted
to many modern PCs, are little more than simplified serial ports. They
provide proper supply lines, but the principle is the same. Now, all
this made some sort of sense ten years ago, but Ö like DOS Ö its
continued use on modern computers defeats me.
9.2
öSo that last half page was just a long-winded way of telling me that I
cannot connect this wonder mouse to my Arc then?ò. Well actually no,
there are two possible solutions which I shall now reveal.
9.2
Solution 1 Ö The easy way
9.2
The name of Mouse Systems may be vaguely familiar to those of you with
RiscáPCs. If you click on the öMouseò option in Configure you will see
the dialogue shown below.
9.2
Choose the Mouse Systems option, plug in your PCáMouseáIII and away you
go. The only drawback, of course, is that it ties up your serial port.
9.2
If you do not have a RiscáPC, you need to obtain a copy of Stuart
Tyrrellæs !SerialMse application. This neat piece of code allows you to
connect a PC mouse to your serial port and it seems to work fine with
the PC Mouse III. (!SerialMse is on this monthæs Archive disc. Ed.)
9.2
Of course, one of the few significant problems with Acorn computers is
the appalling decision to provide only one serial port. How are we to
Ésurf the netæ if our mouse is connected where the modem would normally
go?
9.2
Solution 2 Ö Surfæs up!
9.2
It is possible to modify a PCáMouseáIII to fit the standard Acorn mouse
port. Needless to say, this will invalidate any warranty on the mouse.
9.2
To see how the modification might be achieved, consider the block
diagram below which shows the internal working of a PCáMouseáIII.
9.2
The important fact here is that the seven lines entering the left side
of the UART are exactly the same as the lines running up the cable of an
Acorn mouse. So all we need to do is tap into these wires by soldering
onto the pins of the chip. The 5V supply can be introduced at any
convenient point after the level converter.
9.2
The photo opposite shows the general layout of the PCáMouseáIII after
modification. I reused the cable from my original Acorn mouse but, as
mentioned earlier, Paul will be happy to sell you a new mouse cable. The
optical sensor is beneath the ribbon cable in the centre and the cable
to the computer normally terminates at the connector in the foreground.
The switch on the right selects between 2 and 3 button mode. Obviously
É3 buttonæ should be selected (although, after modification, it makes no
difference).
9.2
On the older version which I have at work, the empty space in one corner
of the circuit board contains a 555 timer and several discrete
components. I am not sure what these do since they are clearly not
essential. I suspect that they form a charge pump to generate the
required negative voltage, and that Mouse Systems have now found that
they can reliably tap this voltage from the serial port. I have not
tried to convert a mouse with these extra components, but I donæt see
why it shouldnæt work.
9.2
The next diagram shows the UART pins of interest to us. The numbers
indicate the relevant Acorn mouse connector pins.
9.2
The power supply is connected to VR1, a 5.2V zener. Ground and the cable
screen should be connected to the end nearest the buttons.
9.2
The final photograph shows a close¡up of the finished modifications. The
level of soldering skill required is not high, but I wouldnæt recommend
beginners to attempt it. Putting the top back on the mouse may well be
the hardest part of the modification. I canæt describe how itæs done Ö
youæll just have to develop the knack like I did! Suffice it to say that
it needs more force than you might think.áuá
9.2
Beginnersæ Corner
9.2
John Temple
9.2
I am responding to our hard-working editor who made a plea for some non-
programming contributions, especially for some Ébeginners-typeæ
articles.
9.2
I shall assume that you, the reader, know nothing, but I will take you
gently as deep as I can. The sorts of things I have in mind to cover in
this series are: RISCáand RISC OS, Displaying Text on Screen, Editing
and Formatting, Fun with Draw, Sprites and Paint, Animation, Alarms,
Music Technology.
9.2
After that we shall have to see where to go next, if anywhere. If
thereæs anything you would particularly like covered, please ask Paul.
But remember, this is meant to be for beginners. Oh, by the way, I am a
teacher by profession, so I may attempt to keep you on your toes by
asking questions. Donæt worry, Iæll also give you the answers.
9.2
RISC and RISC OS
9.2
Youæve heard of Computer Architecture? It is just a posh way of saying
what a computer is made of. Different computers have different
architectures but they all must have five essential components: a
central processor or processing unit (CPU for short), input and output
devices, memory and backing store.
9.2
Everything that happens in a computer is controlled by the CPU. All the
other components are connected to it. The BBC computer has one called a
6502. PCs have a 286 or a 386 or a 486, depending upon how old they are.
Acorn computers gain their superior speed and simplicity with a
processor called RISC, which stands for Reduced Instruction Set Computer
and the processor is driven by an operating system (OS) which resides in
the read only memory (ROM).
9.2
So now you know what RISC OS means, but there are several versions of
the operating system. If you want to know what version you have, move
the blue pointer (by using the mouse) so that it is over the icon
(little picture) at the bottom right of your screen Ö an acorn if you
have version 3 or later, or an ÉAæ if itæs version 2.) Press the middle
(or menu) button of the mouse, and a menu will appear. Move up to the
top item, Info, and guide the pointer over the arrow. There you have the
answer.
9.2
Displaying text on screen
9.2
Letæs now move on to what RISC OS has to offer. One of the most
important pieces of software that comes with it is an application called
Edit which is used for editing text. It is less sophisticated than a
word processor but what it does, it does fast Ö and Iámean fast. You can
drop edited text into a word processing package. You can drop it into
other applications such as Draw (RISCáOSæ own drawing package) and even,
if you have RISC OS 3 or later, write a program with it.
9.2
The best way to find out how it works is to try it. You will need to
have the application loaded onto the iconbar and you will need a file
(containing some text) to practise on.
9.2
If you have RISC OS 3.10 or later, you load Edit by clicking the left
hand mouse button (select) on the Apps icon on the iconbar and then
double-clicking on the Edit icon in the window which appears.
9.2
If you have an earlier version of RISC OS, you have to load Edit from
the Applications disc which came when you bought the computer. Put it
into the disc drive and click on the floppy drive icon and double-click
on the Edit icon in the window which appears.
9.2
The file we shall use is called OneTo50. Iæm afraid the text is a bit
boring but it has the virtue that you know exactly where you are within
it, all the time. It is simply, One, two, three, four, five, ..... etc
..... all the way up to ... forty eight, forty nine, fifty. If you have
the monthly disc, click on the floppy drive icon and then double-click
on the Beginners icon.
9.2
If you donæt subscribe to the disc, start typing!
9.2
You may like to click on the toggle size icon to give yourself a full
screen. When you have finished typing, reduce the size again by dragging
adjust size or clicking in toggle size. When you have finished typing,
save it!
9.2
To do this, open a filer window (i.e. double-click on a suitable
directory). With the pointer over this window, press the menu button and
move the pointer over the Save arrow on the Edit menu which appears:
9.2
(If you have RISC OS 3, there is a shortcut for this Ö press <F3>.)
9.2
Now drag the ÉTextFileæ icon (or ÉOneTo50æ icon if you loaded it off the
disc) into the directory window.
9.2
Now that you have got the file up on the screen, press the menu button
and explore the Display menu.
9.2
I suggest you try to find out...
9.2
(1)áthe differences (apart from size) between the fonts (Corpus,
Homerton and Trinity);
9.2
(2)áwhat you must do to display text in Homerton bold oblique, using
size 20;
9.2
(3)áhow to make the letters red and the background yellow;
9.2
(4)áhow to make the left hand margin wider or narrower;
9.2
(5)áwhat Wrap does;
9.2
(6)áwhat Invert does.
9.2
Did I say the questions would be easy? Iæll tell you the answers next
time. Weæll also see how to mark, move, copy, delete and format text.áuá
9.2
Ideal for beginners is the Archive Glossary (17,000+ words of
explanatory text). It is available for ú5 as a booklet and/or ú5 in
(upgradable) disc form Ö details in Products Available. Ed.
9.2
C++ Column
9.2
Tony Houghton
9.2
This monthæs article is about overloading, a way of defining groups of
functions, or even operators, with the same name, performing similar
functions, but on different types of data. C++ obviously cannot enforce
that overloaded functions and operators should behave similarly to each
other, so overloading, like much of C++, is open to some degree of
abuse. Avoid defining new meanings for functions or operators which are
not logical and/or similar to existing meanings.
9.2
Please note that in the example program fragments, Iáwill sometimes
introduce methods (i.e. member functions) with definitions and sometimes
with declarations. You should be aware of the difference and know how to
provide a declaration to match a definition and vice versa (see Archive
8.12).
9.2
The term Éargumentæ refers to a variable passed to a function as seen by
the function being called. ÉParameteræ refers to a variable as seen by
the expression calling the function. Just to confuse you, an alternative
term for argument is Éformal parameteræ (as used in compilation error
messages).
9.2
Function overloading
9.2
Overloading functions is as simple as just declaring/defining more than
one function happening to have the same name. The rules are that each
overloaded function must have different types of arguments from other
functions with the same name; you cannot declare functions which differ
only in their return type, because the compiler would not know which one
to call when called without using its return value:
9.2
void sort(int);
9.2
void sort(float);
9.2
void sort(char);
9.2
int sort(int);  // error: sort(int)
9.2
                // already declared
9.2
Each of these functions must be defined separately. There is not really
any more to say about function overloading Ö itæs as simple as that.
9.2
Class member function overloading
9.2
Overloading member functions is as easy as overloading ordinary
functions:
9.2
class String {public: 9.2
  int find(char);
9.2
  int find(char *);
9.2
};
9.2
Constructors are a slightly special case, it is common to provide a
default constructor, either with no arguments or with whatever arguments
are needed to construct an object, and a copy constructor. For a class
X, a copy constructor is declared as:
9.2
  X(X &);  // (within Xæs definition)
9.2
X(X) is not allowed. A copy constructor can be used as part of a
solution to the problem (caveat) I described in Archive 8.12. To recap,
for a class such as:
9.2
class Array {{ Style öArcSymbolò Off}
9.2
  int size;
9.2
  int *array;
9.2
  // ...
9.2
public:
9.2
  Array(int num_elements);
9.2
  ~Array()
9.2
  {delete[] array; }
9.2
  // ...
9.2
};
9.2
the following program will be passed by the compiler, but will crash at
run-time:
9.2
int main()
9.2
{array1(100) ;
9.2
  Array array2 = array1;
9.2
  // ...
9.2
}
9.2
This is because the default copy operation is a member-wise copy, so
array2 will have the same values of size and array as array1. When the
objects are deleted, both array1.array and array2.array are deleted. As
they both point to the same data, this is a potential crash.
9.2
A copy constructor to solve this would be (ignoring error-checking):
9.2
Array::Array(Array &original)
9.2
  : size(original.size)
9.2
{new int[size];
9.2
  if (array)
9.2
    memcpy(array, original.array,
9.2
           size * sizeof(int));
9.2
}
9.2
Now each copied object will be given its own distinct copy of the data.
The class isnæt quite safe yet, copying an Array to an already existing
Array will cause the same problem as before. See below for the cure.
9.2
Destructors never take arguments, so obviously they cannot be
overloaded.
9.2
Operator overloading
9.2
If you had a class representing a mathematical type such as complex
numbers or matrices, it would be convenient to be able to use
mathematical operators such as + or * with them, instead of having to
use functions called add() and multiply(). C++ allows just that with
operator overloading. The operators which can be overloaded are:
9.2
+  Ö*  /  %  ^  &
9.2
|  ~  !  =  <  >
9.2
+=  Ö=  *=  /=  %=  ^=  &=  |=  <<  >>  <<=  >>=  ==  !=  <=  >=  &&  ||
++  ÖÖ  Ö>*  ,  Ö>  []  ()  new  delete
9.2
The last five are not as straightforward as the others, each will be
described separately. Operators which cannot be overloaded are:
9.2
.  .*  ::  ?:  sizeof
9.2
# and ## are not operators, but preprocessor directives, so they cannot
be overloaded either. It is not possible to add completely new operators
or change the number of operands needed by an operator (e.g. you cannot
define a unary /). Operators which can be either unary or binary, such
as Ö, can be overloaded as either.
9.2
Operators cannot be redefined to have new meanings for existing types or
for pointers; an overloaded operator must take at least one class or
reference to class argument, or be a member function of a class.
9.2
=  []  ()  Ö>
9.2
can only be overloaded as non-static class members, because their first
operands need to be lvalues.
9.2
=  &  ,
9.2
already have meaning when applied to classes, so as an alternative to
overloading them, it is possible to declare them as private members (no
definition is needed) to restrict unintentional use.
9.2
Operators need not have the same relationships with each other, e.g.
a+=b meaning the same as a=a+b. However, you are strongly advised to
keep these relationships where appropriate.
9.2
Operator function notation
9.2
An operator function is represented by a function with the name operator
followed by the operatoræs symbol. For unary operators (e.g. !), the
object it acts on is the operator functionæs only argument, for binary
operators (e.g. /) the object before the operator is the functionæs
first argument, and the object after the operator its second. In either
case the result of the operation is given by the function return value.
To illustrate this with an incomplete class for complex numbers:
9.2
struct Complex {{ Style öArcSymbolò Off}  float re, im;
9.2
};
9.2
Complex operator+(Complex a,
9.2
                  const Complex &b)
9.2
// a is local, so no need to define
9.2
// temporary variable for result.
9.2
// b is reference for efficiency;
9.2
// a temporary need not be created
9.2
// if it is passed an actual Complex
9.2
{+ = b.re;
9.2
  a.im += b.im;
9.2
  return a;
9.2
}
9.2
Complex operatorÖ(Complex a)
9.2
// One argument, so unary minus
9.2
{Öa.re ;
9.2
  return a;
9.2
}
9.2
These operator functions can now be called with either notation:
9.2
Complex c = a + b;
9.2
Complex c = operator+(a, b);
9.2
Both are equivalent to each other; the second form is rather rare: why
make a function an operator if youære not going to use it as one?
9.2
Operators as class members
9.2
An alternative to stand-alone operator functions is to make them class
members. In this case the first operand for binary operators, or the
only operand for unary operators, is replaced by the object the operator
is called for. The Complex example becomes:
9.2
class Complex {re , im;
9.2
   // Much safer as private
9.2
public:
9.2
  Complex(float r, float i = 0)
9.2
    : re(r), im(i)
9.2
  // Copy constructor unnecessary,
9.2
  // default member-wise copy is OK
9.2
  Complex &assign(float r, float i)
9.2
  // Needed because member operator=
9.2
  // can only take one argument
9.2
  {r ;
9.2
    im = i;
9.2
    return *this;
9.2
  }
9.2
  Complex operator+(Complex b)
9.2
  // This time b is not reference to
9.2
  // allow local copy to be modified.
9.2
  // a is replaced by Éthisæ object
9.2
  {+ = re;
9.2
    b.im += im;
9.2
    return b;
9.2
  }
9.2
  Complex operatorÖ()
9.2
  {is needed, because
9.2
    // Ö should not actually alter
9.2
    // Éthisæ object
9.2
    Complex b(Öre);
9.2
    b.im = im;
9.2
    return b;
9.2
  }
9.2
};
9.2
When deciding whether to define an operator as a stand-alone function or
a class member, the rule of thumb is to always use a member unless you
have a good reason not to do so. One exemption would be an operator
which acts on two classes, being associated to neither class more than
another. Additionally, the compiler can make no assumptions as to
whether an operator is associative, so if you had a class X with
XáX::operator+(int) you could type x+1 but if, for some strange reason,
you absolutely needed to be able to reverse the order of operands and
type something like 1+x you would need:
9.2
inline X operator+(int a,áX x)
9.2
{x+a ; }
9.2
which is not a member.
9.2
User-defined type conversion
9.2
Complexæs constructor gives us a way of creating a Complex from any type
which can be implicitly converted to float. Furthermore, if you attempt
to assign a float (or other arithmetic type) to an already existing
Complex, the compiler will create a temporary Complex from the float,
before assigning it to the existing Complex. The following mini-program
is therefore correct:
9.2
int main()
9.2
{= 1;
9.2
    // 1 converted to float (at
9.2
    // compilation, not at run-time),        // float passed to Complex
9.2
    // constructor
9.2
  Complex b = a;
9.2
    // Standard copy-construction
9.2
  a = b;
9.2
    // Standard member-wise copy
9.2
    // operation
9.2
  a = 2;
9.2
    // 2 converted to float, passed
9.2
    // to Complex constructor to
9.2
    // create temporary which is then
9.2
    // copied to a
9.2
}
9.2
If run-time efficiency is more important than simplicity of class
design, you can avoid the creation of a temporary Complex during
assignment by a float etc by overloading = :
9.2
  // (within Complex definition)
9.2
  Complex &operator=(float r)
9.2
  {assign(r , 0); }
9.2
Going back to the bugged Array class, overloading = completes the
protection against repeated deletion:
9.2
Array &Array::operator=(Array &a)
9.2
{array ;
9.2
  array = 0;
9.2
  size = a.size;
9.2
  if (a.array)
9.2
  {new int[size];
9.2
    memcpy(array, a.array,
9.2
           size * sizeof(int));
9.2
  }
9.2
}
9.2
In some circumstances, you may wish to convert a class to a simpler
type. This can be done by using one of the type conversion operators,
which are defined as operator <type name>(). No return type is declared
Ö this is implicitly the type name used as the operator. As an unlikely
example, you might want to simplify the notation for taking the
magnitude of a Complex by defining this as a conversion from Complex to
float:
9.2
  // (within Complex definition)
9.2
  operator float()
9.2
  {+ im*im); }
9.2
int main()
9.2
{a(/*...*/) ;
9.2
  float f = a;
9.2
    // f takes magnitude of a
9.2
}
9.2
To convert a class to a pointer, you would have to typedef a new name
for the pointer; * is not allowed as part of the type name of a
conversion operator.
9.2
It is not advisable to use this sort of type conversion unless it is
specifically useful. Such a case would be some sort of container class
whose main purpose is to hold an object of another type. uá
9.2
Rather an abrupt ending, I fear, but the complete article is nearly 10
pages long. So, for the next exciting episode, youæll have to wait until
next month. Sorry! (If youære really desperate, look on the monthly
program disc!) Ed.
9.2
PD Column
9.2
David Holden
9.2
Regular readers will know that, unlike those with similar titles
elsewhere, this column has never consisted of lists of the latest PD
programs. I prefer to write about the subject in more general terms, and
only dwell on specific programs where I think they are either
exceptional or of universal interest. I would rather try to interest
readers in the idea of PD and Shareware in the hope that they will take
the trouble to spend a few pounds on the catalogues of the main
libraries and discover for themselves just how much isáavailable.
9.2
My main aim in this column is to point out to Archive readers, who tend
to be the more mature and sensible Acorn users, that it isnæt all
desktop Ésilliesæ and shoot-æem-up games, but that there are some
exceedingly useful applications. I have had a few letters recently
suggesting that I should mention one of the most popular Shareware
programs, because although Iáhave featured it before (it was a winner in
a previous APDL competition), there are now many new readers who may not
have heard of it.
9.2
One of the main problems with commercial programs is that they tend to
have all sorts of wonderful new features included which are designed to
make good advertising copy and give the magazines something to write
about. In fact, 99% of users have no need of these features, and they
simply increase the size and complexity of the program and help to
inflate the price. This Égalloping featurismæ is well known with PC
programs, and has reached such a stage that many popular programs have
now spawned so-called Éliteæ versions from which many of the more
esoteric functions have been stripped.
9.2
Shareware programs are written for markets where the user will purchase
on the strength of what he sees the program do rather than on the
advertisements, so these programs rarely suffer from this disease. There
is one area in particular where this problem seems to get out of hand,
and that is databases. Most commercial programs try to do everything
and, as a result, become highly complex and eat up megabytes of memory
and hard disc space. It is now very rare to find a commercial database
that can be run from floppy disc. The fact is that most people donæt
want all these wonderful features, but just need an easy-to-use system
to keep names and addresses, business contacts, client records, or info
about their hobby.
9.2
Powerbase
9.2
Powerbase is a flat file database which will probably do everything that
all but a small minority of users will require. It falls nicely between
the very simple text-only address book type and the highly complex
relational database. It is very easy to set up and use a straightforward
database. For example, you could create a name and address database in a
few minutes, yet Powerbase also has many features found in more complex
programs.
9.2
It has good search and interrogation features and printing is well
supported. As well as providing for mail merging with Impression and
Ovation, it can also print address labels and reports. Once again, this
is very simple to do, normally just by Époint and clickæ, without the
need to spend hours pouring over the manual. In particular, it is easy
to Éfilteræ a record so that only certain fields are displayed on screen
or printed.
9.2
As you would expect, Powerbase can import and export CSV files, which
makes transferring to and from other databases simple. Most functions
can also be invoked by a keypress, which makes entering data much easier
as you donæt have to switch repeatedly between mouse and keyboard. Most
fields can even have a pop-up menu from which you can select data, so if
a field has only a few options, you can select the required one instead
of typing it.
9.2
Although Powerbase is not relational, it does have some features which
are normally only available with relational databases. Fields can be
linked to Éexternalæ files, e.g. a large text file or graphics, and
fields can use external validation tables.
9.2
Powerbase comes with a good manual, (around 60 pages), some example
databases, and a short tutorial which will get you Éup and runningæ
very quickly. Registration is normally ú10, but owing to previous
successful offers where I have provided Archive readers with a pre-
registered version, I have arranged with the authors, Derek and Steven
Haslam, to supply a fully registered copy, complete with laser printed
manual and tutorial. The price of this will be ú14, which includes the
ú10 registration and covers the costs of printing and postage, and I
will include the Powerbase Admin Suite, which is a collection of
databases designed for keeping student records.
9.2
Easibase
9.2
This is another Shareware database, and it is even easier to use, mainly
because it is very much less complicated. It was written by David
Ramsden and has a registration fee of ú5.95.
9.2
Easibase is a straightforward flat file database. The main feature which
makes it very simple to set up new databases is that it uses a separate
ÉFormEdæ type program to create the database viewing window. You can
drag the various fields about, alter their size and colour, and set
their characteristics.
9.2
This monthæs special offer is therefore a disc with a copy of Easibase
and the unregistered version of Powerbase (without the Admin Suite) for
just ú1 (or four 1st class stamps). If you want a fully registered
version of Powerbase with printed manual plus the Admin Suite, and an
unregistered copy of Easibase, then the price will be ú14. In either
case, please specify whether you want an 800Kb or 1.6Mb disc and send
your order to the APDL address inside the back cover.áuá
9.2
Starting Basic Part 3  Ö Keywords
9.2
Ray Favre
9.2
The computer needs to be able to translate the Basic program
instructions into corresponding internal actions to carry them out. To
do this, there has to be no doubt about the meanings of the Éwordsæ of
the programming language and how they are put together in Ésentencesæ.
The Éwordsæ are called Ékeywordsæ and every Basic instruction
(Ésentenceæ) must have (or uniquely imply) at least one keyword Ö rather
like every sentence in English must have a verb. The whole point of
Basic is that these keywords closely match their English equivalents in
meaning, making it easier to learn (for English speakers!).
9.2
Each keyword therefore has a rigid description of how it can be used:
down to whether spaces, commas, semi-colons etc are important and even
where it must sit in a Ésentenceæ. These essential details are called
the Ésyntaxæ Ö another straight copy from English.
9.2
Enter Basic from a Task Window (see Part 1) and type HELP . (note the
full stop) for a full list of keywords Ö and typing HELP <keyword> gives
the syntax of any one of them. (Type *HELP Syntax Ö note the asterisk Ö
to get an explanation of the syntax symbols! Better still, Acornæs BBC
Basic Reference Manual must really be regarded as essential if you
intend to program frequently.) (The Basic VI manual is ú20 through
Archive. Ed.)
9.2
Most keywords have an optional abbreviated form, frequently with a full-
stop at the end e.g. P. for PRINT, and these can certainly reduce finger
wear when typing in programs. They are listed in the Basic Reference
Manual. When you LIST the program in a Task Window (or save and reload
it in Edit) the full names will be shown, so legibility is not lost by
using these abbreviations. (At least one of the non-Acorn alternatives
to Edit has an option which picks up the abbreviations as you type them
in and converts them immediately to the full keyword on the screen.)
9.2
Youæll be relieved to hear that this series will not be attempting to
explain 160 or so keywords one by one. Instead, it will introduce the
main ones as they arise under topic headings.
9.2
Readeræs suggestion
9.2
We have already stressed that all keywords are strictly in upper case
only and that we would deliberately put variables in lower case, to make
listings easy to read and to avoid conflicts with keywords. However, a
reader in Holland has suggested that it will be even easier to read if
we use variable names with initial capital letters only and do not use
the underscore character. For example, LoanAmount instead of loanamount,
and AmountPerPayment instead of amount_per_payment.
9.2
This seems a good idea, so weæll try to adopt it from now on in the
series, except in the places where it wonæt help.
9.2
He also suggested that beginners will be helped if additional spaces are
used within our listings of Basic statements e.g.
9.2
PRINT integer% * real instead of  PRINTinteger%*real
9.2
Again, I am happy to try this, although, in this case, training my
fingers to remember may not be so easy!
9.2
Back to keywords ...
9.2
We have used the two keywords REM and PRINT several times already and
weæve also included ONáERROR in the ÉLoanæ listing. It is worth saying
more about these three now.
9.2
Keyword REM
9.2
This ought to be the most often used of all keywords. It does nothing.
Everything after it on the same program line is ignored by the computer.
It is therefore used to make remarks/comments about the program, and
also to mark boundaries between segments of the program. ÉLoan_2æ gives
plenty of examples of both these uses. Get into the habit of using REMs
as you go, rather than Éleave them until lateræ.
9.2
It is also often used to temporarily Édeleteæ a line or part of a line
of a program during development, to avoid having to re-type it if it is
subsequently needed. Just type REM in front of the part to be Édeletedæ
temporarily.
9.2
We have also seen that using REM>ProgName as the first line of the
program will automatically save the program under ÉProgNameæ if we use
SAVE in Basic command mode.
9.2
Keyword PRINT
9.2
This is mostly used to write and format text strings and numbers on
screen. It actually sends characters to the currently configured Éoutput
streamæ, e.g. can also send text to a printer Ö with or without also
sending it to screen. (Modern preference is to use Édrag & dropæ or the
Wimp Message system to activate printers, rather than direct printing
from Basic, but we will, nonetheless, say a few words about it in a
later article. Other Archive columns are also currently active on this
subject.)
9.2
PRINT can be followed by several possible format modifying symbols, e.g.
comma, semi-colon, single quote, space, some of which are used in
ÉLoan_2æ. These modifiers generally alter the printed format (from the
default format) for one operation only. It is therefore important to
know the default arrangements.
9.2
Default Print arrangements
9.2
By default, numbers are printed in decimal and right justified in a
Éprint fieldæ of 10 characters wide. (Effectively, normally giving 8
invisible columns across the screen, which can be altered.) Strings are
printed left justified in the Éprint fieldæ.
9.2
The only way to get used to the defaults, symbols and the Éprint fieldæ
is to try it out and the short listing ÉPrintAidæ on the disc would be a
useful playground.
9.2
A comma tends to set/reset things to the default formats. The semi-colon
östops the text cursor from movingò Ö either starting to print a
following text/number from the current cursor position; or holding the
cursor immediately behind the last character printed instead of a
<return> effect.
9.2
PRINT TAB(), with a single number in the brackets, moves the cursor to
the right by that number of characters before starting the print
process. It does not change the L/R justification. If the text cursor is
already further to the right of the Tab value you ask for, a new line
will be started first. This instruction works with printer output also.
9.2
With two numbers in the brackets e.g. PRINT TAB(10,15)String$, the text
cursor will be forced directly to character position 10 on line 15 Ö
from the LH edge and top respectively, not forgetting that the top LH
corner is position (0,0). Printing will start from there, overwriting
anything already there. This instruction will not work with printer
output.
9.2
When using TAB it is necessary to keep an eye on the display mode Ö some
have more text lines and/or characters per line than others, which can
lead to unexpected results. The User Guide has a useful list of screen
modes (called Éold styleæ if you have a RiscáPC!)
9.2
Other features of PRINT will be covered as and when we come to them.
9.2
Keyword ERROR
9.2
If the computer detects something wrong whilst it is churning away it
will usually try to let you know by displaying an Éerror messageæ. There
are many error messages and they occur at several levels. We
deliberately induced one from the Command Line in Part 1, and (very)
occasionally you might get one generated from deep down in the internal
workings of the machine. Much more common are those generated by the
programming language or the application program currently running. In
Wimp applications in particular, it is very easy for the programmer to
incorporate custom-built error messages.
9.2
In programming, Éerroræ has a wider meaning than its normal English
usage. It includes helpful warnings that are aimed to stop you doing
things you may not want to do, e.g. close an amended file before you
have saved it. Some errors are Éfatalæ, i.e. you will not be able to
continue running the program and you might even have to restart/reset
the computer. ÉFatalæ errors will almost certainly cause you to lose any
unsaved data/typing and, by the well-known laws, will generally occur
just at that one time that you thought you would risk carrying on
without saving! (Pause here while I save some typing!)
9.2
Our main concern in these articles will be to harness the help of the
Basic error message system to overcome problems while we are developing
programs Ö and the keyword ERROR is the means provided. It is most often
met, as in our ÉLoan_2æ listing, with a second keyword ON, as in the
instruction:
9.2
ONáERROR <do something>
9.2
This dictates how the program after that point will react when it
detects something wrong. If you want a different reaction later in the
program you can introduce a different ONáERROR line which will supersede
the previous one. When an error is detected, the program will jump from
wherever it is back to the ONáERROR line last encountered and carry out
those instructions before trying to carry on. Generally speaking, while
developing a program, we want to stop the program after reading the
error message Ö so that we can correct it before trying again. Otherwise
we are likely to run into the same error again and again in and endless
loop. This is why our ÉLoan_2æ listing ends the ONáERROR line with the
keyword END, whose meaning here is self explanatory.
9.2
To gain familiarity with common error messages, introduce some
deliberate mistakes into the ÉLoan_2æ listing and then run it, e.g. miss
off one (then both) quote marks from a string declaration; assign a
string to a numeric variable; miss out a colon before a REM etc. Do you
understand the error message? As added interest, assign a real number to
an integer variable. Do you get an error message? What has happened? All
this, and more, next time!
9.2
We will take ÉLoanæ further forward next time, when we introduce
procedures and functions. Donæt forget the feedback, to: 26 West Drayton
Park Avenue, West Drayton, Middx. UB7 7QA.áuá
9.2
Puzzle Corner
9.2
Colin Singleton
9.2
I have been asked (by a former winner) whether I know the answers to my
puzzles.  Most of the time Ö Yes! Puzzle-setters, however, are only
human. It can happen, particularly if I have published a modification of
an old puzzle, that someone might find a better solution than mine.
Publishing a column like this is an excellent way of confirming (or
improving) the solutions to puzzles on my files! The solutions published
the following month are generally mine, because I send the column to
Paul before the entries come rolling in.
9.2
Now Ö the latest winners ...
9.2
(30) Rectangles
9.2
This is a modification of my earlier puzzle, and it caused a few
problems. The wording of this version required the sides of the outer
rectangle to be different from those of all the inner ones, which
invalidates the 9╫13 solution found by a number of readers. Your entries
confirm the 8╫16 solution published last month. The winner is Tony
Houghton of Southampton.
9.2
(31Ö33) Tennis Balls Ö 27 Digits Ö Loony PAYE
9.2
Several readers sent all-correct entries. I only asked for one solutions
to 27 digits Ö you could choose from 191618257269258476354938743,
181915267285296475384639743 and 191218246279458634753968357, or their
reversals. The winner is Paul Marshall of Hartwell, Northants.
9.2
... and last monthæs solutions ...
9.2
(34) Euleræs Magic
9.2
This is a variation of a puzzle in my old Competition Corner (Archive
4.8 May æ91). There is no solution of order-2 or order-6, and the
order¡10 problem baffled mathematicians for nearly two centuries before
a solution was found. There are numerous solutions for the other orders,
of which the following are examples. All these, except the order¡3 and
the order¡10, are Édiagonalæ.
9.2

9.2
(35) Multiple Factors
9.2
You can solve this by computerised brute force or by logic. If the prime
factors of a number are:
9.2
then the number has (p1+1)(p2+1)...(pn+1) factors including 1 and the
number itself. It is thus not difficult to discover that 840á=á23╖3╖5╖7
has 32 factors.
9.2
(36) Monkey Puzzle
9.2
The weight and the monkey remain on the same level relative to each
other. This is true if the monkey climbs up or down the rope, jerks it,
lets go and grabs it again Ö anything!
9.2
(37) Multiplication
9.2
2á╫á14á╫á307á=á8596. The other solution is 1á╫á26á╫á345á=á8970.
9.2
... this monthæs prize puzzle ...
9.2
(38) Where on Earth?
9.2
Now for something completely different! This puzzle was inspired by one
recently published in New Scientist, which you might still be able to
enter, if you are quick. Four points on the surface of the Earth are
such that each is equidistant, as the crow flies, from each of the
others. Can you find four towns in your atlas which fit this requirement
as nearly as possible? This is a case where a reader might well be able
to improve on my solution.
9.2
... and this monthæs prize quickies ...
9.2
(39) House Number
9.2
Fred lives in a house with a three-digit number. The sum of all the
house numbers less than Fredæs equals the sum of all those in the road
greater than Fredæs. There are no house numbers missing. What is Fredæs
number?
9.2
(40) Birthdays
9.2
A group of people are attending a party. I can deduce from their number
that there is a better than even chance that two have the same birthday.
What is the smallest number for which this is true? (Day and month only,
not the year. Ignore February 29.)
9.2
(41) Back-tracking
9.2
What is the next term in this sequence? áá61áá52áá63áá94áá46áá??
9.2
Comments and Solutions
9.2
Good Luck! Please send comments, contributions and solutions to me at 41
St Quentin Drive, Sheffield, S17 4PN. Solutions should reach me by
Friday 10tháNovember, please.áuá
9.2
Communications Column
9.2
Chris Claydon
9.2
This new column is the result of a Éconversationæ Chris and I have been
having via Arcade BBS. Whilst I donæt always agree with Chrisæ views, I
am happy that he is willing to share his ideas and expertise through
Archive. (Thanks Chris!) If you have opinions on the subjects raised in
this and subsequent articles, as always, please feel free to express
them Ö either to Chris or to me. Ed.
9.2
Donæt turn the page! Even if you currently have no interest in comms,
hopefully you will have after reading this new column for a while! Even
if you donæt believe that you have a use for a modem, I assure you that,
once you have one, you will wonder how you ever managed without it.
9.2
I will use this first column to introduce you to electronic
communication in all its forms and to explain what it means for the
individual and for society in general. Next month, I will explain how
you can get involved, what equipment you need and how you can use it.
9.2
But first, let me introduce myself. I run ARMed Forces Software and the
ARMed Forces Multimedia BBS, and I have been involved in communications
for nearly two years. I have written a complete bulletin board server
system called ÉImmediateæ which uses an intuitive RISC OS interface
rather than the usual text-based system. I regularly use Fidonet and
Internet, and youæll find me on most of the Acornrelated bulletin
boards.
9.2
Introducing comms
9.2
So what can you do with a modem? Comms is fast becoming an integral part
of our society. Here are a few examples of how useful it can be:
9.2
Ö You can work from home Ö a modem allows you to swap information easily
with your office.
9.2
Ö You can easily meet new friends with the same interests as you. There
may not be anybody else in your town interested in Acorn computers, but
there are so many people on the computer networks that you can guarantee
to find plenty of people who share your interests.
9.2
Ö You can send a letter or a file to anywhere else in the world, and
have it arrive instantly for almost no cost!
9.2
Ö You will find that if you have a problem Ö say you canæt work out how
to use program X Ö you can simply post a message describing your
problem, and within a few hours you can get replies from many different
people, all helping you out Ö and often contradicting each other!
9.2
These days, most bulletin boards carry such an enormous range of files
that you can simply search for, say, a program to draw graphs and,
within minutes, youæve found twenty, and downloaded them all to your
computer! You can then try them all and pick the best one! Your phone
costs will be much cheaper than using a PD library, and there is a much
wider range of software available than any PD library could ever hope to
supply.
9.2
There are massive amounts of sound and graphics available, you can
always find the ideal clipart for your latest DTP or multimedia work,
though you may have to hunt through a lot of similar files. If you want
a picture of a labrador, say, you might have to try a lot of pictures
called Édogæ before you find one, but you may be lucky and find one
called Élabradoræ! You might have to try several Bulletin boards to find
exactly what you want, but itæs always out there somewhere! The biggest
problem with comms at the moment is knowing where to look.
9.2
The most popular use for the international computer networks currently
is simply to socialise Ö you can chat in real time with large groups of
other people just by typing at the keyboard, or you can use conferences
in which you post a message. People who also contribute to that
conference look at your message and, if they wish, write replies. You
can see the replies the next day when you pick up your mail, and if you
wish, write your own replies in turn, or respond to someone elseæs
message. This method is much easier on the phone bill, which need not be
very big at all, providing you are sensible with the amount of time you
spend downloading large files and chatting with Australians!
9.2
How does it work?
9.2
There are several worldwide computer networks available. These can be
split into two main groups Ö Fidonet technical networks (FTN) and the
Internet and its variants.
9.2
Fidonet is a worldwide network run by computer enthusiasts for the
exchange of private and public mail and, to some extent, the exchange of
files. Because messages are passed between BBSs via the normal phone
system, once a day during the early morning, it is relatively slow. A
message will usually have to pass through several boards to reach the
destination. It will usually take from one to four days for a message to
get through, depending mainly on the physical distance it has to travel.
Times can vary a lot depending on the route the message takes. Although
Fidonet is an international network, sending messages over very long
distances isnæt recommended. One message I know of took twenty-two days
to get to Australia. This means it went through twenty-two different
peopleæs bulletin boards and each one paid to transfer it, some by
international calls.
9.2
There are many other networks which are run using the same software and
protocols as Fidonet, including a dedicated Acorn network called
ÉRiscNetæ.
9.2
In contrast, the Internet is run largely by commercial providers and
academic institutions who are linked by constant high speed data links,
allowing all data and messages to be transferred almost instantaneously
between them. You can then dial into one of these Éprovidersæ of the
Internet and transfer mail. This is similar to transferring mail with a
BBS, but more complex and slower. Of course, these companies will charge
you for the privilege Ö you can expect to pay at least ú120 per year for
an Internet account, plus phone charges. A similar alternative to the
Internet is JANET, the Joint Academic NETwork, but this is only
available to academic establishments.
9.2
The solution to this problem is Bulletin Board Services (BBSæs). These
are computers which you can dial up to transfer mail and/or files. They
are run by comms enthusiasts (System operators, known as ÉSysOpsæ),
usually free of charge, although most sysops rely on donations from
users.
9.2
Most bulletin boards provide Fidonet messaging, and many also provide
free access to the Internet Ö several Acorn boards, including my own,
will give you access to Internet mail, and your own email address for
free. It isnæt quite as quick as a direct Internet account, and you
wonæt have access to Internet file transfer and the World Wide Web, but
youæll probably not need these Ö most bulletin boards provide a very
wide range of their own files, and the WWW is not usually necessary.
9.2
Essentially, WWW is a text display system with some basic graphics
abilities. There is a massive amount of information available, but what
the media hype doesnæt tell you is that there is no way to find what you
want unless you know where to look. So as an ÉInformation Superhighwayæ,
it lacks a lot Ö you canæt simply look up the information you need. WWW
has succeeded in making one part of the Internet easier to use, but it
is still not something for novices, unlike a BBS where there is a
friendly sysop to help you out if you get stuck.
9.2
If you are new to comms, the first thing to do is to call up a good
bulletin board which supports your interests and create a user account
there. Once you have an account, you can join and leave message
conferences from Fidonet (Echoes) and conferences from Internet (Usenet
Newsgroups) and start to chat with other people. You can send Internet
email and Fidonet netmail to other individuals and you can download
files from the hard disc of the BBS.
9.2
For the benefit of all the users, most BBSs have a limit to the number
of files you can download to your computer. In order to get more
downloads, you have to send some files to the BBS, so there is always a
flow of new files of all types appearing on BBSs.
9.2
If you are a newcomer to comms, please remember that the Internet isnæt
all that the media make it out to be, though it is very useful. If you
use a BBS, you can try comms out free of charge with no long term
commitment, maybe getting an Internet account later if you decide that
you want one.
9.2
I will include an ongoing feature in this column listing good Acorn
BBSs. If you have a BBS which you would like me to include, drop me a
line and Iæll put it in, maybe review it as well!
9.2
Next month, I will discuss what software and hardware you need to get
online and how to use it.
9.2
If you have any feedback on how you would like me to develop this
column, or suggestions for topics to cover, you can contact by any of
the following ways:
9.2
Voice phone: [phone].
9.2
ARMed Forces BBS: 01962-880003.
9.2
Web: http://www.icafe.co.za/mirage/ARMedForces.
9.2
Internet email: [e-mail] or [e-mail].
9.2
FidoNet Netmail: 2:252/501.
9.2
RiscNet Netmail: 7:44/212.
9.2
Post: Chris Claydon, 38 Main Road, Littleton, Winchester, Hampshire,
SO22 6QQ.áuá
9.2
Donæt forget the Archive Internet Glossary (perhaps I should have called
it a Comms Glossary!) which will help you as you seek to enter this
jargon-filled world! Ed.
9.2
BBS Name:  Location:  Phone Numbers:
9.2
Arcade  London  01816-542212 (4álines)  01816-554412 (1 line)
9.2
The Digital Databank  Welwyn Garden City  01707-323531 (3 lines)  01707-
329306 (1 line)
9.2
The Plasma Sphere  Lymm, Cheshire  01925-757920 (1 line)  01925¡757921
(1 line)
9.2
Arctic  London  01819-031308 (1 line)  01819-031309 (1 line)
9.2
Rich In Paradise  London  01716-240740 (1 line)
9.2
Galaxy  Eccles (Manchester)  01617-079306 (1 line)
9.2
Software Copy Protection
9.2
David Holden
9.2
I was motivated to write this by correspondence and conversations
arising from comments in the PD Column in issues 8.10 and 8.11 and
recent complaints about hardware keys. I must point out that these
opinions are entirely (but certainly not exclusively) my own, so if you
disagree, please write to me at the APDL address and not to Archive.
9.2
In those articles, I dealt with the attitudes a shareware author needs
to adopt towards people who use his programs Ö those who register, and
the less scrupulous, who do not. I pointed out the pitfalls awaiting an
author who is more concerned with preventing unauthorised use than
providing an attractive product for the honest user. I drew comparisons
between the attitude required, and that displayed by some companies
producing software for Éconventionalæ distribution.
9.2
As users of Acorn computers, we are plagued (and I use the word
deliberately) by protected software. Letters in Archive show that
protection methods used by some companies cause great difficulties to
their customers Ö yet they, and others, persist. This is the dilemma
that I shall try to address.
9.2
Why piracy exists
9.2
Computer software costs only a fraction of its retail price to
manufacture but is heavily Éfront end loadedæ. In this, it has much in
common with the record industry, where forging is also rife. The package
may cost only a pound or two to produce, yet be priced at many tens or
even hundreds.
9.2
This is not profiteering because it costs a lot to develop and market a
program. This has to be paid before a single item is actually sold.
Often, thousands of copies must be sold before the investment has been
recouped and the program begins to show a profit. Then there will be
improvements, bugs to fix, extra features to add, so a lot of the
Éprofitsæ will need to go towards further development.
9.2
The pirate, because he has no development or promotional overhead, can
make huge profits. If he produces an exact copy and sells it at less
than half the price, his net profit is the selling price less the
(small) manufacturing cost. Software protection can do nothing to stop
this because the pirates just duplicate the protection Ö even dongles!
It does not matter how complex the copy protection is, the forgers can
afford to spend more on bypassing it than those who devised it Ö they
have so few other costs.
9.2
Why copy protection?
9.2
The answer that is given by those who favour it, is that, if software is
not protected,ï people will give copies to all their friends, seriously
reducing sales. This is demonstrably nonsense! Not one among the worldæs
most popular and best selling programs is copy protected!
9.2
The statistical logic is irrefutable. Unless the most successful
companies are mistaken, and their success seems to indicate that they
arenæt, software protection reduces sales.
9.2
The exceptions
9.2
There are areas where copy protection may be advisable, and one is
games. I assume, for the sake of this argument, that games purchasers
are likely to be younger users. I do not imply that they are less honest
than older users, just that the desire to have the latest games is
likely to be intense. They (or their parents) may not have the
wherewithal to buy them all, so there will be a great temptation to
Éswapæ with friends. Most games have little documentation, so having the
software without it may be no problem. I am inclined to sympathise with
games publishers, but any protection should be as simple as possible.
They cannot stop copying, so all they can do is make it less easy for
the inexperienced.
9.2
Education is another area where protection could be justified. Programs
used in education may be installed on a large number of computers, and
copies may Éescapeæ and appear on students own machines.
9.2
Protection methods
9.2
The most important fact about copy protection is that nothing works.
Even the most complex systems only stop copying by the non-expert. This
is the majority of users, so arguments in favour appear attractive, but
what is overlooked is that a lot of dishonest users are experts. The
market in counterfeit games exists largely because of copy protection.
Kids do not have the money to buy all the latest games, so when they see
pirated copies on sale cheaply at a car boot sale or street market they
are not fussy about their origins. So this money goes to the pirates and
not a penny to the companies that originally produced the products.
Anything which stops this diversion of funds must be good for the
industry, but copy protection is not the answer. In fact, it is part of
the problem.
9.2
Protection methods often involve tampering with the structure of the
disc, so certain parts cannot be read by conventional means. The program
checks to see if the disc conforms to the original specification and, if
not, it assumes it is a copy, so the program can only be run from the
original floppy. The Ékey discæ system uses a similar strategy, but
enables the program to be copied to another disc, e.g. a hard drive, and
requires the original to be inserted when the program is started. These
methods are inconvenient to a user and no barrier to a dishonest expert.
They require the user to have the original disc to hand and waste time
inserting it, and if anything happens to it, the program is useless
until a replacement is obtained.
9.2
Another method is a Éhardware keyæ. A few years ago, these appeared on
PCs in great profusion as the hated printer port Édongleæ. Within a
short time, they vanished. The reason was simple; the system is only
feasible if it is used by a small number of people. If you have half a
dozen programs using dongles, it is likely that they will interact in
some way, and even if they donæt prevent the computer operating
properly, they may cause printing problems, and the physical
difficulties of having all that junk hanging out of the back are
obvious. An alternative, using a circuit board plugged onto an expansion
slot, was even more ridiculous, as a PC has only a finite number of
slots, so as soon as more than a very small number of companies used
them, they became impracticable.
9.2
PC copy protection vanished, not because of the sudden enlightenment of
the software producers, but because people buying software had had
enough Ö they just refused to purchase copy-protected programs!
Companies that persisted saw sales plummet.
9.2
Both of these methods do still exist on very expensive specialist
software that is run on a dedicated machine, but they have disappeared
from Émainstreamæ PC packages.
9.2
Comparison with the record industry
9.2
A lot of money has been spent trying to develop copy protection for
audio CD. The introduction of Digital Audio Tape (DAT) was delayed,
owing to fears that people with a DAT recorder would be able to tape
friendsæ CDs without loss of quality. For years, the record industry has
tried to get governments to impose a surcharge on the price of cassette
tapes on the grounds that these are used to copy records, thus
diminishing record sales.
9.2
Many people tape their own records so that they can listen to them in
their car. Strictly, this is actually a breach of copyright, and the
record companies say you should purchase a cassette in addition to the
record or CD. However, people do not have unlimited funds and so, if
they were obliged to purchase both tape and disc, they would probably
spend less overall on recorded music, because it would be such poor
value for money.
9.2
Although most people might feel morally justified in making a Épersonalæ
copy of a record, making a copy for a friend is altogether different.
This is the equivalent of Software Piracy. But is this always
disadvantageous to those who sell the product? Often, an introduction to
a new artist comes from Éborrowingæ a tape from a friend. Similarly, if
you use a program you think is wonderful, you want to share it. With
Shareware this is exactly what you are encouraged to do, but not with
conventionally distributed packages. Why? Surely, even the most
hidebound marketing manager can see that the best promotion for a
software product is to have it Ésoldæ by an enthusiastic user.
9.2
Technically, this is software piracy, but when done between friends for
the promotion of a product, it can be beneficial to sales. I do not
suggest that it should be encouraged, but it will happen. The recipient
may like it, in which case he will, if he is honest, purchase it, and
everyone gains. What if he is dishonest? Well, as I have explained in my
previous articles, only a complete fool devises a marketing strategy
based on the assumption that all prospective customers are thieves. In
any event, the new user will probably want the proper manuals and to be
able to get upgrades and help when required, so there is (or should be)
a lot of incentive to purchase the program.
9.2
These incentives are much less with games, so if there is no copy
protection, the company must rely on honesty. However, this does not
diminish the advantage of Élendingæ between friends. To recall my
analogy with music, there is only a finite amount of money available to
purchase software. Even if the recipient is not honest and continues to
use a copy, he/she may like the game so much that they do buy others
from the same stable.
9.2
The arguments for
9.2
So far I have tried to give good, practical reasons why I believe that
software protection is not only of no benefit to sales, but may actually
reduce them. There are very few arguments in favour, but the one which
is almost invariably accepted as an Éobviousæ truth is that, if software
is not copy protected then, because people can make copies, they will
make copies. The problem countering this is that, although I am certain
that the premise is false, it is very difficult to disprove. I am forced
to resort to the argument I gave at the start Ö that none of the best-
selling programs are protected. The two which have sold by far the most
in the history of computing, and which have gained almost universal
usage, are DOS (in various guises) and Microsoft Windows, neither of
which use copy protection. I do not doubt there are many Éborrowedæ
copies of both in use, but Microsoft wisely decided that the advantage
of no copy protection far outweighs this. Whatever you may think of Bill
Gates, you can hardly say that his company is financially disadvantaged
by its policy on copy protection!
9.2
The fact is that this whole argument is based on a false assumption;
that someone using a pirated copy of a program is depriving the company
of a sale. The company says that if the product costs ú100 they have
Élostæ this money to piracy. Isnæt this Éobviouslyæ so? This is just not
true. People who use pirated software wouldnæt buy the original. If the
software is copy protected, and the protection is too much trouble to
bypass, these people wonæt buy it, they will just use something else.
That means their user base (i.e. their advertising base) is one less and
their rivalæs user base is one more!
9.2
(Some years ago, when their high prices were challenged, one company
said that they felt justified in charging three times the Érealæ price
because they believed that for every item sold, two illegitimate copies
were made! Not surprisingly, some companies who had purchased a copy
then felt justified in installing it on at least three machines.)
9.2
Copy protection does not prevent software piracy, quite the reverse. The
more intricate the protection, the less likely it will be bypassed by
Éamateursæ, leaving the field open for the professional forger. This is
the type of piracy that does hurt. Unlike kids swapping games, it takes
money out of the industry, money which cannot then be spent on
legitimate purchases. Certain far-eastern countries are renowned for the
huge number of forged CDs and computer packages they export, often to
people who believe they are getting the real thing at a discount.
9.2
The real reason
9.2
It would be nice if I could find some reasonable argument in favour of
software protection. The truth is that the reasons for using it are
psychological rather than real Ö they have their roots in paranoia, not
logic.
9.2
Those who advocate copy protection do so from a genuine fear that, if
they donæt employ it, Éeveryoneæ will use a pirated copy of their
program and sales will fall. As I have pointed out, effective copy
protection is a myth Ö it should more properly be called copy
discouragement Ö so, whatever efforts they make to prevent copying, they
will not stop someone who is determined.
9.2
There would be no harm if it were not that copy protection always
inconveniences the legitimate user, which is why it has all but vanished
from PCs. Here, there is so much software available that people do not
need to buy something which they find bothersome to use, so companies
that could not accept this, saw their sales reduced. Unfortunately, this
is not the case with Acorn machines. There are just not enough companies
to enable Émarket forcesæ to work properly.
9.2
It seems that nothing will shake the conviction held by some companies
that copy protection is necessary. They want to use it, they have always
used it, and so they find some means of justifying it. They would prefer
that their customers be inconvenienced and dissatisfied, and therefore
sales diminish, rather than allow a small percentage of dishonest people
to use a pirated copy. No amount of logical argument can counter this
attitude.
9.2
The final argument
9.2
In many years of dealing with people, I have found that those who are
most trusting also tend to be the most trustworthy. Honest people expect
others to be honest. I resent the assumption that I am a potential thief
who must be prevented by physical means from distributing copies of a
program. We all know that a certain amount of pilfering takes place from
supermarkets, but would you feel happy shopping in a place where they
insisted on searching you before you left because you might be a
shoplifter? Few people would put up with this and would go elsewhere,
yet we are expected to tolerate equivalent conduct from people who sell
software instead of groceries.
9.2
All the evidence I have, both personal and anecdotal, is that companies
that do not use protection, and who have faith in their customers, seem
to be the most friendly and helpful when those customers have problems.
Once again, I suspect this is a psychological effect. Companies that
trust their clients and feel happy with them will proclaim this attitude
in their dealings with them. It will become the Énaturalæ way that all
their staff interact with customers. If this trust is not felt by those
at the top of the company, their attitude will be sensed by employees
who deal directly with customers. No matter how much money is spent on
Écustomer relationsæ, if they see them as potential pirates, this must
inevitably be reflected in the companyæs interaction with them.
9.2
I suspect that this article could generate a certain amount of
correspondence. If you do have anything to say on the subject, please do
write to me personally at APDL. If you feel you have something to
contribute, please put your arguments on disc, if possible, so that I
can perhaps produce a Éfollow upæ with some of your views.áuá
9.2
Small Ads
9.2
(Small ads for Acorn 32-bit computers and related products are free for
subscribers but we reserve the right to publish all, part or none of the
material you send, as we think fit. i.e. some people donæt know what
Ésmallæ means and there are certain things, as you can imagine, that we
would not be prepared to advertise as a matter of principle. Sending
small ads (especially long ones!) on disc is helpful but not essential.
Ed)
9.2
A305, 40Mb ICS IDE HD, 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3, ARM 3, Acorn multisync, VIDC
enhancer, Citizen 9-pin dot matrix printer, all boxed with manuals ú600
o.n.o. Phone [phone] after 5pm.
9.2
A310, 4Mb RAM, 20Mb HD, RISC OS 3.1, Taxan 770 14ö monitor ú250 o.n.o.
Phone 01962¡733327.
9.2
A310, 4Mb RAM, 85Mb HD, 4-slot backplane, PC emulator plus other
software ú300 o.n.o. Phone [phone].
9.2
A310, ARM 3, 4Mb RAM, 40Mb HD, fitted with Acorn Midi interface (in,
thru, + 2 out) and EMR 8-bit sampler. EMR Soundsynth sample editing,
Studio 24 + v2g 24 track sequencing software, Phillips colour monitor
and newly purchased A5000 keyboard ú350. Phone [phone] after 5pm.
9.2
A410/1, 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, NewLook, NewerLook, fast 191Mb Maxtor
external SCSI HD with case, Oak SCSI interface, AKF12 monitor with CRT-
filter, KX-P1081 printer, dual PowerPad joypads with software, Populous,
Magic Pockets, Gods, Superior Golf, Saloon Cars Deluxe, PC emulator, and
lots of PD, ú550 o.n.o. Phone [phone].
9.2
A410/1, 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, ARM3, original HD replaced with 200Mb
Connor SCSI, plus extra external 200Mb Connor SCSI HD, (runs from
Archimedes PSU), Oak SCSI card, Aleph One 486 PC card (4Mb) v.22, VIDC
enhancer, Taxan 770+ multi-scan, CJE Micro 5╝ö disc controller, unused
mouse, manuals, some software, ú800. Available now in UK. Please phone/
fax Ian on [phone] after 8pm (UK) and just leave your name, phone
number, and times available, and Iæll call you back.
9.2
A3000, 2Mb RAM, Mitac monochrome multisync, Epson RX80 FT+ dot-matrix
printer, ú175 + carriage. Phone [phone] eves.
9.2
A3000, 4Mb RAM, 40Mb IDE HD, RISC OS 3.1, Acorn 14ö monitor with plinth,
ú400. Panasonic KX-P1124 dot-matrix 24-pin printer with sheet feeder,
ú200, o.n.o. Phone [phone] eves. 6¡9pm.
9.2
A3000, ARM 3, 4Mb RAM, 105Mb SCSI HD, stereo colour monitor, desk
plinth, HCCS video digitiser (never used), Epson 24-pin printer (one pin
sticking), PipeDream 4, PC Emulator 1.8 ú400 o.n.o. Phone [phone]
or email [e-mail].
9.2
A5000, 4Mb RAM, 80Mb HD, RISC OS 3.1, CC Colour Card, fan quietener,
AKF18 multisync, LC software ú700 o.n.o. Eesox Silver CD-ROM (SCSI 2)
ú120, ArtWorks ClipArt1 CD ú5. Phone Brian on 01453-832897.
9.2
A5000, 4Mb RAM, 120Mb HD, RISC OS 3.1, Acorn monitor, floating point
accelerator, Learning Curve software, ú675. Faxpack, ú95. Phone Paul on
01234-381630.
9.2
A5000, 8Mb RAM, 120Mb HD, internal IDE 105Mb SyQuest (no cartridge),
Eizo F550i 17ö multisync. Can be seen at N.C.S. ú950 complete or ú400
for monitor alone. Phone Iain on 01463-751251.
9.2
A5000, 25MHz ARM3, 40Mb IDE HD, RISC OS 3.1, 8Mb RAM, 105Mb internal
SCSI SyQuest, 200Mb SCSI HD, Oak SCSI podule, Eizo F550 17ö monitor,
ColourCard Gold, various software ú1000. HP DJ500 printer ú100. Amstrad
FX9600 Fax m/c ú100. Z88 plus accessories ú100 o.n.o. offer. Phone Dave
Kennard on 0181-368-1703.
9.2
A5000, 33MHz ARM3, 160Mb IDE HD, 4Mb RAM, less than 2 years old ú675,
14ö Microvitec 1440 0.28mm dot pitch ú200, 4-8Mb RAM upgrade ú150,
Cumana Bravo CD-ROM drive (parallel port) ú100, joystick and VTI
parallel port adaptor, Games and other software. Phone Richard on 01952-
460460.
9.2
A4 portable, 4Mb RAM, 60Mb HD, RISC OS 3.1, brand new battery pack,
BJ200 printer and AKF18 monitor with cables ú1250. Will not split. Phone
01457-852381.
9.2
A4 portable, 4Mb RAM, 60Mb HD, RISC OS 3.1, v.g.c. 22 months old,
original boxes, spare battery, ú575. Phone Mr. Gleeson on 01782-771914.
9.2
Acorn 16-bit SCSI card, upgraded for the Risc PC, complete with SCSI/CD-
ROM utilities disc, all manuals and registration card, ú70 o.n.o. CC
ScanLight 256, upgraded for the Risc PC, ú75 o.n.o. ú140 for both o.n.o.
Prices include carriage. Phone Keith on 0860-919216.
9.2
Arvis Video Graphics System, includes 16-bit framestore with real time
video digitising, Genlock, chromakey facility, mixing and overlaying any
combination of Archimedes graphics, framestore and live video, S-VHS and
composite video input and output. Cost when new ú1299 sell for ú449
o.n.o. Phone [phone].
9.2
Citizen Swift 24 colour dot-matrix printer, boxed as new with spare
ribbon and paper ú80, CDFS drivers for NEC CD-ROM drives ú7, Archimedes
Assembly Language (book) ú7, DeskEdit 2 ú5. Phone Chris on 01247-466686
after 6pm (or email [e-mail]).
9.2
Colour Card Gold, boxed as new unregistered ú150. Morley internal dual
speed CD-ROM drive ú150 o.n.o. Phone [phone] eves.
9.2
Colour Card Gold ú110, 20ö Sony monitor ú700, HP500 printer ú110, HP550C
colour printer ú200, CC HawkV9 MkII video digitiser ú90, Irlam Replay
DIY board ú140, 14ò Opus multisync for Risc PC ú180. All v.g.c. Phone
Russell on 0131-658-1225 after 6.
9.2
Cycloids, v.g.c. ú12.50. A3000 user port ú10. Archive magazines volumes
4-7 ú20. Phone Benjamin on 01449-673443.
9.2
Fireworkz Pro, boxed with full documentation, ú90. Phone [phone].
9.2
Fontasy & DrawBender ú5 each. HP Jet/Fax cartridge ú10. 50Mb SCSI HD
unused & verified ú25. BBC Basic Reference Manual ú7, Acorn ANSI C rel.
4, Programming in Pascal Teach Yourself ú5, C: A Dabhand Guide ú5,
Beginners Guide to WIMP Programming ú7, Acorn Assembly Language ú7,
various PD discs and disc sets for 50p per HD floppy. Will accept
nearest offers. Send an s.a.e. to D. Seelig, 34 Douglas Street,
Tyldesley, Manchester, M46 9EB for info.
9.2
Hearsay comms package v2.19 ú20, Impression 2 ú20 o.n.o. EasyFont 3
boxed unused ú5. Phone [phone].
9.2
Impression v2.17 ú35. PC emulator v1.7, with MS-DOS and support discs
ú25. Acorn Software Developeræs Toolkit, never used ú15. Acorn DTP with
advanced user guide ú25, Graphic Writer + Artisan + Artisan support
disc, all three for ú15. Phone [phone] eves.
9.2
PAL encoders, Pineapple PLC/3 ú50, Rombo VGA-TV Buster ú30 (see 8.10
p.63), both mint, under half price, work with modes 12, 15, 36 etc on
all machines. Only reason for sale, upgraded to AVK/3. Phone Stuart Bell
on 01403-253915 days.
9.2
Risc PC 600, 9Mb/420Mb, AKF60 monitor, plus extra software etc, ú1200.
Phone 01493¡600966.
9.2
Risc PC 600 (ACB25), 9Mb RAM, 210Mb HD, AKF85 17ö monitor, Acorn PC486
co-processor card, 12 months old, v.g.c. extended warranty, boxed, light
home use, ú1150. Phone Mr. Gleeson on 01782-771914.
9.2
Risc PC 600, 6Mb + 2Mb VRAM, 210Mb HD, 17ö monitor, quad speed CD-ROM,
Oak SCSI card, 486 co-processor, Impression and Artworks, ú1200. Phone
01202-740710 eves.
9.2
ScanLight 256, with standard sized podule ú100. Morley 16-bit SCSI
podule, still under warranty ú100. (200Mb HD and cable available if
required.) SyQuest 44Mb SCSI removable with two cartridges and cable
ú125. 4Mb SIMM for Risc PC ú90. HCCS Ultimate CD-ROM podule with CDFS
and external case / power supply, (requires Mitsumi FX001D CD-ROM drive
to be fully functional on Acorn machines) offers? My World 2+2 ú30,
QDBug ú30, Schema 1, PipeDream 3, offers? Phone [phone] or 0860-
261560.
9.2
Star SJ48 BubbleJet printer plus sheet feeder and 5 ink refills (alone
worth over ú80). Still plenty of mileage in it ú150 plus ú5 p&p if not
collected. Phone John on 01328-864177.
9.2
Various hard drives from 80Mb to 400Mb 5╝ö / 3╜ò all ╜ height, SCSI and
in good cond. with no known defects, 5╝ö SCSI 20Mb magneto-optical drive
with 5 discs, Beebug 5╝ disc drive interface and buffer, 1Mb Accodata
serial printer buffer. A5000 LC with 4Mb RAM, A5000 2nd floppy disc
drive, 40Mb IDE HD, 130Mb IDE HD. Phone [phone].
9.2
Wanted Ö Cheap non-multisync monitor for A310. Phone Brian on 01453-
832897.
9.2
Wanted Ö Colour monitor suitable for an A3000 or might buy an A3000
complete with monitor attached. Collection can be arranged. Please fax
or phone [phone] or write to Murray-Smith, Apartado 104, M123
Vale da Telha, P-8670 Aljezur, Portugal.
9.2
Wanted Ö IDE interface for A3010 or broken IDE hardcard, i.e. broken HD,
working interface. Phone Chris on 01247-466686 after 6pm (or email
[e-mail]).
9.2
Wanted Ö Risc Basic or ABC Basic Compiler. Phone [phone] or 0860-
261560.áuá
9.2
Producing an Atlas on an Acorn
9.2
Daniel Dorling
9.2
A önew social atlas of Britainò has just been published by John Wiley
and Sons. Unlike most atlases, it has been produced by one person,
myself (with a lot of help and advice). An atlas can only really be
produced by one person if a computer is used to do most of the work.
What may interest readers of this magazine is the computer which was
used.
9.2
When you tell a publisher that the kind of book you are thinking of
writing could not be created using an öindustry standard machineò, but
that you are planning to use an Archimedes computer (i.e., to them, a
Éschoolæ computer), they suspect there is something seriously wrong with
you. However, once they hear that it will contain numerous maps covering
over one hundred topics and that each map will contain greater detail
than has been published before, they tend to give you a chance. When the
atlas is delivered as PostScript files on Apple Mac formatted SyQuest
discs, they ask how it was done.
9.2
Map creation
9.2
The maps look like the hardest part of an atlas to create. In fact, for
me, writing the text to accompany them was more difficult. Most maps in
modern atlases are still drawn by hand, even if that hand is guiding a
mouse across a screen. However, increasingly, maps are being produced
from digital datasets using ögeographical information systemsò (GIS).
These tend to be very expensive software packages running on even more
expensive workstations. There are mapping packages available for the Mac
and PCs now, but these produce a very restricted set of maps. There is
still no GIS system for the Acorn machine which will produce
sophisticated maps, but there are two things which come free and,
together, these can be used to produce high quality maps of a wide
variety of designs: the Draw package and BBC Basic.
9.2
The basic idea is very simple. Draw saves its work as a drawfile. Once
the format of a drawfile is known (given in the PRM), a Basic program
can be written to create one. Once this file is loaded into Draw, it can
be annotated, printed or exported to numerous other packages. Thus,
enormous files of statistics provided by official sources can be turned
into maps using a little programming and the software bundled free with
a Éschoolæ computer.
9.2
Equal Population Grid Squares in Britain
9.2
Each small grey Ésquareæ contains 30,000 people, and eachálargeáblack
Ésquareæ contains up to 3 million people, i.e.á100ágreyáæsquaresæ.
9.2
There are several reasons why this system was ideal for my task and why
I expect many other people prefer to use this route to creating novel
graphics. Drawfiles are extremely compact descriptions of graphics which
means that each map (often of over ten thousand places) could be saved
on a floppy disc, loaded quickly into memory and drawn very rapidly on
screen. I still have to see a öprofessionalò system that will do this
with complex maps. BBC Basic is also versatile enough to allow very
quick changes to a program to be made. If you are using your own program
to produce drawfiles, you tend to be quite willing to change the program
to get exactly what youáwant.
9.2
However, one major frustration was that, although the drawfile contained
these detailed maps, the resolution is too low to see this detail
clearly, even on a very expensive monitor. Obtaining colour prints for
checking was also a slow and expensive process, as bubblejet quality is
only good enough for rough proofs. A dye-sublimation printer easily
costs more than a top of the range Acorn system and, even then, the
quality of these printers is not good enough to guarantee what the final
colours will be. The only way to test that the colours are correct is to
get a publisher to make Chromalin proofs from PostScript files, which
takes time and money. A system for simple colour matching is badly
needed.
9.2
Creating the drawfile
9.2
So how is a map turned into a drawfile? Maps basically consist of a
series of polygons filled with different colours, some lines, a few
other symbols and some text. These are referenced as objects in a
drawfile and recorded as a series of numbers. In fact, the drawfile
format is almost ideal for creating maps. Its polygons are called paths
and can contain complex features, such as multiple holes and jumps. Thus
an object such as öScotlandò which has a detailed coastline, islands off
its coast and lochs within it (which might also contain islands) can be
represented as a single path in a drawfile if the land is all to be
coloured one shade.
9.2
Before maps can be drawn, digital information about their boundaries is
required. This, it must be admitted, was extracted from a GIS. This
information is also crown copyright and so, although it is permissible
to print black and white illustrations for this öeducationalò article,
if the editor were to put the drawfiles on the monthly disc, he might
get in trouble with Ordnance Survey (who monitor the copyright). Once a
subroutine has been written which can output a drawfile path for one
place (such as Scotland), altering the program to draw a map of over ten
thousand places, is simple.
9.2
Two projections were used in the Social Atlas: a conventional equal area
land map and a cartogram in which the size of every place was made
proportional to its population. This second projection is useful to map
the social geography to peopleæs lives. Once these projections were
determined, any set of statistics could be used to colour the maps (see
the illustration of unemployment levels). Titles and keys were then
added by hand in Draw.
9.2
Another advantage of using Acorn machines is the software available.
With dozens of cheap or free graphing packages, creating illustrations
is neither difficult nor time consuming. The atlas contains over 200
graphs and charts produced in a variety of styles from PipeDream,
GraphPro and Presenter GTi as well as various public domain packages.
Again, a few short Basic programs were written to draw graphs which
other packages would not produce. For instance, a small program was
needed to create colour scatterplots of several thousand observations.
9.2
Now the text
9.2
What took most time was writing the text to accompany these graphs and
maps. Each chapter of the atlas was a separate Impression document, laid
out to a template specified by the publisher. Colour separated
PostScript files of each page were then created using Computer Conceptæs
Expression-PS package and a Linotype printer driver. (The Publisher
package was not used because a key requirement of the software was that
the author should have learnt all its bugs!)
9.2
Final output
9.2
The publisher used Sun workstations and Apple Macs, so the final
PostScript files were sent on Mac formatted SyQuest cartridges using the
MacFS software from Computer Concepts. The final product required 200Mb
of PostScript to be transferred to the printers contained in 420 files.
Only one of these files failed to print first time, and this was because
the imagesetter could not cope with its complexity and so it had to be
simplified. The limits of printing from an Archimedes computer are often
beyond the limits of the printer or of other manufactureræs hardware and
software!
9.2
 One final advantage of using the Acorn range should be mentioned. The
atlas began on an A410, migrated to an A5000 and finished up on a
RiscáPC. It grew from a floppy-based project to eventually end up on one
270Mb SyQuest cartridge. In the process, numerous printers, other
storage devices and various new releases of software were incorporated.
As with all computer systems, some of these bits and pieces broke.
Unlike many other computer suppliers, Norwich Computer Services fixed
these pieces quickly (and cheaply) Ö thanks!
9.2
öA New Social Atlas of Britainò is published by John Wiley and Sons,
Baffins Lane, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1UD (0800-243407); price ú35
hardback.áuá
9.2
ProArtisan 24
9.2
Malcolm Banthorpe
9.2
Why 24 bits?
9.2
One of the major advantages of the Risc PC over its predecessors, and
consequently one of the main reasons for buying it, is its support for
24-bit graphics. No longer do Acorn users have to look on in envy as PC
and Macintosh users enjoy photo-realistic graphics, albeit at some cost
both financially and, arguably, of having to put up with less than ideal
operating environments. Although the PC486 card will now allow access to
major PC graphics packages such as Photoshop and Corel Draw, I suspect
that most Acorn users will prefer to stick with native software Ö not
the least of the reasons being that the PC486 software does not yet
support a 24-bit display.
9.2
What the eye can see...
9.2
The human eye is capable, under optimum conditions, of distinguishing
about seven million different colours. Colour monitors can display only
a much smaller range, which varies according to ambient lighting
conditions, and colour prints are even more restricted. Nevertheless,
the ability to manipulate the full range of colours is still desirable,
in order to retain the maximum amount of visual information.
9.2
In order to store seven million colours, 23 bits would be required for
each pixel. The nearest whole number of bytes per pixel would be three,
and processing is simplified by allocating a whole number of bytes to
each pixel. Therefore, 24 bits per pixel has become the standard for
maximum colour resolution, giving a theoretical 16.7 million colours.
The 24 bits are composed of eight bits each of red, blue and green
information Ö 256 levels of each.
9.2
Whilst this gives, theoretically, more colours than we can ever hope to
see on a screen or on paper, it helps to compensate for the fact that
the eyeæs response to each of the primary colours is far from linear and
no cathode ray tube phosphors or printing inks can match the response of
the eyeæs colour receptors.
9.2
8 bits to spare?
9.2
Acornæs full colour sprites are actually stored as 32 bits. In this
case, the extra eight bits can be used to carry additional information,
such as the transparency of each pixel, which could determine how the
graphic will behave when combined with other graphics. In other words,
the sprite can have a variable density mask.
9.2
Although many Risc PC users will already be aware of the fact, itæs
perhaps worth mentioning at this point that even the humble Paint
application can now handle 32 (and 16) bit sprites, but only in a öthis
is not an officially supported feature, so youære on your own if you use
it and it all goes wrongò sort of way. In practice, there doesnæt seem
to be any problem with it other than that it wonæt support sprite masks
at these colour resolutions. The Paint application, as supplied, doesnæt
have the feature enabled. In order to use it, type, from the command
line:
9.2
set paint$options x
9.2
or you can add it to your desktop boot file.
9.2
A bit of history
9.2
As might be expected, some of the most significant pieces of new
software written to exploit the Risc PC have been graphically
orientated. For years, we just had to make do with only 256 colours on
the screen at any one time. The range could be artificially increased by
dithering (way back, in Archive 1.4 Ö January 1988 Ö I described a Basic
procedure which would allow mode 15 to display 2401 different dithered
colours). True to the saying, öThere ainæt no such thing as a free
lunchò, the extra colours were gained at a price Ö increased colour
resolution at the expense of spatial resolution. Going back even
further, I can remember struggling to get the most out of a four-colour
mode on a BBC model B.
9.2
In the past, the limits of colour and spatial resolution combined to
give computer graphics, even in the absence of any additional software
effects, a certain character of their own. Now that we can work with
near photographic quality, there is little or no inherent character,
other than that which we choose to add to the pictures.
9.2
Even further back, about fifteen years ago, computer graphics were
starting to become trendy, but were still prohibitively expensive for
some uses. Their limitations were often mimicked in advertising graphics
produced by more conventional means. Glowing green wire-frame images
with jagged lines, which had been painstakingly painted on paper, were
then common-place and even now appear from time to time.
9.2
Ironically, now that these limitations have vanished, computer graphics,
having lost any character of its own, often seeks to acquire the look of
more conventional artwork. Photographic artifacts such as grain and lens
flair are two of a number of effects that you may sometimes spot. It is
therefore probably significant that many graphics packages offer a wide
range of traditional painting styles which seek to emulate the effects
of pencil, brush, paint and paper. Certainly, similar effects were
attempted, to some extent, in 8-bit packages but for anything other than
simple image processing, they are probably more important now and can be
used to greater effect. One of the strengths of computer graphics is
that, although having no recognisable character of its own, it can
assume the look (whether this is desirable or not) of any other existing
medium or Ö theoretically at least Ö of any medium that you can imagine.
9.2
What can you do with 24 bits?
9.2
24-bits allow a considerable amount of processing to be carried out on a
picture, while the loss in information, as compared to the original, is
kept to a minimum. A 24-bit image generally contains more information
than immediately meets the eye. I have sometimes been surprised at just
how much detail, which is initially either invisible or only just
perceptible, can be pulled out of the shadows in an under-exposed
PhotoCD picture. Having spent some time in the distant past processing
and enlarging black and white photographs in a makeshift Édarkroomæ, I
find that I can now attempt greater image enhancements with generally
more satisfactory results on PhotoCD images without any of the chemical
mess and without temporarily putting the kitchen or bathroom out of use.
An indifferent photograph can sometimes be brought to life merely by
suppressing unwanted detail, either by darkening it or with the aid of
some selective de-focussing. Even digitised frames from a camcorder can
be much improved to produce acceptable stills with a little effort.
9.2
What 24-bit packages are available?
9.2
ProArtisan 24 is one of several 24-bit Art and Painting packages
designed specifically for the Acorn Risc PC range. Most offer facilities
both for processing existing images, such as PhotoCD, and for creating
artwork from scratch. They vary in the degrees of emphasis apportioned
to the two areas and each has its own unique features. The problem
facing prospective purchasers is to decide which one to buy.
Fortunately, several of the main packages (including ProArtisan 24) are
available as demo versions, with saving and printing disabled, either
free or at a nominal cost. Other than that, you may find a dealer who
can give you a demonstration or Ö if you can wait Ö there are always
exhibitions.
9.2
If youære not sure which facilities youære going to use most, thereæs
something to be said for supporting a software house which has
previously met your needs. In this respect, users of Claresæ earlier
Artisan programs are unlikely to be disappointed. Previous Artisan 2
users will find the user interface very familiar. Others should have
little difficulty in using it since, as I have found with other Claresæ
software that I have looked at, a lot of thought has been applied
towards making the program easy to use.
9.2
Documentation
9.2
The printed manual is similarly well thought out. After a brief
introductory chapter explaining how to install the software, it goes on
to give eight step-by-step tutorials. This is likely to be very welcome
to the many who, like me, are tempted to dive straight in, generally
ignoring any pleas to read all the instructions carefully. As long as
you are reasonably familiar with RISC OS, you will have no difficulty in
producing a series of images which give a useful foretaste of what can
be achieved with the package. As a side benefit, familiarity with the
user interface is gained quite painlessly.
9.2
Minimum requirements
9.2
To run ProArtisan 24, you need a minimum of 4Mb of RAM and 1Mb of VRAM,
and 8Mb of RAM and 2Mb of VRAM are desirable. The 2Mb of VRAM will allow
a screen resolution of 800╫600 in 16ámillion colours, and the 8Mb of RAM
will happily support an 800╫600 image. You may, on occasions, also need
to allow for sprites loaded into the sprite bank. The image is always
processed internally using the full 24-bits, regardless of screen mode,
and a backup file is also kept in memory for undo purposes.
9.2
It is possible to use a higher resolution screen, such as 1024╫768 in a
32 thousand colour mode without the display showing too much
degradation. However, working with a 256 colour screen mode will usually
be out of the question, as ProArtisan 24 does not support on-screen
dithering and so will not give an acceptable colour representation of
the image being worked on. A 256 colour mode can be of use, however, if
you are dealing with a monochrome image Ö by setting the palette to 256
grey levels.
9.2
With 16Mb of RAM you can work on a 1280╫1024 image. For anything much
larger, you will need to increase your complement of RAM chips still
further, as ProArtisan 24 does not yet support virtual memory.
9.2
Unless you are going to work on an existing image loaded from disc, the
first stage in working on a new image will be to create a blank canvas.
Its dimensions can be specified in either pixels, inches or centimetres.
There are also a number of preset size options, such as A4 and disc
label. In each case, the application indicates in advance how much RAM
will be required and how much is currently available.
9.2
The palette
9.2
Although there are 16 million colours available and the standard Acorn
colour picker can be used to select them, it is generally more
convenient to work with a palette containing a small subset. ProArtisan
24 has a number of preset palettes, each of 256 colours. The familiar
Acorn 256 colour palette is there, along with others with names such as
Éart decoæ, Éautumnæ and Éearthæ. A full 24-bit colour picker is also
provided so that you can set up your own user-defined palettes. It is
easy to set a range of smooth gradations between any two preselected
colours. It is also possible to pick up colours directly from an image Ö
particularly useful for retouching photographic images such as PhotoCD.
9.2
The paint menu
9.2
A pleasingly large number of brush types is available, many of which
will be self-explanatory, such as airbrush, watercolour, charcoal, oil,
pastel and chalk. The exact appearance of the latter three is determined
by choosing from a selection of supplied textures. The brushes work
smoothly, provided that they are not too large. One of the computer
graphics operations which I find particularly frustrating is trying to
paint with a brush that canæt keep up with the mouse pointer. I have
found that Acornæs multi-tasking can sometimes get in the way when using
ProArtisan 24 and other packages. The mere presence of some other
applications on the icon bar can make all the difference between a
smooth brush and one which lags annoyingly behind the point which you
think youære painting and may move in a series of jumps. While the basic
brush types alone provide a wide variety of effects, each brush can be
further customised by adjusting its size and opacity and softness. A
selected texture can also be applied without disturbing the existing
colours on the canvas.
9.2
ÉRoughoutæ provides pencil and ink-pen effects at full opacity, the
latter giving a calligraphy effect in the shape of a line that starts
thin and gets progressively thicker.
9.2
ÉMultiple brushæ allows further brush shape variations which, by
selecting the clone sub-option, can be used to add pointillist or
impressionist effects to an existing image.
9.2
ÉHSVæ allows an existing image to be toned.
9.2
ÉAdd Wateræ, ÉSmearæ and ÉDirty Brushæ are all fairly self-explanatory
and provide a variety of ways of softening hard edges and applying yet
more painterly effects.
9.2
ÉFXæ allows the brush to apply a variety of pre-set or user-defined 3╫3
convolution matrices which can be used to sharpen or blur the images as
well as locally applying effects such as embossing and bas relief.
9.2
ÉMagic Brushæ will be familiar to those who have used earlier Artisan
incarnations. It allows up to 64 preselected colours within the image to
be changed, by the brush, to a new colour.
9.2
Holding down <ctrl> turns any of the brushes selected into an eraser to
undo what has just been painted. It only erases anything painted since
the last menu or palette selection, so any previous brushwork is
preserved.
9.2
Also on the paint menu, but Ö unlike the other options Ö not applied
with a brush, is ÉFillæ which provides plain and graduated colour fills
as well as the ability to stretch a sprite to fit a given shape.
9.2
Although ProArtisan 24 does not, at present, support pressure sensitive
graphic tablets, I found that the relatively cheap Tabby graphics tablet
provided a useful alternative to the mouse, and those used to
conventional painting may find it a more natural way to manipulate these
brushes.
9.2
The draw menu
9.2
The items in this menu make use of the Draw module resident in the RISC
OS operating system ROM to deal with geometric shapes such as lines,
curves, ellipses, polygons, rectangles and also text. Text is not anti-
aliased, owing to problems associated with anti-aliasing over multi-
coloured backgrounds. If necessary, the anti-aliasing filter from the
effects menu can be applied to smooth out the edges.
9.2
As well as being able to use these draw objects in the usual way, with a
choice of line width and line and fill colours, you can also render the
outlines in any of the paint styles with any of the brushes. So, for
instance, you can choose a font, type in some text and then have it
rendered as if its outline were drawn with charcoal. Similarly, you can
bring new life to old vector clipart by importing it as a Draw file and
rendering it in the style of your choice. Once drawn, itæs not possible
to edit these shapes within the application.
9.2
An alternative convenient way of dealing with vector graphics would be
to create and edit them initially within Draw and then import them into
ProArtisan 24 for rendering. The latest version of ProArtisan 24 has the
option either to render imported drawfiles exactly as they would appear
in Draw, including sprites, text and fills, or to render them in the
chosen style, in which case sprites, text and fills are ignored.
9.2
The input/output menu
9.2
As well as saving pictures in standard Acorn sprite format, it is also
possible to save them compressed in a non-destructive manner, using
Acorn Squash format. If greater compression is required Ö for instance,
so that they may be stored on a floppy disc Ö and if a small loss of
detail can be tolerated, JPEG compression is also available. This is
probably not a good idea if the picture is likely to be re-loaded into
ProArtisan for further manipulation Ö repeated compression and
decompression is likely to lead to unacceptable degradation.
9.2
User defined palettes and brushes can also be saved for future use.
PhotoCD, drawfiles and just about any file format which is recognised by
ChangeFSI can be imported. At the time of importing, the image may be
scaled and have its gamma changed, along with the other ChangeFSI
processing options.
9.2
The sprite menu
9.2
A sprite, in this context, is defined in the manual as an area of the
screen which may vary from a single pixel to full screen size. It may be
rectangular or of irregular shape and may either be cut from the main
canvas or loaded from an existing file. The sprite pool can contain a
number of such sprites which may then be applied to the canvas in many
different ways. For instance, there are comprehensive blending
facilities for smoothly incorporating a sprite into the main picture.
Perspective and spherical distortion, rotation and scaling are among the
other options.
9.2
The frisket menu
9.2
A frisket is traditionally a piece of paper or card temporarily placed
over a painting to act as a mask and is used extensively in airbrush
work. ProArtisan 24 provides a software equivalent which can be used
during painting and image processing operations. Unlike its traditional
counterpart, it can have 256 levels of transparency, ranging from total
masking, which means that the area covered is protected from the current
action, to none at all.
9.2
There are a number of ways to create a frisket, the most common being to
use either a brush or the drawing tools. The fill function can be used
to give very smoothly graduated masks. It is also possible to use the
entire red, green, blue components or derived grey level of the canvas
to create a frisket, or to add or subtract these values from an existing
mask. During creation, the frisket can be displayed in any chosen colour
Ö by default, red. When actually in use as a mask, the frisket is
hidden.
9.2
Friskets have many uses with this type of application, particularly when
they can be generated in such a wide variety of ways. Typical examples
would be selectively brightening, darkening, sharpening or toning part
of an image. With variable transparency, it becomes a very powerful tool
indeed and needs some practice to take full advantage of it.
9.2
This is probably a convenient point to mention ProArtisanæs all-
important Éundoæ button. It provides a more universal undo function than
the undo brush. If any operation doesnæt produce the desired result, you
can always revert to the previous status of the canvas and try again.
With the paint menu selected, holding down the control key gives you an
undo brush so that just part of an image can be undone.
9.2
The process menu
9.2
All of the image processing effects, mentioned briefly above in
connection with the Paint menu, are available to be applied to the whole
image, together with several others, including a range of filters. Among
the latter are anti-alias, darken, lighten, contrast, tint, colour shift
and grey shift. Many of these are invaluable for improving the
appearance of PhotoCD and other photographic images. If this is your
area of interest, a bit of time exploring exactly what they can do will
be time well spent. I particularly liked the halftone option which uses
a fractal pattern to give a sort of mezzotint effect, rather than the
more usual regular dot pattern which I had expected.
9.2
In conclusion
9.2
As we have come to expect from software written for Acorn machines,
ProArtisan 24 offers excellent value for money Ö particularly when
compared to similar PC software. There are a whole lot of features in
addition to those I have mentioned. It can be warmly recommended to
anyone seeking a general purpose 24-bit painting application which will
allow both the processing of existing pictures and the origination of
new artwork Ö and which can be expected to get the best out of the
RiscáPC.
9.2
The wide variety of painting styles, which can also be applied
retrospectively to drawn objects, together with the very versatile
masking functions, are particularly appropriate to the creation of
original artwork. Anyone with traditional painting skills, wishing to
extend them to the screen, would be unlikely to find another package
that offers such a wide range of tools.
9.2
There are two main restrictions which may cause a minority of users to
look at other packages. Firstly, there is the restriction in canvas size
imposed by the absence of a virtual memory system (which substitutes
hard disc space for RAM), although I understand that Clares do intend to
implement virtual memory in a future release. It could be argued that
anyone producing a lot of big pictures would find it desirable to
purchase the extra RAM for the sake of speed. Few of us can yet afford
the sort of colour printers which would do justice to such high
resolution pictures Ö if we could, the cost of RAM would no doubt appear
to be relatively trivial.
9.2
Secondly, the ability to respond to a pressure sensitive graphics tablet
may be felt to be important by some potential users. Again, Clares are
looking at the possibility, so it may well be available in future. These
two factors are most likely to affect professional users and certainly
should not deter anyone else from considering the package.
9.2
ProArtisan24 costs ú169.95 inc VAT (or ú155 through Archive) and site
licences are available at ú499 +VAT for primary and ú699 +VAT for
secondary (ring NCS for site licences discounts).áuá
9.2
Comment Column
9.2
Acornæs new operating divisions
9.2
(Press release: 12th September 1995) Ö Acorn Computer Group plc has
today announced the formation of two new operating divisions, Acorn
Education and Applied Risc Technologies, as part of a fundamental
restructuring of its core business activities. The restructuring, which
will allow the Group to focus its business more clearly on meeting the
demands of specific markets and customers, follows the appointment of
David Lee as managing director of the Group on 28 July 1995.
9.2
Acorn Education will build progressively on Acornæs education market
leadership and strong brand reputation to increase its UK market share.
Although overall staffing levels will be reduced within the Acorn Group,
the number of staff dedicated exclusively to education will increase.
Acorn Education will continue to focus on the sale of RISC OS-based
computers, but will seek to reduce Acornæs dependence on hardware sales
only by providing schools with a broader range of value-added services,
software and specialist products based on other industry standard
technologies. Mike OæRiordan, sales & marketing director of Acorn
Computers Ltd (ACL), will head Acorn Education.
9.2
Applied Risc Technologies will design and develop advanced products
based on ARM technology. It will continue to develop for Acorn Education
but will also seek opportunities with leading OEMs to exploit its
expertise in silicon integration and hardware and software design based
predominantly on the ARM microprocessor. Applied Risc Technologies, will
be headed by Peter Bondar, who has recently joined the ACL board as
technical director.
9.2
As a result of the restructuring approximately fifty positions have been
made redundant. During the next month, Acorn will be interviewing those
whose positions have become redundant to help them find alternative
employment internally or elsewhere.
9.2
Acorn Corporate Affairs.
9.2
Acornæs new operating divisions Ö So, what does it all mean? You may
have heard rumours flying around, e.g. öIt looks to me as if Olivetti
have, due to their own losses, decided to cut losses at Acorn. RISC OS
and Acornæs own desktop machines will no longer be developed, and Acorn
will sell PC clones to education Ö things are looking very bleak
indeed.ò
9.2
In a word Ö rubbish! The press release above makes it clear that Acorn
Education öwill continue to focus on the sale of RISC OS-based
computersò and ARTæs main customer is Acorn Education. So if either or
both divisions are to continue, there must be some RISCáOS-based
computers developed by ART for AE to sell.
9.2
Acorn have already proved to their own satisfaction that, even with
formerly non-Acorn schools, they can sell RISCáOS in preference to Mac
or PC in head-to-head sales battles. Since Acorn, presumably, make more
money by selling their own machines than they would by branding PCs, why
would they switch to selling PCs?
9.2
Ah, but they have already switched to PCs! The new School Server uses an
off-the-shelf PowerPC computer! OK, but all that proves is that, as with
the Pocket Book, Acorn are not so blinkered that they try to use their
own technology in areas where some alternative technology will do the
job better. As long as they make money by selling School Server and
Pocket Books and as long as it doesnæt detract from sales of RISCáOS
machines (and SS and PB actually enhance RISCáOS machines sales), why
should they not use other technologies?
9.2
School Server is a prime example of how Acorn continue to give the lie
to the Éindustry standardæ myth. Acorn has always been ahead of the
bunch in file transfer between machines. Apple and PC have always tended
to insist that everybody should Édo it their (standard) wayæ and not
offered file transfer. Manyæs the time I have helped people to transfer
files from PC to Mac and vice versa by using a RISCáOS machine! OK, Macs
are now offering some sort of PC Écompatibilityæ but at a massive
Émemory costæ. Acorn is benefiting from the fact that it has never
suffered from the Édo it my wayæ syndrome and, in School Server, has
provided exactly what schools need Ö the flexibility to use different
machines under one roof Ö and itæs Acorn that is making it possible, not
PC or Mac. Long may Acornæs Éopenæ attitude continue to be recognised
and supported by open-minded school heads and governors!
9.2
Having said all that, my guess is that Acorn will have some own-brand
PCs that customers can buy from them if they prefer PCs but, hopefully,
they will be PCs with an easy link to RISCáOS so that schools are still
within reach of the kind of OS that many people accept is so much more
appropriate for education. Still, I think the days are gone when Acorn
could hold the moral high ground and insist on keeping themselves
Épureæ. These days, they have to do whatever they can that makes money.
Thatæs just plain cold hard economic sense.
9.2
Ed.
9.2
Educational admin with Acorns Ö We have used Acorn computers for
administration at Northampton High School for a number of years
although, initially, this was just word processing using BBC Computers
and dot matrix printers.
9.2
We now have a Nexus network of Acorn A5000/Risc PC computers throughout
the school being used for curriculum and administration. The secretaries
are able to produce a variety of good looking documents using Impression
Publisher and Easiwriter, printed out on Laser Direct printers.
9.2
In the last two years, we have set up a pupil database using Iotaæs
Datapower. One computer is dedicated to act as a database server and all
the other computers can access this database at different levels of
security, depending on the password used. Datapower is so flexible that
different layouts of data can be made available, or not, to different
users.
9.2
For example, all the staff can access form lists with a general
password, Science staff can access a record of A level chemistry
coursework marks and update them with a different password. The
secretarial staff have a whole host of layouts available, such as
medical information, dinner passes, address labels etc.
9.2
From the database, we can easily produce new layouts when a new
requirement is discovered. Recently, we saved out some of the database
data in CSV format to load into the library management system (PC), and
we also printed off library tickets. We use a similar method to provide
CSV data for the exam entry system which is also a PC.
9.2
The database also records whether parents wish their name/telephone etc
to be published in a School year book. The data can then be easily
extracted to produce the year book.
9.2
We have now purchased an OMR machine from DRS and await the OMR software
from Iota. This will allow us to investigate many other administrative
tasks such as recording attendance and keeping more assessment records
electronically. We are an independent school and have a multiple choice
answer sheet as part of the entrance examination. It is hoped that the
OMR machine will make the marking of this much easier.
9.2
We chose Acorn, and particularly Datapower, for our administration
because we already had a Datapower site licence and many Acorn machines
around the school with quite a lot of expertise and support in their
use. It seemed silly to get a different computer system and pay several
thousand pounds for software and support (such as SIMs), when we could
build our own system simply which would be tailored exactly to our own
requirements.
9.2
Our accountant continues to resist all forms of computerisation, yet he
does an excellent job with a manual booking system.
9.2
I would be happy to take further queries on our computer system or
demonstrate it to visiting teachers.
9.2
Tim Hoddle, Northampton High School, Hardingstone, Northampton NN4 6UU,
(01604¡765765).
9.2
Icon Technology Ö I do not feel that EasiWriter gets enough credit in
Archiveæs columns compared with Impression or Wordz / Fireworkz. As a
book publisher, I do not need many page design facilities, but I do
require good text and document handling facilities. In its latest
incarnation, EasiWriter Professional, it is without doubt the most
powerful document handling program available for RISCáOS, and the only
one that really bears comparison with PC or Mac Éindustry standardæ word
processing packages. I also use Impression Publisher for some
applications and, in my experience, EasiWriter is by far the easier to
use (even if the more advanced structure styles remain tricky), and it
does handle many of my graphic requirements for publication.
9.2
For example, a recent job went direct to an electronic printing process
run by Macs and PCs. Files were simply exported on DOS discs as
PostScript, loading a dummy HP Laserjet definition file into !Printers,
and selecting ösave as PostScriptò from the EasiWriter save menu. The
process (on a Risc PC) took a few seconds for each (~1.4Mb) file, and
the whole job including text and graphics reproduced first time with no
hitches. Compare this with the complexities and uncertainties of
obtaining a PostScript file in Impression Publisher.
9.2
One final plus point for Icon. On the very few occasions when I have
needed to contact them (EasiWriter is now very robust), they have helped
me immediately, courteously and effectively, which is not always true of
CC! I am not knocking Impression which remains for the moment the
essential page layout tool but, in my comparative experience, for
straightforward jobs (like, dare I say, Archive magazine), EasiWriter
offers a quicker, friendlier and more powerful alternative.
9.2
John Hurley, Cheltenham.
9.2
Online Media wishlist Ö If Acorn succeeds in getting a position in the
market for boxtop digital television converters, I should like them also
to provide a bundle that would enable the box to be used as a souped-up
A3010. This would provide cheap Éportabilityæ to wherever a television
set is available.
9.2
It would be an alternative use for the A7000 board design. I believe
that such cheap quasi-portability of this kind to wherever there is a TV
would cover 75% of the use that is normally made of expensive battery-
powered A4 machines.
9.2
There would need to be a floppy drive to carry files to and from oneæs
main machine, and a small (50Mb?) hard disc. I do not see any need for
video RAM. The operating system would need to provide suitable modes for
the typical low-definition TV screen, and though a cut-down RISCáOS
would be adequate, it is probably simpler to leave all the modules in.
The screen would probably need to be further away from the user, and
therefore from the keyboard and mouse/tracker ball, so I should like to
see wireless rather than wired connection.
9.2
Presumably, the existing converter would have the facility to drive
differing national television standards, so such a machine could be
Éportableæ internationally. I do not see that the extras needed would
put the cost up by more than ú100-200.
9.2
Apart from the use I, and I should think other Archive readers, would
find for this, it could do much to spread the Acorn word.
9.2
John Laski, London, SW1.
9.2
SCSI problems? Ö Donæt let the reported problems with the Cumana SCSI 2
interface put you off using SCSI devices. I value reliability above raw
speed and have used the Oak SCSI interface for five years with no
problems whatsoever, at up to about 1.85Mb/sec in mode 0 with a 270Mb
drive and an ARM3. It drives SyQuest exchangeable drives superbly Ö even
to ejecting them on dismount. But check CD compatibility with Eesox
before purchase. The new suppliers, IFEL, are in my experience very
helpful and efficient.
9.2
Stuart Bell, Horsham.
9.2
Windowsá95 Ö Now is the time to strike! I am sure that, like me,
everyone has read reviews in the papers about Windows 95. Now, ignoring
that atrocious stunt pulled with the free copy of The Times, it would
seem that most of these reviews compare it unfavourably to older Macs.
Nowhere have I read about Acorn machines in comparisons. Iáfeel this is
neglectful not only on the part of the papersæ technology editors but
also on the part of Acorn. Surely Acorn should be pushing ads into these
computing sections extolling their virtues? Call me a na∩ve consumer but
I would have thought that an ad that mentions ease of starting, user-
friendliness, cost and efficiency placed next to a less-than-
enthusiastic review of Windows 95 would do wonders. Why do we never see
Acorn ads in the mainstream media?
9.2
I also feel it is up to us, the enthusiasts, to write to these papers
bemoaning their lack of interest. At the least it will cost 4╫25p stamps
to the broadsheets and may help raise Acornæs profile, especially since
they seem little interested in doing it themselves. In fact, why donæt
all of you Netters get into action? All of the broadsheets have email
addresses.
9.2
I realise that these letter pages are generally more concerned with more
technical topics but I do feel that unless we take our head out of the
sands and take the fight to the opposition we will be squeezed away to
nothing.
9.2
Gavin Dobson, Shropshire.
9.2
I think itæs time to call a halt to all the Win95 versus RISCáOS
discussions in Archive. Space in the magazine has been at too much of a
premium of late. I hope you will agree that the number of good technical
articles is increasing. Please keep those articles coming. Actually, it
has happened at a time when advertising has virtually stopped. We donæt
sell advertising but merely allow people to advertise if they wish (ú150
per page) This means that you get more info for your money... but I get
less! I feel a price rise coming on! Would you mind paying a bit more?
Do you think it is good value at ú22 for 12 issues (UK)? How about
ú28?áuá
9.2
Programming Workshop
9.2
Colin Singleton
9.2
This monthæs column is all about averages, and I have deliberately used
this general term rather than the more precise mathematical term mean.
Users of Stock Control and Sales Analysis applications often need to
know the level of turnover of each product, or each customer, or each
combination of the two, in order to plan future stock purchasing and
marketing strategy. To provide this information, records need to be
kept. Assuming that we do not wish to retain indefinite records of
individual sales (repeated analysis of which would be very time-
consuming), what summary figures do we need to compile in order to be
able to calculate the required averages? There are several possible
calculations.
9.2
Annual turnover
9.2
Assume we have two analysis fields on the database record for each
product, or whatever. One is labelled Total-sales-last-year, the other
Total-sales-this-year. During the accounting year, sales of the product
are totalled in the second field. At the end of the year, that figure is
copied to the other field, and the current year figure is zeroised ready
for the new yearæs figures.
9.2
When we wish to analyse sales, we can calculate average monthly or
weekly sales for last year simply by dividing by 12 or 52. To obtain the
average sales this-year-to-date we divide the total by the number of
months or weeks which have passed in the current year. This is
straightforward, and it only requires two fields on each record. That
can be important if we have a very large number of records.
9.2
This calculation has its disadvantages. The average of two weeksæ sales
must be taken with a large pinch of salt, since it is vulnerable to
random variations. A 50-week average does not suffer from this problem,
but it does smooth out seasonal variations and any recent increase or
decrease, which we may wish to see. The figures printed under the
heading Average-year-to-date therefore require different interpretation,
according to the time of year, and may confuse the unwary user. We
cannot compare this yearæs turnover with last yearæs, except at the end
of the year, because figures based on a part-year cannot meaningfully be
compared with those for a full year.
9.2
Rolling average
9.2
This technique homogenises the above calculation, permitting a uniform
interpretation. We total the sales of each product in each month and
retain on each record the totals for each of the last twelve months
separately. Each month we drop the oldest figure, slide the others back
a month, and clear the last figure for the new monthæs total.
9.2
The Rolling Average printed on our analysis is simply the average of the
twelve figures on the record. It is the average for the twelve months to
the latest month, irrespective of the accounting year. Since it always
averages a full year, it is not vulnerable to short-term freaks, or to
seasonal variations. If we hold 24 monthly figures on each record,
instead of twelve, we can always compare the current average with the
corresponding figure a year ago.
9.2
One disadvantage of this calculation is that an average of the last
twelve months is slow to respond to any changes of sales pattern. We can
resolve this problem by calculating the average of the last three months
(say), and the corresponding figures last year if available, alongside
those for the full year. This will give a more up-to-date picture, and
will reflect seasonal variations, if any.
9.2
The real disadvantage of this technique is that it requires 24 figures
on each record instead of two. If you work for a company which sells
6000 products to 30000 account customers (as I once did), and you wish
to analyse who-buys-what, you will need a lot of disc space! With
tumbling disc prices, this is much less of a problem than it once was,
but must still be recognised. The processing time of the monthly roll-
down run will also be significant.
9.2
Exponential smoothing
9.2
Sounds interesting Ö what does it mean? It is a technique which attempts
to solve several problems at once, and only requires one historical
figure on each record! This figure is essentially a Monthly Average, but
it is not the simple average of any specific twelve months (or any other
number). At the end of each month we multiply the Average figure by 85%,
and add 15% of the latest month total. We may use different percentage
figures, provided they total 100.
9.2
This figure is a form of weighted average. The rolling average comprises
81î3% of each of the last 12 months figures. The smoothed average
comprises 15% of the latest month, 12.75% (=15%╫85%) of the previous
month, 10.84% of the one before, etc, ad infinitum. Using the 85/15
split, the effective age of the smoothed average is the same as that of
the 12-month rolling average (i.e. six months), but it nevertheless has
an in-built bias towards the more recent figures. This means that it
responds more quickly to changes in trend. It also, to some extent,
reflects the seasonal factor of the current time of year. This
calculation does not provide a comparison with last year, but you canæt
have everything!
9.2
You pay your money and you take your choice. This used to be called
System Design Ö you design your computer system, particularly the data
structures, according to what you want out of it. This has to be done
carefully, or you may find later that you cannot obtain the analysis you
need because you did not start collecting the right data two years ago!
From the lack of demand for my services, it seems that systems arenæt
designed any more! No wonder so many users (of bespoke systems) have
problems.
9.2
Enough of the sour grapes. Next month, I will give a practical
demonstration of the above concepts which will be of interest to at
least some Archive readers.
9.2
I am always on the lookout for new ideas. Please send any comments or
suggestions for this column to me at 41 St Quentin Drive, Sheffield, S17
4PN.áuá
9.2
Cumanaæs Proteus Drive
9.2
Ted Lacey
9.2
For some while now I have been noticing the rapidly dwindling amount of
free space on my RiscáPC 600 hard disc. With the receipt of the long
awaited PC486 Card, this shortage became a real problem. In addition, a
faster CD-ROM drive was required.
9.2
The options that were open to me had to be considered carefully. A
second hard drive? The RiscáPCæs limitation of two IDE add-ons settled
one point quickly; you canæt have an inexpensive IDE hard drive as
advertised in Archive Magazine and a CD-ROM drive with an IDE interface.
So I started looking at SCSI items, as it was obvious that I would have
to install a SCSI card, with future expansion plans in mind. As I needed
to back up a lot of the data on my 410Mb hard disc, I decided to
investigate the cost of adding around 1Gb of storage media.
9.2
Three options were considered...
9.2
(a) The Proteus drive and two PD Optical discs of 650 Mb (1.3Gb). This
drive reads optical discs and is also a quad speed CD-ROM drive, only
occupying one slot on the front of a RiscáPC. An external version is
available at extra cost.
9.2
(b) A removable hard drive, such as those advertised by Pineapple
Software, plus a quad speed CD-ROM drive.
9.2
(c) A 1 Gb SCSI hard drive and a quad speed CD-ROM drive.
9.2
As all options required a SCSI card, the cost of this was not considered
in the calculations. Option (c) was soon discounted as being too costly
and having no future expansion capability.
9.2
The costs of (a) and (b) work out about the same with the Proteus and
two PD Discs providing about 0.3 Gb extra memory. However, for anybody
with a single slice RiscáPC, there would be the added cost of a second
slice for the Pineapple setup. The initial cost could be even less, as
VTIEclipse are running a special offer at around ú70 less than Cumanaæs
price for the Proteus. Also, I reckoned that the 650 Mb PD Discs Ö about
the size of a CD-ROM plastic case Ö would be easier to store than the
removable hard drives. So option (a) won the day and my order for the
internal version went to Archive.
9.2
Installation
9.2
On unpacking, I found that, in addition to the drive, there were two
floppy discs, Cumana CDFS Soft, and Acornæs PhotoCD sample application
and a ribbon cable. As I had ordered a SCSI2 board at the same time, I
also had a further floppy, Cumanaæs SCSI Utilities disc.
9.2
I found no real difficulties with the installation except for one point.
Cumanaæs Useræs Guide for the Proteus drive emphasizes the correct
installation of the ribbon cable between the board and the drive,
stating öensure pin1 to pin1 connection or damage may result.ò With the
aid of a torch and a magnifying glass, I was able locate pin 1 on the
SCSI board, but there was no indication on the connector at the rear of
the drive. Aácall to Cumanaæs Technical Support produced the information
that pin 1 on the drive is located at the end nearest to the power
socket. I suggested to them that it would be a good idea if the drive
itself showed the pin layout or, alternatively, that the User Guide
diagrams showed this information. Installation was completed by adding
the driver from the CDFS Soft disc to the !Boot file. The user guide
contains instructions for fitting external versions as well as
instructions for a setup using RISC OS version 3.1. There are also notes
for connecting an optional audio board. I have delayed adding the extra
sound facility for the time being, as I understand that there are new
products in the pipeline.
9.2
Overall, I found the installation easy and the instructions in the user
guide adequate, apart from the pin 1 business.
9.2
In operation
9.2
Carrying out the tests in the guide soon informs you if you have
everything connected up correctly. This being so, inserting a RISC OS
CD-ROM in the drive and carrying out a few tests will tell you if all is
well.
9.2
Next, using the !SCSI Manager application on the Utilities disc, you
have to format the PD disc Ö read the handling precautions shown on the
disc. The first surprise was the SCSI Manager telling me that the disc
only had 634Mb of memory! (See Jim Nottinghamæs PC486 article in Archive
9.1 p41). I suggest that you read the !Help file first or even make a
printout to understand the finer points of formatting. I found it quite
easy, but a word of warning. Unlike formatting a floppy disc, any
defective sectors are not shown individually, but you just get a general
warning at the end telling you that they will be mapped out. I got this
the first time I formatted and I chose to ignore it. The result was some
slowing down and sounds of Éhuntingæ from the drive. I decided to re-
format the disc and got a clean bill of health on verification. End of
problem.
9.2
At this point, a decision has to be made on the number of partitions
that you require. I tested the media by creating the maximum of four
partitions of different sizes Ö this gives four SCSI icons on the
iconbar. You can rename them from the iconbar menu if you wish.
Inserting a subsequent disc with, say, only two partitions, does not
change the iconbar, but when changing discs you must dismount from the
SCSI icons, otherwise the name you have chosen will not change and you
will get menus from the previous disc. It does not appear to be possible
to change the size of partitions at a later date without losing data
stored on the disc. You can copy from one disc to another in the same
way as copying from a floppy disc. But, as you are handling large
amounts of data, get the kettle on and be prepared for a lot of disc
swapping!! At the moment, the only way I can see to speed this process
and to change the size of partitions, is to copy in sections via your
hard disc. Careful thought of your requirements is needed before
partitioning a PD Disc.
9.2
In use, I found that access appears to be as fast as from a hard drive.
An approximate rate of transfer from hard drive to PD Disc is in the
region of 9Mb per minute. Transfer of data from one partition to another
on the same disc is quite fast.
9.2
Conclusions
9.2
From the limited use that I have had so far, the Proteus drive is good
value for money and meets my requirements. In the long term, the thought
of adding an extra 650Mb of storage for under ú50 appeals to me very
much. I did have some software problems with the drive in respect of the
PC486 Card, which I eventually solved. As these do not appear to be
specific to the Proteus, I have sent details to the new RiscDOS editor,
Michael Clarkson.
9.2
The Proteus drive costs ú635 (internal) and ú805 (external) through
Archive, and the 650Mb cartridges are ú50 each.áuá
9.2
Graphics Column
9.2
David Thornton
9.2
Welcome to to the Archive Graphics Column which I hope will inspire you
into using your Acorn computer for graphics. I expect that nearly
everyone will have experimented with graphics in some way, even if it is
just by using Draw and Paint. I personally believe that DTP and graphics
are the two most important markets for Acorn computers outside of
education. It is therefore vitally important that these markets are
exploited to the full by Acorn developers, in the same way that Adobe
and Quark have been doing with Apple for years.
9.2
Erratum
9.2
In my column last month, two of the pictures were inadvertently swapped
Ö the BMP/DIB Translator v1.01 picture (p36) and the ImageFS 2 save
window (p37). (My fault, sorry! Ed.)
9.2
ImageFS update
9.2
Alternative Publishing has cut the price of ImageFS 1, its transparent
image import application to just ú24.95 +VAT (ú28 through Archive).
ImageFS 2, previewed last month, will also be able to export in many
bitmap formats, and also includes Universal Image, an application for
cataloguing images and obtaining detailed information on their
specification. This will be available in the not-to-distant future at a
cost of ú39.95 +VAT. Owners of version 1 will be able to upgrade for ú20
+VAT. A site licence version will cost ú99.95 +VAT and to upgrade from
the original site licence version will cost ú49.95 +VAT.
9.2
Impression update
9.2
There is to be a new version of Impression Publisher which fixes some
memory-related problems on the Risc PC, contains improved printing
techniques for use with the TurboDrivers and also includes some of the
Publisher Plus features, such as word count and case swap on selected
areas.
9.2
Future columns
9.2
I have ideas for a number of future columns, but would welcome your
ideas.
9.2
Å  ArtWorks Ö incorporating a review of the Arranger tool and discussing
its future in relation to Xara Studio (CC say they are doing Xara Studio
for RISCáOS = ÉArtworks Proæ. Ed.)
9.2
Å  Porting EPS files between platforms and manipulating them under RISC
OS.
9.2
Å  Continued features on graphic file formats and exchanging data
between platforms.
9.2
Å  Colour tables Ö what they do and how they work. Impression, ArtWorks
and the TurboDrivers, as well as some bitmap editors, use them. You can
also create them with SepEd2 if you have TurboDrivers 4.03.
9.2
Å  New tools for ArtWorks (please write to me if you are developing
any).
9.2
Å  Graphics in education. I only know a little in relation to primary
school software so contributions from schools or educationalists are
very welcome.
9.2
This list is in no specific order and is subject to change. I am not a
professional who makes a living by using Acorn computers for graphics
but I own a number of Acorn graphics applications myself and have worked
with a number of software companies, beta testing their products. While
I am writing this column, I will also be learning about graphics
techniques. I am not a total beginner Ö I do know quite a bit about
graphics but do let me know if I make an important mistake or if you
feel that you could explain something better than I have.
9.2
File formats
9.2
Alan Wilburn commented that there isnæt currently anything available to
convert CorelDraw (CDR) files to RISC OS. The problem exists because
there arenæt any vector/meta applications for RISC OS which could
actually handle all of the CDR formatæs contents. I have been told by a
developer that they are experimenting with a program to convert CDR
files to EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) files. These could then be
imported into ArtWorks. The WMF, CGM and other vector/meta format
support is very lame and needs improving. Even though Keith Sloanæs
careware converters are good, I do not like to rely solely on non-
commercial software for such an important task. I also donæt see the
point of purchasing large, expensive applications such as Oakæs Draw
just to perform a conversion. There is an obvious market waiting to be
filled here.
9.2
For some months, I have been working with Alternative Publishing and
other developers to establish a standard set of graphic file formats. I
have collected together around forty bitmap formats and getting on for
twenty vector/meta formats. I have also collected brief information
about each format, as many icons as possible, as many DOS and Mac maps
as possible and the filetype name and hexadecimal number.
9.2
All of this data will be compiled into a stand-alone S¡Base application
and distributed somehow. I donæt mind bundling it with commercial
software if any developer is interested. I have already had a positive
response from software developers who have seen the product and I
believe that it will be immensely useful when it is finished (which
should be soon).
9.2
Macintosh file exchange
9.2
Whilst it is possible to use a PC disc as an intermediate medium for
transferring files between Mac and Acorn, this can be inconvenient,
because some Macs are unable to read PC discs. What the Acorn needed was
an application to allow native Macintosh discs to be accessed by Acorn
computers. Three commercial products exist to allow you to do this: CCæs
MacFS (ú99 +VAT or ú108 through Archive) and MacFS Light (ú49 +VAT or
ú53 through Archive) and Oregan Developmentsæ AppleFS (ú59.95 inclusive
or ú58 through Archive).
9.2
All of these applications allow an Acorn computer to access 720Kb and
1.44Mb floppy discs, but MacFS also allows you to read Macintosh SCSI
discs, such as hard discs, SyQuests and possibly CD-ROMs. It should, in
theory, allow you to access Macintosh IDE devices but CC have not tested
this yet.
9.2
AppleFS
9.2
AppleFS comes in a well-presented box encased in a sleeve which contains
a floppy disc, an eight page manual and a registration card.
Installation requires you to enter your name before you can copy the
application to hard disc. When you load AppleFS, anáicon will appear on
the left hand side of the iconbar because it is actually a separate
filing system, similar to MultiFS and PCDir, and so to access Mac discs,
you click on this icon rather than the normal floppy icon.
9.2
The AppleFS iconbar menu contains options to dismount and to format a
disc. It is of course possible to have more than one Macintosh disc
mounted at the same time and it is also possible, and useful, to be able
to select which disc to dismount rather than only being able to dismount
the last mounted disc. A third option, labelled öChoices...ò, displays a
filetype mapping window in which Macintosh files can be mapped to Acorn
files, and vice versa, by using the following dialogue box:
9.2
An option, unique to AppleFS, is the convert text tick box. This option
allows you to set whether text files are converted, in terms of their
appropriate character sets, when transporting between the Acorn and
Macintosh platforms. The conversion process involves mapping characters
between the two platforms and converting carriage returns to linefeeds,
and vice versa.
9.2
The file mapping is very easy to set up, with a radio button to select
whether you wish to map Mac files to Acorn files or Acorn files to Mac
files. Every RISC OS filetype has a three character hexadecimal code and
there is a maximum of eight characters for the textual name and each
filetype must also have an icon.
9.2
Mac files, however, work in a slightly different way. Each file usually
contains two sub-files known as the resource fork and the data fork. The
data fork is usually the data that you will want to use and the resource
fork usually contains information about the data and how to utilise it.
Macintosh maps are always four characters. Some may use spaces to make
up the four digits (e.g. PCX_, where I use a _ to indicate a space).
9.2
To map a Mac file to an Acorn file, you must either select an existing
source map or create one yourself. To select an existing one, simply
select it from the scrolling source list and then select a corresponding
RISC OS filetype from the target list. If either of the source or target
maps does not exist, you just click <menu> over the relevant pane,
choose add, and enter either the required Mac or RISC OS filetype. Once
you have set up all your required mappings, you can save them for later
use, so you should not have to enter them again. A default set of
mappings is included with AppleFS.
9.2
An AppleFS disc window is different from a standard RISC OS filer
window. You are not able to change how files are displayed or sorted and
it is only possible to copy files, not rename, count, delete or stamp
them. There are two menu options for displaying information about the
disc and any selected file. You can also toggle whether the data and
resource forks are shown or not and it is possible to create a new
directory. AppleFS displays Mac filename characters correctly including
full stops (this is the advantage of using a separate Mac window rather
than the standard RISC OS one), although filenames are truncated to a
maximum length of 16 characters out of a possible 32 in the AppleFS
window.
9.2
MacFS and MacFS Light
9.2
These are both distributed in a CD style case which contains a single
floppy disc and a manual. Both versions are identically packaged and
installed. MacFS Light is simply a cut down version of MacFS that is
unable to read Mac SCSI devices. The way that MacFS accesses Macintosh
discs is totally different from AppleFS. On loading the application, no
icon appears on the left of the iconbar, only a banner to indicate that
MacFS has been loaded.
9.2
MacFS discs are treated in a similar way to RISC OS and DOS discs.
Clicking on the disc drive icon will open a Mac disc, and the filer
window can display all 32 characters of the  file name. When
transferring a Mac file to a RISC OS formatted disc, all spaces are
converted to hard spaces (character 160) and É.æ becomes ÉÅæ. All Mac
files are displayed as a special MacForks filetype, unless the file has
already been mapped to a RISC OS filetype using the MacMap command.
Double-clicking on a MacFork file opens an additional window containing
the data fork and, if present, the resource fork and an eight character
identifier. This consists of the first four characters for the filetype
and the second four characters for the application which created it.
9.2
Formatting discs to Macintosh 720Kb or 1.44Mb formats is done in exactly
the same way as formatting a DOS disc. Two additional Mac formats will
have appeared at the top of the öOther formatsò menu and selecting the
relevant format will format the disc.
9.2
Mapping Mac filetypes onto RISC OS filetypes is performed by typing star
commands, either by pressing <F12> or by using a text editor and saving
the file as an obey file. A standard MacMap consists of something like:
9.2
*MacMap PICT * D &FD5
9.2
The first four characters, in this case PICT, refer to the Mac file. The
second * refers to the origin of the file, indicating that it can have
any origin. The D shows that you wish to copy the data fork as opposed
to the resource fork. The final three characters after the & are the
RISC OS filetype hexadecimal code. Any MacMaps entered into the command
line will not be remembered when the computer is switched off. To ensure
MacFS does remember them when it is loaded, you must add the MacMaps to
the !Run file inside MacFS, using a text editor. This is a bit of a
failing and could be bewildering to first time users. The manual has two
mistakes relating to this but if you know how to open an application and
load a file into Edit, you should have few problems. There are examples
for you to copy and base your maps on. Iáam using version 1.04 of MacFS
and MacFS Light. At the time of writing, MacFS and MacFS Light do not
support MacMaps which contain spaces. Later versions should fix this
problem.
9.2
Conclusion
9.2
It is difficult to choose my preferred application, as Oregan is working
on a major upgrade of AppleFS, due to be released at Acorn World æ95.
Prior to the upgrade, I would have recommended MacFS or MacFS Light.
MacFS does most of what AppleFS does but in a more transparent and
logical way and AppleFS is more intrusive because it is implemented as a
separate filing system. I would like to see MacFS contain a more
intuitive system of setting MacMaps; a separate utility might suffice
for this and the bug whereby MacMaps with spaces cannot be used, needs
to be fixed. AppleFS does not have this bug as it implements mappings in
a different way.
9.2
AppleFS may well also support the reading of Mac CDs and hard discs at
the same price Ö although this is not yet decided. It will also be
converted into an image filing system, so its operation will be similar
to that of MacFS (i.e. transparent, rather than being a separate filing
system). If it did all these things then, with the price remaining at
ú59.95 inclusive, it would sweep into the lead.
9.2
One other advantage of AppleFS, which I havenæt yet mentioned, is that
it will work on 800Kb floppy drives (although obviously only at 720Kb
Mac format) whereas MacFS can only be used if you have a computer with a
1.6Mb drive (i.e. A5000 or later).
9.2
I donæt know whether CC are planning an update for MacFS, so my advice
would be to wait until after Acorn World before making a decision.
9.2
Final comments
9.2
I will be at Acorn World on Friday and Saturday. If you have any
questions, comments or other information for me, do come and have a
chat. I should be around the Archive stand for some of the time.
9.2
If you have ideas, suggestions, questions my address is: 1 Castle Court,
Lower Burraton, Saltash, Cornwall, PL12 4SE. (No telephone calls,
please.) For a reply, please include postage, preferably as stamps.áu
9.2
RiscDOS Column
9.2
Mike Clarkson
9.2
Having taken over this column from Simon Coulthurst, I must begin by
thanking all those whoæve written to me either as a response to my
article on Win95 (8.12 p50) or concerning other Acorn/PC matters.
Perhaps I should also outline the areas with which I think this column
should be concerned Ö and those with which it shouldnæt (though, of
course, Iæd welcome comment on this as on any other aspect of the
column).
9.2
It seems to me that, as Paul wrote recently, we donæt want to clutter
Archive up with PC information which could easily be gleaned from a
straightforward PC magazine, but rather concentrate on (a) connectivity
between the two platforms, i.e. interchange of information of whatever
sort and by whatever means, and (b) problems (and their solutions) which
relate specifically to implementing PC hardware and software on the
Acorn platform. With this in mind, I turn to several issues which have
recently been raised.
9.2
Windows 95 (revisited)
9.2
In the last issue, Mike McNamara warned us not to dismiss Windows 95 too
quickly (9.1 p34); several others have written suggesting the same,
including my predecessor Simon Coulthurst, who is now using a 60MHz
Pentium with 40Mb RAM and says that Windows 95 runs beautifully;
reluctantly, I have to agree that, with that sort of specification
machine, it is a very capable operating system Ö and definitely the
operating system of the future.
9.2
True, it doesnæt run too well on todayæs östandardò hardware, and is
particularly greedy for RAM, but with the price falling all the time,
machines with 16 and 24Mb RAM are going to become much more common; the
good news for Risc PC users, of course, is that there is plenty of
expansion capability in this area, up to a maximum rather larger than
most standard PCs. The ability to plug in a new second processor card
could also make for the most easily upgraded PC as well as a
terrifically upgradable RISCáOS machine. To dream for a moment, 1998
could see a Risc PC with six ARM 800s on a co-processor board, a P6 in
the second processor socket and 200Mb RAM shared between them Ö all in
the box on your desk at the moment; in contrast, most of todayæs 486
boxes will be long gone.
9.2
To return to the present, for those Risc PC users who want to run
Windows 95 now, it looks like 16Mb RAM is going to make for a much more
productive machine, with say 12Mb allocated to the PC card as standard.
Having that amount of RAM also means it really is possible to multitask
platforms, with say 8Mbáallocated to each. As an encouragement,
MráRáColeman has it running on his Acorn 486 card with 24Mb allocated to
it (lucky chap!), and although the 486 is not as fast as it might be, he
clearly finds it quite usable.
9.2
I personally have had little use from Win95 since the school in which I
teach is waiting for a new IT block to open before upgrading. Iæm
therefore probably a little behind on the state of implementation on the
Risc PC. James Pullan has mentioned new drivers and software
configuration, and Aleph One were certainly intending to work on these,
as well as providing full-colour (and sound?) support, but I have seen
and heard little of this so far Ö maybe theyæll be at Acorn World? A
couple of correspondents have also mentioned running Win95 in a
multitasking window which I could not Ö is this a result of a different
setup or new drivers etc?
9.2
PC compatibility
9.2
Almost inevitably, the PC card does not offer 100% PC compatibility (but
then neither do many PCs Ö hence the huge growth of telephone hotlines
for those who canæt get things to work). Neil Dickson wrote suggesting
that something along the lines of Jim Nottinghamæs SCSI card
compatibility chart would be useful, to which I would say a hesitant
öyesò.
9.2
I hesitate because of the huge volume of software there is for PCs, and
because of the various hardware configurations on which it might be
running. Perhaps I might suggest that you let me know if you have had
problems running a major piece of PC software, giving details of the
software version, the PC operating system, and your hardware. I will
then attempt to put together details of these and, with luck, another
reader may have already solved your particular problem.
9.2
As a start, Dave Floyd mentions that Sim City 2000 will not install,
because it cannot determine which graphics card is installed, and Player
Manager 2 installs but wonæt run because it relies on a key-disc being
in drive 0 which it is unable to find (even though the disc is in the
floppy drive). The latter would appear to be similar to a problem I had
when installing Win95 from floppy Ö it seems Microsoft now supply
software on 1.7Mb floppies, with only the first disc being 1.44Mb.
Unfortunately, even with the patch supplied on the 1.44Mb floppy, DOS
was unable to read 1.7Mb floppies in my drive. Fortunately (and
amazingly) RISCáOS was able to do so Ö if anyone else finds themselves
with this problem, the solution is to use RISCáOS to copy the 1.7Mb
floppies to a partition on your hard disc and then install from there,
assuming the software allows you to (Win95 did).
9.2
Ted Lacey wrote mentioning that he has a similar problem. He has a copy
of Tasword on his drive_c partition which loads OK but fails when it
tries to access drive a. If he loads the application from drive a, it
works fine. This sounds similar to the above, but may not be. Does
anyone have any ideas?
9.2
One piece of hardware which I can report does work with the PC card is
the Cumana Proteus CD ROM/removable hard drive when used with the Cumana
SCSI 2 card. Ted Lacey included in his letter the details of how he got
it to work, based on Jim Nottinghamæs Hints and Tips article last month,
which I will pass on to any who would like them (theyære a little
complicated to include here at this stage). The Proteus is a device I
expect to buy in the next couple of months, and one which I would
strongly recommend for others to consider, particularly if you are going
to be using the PC card much, since it offers such plentiful storage.
9.2
Printing from Write
9.2
To add to B Colemanæs comment (9.1 p19) about printing from Write on the
486 card, my experience shows that printing from within the 486 requires
a standard Acorn driver, not a Turbo Driver, and that !PCConfig should
have the öUse RISC OS printer streamò set to LPT1. However, this is when
running the Win95 beta, so may not be of much use. I am planning next
month to look at printing from the 486 card, and will look into more
possible problems and configurations then. Reports from others would be
very welcome.
9.2
Miscellaneous matters
9.2
Ted Lacey also mentioned that, for ú40, he has upgraded MS DOS 3.3,
supplied with the old PC emulator (to MS DOS 6, I guess), and presumably
he uses this in preference to the PC DOS supplied with the card. My
personal feeling is that a Windows 95 upgrade now represents the best
value for money, although it is far from cheap to buy from scratch Ö do
shop around for the best price (with Win95, DOS becomes obsolete).
9.2
Finally, one problem to which I suspect there is no answer (but Iæm
hoping there may be). Most of us who use the PC card will find we
eventually run out of space in the PC partition. What do we do then? Is
there any way of increasing the size of PC partition without creating a
new one? The best I can suggest is to create a new, bigger, partition
using !PCConfig, then copy the whole of one partition onto the other,
and finally delete the first. This clearly would mostly require a lot of
clearing out of Acorn files, possibly to a floppy backup, which could
then be restored.
9.2
An alternative is to connect a high capacity storage device (another
hard drive, SyQuest or Cumana/Panasonic Proteus drive) and use this.
Personally, I think I will be using a Proteus drive with a whole (650
Mb!) disc dedicated to PC stuff.
9.2
Finally, to avoid confusion, we should point out that PC DOS is produced
by IBM, not Microsoft, as Jim Nottinghamæs Hints and Tips article
suggested.
9.2
Thatæs all for this month. Do keep the letters and comments coming, and
also suggestions of areas which might usefully be covered Ö one I have
in the pipeline is printing from the PC card, so experiences,
difficulties and solutions on this would be particularly welcome. My
address is Michael Clarkson, Riggæs Hall, The Schools, Shrewsbury, SY3
7AZ. I can be emailed at [e-mail], which is a school-
wide address, so please include at least my initials in the subject
field so that it gets directed to me.áuá
9.2
Sibeliusá7
9.2
Ian Beswick
9.2
This is the second part of my technical review of the Sibeliusá7 öMusic
Processing Expert Systemò, the first part being in Archive 9.1 p51.
9.2
Designing a score
9.2
The layout of a musical score, just like any other document, has to be
planned in order to produce the desired result. With a DTP package, this
generally involves designing a ÉMaster Pageæ; the Sibelius equivalent is
creating the Éinstrumentsæ in the score.
9.2
As an example, I will describe the production of a simple score Ö
Mozartæs overture to öThe Marriage of Figaroò. Sample files illustrating
the process are on the Archive monthly disc. Unlike the ÉMoonlightæ file
provided last time, these files will load into the Sibeliusá7 Demo
Version (thanks to Ben Finn for the means to do this.)
9.2
ÉFigaroæ consists of eleven instruments: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon,
horn, trombone, timpani, violin, viola, cello and double bass. However,
there is a further decision required because most of these instruments
have more than one player, e.g. two flute parts, each with different
notes to play.
9.2
Players
9.2
Sibelius allows multiple players to be notated in two different ways,
which can either be used exclusively or mixed and matched. However, once
the decision has been taken, there is no easy way of switching between
the methods, so the implications of the choice need to be considered
before making the decision.
9.2
The traditional notation is for several players to share a single stave,
with numbers indicating which player(s) the notes are for. Sibelius
allows this by means of Éplayer textæ, and these numbers are
automatically shown at the beginning of each stave.
9.2
The alternative approach is to use a separate stave for each player
(although the player numbers may also be used at the start of the score
in order to give numbers at the start of each stave). The staves are
part of the same instrument in just the same way as the right and left
hand staves of piano music.
9.2
The two methods can be combined, by having several staves, each of which
has several players. It is possible for a player to switch between
staves, although this is extremely bad style! It is also conventional to
use two separate instruments for Violins I & II.
9.2
I initially decided to go for the first method, since this was how the
original score looked. This has the advantage that less staves are
needed, and hence the score is generally fewer pages. The drawbacks will
become apparent shortly!
9.2
Instruments
9.2
A considerable number of instruments are pre-defined in Sibelius,
although these can be varied if required. For example, Mozart would have
written his instruments in German (as shown above). Each instrument has
both a full name and an abbreviation, each of which can be edited
independently (e.g. ÉOboiæ and ÉOb.æ). The full names can be used at the
start of every stave, or more usually just at the start of the first
page.
9.2
If an instrument is required which is not on the standard list (e.g.
ÉHorn in Dæ), it is just a matter of picking another similar instrument
with the same transposition (e.g. ÉTrumpet in Dæ) and editing its name.
9.2
The pre-defined instruments will automatically appear in the correct
conventional order within the score, and will be bracketed together in
appropriate sections. Again, this default order and bracketing can be
overridden, but the order cannot be changed after the instruments have
been created.
9.2
Transposition
9.2
The transposition key of the instruments must be chosen with care: it is
no good initially choosing a ÉClarinet in B flatæ, and deciding later to
change it into a ÉClarinet in Aæ by changing its name! If you try,
Sibelius still thinks it is the original ÉClarinet in Aæ, and all the
transposition goes wrong.
9.2
[To explain the jargon: If a ÉCæ is played on a ÉClarinet in Aæ, it
sounds at the same pitch as an ÉAæ played on normal (non-transposing)
instrument. Normal instruments are therefore Éin Cæ.]
9.2
Sibelius allows the transposition to be handled in two different ways:
either the score is written as it will be played (Sibelius automatically
transposes all key signatures) and transposes appropriately during
playback, or the score is written as it will sound, and Sibelius
transposes the individual parts as they are extracted. The second method
allows the composer to ignore the transposition whilst he is creating,
leaving Sibelius to take care of it all later.
9.2
For example, ÉFigaroæ contains ÉClarinet in Aæ, hence the key signature
at the start of the stave is F major (one flat) whereas most instruments
are in D major (two sharps). Likewise the Horn and Trombone (which are
both Éin Dæ) have key signatures of C major (no sharps or flats).
However, even if we had been using a ÉHorn in Fæ, it would still have
appeared without any key signature, since it is conventional to show
some instruments with keys (e.g. Timpani). Sibelius allows this too!
9.2
Extraction
9.2
After all this palaver of setting up the framework of the score,
instruments, staves and all, the individual notes can be entered in just
the same way as for a simple piano score, by inserting, selecting and
copying notes. Once all the notes are completed (a non-trivial task, for
a score the size of ÉFigaroæ!), there are some very clever things that
Sibelius can do for you.
9.2
The full score is generally only used to allow the conductor to follow
the music played by everyone in the orchestra. What is required is a
separate piece of music for each member of the orchestra, containing
just their part and nothing else. This is really what Sibelius was
designed to do, and it does it remarkably well. At the click of the
mouse, the whole score is reformatted and replaced by just the part
which was requested. (It is therefore vitally important to save the work
just before extracting the part, æcos thereæs no going back! Sibelius
warns you if you havenæt saved.)
9.2
It is at this point that the main implication of having chosen to put
all players on a single stave becomes apparent. When, for example, the
flute part is extracted, it will contain the music for both FluteáI and
FluteáII. If that is what is required, all well and good, but if what
you wanted was two separate parts for the two flutes, youære in trouble!
The only way to produce this is to manually delete all the unwanted
notes, leaving just the notes for one player Ö this can involve
considerable time and effort.
9.2
The moral of the story is that you should use separate staves from the
outset if you intend extracting players individually. In fact, what I
chose to do was to save my completed score (file ÉFullScoreæ on the
monthly disc) and then modify it into a form in which I could extract
the players individually (file ÉExtractoræ on the disc). This process
involved creating additional staves for each instrument, copying the
music from the original stave onto the new stave, and deleting half the
notes on each stave. Although this process took me several hours, it was
worth the effort since I could print the full score as required (from
the original attempt) and extract parts individually from the extractor
version.
9.2
Even with the players on two separate staves, Sibelius currently only
allows both players to be extracted together. It is then relatively
simple (& quick) to delete the complete stave for the unwanted player.
The alpha-test of the latest version allows separate staves to be
extracted individually, thus simplifying matters even further.
9.2
The extracted parts may need a few tweaks by hand, and can then be saved
as separate files. Sibelius changes the filename for you, to prevent you
from overwriting your full score. I have enclosed a few examples of
extracted parts (files ÉClarinet1æ, ÉTimpaniæ and ÉViolin1æ).
9.2
Playback
9.2
At any time, Sibelius can give you a performance of your masterpiece.
This is possible through the internal speaker (although all instruments
sound like pianos!), but best results are obtained by using Midi
equipment.
9.2
Standard ÉGeneral Midiæ synthesizers are supported, as are a number of
specific sound modules (e.g. Proteus FX, and Roland SC¡88). However, it
is possible to tell Sibelius to use a specific sound (or Épatchæ) on
whatever equipment you have. I have both a Midi piano and an SC¡88, the
latter providing several hundred different instrument sounds, ranging
from standard orchestral instruments, ethnic instruments and weird sound
effects Ö you can even arrange for a round of applause to be produced at
the end of the performance if you need a virtual audience! Some of these
sound effects would be useful if you were producing a film sound-track.
9.2
The quality of the sound produced is really down to the quality of the
Midi equipment being used, since Sibelius merely sends messages down the
Midi to say when notes should be turned on and off. The SC¡88 produces
reasonably good all round orchestral instruments, although I would say
that the String sounds are less realistic than the woodwind and brass.
9.2
The main limitation of the playback is that not all symbols are actually
taken into account when playing the score. Most notable of these are
ornaments (grace notes, trills, turns, mordants etc), 8vaæs, tremolos,
arpeggiated-chords, repeat signs, etc. It is generally possible,
however, to produce a modified version of the score which is suitable
for playback. This involves explicitly spelling-out the shorthand
symbols with individual notes. This trill can be written as:
9.2

9.2
Likewise for tremolos:
9.2
Drum-rolls (e.g. Timpani bar 133) can be produced like this, and sound
even better if two notes are sounded together. [File ÉPlayerSæ includes
these modifications to allow correct playback]. I am assured that the
forthcoming Versioná3 will play most of the currently missing features
without requiring these modifications.
9.2
Sounds realistic?
9.2
One of the drawbacks of computer-generated music is that it tends to
sound too mechanical to be believed. Sibelius Software have gone to
great lengths to try and make their music sound as realistic as
possible. Two separate features contribute towards this: Espressivo and
Soundscaping.
9.2
The espressivo feature, as described last time, uses subtle changes in
volume to make the music sound less mechanical. However, even with this,
there is a tendency for many notes played together to sound like an
organ rather than an orchestra. There are two possible approaches to
this problem: the first is not to sound the notes at exactly the same
time Ö a real orchestra would have slight variations between the
musicians (this is not currently implemented). The second possibility is
to deceive the ears into believing that the sounds are coming from
different places, corresponding with the positions of the orchestra on
stage Ö soundscaping.
9.2
Three separate attributes of the sound can be used to create this
audible illusion: pan (stereo position), reverberation (echo) and
balance (relative loudness). Many modern Midi synthesizers allow these
attributes to be varied to good effect. The trick is working out the
correct values for each of these parameters Ö each instrument has to be
calculated individually. As a rough guide, the reverberation increases
with distance away from the listener (there is more echo at the back of
the stage!) and balance can be used to give an indication of the
relative strengths of each section of the orchestra. The diagram
illustrates my simulated orchestra:
9.2
There is one slight limitation to the soundscaping, imposed because of
Midi restrictions rather than by Sibelius. Reverb, Pan and Balance can
only be specified for each Midi channel, rather than for individual
notes. This means that when Sibelius plays several parts using the same
channel, the parameters are used for just one of the instruments. Since
there are only 16 Midi channels, you are restricted to 16 different
soundscape positions. Multiple Midi interfaces could be fitted to
increase this flexibility, although unfortunately this feature does not
currently work. (Many thanks to Roy at KCS for loaning me a second Midi
interface to try it out!) At present, the soundscape parameters are
specified by typing numbers into a menu, which is not particularly
intuitive. Maybe in the future it will be possible to drag the musicians
around a virtual stage?
9.2
[File ÉPlayerDæ has separate staves for each player. However, the SC-88
tends to produce an unpleasant sound (known as Éphasingæ) when the
players are in unison. This should be reduced when multiple Midi
interfaces work, since the players will be at slightly different
positions. The SC¡88 has two separate Midi inputs, thus allowing 32
separate soundscape positions.]
9.2
Performance issues
9.2
It cannot be denied that Sibeliusá7 is fast, both in terms of its
internal operation and its usability. It also has a remarkably quick
learning curve Ö my Moonlight Sonata score was finished within a
fortnight of first using Sibeliusá7 (and I only have chance to use it in
the evenings!). I can now transcribe music at an average rate of around
20-30 minutes per A4 page, depending on the complexity of the score.
9.2
Sibeliusá7 can also produce remarkably large scores, even on a
comparatively inexpensive machine. My largest project to date has been a
vocal score for a complete operetta Ö Gilbert and Sullivanæs
öTheáMikadoò. This file is only 610Kb long, yet it contains almost 3700
bars of music in its 300+ pages. This means that, even with such a large
file, Sibeliusá7 will run quite happily on a 2Mb A3010.
9.2
There are a few size limitations imposed by Sibeliusá7, but it is highly
unlikely that any composer would want to compose such a complex piece
(the main restrictions are 128 instruments max, and 128 staves per page
max). In the event of anybody requiring 128 staves per page, the page
size can be increased up to 999mm square!
9.2
The only significant problem I encountered whilst working on my monster
Mikado score was concerned with adding new bars into very large scores
(i.e. over 1000 bars), which is rather slow and occasionally generates a
ÉSelf Test Failedæ error. However, the nice thing about Sibeliusá7
errors is that when it gives you the choice to ÉContinueæ or ÉQuitæ, it
actually lets you continue, rather than simply generating another error
message (like some other programs I could mention). I can honestly say
that I havenæt yet had an error which Sibelius couldnæt recover from Ö
it just beeps and puts you back to the top of the previous page in the
score!
9.2
The future
9.2
Sibelius Software are constantly updating the package, both with bug
fixes and additions requested by their users. The package is used by
many leading composers as well as music publishing companies, and is
used in all corners of the globe (Sibelius claim to have users on every
continent except Antarctica!).
9.2
Version 3 is due to be released very soon, possibly even by the time you
read this, and this promises to be a significant step forward. Whilst
writing this article, I received a copy of an alpha-test version (2.51c)
which contains a few of the features to be released in versioná3,
including a scratch-pad (for musical Édoodlingæ whilst composing), an
editing screen with configurable degree of WYSIWYGæness, and support for
internationalisation. Versioná3 also promises to contain more user-
friendly alternatives to some of the currently cumbersome features of
the package (e.g. full playback without manual alteration of the score)
as well as real-time Midi input and Midi-file support.
9.2
Conclusion
9.2
Sibeliusá7 is very versatile package, allowing virtually any imaginable
type of music to be transcribed. Itæs high price tag is an indication of
the market at which the product is targeted (hence the inclusion of 24-
hour telephone support). It allows a composer to produce performance
quality printouts without the time and expense of having them
professionally produced.
9.2
A cut-down version (with a few built-in restrictions) is available at a
price more affordable to the hobbyist or school user.
9.2
This review was carried out on Sibeliusá7 version 2.50p running on a
RiscáPC.áuá
9.2
Apollonius PDT
9.2
Dave Wilcox
9.2
Oak Solutions have re-entered the draughting package area with the
release of their new Apollonius PDT package, (ÉParametric Design Toolæ).
I say re-entered because the name rang a bell from times gone by. After
a little digging, I found someone with a copy of the old Oak PDT package
for comparison purposes. Forget it; it took about two minutes to lose me
with the old package, amongst assorted menus and the like, and it was
single-tasking!! This new offering, I am pleased to say, is totally
opposite to this.
9.2
What do you get?
9.2
The software is presented in a rather large (A4) cardboard box
containing a 79-page spiral-bound A5 manual and two discs. Disc one
contains the main program and three libraries for storing paper designs,
hatching designs and frequently-used bits of drawings. Also, there are
two applications, called !DrawPrint and !DrawPlot, which are designed to
run alongside your usual printer driver and control the output,
including poster size output. Obviously, one is for usual printer
output, and the other for plotter output. Also included is a !Scrap
directory and a folder of five example drawings.
9.2
The second disc contains a familiar Oak package, !Projector, for the
display of animated images, !Snaphappy, an Ace film maker, and five
examples.
9.2
There is no copy protection on this package but you are required to
enter your name, which is recorded within the program and which is
displayed on the title screen when you run the program. For installation
onto hard disc, simply drag all files and directories to the desired
location.
9.2
What is Apollonius?
9.2
The best way to define the package is to quote Oakæs claim in their
opening page of their manual Ö öyou have an intelligent, simple-to-use
application which provides enormous productivity in generating clear and
useful technical drawings of mechanical parts and the relationships
between those partsò.
9.2
How do they fulfil this claim? On opening the worksheet it is quite
daunting Ö not because it is bulging with tools Ö quite the reverse.
There is only a small toolbox, as can be seen above, with eleven tools,
(well ten really, as the hatching tool is not implemented in this
version). From these ten tools, there are really only three main work
tools. Confession time Ö I now started to read the manual a little more
intently.
9.2
On opening a worksheet, you start with a blank sheet of paper with x and
y axes. The intelligence of this program now starts to work and, I have
to say, work well. Depending on what you click on, and where you move
the mouse in relation to other objects within your drawing, the program
decides what you want to draw. To give a couple of examples, with the
line tool selected, if you click on a line and then second click on a
circle, you obtain a parallel line which is tangential to the circle.
Then, if you click on a line and then second click on another line, you
obtain the bisector of the two lines. With the circle tool, if you click
on a point and then second click on a circle, you obtain a circle
tangent to the chosen circle, with its centre on the selected point. The
options go on and on, and are quite extensive, using just the three main
tools, line, circle and point. The appropriate combinations take a while
to learn but, with a little application and use, are fairly obvious.
9.2
For precise or repetitive measurements it is possible to define
variables, and then use these when needed in the drawing, e.g.
Fillet=5mm.
9.2
Also included is a style menu, like Impression, where you can predefine
line thickness, colour and pattern, or text colour, size, font and, when
implemented, the desired fill pattern. All that is then required is the
selection, from a menu, of the style you require. There is also an
effect option in the main menu but, as in Impression, you are better off
designing and using the style option, unless it really is a one-off
effect you are after.
9.2
Once your drawing structure is complete, you need to select the ink tool
and draw in the outline of your drawing, pretty much as you would on a
drawing board, as can again be seen in the diagram. Once you are
satisfied with your drawing, all construction lines may be turned off to
show your drawing in all its glory Ö see the inset above left.
9.2
The next tools in the bar are fairly self-explanatory so I will only
give a brief account of what they do. First is the text tool, which
allows you to label and comment your drawings. The only point to make
here is that text can be made to run horizontal, or parallel to a line,
or parallel to a circle. Next is the dimensioning tool. You are able to
dimension lengths, angles, radii and diameters by clicking on two or
three points, dependent upon the desired measurement. Once decided,
these measurements may be internally or externally displayed Ö again
this can be seen in the example diagram. The select tool is next in the
line and is used in a similar style to ÉSelectæ in Draw, or other
similar packages. The next two greyed-out icons are the mirror tool and
the multicopy tool. These act on selected items, and only become active
once something is selected.
9.2
Saving and printing
9.2
OK, so your drawing is complete Ö now what do you do with it? Firstly,
we have the four save options. You can save your drawing as either a
full Apollonius file, a drawfile, a text file or a DXF file (minus
parametric information). These options appear to cover most
eventualities. The next option is to print out a hard copy of your
drawing. There is no problem here, but you must have your usual printer/
plotter driver loaded and also load DrawPrint or DrawPlot, as mentioned
above.
9.2
It is now possible, using the advanced features of the software, i.e.
ÉSnaphappyæ, to combine different positions of each piece of your
drawing to make a film showing how the combination of pieces will
actually work together. I do not intend to go through this action step
by step, but suffice it to say that it can be done and you end up with
an ÉAce Filmæ, showing how the objects are linked and how they are
designed to move together. There is an example on this monthæs disc in
the form of an engine piston, connecting rod and crankshaft going
through a cycle.
9.2
Conclusion
9.2
Does this software fulfil the claims made by Oak? Yes, I believe it
does. You can learn how to use most of it quite quickly, although some
of the intricacies take a little longer, as would be expected. I know
this is a 2D drawing package, but I would have liked to see an ellipse
tool for use in 2D plans or isometric projections. Most packages seem to
lack this, perhaps because the programming required is too complex, but
thatæs someone elseæs domain, not mine. You can, however, resort to the
technical method shown below, if needs must.
9.2
Development work is obviously continuing, because tools are displayed
which are not yet functional Ö all credit to Oak. I feel they could have
released the package minus the troublesome sectors, or worse, with them
for the customer to beta-test for them.
9.2
This package has, I feel, fulfilled the claims of its producers and, as
such, I feel is good value for money. Apollonius PDT costs ú150 +VAT
from Oak Solutions Ltd, or ú165 through Archive. If you own WorraCAD or
Oak PDT, you can upgrade via Oak for ú75 +VAT.áuá
9.2
Apollonius
9.2
A second view
9.2
Brian Cowan
9.2
I purchased Apollonius as an upgrade from WorraCAD. As with many
software purchases, you donæt really know how useful the thing will be
until you have used it. I expected to use the package for computer-aided
design (CAD), with the parametric aspect enabling me to change parts of
the design as part of a öwhat ifò development exercise. So far, I have
used Apollonius for two real-life applications: one trivial and the
other serious.
9.2
First application
9.2
In the trivial application, I had to drill a number of holes in a board
to mount a large pressure gauge. The hole locations were specified as
being equally spaced on a given pitch circle diameter (PCD). What I
wanted, to enable me to drill the holes, was the x and y coordinates of
each hole. I was able to draw the layout of the holes in Apollonius
according to the given specification with ease Ö well, relative ease!
Then, using the automatic dimensioning facility of Apollonius, it was a
simple task to display the coordinates of the holes as distances from a
horizontal and a vertical datum.
9.2
Second application
9.2
Fresh from the success of this exercise, I decided to embark on the
design of a (relatively) complex item required in my laboratory.
Conventionally, this would have been designed on paper and I decided to
test Apollonius in this real-life application. This was a complex
object, to be machined out of copper. The final Apollonius drawing is
shown overleaf.
9.2
The first problem was that the program would frequently crash. This
encouraged me to make frequent back ups Ö not a bad thing, anyway.
Unfortunately though, the crashes tended to hang the whole computer. As
the drawing developed, the next problem became apparent. The screen
refresh became unbearably slow. A little investigation showed that the
main program is written in Basic, although there are a number of
supporting relocatable modules. Now this is indeed a tribute to Acornæs
Basic coding, but I am surprised that a program of such complexity and
graphics speed requirements is not written in a compiled language, or
even hand-coded. Furthermore, Oak sells a Basic compiler, but they did
not even use that! The drawing shows the stage at which my patience ran
out and I stopped using Apollonius and continued annotating the drawing
by hand.
9.2
Confusing construction lines
9.2
After a while, as the drawing becomes more complex, the screen is
covered with construction lines which makes the appearance terribly
confusing. There is an option to hide all construction lines (as in the
figure shown) but I would suggest an option whereby only the
construction lines in the vicinity of the current working point, or
perhaps those selected by the user, are displayed.
9.2
Conclusion
9.2
My conclusion is that this is a brilliant program Ö or at least it has
the potential to be so. The Éspartan simplicityæ of the user interface
is quite superb. All the right ideas are there, but the present
implementation (my version is 0.95) is rather incomplete and can hardly
be regarded as more than a beta test version. Certainly, at the moment,
this is not what you would expect from a ú150 product, but assuming Oak
continues to develop it and the speed is enhanced by using a compiler of
some sort then it could be a great success.áuá
9.2
Products Available
9.3
A4 portables Ö Due to popular demand and to satisfy outstanding orders,
Acorn is building a further 400 or so A4 portables. In addition, Acorn
has made spare part provision to support the product for three years.
However, this will be the final build of the A4 and is the final
opportunity for customers to purchase the portable. The A4s are now
available at the special price of ú1350 inclusive through Archive. A 3-
year extended warranty is available for a further ú150. The A4 is 4Mb
RAM, 80Mb HD and comes with Acorn PC Soft and MS DOS as standard.
9.3
Statement from Acorn... Acorn is continuing to research and develop
notebook portable technology, recognising that there is a requirement
for desktop equivalent notebooks in education, in small numbers, as a
specialist resource. However, there are currently no plans to market a
successor to the A4 until the price of colour screen technology comes
down and the performance of notebook battery technology improves to
allow use of long lasting, long battery life portable product that
education needs.
9.3
Acornæs success with the Pocket Book has demonstrated that palmtop
technology offers a tremendous growth opportunity for the application of
portable IT in education. The Pocket Book performs most of the functions
that a Notebook system is typically used for, but at a fraction of the
cost, and with the advantages of greater portability and longer battery
life.
9.3
Acorn prices Ö At the introduction of the Acorn Education Agency scheme,
Acorn severely reduced the discount offered to non-Agency dealers. What
we were not told at the time was that the same discounts were applied to
ALL Acorn products including software. As a result, virtually all
Archive prices for Acorn equipment have had to rise, in some case above
r.r.p. because the prices we quote include carriage. Otherwise, we would
end up selling things like manuals and software at a loss because they
are so heavy and the p&p is so high. (Is there any other computer
company that sells software to dealers at the same, tiny, discount as
they do hardware?!)
9.3
ACross is a crossword program from Kudos Computing. It uses a dictionary
of answers and clues, plus a pattern-matching engine, to create fully
symmetrical random crosswords. The program has been designed in a
modular fashion to allow additional dictionaries of clues and answers to
be added later. The dictionaries themselves have been graded for
different ability levels and Kudos will be monitoring usersæ feelings
about the grading to ensure the methods they employ are fair. The first
dictionary supplied, Quick 1, is based around short answers of 3 to 6
letters and a grid size of 3 to 11 squares; difficulty levels are hard,
medium and easy. ACross costs ú24.99 inclusive plus ú1.50 p&p.
9.3
ANT Internet Suite Ö This is an integrated set of programs and utilities
to make Internet access easy for Acorn computer users. It includes:
Dialler Ö an easy-to-use setup utility to get on line without any fuss.
Fresco Ö a fast and powerful World Wide Web browser which fully
implements HTML 2.0, supports forms, HTML 3.0 and Netscape extensions,
and gives you access to mail, FTP and Gopher direct from the web. Marcel
Ö an advanced electronic mail and Usenet news program for sending and
receiving text and program files, and reading and posting news articles.
It features support for SMTP and POP3 as well as MIME and IMAP
protocols. FTP Ö file transfer for uploads and downloads from remote
computers. Utilities Ö search and set up utilities including Ping. All
the programs work together in a consistent and interface-compliant
manner. The price for the professional version will be ú99 +VAT from
ANT.
9.3
ARM700 upgrades Ö By all accounts, it looks as if this is a product that
will NOT be available. The pressure on ARM Ltd is to produce faster and
better non-floating point processors, so the next ARM upgrade is likely
to be an 810, although we donæt yet know when that will be coming. If
you are waiting for an ARM700, you can either have a credit or take an
ARM710 which is virtually the same price as the ARM700 was going to be.
Give us a ring if you are not sure what to do and want further advice.
9.3
ATAPI CD-ROM drives Ö (This isnæt a Product Available but I thought this
was the best place to put this comment to draw attention to it.) As I
understood it from an article in Computer Shopper, the point of ATAPI
(as on the new RiscáPC 600/700s) is that you can have a CD drive as well
as two hard drives. So this is what we have been telling everyone they
can do with their new RiscáPC! However, Acornæs Technical Support
Department assures me that they can only have two devices Ö two hard
drives OR the hard drive and a CD drive. That means you have to go to
SCSI for a second hard drive if you want to use an ATAPI drive. Sorry
for creating confusion!
9.3
If you want to use the CD-ROM that is currently sitting on your shelf,
you could buy a RapIDE32 IDE interface costing ú119 + ú5 p&p +VAT from
Yellowstone Educational Solutions Ö see Products Available for details.
This allows you to use four IDE devices in addition to the two provided
by the Acorn interface. They hope too that it will soon support
removable media.
9.3
Audio mixing card Ö This allows the older models of Risc PC (ACB15,
ACB25, ACB45) to take the audio output from a CD-ROM drive and channel
it through the computeræs internal sound system. It works happily with
or without the 16-bit Éminnieæ sound card and also has a gain control to
allow you to set the volume of the CD to best match the rest of the
sound system. The Archive price is ú44 inclusive.
9.3
Bible Picture Library CD-ROM for use on RISC OS machines, mentioned in
Archive 9.2, is available for ú49 inclusive from: Ian Gooding, 18
Larksfield, Covingham, Swindon, SN3 5AD Ö a CD on 30 day trial is also
available from the same address.
9.3
BJC4000 cartridges Ö When the ink runs out on your new BJC4000, the
first thing to do is buy some new ink tanks. These are available through
Archive at ú7 for a black ink tank and ú17 for the colour tank. When
youæve done so many sheets (the manual suggests 5,000, I think), they
say you should replace the printhead, so you would buy a Éblack
cartridge plus printheadæ for ú28 through Archive and a Écolour
cartridge and printheadæ for ú40.
9.3
BJC600 special price Ö One company still has supplies of the BJC600
which we can sell (while stocks last) for ú370. The BJC600 Éonlyæ does
360╫360dpi while the 600e (at ú430) does 720╫360dpi.
9.3
Doodle from SEMERC is a new musical painting package. It provides
nursery and reception children, as well as special needs students, with
a simple introduction to Paint-type programs. The program uses twenty
four colours, and comes with a thin and thick pencil tool and a fill
tool. Each colour is associated with a different sound which plays low
if the colour is placed towards the bottom of the screen, and goes
higher as you move up the screen. Pictures are saved as Paint files and
can be printed or placed into other software packages. Doodle also works
with SEMERCæs new Touch IT touchscreen. Doodle costs ú20 +VAT from
SEMERC.
9.3
Freddy Teddy from Topologika has a new title in the series called
Directions. Freddy has to find his way to various places in his town.
Movement is around a map using either up/down/left/right commands, or
Logo-like inputs such as turn left/right/forward/backwards. Children are
given a list of five destinations, chosen at random, which Freddy must
visit. Each place provides a simple animation to watch, and at the end
thereæs a certificate to fill in showing what happened at each location.
Directions is aimed at Key Stage 1, is available for all Acorn computers
and costs ú20 +VAT +ú2.50 p&p from Topologika or ú25 through Archive.
9.3
HolyBible is now also available in Greek, Hebrew and the Good News
Version. The GNB module costs ú45 +VAT or ú51 through Archive. The Greek
and Hebrew modules cost ú25 +VAT each or ú28 through Archive, and the
Greek and Hebrew fonts ú20 +VAT or ú22 through Archive. Output from the
Hebrew Old Testament can be output to Impression and Easiwriter Pro
although only in the latter can it be edited (because Hebrew is right-
to-left reading!).
9.3
Iiyama 21ö monitors Ö One customer drew our attention to the fact that
the specifications of the two Iiyama 21ò monitors are almost identical
except that one is 3kg heavier and costs ú100 more! The 0.30mm aperture
grille of the 21 Pro is about equivalent to the 0.27mm dot pitch of the
21 FST, so what is the difference in practical terms? Having talked
Iiyama, they say that the 21 FST is the better of the two in terms of
crispness of text display and the 21 Pro is better in terms of colour
definition. So, you pays your money... the 21 FST is ú1490 and the 21
Pro is ú1590 through Archive.
9.3
(We havenæt had a chance to look at the new 17ö Iiyama yet but we have
seen the new 17ò Pro Diatron monitor in action on a RiscáPC and it is
really excellent. If you put it alongside the Acorn 17ö, you can
certainly see the difference Ö it is a noticeably clearer and crisper
display, as visitors to the NCS stand at Acorn World 95 will be able to
attest. Ed.)
9.3
Mechanisms is the first CD-ROM in the Technology Series from Creative
Curriculum Software. It took two years to develop and contains over 1000
pages of information. Drawing on examples from the home, industry and
history, Mechanisms uses pictures, photos, diagrams and overlays to
display the material. To accompany the CD-ROM, Creative Curriculum
Software supply an educational Resource Pack which includes suggested
project work. Mechanisms costs ú69 +VAT for a single user version and
ú99 +VAT for a site/network licence. (ú79 and ú115 respectively through
Archive.) Both versions include the Resource Pack and come on a dual
format CD-ROM.
9.3
Occasion is a diary and personal organiser for RISC OS machines from
ExpLAN Software. It provides a calendar, diary, address book, phone book
and notebook and can be used by a single user or across a network. The
calendar can be set to any year from 1970 onwards and acts as the access
for the diary. Clicking on any day opens the diary page in one (or both)
of two formats, either a listing of the events for a single day split
into birthdays, anniversaries, reminders and appointments, or
appointments for a week at a time. The address book can assign names and
addresses to six definable categories, and the print facility can be
used for producing labels as well as pages for inclusion in a paper
diary. The phone book includes two diallers, either via DTMF tones on
the machineæs speaker, or via the serial port and a modem. The notebook
incorporates a text editor for writing short items of text. One of
Occasionæs major features is its ability to cross-update information
between Acornæs Schedule, running on a Pocket Book, or Agenda on a Psion
Series 3; data can be loaded into Occasion from either, and then
transferred to the other.
9.3
Occasion comes in two variants: Family Occasion operates on a single
desktop with cross updating to multiple Pocket Books and costs ú69.95
inclusive or ú67 through Archive. A second variation, Gala Occasion,
operates on networked computers and so costs more. For full details
about Gala, ExpLAN suggest you talk to them first to see if itæs
appropriate for your needs.
9.3
PC Card Cooler Ö If you are worried about the high temperature of the PC
card in your RiscáPC, the new PCáCard Cooler, costing ú21 from Repair
Zone is what you need. It consists of a fan which is attached to the
card, draws its power from the connectors on the main circuit board and
creates a continuous blast of air over the surface of the 486 chip. It
reduces the working temperature of the chip quite considerably.
9.3
If you would like to order a PC Card Cooler, send a cheque for ú21,
payable to öRepair Zoneò, either to the NCS office (and we will pass it
on) or direct to Repair Zone.
9.3
PC Cards from Acorn Ö Acorn are producing two faster PC co-processor
cards for the Risc PC. One is to be a 486DX2-66 and will retail for ú249
+VAT and the other is to be a 486DX4-100 and will be ú299 +VAT. Both of
these cards will have socketed processors so that you can upgrade them
at a later date. The current word from Acorn is that they will be
available by the end of November. Whenever they do become available, we
expect to sell them for ú293 and ú351 respectively, regardless of
whether they are bought with or without a computer.
9.3
Pentium class PC card Ö Aleph One are producing a Pentium class PC co-
processor card for the Risc PC. It uses the new Gemini 2 ASIC and the
processor is a Cyrix 5x86 running at 100MHz. This costs ú549 +VAT from
Aleph One or ú645 through Archive.
9.3
PC Exchange Ö This is a means of directly transferring text, graphics
and other data between the drag and drop environment of RISC OS and the
Windows clipboard. It consists of a RISC OS application which displays a
window showing the contents of the Windows clipboard as file icons which
you can drag in or out to wherever you like, and a Windows program öthe
inside manò to watch over the clipboard. ASCII text is automatically
translated between PC and Acorn format and sprites are also converted to
and from Windows Bitmaps on the fly. PC Exchange is ú26 inclusive from
NCS.
9.3
!PCx86 update Ö This is (currently) version 1.91 of the Risc PC co-
processor card software. It now supports SoundBlaster emulation for the
playback of .WAV files (sound samples) and also passes MIDI information
on to any MIDI synthesizer that you might have such as a PowerWAVE or
ESPæs exciting new software-only MIDI synthesizer which should be
available in time for next monthæs Archive. !PCx86 can be obtained from
Acornæs ftp server   (ftp://ftp.acorn.co.uk/pub/riscos/releases/pccard/
pcx86.arc) or, if you prefer to have printed documentation, it is
available for ú10 from NCS.
9.3
Pocket Book II Ö The 512Kb Pocket Book II has finally been withdrawn and
replaced by the 1Mb version at ú335 inc VAT through Archive. The 256Kb
version (ú241 through Archive) is stilláavailable.
9.3
RiscáPC extended warranties Ö A more flexible approach to extended
warranties has now been adopted by Acorn. The cost is, simply, 3% of the
purchase price of the computer and its Acorn-badged upgrades per extra
year of warranty, i.e. to extend the warranty to three years (two extra)
is 6% and to extend it to five years (four extra) is 12%.
9.3
SENstore is a program designed to help take the burden out of writing
individual education plans for special needs children. It lets you
create a report with up to five different report headings and fifteen
different topic headings of your choice, simply by clicking the mouse.
It comes with over 750 comments about Strengths, Weaknesses, Targets,
Action Plans, Monitoring, Review and Assessment, across a wide range of
subjects. Itæs easy to alter these or add your own, and you can store up
to 3,750 comments on a hard disc or 1.6Mb floppy disc. SENstore costs
ú34.95 (or ú5 for a working demo version) from HS Software.
9.3
Sibelius version 3 Ö The new version of Sibelius should be available by
the time you read this (ömid-Novemberò). The two main enhancements are
ÉFlexi-timeæ which allows you to use a Midi keyboard to enter music into
the computer in real time, and standard Midi file conversion so that
files can be transferred to Sibelius from other music programs.
9.3
Sibelius is also now available in three configurations with increasing
functionality (and increasing price!) Ö Sibelius 6, Sibelius 7 Student
and Sibelius 7 Professional. The prices are as follows (Archive prices
in brackets):
9.3
Sibelius 6 Ö ú179 + VAT (ú200)
9.3
Sibelius 7 Student Ö ú495 + VAT (ú550)
9.3
Sibelius 7 Professional Ö ú888 + VAT (ú990)
9.3
Site licences are also available although the new prices are not fixed
as yet. Ring the NCS office if you are interested in a site licence.
9.3
Speak is a software speech system which allows you to listen to text
files. Text may be spoken continuously, or a word or clause at a time.
Various talk-as-you-type options are provided, and simple editing may be
performed while the text is being spoken. The Speak speech system is
already being used within third party educational software, and can be
found in a number of products, including Clicker, Writing with Symbols,
TalkWrite and Talking TextEase. The Speak module and its data takes
about 150Kb, and will run on any Acorn RISC computer. Itácontains a
comprehensive pronunciation dictionary, as well as an exceptions editor.
It costs ú19.50 inclusive, or ú1.50 for a demo version from Jonathan
Duddington (address in Factfile).
9.3
Spobbleoid is the latest offering from Fourth Dimension and (so they
say!) carries an EC health warning Ö ÉThis game is highly addictive: Do
not start a game when you are restricted by timeæ!!! Apartáfrom the
usual Fourth Dimensional humour, Spobbleoid has 72 levels, set over 12
action zones; 2.5 Mb of visuals; 8 channel stereo FX, including 11
original soundtracks; a level designer where you can create your own
mayhem; and 50 fps action with three parallax scrolling, mixed by Graeme
Richardson. The game features a chap called Spobbleoid, a small robotic
orange, whose mission is to save Earth from the evil alien Pepperpots;
their aim is to steal all the edible things from earth. Your job is to
help Spobbleoid by collecting all of the objects on every level and
splat all the monsters on the way. Spobbleoid costs ú29.95 from Fourth
Dimension or ú28 through Archive.
9.3
The Big Picture is an image-processing package from Longman Logotron
that takes full advantage of the excellent graphics offered by the
RiscáPC, while remaining accessible to owners of single MByte machines.
With The Big Picture, it is possible to create and edit images in 16.7
million colours and print on any sized paper, even posters. Big effects
can be created on modest machined using The Big Pictureæs virtual memory
system. Images, including photographs and video stills, can be captured,
retouched and altered with the Big Picturesæs graphics capability. It
supports JPEG, PhotoCD, GIF, TIF, sprites, and Clearfiles. It can also
accept drawfiles which it translates into bit-images.
9.3
The Big Picture costs ú69 +VAT from Longman Logotron or ú77 through
Archive. For existing users of Revelation ImagePro, it is possible to
upgrade to the Big Picture by sending Longman Logotron the ImagePro
program disc and a cheque for ú37 inclusive. A site licence upgrade
costs ú84.60.
9.3
Timebase from Widget Software is a program for recording how much time
you spend on particular projects. Using the built-in clock of the Psion
3a/Pocket Book II, you can record how much time you spend on a job,
input the hourly rate you charge, then get a print out of how much to
bill clients. Timebase allows you to charge at different rates,
depending on what it is you are doing; it will even give you a summary
of work in progress telling you how much you would get if you billed
someone today. Timebase is for use on the Psion 3a/Pocket Book II and
costs ú49.95 inclusive for the floppy disc version or ú69.95 for SSD.
9.3
World Development Database from Worldaware Software has been updated.
The new edition has 20 more countries (bringing the total to 149)
including the Énewæ European countries. The data comes in several
formats, including CSV and Key Plus, and covers such things as: economy,
environment and health, population growth, school enrolment, access to
safe water, etc. The User Handbook has Key Stage 3 and 4 geography and
mathematics course-work, with teachersæ notes and photocopiable
worksheets. The World Development Database is available for ú35 as a
single user set, consisting of User Handbook, the Worldæs Bankæs
Development Data Book. The Environmental Data Book, and data disc. The
ú68 site licence pack includes extra Data Books and a copiable disc.
These are available from Worldaware Software.
9.3
Talking Calculator from Wyddfa Software is a large add and subtract
calculator for Key Stage 1 which uses sampled sounds to teach basic
numbers and number skills. Using the mouse and pointer, children select
numbers and operations to help them with their sums. The computer
displays the numbers as apples or coloured pencils, and speaks them at
the same time. Teachers can choose from four ranges of numbers, and so
vary the size, and hence the difficulty, of the sums that can be input.
Talking Calculator costs ú16 inc VAT from Wyddfa Software.
9.3
Review software received...
9.3
We have received review copies of the following: ÅACross (g), ÅAPDL DTP2
CD (aeu), ÅAPDL PDCD 1&2 (aeu), ÅMechanisms CD (e), ÅSpobbleoid (g),
ÅTalking Stories (Gwen goes to School and Gwenæs Nose) (e), ÅTrellis
(u), ÅVistamusic-3 (music package for the non-keyboard player).
9.3
a=Art, e=Education, b=Business, bk=Book, c=Comms, g=Game, h=Hardware,
l=Language, m=Multimedia, u=Utility.
9.3
If you would like to review any of these products, please contact the
Archive office. Potential reviewers will need to show that they would
use the product in a professional capacity or that they have some
knowledge of the particular field.áuá
9.3
Internet Glossary
9.3
Because the volume of Internet jargon is huge and growing, words keep
coming to light which are not yet in our Archive Internet Glossary. Some
are in our glossary although we havenæt yet found an adequate
definition, so itæs öAnswers on a postcard (or should that be email?!),
please!ò ([e-mail])
9.3
IMAP Ö Some sort of mail protocol. More detail?
9.3
IRL Ö Any ideas?
9.3
MIME Ö Someone said it was öTo link binary code into email.ò (Could
anyone give us a better definition, please?)
9.3
Netscape Ö A second generation PC browser for the Web. (Why ösecond
generationò?)
9.3
POP / POP3 Ö Protocols for transfer of textual mail. (Could someone tell
us how POP3 is different from POP?)
9.3
Web crawler Ö Anyone got any ideas?
9.3
If you come across jargon that you donæt understand, please let us know.
If we donæt know what it means, we donæt mind admitting our ignorance in
public in order to get a definition for someone Éin the knowæ. Ed.áuá
9.3
4th Dimension   1 Percy Street, Sheffield, S3 8AU. (0114¡276¡9950)
(0114¡278¡1091)
9.3
4Mation    14 Castle Park Road, Whiddon Valley, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32
8PA. (01271¡25353) (01271¡22974)
9.3
Abacus Training    29 Okus Grove, Upper Stratton, Swindon, Wilts, SN2
6QA. (01793¡723347) (01793¡723347)
9.3
Acorn By Post   FREEPOST, 13 Dennington Road, Wellingborough, Northants,
NN8 2BR. (01933¡279300)
9.3
Acorn Computers Ltd    Acorn House, Vision Park, Histon, Cambridge, CB4
4AE. (01223¡254254) (01223¡254262)
9.3
Aleph One Ltd   The Old Courthouse, Bottisham, Cambridge, CB5 9BA.
(01223¡811679) (01223¡812713)
9.3
ANT Ltd   P.O.Box 300, Cambridge, CB1 2EG. (01223¡567808) (01223¡567801)
9.3
APDL    39 Knighton Park Road, Sydenham, London, SE26 5RN.
9.3
Atomwide Ltd   7 The Metro Centre, Bridge Road, Orpington, Kent, BR5
2BE. (01689¡814500) (01689¡814501)
9.3
Avie Electronics (p8)  7 Overbury Road, Norwich. (01603¡416863)
(01603¡788640)
9.3
Beebug Ltd    117 Hatfield Road, St Albans, Herts, AL1 4JS.
(01727¡840303) (01727¡860263)
9.3
Clares Micro Supplies   98 Middlewich Road, Rudheath, Northwich,
Cheshire, CW9 7DA. (01606¡48511) (01606¡48512)
9.3
Colton Software   2 Signet Court, Swanns Road, Cambridge, CB5 8LA.
(01223¡311881) (01223¡312010)
9.3
Computer Concepts   Gaddesden Place, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 6EX.
(01442¡63933) (01442¡231632)
9.3
CPC Ltd   Component House, Faraday Drive, Fulwood, Preston, PR2 4PP.
(01772¡654455)
9.3
Creative Curriculum Software,   5 Clover Hill Road, Savile Park,
Halifax, HX1 2YG. (01422¡340524) (01422¡346388)
9.3
Cumana Ltd   Pines Trading Estate, Broad Street, Guildford, GU3 3BH.
(01483¡503121) (01483¡503326)
9.3
Dabhand Computing   5 Victoria Lane, Whitefield, Manchester, M25 6AL.
(0161¡766¡8423) (0161¡766¡8425)
9.3
David Pilling   P.O.Box 22, Thornton Cleveleys, Blackpool, FY5 1LR.
9.3
DEC_dATA   P.O.Box 97, Exeter, EX4 4YA. (01392¡221702)
9.3
Desktop Laminations    P.O.Box 332, Bristol, BS99 7XL. (0117¡979¡9979)
9.3
ESP    21 Beech Lane, West Hallam, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, DE7 6GP.
(0115¡929¡5019) (0115¡929¡5019)
9.3
ExpLAN   St Catherineæs House, 20 Plymouth Road, Tavistock, Devon, PL19
8AY. (01822¡613868) (01822¡610868)
9.3
Hampshire Microtechnology Centre,   Connaught Lane, Paulsgrove,
Portsmouth, Hants, PO6 4SJ. (01705¡378266) (01705¡379443)
9.3
HS Software   56 Hendrefolian Avenue, Sketty, Swansea, SA2 7NB.
(01792¡390198 or 204519) (01792¡298283)
9.3
Icon Technology   9 Jarrom Street, Leicester, LE2 7DH. (0116¡254¡6225)
9.3
Intelligent Interfaces Ltd   P.O.Box 80, Eastleigh, Hants, SO5 5YX.
(01703¡261514) (01703¡267904)
9.3
Iota Software Ltd   Iota House, Wellington Court, Cambridge, CB1 1HZ.
(01223¡566789) (01223¡566788)
9.3
Jonathan Duddington   6a Old Mill Avenue, Coventry, CV4 7DY.
(01203¡415535)
9.3
Kudos Computing   PO Box 193, Gloucester, GL3 2YG. (01452¡712600)
9.3
Longman Logotron   124 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge
CB4 4ZS. (01223¡425558) (01223¡425349)
9.3
Midi & Computer Systeme   Baroper Bahnhofstr. 53, D¡44225 Dortmund,
Germany  (0049¡231¡759283) (0049¡231¡750455)
9.3
Mijas Software   Winchester Road, Micheldever, Winchester, SO21 3DJ.
(01962¡774352)
9.3
Oak Solutions   Dial House, 12 Chapel Street, Halton, Leeds, LS15 7RN
(0113¡232¡6992) (0113¡232¡6993) [e-mail]
9.3
R¡comp   22 Robert Moffat, High Legh, Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 6PS
(01925¡755043) (01925¡757377) ([e-mail])
9.3
Repair Zone   421 Sprowston Road, Norwich, NR3 4EH. (01603¡400477)
9.3
Resource   51 High Street, Kegworth, Derbyshire, DE74 2DA.
(01509¡672222) (01509¡672267)
9.3
Sherston Software   Angel House, Sherston, Malmesbury, Wilts. SN16 0LH.
(01666¡840433) (01666¡840048)
9.3
Sibelius Software   75 Burleigh Street, Cambridge, CB1 1DJ.
(01223¡302765) (01223¡351947)
9.3
Spacetech   21 West Wools, Portland, Dorset, DT5 2EA. (01305¡822753)
(01305¡860483)
9.3
System Insight   Hillcrest House, Bishops Lane, Shirrell Heath,
Southampton, SO32 2JS. (01329¡835500) (01329¡835501)
9.3
Topologika   Islington Wharf, Church Hill, Penryn, Falmouth, Cornwall,
TR10 8AT. (01326¡377771) (01326¡377771)
9.3
Uffenkamp Computer Systeme,   Gartenstr. 3, D¡32130 Enger¡Dreyen,
Germany (00¡49¡5224¡2375) (00¡49¡5224¡7812)
9.3
Werewolf Software   23 The Spinneys, Bromley, Kent, BR1 2NT.
(0181¡467¡1138) (0181¡464¡7510)
9.3
Widget Software   121 London Road, Knebworth, Herts, SG3 6EX.
(01438¡815444) (01438¡815222)
9.3
Worldaware Software   1 Catton Street, London WC1R 4AB. (0171¡831¡3844)
(0171¡831¡1746)
9.3
Wyddfa Software   3 Preswylfa, Llanberis, Gwynedd, LL55 4LF.
(01286¡870101) (01286¡871722)
9.3
Archive Monthly Disc
9.3
u 24-bit I/O interface construction details from Nigel Brown Ö page 21.
9.3
u Ant program from John Temple Ö (No room for the article. Weæll try to
fit it in next month!)
9.3
u Beginneræs Basic programs from Ray Favre Ö page 48.
9.3
u Beginneræs Edit text from John Temple Ö page 51.
9.3
u Comms Column: Terminal program from Chris Claydon Ö page 43.
9.3
u Disc count utility and map explanations from Sergio Monesi.
9.3
u Education Column: Pinpoint notes from Joe Gallagher Ö page 61.
9.3
u Files from Gerald Fittonæs ColumnáÖápage 63.
9.3
u OPL sample programs from Govind Kharbanda Ö page 75.
9.3
u Pocket Book Column: Screenshots Ö> sprites converter by Steve Godfrey
Ö page 37.
9.3
u Printing Column: Ovation files for labels from Aneurin Griffiths Ö
page 66.
9.3
u Puzzle Column: Grid reference finder from Colin Singleton Ö page 26.
9.3
u Sample Rhapsody files from Peter Avis Ö page 59.
9.3
u Module for Taxan 770 Ö see Cain Huntæs ViVID review. (Hope to fit it
in next month!)
9.3
u Year Planner in Welsh and English from Aneurin Griffiths.
9.3
Norwich Computer Services    96a Vauxhall Street, Norwich, NR2 2SD.
(01603-766592) (764011)
9.3
email:  [e-mail]  OR  [e-mail]  OR
[e-mail]
9.3
Fact-File
9.3
(The numbers in italic are fax numbers)
9.3
Government Health Warning Ö Reading this could seriously affect your
spiritual health
9.3
From a conversation I had at Acorn World, I gather that my atheistic
readers sometimes have a good laugh when they read the God-slot. Iæm not
surprised! If God doesnæt exist, I really am making a bit of a public
laughing-stock of myself, arenæt I? Why do I do it?!
9.3
But let me say, Mr Atheist, (sorry, I didnæt catch your name) how much I
admire your faith! It canæt be easy to have real confidence that God
definitely doesnæt exist when ninety-odd percent of people think he
does. Iámean, what evidence do you have to support your faith?
Presumably, your only Éevidenceæ must be logical and philosophical
arguments. What else do you have to offer when someone challenges your
faith?
9.3
How can I be so sure that God does exist (and, more specifically, that
Jesusæ claims are true) that Iæm prepared to risk public ridicule. Well,
I know that I naturally tend to think Iæm right (sorry about that Ö Iæm
actively seeking help to correct that fault!) but my confidence is NOT
self-confidence, I have a lot of real evidence.
9.3
External evidence: Jesusæ claims are based on very strong historical
evidence. [Gales of laughter] æScuse me, but have you examined that
evidence yourself? Or are you just placing your faith in someone who has
told you that itæs not historically sound? If the evidence is not sound,
why has 2,000 years of scholarship not debunked it?
9.3
Circumstantial evidence: Look at the world around you. Look at its
intricacy and its beauty. Are you going to tell me that it all just
happened by the chance conglomeration of molecules?! It needs real faith
to believe that.
9.3
Personal evidence: (This is not something that proves anything to you
but it builds my confidence.) Iácan see God at work in the lives of
friends and family. I can see him changing them, filling them with hope
and joy and love, giving them strength in difficult situations. I have
seen him change the life an anorexic friend (weighing less than 6
stones) Ö she is now married,  the mother of three, and doing bible
translation in the Cameroon.
9.3
Internal evidence: Itæs difficult to know how to convey this, but I know
such joy and peace and love in my own heart that I could never doubt
that God is my loving Father. I love him and he loves me. He is my
confidence!
9.3
P.B.
9.3
Paul Beverley
9.3
Good Show?
9.3
Yes, thank you, Acorn World 95 was a good show Ö certainly it was for
NCS. The charity stall raised well over three thousand pounds (see page
9 for details), Archive gained literally hundreds of new subscribers and
we sold hundreds of Archive CDs and Internet Glossary discs. Other
stand-holders agreed too that this was one of the best shows for a while
Ö who says Acorn are on the way out?! Has anyone seen their share price
recently? During the week of the Show, it went up from 110p to a high of
159p. (See page 54.)
9.3
Internet Rules OK? :-)
9.3
What do you reckon to this Internet lark then? A bit of a gimmick? Will
it turn out to be a craze Ö like CB? Itæs difficult to know, but it does
seem to be the topic of the moment and we at Archive are doing our best
to keep up with things. Again this month, we have a number of articles
and comments relating to the Internet.
9.3
At last! NCS has finally got onto the Internet proper! (Thanks, Arcade,
for keeping the email coming!) Having given you our Énew email addressæ
in the Price List two months ago, it took until about a couple of weeks
ago to actually get it working properly! Internet is fine when it works,
but trying to get a modem, an Internet provider and a piece of Internet
software to talk to each other can be a bit of a nightmare.
9.3
Anyway, weæve got there now and you can contact me as
[e-mail]. If you want to send a message to our technical
department, use [e-mail] and to place an order, or make an
order enquiry, use [e-mail].
9.3
If 8╫12+3=99, then the next issue of Archive is a very special one. Hope
you enjoy this one!
9.3
Computer & Electronics Holiday for Young People !!
9.3
Scripture Union runs a Computer & Electronics Holiday for 13 to 16 year
olds (boys and girls) at an attractive school in the Hertfordshire
countryside.
9.3
The dates? July 29th to August 6th, 1995.
9.3
The price? ú119.
9.3
For details, write to Jim Maddox, S.U. Holidays, 69 Claverdale Road,
TubeáHill, London SW2 2DH or phone [phone].
9.3
Avie Electronics
9.3
New artwork
9.3
Acorn World 95
9.3
As I write this, less than a week after the Show, and you read it, just
over two weeks after the Show, I hope you will forgive the hasty way in
which it has been put together. I have comments from three people (plus
Mike Clarksonæs RiscDOS Column comments on page 15) and havenæt had time
to remove duplication etc. However, I think the fact that there is some
duplication shows what stood out!
9.3
NCS had a very good Show. Thanks for all your support and encouragement.
The Archive CD-ROM and the Archive Glossary are big sellers Ö both well
worth the effort of producing them Ö anyone wanting to review either or
both, please give me a ring.
9.3
Archive Charity Sale
9.3
The Archive Charity Sale was stunning! Thank you so much to all who were
so generous in giving products and Ébuying generouslyæ Ö öwell itæs in a
good causeò they said as they finally succumbed to the expert salesman
manning the stand!! And many, many thanks to those who risked life and
limb to man the stand. Thanks, especially, to Michael Binns of Newcastle
who masterminded the stand and was their almost all the time all three
days.
9.3
How much did we raise?
9.3
At the show, the stall has raised ú3,206 which is wonderful. However, we
still have some stuff left including two computers Ö an 8Mb A540 with
colourcard and lots of software and an A440/1 with a 15ö Eizo 9070
monitor Ö each of which is worth several hundred pounds if we can find
someone who wants them. Any offers? Give us a ring.
9.3
As it doesnæt look as if there is going to be a Harrogate in the spring,
I am loath to leave all this charity stuff in the office for a year.
(Yes, letæs have another charity stall at Acorn World 96 Ö and make it
even better!) So if anyone is having an Open Day (Are you listening
Beebug?) and would be happy to have a charity stall, weæll send you all
this stuff for you to sell.
9.3
Where is the money going?
9.3
Half is going to the Norwich Childrenæs Fund which is a charity giving
mainly medical help to children in and around Norfolk. Also, because I
have two very good friends with MS, weære giving the other half to ARMS
(Action for Research into Multiple Sclerosis).
9.3
Once again, a huge thank you to everyone involved.
9.3
So letæs hear what the first of our three commentators thought of Acorn
World 95...
9.3
Joe Gallagher
9.3
Hereæs some very brief notes from AW this weekend. I was looking mainly
at the educational exhibitors. This must have been one of the quietest
shows that I have ever been to although maybe most visitors decided
(sensibly) to avoid the Saturday session because of the little matter of
the centenary Rugby League World Cup that was going on next door.
9.3
Anyway, leaving that aside, it still seemed quite a tame affair in terms
of exhibitors. Sure enough, most of the old stalwarts were there but
there seemed surprisingly little new that was on offer. One item that
did catch my eye was Music Maker 1 from Resource. This is a music
program aimed at the Early Years and is intended to be part of a series
which will cater for children as they move up through the primary
school. One thing that makes this program stand out from the crowd is
its excellent presentation with arcade quality graphics. I only had a
brief look at it, but it did seem to be fairly versatile with
(configurable) musical quizzes as well as more standard activities to do
with pitch and composition. Resource seem to have given some thought to
how the younger user can cope with the RISC OS filing system by
providing a default directory for saving pieces of work. A single user
copy of the program costs ú35 although there is a special introductory
price of ú30 until the end of the year. Iáalso saw the new version of
Resourceæs wordprocessor, TalkWrite, with improved speech.
9.3
Innovative Media Solutions, an offshoot of Desktop Laminations, were
showing their reader for the Dorling Kindersley range of CD-ROMs. PB
Bear (currently available for ú39) was on show as was The Way Things
Work and Musical Instruments (nearly ready). IMS have a team of
programmers working on several of the major DK titles including
Dangerous Creatures, Ancient Lands and the EyeWitness series. Once
theyæve cranked up the process, they hope to be able to release these at
a rate of one per month and are investigating the possibility of
converting some of the Bronderbund Living Books series.áuá
9.3
Dave Walsh
9.3
Acorn World: What was it like? Well this account comes from a
contributor looking at the event as a whole rather than the products
available. Certainly, the publicity to the Acorn community could not be
faulted. I estimate that I received 24 or more of the öAcorn Highwayò
leaflets but I am on every conceivable mailing list going!
9.3
Most of you who read the Acorn press will know the perennial moan about
Acornæs publicity machine ökeeping the best kept secret in the worldò.
Well, the entry for Acorn World keeps up these fine traditions with
three carefully placed posters being the only indication that the show
must go on! Iæve been to car boot sales where there has been better
directions to the site.
9.3
In previous years, there has been a queue stretching from here to
eternity (moving just about as quickly as the World Wide Web at the
Cyber cafe did this year). Thankfully, the sales of pre-show tickets
enabled the queue to be retained at reasonable proportions this year,
allowing entry, with both cheque book and patience intact, to the mirror
ball world of Acorn computers. I have to say I really like the twirling
ÉAcornæ sign that is projected over the stand and carpet, catching
salesmen unawares as it gleams off their shiny new A7000 machines.
9.3
So, into the hall proper... Some of the prices are astounding Ö Sherston
(who donæt usually discount anything) were offering between 12% and 23%
off their range of products whilst the Long Company, tucked away at the
back of the hall, were offering a range of older software at real
cutdown prices like 4Mationæs Poster at ú30 and games from a fiver.
Taking pride of place for bargain hunters must have been the NCS charity
stall where products as diverse as hand-held scanners through to SmArt
linkage files could be had for ridiculously low amounts! The bargain of
the show must have gone to the kind person who walked off with my
Minerva bag, containing a Éjust boughtæ copy of Multistore which Iæd
bought to get around the frustration of using a key disc with Flexifile.
Arrgh!!!
9.3
Most of the suppliers of consumables also seemed to be doing brisk
business. Something Iæd always been interested in was the T-shirt
printing paper available from Quill Marketing. (Iæd like my T shirt to
look as distinctive as the ÉClanæ ones, but I think Iæll go for a
clearer message than the oblique öIæm a dedicated Acorn user so I have a
picture of a record player on my T-shirtò approach). Quill were also
providing pre-cut business cards in sheets of A4 for self-printing which
many small businesses may like to follow up with their Acorn-driven
colour inkjets.
9.3
The new(ish) medium of CD-ROM has arrived on the Acorn platform with
both Acorn User and Archimedes World selling issues of their magazines
with free discs (what an astounding Égive awayæ Impression Junior is
this month!) but lots of other firms were out in force as well. Anglia
were showing an exciting range, including their Seashore CD, at reduced
rates whilst Peter Hughes at CD Circle did an effective job showing his
conversion of the Dorling Kindersley title öPB Bearæs Birthdayò without
the benefit of a working sound system! This is, hopefully, the first of
many DK conversions that may be available. Already, the öHow Things
Workò title is reaching completion with more titles to follow. DEC_dATA
also spoke of their forthcoming CD title, based in Clearview, as a
launching pad for a whole range of school topic art and other resources.
9.3
Sadly, I learned of the demise of another Acorn PD library. Shaun Creech
of Archangel is running his operations down. Another absentee from the
Acorn world is the Canon Ion Camera whose remaining stocks have just
been snapped up by Acorn to fulfil their Tescoæs vouchers commitments,
whilst Canon supersede the model with a more advanced version.
9.3
If anyone read the bundles of publicity that came out about the show,
they would have known that products, such as the PC486 upgrade software
and the ESP sound card for the (old) Risc PC were due to be available,
but they obviously decided that a warm shelf in the Acorn warehouse was
a much more peaceful haven and decided (on Friday at least) not to make
an appearance after all. (But they have now finally come through and
will be available from stock at NCS assuming we get enough to clear back
orders. Ed.)
9.3
The show was billed as the Acorn Information Super Highway and certainly
the links to the Internet for Acorn customers were available from at
least three agents. I spent some time in the Cyber Cafe with a couple of
students from Southampton Psychology Department who demonstrated their
aptitude and ability at zooming around the world. I have to put my hands
up with the group who canæt quite convince themselves that the benefits
yet match up to the cost of joining (even though the prices are now
shooting downwards with Argonet being a mere ú15 a month). The quantity
of information is huge Ö a bit like walking into a library and trying to
find all the places where Étheæ is used. I did a search on ÉSleepæ to
see if it could help with research. Over 200 references came up Ö which
was very impressive, even if the first three followed up brought up
errors, as the information had been lost or removed!
9.3
A new addition to the show was the creche and its partnership with the
Pre-school Playgroup Association. It was therefore a little surprising
that this monthæs article in ÉParentingæ, about which computer to buy
for your child, gave advice along the lines of, ÉIf you wish to buy a
computer for your child, there are two main types, PCs or Applesæ.
9.3
As for new products, the Longman stand did show the successor to the
Landmarks series (currently there are two investigations of ÉBritain in
the War Yearsæ and the ÉVictoriansæ) which looked like a fun classroom
resource. Both show a plan view of an environment with the people moving
around within them. The user is then able to stop people and speak to
them or even Étake the tops offæ buildings or items. Iæm sure that a
full review will follow in due course!
9.3
So, was the show worth four hours travelling? An unqualified YES. I
spent too much, coveted too much and (apart from having a bag of
software carried away to lighten my load) thoroughly enjoyed the
experience.  See you next year.....
9.3
Stuart Bell
9.3
Since each visitor to a computer show will have a different view of it,
hereæs my recollection, with no claims to comprehensiveness or
objectivity, but in the hope that it might give a flavour of AW 95 for
those who werenæt there.
9.3
Arriving on the Friday at midday, the area outside Hall 1 of the Wembley
Conference Centre was dead. Where were all the milling crowds of
yesteryear? Is Acorn really having such a tough time? Entering the hall
proved simply that most people had got there before me, and it seemed
just as busy as usual. And thank goodness that the sound of mega-
amplified sound effects of the latest shootæ-em-up didnæt fill the hall.
Perhaps Iæm getting old...
9.3
Since Iæd bought a Risc PC (from NCS, of course) the previous week, this
was the Acorn World at which I shouldnæt spend too much. More
pertinently, since Iæd lost both credit card and cheque card 48 hours
earlier (only to find them again, but after theyæd been Éstoppedæ) this
was the show at which I couldnæt spend too much! So, a non-spending
reconnoitre of the show was the plan.
9.3
Starting at the NCS stall was my first mistake, for I got grabbed into
helping to man the ÉCharity Saleæ half. The trouble was that we had
enough stuff for two stalls, and I now know what it must be like for a
rugby referee trying to bring order to a scrum. Bargain hunters crowded
three deep. Much nostalgia flowed (if thatæs what nostalgia does). Games
for the Electron (remember that?) and Second 6502 processors for the
Beeb. Packs of 5╝ö discs ù some with Windows 2.x! Tall stacks of BBC
Micro User magazines. But also lots of more recent stuff for RISC OS
machines like PipeDream IV at bargain prices. The money came rolling in
at a good rate, and I personally think that itæs incredibly generous of
Paul to give so much valuable stall space for charity when itæs not the
easiest time to be an Acorn dealer. (Donæt edit out the last bit,
please, Paul.) I just hope that the rest of the NCS stand did as well as
the charity stall seemed to be doing.
9.3
After an hour, I made my excuses, and started my wanderings. First to
Acorn. Big stand, lots of machines, up-to-date ART T-shirts. But what
was new? No literature that I could see, apart from what was in the Show
Guide. Apparently, the new Gemini II ASIC has transformed the
performance of the PC Card, but there wasnæt much publicity. One new
product was PC Exchange which allows easy cutting and pasting of data
between RISC OS and Windows applications on PC Card-equipped Risc PCs.
(ú25 +VAT, ú29 from Archive).
9.3
Next stop, mundane things like software upgrades. Iáuse Impression
Publisher almost every day. I donæt need the pre-press facilities of
Plus, but like to keep up-to-date with the latest releases. Publisher
4.05 offers word count, conditional case swapping and smart quotes, and
the upgrade is ú15 +VAT direct from CC. (That went onto my Éwhen I get
homeæ list!) I also find FontFX indispensable. My old version wouldnæt
work on my Risc PC, so I took it along. Data Storeæs rep threw my old
disc in the bin and gave me the latest release. Yes, gave me. Brilliant
service!
9.3
The great improvement of the Risc PC over my old A310 is, of course, the
wonderful 16M colour graphics. In that area, Spacetech were offering
Photodesk II, and promise to continue to sell the original at lower cost
for less demanding users. However, what really caught my eye was The Big
Picture from Longman Logotron. Itæs an art package with virtual memory
and lots of tools, including user-defined ones, at a cost of ú69 +VAT.
The reality is that you canæt try any new application in the rush of the
computer show. However, Acorn User have a demo version on their December
magazine discs, and ù even better ù you could buy the discs without the
magazine for ú1!
9.3
In the last two days, Iæve Éplayedæ quite a lot with The Big Picture,
and am very impressed. In particular, the user interface is very
intuitive ù it has to be when thereæs only a read-me file to accompany
the demo version ù and, while Iæve no claims to be an artist, it seems
excellent value. Many different file formats are supported, the demo
version has no obvious bugs and, assuming that the virtual memory
implementation (which isnæt part of the demo release) works OK, The Big
Picture might turn out to be the quiet Éstaræ of Acorn World 95.
9.3
With a four-year old daughter (as well as a week-old son), my interest
next turned to educational stuff. Sherston had several good Show Offers
(up to 50% ù worth remembering for 96), but what was truly new was
Innovative Media Solutions (a.k.a. The CD Circle) with packages of CD-
ROMs for PCs together with readers for Acorn computers. (In fact, they
were so new that they were sticking the labels on the reader discs as
they sold them!) Dorling Kindersley have an enviable reputation for
beautifully presented childrenæs books and CDs, and IMS were selling an
Acorn reader for PB Bearæs Birthday Party with the CD. Three Microsoft
titles were similarly available, e.g. Dinosaurs, which looked and
sounded stunning. Those who argue that the PC Card makes such CD readers
irrelevant miss the point that many schools are full of A30x0 machines
which canæt take the PC Card, and others, like me, donæt want to have to
buy a PC Card and Windows, if we can stay in RISC OS to run PC CDs. I
understand that new DK CD titles may have the Acorn reader included on
the CD itself.
9.3
Finally, into the Éwhat Iæd buy if I won the lottery, even though Iæve
more sense than to buy ticketsæ section. Irlam Instruments had the
specifications of VideoDesk (available Ébefore the end of 1995æ). Itæs
an interface card that, in its most advanced form, with a Moving-JPEG
coder and decoder, will grab full frame moving video and, when itæs been
edited, play it out again through an on-board PAL encoder. Full-blown,
full-screen, non-linear editing has arrived. Total cost? ú1598 +VAT.
(And ú3.50 p&p!)
9.3
More realistically, Irlam were also offering the Primax Colour Mobile
scanner with Acorn software at ú199 + VAT. It connects to parallel ports
of all but A300, A3000 and A400 machines, and offers 400dpi and 16M
colours across a 4ö scanning width. Perhaps one for my É1996 wish listæ?
9.3
So that was Acorn World 95. That the Coke had run out by Friday
lunchtime was a Édowneræ. That a very nice Archive reader saw my
Contributor badge and said ÉSo youære the Stuart Bell!æ was an Éupperæ.
(Iæd always thought that the Stuart Bell was an MP from Middlesborough!)
But while the show itself seemed as busy as last year, there wasnæt the
excitement of the first year with the Risc PC.
9.3
There were some Éleading edgeæ products like the ISAdaptor from Atomwide
(to use PC-compatible peripheral cards with Acorn machines) and the
Multi-processor board for Risc PCs from Simtec (to take up to five ARM-
family processors) but neither is a really main-stream product of
interest to most Acorn owners. Atomwide/Aleph One had faster PC cards on
demo if not on sale, from 486DX/40 to 5x86/100 ÉPentium classæ
processors. Presumably, availability depends on quantity production of
the Gemini II device, but even those who need fast PC power on their
Risc PCs could hardly claim that such developments were truly exciting.
(Iæm not sure that everyone would agree with you there, Stuart. I think
itæs a pretty impressive achievement. Ed.)
9.3
In conclusion, it was an apparently more up-beat AW 95 than recent
developments led me to expect, but no great new product to grab the
attention of the average Acorn user. Thatæs what a show needs to be
truly memorable. How about a StrongArm processor board for Acorn World
96, Acorn? Iæll make sure I donæt lose my credit card next year, just in
case!áuá
9.3
Small Ads
9.3
(Small ads for Acorn 32-bit computers and related products are free for
subscribers but we reserve the right to publish all, part or none of the
material you send, as we think fit. i.e. some people donæt know what
Ésmallæ means and there are certain things, as you can imagine, that we
would not be prepared to advertise as a matter of principle. Sending
small ads (especially long ones!) on disc is helpful but not essential.
Ed.)
9.3
2Mb upgrade for A3000 ú20, Almanac 2 ú25, JP150 sheet feeder ú30,
Masterfile 2 ú5, ColourSep (for HP Deskjet) ú5, Graph-IT ú5, Holed Out
ú5, Quazer ú5, Inertia ú5, Pacmania ú5, Terramex ú5, Pysanki ú5, Caverns
ú5, HP Deskjet 500 ú125, HP Turbodriver ú51, PC Emulator 1.8 ú20, Acorn
PocketBook + mains + A-Link + Schedule + RAM SSD ú125. Phone Chris on
01933-674661.
9.3
A310, 4Mb, ARM3, RISC OS 3.1, 40Mb HD, AKF17 monitor, PC Emulator 1.6,
leads, manuals, discs/shareware, ú400 o.n.o. Phone [phone].
9.3
A310, twin floppy discs, monochrome monitor, Epson LQ850 24-pin printer,
First Word Plus, Schema, Lemmings, Zarch, Golf ú120 o.n.o. Excluding
delivery. Phone [phone] eves.
9.3
A3000, ARM3, 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, Eizo 9060S 14ö, Lindis SCSI card,
240Mb SCSI HD in PRES monitor plinth, external Toshiba CD-ROM drive,
MIDI interface and sound sampler, VIDC enhancer, double podule
expansion, lots of software inc PC Emulator, ú750 o.n.o. Phone 01454-
772159.
9.3
A3000, RISC OS 3.1, 4Mb, SCSI (with CDFS) and 40Mb HD, monitor and
stand, Swift 24e colour printer, new mouse, MIDI interface and Sound
Sampler (econet port - internal expansion slot free), boxed with all
manuals and software (games, First Word Plus, PC Emulator) ú450 or
offers. (May swap for hardware/software). Can deliver and set up if near
Cardiff. Phone James on 01222-754665.
9.3
Acorn C/C++, brand new, still in shrink-wrapped box, only ú150. Phone
01342-844673.
9.3
ACB25 Risc PC 600, 4Mb RAM, 1Mb VRAM, 425Mb HD, Cumana Indigo CD-ROM
drive, exc cond, ú1150. Extra 4Mb SIMM ú100. A5000 4Mb RAM, 40Mb HD,
RISC OS 3.1, 14ö multisync, external floppy interface ú550. A3000 2Mb
RAM (expandable), Oak SCSI podule and 30Mb HD, standard monitor,
external floppy interface, ú225. EasiWriter II ú30, RISC OS 3.1 PRMs
ú50, PipeDream 4 ú20, PC Emulator ú20, twin 720K floppy drives inc power
supply ú30, Acorn JP150 printer ú30, PrimeArt ú15, Imagine 2 ú15,
Talking Pendown ú12. 5╝ò drive (not fully functional) ú5, and more
software. Phone Steve on 01803-873073.
9.3
AKF60 14ö multisync ú250, CC ScanLight Video 256 (version 2.06 upgraded
for Risc PC) ú150, hardly used, exc cond. Phone G. Rhodes on
01302¡338312 eves.
9.3
Econet cards (ex A300 series) ú15 each, or ú10 each for five or more,
cables and manuals included. Phone [phone].
9.3
Filestore E01 and E60S hard drive for BBC Master and associated
installation manuals ú75. Phone [phone].
9.3
Fireworkz Pro, including all manuals ú95, Sim City 2000 (Risc PC) ú14.
Phone John on 01328-864177.
9.3
GammaPlot ú15, System Delta+ ú25, Genesis 2 ú20, ÉInvestigating Local
Industryæ ú20, Sporting Triangles ú5, The Art Machine 1 and 2 ú20, Word
Up Word Down ú3, MS DOS Quick Reference ú5, RISC OS 2 PRMs ú35. Phone
01737-832159 eves.
9.3
Microsoft FlightSim 5, will not run on Risc PC need version 2 will
exchange. Phone Chris on 01962-862227.
9.3
PC 486 card for Risc PC, unopened, including DOS 6, unwanted gift ú150,
210Mb IDE HD from Risc PC, exc cond. little use ú95. Phone [phone].
9.3
Printers: CC LaserDirect HiRes8 ú685, Panasonic KX-P1124 (24-pin dot
matrix) ú80. Phone David on 01908-501951 eves.
9.3
Rhapsody 3 ú49, RhythmBox ú24, Serenade ú49, Shares 5 ú39, all latest
versions, unregistered. Phone [phone].
9.3
Risc PC 600 (ACB45), 8Mb + 2Mb VRAM, 420Mb HD, internal dual speed
Cumana 300i CD¡ROM drive, PC Emulator, DR DOS, 8 months old, v.g.c. but
no monitor, ú1350 o.n.o. Phone Eddie on 01342-714905.
9.3
S-Base personal, brand new, unregistered ú40, Equasor original (not
bundled) version ú5, Schema spreadsheet ú15. Phone [phone].
9.3
ScanLight 256, upgraded for the Risc PC, ú80. ProArtisan 2 CD with
ProArt24 upgrade voucher, ú40. Revelation 2 CD with CDFS 2.21Y, ú40.
PinPoint 2.01d, ú40. Offers considered. Phone David on 01752-810027
after 6pm.
9.3
Star LS5-TT laser printer, 4Mb RAM, 600╫300 dpi output, LJ lll and
Postscript compatible, 8 LJ lll fonts and 26 Postscript fonts, orginal
cost ú935 + VAT, will accept ú325 o.n.o. (Upgrading to A3-1200dpi
printer). Regret buyer collects or pays for delivery. Call Keith on
0860-919216.
9.3
TurboDriver for Canon and HP ú25, Genesis Project ú25,WorraCAD ú25,
Irlam ProImage ú25,  PipeDream 4 ú20, Compression ú15, Keystroke ú10,
Impressive ú5, BubbleHelp ú5, printer switch box ú10, 2 slot backplane
ú10, MS DOS 6.2 / Windows 3.11 ú20. Phone [phone].
9.3
View, a Dabhand Guide ú4, BBC Master ref. manuals 1 and 2, and Welcome
Guide, ú14 the lot. Phone [phone].
9.3
Wanted Ö MIDI interface podule. Phone [phone].
9.3
Wanted Ö TurboDriver cable, Internet software, Star LC24-10 print head.
Phone [phone].
9.3
Z88 complete with 128K RAM pack, mains adaptor, leads, carry case, and
manual, battery link needs attention, ú85. ÉZ88 Computingæ by Ian
Sinclair ú3, ÉZ88 Dabhand Guideæ ú5. Phone [phone].áuá
9.3
RiscáPC Special Deals
9.3
As an alternative to the 20-month interest-free offer, Clan Acorn
members can get up to...
9.3
11.5% discount
9.3
Buy a RiscáPC 700 or A7000, as a member of Clan Acorn*, and Acorn will
give you EITHER...
9.3
Programmeræs Pack worth almost ú400 (See Clan Column, page 7, last
month)
9.3
OR...
9.3
ú150 cash-back if you buy an ACB70/ACB75
9.3
ú125 cash-back if you buy an ACB60
9.3
ú100 cash-back if you buy an A7000
9.3
This offer applies even if you buy a computer WITHOUT a monitor.
9.3
(If you want to buy a RiscáPC without a monitor or with a higher spec
monitor, you will need to fill in a ÉRiscáPC Specialist Purchaseæ form.
If you give us a ring on 01603-766592, weæll send you one.)
9.3
20 months interest free credit
9.3
This offer now applies even if you buy a computer WITHOUT a monitor.
9.3
(Both offers are only available until 31st December 1995.)
9.3
*For Life Membership of Clan Acorn, ring 01933-279300 and have your
credit/debit card ready Ö it will cost you ú15 (or ú20 if you want a
sweatshirt).
9.3
A4000 Computer Special Offer
9.3
Each A4000 (at new lower price of ú849) purchased from NCS will include
the following free software:
9.3
  StartWrite (Junior WP)
9.3
  Crystal Rain Forest (Award-winning educational package)
9.3
  Advance (WP/spreadsheet/database/graphs package)
9.3
AND
9.3
CD-ROM drive for only ú129 +VAT (= ú151.58) supplied through Cumana.
9.3
OR
9.3
CD-ROM drive (Eesoxæs new, higher speed parallel port type) for ú175
inclusive supplied with the computer, i.e. no waiting!!
9.3
Offer lasts ONLY until 30th November.
9.3
RiscDOS Column
9.3
Mike Clarkson
9.3
Acorn World 95 saw a variety of developments on the Acorn/PC
connectivity front. Most importantly, and impressively, Aleph One were
demonstrating a Pentium-class RiscáPC card. (In stock at NCS Ö a snip at
ú645! Ed.) (Aleph One do almost all the PC card design work and
associated software for Acorn.)
9.3
Also, Acorn released a new application, PCExchange, which ömakes Windows
a RISC OS application and RISC OS a Windows applicationò Ö well nearly.
(ú26 through Archive.)
9.3
2nd generation PC cards
9.3
Aleph One now have available RiscáPC 486 and 586 cards using the second
generation ASIC chip (which interfaces between the x86 chip and the rest
of the RiscáPC). The new design is, itself, more efficient, and also
allows much faster processors to be used with it, giving enormous speed
increases over the original Acorn card. Aleph One are shipping Cyrix
5x86/100MHz chips, while öwithin a couple of weeksò Acorn are set to
release 486DX2/66 and 486DX4/100 versions. (The 5x86 is Cyrixæs answer
to Intelæs Pentium and offers comparable performance.) (The Acorn cards
will be ú293 and ú351 through Archive when available. Ed.)
9.3
The software which drives the cards has also been updated (ödailyò
according to one developer), and now supports definable 256 colour
palettes, as well as 32,000 and 16 million colours (given a suitable
RISCáOS mode). Basic sound support is included and, I believe, there is
now soundblaster implementation for those with a 16bit sound card.
Windows 95 does now run, even in a Window, but is not yet fully
supported, i.e. a few minor problems may be encountered in this
implementation. The performance of the cards is impressive, as shown by
the following benchmarks released by Aleph One:
9.3
  KDhrystones  Whetstones  Windows User
9.3
586-100  64.1  2101  23.7
9.3
DX2/80  39.2  1496  15.8
9.3
Acorn SX/33  9.2  223  6.0
9.3
Upgrade your old PC card
9.3
For many, this could be more important news than the release of the
faster cards. No, you cannot upgrade an Acorn 486 card for one of the
faster versions. But Clares are acting as agents for a German firm, Midi
& Computer Systeme, who will upgrade your Acorn 486 card to a DX2/80 for
ú199+VAT, which looks like a real bargain Ö especially when the total
cost (ú99 for the original + ú199 upgrade) is compared with Aleph Oneæs
show price of ú399, also for a 486DX2/80. Of course, the Aleph One
version is upgradable (apparently), and uses the new ASIC which the
upgrade does not. For real power, go for the 586, but for a significant
speed increase over the Acorn card, this upgrade could be useful. (See
Jochen Konietzkoæs review opposite. Ed.)
9.3
Future hardware implementations
9.3
A year is a very long time in computing Ö particularly in this area Ö
from the non-appearance of the slow 486 last year to high end 586s this.
Will the next year see similar progress? Almost certainly not Ö the
Cyrix 586 is almost the fastest x86 processor available, and even though
Intel is due to release the P6 in the next six months, it will initially
be very expensive. Moreover, it seems unlikely that the P6 will (ever)
be implemented for use in current generation RiscáPCs, since it will
almost certainly require too much power and produce far too much heat Ö
the RiscáPC case, power supply etc. is, after all, designed for nice
power-efficient ARM processors.
9.3
However, this doesnæt mean that Aleph One are going to be resting on
their laurels. Their most immediate plans are for a software release to
optimise Windows 95 usage on the RiscáPC, including an updated version
of !PC486 (now renamed !PCx86 to reflect the entry of the 586 card) and
various drivers which are optimised for Win95 as opposed to 3.1 or 3.11.
These should be available within the next few months. After this, the
next development is expected to be a reworking of the floppy disc
interface code, which should lead to fewer problems in this area, and
could mean that games which require a key disc will function properly
(currently, quite a few do not), although some still might not. As well
as these software developments, we might see a slight increase in speed
of the 586 cards on offer and, almost certainly, the addition of further
486 cards to offer a wider range of speeds, both from Acorn and Aleph
One. In the more distant future, although anything much beyond the
currently available 586s is unlikely, there must be a chance of a
PowerPC implementation...
9.3
!PCExchange
9.3
I was hoping to be able to review the new Acorn application,
!PCExchange. Unfortunately, it doesnæt seem to run under Windows 95, and
certainly not under my old version of !PC486. However, hereæs a rundown
of what it aims to provide. In essence, it enables access to the PC
clipboard (and hence the PC environment) from within RISCáOS (and vice
versa). Data copied to the PC clipboard is available via a RISCáOS
window, from where it can be dragged and dropped, as if from a filer
window. Files within RISCáOS can be dropped onto this same window
(either from a filer window or an application save box) and are then
available on the PC clipboard. Some types of file are transferred direct
(e.g. RTF, which is understood by applications on both platforms), while
others are converted (e.g. sprites are converted to BMPs, a Windows
bitmap format).
9.3
This all makes data transfer between the two platforms very easy Ö take
text or a picture from e.g. the Microsoft Encarta CD, cut it to the
clipboard and drag the appropriate icon to an Acorn application. Almost
any sort of file can be transferred, although only some will be
converted. Those currently supported are text (which has carriage
returns and linefeeds sorted out), sprite/bmp, waveform/wav and RTF
(which although not converted is filetyped so the Acorn application
recognises what it is). These should, I think, be sufficient for most
uses, since most Windows applications put information onto the clipboard
using one of these formats.
9.3
This certainly looks to be a useful addition to RISCáOS/Windows
connectivity. My only initial reservation was that it could be done by
saving the text, picture etc. to a PC partition and then loading it into
the relevant operating system (since both Windows and RISCáOS can access
a PC harddisc partition) Ö so why buy !PCExchange? However, transferring
this way only really works for complete files, since Windows
applications, as standard, do not have the öSave asò option to save a
selected picture, section of text etc. The clipboard is the standard
mechanism for moving data between PC applications. Moreover, accessing
the PC partition from RISCáOS necessitates freezing the PC card, and
some correspondence I have had has suggested that even then, it may
cause problems Ö certainly using !PCExchange makes the whole process
much easier.
9.3
Tailpiece
9.3
Many thanks to those who have written recently, and my apologies for not
using their material this month Ö it will give me plenty to go at next
month. I hope you will agree that the show provided a good deal of
interest in the area of Acorn/PC connectivity. It also showed how RAM
and harddisc prices continue to fall, with some dealers offering, e.g.
16Mb of RAM for under ú400. Finally, I should mention that newer
versions of the !PCx86 application and drivers are continually being
developed (and made available), but the precise method of their
distribution is not quite clear. If you can, the best place to try is
probably ftp://ftp.ant.co.uk, which is an Aleph One site: the Acorn ftp
site may also have a version.áuá
9.3
Low Price PC Card Upgrade
9.3
Jochen Konietzko
9.3
Two German Acorn dealers, Uffenkamp Computer Systeme and Mike Saxtonæs
Midi & Computer Systeme, have joined forces to produce an upgrade for
the Risc PCæs 486 SX card.
9.3
How you get it
9.3
You send your old card to one of them, and it is then fitted with the
new processor (best phone first to talk about the method of payment they
prefer). Uffenkamp Computers sent my upgraded card back after eight
days, but from Britain, times of two to three weeks should be realistic.
9.3
What you get
9.3
The Texas Instruments CPU is replaced with a 486 DX2-66 or 486 DX2-80.
According to a diagnostic software I ran, my new processor is a Cyrix
486dlc, 80 MHz. The faster processor comes with an on-board fan (luckily
very quiet), to keep the CPU from boiling your Risc PC. The prices (inc
VAT, p&p extra) are 429 DM and 479 DM respectively. (Itæs currently
about 2.30 DM to the pound, which makes that ú186 and ú208 inc VAT
respectively. Ed.) The extra 50 DM (~ú22) for the DX2-80 seems many well
spent.
9.3
Installation
9.3
No problem here Ö just plug the card back into its old slot and connect
the power to the fan. This involves unplugging the power supplyáfrom one
of your disc drives. The cable attached to the fan has the two plugs
attached (male and female), and so it can be inserted between the drive
and the Risc PCæs power supply.
9.3
The card in use
9.3
When I ran my !PC486 application for the first time, disaster seemed to
strike. There was an error message which seemed to point to a serious
hardware defect. Luckily, a phone call solved the problem Ö the second
level cache has to be set to Write-Back. This happens in the text file
Config inside !PC486, where one of the first lines has to read L2Cache
2. Uffenkamp recommend that you set the first level cache to 1 (write-
through), but either 1 or 2 seems to work equally well.
9.3
The second nasty surprise was all my fault. A few weeks ago, the MPC
software for the Minnie 16 sound card had arrived, together with an
updated !PC application. The new card came with an even later version,
so I used this, and suddenly Windows reported an incorrectly installed
SoundBlaster 1.5 driver. The solution here was to look into the older
application which contains two modules PCSound and SSound. These modules
simply have to be moved to the new software, together with the lines in
the !Run file which load them.
9.3
Other than that, the new CPU has not given any trouble whatsoever.
9.3
Speed
9.3
I have not done any Éreal lifeæ speed tests on the old card (that is
jotting down the times taken for time-consuming tasks), so all I can say
is that the DX2-80 upgrade seems öconsiderably fasterò, though probably
not quite twice as fast.
9.3
A PD benchmark program gave the following speed index values (in single-
tasking mode) from !PCSoft 55:
9.3
  original 486 SX card    306
9.3
  new 80 MHz processor  866
9.3
  Future 386/40MHz    431
9.3
(This last one is just a quoted value for comparison.)
9.3
The Graphic benchmark suite of the test software compared the card with
an old Trident SVGA 9600. The original CPU showed values between one
third and two thirds of the Trident, while the new oneæs values lie in
the same range as those of the Trident.
9.3
Conclusion
9.3
This upgrade seems to be an excellent buy. You get a 486 processor near
the top of the range for relatively little money. I doubt that the
promised cards from Acorn (and, I think, Aleph One) with faster
processors will cost less, so the only reason for waiting for one of
those cards would be to upgrade to Pentium level.áuá
9.3
(As Mike Clarkson mentions in his RiscDOS Column, Clares are acting as
agents for Midi & Computer Systeme, who will upgrade your Acorn 486 card
to a DX2/80 for ú199+VAT (ú234) Ö cheaper to go direct, but less hassle
using Clares! Ed.)
9.3
Help!!!!
9.3
Amateur radio software Ö I have a fair collection of PD and Shareware
software for all the RISC OS range, from the A310 to the Risc PC. This
can be obtained in two ways...
9.3
Internet FTP: Log onto the ftp.demon.co.uk site and look in the
directories...
9.3
/pub/ham/archimedes and /pub/archimedes/hamradio (but download the file
!List.txt first)
9.3
Post: send me a return address label (or self-addressed mailer) and
2╫25p loose stamps (not 1╫50p), for a sample disc and list of available
software, stating whether you would prefer ÉDataCommsæ or ÉMiscæ
software. There is no need to enclose a disc or additional postage.
9.3
Richard Sterry, 1 Wavell Garth, Sandal Magna, Wakefield, WF2 6JP.
9.3
I can also be contacted on Internet or by packet radio as shown below.
9.3
ÉRickæ Sterry G4BLT / [e-mail]
9.3
BBC floppy drive? Ö Has anyone got an old (working!) 5╝ö floppy drive
for use with a BBC Computer? Iæd donate a few pounds to charity if
someone could let me have one.
9.3
(This is a young lad who came to the Charity Stand at Acorn World 95 and
was disappointed. Ed.)
9.3
Andrew Ghosh, 82 Vancouver Road, Edgware, HA8á5DF.
9.3
Large Impression documents Ö In the textbook editing I am doing, I have
created a mockup of the book using Impression Publisher. The document is
approximately 15Mb and so, on loading, Impression grabs all the free
memory (on an 8Mb A540). It is necessary to use Éminimise memoryæ
immediately to prevent problems (error messages from Impression or other
applications, the computer locking up, etc). When moving large blocks of
text or graphics with cut and paste, it is advisable to minimise memory
afterwards to release the memory again (making sure that the paste has
been successful first). To remove a large section of text, I delete it
(using <ctrl-k>) rather than cutting it (with <delete> or <ctrl-X>).
When printing, I would also recommend using minimise memory first.
9.3
Does anyone know a simple way to limit the amount of memory grabbed on
loading large documents? Is it possible to set a maximum amount of
memory that an application can use? This would help me considerably. It
can take several minutes to minimise memory with a complex document, 4+
Mb of which is in memory.
9.3
David Crossley, Middleton. [e-mail].
9.3
MicroWriter/Quinkey Ö Remember the five-button input device that used to
be used on BBCs? I have a friend who has MS and, as a result, has very
poor sight and her fingers wonæt operate a normal keyboard terribly
well. The MicroWriter/Quinkey would be just the thing but the company
went bust a couple of years ago. So, (1) does anyone know if they work
on RISCáOS machines? and (2) does anyone have one they could sell us,
please?
9.3
Ed.
9.3
Money, please? Ö (Iæll be honest... Iæm asking for money, so feel free
to move on to the next item.) Iæm asking for support for Alyn Haskey,
who is a remarkable man by any stretch of the imagination. Heáhas
cerebral palsy, is wheelchair-bound and yet is a para-Olympic medal-
winner, has several degrees and is a full-time Christian worker. He
spends his life sharing the love of God with other people, especially
children and young people, through his books, plays, poems and songs.
When he came to Norwich last week he asked about getting a new computer
as he currently uses a BBC B! I showed him the RiscáPC running
Impression Ö he was impressed. I showed him the ExpLAN HolyBible Ö he
got quite excited. Iáshowed him Sibelius Ö he was so gob-smacked he
nearly fell out of his wheelchair! All he needs now is money!!
9.3
I would like to help Alan but I donæt feel it is right to use any of the
normal NCS Charity Fund money because he is a specifically Christian
worker, so can anyone help, please? If you want to send a donation,
either send it to us or direct to Alyn. At the very least, how about
buying a copy of Alynæs autobiography, öFreedom Rideò? Itæs well worth a
read. Send ú5 including p&p (and/or donations) payable to ÉFreedom
Ministriesæ to PO Box 24 Nottingham, NG3 4LD, or send them to us if that
is easier and weæll pass them on to Alyn. Thanks very much.
9.3
Ed.
9.3
The Patience Addict Ö I have a review of this product from someone. I
even wrote to him to acknowledge it. Now all I can find is the disc with
the review on it and no name. Sorry! Still, the moral is, never send a
disc to NCS without putting your name on it or in one of the files
inside it. Could you let me know who you are, please? Thanks.
9.3
Ed.
9.3
Using Acornæs Toolkit Ö Can anyone write a definitive tutorial for
Archive on using Toolkit (with simple examples), please? (Tony Houghton
is intending to cover Toolkit in the C++ Column Ö is that any good, or
do you want to use it from Basic? Ed.)
9.3
Andrew Cordani, Tooting.
9.3
Hints and Tips
9.3
DFS on RiscáPC Ö I recently installed an ActiLead 5╝ö to get a second
floppy on my Risc PC ACB45. Despite HECæs disclaimers, I thought it
should be possible to handle BBC discs by third-party access software,
such as I have used regularly on an A440. Three programs scored varying
degrees of success:
9.3
DFSReader (Beebug Ltd), non-WIMP, 1988 Ö Installs a module giving star
commands *DCAT, *DEX, *DINFO, *DBACKUP and *DCOPY. Copy allows Éreadingæ
to an ADFS disc etc (no Write). It seems OK with Actilead on both 5╝ö
and 3╜ò BBC-80 floppies in drives 1 and 0 respectively. I cannot verify
its claims to handle also Watford 62-Cat DFS & DDFS & Solidisc DFS, nor
have I tried 40-track discs.
9.3
DFSReader (Freeware by Emmet Spier), 1990. Ö This was on Shareware No.
31, now available from APDL. A desktop application that puts one extra
floppy disc icon on the bar. <Menu> allows choice of: Drive (0 to 3),
Name Disc, Free, & Import Dir (?). <Select> gives a filer window, with
menu choices of Display, Rename, Delete, Access and Count. Read and
write work by usual drag-and-drop to the filer. It is restricted to 80-
track BBC DFS and has no format option. It reads/writes all the 5╝ö BBC
80-T DFS discs I have tried. It also works on drive 0 (3╜ò).
9.3
!DFS (Dabs Press), 1990. This is also a desktop application and has four
icons on the bar for drives 0-3. <Menu> offers Disc Info, (Un)Protect,
Swap Cats, Dismount, Format, Backup, Verify, Free. <Select> gives a
filer window with read/write by drag and drop as usual. Format offers
Acorn (DFS), Solidisc or Watford formats each in 40- or 80-track. I
proved 80-T DFS format and verify OK via the Actilead on 5╝ö drive 1 and
on 3╜ò drive 0. Read/write failed with original BBC discs, but was OK on
discs formatted with this program.
9.3
I thus use !DFS only to format/verify a disc and !DFSReader to read/
write BBC DFS 80 discs. The 5╝ö drive is a Cumana 40/80 (Mitsubishi
mechanism) but the 40 option is not used!
9.3
Eric Ayers, Ipswich.
9.3
Drawing ellipses Ö Acornæs Draw program allows ellipses to be drawn very
easily when using orthographic projection. However, when drawing
isometric views, it may be easier to use the Éfour arc methodæ to
construct an isometric circle, as this allows the size of the ellipse to
be fixed by using an isometric square. Here is the method I use.
9.3
1. If using Draw, set up an isometric box of equal side and include the
axes, centre O. (Fig 1)
9.3
2. Use the arc-tool to draw the arc from Éaæ to Ébæ, tangential to each
axis.
9.3
3. Repeat the same process for arc Ébcæ. (Figs 2 and 3) It may be
necessary to adjust the arcs to form a figure that Élooksæ OK.
9.3
4. Now group together the two arcs and copy them. (Fig 3a)
9.3
5. Rotate the copy through 180░ and move to join at Éaæ and Ébæ to form
the complete figure. (Fig 4)
9.3
6. Group the two halves together to form the complete isometric circle.
(Fig 4a) The combination of the two arcs can also be used to draw the
corresponding isometric circles on the other two faces of the isometric
cube as shown in Figs 5 and 6.
9.3
Les Lewis, Sheerness.
9.3
Envelopes Ö Some advice was given in Archive recently regarding
addressing envelopes on a printer. I appreciate wanting a Éneat jobæ,
but it can still be rather fiddly. Personally, for all my average
letters Ö whether personal or business Ö I use white window envelopes,
having printed the address at the start of the letter on the left, in
the usual Ébusiness letteræ format.
9.3
You quickly learn the distance needed from the top of the page, to
enable a neat fold to position the address in the window. It looks
professional and also avoids the risk of printer ink being smudged by
rain.
9.3
Elma Alexander, Crail, Fife.
9.3
Flashing colours on RiscáPC Ö If you run a non-Wimp Basic program in an
Éoldæ 16-colour mode, you will find that the default flashing colours Ö
colours 8 to 15 Ö donæt flash!
9.3
Using OS_Byte 195 shows that the default setting of ÉDuration of first
colour flash is 0æ, which holds the first colour indefinitely Ö thus
stopping the flashing.
9.3
Using OS_Byte 9 to reset the first colour flash duration to 25/50ths
sec. effectively switches the flashing back on. The instruction is SYS
öOS_Byteò,9,25.
9.3
There is no need to worry about setting the second colour flash duration
as its default value is already 25. I find this latter a little strange.
Itæs as if someone set the first colour duration to zero to disable
flashing temporarily and then forgot to reset it to 25! First and second
colours both at 25 were the Éoldæ default settings for BBC B and later.
9.3
Using OS_Byte 9 in a program as above will activate the flashing colours
for all subsequent non-Wimp programs run in any 16 screen mode until you
switch off or reset, so you may want to prevent this by also including
SYS öOS_Byteò,9,0 in your program closedown sequence, to restore things
as they were.
9.3
Ray Favre, West Drayton.
9.3
Fractions (p 23) Some Acorn fonts do have a Éfraction baræ as Alt-140.
It is in MathGreek, and in my EFF fonts, but not in Trinity or Homerton.
It makes fraction look better than the conventional slash, and does not
break at the end of a line.
9.3
Colin Singleton, Sheffield.
9.3
New life for dead HP cartridges Ö HP (and probably other inkjet printer
producers as well) warn most emphatically against touching the copper
foil with the tiny nozzles. There is, however, one situation where this
warning can be disregarded Ö when some nozzles are really hopelessly
clogged.
9.3
This happened to me this summer when, during a four week absence, the
printer had stood unused in a room where the temperature was almost
constantly above 30░C. After my return, most nozzles were blocked, and
three of the telltale white lines were proof against alcohol, warm water
and even a special cleaning fluid which I sometimes use to good effect.
9.3
Rather than throw the useless cartridge away, I made one last attempt Ö
I bathed the bristles of a new soft toothbrush in alcohol and very
gently brushed over the nozzles.
9.3
The next test print showed no more white lines, and now the cartridge
works faultlessly again.
9.3
Jochen Konietzko, K÷ln, Germany
9.3
Turbo Driver hazard warning (8.11 p26 + 9.1 p44) Ö There is an option
öIgnore statusò on the Turbo Driver menu (<shift-select> on the icon)
which means the Turbo Driver does not attempt to report whether the
printer is out of paper, turned off, etc. Set this, and the problem
should be solved. On my Epson Stylus Color with Risc PC and Impression
Publisher dongle (not the new Color II), Iádo not set this ignore, and
get some messages back. Some messages are useful, but not all, and they
are not always the right ones. Does anyone have similar problems, or a
solution?
9.3
Mike Clarkson, Shrewsbury.
9.3
A DIY 24 Line I/O Card
9.3
Nigel Brown
9.3
I am currently studying Computer Science at the University of Brighton
and one of the 2nd year assignments was to design an I/O card using the
Intel 8255A Parallel Interface Adapter (PIA) for an Intel Multibus
Computer. I did rather well in this and so I decided to try and build my
card. As I did not have access to a Multibus system, I adapted my design
to work with my A310. The expansion card I made is a half width device
which mounts internally in the normal way but does not use a custom-made
pcb, being constructed on Veroboard instead.
9.3
For those unfamiliar with the 8255A PIA, here is a very brief
description of its facilities. The 8255A PIA is a very flexible device,
having 24   I/O lines arranged as three 8-bit ports, labelled A to C,
and three different modes of operation, 0 to 2. In mode 0, groups A, B
and the top and bottom four lines of group C, can be set to either input
or output. That is, it is possible to go from 24 outputs to 24 inputs in
steps of four. Modes 1 and 2 allow Éstrobedæ I/O on ports A and B, with
port C being used for status and control signals. Access to the three
ports and the control register is controlled by two address lines and
the usual read, write and chip select controls. For full details on the
8255A PIA, you are are advised to obtain a copy of the relevant data
sheet.
9.3
Design considerations
9.3
The expansion bus provides 16 data lines (BD0-BD15), 12 address lines
(LA2-LA13) and a host of control lines brought out to 64-way DIN 41612ac
connectors on the back plane. This means that each expansion card has 4K
words of address space allocated to it and can be either 8 or 16 bits
wide. The control lines used in this card are:-
9.3
PS Ö Podule select. Goes low when it is our card that is being accessed.
9.3
PRE Ö Podule Read strobe. Goes low when data is to be read from a card.
9.3
WRE Ö Podule Write strobe. Goes low when data is to be written to a
card.
9.3
PR/W Ö Read / Not Write. Goes high if reading data, low if writing.
9.3
RST Ö Reset. Driven low on power up and by the keyboard reset switch.
9.3
In turn, each card must provide five things if it is to work correctly
in the host computer:
9.3
1) Tri-state buffers for the data bus lines it uses.   Tri-state
buffers, as the name suggests, can be in one of three different states:
input, output and disconnected. Tri-states have to be used as the data
bus is bidirectional (you can read from and write to it) and your card
must only connect to the data bus when it is selected. At all other
times your expansion card must Éfloat the busæ. A suitable chip is the
74HC245 octal tri-state buffer which contains eight such buffers in one
package, and its pinout suits Veroboard construction very well.
9.3
2) Input buffers for the address and control lines it uses. Address and
control lines are permanently connected to each expansion card, and
buffers prevent devices on your and other cards from overloading the
bus. A suitable chip would be the 74HC244 which contains eight buffers
in one package. However, the pinouts do not suit Veroboard construction,
so a 74HC245 was selected instead. It is connected as an input buffer
and permanently enabled.
9.3
3) Expansion Card Identity Byte (ECId). This is used by the host
computer to determine which cards are installed in which slots. There
are two forms this can take, a single byte broken into 5 bit fields or
an Extended ECId which comprises 8 or 16 bytes, plus paged ROM space if
required. This card uses only the single byte version.
9.3
4) The hardware. In this case, it is the PIA chip.
9.3
5) Address decoding circuitry. Devices within the cardæs address space
will be memory-mapped, so some form of decoder will be needed to select
the relevant device from the address present on the address lines. Even
a very simple card like this has two devices, the ECId and the PIA
itself.
9.3
ECId byte
9.3
The table below shows the layout of the ECId byte and the meaning of
each field. To construct this, I choose to use another 74HC245 tri-state
buffer, this time connected as an output buffer. Output values for all
fields other than the ID field are hard-wired to the correct values. The
ID field value can be set using DIL switches to any value other than 0.
9.3
Bit  Field  Value  Meaning
9.3
0  IRQ   = 0  Not requesting IRQ   0 on our card
9.3
     = 1  Requesting IRQ
9.3
1  P   = 0  Podule is present  Must be 0 on
9.3
        all cards
9.3
2  FIQ   = 0  Not requesting FIQ  0 on our card
9.3
    = 1  Requesting FIQ
9.3
3-6  ID[0:3]   = 0  Extended ECId   Any value
9.3
        other than 0
9.3
     <> 0  Single Byte Id Only  Set by DIL
9.3
        switches on
9.3
        prototype
9.3
7  A   = 0  Acorn Card  1 on our card
9.3
     = 1  Non Acorn Card
9.3
Address decoding
9.3
The PIA registers in the memory map are as follows:
9.3
  &200C  Control register
9.3
  &2008  Port C
9.3
  &2004  Port B
9.3
  &2000  Port A
9.3
The Podule ID byte is at &0000.
9.3
The ECId has to be located at address 0, and convention has it that the
bottom 2K words of the address space are reserved for this and any paged
ROM (called the Code space). This is why the PIA is located at address
&2000. As the address space has been divided into two halves, with one
device in each, to decide which is being accessed we only have to look
at address line LA13. If it is low (addresses &0000 to &1FFF), it must
be the ECId and, if high (addresses &2000 to &3FFF), it must be the PIA.
Additionally, we only want to activate either chip if the control signal
PS is low (see above). From this, we can draw up a truth table for the
address decoder. Please note that the chip select lines on the ECId and
the PIA, in common with most other devices, are active low.
9.3
Address Decoder Truth Table
9.3
  Inputs  Outputs    Comments
9.3
  PS  LA13  ECId  PIA
9.3
  1  1  1  1  PS high, so do nothing.
9.3
  1  0  1  1  PS high, so do nothing.
9.3
  0  1  1  0  LA13 high so select PIA
9.3
  0  0  0  1  LA13 low so select ECId
9.3
Written as Basic statements, we get
9.3
  ECId = NOT((NOT PS) AND (NOT LA13))
9.3
  PIAáá= NOT((NOT PS) AND LA13)
9.3
We have to convert this to use NAND functions so that it can be
constructed easily using cheap logic gates. If you note that X NAND X =
NOT X then this is easy. The above converted to NAND functions are:
9.3
ECId=(PS NAND PS) NAND (LA13 NAND LA13)
9.3
PIAá=(PS NAND PS) NAND LA13
9.3
The ÉPS NAND PSæ is common to both, and so we only require four NAND
gates to construct the address decoder. The chip selected is the 74HC00
which is a quad two-input NAND gate device.
9.3
This completes the design of the I/O card and hopefully it covers most
points of interest for people who wish to design and construct similar
cards of their own. Full details covering construction and testing of
the prototype are available on the Archive monthly disc. The information
includes a circuit diagram, Veroboard layout, parts list etc, along with
the source code for a device driver and various test programs. If you
have any comments, suggestions or corrections, or if you require any
further advice, I can be contacted via email as [e-mail], or
you can write to me at 56 Crisp Road, Landport Estate, Lewes, East
Sussex, BN7 2TX.áuá
9.3
Connecting an Acorn to Internet
9.3
Torben Steeg
9.3
First some words of warning. (1) This is a beginnersæ guide in the sense
that, when I started out, I was a beginner. What I hope this account
offers is some insight into how to get your Acorn connected to the
Internet, via a modem. It is written from the perspective of someone who
felt quite confused quite a lot of the time Ö but succeeded in the end.
9.3
(2) Dealing with the Internet means dealing with immature technology and
hence a lot of jargon. Iácanæt avoid the jargon but Iæll try to minimise
it. (Youæve already had Internet Ö do you really know what it is? And
modem.) You really need to get hold of the Archive Internet Glossary (ú5
through Archive Ö on disc or paper).
9.3
A further consequence of immaturity is that it is still a fairly
Étechieæ business. It is not as simple as buying and installing a
wordprocessor for instance Ö not yet, though the pace of change is
astonishing.
9.3
Background
9.3
I started down this road when I began to get involved in helping schools
find out what the Internet might offer them. Before that, I was familiar
with the net, as a user only, through JANET Ö the universitiesæ part of
it. However, it seemed clear that, in courses for schools, we needed to
be able to talk intelligently about the practicalities of establishing a
link to the Internet, as well as the educational pros and cons which are
much closer to my heart as someone deeply involved in IT in schools.
9.3
So a colleague and I took the plunge and set out to connect our home
computers to the net Ö he from his Windows platform and I from my
Archimedes. Where it is relevant to an Acorn audience, I will reflect on
his experiences as well as mine.
9.3
What you need
9.3
There are five essentials: a modem (and a phone line to plug it into), a
computer, a lead to connect the two, someone to provide access to the
Internet at the other end of the phone line (a service provider) and
some software. I will take these one by one as far as possible. I should
perhaps add persistence.
9.3
Modem
9.3
Here, the rule is, the faster the better. The reason for this is that if
your modem transfers data twice as fast, your phone bill will be half as
big.
9.3
Actually, this begs a few questions. Often, the limiting speed of data
transfer will depend either on how many other people are using your
Service Provider or on how many other people are trying to access the
same Internet site as you. Nevertheless, I believe the basic advice
stands.
9.3
There are (at least) two systems for describing the speeds of modems. I
prefer Ébaudsæ (= bits per second) as it is easier to understand than
the alternative system of ÉVæ numbers, although the ÉVæs tell you more
than just speed.
9.3
If you can afford it, go for a 28,800 baud modem. Most (perhaps all?)
Service Providers now provide connections at this speed. This is the
fastest modem speed available and provided you insist on it being
ÉV.34æ, it will also support data compression which will make data
transfer even quicker. Most V.34 modems also support fax traffic.
9.3
If you shop around in the PC magazines you will get a good quality one
for less than ú200 (+ p&p +VAT). I chose a Hayes one (Accura 288) simply
because they seem to set the standards and I had little other knowledge
to go on Ö I could have gone even cheaper.
9.3
The minimum possible speed for Internet use is 14,400 baud modem, but
no-one I know would recommend it, particularly if you want to use the
World Wide Web, whose files tend to be huge.
9.3
Computer
9.3
You need an Acorn with an adequate specification. For this purpose, the
serial port is an important feature of the specification.
9.3
Å  2Mb RAM is an absolute minimum. 4Mb is more realistic.
9.3
Å  A hard disc with around 10Mb free is necessary for anything more than
simple email access Ö I believe it can be done from floppy, though Iæve
not tried.
9.3
Å  The software requires RISC OS 3.1 or higher.
9.3
Å  You really need a fast serial port:
9.3
A3000: will need a serial port upgrade fitting (but see below).
9.3
A300, A400, A540, A30x0, A4000, A5000 and the A3000 upgrade all have
fairly slow serial ports Ö maximum 9600 baud. This is not recommended
for full Internet access. I gather too that the serial ports on some of
these machines are not well protected and easily collapse Ö I have no
other information on this.
9.3
For those machines that have expansion slots, fast (115,200 baud) serial
port upgrades are available, and are the only serious option Ö although
they are much more expensive than their IBM PC counterparts. These
provide two extra serial ports and the software to drive them.
9.3
I bought Intelligent Interfacesæ dual card for my A5000 (ú175 through
Archive). However, I subsequently discovered that the Serial Portæs dual
card was about to be sold through ANT even more cheaply. Too late for
me, but worth looking into.
9.3
All Risc PCs have fast serial ports that can be driven at up to 115,200
baud.
9.3
This figure of 115,200 baud seemed excessively high to me. However, this
is necessary because the data sent between modems at 28,800 baud is
compressed. Thus it needs to be delivered to, and received from, the
modem by the computer at much higher speeds.
9.3
Lead
9.3
For A30x0, A4000, A5000, Risc PC and fast serial port upgrades, the
standard IBM PC lead (usually provided with the modem) is suitable.
9.3
For A300, A400, A540 and the A3000 upgrade, a special cable is required.
An Acorn dealer will be able to provide this. If you already have such a
lead, it should also work on later Acorns, since most software asks you
which kind of serial lead you are using.
9.3
Service provider
9.3
For the latest details of available Service Providers, you are best to
turn to one of the many Internet dedicated magazines Ö have a look at a
few in the newsagent and pick the one you like the best. Almost all have
directories of Providers that are up-to-date.
9.3
Most Providers charge ú10-15 per month with a start-up charge of ú10-25.
This should include software to get you going. You will need this
software unless you really know what you are doing in the area of
communications. In most cases, providers expect you to sign up for a
year. Try to talk to someone who uses the service Ö or read the reviews
in the magazines.
9.3
A number of considerations to take into account:
9.3
Å  Do they support Acorns? The issue here is whether they provide a
starter pack of Acorn software. Even if they do, make sure that there is
someone in technical support who knows what an Acorn is.
9.3
Å  Can you dial in at local call rates from where you live? If you
canæt, they will be a bad buy. Telephone costs will, eventually, be the
most significant cost of the whole enterprise.
9.3
Å  What support do they offer? This requires you to consider how much
support you think you will need. Support inevitably costs money.
9.3
Å  How much do they cost?   Consider this one last. Telephone costs
really will be much more significant.
9.3
I chose to go to Research Machineæs ÉInternet For Learningæ service.
This was partly because I wanted first hand experience of a service that
was selling itself particularly to schools. Despite RM being the largest
seller of IBM PCs into education, they have recognised the Acorn
presence and provide the standard starter pack of software. They are
also at the bottom end of prices. Where I have needed support, it has
been a little slow (they claim this is the price of huge success!) but
is effective. The main feature of this service that is different from
most others is that, being education oriented, they attempt to filter
out Éunwantedæ material, i.e. pornography, drugs information, terrorist
information and so on. Their success in this is reasonably good Ö though
not watertight. It does put them in the uncomfortable position of being
censors, however.
9.3
Importantly, access to the service has always been instant (i.e. I never
get engaged tones) and fast. Iásuspect this is because I access it at
cheap times Ö when schools are closed.
9.3
My colleague went to Demon. This was to gain experience of a large
successful Provider with a reputation for being rather techie. The
reputation is fair. The software provided (for IBMs) is minimal Ö you
are expected to download your own. (Iæll let you think about that.) In
addition, the service is very busy at cheap times Ö it can take ages to
get a line in and even then they are often slow. I gather the software
provided for Acorns is essentially the same as I got Ö as described
below.
9.3
Software
9.3
Most Internet Service Providers provide the same starter kit of
software. From RM, this came with instructions for configuration and
setting it up.
9.3
The following list of software is all freeware (i.e. there are no
registration costs). Upgrades to the software seem to be announced
regularly and are also free by downloading the files through Internet.
What follows is my interpretation, as a user, of the functions they
provide.
9.3
!SLIPDial: This handles the dialling and access to your provider. When
contact with the provider is established it automatically runs !TCPIP.
9.3
!TCPIP: This handles all the Internet protocols and access to facilities
such as FTP (read the Glossary Ö you need to know about this stuff). It
can be configured to automatically upload and download mail and news.
9.3
!NewsBase provides management of email and newsgroups for multiple
users. It also stores mail and news created offline while it waits for
connection to a provider and organises mail and news as it is uploaded
so that it can be read offline.
9.3
!TTFN (The Thread Following Newsreader) allows reading and writing of
mail and news offline. This is an important feature to have since it
keeps phone costs to a minimum.
9.3
!ArcWeb: This is a browser for the World Wide Web.
9.3
There are also other freeware programs available on Internet once you
have a connection. When you feel in control of the software that you
start with, you are advised to upload some of these and try them. As
with wordprocessors, different people seem to like different things.
9.3
In addition, commercial packages seem to be coming onto the market that
provide all the wanted features from within one piece of software. I
have heard a lot of talk about ANTæs suite Ö but not bought it yet (it
is undergoing Beta testing at present).
9.3
First experiences
9.3
Inevitably, this part of the story will focus on the problems I had.
However, despite these problems, Iáhad Internet access pretty rapidly
once I had all the bits assembled.
9.3
Dual serial card Ö The documentation that should come with this is still
under development Ö hence what I got was arcane beyond belief.
Fortunately, there is a very friendly voice at Intelligent Interfaces
who will talk you through what you need to to do with the software that
comes with the card. This voice has enormous patience.
9.3
Modem Ö Plugging in the modem coincided with a fault on my line that BT
couldnæt trace until complete failure occurred. I think however that I
further confused my phone system by following the modem instructions and
plugging it into the wall and my phones into the modem. This didnæt seem
to be very successful. So I bought a É1 into 2æ socket from B&Q to keep
the phones separate from the modem. This seems to be fine. A modern
modem should have a REN of 1 and only cause problems if you have loads
of phones.
9.3
Software Ö This seems to work fine Ö though is less stable than I am
used to as a user of commercial software. The rules are:
9.3
1.  Read the online help files. There are so many different
applications, it takes a while to see the significance of each. There
are also other non-runnable applications that add to the confusion.
9.3
You will also need to spend time checking that the configurations are
what you want. Some of this configuration was done by the Configure
application sent with the suite Ö but not all. It took me a while to get
email right and I am indebted to David Pilling who has taught me how to
do a lot of things, in between providing support for getting ArcFax to
work efficiently with my modem.
9.3
2.  Persist. Often, I find I have to quit an application and start it
again. I donæt understand this but it works.
9.3
My only beef about the software is that it doesnæt let me do all the
things that I can do through Windows at the University. This problem may
however be solved when I download some of the alternative offerings and
upgrades.
9.3
The best thing about the software is that it has let me keep in cheap
and fast contact with my partner while sheæs been in the States for two
months. This has made all the pain worthwhile.
9.3
I hope Iæve made it clear that Iæm no expert. However, if there are
Archive readers, with email, whoæd like to correspond on any of these
matters, you can reach me on [e-mail].uá
9.3
Because Internet is Étaking offæ, we are selling a lot more comms
equipment and have again managed to reduce the pricing on modems. We do
a 14,400 modem for ú155 and a 28,800 for ú230. Remember that these
prices include VAT and carriage. Ed.
9.3
Puzzle Corner
9.3
Colin Singleton
9.3
In last monthæs Programming Workshop, I promised a demonstration of
rolling averages and exponential smoothing in action. I have used the
latter to build a league table of successful Puzzle Corner entrants,
borrowing an idea from an American puzzle magazine to which I used to
subscribe back in the æsixties. You can see the leader board in this
monthæs Programming Workshop on page 28.
9.3
Now Ö the latest winners ...
9.3
(34) Euleræs Magic
9.3
Sad news Ö nobody entered! This puzzle was more in the style of the old
Competition Corner number-crunchers. Clearly the mood has changed and I
need to offer less time-consuming exercises.
9.3
(35Ö36) Multiple Factors Ö Monkey Puzzle Ö Multiplication
9.3
No all-correct entry here either, because the Monkey Puzzle defeated
all-comers. Andrew Berry came closest Ö he identified equal and opposite
forces as being the key (Newtonæs Third Law), but then derived the wrong
conclusion! Because the forces are equal and opposite, the movements of
the monkey and the weight must be symmetrical. Andrew, nevertheless,
wins the prize.
9.3
... and last monthæs solutions ...
9.3
(38) Where on Earth?
9.3
Mathematically, the four locations are at the vertices of a tetrahedron
for which the surface of the Earth is the circumsphere. You can deduce
by trigonometry that each pair of locations must subtend an angle
2╖SinÖ1┌(2î3) £ 109.47░ at the centre of the Earth, each being 7558
miles from each of the others Éas the crow fliesæ (ignore the fact that
crows do not fly long distances over oceans). My first thought was to
place one at the South Pole and the other three equally spaced around
latitude 19.47░N. I managed to placed them all on land, but only one of
the four corresponded to a town (in Haiti). Two others are close to
American bases, the fourth is in a desert.
9.3
I therefore wrote a small program (on the monthly program disc) which
allows me to experiment by entering the Latitude and Longitude of one
point, plus a third entry which is the angle through which the imaginary
tetrahedron is rotated about the perpendicular determined by the given
point. The program calculates the Lat. and Long. of each of the other
three points, which can be checked in an atlas for nearby towns. The
program will also calculate the six distances between four given
locations. Its use calls for extensive trial and error.
9.3
My attempts to find suitable towns of reasonable size have revealed
Whitehorse (Yukon, Canada, 60░41ÉN, 135░8æW), Tamworth (NSW, Australia,
31░7ÉS, 150░57æE), Berbera (Somalia, 10░28ÉN, 45░2æE), and San Fransisco
(Cordoba, Argentina, 31░29ÉS, 62░6æW). The six distances (in miles) are
7563, 7559, 7516, 7595, 7523 and 7595, with a mean and standard
deviation of 7558á▒á31. The latter can no doubt be reduced by choosing
small villages near the Australian and Argentinian towns.
9.3
I had a friend some years ago who spent six months of each year here in
Sheffield, and six months in Tamworth, NSW, but that didnæt help me
solve the puzzle. Can anyone improve on my figures?
9.3
(39) House Number
9.3
A simple program will find the only three-digit solution Ö Fred lives at
N║ 204 in a road of 288 houses. Without the three-digit restriction, you
might have found N║ 6 of 8, N║ 35 of 49, N║ 1189 of 1681 ...
9.3
(40) Birthdays
9.3
This is a popular puzzle with a surprising answer Ö 23 people will
suffice. The chance that they all have different birthdays is
364î365╫363î365╫362î365╫...╫343î365ᣫá0.4927. There is therefore a
slightly better than even chance that at least one pair shares the same
birthday.
9.3
(41) Back-Tracking
9.3
Not a very clever clue, but if you write each of the numbers backwards
you find 16, 25, 36, 49, 64 Ö the two-digit squares. The next number in
the sequence is therefore 18.
9.3
... this monthæs prize puzzle ...
9.3
(42) !Draw a Rectangle
9.3
Another puzzle inspired by one in New Scientist Ö and I know that at
least one Archive puzzlist occasionally tackles the weekly Enigma in
that publication.
9.3
Using !Draw, I drew a rectangle with sides parallel to the grid lines. I
then copied it, and rotated and magnified the copy, with a magnify
factor less than one. I was then able to place the copy so that three of
its corners lay on sides of the original rectangle, and one diagonal of
the copy was parallel to the short side of the original, as shown in the
diagram.
9.3
I should have told you that the original rectangle contained a small dot
(exaggerated in the diagram) 2cm right and 1cm up from the bottom left
corner. This was grouped with the rectangle, and carried with it through
the copying and transformation process. You cannot see the copy of the
dot, because it is in the same place as the original.
9.3
What are the dimensions of the original rectangle? [Do not assume that
this diagram is accurate.]
9.3
... and this monthæs prize quickies ...
9.3
(39) Cubes
9.3
How many numbers are equal to the sum of the cubes of their digits?
[e.g. 153á=á1│á+á5│á+á3│á]
9.3
(40) Plus or Minus
9.3
1á+á2á+á34áÖá5á+á67áÖá8á+á9á=á100. Keeping the digits 1áÖá9 in order,
insert the smallest possible number of plus or minus signs to produce
100. Then repeat using the sequence 9á8á7á6á5á4á3á2á1.
9.3
(41) Triple Duel
9.3
Remember the duelists Smith and Jones back in issue 8.9? This time there
are three Ö Tom, Dick and Harry. Tom is a crack shot, 100% certain to
hit his target. Dick has a 75% chance and Harry only 60%. They agree to
fight a Éduelæ, each firing one shot at a time in rotation, Harry first,
then Dick, then Tom, until two are dead. Each may aim where he pleases.
Where should Harry aim his first shot, and who has the best chance of
surviving?
9.3
Comments and solutions
9.3
Better luck this time! What are your likes and dislikes? Please send
comments, contributions and solutions to me at 41 St Quentin Drive,
Sheffield, S17 4PN. Solutions by Friday 8th December, please.áuá
9.3
Programming Workshop
9.3
Colin Singleton
9.3
Last month, I promised a practical demonstration of Exponential
Smoothing Ö and here it is!
9.3
Puzzle entries
9.3
With issue 9.1, the Puzzle Corner column completed its first year, and
all the entries are now in, so I can analyse the successes and failures
of the 35 readers who have submitted at least one correct, or partially
correct entry. I have awarded marks out of 100 to each entry Ö to score
100, you need to answer the monthæs main puzzle and the quickies
correctly, so readers who only attempt the quickies can only score 50.
The average score per entry has been 59, but competitorsæ average scores
are pulled down by the zeros in the months when they didnæt enter.
9.3
I propose to calculate 12¡month rolling averages for each entrant Ö as
explained last month, this is simply the average of the entrantæs last
twelve monthly scores. If a reader decides never to enter again, his
rolling average will become zero after twelve months absence, and he
will disappear from the list.
9.3
I am also calculating each entrantæs exponentially smoothed average.
This is calculated each month by adding 15% of this monthæs score to 85%
of last monthæs smoothed average. In this case, if an entrant disappears
his smoothed average will reduce each month, but will never become zero.
In a real-life commercial situation, we would need to keep a note of the
date last traded, so that we can delete a Élostæ customer (or send him
some advertising!) after a certain number of months.
9.3
League tables
9.3
The league table (top ten names only) is shown below. Because only one
of the top ten sent an entry for issue 9.1, I have also shown the league
table for the previous month, which is rather more interesting.
9.3
The league table is sequenced on the latest (C/F) exponentially smoothed
average. You can see from the second table that, even though the C/F
figure comprises 85% of the B/F and only 15% of the current, very
substantial changes in scores are possible in a single month, with
corresponding changes in sequence. Note also that, because each new
entrant starts with a B/F of zero, his/her smoothed average can never
reach 100. The theoretical maximum (for a contestant who scores 100
every month) rises each month Ö after twelve months it is 85.78.
9.3
In a commercial trading analysis, this problem is different, because
there is no absolute maximum, but a smoothed average does show
misleadingly low figures for new customers. A popular solution to this
problem involves calculating a simple monthly average for the first
twelve months of a customeræs Élifeæ, then using that figure as the
first B/F for a smoothed average. It is not necessary to hold all the
individual monthly figures on file, as it is if we wish to calculate a
rolling average.
9.3
The heading 11¡Month Average in the second table is not a misprint.
Puzzle Corner was only eleven months old, so I could not start a
12¡month rolling average. The figure is a simple average of the eleven
months. Note that two contestants with similar simple (or rolling)
averages can have very different smoothed averages. One whose best
scores were in recent months will have a higher smoothed average than
one whose best scores were in early months. In a trading analysis, this
usually reflects what the user wishes to know, but it is important to
appreciate the significance of the figures.
9.3
Watch this space
9.3
You know what a pork chop is, and you may have heard of the Barnsley
Chop, but next month I will be returning to sorting, and introducing the
Binary Chop. Donæt miss it!
9.3
I am always on the lookout for new ideas. Please send any comments or
suggestions for this column to me at 41 St Quentin Drive, Sheffield, S17
4PN.áuá
9.3
Acorn C/C++ and Beebug Easy C++
9.3
Steve Poulard
9.3
This is the continuation of last monthæs review article comparing these
two C++ implementations.
9.3
Acorn C/C++
9.3
Acornæs product comes in a box featuring pyramids, bricks and beetles
and weighing nearly 4kg. Inside are four manuals totalling nearly 1400
pages and six discs in a plastic wallet. Disc 1 contains an installation
program which calls for the other five discs in turn, decompressing them
and giving a visual indication of progress. This should be familiar to
anyone who has installed Style or Impression. Installation takes a few
minutes and uses just over 3Mb of disc space. As well as the ÉAcornC++æ
directory created, files are added to System and the current Library ù
so may interfere with your existing setup. The installed directory
structure was not the same as the one in the manual.
9.3
Rather than just one or two applications, Acorn supply a Édevelopment
environmentæ, which consists of 19 interactive and non-interactive tools
designed to be used together on the development of a project. The
interactive tools are a C compiler, a C++ compiler, a debugger, a
project manager, a resource editor, a resource tester and a source file
editor. As well as a make utility, a linker and an assembler, there are
non-interactive tools for generating module headers, decoding AOF files,
comparing files, searching files, maintaining libraries, sizing object
files, squeezing files and converting C source code to ANSI and PCC
standard. It should be obvious from the preceding lists that Acorn
intend this product to be used for serious development work.
9.3
Of the libraries provided, CLib and C++Lib provide standard functions,
while tboxlibs provides a wide range of functions for Wimp applications.
A small number of examples are provided to demonstrate use of the
Toolbox functions as well as the various tools. Only two trivial
examples use C++ code.
9.3
Program development
9.3
The two compilers have very similar interfaces. Clicking <select> on the
application icon displays a dialogue box containing the following: two
writable fields for displaying the lists of source and include files, a
few option and radio buttons (ÉCompile onlyæ, ÉDebugæ and ÉThrowbackæ
for C++, ÉPreprocess onlyæ as well for C), ÉCancelæ and ÉRunæ action
buttons. There are a large number of options which are all set directly
from the main menu ù no additional dialogue boxes are used. (This is not
entirely true ù there is a single dialogue box which contains a 40
character writable field and a button labelled ÉRunæ.) The C compiler
has a number of menu items not available to C++, including ÉDebug
optionsæ, ÉProfileæ, ÉSuppress errorsæ and ÉErrors to fileæ. I assume
that most of the omissions are due to C++ not being a true compiler,
although I canæt think of any reason why C++ errors canæt be redirected
to a file. Due to the design of the interface, setting the options is an
extremely frustrating task; for example, there is just a 12 character
writable field for viewing and editing the list of libraries to be
included.
9.3
As has been reported in the Acorn press, the C++ tool is not a compiler
at all, but a front end that converts C++ to C source code before
compiling it in a special mode. Although this approach has come in for a
certain amount of criticism, it did not cause me any problems in
practice.
9.3
The source code editor is based on Edit, and at least has the advantage
that it should be familiar to most users. However, there are remarkably
few additional features, and it is not really up to the job of editing C
or C++ code ù Iæm not sure why Acorn bothered to include it. Zap is a
much better tool, although youæll have to spend a bit longer getting
used to it.
9.3
Confusingly, the project manager is called !Make and calls the make
utility (called !AMU) in order to carry out its job. Anyway, as the
manual states, ÉThe Make application aids the programmer in the
construction and maintenance of multiple-file programsæ. In other words,
this tool is used for creating, maintaining and executing makefiles,
which have their own filetype.
9.3
A new project (makefile) is created by specifying the project name, the
principle target name (e.g. !RunImage) and the tool used to produce the
target. Once a project has been created, source files and object files
(normally libraries) are included by dragging them to the project
window. Unfortunately, there is only a 30 character writable field for
viewing and editing these filenames (which are displayed using the full
pathname). It is possible to view the filenames in a window, but not to
make any selections, additions or deletions. There is really no excuse
for this sort of interface ù I can only assume that the writers couldnæt
be bothered to implement a scrolling list.
9.3
There is a corresponding writable field for removing files, and a line
displaying the name of the target, which is important because
intermediate targets can also be added to and removed from a project.
9.3
In order to define a project, Make needs to be able to set options for
all the tools that might be used, i.e. the C and C++ compilers, the
linker, assembler, module header generator, library maintainer and file
squeezer. From Make, selecting one of these items from a menu displays
the interface for the corresponding tool without loading the tool
itself. However, some of the items are greyed out where they would
conflict with Makeæs own settings.
9.3
It is possible to use makefiles not produced by Make, which should be
given a ÉTextæ filetype. These makefiles are run as soon as they are
dragged to the iconbar, regardless of the ÉAuto Runæ setting, which
means that there is no opportunity to change any of the options.
Frustratingly, two of the more complex examples use makefiles not
produced by Make, so in order to try different options or run these
applications under the debugger, the makefile needs to be edited by
hand.
9.3
In use, Make appeared to contain quite a few bugs. It crashed several
times when I removed a target after removing a file from a project, and
once when making a C++ application after making one of the C examples.
Also, it occasionally gave an address exception when accessing other
tools using the ÉTool optionsæ menu.
9.3
Resources
9.3
For me, the most interesting pair of tools are also the ones with the
furthest-reaching implications Ö the resource editor and resource
tester, ResEd and ResTest, which replace and go somewhat further than
FormEd, as the means for designing and testing Wimp interfaces.
9.3
Once loaded, clicking <select> on the ResEdæs icon merely opens an empty
window. But clicking <adjust> opens a window called ÉObject Prototypesæ,
containing fifteen items which are the base components (or Éobject
templatesæ) from which an interface can be constructed. Apart from the
ÉWindowæ, ÉMenuæ and ÉToolbaræ objects, these include more specific
components such as ÉIconbaræ ÉColourMenuæ, ÉQuitæ, ÉSaveAsæ, and
ÉPrintDBoxæ (aáprint dialogue box). To create an interface, objects are
dragged from the prototypes window to an empty resource window. This
resource window behaves similarly to a filer window ù objects can be
selected, copied, renamed and deleted. The contents of a resource window
are saved as a single ÉResourceæ file.
9.3
When opened, only the ÉWindowæ, ÉMenuæ and ÉToolbaræ objects resemble
the finished articles. Double-clicking <select> on any of the other
twelve objects, displays a dialogue box which is used to define the
various attributes of that component. For example, the ÉIconbaræ dialog
box specifies the iconæs position on the iconbar, the name of the sprite
to display, help text, and the actions of the three mouse buttons (as
well as a few other items). For the menu button, this action is just the
name of a menu, but the <select> and <adjust> buttons can have both the
name of an event to deliver and the name of an object to display.
9.3
The object names and menu names specified in an objectæs dialog box
refer to other objects in the resource file. Thus, as well as
constructing the individual components, the resource editor defines the
connection between the components and the overall behaviour of the
interface. Dragging a resource file to the resource tester, allows the
interface to be tried out as though it were a working application. In
addition, objects can be displayed by name, which is essential for
applications that would otherwise require some functioning code (such as
one that only responded to a file being dropped on its icon).
9.3
A dialogue box is constructed from a ÉWindowæ object and a number of
Égadgetsæ. These gadgets are positioned within the window by dragging
them from a separate gadget window. The gadgets supplied include labels,
sliders, adjuster arrows, number ranges, writable icons and option,
radio and menu buttons.
9.3
Another important function of the resource editor is to specify the
events that are sent in response to user actions. For instance, an
individual event can be defined that is sent when the user clicks on
ÉQuitæ on an applicationæs iconbar menu. As well as user-defined events,
there a wide range of predefined events. For example, there is an event
that signals the change in value of a number range gadget. These are not
ordinary Wimp events, but higher-level ÉToolboxæ events.
9.3
The Toolbox provides an extra layer of abstraction between an
application and the Wimp. Without going into too much detail, instead of
primitive Window Manager events (e.g. ÉMouse_Clickæ) and SWIs
(e.g.áÉWimp_SetIconStateæ), a Toolbox application receives Toolbox
events (e.g. ÉColourMenu_ Selectionæ) and sends Toolbox methods
(e.g.áÉColourMenu_SetTitleæ). The Toolbox is not anáapplication as such,
but a generic term used to describe an application which uses an
interface designed by ResEd and the associated events and methods. The
tboxlibs library defines the C structures and function veneers for these
events and methods.
9.3
The provision of the Toolbox (the interface objects, events and methods)
together with a decent resource editor, is intended to make application
development a quicker and simpler task. Acorn also hope that it
encourages more consistency in interface design.
9.3
Debugging
9.3
In order to work with the debugger, programs must be made with the debug
option selected, in which case the target file is given a special
filetype. (In keeping with the box design, the file icon resembles a
normal ÉAPPæ icon with a small insect on it). These files can be
<select> double-clicked or dragged to the debug icon to start a debug
session. However, unlike Easy C++, the debugger can also cope with
!application directories which contain a !RunImage file of this type.
9.3
On initiating a debug session, two windows are opened, one displaying
the source code or a symbolic disassembly (depending on the context),
and the other displaying status and all other debugging information. An
important feature of the debugger is that, although it appears to work
within the desktop, it does not really multitask. The manual states that
this is essential if multitasking applications are to be debugged
properly. Given the extent to which Easy C++ fails to cope with Wimp
applications, I would tend to agree. Not surprisingly, a major
consequence of this single-tasking is that other applications donæt work
while the debugger is active.
9.3
To remind the user of the abnormal state of the desktop, the debug
windows are given non-standard colours ù although the colour scheme
could have been better chosen. In addition, the mouse cursor is supposed
to change to a no-entry sign when outside the debugger windows. This did
not happen on my machine! There was also a discrepancy between the on-
screen position of the mouse and the position where mouse events were
registering, which was understandably irritating. I suspect that both
these faults were caused by the ColourCard I am using.
9.3
The debugger provides all the normal options to set breakpoints and
watchpoints, display variables and expressions, change memory and
variable values, and so on. A number of additional features are
provided, particularly suited to debugging Wimp applications.
Breakpoints can be set on named SWIs and 16ádifferent Wimp events (e.g.
ÉMouse Clickæ, ÉMenu Selectionæ and ÉRedraw Windowæ). SWIs and Wimp
events can also be traced, in which case messages are displayed without
halting program execution ù although this does slow it down a lot.
Strangely, there doesnæt appear to be any support for Toolbox methods
and events. I assume Acorn will be rectifying this in future releases.
9.3
While working largely as expected for C code, Iáexperienced several
problems using the debugger with C++ code. A serious problem was its
inability to properly recognise variable names, prefixing them with a
É__1æ. In other words, to refer to a variable Éfredæ in the source code,
I had to use É__fredæ in the debugger. There is an option on the options
dialogue box called ÉC++ namesæ, but this is not referred to in the
manual and, in any case, had no effect. I searched in vain for some
reference to this problem in the documentation, but was left feeling as
though I had overlooked something obvious.
9.3
While debugging even simple C++ code, the debugger hung occasionally and
crashed several times, repeatedly under one set of circumstances ù
probably from an address exception. On these occasions, the register
contents were displayed, together with a message stating that the error
should be reported to Acorn. Iæm afraid I didnæt have time to report all
the address exceptions that I experienced.
9.3
Although it provides a large number of features, the design of the
interface ù particularly the restriction to a single window for
displaying all debugging information ù makes the debugger unfriendly and
time-consuming to use.
9.3
Documentation
9.3
As stated earlier, the documentation consists of four manuals. The
information they contain is quite comprehensive, although not very easy
to locate. Aáseparate index (along the lines of the Programmers
Reference Manual) would have been useful. The documentation is not
designed for beginners, and assumes a certain amount of familiarity with
the subjects covered.
9.3
The installation procedure is described in the Desktop Tools manual.
This also describes the use of tools not covered by other manuals, and
includes a short chapter on adding tools to the development environment.
9.3
The C and C++ tools are described in another manual. Although the
details of the libraries, language implementation and errors and
warnings are covered separately for C and C++, the tools themselves are
covered together in a single chapter. Even though there is a certain
amount of common ground, I did not find this helpful. The assembler tool
gets a manual to itself.
9.3
At over 500 pages, the User Interface Toolbox manual is the largest of
the four. It starts with a short introduction to the concepts behind the
Toolbox, for which a knowledge of Wimp programming and object-oriented
terminology would be useful. This is followed by a short chapter on
building an application, using one of the examples supplied on disc.
Most of the rest of the manual describes the interface objects, and the
associated methods and events. The resource editor and tester are
covered towards the end.
9.3
One interesting aspect of the documentation is the terminology.
Particularly in the case of the Toolbox, Acorn have made a serious
attempt to increase consistency and reduce ambiguity. Although I think
some of the terms chosen are a bit clumsy, this does make talking and
writing about such matters clearer (Iáhope).
9.3
Conclusions
9.3
These two products appear to be aimed at different markets. Easy C++
should appeal to people new to C++, and who do not intend to produce
complex multitasking applications. Acorn C/C++ is aimed at programmers
and developers with more experience, particularly those who want to
produce Wimp applications.
9.3
On the whole, I was more impressed by Easy C++, despite its comparative
lack of features. The application interfaces are better designed and
simpler to use, and the C++ capabilities appear to have been more
thoroughly tested. However, if Beebug paid for the Vista library to be
completed, produced a Wimp-friendly version of their debugger and
updated the documentation, I would find this an even more appealing
product.
9.3
As things stand, Acornæs product is the only viable alternative for the
development of Wimp applications. Nonetheless, there is a rather serious
implication in the way the Toolbox libraries have been implemented. By
using C, Acorn have made this functionality more immediately available
to the vast majority of developers, but the underlying nature of Toolbox
interfaces (and graphical interfaces in general) is object-oriented.
Indeed, the manual explains the use of the Toolbox in terms of
Éclassesæ, Éobjectsæ and Émethodsæ ù words normally used to describe
object-oriented programming.
9.3
There is little doubt in my mind that an object-oriented approach is
more naturally suited to the implementation of Wimp applications; but
this is actively discouraged when the interface library routines do not
support object-oriented features. By using C for the Toolbox library,
and unless they bring out a C++ equivalent, Acorn are ensuring that all
serious development work will continue to be done in C. There is
absolutely no incentive for programmers to abandon the style they have
learnt and acquire new skills when they are unable to use them
consistently. Indeed, I talked to one major Acorn developer who said
they had no intention of using C++ in place of C. It is characteristic
of the Acorn market that the development of code that could change this
state of affairs has been left to one person.
9.3
Acorn C/C++ costs ú230 through Archive and Beebugæs Easy C++ is ú110
through Archive.áuá
9.3
C++ Column
9.3
Tony Houghton
9.3
This monthæs article is a direct continuation from last month and does
not stand alone. Please read last monthæs article first.
9.3
Assignment operators
9.3
Assignment operators are those such as += and *=. It is natural to think
of implementing, say += in terms of + and =, but it can be more
efficient to do the reverse, i.e. use += to implement +. Complex objects
are small, so little would be gained, but consider a class with many
data members, such as a large matrix. A suitable += operator function
would be something like:
9.3
Matrix &Matrix::operator+=(Matrix &m)
9.3
{each element of m to each
9.3
  // element of self (*this)
9.3
  return *this;
9.3
}
9.3
This saves creating a temporary object.  For + we cannot avoid creating
a temporary object, but to save repeating code, we can call += :
9.3
Matrix Matrix::operator+(Matrix &m)
9.3
// Must return object, not reference
9.3
// because temp will be destroyed
9.3
// after return
9.3
{= *this;
9.3
  temp += m;
9.3
  return temp;
9.3
}
9.3
Subscripting
9.3
The subscript operator is operator[]. This can be overloaded with a
subscripting operand (the expression inside the square brackets) of any
type. Aácommon use is for an associative array. Consider an example
which contains a set of strings, each string having an associated
number, being used to convert textual user input into something which
the program can make more sense of:
9.3
class Command {/*...*/ };
9.3
// representing various actions the
9.3
// program can perform
9.3
class CommandSet {of strings & Commands etc
9.3
public:
9.3
  Command operator[](char *str);
9.3
  // Find a Command to match str
9.3
};
9.3
extern CommandSet command_set;
9.3
void process_input()
9.3
{input[256] ;
9.3
  cin >> input;
9.3
  Command com = command_set[input];
9.3
  // Do something based on com
9.3
}
9.3
Function call
9.3
To enable overloading of function call, a calling expression of the form
function(expression list) is interpreted as
function.operator()(expression list), where function is the name of an
object.
9.3
In the above example, we would most likely want the Command returned by
command_set to perform an action depending on its internal information,
and on a parameter supplied by the caller. To simplify the call
notation, we could supply Command with a () operator:
9.3
void Command::operator()(char *carg)
9.3
{some action depending on
9.3
  // objectæs internal information
9.3
  // with carg as a parameter
9.3
}
9.3
and process_input() would become:
9.3
void process_input()
9.3
{input[256] ;
9.3
  cin >> input;
9.3
  Command com = command_set[input];
9.3
  cin >> input;
9.3
  com(input);
9.3
}
9.3
This is a good example of when to overload function call; one particular
method of the class dominates all others.
9.3
Dereferencing
9.3
Dereferencing is the name for Ö> statements; Ö> can be overloaded as a
unary operator; this is useful for a container class, where you could
use Ö> to access members of the contained object.
9.3
The dereferencing operator is redefined as a function returning a
pointer to some other class or structure. When the compiler encounters a
Ö> call for the container class, it applies Ö> (as known to C
programmers) to the object pointed to by the return value of
operatorÖ>().
9.3
struct X {{ Style öMain Headingò Off}  int a;
9.3
  float b;
9.3
};
9.3
class PtrToX {*x ;
9.3
public:
9.3
  // ...
9.3
  X *operatorÖ>()  {x ; }
9.3
};
9.3
extern PtrToX px;
9.3
int main()
9.3
{= pxÖ>a;
9.3
    // Equivalent to i = (px.x)Ö>a;
9.3
    // except the latter would not
9.3
    // be allowed due to a being a
9.3
    // private member
9.3
}
9.3
A quick recall of the rules for overloading clarifies the point that
there can only be one operatorÖ> for each class, because only the return
type could change.
9.3
Increment and decrement
9.3
The only difference between the operators ++ and ÖÖ and other unary
operators is that they can be postfix operators (e.g. a++) as well as
the more usual prefix (e.g. ++a). Since there can be no assumption that
++ and ÖÖ will always have similar meanings as when applied to an int,
it is necessary to define the prefix and postfix versions separately.
The prefix version is no problem Ö this is the same as for any other
unary operator. To define and declare a postfix version, you add a dummy
int argument which is never actually used. For stand-alone functions,
the int is placed as the second argument, while for member functions, it
is placed as the only argument. For example:
9.3
X *PtrToX::operator++()    // Prefix
9.3
{+ +x; }
9.3
X *PtrToX::operator++(int) // Postfix
9.3
{x++ ; }
9.3
A common application for the increment and decrement operators is in
conjunction with dereferencing and subscripting to implement a Ésmart
pointeræ. At its simplest, a smart pointer is essentially a pointer
contained within a class so that checking can be applied to ensure it
always points to a proper object etc. Overloading allows the creation of
an interface to make the class appear as a pointer.
9.3
Free store
9.3
It is possible to define new versions of new and delete as member
operator functions, but they are both special cases.
9.3
operator new() and operator delete() must be static members (they need
not be declared with the keyword static, as this is implicit).
Concentrating on operator new() for now, it takes an argument of type
size_t (an integral type guaranteed to be large enough to hold any size
the machine can cope with, defined in <stddef.h>) and returns void *, a
value pointing to the memory allocated. The size_t argument is
automatically given a value equal to the size of the object to be
created when called (multiplied by the number of elements if allocating
an array). The object pointed to by the return value cannot be allowed
to move because the new operator will not know where the resultant
pointer is to be stored; therefore you could not use new directly as an
interface to a shifting heap such as flex or Mem.
9.3
Reasons for taking over free store allocation include improving
efficiency (although you are unlikely to improve significantly on the
default) and placement, i.e. ensuring objects are created in a specific
area of memory. If you wanted to ensure all objects of a certain class
were placed in an area controlled by OS_Heap you could give the class a
base class OnHeap :
9.3
// Allow misc OS_Heap operations
9.3
// on a heap
9.3
// Error handling etc assumed
9.3
class Heap {public: 9.3
  // ...
9.3
  // Constructor must initialise
9.3
  // ...
9.3
  void *alloc(int reason, int size);
9.3
  // Returns block allocated
9.3
  void free(void *block);
9.3
};
9.3
class OnHeap {heap ;
9.3
public:
9.3
  void *operator new(size_t s)
9.3
  {heap.alloc(s) ;
9.3
  }
9.3
  void operator delete(void *block)
9.3
    // See below
9.3
  {heap.free(block) ;
9.3
  }
9.3
};
9.3
Operator delete cannot be overloaded as such, but redefined in one of
two ways, either with or without a size_t argument. In either case, the
first or only argument is a void * pointing to the block of memory to be
freed; the size_t argument follows this, if present, and will be given
the size of the block of memory to be freed.
9.3
The OnHeap example shows an implementation of delete without size_t.
Remember that if you supply a delete operator using size_t, you must
ensure any base classes using it have a virtual destructor to ensure the
correct size is always passed for derived classes (see Archive 9.1).
9.3
Placement
9.3
The concept of placement can be taken a step further by overloading the
global new operator. It can take a further argument after the size_t,
called the placement argument, to allow the operatoránew function to
decide where to place the object. For instance, to allow objects of any
type to be placed on Heaps :
9.3
void *operator new(size_t s,
9.3
                   Heap *heap)
9.3
{= (Heap *)
9.3
    heap.alloc(s + sizeof(Heap));
9.3
  *result = heap;
9.3
  return result + 1;
9.3
}
9.3
This has the overhead that the block allocated must be created with
enough room to also store the placement for use by delete, and the
pointers manipulated to allow for this. The fact that every object
created could theoretically be on a different heap makes it necessary to
store the placement alongside each object in this way.
9.3
Placement parameters (as opposed to arguments, see the introduction to
this article) are given as parameters to new, but the type being created
follows these outside the parentheses; the type name then takes any
arguments for a constructor in plain parentheses, or the number of
elements in square brackets for an array. (Remember you cannot have
arrays of objects whose constructors require parameters.) The type name
is used to create the size_t argument. For example, if you wanted to
create an Array on a heap called heap :
9.3
  Array *a = new(heap) Array(10);
9.3
would result in a call of:
9.3
  a = (Array *)
9.3
   operator new(sizeof(Array), heap);
9.3
Objects that have been placed in this way cannot be destroyed by the
standard operator delete. Instead, you would have to first call the
objectæs destructor explicitly then call a function to free the memory.
9.3
The global operator delete cannot be overloaded, but it does seem to be
possible to replace it. If you were absolutely certain that you would
only use your customised operator new you could provide:
9.3
void operator delete(void *block)
9.3
{= ((Heap *) block) Ö 1;
9.3
  heap.free(heap);
9.3
}
9.3
You are strongly advised not to overload global operatoránew. Where it
seems advantageous, you should try to find an alternative first.
9.3
Pocket Book Column
9.3
Audrey Laski
9.3
The OPL Column
9.3
The Pocket Book column gives a warm welcome to the OPL column by Govind
Kharbanda, of Edinburgh, first published in last monthæs Archive.
Regular readers will probably have noticed that Iæm not really a Pocket
Book programmer, but Iæm well aware that this is one of its most
important uses Ö Iæm always shocked to see shops advertising the Psion
as if it were only a rather superior organiser, rather than a fully-
fledged computer Ö and it is excellent that novice users will have
encouragement and advice from such a keen and clear-headed enthusiast.
9.3
PocketFS blues
9.3
James Ducat, of Bath, has been experiencing difficulties linking his
Pocket Book to an A310 using PocketFS (v1.03): örecently, every time I
try to load the Remote Link software via the desktop menu on the Pocket
Book, it bleeps and comes up with the message: Remote link is not
plugged in.ò NCS tested his A-Link and found the lead working
satisfactorily. Heæs tried the hard reset option and changing all the
batteries without consistent effect, öalthough, frustratingly, I have
been successful, once or twice.ò He has tried to ring Psion, but the
phone appears to be permanently engaged. He asks if anyone else has
experienced the same problem, and if they have any ways of overcoming
it. I have occasionally experienced the Pocket Book icon coming up on
the iconbar maddeningly draped in red to indicate that the connection
has not been made with a switched-on remote link, but have found that
re-plugging the A¡Link lead into the Pocket Book normally deals with
this; Jamesæ problem is clearly more intractable. Aávisit to Streatham
might help (see below).
9.3
Good service
9.3
London, or London-visiting, PocketBook/Psion users now have access to an
excellent repair service not far from Streatham Hill station. I first
heard of the Pinnock Organiser Service (0181-677-9246) from Mike Lane,
of Stockbridge, Hants., who had been much impressed by the way Paul
Pinnock dealt with a Psion 3a which was giving the low battery warning
before this was valid, and switching itself off unexpectedly. öIt turned
out that both faults had a single cause Ö the internal battery cable had
broken and was intermittently cutting off the power.ò Paul Pinnock
located the fault and repaired it öin about 10 minutes Ö marvellous!ò I
had been getting exactly the same symptoms from my Pocket Book recently,
so I took it along and had the identical experience: rapid diagnosis,
swift repair and cleaning, and agreeable conversation while the job was
being done. Highly recommended.
9.3
A query
9.3
Sudipta Sarkar, of Chester, is puzzled by the fact that there is no
follow-up to the Info Option ÉSet Owneræ, noting that the other options
provide extended activities. Iæve always assumed that the only real
purpose of this option was to provide a way of identifying the owner if
the Pocket Book was lost and found, corresponding to the first page of a
paper diary. If Iæm right, then once the information has been inputted,
there really is nothing else useful to be done with it. Has anyone else
found additional uses?
9.3
A palmtop from Santa
9.3
Stan Hasleton, of Abbots Langley, is planning to give his grandchildren,
a boy aged ten and a girl aged eight, a palmtop computer each for
Christmas. He wrote to ask about the comparative advantages of the
Pocket Book II and the Psion 3a, and about their compatibility with each
other and with desktops. I was able to assure him, drawing on my own
experience, and other peopleæs as recorded in the column, that the A-
Link seems to be fully compatible with Acorns and IBM PCs, and that
programs written for the Psion usually run happily on the Pocket Book. I
mischievously suggested that if he could not decide between the two, he
might try giving one grandchild the Pocket Book and one the Psion, so
that he could test satisfaction levels at the end of a year, but I
wasnæt serious, and trust he wonæt do it. Iæm hoping for future reports
on the experiences the children have with their new tools.
9.3
Screenshot problem solved
9.3
The invaluable John Woodthorpe of Rugby writes to respond to Peter
Youngæs problem about getting at Psion graphics. He recommends !Psion, a
PD Acorn application by Steve Godfrey which öwill convert screenshots
into sprites. It will also strip the pictures out of any Psion or Pocket
Book program and save them as sprites.ò (!Psion is on the monthly disc.
Ed.) He also points out that the latest version of !ChangeFSI (1.13S)
önow works properly with *.PIC files (if anything processing the greys
slightly better than !Psion), but wonæt deal with the pictures embedded
in applications.ò (If you want to upgrade to 1.13S, send a formatted
disc and a stamped, addressed paddibag to NCS Ö or send ú2 and ask for a
copy. Ed.)
9.3
Itæs very good when a question proposed in one monthæs Archive gets
answered so comprehensively in the next. Now, does anyone know of a
program which will work the other way round, i.e. turn a sprite into a
*.PIC file?
9.3
Endnote
9.3
Iæve now used up my backlog of letters, so Iæm relying on everyone out
there for material for 1996.áuá
9.3
Impression vs. Quark XPress
9.3
Keith Parker
9.3
I have recently been doing a lot of work comparing DTP packages on
different platforms and I want to share my findings with you over a
number of articles. Because packages are so very different in the sorts
of facilities they provide, it can end up as an exercise in trying to
compare chalk with cheese, so my aim will be to discover what we can
find in each package for the professional user. Iáwill not be detailing
the differences that result from the operating systems of the different
platforms on which they operate.
9.3
The competitors
9.3
On the Acorn side, the current baseline is Computer Conceptsæ excellent
product, Impression Publisher Plus. There may well be another product
from Beebug which we can look at in the future and it may well beat CC,
but my information is that, although it was being demonstrated at Acorn
World, it will be January æ96 before we can actually buy OvationPro.
9.3
So, in this first article, I shall be matching Impression Publisher Plus
v5.05 on a RiscáPC 600 (RISC OS 3.5) with Quark XPress running on a
PowerMac with System 7.5.
9.3
The starting point
9.3
Before we start comparing any software packages, there is one important
point that must be discussed first. öIn looking at these two particular
packages, are we comparing like with like?ò Although I use, and enjoy,
many CC products, I would class Impression Publisher (and Plus) as a
very powerful wordprocessor with excellent graphical capabilities and
very advanced printing abilities rather than calling it a DTP program.
CC themselves originally called it a ödocument processorò although their
adverts now say itæs a DTP package.
9.3
There are many areas where it can compete with XPress (or indeed, beat
XPress) but overall it is some way behind. I say that very reluctantly
because I am one who has always pushed the Acorn for DTP. Indeed, one
leading London teaching hospital has, after seeing my system, installed
two Risc PCs with Publisher Plus for all its internal document creation.
The real tragedy of all this is that, in 1991, CC won the prestigious
Computer Shopper ÉBest software on any platformæ award for Impression
ll, but even though we have seen improvements, there has been little or
nothing for the professional user to get excited about, and the gap
between these packages and the rest of the world has got wider and
wider.
9.3
Quark XPress
9.3
XPress was the first DTP package designed for use on PCs and it has been
constantly developed into what is now a very capable program. The main
problem is that a very capable program is let down by the operating
system of the platform for which it was originally written and, without
doubt, RISCáOS 3 is even better than the very latest Mac OS. In fact,
there are many users who feel that XPress is a better program on the PC
than it is on the Mac.
9.3
The other two problem for users of XPress are the cost involved which,
as we will see later, is considerable, and the inability of XPress to
admit there could possibly be any problems with XPress.
9.3
XPress has attracted numerous third-party software houses to provide
what, in actual fact, are upgrades, in the form of XTensions. Quark has
written XPress in modular form (just as CC wrote ArtWorks Ö except that
very few developers have written modules for it) which enables these
developers to integrate their product seamlessly. An example of this can
be seen in XPress v3.31 (the version especially written for the
PowerMac) by buying-in and supplying as standard the XTension that gives
XPress the ability to alter the screen angles of individual colours
prior to printing. This useful facility, previously only available to
users of XPress who purchased the XTension (at ú200), is essential when
outputting film designed to be printed on unusual materials, e.g. T-
shirts and sweatshirts when the existing colour angles are designed for
outputting film designed for printing on paper based materials. (This
facility has always been available, as standard, to users of Publisher).
9.3
What is XPress?
9.3
XPress is a page layout program with limited textual capabilities but
with a wealth of features to enable DTP practitioners to create anything
from a small advert through to a complex full-colour 600-page A4ábook.
9.3
XPress, like Publisher, is a frame-based program that enables users to
mix text and graphics on a page. It uses virtual memory to allow users
the luxury of having a document of almost unlimited size. It uses the
industry standard Pantone library of colours (as well as its own colour
picker) making it easy for printers to get the colours right Ö every
time!
9.3
For many users, XPress has features that they will never use, but have
to pay for, because XPress is a truly professional program.
9.3
So what are the professional features that mark out XPress as such a
professional program?
9.3
Page layout tools
9.3
XPress lets you use the drawing style tools to define the shape of a
frame (as Ovation always has). Putting in lines is easy as well. (Try to
do either of these in Publisher and Plus and youæll appreciate just how
useful these features are!)
9.3
Furthermore, XPress is streets ahead of Impression as regarding text
runarounds of irregular shaped frames Ö the defaults are superb but, in
the unlikely event of you being unhappy, you can modify this invisible
Érunaroundæ frame until the cows come home!
9.3
XPress also allows you to shift-drag to select frames Ö still not
possible in Impression.
9.3
These frames can hold (as can Publisher) text or graphics but, unlike
Publisher, the text frames can be rotated through 360░. If you have a
need for more than one or two words to be rotated, this is an absolute
godsend.
9.3
XPress also makes it easy to move whole pages around, so if you want to
move page 4, containing both text and graphics, to page 33, you simply
select it all and move it! (In Publisher, you need to select the text
and drag and drop it in place then move the graphics frames Ö all
tedious and time consuming!)
9.3
Finally, XPress sports one of my dreams Ö Undo/Redo! Some people make
the point, with some measure of accuracy, that not having an undo/redo
makes you much more careful but in a very complicated document, one
mistake can cost you a lot of time Ö and in professional markets, time
is money! The ability to change something and then go back if it does
not work is great Ö the funny thing is that ArtWorks (from the same
stable) has an excellent and definable undo/redo facility, but not
Publisher Ö a great shame!
9.3
So, having seen just how good XPress is when it comes to page layout,
letæs look at how XPress handles the essentials of obtaining hardcopy.
9.3
Colour printing
9.3
As already stated, XPress comes supplied with the Pantone Colour
Libraries which is considered as essential by many printers. If you do
not know what the Pantone Colours are, just go and see your local
printer Ö heæll know and show you his swatches of colours. These define
what colours are to be mixed (and in what proportion) to obtain the
colour your creation requires. Also, it defines how colours look on
coated and uncoated paper Ö Pantone (Yellow) 110c looks totally
different to Pantone (Yellow) 110u on paper (if not on the screen).
XPress also comes supplied with Trumatch, Focoltone, Toyo Libraries and
DIC Spot Colours Ö enough to satisfy every standard of user. All this is
on top of the standard HSV, RGB and CMYK colour models! If I was granted
one wish by CC on the subject of colour, Iáwould take the Pantone
Libraries (Coated, Process Euro, Process, ProSim Euro and Uncoated).
9.3
Trapping
9.3
Using colour, as we all know, adds emphasis and excitement to documents
Ö if done properly. If done badly, colour detracts from your
masterpiece.
9.3
Look at some of the magazines you have at home and you will see examples
of this. If these appear in an advertisement, you will be less than
Éimpressedæ. Iáhave tried to illustrate this and I hope it prints all
right in a mono magazine!
9.3
In the example above, we have a blue background with Key Black text.
However, if you look closely, you can see a little bit of white around
part of the text (exaggerated for the purposes of this article).
9.3
So what is the difference between these two? In the first, the colour of
the text (Key Black) was set to overprint Ö that is the black of the
text was printed over the dark blue background. In the second, however,
the background was Éknockedæ out and the text should have fitted exactly
into the gaps but this is extremely difficult, as any printer will tell
you. (Some call them öregistration errorsò.)
9.3
I know which I prefer and, for black over a colour, this solution of
overprinting is fine and available in Publisher. However, when you are
talking about a light colour over a dark background, things get more
complicated. If you overprint with a light colour, you will almost
certainly lose it in printing, even though you will still see it on the
screen.
9.3
A much better solution is called ÉTrappingæ Ö the system where the
colour of the text spreads out (slightly) all the way around thereby
ensuring that there are no unsightly white bands around the text Ö the
amount of spread is calculated carefully by the program. This facility
is welcomed with open arms by printers and DTP professionals alike.
Unfortunately, trapping is not available to DTP practitioners on the
Acorn platform.
9.3
Imposition
9.3
Another area where XPress shows us the way to go is that of Imposition.
We all know that most of the production of leaflets and booklets is on
pages of A4 or smaller. What most people do not realise is that all
imagesetters are A3 or larger, therefore lots of A5 pages (or smaller)
uses up proportionally more film or bromide than projects produced on A4
(or larger). One way round this Éwasteæ issue is imposition.
9.3
Let me try to explain imposition. A booklet of 32 (A5) pages is printed
double-sided on eight sheets of A4 paper and folded. Page 1 and page 32
are on the same Épageæ of film, likewise page 2 and page 31, etc, etc.
(Before anyone says look at Publisheræs pamphlet printing mode, this is
not Imposition in the true sense.) Imposition calculates how the pages
for the booklet need to be laid out and fits them economically on the
film (even taking into account the size of the imagesetter Ö A3, A2,
etc). It also puts in crop marks, and helps reduce the amount of waste
(not only film but also paper for cutting).
9.3
So, for an A3 film, we want four A5 pages imposed on it in the most
economical way:
9.3
This has two benefits. Firstly, it saves money on film and paper (which
can be a considerable amount if you are using four colour separations),
and secondly, it makes the printeræs life easier by planning the plates
for him, thereby eliminating mistakes. XPress has truly professional
imposition whilst Publisher has a basis for imposition. (By the way, in
Acorn Publisher 2.1, there is an article on this very subject which also
offers users a work-around and makes a plea for imposition to be
properly implemented.)
9.3
Creeping
9.3
Creeping is a feature which is vital in the production of booklets. Let
us consider a booklet consisting of 72 A4 double-sided pages, folded and
stapled in the middle. If the gap in the centre between the pages was
the same on every page, it would be fine on the few pages in the middle
of the booklet, but at the start and the end it would be difficult to
read the words nearest the centre gap. The program calculates carefully
how to make the pages Écreepæ towards to edge of the page at the start
(and end) but be exactly in the centre by the time you look at the
middle pages.
9.3
What about Publisher (and Plus)?
9.3
You may well be thinking öWhy does he bother with the Acorn platform if
he thinks so highly of XPress?ò The answer is simple: I hate Macs,
Iádislike PCs and Iálove Acorns Ö but I want our software (that is
generally easier to use and usually more cost-effective) to have the
professional features available to users of other, inferior platforms!
In fact, at the London hospital I referred too earlier, Iáproduced a
document for them more quickly in Impression than they could in XPress
running on a Pentium-powered PC! This demonstrated that Impression
Publisher is easier to use, has much more to offer öbeginnersò and is
generally much more user¡friendly.
9.3
What does Publisher do better?
9.3
Text entry Ö There is no doubt that only a masochist would consider
using XPress for text entry. Most users of XPress use a separate WP for
compiling the text. Publisher users do not need to use a separate WP
because the textual capabilities of the Impression range are superb!
9.3
Text display Ö The most annoying thing about XPress is its display of
text. If you reduce the scale, the text Égreeksæ. What is greeking? It
is when the text display becomes so small that they replace it with a
series of grey lines Ö even if the text colour is fire-engine red! Not
exactly what you call ÉWYSIWYGæ! In Publisher, you can reduce the scale
to say 10%, to view all the pages, and see the colour even if you cannot
read the text. Another thing, I am composing this on my Risc PC in
Plantin at 8pt with the scale set at 120% (and I have laid jobs out in
Frutiger at 7pt scaled at 100%) and itæs easy. You could not, even in
your wildest dreams, think of doing that in XPress.
9.3
Scale (Zoom) Ö Publisher has a much wider range of scales than XPress,
1% to 975% compared with 10% to 400%. This additional flexibility is
vital for ensuring good and accurate layouts.
9.3
Anti-aliasing on screen Ö Publisher makes use of anti-aliasing for its
screen and font display. If you look at a XPress display, you will find
it difficult to read and, as a result, you get two free gifts from Quark
Ö eye strain and headaches.
9.3
Speed Ö Complicated documents can be very slow in Publisher but I can
demonstrate an area where Publisher is definitely much, much quicker!
You would have thought that the PowerMac would be fast, especially if it
was equipped with a 2Gb, fast SCSIá2, hard disc and XPress 3.31 (the
version that runs natively on the PowerMac). Many measures are purely
subjective but we have found one that is easily measurable Ö the time it
takes to convert a file to PostScript ready for the imagesetter.
9.3
Our test file, which was exactly the same for the PowerMac and the
original RiscáPC600 with its Éslowæ IDE 420Mb hard disc, was a single
full colour 9Mb page. To produce a four-colour separation in PostScript
took XPress 2 minutes 12 seconds, while Impression Publisher Plus took
only 9 seconds!! Now, think of the difference if it were a magazine of
25 pages (say, 500Mb). According to our calculations, Impression would
do the job in about 3 hours, whilst XPress would need about 24 hours (or
use four machines to do it in 3 hours)!
9.3
Moving frames Ö In Publisher, you click and hold within the frame and
the frame moves around with the mouse. If a graphic has been inserted,
if you click, with <adjust>, on the centre of the graphics Éarmæ (the V-
shaped utility), the graphic and the frame are locked together and they
move together.
9.3
In XPress, you must select the moving tool (a hand) in the toolbox
window before you can move the frame.
9.3
Prices (all exclude p&p and VAT)
9.3
Impression Publisher  ú169
9.3
Impression Publisher Plus  ú299
9.3
Upgrade from Publisher to Plus  ú130
9.3
Quark XPress     ú799
9.3
Quark XPress (for PowerMac)  ú899
9.3
Upgrade for PowerMac  ú399
9.3
Minimum Hardware
9.3
Hard disc space
9.3
Impression Publisher Plus  4Mb
9.3
Quark XPress    5Mb
9.3
(small by PC comparisons)
9.3
RAM
9.3
Impression Publisher Plus  2Mb
9.3
Quark XPress    5Mb
9.3
What about educational users?
9.3
Impression Publisher Plus has, in its 18 months of life, established an
excellent reputation for its ability and flexibility Ö look at Mike
Williams and Acorn Publisher, Simon Birtwistle and the Liverpool
Champion and Richard Lambley and Land Mobile Ö all excellent,
professional and commercial publications produced (in very competitive
business environments) on Acorns running Impression Publisher Plus. All
could have used Macs running XPress (or PCs running PageMaker et al) but
they chose our favourite platform and software instead Ö more power to
their elbows!
9.3
Those who say (school governors especially, please note!) that our
children must have industry standard platforms and software Ö remember
that there is no such thing as a single industry standard and please
bear in mind that keeping up-to-date in the Mac and PC worlds is very
expensive! My wifeæs school has a school-wide network of Macs running
Claris Works v1.0 (the version currently being given away free on
various PC magazine cover discs or CDs). Unfortunately, they cannot
afford to pay for the upgrade to v3.0 and Claris Works is a cheap (by
Mac and PC standards) suite of programs.
9.3
I do not have the educational prices for XPress to hand but I know that
the educational price of PageMaker 5 is ú299 (single user), the
networked version complete with 50 user site licence is ú10,000. A
Publisher network of the same size would cost ú1,650. As an example of
the cost of upgrading Mac and PC software, Aldus wanted ú199 to upgrade
each copy of PageMaker 4.2 to 5 whilst CC charged ú29 to upgrade each
copy of Impression ll to Style or Publisher.
9.3
It is no good having a so-called industry standard if you cannot afford
to keep it up-to-date.
9.3
Conclusion
9.3
I hope you can see that, although Impression Publisher Plus is a good
program (yes! I do like it and I genuinely hope to be using it in years
to come) it is by no means a leading edge DTP program. What it does, it
does well, and it is better at outputting than any other WP I have used.
It also handles graphics better than most but it needs updating to match
XPress in the layout game.
9.3
Now that CC have sold the marketing rights of Xara Studio to Corel,
would it be too much to hope that Impression Publisher and ArtWorks
could be developed to redress the drift that has occurred in the last
few years! Like most Acorn and Impression users, I hope so, because we
would all like to see CC back at the forefront of Acorn software
development and innovation.
9.3
Finally, I would like to say a huge thankyou to Tony Tolver of T-J
Reproductions. Tony has unrivalled knowledge of Acorn and Mac, platforms
and packages, and his guidance, advice and assistance have been superb.
It is also true to say that Tony has been at the forefront of aiding the
development of Acorn as a credible DTP platform with his professional
publishing bureau services. His help with this article matches the
assistance that he gives every day to Acorn users nationally.
9.3
I hope that you found this of interest and are not too offended by my
daring to criticise our leading software house but if we want to see
Acorn being used by more and more professionals, constructive criticism
will, I passionately believe, do no harm. If you want to give me
feedback, please feel free to phone on 0860-919216 or write to me (SAE,
please, if you want a personal reply) at 33 Fieldend, Twickenham,
Middlesex, TW1 4TG.áuá
9.3
STOP PRESS. The new version of CCæs Impression Publisher and Plus uses
dynamic memory and, theoretically, should be quicker and more flexible.
A major reason to buy this upgrade comes from Clares who have launched
Virtualise, which is a module that brings us virtual memory at a very
reasonable price Ö only ú24.95 (inc. VAT and p&p). So another advantage
that XPress had over us Impression users has Ébitten the dustæ!
9.3
Well Done!
9.3
Image Outliner
9.3
Christopher Jarman
9.3
Image Outliner is a utility to convert sprites into drawfiles. I have
been reviewing it for a couple of weeks now because I read what Jack
Kreindler wrote about it in Juneæs Acorn User. It seemed that he had
complained in the May issue that the Acorn platform did not have a top
class program to convert bitmaps into vector graphics. I am always
wishing that I had such a utility, because when you are spending hours
messing about with graphics, and creating images, that is exactly the
sort of thing you want.
9.3
So Iota sent Jack a copy of Image Outliner by return, with the curt
message, öOy! What about this then?ò
9.3
As a matter of fact, I now see that Image Outliner has actually been
around since 1991, so clearly Acorn User was well out of order in not
noticing it earlier. But hey! Who else noticed it either?
9.3
Now come on Iota, with a super utility like this one, why hide your
light under a bushel for so long? Iæve never seen it advertised.
9.3
Documentation
9.3
I have recently criticised a number of printed manuals for being hard to
understand, and written by programmers for other programmers, so when I
spoke to Iota, they asked me to be kind about Outlineræs little manual
because it was not the kind of manual they would provide now. Actually,
itæs not too bad, and fits nicely inside the CD type case in which the
program comes. It is not a difficult utility to work out anyway, even
for a computer illiterate like me. (O.K. If I am so illiterate why am I
writing software reviews? The answer must be that Paul considers them to
be aimed at other computer duffers.)
9.3
Outliner in use
9.3
Outliner comes on a single floppy, and my only real complaint about it
is that even if you load it onto your hard disc, it still demands the
original disc to install it each time. I know it is a reasonable guard
against piracy, but I wish another method could be used, especially for
a utility which is to be used regularly.
9.3
It loads onto the iconbar in the standard way and, on clicking <select>,
you get a small window with three tools on the left Ö Sprite Mode, Knot
Mode and Draw Mode. The Knot Mode is the complicated one and concerns
the way in which paths are created from the sprite image towards the
Draw image, but the user does not need to know this at this stage, so I
ignored it.
9.3
Load in an 8-bit sprite. This one was digitised from a video camera
using HCCS Vision 24.  You can see eleven colours being tried out at
this stage.
9.3
All you do is to drop a sprite into the window, click on Draw Mode and
wait. Eventually, you will have a drawfile of your sprite and you can
drop it into Artworks or Draw and play about with it, distort it, and
change colours until the cows come trotting homewards. However, there is
more, because it will only accept 8 bit sprites Ö which is just as well
because things would take too long otherwise. Also, quite frankly, the
smaller and less complex the sprite you convert, the better.
9.3
Good use of !Change FSI helps a lot, but there is also a superb option
on the menu button which is a boon. It is called Posterise and allows
you to experiment endlessly with your chosen sprite to make it as simple
as you wish by cutting down the number of colours. Posterise the sprite
down to eight colours in this instance.  At this stage it can be saved
and used as it is, still a bit-map.
9.3
As it implies, it will make the sprite look more and more like a poster
or a print before you convert it. As a matter of fact, I liked this
aspect of the utility every bit as much as the actual vector conversion.
You can save your öPosterò sprite at any stage, and just use it as it
is. For converting a digitised image of human figure into a plain
graphical image, it is tremendous, and I shall be using it a great deal.
9.3
Altogether this is a lovely program, excellent value for money and a
delight both to use and to watch. The conversion process unfolds before
your eyes in a most elegant way and is entertaining in itself.
9.3
Image Outliner costs ú49 +VAT from Iota Software or ú54 through
Archive.áu
9.3
The final drawfile - vector image. This is a particularly complex one
and took a long time to process, half an hour; but very valuable and
manipulable when you have it.
9.3
Communications Column
9.3
Chris Claydon
9.3
This monthæs column will cover how you can get access to the electronic
communication revolution Ö what equipment and software you need and how
you can use it.
9.3
The hardware
9.3
Basically, you need a modem. This is a device which converts data into
sound, transmits it over a phone line to another modem, and converts
sound from that modem back into data. There are a wide range of modems
available at a wide range of prices. Almost all modems now have the
capability to send and receive high-quality faxes (using the ArcFax
software from David Pilling), and some can also act as an answering
machine (called voice modems). Unfortunately, there is very little
software support for these on the Acorn.
9.3
The speed of a modem is measured in bits per second (Baud rate).
Dividing this by ten gives an approximate number of bytes (characters)
transmitted per second. Most modems also compress the data as it is
transferred, giving even higher effective speeds. A 14,400 baud modem
which will transfer up to 2Kb per second is now considered the minimum
speed for general use. If you intend to transfer large files and/or use
the Internet, I would recommend a 28,800 modem which will do everything
twice as fast. Modems at 36,000 baud and faster are just becoming
available, but will be quite expensive as they are now Étop of the
rangeæ.
9.3
You could buy your modem from an Acorn dealer, and that means you would
get help if you have problems, but I think you will find that Acorn
dealers are quite a bit more expensive than PC dealers. If price is
everything, pick up a copy of MicroMart or a similar publication and
shop around for the lowest price, as modems are the same for all
computers, but be sure you are buying an external modem rather than an
internal card for a PC though! You can pay as little as ú70 for a 14,400
baud fax modem, or ú120 for a 28,800 baud fax modem. Voice modems are
generally around ú20 more.
9.3
(You can get modems as cheap as this but be aware that not all modems
are Éapprovedæ. Getting that approval for a product costs a lot of
money, so some companies donæt bother Ö which keeps the price down.
Although it is not illegal to sell such modems, it is illegal to use
them. Ed.)
9.3
You will also need a lead to connect the modem to your computer. If you
have a pre-A5000 machine you will need a special Acorn wired cable due
to a bug in the early serial chips. Also, these serial ports are too
slow to use 28800 baud modems. With an A5000 or later computer, you can
use a standard PC serial lead, usually supplied with the modem. You will
also need an adapter for your 9-pin serial port, although most modem
packages include one of these, as some PCæs also have 9-pin ports. It is
a common phenomenon in A5000s for the serial port to simply die after a
year or two (mine did!) and, in earlier computers, the serial port is
very slow, so you may wish to consider a high-speed dual serial port
card. Intelligent Interfaces and ÉThe Serial Portæ both produce such
cards Ö the Intelligent Interfaces one is available through Archive for
ú175. (Atomwide are doing one too. Ed.)
9.3
(Now you see why some people are prepared to pay more and buy a modem
from an Acorn dealer. Ed.)
9.3
The software
9.3
I will not be covering software for connecting to the Internet in any
detail Ö the suite of PD software for doing this is far too complex to
be within the scope of this column. Doggysoft produce a program called
Termite which is an easier-to-use interface for the Internet. I have
never used it myself, but users I have spoken to seem to either like it
or loathe it.
9.3
Ordinary bulletin boards require a simple coloured-text display system
called ANSI and a file transfer system called Zmodem. There is
commercial software available for this purpose: Chatter, ArcComm,
Hearsay II and ARCterm 7 are the most popular. However, these are all
fairly expensive (around ú70), apart from Chatter. You will find that
many PD or shareware terminals are almost as good, and in some ways
better than these packages. I use !Connector, a good PD terminal
program, which was released quite recently. I have included this on the
monthly program disc, ready set up with some BBS numbers in the address
book and some sensible modem settings.
9.3
Several BBS systems, including mine, now use my own ÉImmediateæ RISC OS
multimedia interface, which makes them easier and quicker to use. This
requires a special terminal program which you can download (copy to your
computer) from these boards using a normal ANSI/Zmodem terminal.
9.3
Ready to go?
9.3
So, you now have your modem, your software and your cable. You first
need to set up your software for your modem and serial port. You will
need to tell it what sort of serial port and cable you are using and you
will need to set the computer-modem baud rate. This can be much faster
than the actual speed of the modem, and you should use the maximum speed
you can Ö this will either be limited by your modem or by your serial
port. (19,200 baud is the maximum serial port speed on the Archimedes,
57,600 on later machines, and 115,200 on the Risc PC.)
9.3
Once you have configured your software, the first thing to do is try
calling a BBS. Try one of those listed at the end of the column. Some
terminals will do this automatically, just by selecting an option and
entering a number, or by using an Éaddress bookæ of BBSs. In others, you
can command the modem to dial by typing ÉATDT 01234 567890æ, or similar.
AT tells the modem this is a command, D tells it to dial and T selects
tone dialling. Refer to your modem manual for other similar commands.
9.3
There are a lot of things which can go wrong here Ö too many to go
through in detail Ö but here are a few common problems: software
configured for Acorn cable when PC cable is used or vice-versa; PC cable
used on incompatible machine; computer to modem baud rate set too slow
or too fast for modem, modem is not echoing what you type (send ATE1);
rubbish appears all over screen when you connect to a BBS (check data
format is set to 8n1); nothing happens at all (have you got a duff A5000
serial port?).
9.3
Also, in ARM2 machines, when using high resolution modes, the processor
sometimes canæt keep up with the data coming from the modem, and bits
get missed or corrupted. The solution is to change to a low resolution
mode and remove any unnecessary software which is running.
9.3
If you donæt have a hard drive, transfer files to and from the RAM disc
or Memphis disc, not the floppy. Transferring via floppy will slow
things down a lot.
9.3
If you still have trouble getting online, give me a call and Iæll see if
I can help you out.
9.3
Having introduced you to comms in general, what you need and how to use
it, next month the column will start properly carrying news, views,
reviews and anything else related to comms. If you would like me to
review a comms-related program, or you have some comms related news,
please let me know. I have decided that as the Internet is also covered
by other columns (Networking and Internet), I will concentrate mainly on
the BBS and Fidonet community, but I will cover just about anything, if
you ask me nicely!
9.3
If you have any feedback on how you would like me to develop this
column, or suggestions for topics to cover, you can contact me in the
following ways:
9.3
Voice phone: [phone] or 24hr ARMed Forces Multimedia BBS: 01962-
880003.
9.3
Email: [e-mail]
9.3
Web: http://www.icafe.co.za/mirage/ARMedForces
9.3
FidoNet: 2:252/501      RiscNet: 7:44/212.
9.3
Post: Chris Claydon, 38 Main Road, Littleton, Winchester, Hampshire,
SO22 6QQ.á
9.3
BBS Name  Location  Phone Number
9.3
Renegade  Aberdeen  01224-621956
9.3
Equinox  Portsmouth  01705-871531
9.3
StarNet  Norwich  01603-507216
9.3
Networking Column
9.3
Chris Johnson
9.3
I hope Paul will forgive me for straying a little away from the remit of
this column, and covering some Internet related items as well this
month.
9.3
Network links for PC cards
9.3
It is becoming more and more important to be able to use Acorn systems
on the same networks as PCs or Apple Macs. In our department we have
been successfully using Acorn systems attached to the main campus LAN,
and hence to JANET, for some time. Running Acornæs TCP/IP software, it
is possible to access the Internet, both locally and globally. Acornæs
Telnet and FTP capability, although rather primitive in look and feel,
allows terminal access and file downloading, while Stewart Brodieæs
ArcWeb gives full Web browsing facilities.
9.3
However, we have a number of PCs in the department running Novell
Netware. As the network supervisor, I used to have, next to my Risc PC,
a PC on which I did my network management act. This went against the
grain, to say the least. Since Aleph One now produce networking software
which allows connection of a PC card to a Novell network, (or a Windows
for Workgroups network), I thought it was time to get properly
connected.
9.3
I ordered the software from Aleph One. Here was a minor hiccup Ö I
received a fax back asking for details of the Ethernet card and the PC
card fitted to the machine. Presumably, the software includes hardware
specific code, so it is important to specify the manufacturers of the
cards and, where applicable, the version number of firmware, etc. Once
the details had been faxed back, the software arrived a couple of days
later. It comes in an A5 wallet, with two discs, and an eight page
pamphlet of (quite technical) instructions. One disc has the network
software itself, together with the latest drivers for Aleph One and
Acorn Ethernet cards, and the other contains the latest versions of
Aleph Oneæs PC card software. Since I had an Acorn Risc PC card, this
second disc was superfluous.
9.3
The network software I received had versions for use with the older
DCI2, and the newer DCI4 Internet software and drivers. Using the DCI4
drivers gives increased functionality. You can get the DCI4 version of
Acornæs !Internet (and !Bootnet) by downloading from the Acorn FTP site.
I had already installed the newer version on my own machine, since the
internal Risc PC card had a DCI4 driver.
9.3
The installation instructions are very clear, but some familiarity with
the PC side of networking is a help. As far as RISCáOS is concerned, it
is simply a case of copying three modules into the !PC486 (or
equivalent) application, and adding some lines to the !PC486.!run file
to make sure these modules are loaded when !PC486 is first run. In my
case, copying the Ethernet driver into !PC486 was not really necessary,
since all the Internet software and drivers are loaded at startup.
9.3
It is also necessary to install appropriate PC network software, for
which you must find a source. I simply copied all the Novell specific
software from my PC, and changed autoexec.bat as necessary to load it
when the PC card is started. The PC netlinks software appears to the PC
card as an NE2000 Ethernet card, so an NE2000 card driver was obtained
from another computer. It is necessary to edit the NET.CFG file so it
loads the correct driver, and uses the correct I/O port base and
interrupt number. All this is explained in the instructions. When I
booted the PC card, it found the Novell server immediately, and I have
had no problems since. I found the whole process was very painless, and
the PC addicts in the department are very impressed seeing me access the
Novell server in a window on the desktop, while fetching pages with
!ArcWeb.
9.3
In my experience, the netlinks software works well, and, once installed
and working, can be forgotten about. However, I would urge anyone
ordering the package to talk to Aleph One about their hardware, since
early podule PC cards may need some small hardware modifications before
they work satisfactorily.
9.3
If you have Ethernet cards such as Acorn Access, which load a number of
modules from the onboard ROM at bootup, and you need to load newer
versions of the drivers and IP software, then the situation is more
complex. A number of lines must be added to the RISCáOS boot file to
RMKill these modules, load in the newer versions as necessary, and then
RMReinit the modules. The instructions provided explain all this in
detail, so there should be no problem.
9.3
Web browser as a local information server
9.3
In the past, I have looked at several applications as candidates for use
as a basis for a local bulletin board or information service on our
local network. However, none of them have been suitable for the
applications I had in mind. With the introduction of the World Wide Web
has come the ready availability of a powerful hypertext display system,
which is ideal for such applications, and which has, dare I say it, an
öindustry standardò look and feel. The local home page facility of Web
browsers allows you to set up as many linked pages as you want, which
are completely independent of the Internet but, at the same time, will
integrate seamlessly with it, if necessary.
9.3
We have used !ArcWeb for all our Web browsing. The latest version (0.38)
appears stable and gives few problems, although some of the more
esoteric of the latest Netscape extensions cause it to use funny
colours, or get the formatting wrong. However, there are very few pages
indeed that it will not handle.
9.3
When ArcWeb is launched, a system variable is set to point to a local
home page. This page, and any linked pages, can be stored on any local
filing system, including network file servers. It is simply a case of
editing one line in the !run file to point to the local home page.
Whenever the ArcWeb icon is clicked on, this local home page is fetched.
I use the home page to point to a wide range of pages of local interest,
but of course there are many links within these pages to resources on
the real Internet. When the user clicks on a hypertext link, there is no
indication (other than looking at the URL) whether the page is coming
from the local fileserver or over the Internet. If you do not have a
direct Internet connection, the Web browser can still be used to provide
a local service over the network. An Ethernet system is obviously
preferable for speed, particularly if the pages contain a lot of
graphics. I should be interested to hear from any other readers who use
Web browsers in this way.
9.3
HTML documents
9.3
If you are going to produce your own Web pages, what tools are available
to make the task easier? HTML (hypertext markup language), the language
in which all Web pages are written, originated on Unix machines. It is
conceptually very simple. Documents are purely ASCII text throughout,
with all styles, links, etc included as Étagsæ. Traditionally, Unix
editors such as Vi or Emacs were used, but this required you to remember
all the tags, and enter them manually. Thus it should be feasible to use
any of the Acorn text editors (Edit, DeskEdit, etc) to produce Web
pages. All tags are enclosed in the Égreater thanæ and Éless thanæ
symbols, and a style is turned off by a slash (/) in front of the
appropriate tag. Thus the text
9.3
<B>This is bold</B>
9.3
would appear in the browser as This is bold. Some tags are easy to
remember, but when including links (anchors) or images, there is a lot
more to include. Thus it is perfectly feasible to use simple text
editors, but it is easy to get the format of the tags wrong, or forget
to turn off an effect.
9.3
HTMLEdit
9.3
I have been using HTMLEdit to construct Web pages, so I thought I would
comment on some of its features. The authors aim is to offer a complete
HTML document creation environment for the Acorn platform, comparable
with tools on other platforms which cost considerably more. Since I have
no experience of creating HTML documents on other platforms, I cannot
comment on whether that aim is achieved.
9.3
When I first purchased HTMLEdit, it was delivered by e-mail, and I
received a couple of upgrades the same way. Since then, the full package
has arrived, consisting of an A5 wallet, containing the program disc and
a manual of some 34 pages. The manual contains the usual installation
section, followed by a tutorial which leads you through the production
of simple Web pages. The manual is completed by a reference section
which covers the main toolbox and associated menus and dialogue boxes.
It is well laid out and easy to follow. The program is, in any case,
simple to use, so getting started should be no problem. The disc
contains the HTMLEdit application, together with some tutorial files and
an HTML primer, which is one of the many versions available on the
Internet. It is an HTML document, of course. There are also some
utilities, including the Web browser Webster, and WebGif, which allows
the conversion of sprites to GIF format, including a mask if required.
9.3
Installation is simple, just drag the !HTMLEdit application to any
suitable directory viewer on your hard disc, and it is ready to use. You
could also install it to a floppy disc. Double-clicking on the !HTMLEdit
icon installs it on the iconbar Ö yet another variation on the !Edit
icon. A click with <select> on this icon opens two windows. One is the
toolbox, and the other is the document window. The document window looks
exactly like a standard Edit document window, and the cloning goes much
further. The authors have deliberately made the look and feel as close
to the Edit standard as possible. Not only do all the standard key short
cuts work in an identical manner to Edit (ctrl-C, ctrl¡V, ctrl-X and so
on), but the menu structure itself is also identical. The only obvious
difference is that the Ésave asæ and Éfile infoæ dialogue boxes have the
HTML document icon, rather than the text icon.
9.3
All the HTML specific operations are accessed from the toolbox, which is
a collection of buttons. Some carry out actions directly on the text,
others raise a menu of alternatives, while others open a dialogue box.
There is no obvious indication from the buttons themselves which of
these three types of action will occur on clicking. The full syntax of
HTML 2.0 is supported, with some of HTML 3.0 also supported. As an
example of direct action, clicking on the bold button will enter <B></B>
into the text at the caret, and the caret will then be placed between
the central > and < ready for text to be entered. On the other hand, if
a section of text is selected when the bold button is clicked upon, the
tags are placed so as to enclose the marked section. This intelligent
behaviour occurs for all the tags for which it makes sense. When a
button such as styles or headings is clicked upon, a menu opens with a
list of alternative tags, e.g. heading1 to heading 6. The action on
making a selection is similar to that already given, depending on
whether text is selected or not. The full set of list styles is also
supported.
9.3
The final type of button opens a dialogue box from which anchors, or
image details can be entered. Forms, with gadgets, checkboxes, etc, are
also supported, as are top-bit set characters. It is very quick to enter
tags in this manner, and the main advantage is that opening and closing
tags are entered at the same time, and so you should never have unclosed
style structures. With the more complex tags, such as the document
header, the syntax should be correct, and it also saves a lot of typing.
9.3
An edit style document window is very far from Web style. How do we see
what the document will actually look like? HTMLEdit makes no attempt to
display the page itself, but passes it to your favourite Web browser for
display. There are two buttons in the tool window. One previews the page
from memory, via <wimp$scrap>. No images will be displayed, but the
textual part of the document should look correct. Links to other
documents will not work. The other option is to preview the saved page.
Assuming this is in the correct place with respect to the paths of
linked pages and images, this should be WYSIWYG, and all images will be
displayed, and links to other pages will work. In order for any
previewing to work at all, the Web browser must have been seen by the
filer.
9.3
Generally, HTMLEdit does all that is claimed for it, and I have found it
has significantly accelerated my production of Web documents. One
restriction is that, unlike Edit, only one document can be open at a
time. Therefore, if you wish to cut and paste between documents, the
second document must be loaded into Edit or Deskedit, etc, and the save
selection option used. This is a definite disadvantage, particularly if
it is a cut and paste, rather than a copy. One feature I find
infuriating at times is the fact that if you move a marked section
within a document using <ctrl-V>, the moved text remains selected
whereas, in Edit, it is deselected. On a number of occasions, I have
moved text, moved the caret somewhere else in the document and
subsequently clicked on a button to enter a style, only to find the
still-selected text has been wrapped up in the style instead. I have got
into the habit of using <ctrl-Z> regularly to make sure nothing is
selected that should not be selected!
9.3
Is HTMLEdit value for money? The current cost is ú30 from R-Comp which
is, I think, a little on the high side, but I suppose this is only to be
expected for a commercial product with an obviously rather small sales
market. If the upgrade policy in respect of the future versions that are
promised is generous, it may well prove to be good value for money, but
I think you would need to be serious about producing Web pages regularly
to get full value from such a package.
9.3
How to contact me
9.3
I should be pleased to receive anything in connection with networking.
My postal address is Chris Johnson, 7 Lovedale Grove, Balerno,
Edinburgh, EH14 7DR; Iácan also be contacted by e-mail as checaj@bonaly.
hw.ac.uk.áuá
9.3
Starting Basic
9.3
Ray Favre
9.3
This month I want to make a start on procedures and functions, but
first, the Éhomeworkæ...
9.3
Last time, I left you with some Éhomeworkæ, trying to get error messages
from the ÉLoan_2æ listing. If you did what I suggested, and in that
order, you would probably have got the error messages:
9.3
öUnknown or missing variableò or öMissingöòò (depending which end you
missed off)
9.3
öUnknown or missing variableò
9.3
öType mismatch, number neededò
9.3
öSyntax errorò or öUnknown or missing variableò
9.3
Taking these in order, without quote marks at the start of a string, the
processor thinks it has met another variable name, and one that hasnæt
been declared. So it tells you that. Had you, coincidentally, already
declared a numeric variable with the same name, the error message would
have been öType mismatch. String neededò. If you miss the quotes only at
the end of the string, the processor easily detects it and accurately
identifies the error. With this comment, the third and fourth items
should now be straightforward.
9.3
The öunknown or missing variableò error message occurs with several
sorts of typing errors, particularly if you run two items together by
missing out a colon, semi-colon or comma. As you can see above, you may
well have seen it more than once. With familiarity, youæll get used to
the most likely reasons for the various messages.
9.3
On the final question: if a real number is assigned to an integer
variable, the variable will be assigned with only the integer part of
the real number Ö without an error message. This is probably a sensible
compromise, but you need to be aware of it. It can result in a program
apparently working OK but giving wrong results, and it can be a real
pain to trace. It provides good reason always to check your program with
both real and integer inputs, against calculated answers. And now for
this sessionæs topic...
9.3
Procedures (ÉPROCsæ)
9.3
Procedures are self-contained user-defined routines, i.e. simply a
sequence of Basic instructions, and they have two main uses. The first
use is for routines which are going to be used repeatedly during a
program. By defining a PROC to contain such a routine, we can simply
Écallæ the PROC by name whenever we need it, rather than having to type
out the same sequence of instructions each time. An example of the PROC
definition format is:
9.3
DEF PROCprintDate
9.3
Date$ = LEFT$(TIME$,15) :REM** Produces todayæs date from internal
computer clock. **
9.3
PRINT TAB(10) Date$
9.3
ENDPROC
9.3
Every PROC definition must start with the line DEFáPROCprocName and end
with the line ENDPROC. (There need not be a space between the two
keywords DEF and PROC, but there must not be a space between PROC and
the name.) The lines in between contain your required sequence of Basic
instructions and these will be carried out each time this PROC is
called. We would use PROCprintDate to call the above PROC in a program Ö
and every time we did so, the date would be printed out on the screen at
tab position 10. The program would then continue from the point where
the call was made. In other words, calling a PROC causes the program to
divert from its line number sequence temporarily Ö resuming from where
it diverted after carrying out the PROC instructions.
9.3
PROC names are similar to, but a little less restricted than, variable
names (but donæt add É%æ or É$æ to them). They can start with a digit or
a keyword, for instance. Again, there is no length restriction and it
pays to name them meaningfully. We will use a similar format to that
adopted for variables, except that weæll always start the name with a
lower case letter Ö to contrast it with the keyword ÉPROCæ itself. You
can use the same name for a PROC/FN and for a variable e.g. PROCdate and
date Ö they will be treated as separate names.
9.3
PROCs with parameters
9.3
The use of procedures is extended considerably by using Éparameter
passingæ. We could change our example to:
9.3
DEF PROCprintDate(Tab%)
9.3
Date$ = LEFT$(TIME$,15)
9.3
PRINT TAB(Tab%) Date$
9.3
ENDPROC
9.3
In the DEFáPROC line, Tab% is called a Éparameteræ and can be any of the
three variable types, complete with % or $ name endings as appropriate
(see Part 2). If this PROC is then called by, say, PROCprintDate(22),
the value 22 is substituted for Tab% ( Épassed to the PROCæ) and the
date is printed on screen at tab position 22. Or, if called by, say,
PROCprintDate(Integer%), the date is printed at the tab position equal
to the value held in Integer%. There is no limit to the number of
parameters you can use (a dozen or more is quite common in Wimp
applications). When more than one parameter is used, they are separated
by commas in the DEFáPROC line, e.g. DEFáPROCprocName(Param1%, Param2,
Param3$, etc....). They can be a mix of the three types, but you must
make sure you use the right types in the right order when you call the
PROC Ö or errors will occur which may not necessarily cause error
messages.
9.3
PROCs as structural aid
9.3
The second use of PROCs is as a structural aid to programming. Youæll
recall that ÉLoan_2æ was deliberately written without PROCs and, even in
this short and simple program, you can see it would be easier to read
(and therefore to understand) if the program itself was reduced to
something like:
9.3
10 ON ERROR PROCerror
9.3
20 PROCsetUpVariables
9.3
30 PROCmenu
9.3
40 PROCchooseUnknown
9.3
50 PROCinputKnowns
9.3
60 PROCcalc
9.3
70 PROCresults
9.3
80 END
9.3
The detailed code is carried within the appropriate PROCs. The structure
can be seen better and we can change the structure or the detail much
more simply. We will shortly convert ÉLoan_2æ to this form.
9.3
Functions (ÉFNsæ)
9.3
Everything we have said about PROCs applies equally to FNs Ö except in
the final line of their definition, which reflects their slightly
different purpose. A FN Éreturnsæ a value (real, integer or string)
which needs to be incorporated (and matched by type) into the calling
instruction, rather like a variable. A typical, albeit short, FN
definition might look like:
9.3
DEF FNtodayDate
9.3
 = LEFT$(TIME$,15)
9.3
and would be called by a statement like Date$ = FNtodayDate. The last
line of a FN definition must always end with an Éequalsæ sign followed
by the result that is being Éreturnedæ to the calling statement. In this
case, the string variable Date$ will be assigned with the value produced
by FNtodayDate. FNs often contain just as many parameters and lines of
action as PROCs, but they must always end up by returning a value.
9.3
Further points
9.3
The definitions of PROCs/FNs can themselves call PROCs/FNs, e.g. having
defined FNtodayDate, we could now modify PROCprintDate(Tab%) to read:
9.3
DEF PROCprintDate(Tab%)
9.3
Date$ = FNtodayDate
9.3
PRINT TAB(Tab%) Date$
9.3
ENDPROC
9.3
When writing a program, the DEF PROC/FNs are always put after the main
program, separated from it by an END statement. As the Basic processor
tries to follow the program line by line in number sequence, it would
simply continue to step straight into the DEFs and be treated as part of
the natural program sequence unless the program is stopped (by the END
statement) before the definitions begin. Other than this, it does not
matter in which order the PROC/FN definitions are listed, although it
will help to keep them in some logical order.
9.3
One of the beauties of PROCs (not shared by FNs) is that you can define
them with nothing between DEFáPROC and ENDPROC and they will not halt
the flow of your program while you are developing it. This may sound a
daft idea, but it helps to get the main structure in place and it
reminds you that youæve still got something to do. In large programs,
this can be a great help, particularly when you have to leave the
programming for a while.
9.3
BBC Basic also supports a poor relation of PROCs, using the keyword
GOSUB. This is very much less easy to use than PROCs/FNs and has been
more or less superseded by them. Many other Basic dialects are still
limited to something like GOSUB. There is no doubt that PROCs/FNs are
probably the most important advantage of BBC Basic for the programmer.
9.3
Upgrading ÉLoan_2æ
9.3
Our first step in developing ÉLoan_2æ is to put in place a main
structure of PROCs (similar to the example earlier) and transfer the
existing program material into the corresponding DEFáPROCs. This, and
only this, is done in ÉLoan_4Aæ on the monthly disc, which is worth
studying to get used to the way PROCs are listed and called. As we build
the program, we will gradually include other PROCs and FNs into the
definitions of most of these initial PROCs.
9.3
In ÉLoan_4Bæ, the first real change takes place by putting a better
looking menu on the screen. This involves us in: display mode choice,
colours, better formatting of menu items, and pausing the program.
9.3
Display mode
9.3
Iæve chosen mode 12, as it is the lowest number giving us an 80-
character screen width and 16 colours, but any other mode with these
features will do.
9.3
Changing display mode actually does quite a number of things and can
affect how we program. (On top of this, there used to be restrictions on
changing it from within a PROC/FN.) So it is normal practice in non-Wimp
programs to set the display mode very early in the main program, so that
it is in plain view for all to see. Hence, MODEá12 will be our new first
instruction of the program.
9.3
Colour
9.3
We will say more on colour later but, for now, it only needs to be noted
that text and graphic colours are handled separately, and the keyword
COLOUR is the one for text. I find it helpful to try to get some
uniformity in the use of colour over different non-Wimp programs. (In
Wimp there is considerable pressure Ö and much help Ö to follow the
Acorn ÉStyle Guideæ, so it is easier there.) Therefore, I normally
define colours at the start of a program, by including them in an
Éinitiationæ PROC. Youæll find a PROCinit in many programs. Itæs a good
habit. You use it at, or very near, the start, to set up anything
applicable to the program as a whole Ö selection of colours is a good
example. It is also usually used to reserve memory for arrays and
suchlike, as we will come to later. So, a PROCinit is introduced.
9.3
Menu formatting
9.3
For neat menus, our need is usually to be able to centre text and/or to
be able to line it up at a desired tab position. (I feel a PROC coming
on!) Therefore, within PROCmenu, we will call a new PROC:
PROCcentrePrint(String$).
9.3
Pausing
9.3
The keywords GET and GET$ are the simplest way to make a program wait
until you want it to continue Ö but it should not be used in Wimp
programs. Weæll cover these in more detail next time but, for the
moment, we will use the simplest instruction pause%=GET, which will hold
things on the screen until we press any key.
9.3
Next time
9.3
Next time, we will take a look at selecting items from a menu/list,
which will include having a look at REPEAT... UNTIL loops and INSTR.
9.3
Listings
9.3
The listings are now on the disc only Ö there is simply not enough space
to include them in the column. However, it is very important that
beginners do type in listings themselves. There is no other way to learn
properly. Therefore, I am happy to provide a separate printed listings
service to anyone who cares to send an A4 size SAE to the address below.
You can either send one SAE each month (indicating which Part you want)
or you can send, say, half a dozen SAEs now and Iæll send one back each
month. My estimate is that there will be at least another dozen
articles.
9.3
The feedback received so far supports the need to keep this series aimed
firmly at the complete beginner and Iæm grateful to those who took the
time out to let me know. Keep the letters coming, to: 26 West Drayton
Park Avenue, West Drayton, UB7 7QA.áuá
9.3
Beginnersæ Corner
9.3
John Temple
9.3
How did you get on with the problems I set last time? Here are the
answers:
9.3
(1) In the font Corpus, the letters are all the same width, whereas in
Homerton and Trinity they have proportional spacing. The letter m is the
widest (w is not quite as wide), and i and j are equally the narrowest.
System font has equal spacing like Corpus. In Edit, try typing the
letter m twenty times in a row, followed by w and i and j each twenty
times. Then change fonts and watch what happens.
9.3
Another difference between the fonts is that Homerton is a sanserif
font. That means it doesnæt have the little squiggles on the ends of the
letters, whereas Corpus and Trinity do. The letters you are reading now
have serifs. The headings and subheadings in the magazine donæt. It is
easier to read words in a serif font. Sanserif fonts look more striking
and are often used (as in Archive) for titles.
9.3
[By the way, the word should actually be fount not font. A font is a
place where Christian baptisms take place. Look in a dictionary if you
donæt believe me!]
9.3
(2) To display text in an Edit screen in Homerton bold oblique, using
size 20, move the mouse pointer over the following menus and click on
Bold.Oblique.ëëë
9.3
Then in a similar way, choose DisplayÿFont sizeÿ20.
9.3
(3) To make the letters red and the background yellow:
9.3
DisplayÿForegroundÿ(Red) and then
9.3
DisplayÿBackgroundÿ(Yellow)
9.3
(4) To change the width of the left hand margin:
9.3
DisplayÿMargin and type in a suitable number.
9.3
(5) What does window wrap do? If you have a small window in an Edit
file, the text lines may be too long to fit in and they will disappear
over the sides. Switching Window wrap on stops this from happening. An
easy way to see the effect is to load OneTo50, the file we used last
month, and before you do anything else, click on Window wrap. With it
off, you are unable see the word ten in the first line. With it on, you
can.
9.3
(6) What about Invert? You probably noticed that it changes black to
white and white to black. But what if the foreground (i.e. the text) and
background colours are not black and white? The correct answer is that
it swaps the foreground and background colours. Award yourself a brownie
point if you got that.
9.3
Printing
9.3
None of the options in the Display menu makes any difference to what
comes out when you print an Edit file. It doesnæt matter if the letters
are enormous or tiny, black or red or green. The printed version stays
the same. The display relates only to the screen.
9.3
Why is this? Well, there are two ways or modes in which a document can
be printed, normal mode and graphics mode. In normal mode, the computer
sends ASCII codes to the printer; in graphics mode, it sends bit images
of pages or parts of pages.
9.3
ASCII codes are numbers. There is a different ASCII code (number) for
every letter, numeral and punctuation mark on a keyboard. In fact,
letters have two Ö one for the capital letter and another for lower
case. There are many other systems of numerical coding but it is the
American Standard Code for Information Interchange which has become the
standard for printers.
9.3
Edit files are printed in normal mode. ASCII codes are sent down the
printer cable and it is the printer which decides how to form the
letters. On most printers, you can change the font. So an Edit (text)
file can be printed with different fonts, but they have to be selected
at the printer. Some printers have a slot where you can plug in a card
to give additional fonts.
9.3
The other way of printing is to send a series of dots (pixels) to the
printer, which scans the page in much the same way as an electron beam
scans a TV tube or monitor. This is graphics mode. If you watch a
printer printing text in graphics mode, you sometimes see part of a row
of letters formed in one sweep of the print head and the other half in
the next sweep. Nowadays, most word processors and desktop publishers
print documents in graphics mode.
9.3
You can import a text file into a wordáprocessor or desktop publisher. I
am using Fireworkz to write this article. Archive is printed using
Impression. As I cannot make Impression files, I save the text as a text
file (as if I had used Edit) and that is what I send in to Paul.
Illustrations are sent as drawfiles (more on that later). Paul drops the
text file into Impression and re-creates my layout, which I send on
paper. (We did with this one, but weære going to try to get the
formatting across from Fireworkz to Impression, maybe using RTF files Ö
see the Archive Glossary Ö and weæll let you know how we get on! Ed.)
9.3
Editing and formatting
9.3
If you want to do serious editing, you must learn how to mark text. Itæs
not difficult. Load OneTo50 by double clicking on it.
9.3
Move the mouse pointer to the beginning of the twenties.
9.3
Press the left hand mouse button and, without releasing it, move the
mouse down until the twenties are marked. Then let go.
9.3
The text has been marked and is ready for you to do things to it. A
shortcut to marking in RISCáOSá3 is to click twice on a word to mark it.
If you click three times, you mark the whole line. (A line of text may
take up more than a line in a window.)
9.3
Leaving the twenties text marked, move the pointer to the end of the
file (after the word, fifty) and press <select> on the mouse. Hold down
<ctrl> and, without releasing it, touch <C>. What happens? [Iæm not
going to tell you. Try it out for yourself.]
9.3
The four keys at the bottom left of the keyboard, Z, X, C and V each
have an editing function. Here is a summary of what they do.
9.3
<ctrl-C> copies marked text to where you have put the mouse pointer.
9.3
<ctrl-V> moves marked text to where you have put the mouse pointer.
9.3
<ctrl-X> deletes marked text. Beware!
9.3
<ctrl-Z> removes the marking.
9.3
The best way to remember these is to use them, but these mnemonics might
help: Zap the black; Cross out the teXt; Copy; moVe.
9.3
There are some more editing features in the pop up menus. What is
available varies according to what version of Edit you have, so if you
cannot do all of the following, please donæt write to me.
9.3
Normally, if you press <tab>, the caret jumps to level with the next
word in the line above. If there are no words in the line above, it goes
to the beginning of the line. Any text in the same line as the cursor is
jumped over. If the beginning of the line is outside the window, the
text moves across the window to show the caret at the beginning of the
line.
9.3
In the Misc submenu, selecting Column tab changes all that. With Column
tab switched on, touching <tab> inserts spaces so as to move the cursor
to the next tab position. So you can use it to create columns. But you
will spoil it all if you try to insert anything anywhere in the
paragraph, before the tab.
9.3
It sounds complicated, but is easier in practice. Try it.
9.3
Also in the Misc submenu, Overwrite switches between inserting and
overwriting, and Wordwrap ensures that words are not broken at the ends
of lines. This feature only applies to text typed in after Wordwrap is
switched on. Note that Wordwrap is not the same as Window wrap, which we
looked at earlier.
9.3
The Select submenu has alternative copy, move and delete commands, plus
Indent. These only work if you have selected (marked) some text. Indent
has its own window, opened by moving the cursor over the arrow. You type
a number into the box and then click on [OK]. Marked text will be
indented that number of spaces. To make it work properly, however, you
should first Format the text, using the Edit submenu.
9.3
Format determines the length (in System characters) of a line. The
default is 76 so if you want to shorten the lines, type a smaller number
into the box opened by EditÿFormat.
9.3
The Find facility in the Edit submenu is very useful. Use it to find a
particular word (or group of characters), or to count the number of
occurrences of the word, or to replace the word with another word. It
scans from the position of the caret to the end of the text, so if you
want to scan the whole document you must move the caret to the
beginning.
9.3
Re-load OneTo50 to give you a fresh start. Switch Window wrap on so that
you can see the whole text.
9.3
Make sure the caret is at the beginning, click the menu button and
EditÿFind.
9.3
Type ötwoò in the Find box and click on [Go]
9.3
The first occurrence of two will be highlighted.
9.3
Click on [Continue] and the highlighting will move to the two in the
twenties, and so on.
9.3
Now put the caret back to the beginning and open the Find text dialogue
box again.
9.3
Click on [Previous] and then [Count].
9.3
The answer is 4. You knew that, of course, but isnæt it useful?
9.3
Now do it again, but try replacing two with ttwwoo, using the [Replace
with] box. This time, you have to click on [Replace] instead of
[Continue].
9.3
Before you leave the Text found box, try clicking on [Undo]. You may
have to click more than once to undo all the replacing you did.
9.3
If you like, you can [Redo] it all again.
9.3
If you have left the Text found box, you can undo what you have just
done by pressing function key <f8>. You can undo several previous
actions. <f9> will redo them. Fun isnæt it?
9.3
Magic characters
9.3
Magic characters are also very useful. They are indicated by the
backslash key, ö\ò , which you will find on the keyboard above the
<return> key. (Or to the left of <Z> on RiscáPCs. Ed.)
9.3
For example, \* is any string of letters and/or numerals.
9.3
t\*o will find two but it will also find three fo.
9.3
What else will it find? Try it.
9.3
Here are two little problems for you, using OneTo50.
9.3
1. Why are there 19 occurrences of t\*o and not more than 19?
9.3
2. How many newline characters are there?
9.3
Answers next time.áuá
9.3
Comment Column
9.3
Acornæs future? Ö It will take some time for the dust to settle after
Acornæs reorganisation, but at the beginning of October, I went to a
press briefing at Acorn and came away much more optimistic. ART (Applied
Risc Technologies) has been given its head and told that if it has
technology it can sell, it must sell it. So it will be selling business-
to-business to anyone interested in using ARM technology.
9.3
Acorn Education will continue to sell RISCáOS machines into education
but they will also be sorting out some PCs that they can sell with an
Acorn brand name on them. AE will also be responsible for selling to
enthusiasts. However, Chris Cox will be in close contact with Peter
Bondar, Head of Applied Risc Technologies, trying to get out of him
anything that will sell to enthusiasts. In other words, Chris will be
looking to Peter to provide him with the latest technology in computer
form before it is developed to the extent that Acorn Education will need
it. AE have to have computers that will survive in schools, so they have
to be physically robust and fully documented. Enthusiasts, however, will
forgive such things as long as they get the technology as soon as
possible. If they get the technology early, that will increase the level
of excitement which will, in turn, generate more interesting and
innovative applications based on these new technologies, so Chris Coxæs
vision of feeding new technology to the enthusiasts and them feeding
back to Acorn (8.9 page 24) is much nearer to reality now than when he
shared it with us.
9.3
Ed.
9.3
Acorn rumours (from a reliable source) Ö At the time of the
redundancies/reorganisation, the share price was 110p, in the week of
Acorn World 95, it hit a high of 159p. The story is that Oracle (the
worldæs second biggest software company) are putting out a spec for a
$500 risc-based home computer/web station. ARM Ltd would not confirm or
deny that they are involved but said that the ARM 7500 chip would
certainly be ideal for such an application.
9.3
Ed.
9.3
Acorn support Ö In Archive 9.1 p23, Jim Nottingham was quoted as having
complained about Acornæs support. This was an unfortunate mis-quotation
and Jim has asked Archive to make it clear that he has always enjoyed
highly satisfactory product support from Acorn. Archive is pleased to
set the record straight and regrets any embarrassment caused to Jim or
Acor Customer Services Department.
9.3
Ed.
9.3
Acorn? Whatæs in a name? Ö Have you noticed the very subtle way in which
the name ÉAcornæ has gradually disappeared? At first ÉARMæ stood for
ÉAcorn Risc Machineæ but the ÉARMæ in ARM Ltd stands for ÉAdvanced Risc
Machineæ. Similarly, ÉARTæ isnæt ÉAcorn Risc Technologiesæ but ÉApplied
Risc Technologiesæ. And Online Media never had a visible link with the
name ÉAcornæ! Older Acorn-ites may be horrified by the abandoning of the
name Acorn, but itæs quite understandable because Acorn are the victims
of their own success in the educational arena. In a business or
industrial setting, the name ÉAcornæ gets tarred with the brush of öOh,
yes, arenæt those the computers our kids used to play with at school?ò
This isnæt too helpful when you are trying to demonstrate a piece of
leading edge technology (because Éleading-edgeæ it most certainly is).
Does any other company have processors with such low physical power,
high processing power, low chip cost as ART? Why else would a huge
American company such as DEC Corporation license RISC technology from a
tiny British company to make the StrongARM?
9.3
Ed.
9.3
Apollonius PDT (Archive 9.2 p77) Ö I was interested in the review of
Apollonius PDT, having spent many a long evening battling it myself.
Before recently purchasing CAD software, I obtained demo versions which
enabled me to compare the following items. As a result, I eventually
purchased the two which are starred...
9.3
  Apollonius PDT *
9.3
  CADet
9.3
  G-Draft
9.3
  ProCAD *
9.3
  RiscCAD
9.3
  Techsoft Designer
9.3
  Vector
9.3
  WorraCAD
9.3
I chose Apollonius PDT because its parametric facilities mean that it is
the only product which allows true Computer-Aided-Design rather than
mere Computer-Aided Drawing. Its potential is enormous but Oak havenæt
finished fine-tuning it yet and it remains a little too unreliable to
use with confidence, even in its most recent incarnation (version 1.09).
Thus it really canæt be recommended yet.
9.3
ProCAD is recommended, however. It is a highly sophisticated package
which is very easy to use. For the production and manipulation of
technical drawings, it bears comparison with any of the DOS-box
heavyweights and can be put to serious professional use. And for less
demanding situations, its slimmed-down version, CADet, appears to offer
most of ProCADæs features at only a fraction of the cost.
9.3
Chris Bell, Lampeter.
9.3
Archive CD Ö The CD is good, but it really needs a way of searching
through it to find something. For example, if I want to find articles on
Risc PC screen mode definitions, I have to use Edit to search each
individual textfile. Some front end program that allows full searching
of the magazine would be really useful.
9.3
John Woodthorpe, Rugby.
9.3
Yes, John, we agree entirely. If you have any of the Acorn software
products that have the DDE, you can use the Find application which
allows you to search multiple files. Otherwise, youære stuck Ö unless
Acorn release Find into the PD or someone writes an equivalent. Or is
there already one in the PD? Does anyone know?
9.3
Ed.
9.3
Arnor / Protext Ö In 9.2 p17, Charles Martin asked for the new address
of Arnor so that he could upgrade from the RISC OS version to the PC
version. Arnor Limited was placed into liquidation on 28th July 1995. A
company called Compo Software Limited has agreed to deal with former
customers of Arnor Limited, and their address is Unit 3, Green Farm,
Abbots Ripton, Huntingdon, PE17 2PF. (01487-773582)
9.3
P Swoboda, Cambridge.
9.3
Cumana SCSI 2 Ö Iæd like to add to my comments (9.1 p27) regarding
problems with my Cumana SCSI 2 card, and Stuart Bellæs comments (9.2
p64). Firstly, like Stuart, I regard reliability as paramount and if he
takes a closer look at my article, the speed thing became an issue only
in pursuing the problem of unreliability.
9.3
Secondly, like him, I have had good service from SCSI. No insurmountable
problems getting any device going, six makes and various sizes of fixed
hard drives, 5╝ö and 3╜ò SyQuests, three CD-ROM drives, tape streamers
and only one failure and that because the device I bought cheap second
hand was actually duff! So, no complaints about SCSI generally. Compare
that to the problems getting two IDE hard drives to work!
9.3
Next, Stuart does own what is widely regarded as the fastest of the SCSI
1 cards and, yes, heæs happy with that. Would he have been happy if heæd
bought a Risc PC at considerably more cost than an A5000 to find that
the Risc PC was no better and had more reliability problems?
9.3
I bought a SCSI 2 card to future-proof the connectivity for my sparkling
new Risc PC. My five year old A3000, with its Cumana 8-bit SCSI card,
was past its prime. The SCSI 2 manufacturers claim good speed from their
various cards and, as I understand, in the PC world these claims are
well founded but not, it seems, in the Acorn world, where devices are
not achieving the lowest rates claimed by their manufacturers.
9.3
As I said, the reliability was lacking and when I came to prove that, I
discovered that performance was also way down. That might be a backplane
or motherboard problem or whatever Ö I donæt know, but Cumana arenæt
saying itæs any of those things.
9.3
In my comments, I was attempting to get more information from other
users of the Cumana card, not trying to put people off. In fact, quite
the reverse Ö it is in my interest to have the card working well and
reliably. I am in contact with Cumana (and very amicably... at the
moment) who do not deny that problems exist and they say that there are
other users with problems. Because of feedback from these people, they
have been able to pinpoint certain faults which they have now fixed and
will give customers much better performance. It is up to you as an
individual to read Éperformanceæ as being either speed or reliability. I
am hoping for both!
9.3
I am awaiting this updated software from Cumana and I will let you know
how I get on with it.
9.3
Peter Young, Northallerton.
9.3
ExpLAN HolyBible Ö I saw this application demonstrated recently and it
really is an impressive system Ö more so than Gabriel Swords made it
sound in his reviews. I think some people would consider buying Acorn
computers in order to be able to run this software.
9.3
Anthony Hilton, Leeds.
9.3
I agree with you entirely. For anyone interested in using the computer
as an aid to studying the Bible, HolyBible is superb Ö almost up to the
standard of Sibelius in terms of Éuntil-youæve-seen-it-you-wouldnæt-
believe-it-and-would-buy-a-computer-just-to-run-itæ. I am told, by those
in the know, that PCs still have the edge in terms of the variety of
other resources such as bible atlases, etc but that HolyBible is better
in a number of ways: (a) It is easier to use than Windows and Mac
counterparts (b) It is available in more different translations
including Greek and Hebrew (c) It is available in English (as opposed to
American!!) versions and (d) It interfaces better to WPs Ö even giving
Hebrew in editable form (using EasiWriter Pro) which, as far as I am
aware, is not possible on any other platform. (Donæt forget that Hebrew
is right-to-left reading!)
9.3
Ed.
9.3
Fargo Primera colour printer Ö We got a call recently from the Head of
Media Studies at a local secondary school. He wanted to improve the
quality of the colour prints he was getting, particularly for the work
his ÉAæ level pupils submit for exams.
9.3
He already had a Canon BJC600 bubblejet, which is fine for draft prints
but was not doing justice to the quality of detail of the work of his
candidates.
9.3
Tentatively, I directed him towards the Primera dye sublimation colour
printer from Spacetech. I say Étentativelyæ, not because of the price of
the printer which, at under ú1000, is very reasonable for this kind of
technology, but because the cost of each copy in consumables is around
ú2.50 (ex VAT).
9.3
Undeterred by this, as he is only expecting to do a small number of
prints, he requested sample prints and, being impressed by what he saw,
decided to order one which I installed in September.
9.3
Setting it up is quite straightforward; just a few pieces of securing
tape to remove and the ribbon to be inserted into the ribbon cradle.
Although it is called a ribbon, it is not like the thin tapes you may be
used to in a typewriter or dot matrix printer. This ribbon is the width
of the printer and runs lengthways. It fits into a type of cartridge
called the ribbon cradle which then slots easily inside the printer.
9.3
With the printer come two alternative means of printing Ö dye
sublimation and wax thermal methods. Each method has its own type of
ribbon and its own paper. The printer is supplied with ribbons and paper
capable of producing 25 copies of each type. If you wanted to
interchange between the two types before a ribbon had run out, it would
be necessary to have a second cradle in which to keep the other partly-
used ribbon. This costs ú19 from the suppliers of Fargo printers,
Bannerbridge plc of Basildon, Essex. The cost of producing a wax thermal
print is only around 40 pence but does not match the quality of the dye
sublimation process, though is better than an inkjet colour printer.
9.3
The printer needs the Photodesk software (version 1.22 or later) to run
it, along with a printer driver supplied by Spacetech.
9.3
When printing, the printer loads a piece of paper and lays down the
yellow component of the print; it then reverses the paper back to the
beginning and lays down the red component, reverses the paper again and
does the blue component. The printing process is fairly slow, taking
around 5 minutes to process a complex A4 graphic initially and then
around 15 minutes to print it on the paper. Still, considering the cost
of copies, it is unlikely that one would want to öchurn them out.ò
9.3
So what about the result? It is one thing to see test prints provided by
a company to promote its product and another to see how your own turn
out. Is it worth nearly ú3 a copy and 20 minutes to print?
9.3
The teacher concerned had no doubt Ö he was delighted with the quality
of print and I was mightily impressed (and with a measure of relief
having suggested it!) The prints were quite stunning, on a par with a
glossy magazine and showing a degree of detail I had not anticipated. We
havenæt tried the wax thermal method as he has only one cradle at
present, but it is the better method he really wanted which shows the
pupilsæ work to best effect.
9.3
Mike Battersby, Northolt, Middlesex.
9.3
FreeNet Ö Since writing my article on FreeNet (9.2 p31), a number of
things have come to light.
9.3
Firstly, a change of address. I inadvertently issued an old address for
FreeNetæs author, Tom Hughes. His correct address is: 13 Priory Court,
Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire EN11 8DB. Apologies to the new residents of the
old address who are probably wondering why they have suddenly become one
of the largest mail users in Hertfordshire!
9.3
Secondly, an error which was pointed out to me by Philip Draper. I
stated that the RiscáPC Ethernet Card (ÉEtherBæ) was a DCI-4 device and
would not work with the current release of FreeNet, which is a DCI-2
stack. However, it would seem that early issues of the Atomwide EtherB
card were actually shipped with a DCI-2 device driver, which is good
news for prospective FreeNet users. Perhaps Atomwide would be prepared
to supply this module to owners using the card with the later DCI-4
driver, so that they can Éretrogradeæ the card for FreeNet use.
9.3
Finally, a new development. There is now a FreeNet Starter Pack which
includes the latest versions of FreeNet, SLIPdial, and the ArcWeb HTML
browser. The whole thing is tied together with a graphical front-end
program and a utility which aims to take the pain out of configuring
FreeNet.
9.3
The pack is designed for use with dial-up SLIP Internet Providers,
specifically Demon. However, the author, Phillip Temple
([e-mail]. co.uk) has offered to provide custom setups
suitable for use with any SLIP provider via email, even those using
dynamic IP address allocation.
9.3
The FreeNet Starter Pack is available from the following site by
anonymous FTP. Following the current trends, I present the address as a
URL: ftp://cslib.ecs.soton.ac.uk/pub/Acorn/freenet/p.temple/
freenet_starter_pack0.04.spk
9.3
Beware, however, when you download this file. It is over 800Kb long, and
may take quite a while, even with a fast modem! Also, watch out for
version 0.05 which may have been released by the time you read this, and
which fixes an unpleasant bug.
9.3
Richard Bradbury [e-mail]
9.3
Hard disc sizes Ö There has been some discussion recently of the
disparity between the sizes quoted by manufacturers and suppliers, and
the sizes displayed by e.g. free. There can be two reasons.
9.3
Some manufacturers (e.g. Conner) quote the total physical capacity of
the disc, including private space used by the disc hardware itself for
defect management. Thus the full capacity as quoted is not available for
the user.
9.3
Secondly, you must be careful to differentiate between absolute k or M,
and the k and M used by RISC OS. Manufacturers generally quote absolute
capacity to show their drives in the best possible light, so 400Mb means
just that, 400 000 000 bytes. However, RISC OS, through free, uses the
Ébinaryæ k or M. Thus when free reports 400Mb, it really means 400 ╫
1.024 Mb, i.e. 409á600á000 bytes. To see both uses on RISC OS, use the
free option from the iconbar menu, and then use *free from the command
line (press f12). My Risc PC 420Mb disc shows 345Mb used from the
iconbar, but 362 551 296 from the command line.
9.3
Chris Johnson, Edinburgh.
9.3
Hot PC cards? Ö A number of customers have commented that their PC cards
seem to run very hot. We have checked this with Acorn, and they assure
us that the working temperature of the PCácards is well within their
specified operating range. Also, two customers have had an ARM card
failure very shortly after installing a PC card. I admit that this is
not a statistically significant sample, and I know Iæll get in trouble
with Acorn for scare-mongering, but it does make us cautious.
9.3
If you feel nervous about this, we suggest you take advantage of the new
PCáCard Cooler, costing ú21 from Repair Zone (no VAT). This ÉRay
Maidstone specialæ consists of a fan which is attached to the PC card,
draws its power from the connectors on the main circuit board and
creates a continuous blast of air over the surface of the 486 chip. It
reduces the working temperature of the chip quite considerably.
9.3
If you would like to order a PC Card Cooler, send a cheque for ú21,
payable to öRepair Zoneò, either to NCS (and we will pass it on to Ray)
or direct to Repair Zone.
9.3
Ed.
9.3
Internet credit card fraud Ö (9.2 p16) How dangerous is it to quote your
credit card number over the Internet? There are two aspects to this
question: the possibility of the data being read and the potential
damage that could be caused by someone discovering your credit card
number.
9.3
How secure is the Internet? Ö Not very. The Internet was not originally
designed with security in mind. Most Internet providers make their
systems reasonably secure these days, but it only takes one insecure
site anywhere in the world and the hackers can get in. The
news.admin.net-abuse.announce and news.admin.net-abuse.misc newsgroups
often contain descriptions of insecure sites which have been discovered
to have been used by a net abuser. The recent Crusader email spammer
disguised his origin by making use of at least three insecure sites, one
in the USA, one in Italy and one in Korea.
9.3
Once an insecure site is found, anyone who knows Unix (or whatever OS
the site uses) can launch a little script to search any passing email
for patterns that look like credit card numbers. There also exists the
possibility that employees at Internet backbone sites might be
dishonestly searching the electronic packets that pass through their
site.
9.3
Even more dangerous than putting such information in an email, is
putting it in a Éformæ on a website. Iáknow of some websites where the
file that contains the information which has just been typed into a form
is held in a subdirectory, fairly close to the URL of the form. Some
browsers are capable of jumping out of HTML browsing, and accessing WWW
files and directories directly. So far, Iæve only found such files
containing the replies from forms which do not ask for a credit card
number, but there are lots of hackers out there who are smarter than me.
9.3
In general, the Internet is less secure than mailing the information on
a postcard. If you wouldnæt write something on a postcard, donæt write
it on Internet.
9.3
How secret does my card number need to be? Do I need to be paranoid
about all the shop assistants, waiters, supermarket checkout staff and
mail order processing people who have had legitimate access to my card
number? Could one of these people have made a note of my card number
with the intention of using it fraudulently?
9.3
If someone really wants to collect lots of card numbers, theyæd be
likely to have much more success by getting a job at a supermarket
checkout than by hacking the Internet, so I can only assume that it
isnæt really a problem. Does anyone know if this is so?
9.3
Mike Williams, [e-mail].
9.3
I havenæt had any experience of using the Internet but if there are
people scanning for four sets of four numbers, and using them as credit
card numbers, then maybe this calls for some lateral thinking!
9.3
1. Donæt use any set pattern for credit card numbers. e.g. 510 12 32398
7 600 12
9.3
2. Donæt use any spaces. e.g. 5101232398760012
9.3
3. Use a combination of numbers and words. e.g. five one zero one 2323
nine eight seven six 0012
9.3
I just thought of these in a few minutes and Iæm sure that there must be
many more variations. Or is the problem not as simple as that?
9.3
Gary Jones. [e-mail].
9.3
Image scanning (9.1 p18) Ö George Foot mentions that photographic paper
is Émottledæ, and that this becomes apparent if a small photo is scanned
and enlarged. He suggests scanning from a negative, or a photographic
enlargement to avoid this. I would suggest that this will help, but only
to some extent, since photographic negatives (and therefore
enlargements) do suffer from mottling Ö usually called the grain of the
film. This grain depends on the type of film used Ö the higher the ASA
number, the more grainy the image, so big enlargements from ASA 400 film
(not that uncommon) certainly show noticeable graininess, whereas ASA
100 film gives a much higher quality.
9.3
The same is true of scanned images Ö Iæve noticed big differences in the
quality of standard 6╫4 photos scanned at the same resolution and
enlarged to A4 size, and found that it is the type of film used which
makes the difference. Having said this, however, if you do want to
enlarge a small part of a scanned image, it will help to scan it at very
high resolution Ö the biggest the scanner and memory allow. When the
image is enlarged, the resolution decreases.
9.3
If you, like me, have to scan on one machine and work on another, and
have to use a floppy to move between them, use the JPEG format Ö itæs
quite possible to get 15Mb of sprites onto a 1.6Mb disc with little (or
no) noticeable loss in quality. You might also find it preferable to use
ChangeFSI to produce the enlargement, since it seems to produce better
results (via better dithering) than enlarging in, say, Impression.
9.3
Mike Clarkson, Shrewsbury.
9.3
Lottery fever (9.1 p18) Ö The combination of month-day-hour-minute-
second gives 31,536,000 different seeds not 17 million as stated Ö this
is the number of seconds in a year. Does the RND function repeat in a
loop Ö surely it must? How long is the loop? 231 numbers, perhaps, the
same as the number of possible seeds?
9.3
The simplest Lottery program is FOR I=1 TO 6 : PRINT RND(49) : NEXT I
9.3
If two of the numbers are the same, try again!
9.3
Colin Singleton, Sheffield.
9.3
Of mice and mend Ö There have been articles previously about the cost of
repairing or servicing mice and whether it is worth the time or expense.
In the Kingston Schoolsæ repair scheme, we have generally adopted the
policy of replacement as the more cost-effective method except for the
very simplest fault.
9.3
This has really been made economic by the purchase of the CPC Archimedes
mouse (order reference CSMOUSE-ARC). The price of this (ex VAT) is
ú8.99, or ú8.00 when bought in quantities of 25 or more. We have been
using them for about a year now so have had time to assess their
robustness and durability.
9.3
They are slightly heavier than the Acorn mouse, have a good quality
plastic body and positive tactile switches. They have proven to be
reliable and generally liked by users who have commented on them.
9.3
At one time, I was paying more than that just for replacement leads on
the older types of mice. These are very good value, particularly for
hard-up schools. You need to open an account to order from CPC but this
should be no problem for schools. Incidentally, they also do very good
value accessories of other kinds that can be used with Acorns, e.g.
their powerful Zydec amplified speakers currently costs around ú25.
9.3
Mike Battersby, Northolt, Middlesex.
9.3
Rhapsody 3 Ö I have an A440/1 with Midi interface, Rhapsody v3.01,
Yamaha Clavinova CLP-155, aided by TG100 and EMT-1 tone generators.
Iáthought about Sibelius, but 7 is too high-powered (and expensive) for
my simple needs, and 6 is too cut-down. (You need the new Sibelius 7
Student Ö halfway inbetween! Ed.) My objective is to produce music,
largely piano, from that equipment and, in fact, Rhapsody has done that
very well. I have been able, finally, to find out what certain pieces
really sound like since buying the scores, some well over 50 years ago.
It is also good at one-man duets!
9.3
I do, however, have some comments on Rhapsody 3:
9.3
1) Loading Rhapsody 2 files Ö this has resulted fairly often in the
complete deletion of the program from the machine. A re-load of both
program and file is usually successful. The conversion is not always
accurate Ö some accidentals are not converted. The same deletion
sometimes occurs when loading a Squashed file by clicking on it.
9.3
2) Moving a chord cluster into another slot has occasionally thrown up
an error Ö öA fatal error has occurred at ... etc.ò with a
recommendation to save but, of course, the current file cannot now be
saved. Moral Ö save, save, save before anything nasty happens.
9.3
3) Copying is not always accurate Ö in particular, Iáhave found that
copying a complete stave into another blank stave (to allocate to
another Midi instrument to be played simultaneously) occasionally
results in notes not correctly aligned. This is put right by editing
manually. Copying end-to-end to produce a file with several pieces seems
to be tricky; certain expression marks are not carried over (I would
like to use Perform but weird things have sometimes happened, which I
have not sorted out yet.)
9.3
4) The upper mordent sign turns into a trill on the score. I have found
it is sometimes more satisfactory to insert the actual notes to be
played.
9.3
5) The allocation of dynamic levels (p.92 of the manual) seems to be
faulty. For example, the allocation 4 9 13 15 shown in the manual gives
silence for mpÉ and mfæ, as do other combinations. This is a pity as my
instruments are just about inaudible at the quieter levels. This means
that I have to use the default setting (which works correctly) and avoid
the quieter dynamics. There is thus a much coarser gradation of
velocities.
9.3
6) Note-groups Ö for example, the insertion of some n-tuplets also
inserts trill and tremolo signs. Again, manual editing can delete the
unwanted signs, but it can be tricky. On some occasions I have altered
the time signature of a bar to something unusual (with a corresponding
tempo modification to that bar only) to get the notes in.
9.3
7) Some orchestral scores with a lot of notes and instruments hiccup on
playback now and then. Probably, something in the setup is being
overloaded, but I cannot decide what. A solution which sometimes works
is to split a 4 4 bar, for example, into two 2 4 bars or even four 1 4
bars, which might indicate too many bytes in a Rhapsody slot. This would
not give a satisfactory printed score, but Iárarely need to print.
9.3
What I would like in Rhapsody 4:
9.3
A real-time input system which will translate what is played at the
keyboard exactly into a conventional or similar score. Rhapsody and
other programs go some way, but even modern scoring leaves much to the
imagination and is a limitation on these programs.
9.3
Midi helps, and it is possible to work up programs which accept Midi
keyboard input and show exactly what is received as a graphical display
on a millisecond time axis. The underlying file can then be edited in
time, pitch and velocity from the display and played back with
millisecond timing. Key and time signatures, bars and conventional note
lengths are ignored which allows for rubato and off-beat piano playing
(which is what a lot of biological playing is Ö if looked at by the
millisecond).
9.3
I am sure that there is nothing new here, and if a professionally
written program on these lines exists which will record with sufficient
timing accuracy, perhaps you would be able to publish something about
it.
9.3
Peter Avis, Buckingham.
9.3
How about the new version of Sibelius? That provides Midi input but does
it provide what Peter is looking for? Is there a Sibelius user out there
who can tell us? Ed.)
9.3
System Insight have recently moved and their new address is in the
Factfile. Their Catalogue No. 10 is the latest but there is a recent
one-page Addendum to their wide range of printer consumables including
ink refills, papers and transparencies. As with most other suppliers,
there has been a big hike in paper prices in recent weeks but their
prices, which include VAT and carriage, remain competitive.
9.3
Jim Nottingham, York.
9.3
The Mac is not a typewriter Ö Iæve a few quibbles, but it really is an
excellent book. Everyone should read it, but donæt be bound by every
word.
9.3
A small error in Paulæs insert. The Em dash is Alt¡152, as stated, but
the En dash is Alt¡151, not Alt¡153. The latter is the minus sign. The
difference is slight, but can just be seen if you alternate the two,
thus ù Ö ù Ö ù Ö. The minus sign fits with the plus and equals signs + Ö
=, the en dash with the em dash ÿ ù ÿ. The hyphen fits with none of
these!
9.3
The Education Column
9.3
Joe Gallagher
9.3
The future of Acorn (again!)
9.3
I hope that this column will become a focus for the debate on Acornæs
role in education. Acornæs presence in the educational market is
something of a blessing as well as a curse. Undoubtedly it has helped to
keep the company going during the lean years but this has meant that it
suffered to a large extent from its image as an öeducational machineò
much in the same way as the development of the Amiga was undoubtedly
hampered by its tag as a ögamesò machine. However, the tie up with
education is not necessarily a bad thing as the efforts of the likes of
Microsoft in this particular arena demonstrate.
9.3
For us, in schools, Acornæs continuing commitment to education is
important as it will help to justify the not inconsiderable investment
made by our schools in IT. However, over the last year or so, it has
been getting gradually harder to justify the choice of Acorn equipment
in preference to other platforms for several reasons. While the original
Archimedes range left their rivals standing in terms of bangs per bucks,
this has not been the case in the more recent past.
9.3
True enough, the basic machines in the A30x0 range have tended to be
pitched at a considerably lower price than entry-level Intel-based
machines. Unfortunately, the specifications of these machines have, for
some time, been considerably superior to those on offer from Acorn. For
a start, all of them come fitted with a hard drive of at least 420Mb
capacity, 4Mb of memory (true, barely sufficient to run Windows), a
0.28mm resolution monitor as well as a fair smattering of expansion
ports and spare drive bays.
9.3
Although it has been a proud boast that, having the operating system
built into ROM along with basic applications such as Draw and Printers,
the Acorn range could be used without a hard disc and with less RAM than
their Intel counterparts, more recent applications are tending to be
considerably more resource-hungry. This is certainly true of programs
which make more intensive use of different forms of media and this
ölowest common denominatorò approach could prove to be a significant
limiting factor in the development of new programs.
9.3
Whilst it is understandable and laudable that Acorn machines do not tend
to become obsolete as quickly as their PC counterparts, I feel that more
programs should be able to take advantage of the fact that most newer
machines will have a hard disc and at least 2áMb of memory. Virtually
all Windows-based programs now come with an automatic set-up program
which takes care of all the housework of installing new software onto a
hard disc. Yet with many Acorn educational programs, you still have to
do it largely by hand. One or two megabytes of memory may have been
enough to get by on but, even taking into account the frugality of
Acornæs memory requirements, it is not really enough if you want to do
anything more adventurous with the machine.
9.3
For example, I recently created some Genesis Project applications using
256 colour graphics on the Risc PC for use on my schoolæs A4000 range.
Now 256 colours is hardly Éstate-of-the-artæ in this day and age, and
while I expected the applications to run much more slowly I was shocked
to find that they wouldnæt run at all because of lack of memory! I had
to re-edit the original files and convert all the pictures to 16¡colour
format. Although this could have something to do with the fact that
Genesis Project is rather greedy in terms of memory resources, it does
suggest to me that our idea of Éentry-levelæ may be just a tad on the
low side. The beauty, for me, of the Acorn range is the ease with which
you can run several programs at a time but you still need to have the
memory to do it.
9.3
The competition
9.3
On the processor side of things, the ARM 250 was beginning to look a bit
under-powered when compared to entry-level 66MHz 486 machines. The most
galling thing for Acorn users is the fact that these setups are not that
much dearer than the entry-level Acorn systems. This situation has, to
some extent, been remedied by the new, more competitively priced, range
of machines that Acorn has launched onto the market but will it be too
little, too late to stop defections to öindustry standardò platforms?
9.3
This probably sounds pretty familiar stuff. I can remember being told
nearly ten years ago by a salesman in a West End store not to touch the
then BBC range as they were obsolete and Acorn were ögoing down the
panò. What impressed me then, and still continues to do so, was the
range and quality of the educational software available for the Acorn.
This trend continued, and was even improved upon, with the advent of the
Archimedes which ushered in ground-breaking programs such as My World,
StartWrite and Pinpoint to mention but a few.
9.3
However, the last year or so has seen the progressive migration of many
of these developers to the PC market, and this is worrying. No longer
can Acorn rely on schools buying their machines solely for the fact that
it has the best and most reasonably priced software. It has to make sure
that these software producers continue to develop programs for the Acorn
range and, as the experience of Computer Conceptsæ Xara has shown, this
can no longer be taken for granted.
9.3
Acorn and CD ROMs
9.3
In fact, there is one area of software development in which Acorn is now
lamentably behind and that is CD-ROMs. Developing CD applications is
understandably quite an expensive business, so it is no surprise that
the Acorn market for them is minuscule in comparison to that of the PC.
Undoubtedly, many of those available for the PC are absolute rubbish
but, because there are so many to choose from, you can invariably find
something of a reasonable quality to meet your needs.
9.3
Perhaps of more significance in this age when the CD-ROM is replacing
the TV as the öbaby-minderò of the middle classes, is the fact that many
of the titles from the Microsoft / Dorling Kindersley stable are seen as
being somehow inherently öeducationalò. Iæve never quite shared this
enthusiasm. Slick presentation is not always a good indicator of
educational value but theyære definitely what the punters want, to
borrow a phrase from the chairman of Spurs.
9.3
In contrast, apart from a few notable exceptions such as Hampshireæs
adaptation of the Usbourne Exploring Nature books and the more recent
Guardians of the Greenwood from 4Mation, native Acorn applications have
been relatively few and of variable quality. When the Risc PC was
announced with its plug-in PC card, I thought that Acorn had finally
managed to get over this particular hurdle, albeit in a rather expensive
fashion. However, the protracted wait, first for the PC card itself and
then for the sound option, has left me rather disillusioned.
9.3
Actually, having purchased a set of PC cards nearly a year ago, my
school canæt afford the sound card upgrade now that it is available,
which is a bit ironic considering the fact that the only reason we went
for the PC option in the first place was to be able to use Windows CD-
ROMs! As it happens, it may be that we neednæt have bothered as the good
folk at Desktop Laminations are beginning to develop readers for all our
favourite Dorling Kindersley CDs. Whatæs more, they donæt just work on
the Acorn, they perform even better than on the PC platform. According
to DLæs Peter Hughes, they intend to extend their range to incorporate
the excellent Living Books series from Bronderbund. Now why couldnæt
Acorn have thought of that 18 months ago? At the very least, they should
be supporting the efforts of Desktop Laminations to the very hilt.
9.3
What can Acorn do?
9.3
This brings me to my final point, and I really will sign off after this.
If Acorn is (temporarily I hope) retreating to its educational
heartland, it does need to look at ways in which it can support its
users as well as making itself more attractive to educational
purchasers. I think it has begun to do this in its move to direct
marketing for schools along with preferential prices for education.
However, it also needs to listen to those users Ö and Iæm not sure if it
has always done this in the past. And thatæs where you, the viewers,
come in!
9.3
With your help, this column could become a means of articulating the
views of educational users as to the future of Acorn in education. In
what ways do you think Acorn should be supporting schools? How do you
think they should be packaging their systems? Would bundles of
educational software be attractive? Is there any mileage in training
vouchers for purchasing schools?
9.3
Another possible direction for this column could be to take a longer
term look at programs Éin the fieldæ. Reviews are useful as a purchasing
guide but they are, of necessity, the result of short term evaluation.
For example, some time ago, I wrote a not over enthusiastic review of
First Logo but are there teachers out there who have found that it works
for them in the classroom and, if so, what makes it work for them? Are
there öHint sheetsò or notes that colleagues have found useful in the
classroom or Inset sessions that they would like to share with others?
To get the ball rolling, Iæve included, on the monthly disc, some
(brief) notes on the use of Pinpoint, in Impression format and
StartWrite format. Theyære not very lengthy but they may do for a staff
workshop.
9.3
Please write with your comments to me at: 8áValentine Road, Hackney
London, E9 7AD.áuá
9.3
Geraldæs Column
9.3
Gerald Fitton
9.3
My column is a little shorter than usual this month Ö not because the
number of letters youæve sent me have reduced, but because the topics of
your letters have varied widely and so Iæve had to spend more time than
usual on generating individual replies. Anyway, what I decided to do was
to look at some of my earlier correspondence and select a couple of
items for this column which were previously omitted for want of space.
9.3
Impression as a graphics library
9.3
Roger King sent me this idea. Examples of the files to which I refer are
on the Archive monthly disc in the directory Library.
9.3
Essentially, what Roger has done is to use his Impression Publisher (it
also works in Style) as a database of drawfiles and sprites. He has
created a new master page which contains twelve graphics frames, each
50mmá╫á50mm. Above each graphic frame is a small text box, 50mmá╫á12mm,
containing the title of the graphic. The graphics are dropped into the
graphics frames and a suitable text inserted in the title frame. Choose
the text for these title frames with care since they are really an
Éindexæ to the library of graphics.
9.3
There are many advantages to using Rogeræs system for storing graphics
rather than the usual Acorn directory structure but the one I have found
most useful is the ease with which I can search through the database.
Since you will have chosen the titles for your graphics carefully, you
will be able to search for that text through your library document Ö
remembering to select ÉWholeádocumentæ when you do your search. Once you
have found your graphic, you can save it using <ctrl-f3>.
9.3
Precision
9.3
It seems years ago that I received a letter from Nik Kelly on this
subject. In his letter, Nik pointed out that, using a variety of
spreadsheets and calculators, he had tried calculating the standard
deviation of the following six numbers: 1.797, 1.797, 1.798, 1.799,
1.799, 1.799. He was surprised to find that the answers ranged from
9.8319áeÖ4 to 9.8336áeÖ4. He concluded that they are accurate to only
three significant figures.
9.3
Since I received Nikæs letter, I have had many more complaining about
the precision of certain spreadsheet calculations. Now I know that you
may not be interested in standard deviations, but this article (like
most of my articles) has a wider application than the calculation of
standard deviations. Indeed, I use it only as an example.
9.3
Nik concludes his letter with:
9.3
öWe must limit reported standard deviation results to three significant
figures, as recommended by HLRæs draft ÉPrecision & Accuracyæ SOP. We
need to challenge calculators and spreadsheets for arithmetic precision
and accuracy, and we must also check the integrity of their statistics
formulae. To establish benchmarks, we need sets of data calculated to
much longer precision than those shown above. How do we know which of
them were accurate?ò
9.3
I donæt wish to anticipate the detail of my answer but, using Fireworkz
and PipeDreamá4 the Érightæ way, the Éaccurateæ answer I get is:
0.000983192080250172. Iábelieve that my answer is accurate to much more
than the three significant figures quoted by Nik.
9.3
A digression
9.3
It was a long time ago when I was first confronted by this problem of
apparent lack of precision when carrying out particular types of
calculation. In fact, it was first demonstrated to me during a
ÉNumerical Methodsæ lecture given as part of my Maths Degree Course at
Imperial College.
9.3
Essentially, the reason for the lack of precision is this. If your
calculating equipment is limited to a fixed number of significant
figures, small differences between relatively large numbers cannot be
calculated to the same accuracy as the original data.
9.3
Let me give you an example which doesnæt need a calculator. Let us
suppose that you have two numbers which are close to 500á000, a and b.
Suppose a rounds off to 499á999 and b rounds off to 499á998. Both a and
b are accurate to six significant figures. However, the value of (aáÖáb)
is accurate to only one significant figure. We have lost precision
equivalent to five significant figures.
9.3
In the case of the SD calculation above, the original data differs only
in the fourth significant figure, even though most of the calculators
used have at least twelve digit precision. Calculating SDs involves
finding the differences between squares of numbers; in finding
differences between squares it is all too easy to choose a method in
which a significant amount of precision is lost!
9.3
The Fireworkz std(list) method
9.3
If you want to calculate the standard deviation of a list of numbers
then, in many spreadsheets, you can use a function similar to the
Fireworkz built-in std(list) function. Fireworkz gives the result:
0.00098319208141798 to the formula:
9.3
std(1.797,1.797,1.798,1.799,1.799,1.799).
9.3
I believe that the first eight significant figures are correct and that
the ninth is wrong.
9.3
Geraldæs method
9.3
The Écorrectæ method of calculating SD values which are small when
compared with the mean of the numbers, is that which I show in the file
[StdDev] which you will find on the monthly disc. It is the method
explained to me many years ago by my Numerical Methods Lecturer.
9.3
The first thing that you must appreciate is that, if you reduce every
value in the set of data by a fixed amount, the true value of the SD of
the modified data is equal to the SD of the original data. For example,
the SD of the three numbers 1001,1002,1003 is exactly the same as the SD
of the numbers 1,2,3.
9.3
The recommended method of calculating the SD of a set of data is to
first calculate the mean. Then you subtract the mean from each number.
Finally, you calculate the SD of the reduced data. The value for the SD
given by this method is: 0.000983192080250172. I believe that this is
about as accurate as you will get with double precision arithmetic.
9.3
When I reduced each of Nikæs values by 1.8 (which is close to, but not
exactly equal to, the mean), before using the Std(list) function I got
the answer: 0.000983192080250173. Compare this answer with that given in
the previous paragraph when the (exact) mean is deducted from the data
and you will see that it differs by 1 in the fifteenth significant
figure. Iáassure you that the number with the 3 at the end is slightly
less accurate than the 2 given by subtracting the exact mean.
9.3
The bi-directional parallel port
9.3
If I have to choose a single topic from this monthæs correspondence then
this must be it. I shall not relate all the many different ways in which
this topic has arisen. Iæll restrict myself to just one.
9.3
It would seem that a few of the well known printer manufacturers believe
that everybody must have a computer with a bi-directional printer port.
9.3
For very many years now, all parallel port cards for the IBMátype of
personal computer have been bi-directional. This means that the port
will accept data flow both out of and into the computer. As we all know,
PCs become redundant much more quickly than Archimedes do and, as a
consequence, the number of PCs with uni-directional parallel ports is
negligible. On the other hand, the parallel ports of many of the
Archimedes machines up to and including the A540 are uni-directional and
these machines still exist and, I have no doubt, will continue to do so
for many years to come.
9.3
The Éoldæ standard for a parallel printer port is one called
ÉCentronicsæ (after the company which first developed it). This is a
uni-directional standard. When you connect a printer built to the
Centronics standard to a more modern bi-directional parallel port it
still works.
9.3
Now here is the bad news. Until recently, all printers conformed to the
Centronics standard and all of them worked with all Archimedes
computers. It seems that some printers now appearing on the market are
no longer built to the Centronics (backward compatible) standard but to
a ÉBi-tronicæ standard. Of course, since nearly all PCs still in use
have a bi-directional parallel port, problems in that market are
practically non-existent. The owner of a PC can go to the High Street
store and buy a ÉBi-tronicæ printer with impunity!
9.3
If you buy a printer built to the ÉBi-tronicæ standard (from your local
supermarket!) then it will not work with those earlier Archimedes
computers, such as the A540, which have a uni-directional parallel port.
9.3
I had intended to include a list in this article of all those computers
which are known to be ÉCentronics incompatibleæ but my list would not be
sufficiently comprehensive to be useful. I think that my advice must be
that you buy your computer through an Archimedes dealer rather than at
the High Street store, since they are more likely to be aware of this
problem and they wonæt sell you a problem.
9.3
Marketing
9.3
This month, I shall briefly mention this topic in the hope that this
will solicit opinion from you and allow me to expand on the theme in a
future article.
9.3
Regular readers of this column will know that I teach öAnything to do
with Mathsò. One of my subjects is Marketing. In case you are wondering
öHow is Marketing linked to Maths?ò, the link is via Statistics. To
quote the textbook; öStatistical data and analysis is used to plan and
control marketing activitiesò. What even regular readers might not know
is that, in addition to being able to teach Marketing, I had much
practical experience when I worked in industry.
9.3
When it comes to pricing a new product, the classic teaching is that, in
the initial stage, you can Écreamæ the market at a high price. Later,
you want to pick up more sales and so, as time goes by, you gradually
reduce the price.
9.3
Although not in the textbook for the course I teach, Iásuggest to my
students that this classic scenario of a high initial price which is
gradually reduced to maintain sales, applies only in rare circumstances.
I quote counter examples where it is better to start at a low price so
that the market is established quickly, and then, when the market is
established and everybody wants the product, the price can be increased.
9.3
So that you can more easily understand what I mean, let us take the
Acorn upgrade from RISCáOSá2 to 3 as an example. By offering RISCáOSá3
to all users of RISCáOSá2 at a low initial price for a well defined
limited period, the change over from RISCáOSá2 to 3 was rapid. Because
many Archimedes users changed almost immediately, it wasnæt long before
software appeared which would not run on a RISCáOSá2 machine. Because
this new software was so desirable, those who had not upgraded decided
to do so, albeit at the higher price.
9.3
Let me take another example. Computer Concepts brought in an upgrade to
ImpressionáII, namely Style and Publisher. They marketed this upgrade by
offering a low price upgrade from ImpressionáII and Impression Junior,
but only for a well-defined limited period of time. The result was that
nearly all those who were regular users of the earlier version upgraded
within the time limit. This established Style and Publisher in the
market and allowed Computer Concepts to drop ImpressionáII from the
range of products they sold. More subtly, they were able to reduce the
technical backup for ImpressionáII to virtually zero without any
complaint from their customers. To my way of thinking, this is an
example of good marketing practice by CC.
9.3
From my correspondence, I have no doubt that you know of many examples
of companies who have made a substantial upgrade to their product for
which they can charge. Some have introduced the upgrade (or new product)
at a high initial price to existing users, only to reduce it later. Let
me know whether you think that this was good marketing.
9.3
I do not want to anticipate my conclusions but I will quote Bob Ardler
who regrets that he didnæt heed (or was it Éreadæ?) my advice to upgrade
from ImpressionáII to Style whilst the price was cheap.
9.3
Finally
9.3
Please write to me at the Abacus Training address given on the inside
back cover of this Archive magazine, rather than via the Archive office.
9.3
It does help me if you send me a disc containing a worked example of
anything even slightly complex. At the very least, it helps avoid any
ambiguity about what you mean. In many cases, if you include some
typical data (as a disc file) which you need processed, then it saves me
a great deal of time, since I donæt have to create dummies which might
not be representative of your problem.áuá
9.3
Printers and Printing
9.3
Dave Floyd
9.3
Printing directly onto envelopes seems to be the topic of the day, so
Iæll start there. Aneurin Griffiths from Haverfordwest supplied the
following method for printing addresses on DL envelopes using an HP550C
and Ovation, which itself is the result of help obtained from James
Mansfield of Churt. Aneurin would also like to thank John Temple from
Oxford who also responded to his request for help on this subject.
9.3
Printing on DL envelopes
9.3
1. Before switching on either the computer or printer, set dip switch A6
to the up position. (A5 should be set down.) (With my system, using an
A5000 25MHz, all switches are normally down.)
9.3
2. Switch on the printer, and then the computer.
9.3
3. Using Ovation, open a new document: A4 Landscape.
9.3
4. Draw guide lines: Horizontal 112mm down, Vertical 78mm across.
9.3
5. The top right rectangle corresponds to the front of the DL envelope.
9.3
6. Make a text frame about the size of the area in which you intend to
print the address and draw a guide line at the top margin, and
vertically along the left edge of the frame.
9.3
7. Make a new directory called Address (or Addr-A-C, with additional
directories as required).
9.3
8. Open the directory and move the address frame (6) into the directory.
Now make copies of the frame in this directory and type the addresses in
these frames.
9.3
9. Copy the frame into the correct position on the A4 Landscape window.
Set the öprinter set-upò to print Landscape.
9.3
10. Load the envelopes into the special section in the paper tray of the
printer. Remember that the envelopes must be placed in position with the
back uppermost, and the right hand edge in the tray will be the top of
the printed envelope.
9.3
11. It is possible to add graphics (e.g. öAir Mailò tag, or an advert)
to the window before printing.
9.3
12. After completing, return the dip switches to their normal positions
after switching off the printer.
9.3
13. There is no doubt that Mail-merge could be used to print a set of
envelopes, but as the tray holds a limited number of envelopes, it may
be advisable to pause between each print.
9.3
An Ovation demo file is on the monthly disc.
9.3
!Printers and paper sizes
9.3
Robert Lytton from Leeds also writes regarding envelope printing,
although his tips may interest anybody who has to print on non-standard
paper.
9.3
One of the joys of RISCáOS is that, for the programmer, much of the work
is done for you and, for the user, the whole system integrates very
snugly together. When it comes to printing, this is particularly true.
The heart of the printing process is done by an application called
É!Printersæ. This program does all the talking to and interpreting of
information between the applications and the printers that may be
connected. It is well worth understanding how to get the best out of
this hard-working go¡between.
9.3
Paper sizes Ö The paper size we use, on the whole, is A4, but sometimes
you will prefer to tell your application that a different page size
should be used, and likewise to inform your printer. One example is when
you are printing on continuous paper for a banner, or on smaller pieces
of paper, such as envelopes or labels. The !Printers application is
there to tell both the printer and the applications the current paper
size. To select a new paper size:
9.3
1.áWhilst holding down <shift>, click <select> over your printer on the
iconbar.
9.3
2.áTo the right of the ÉPaperæ box, click <select> over the menu icon.
9.3
3.áFrom the menu, click <select> over the desired paper size.
9.3
4.áClick <select> over ÉOKæ.
9.3
However, you will probably not find the paper size that you require!
9.3
New paper sizes Ö To add some new paper sizes to the list of available
paper sizes is a simple and very worthwhile thing to do.
9.3
To open the paper size window:
9.3
1.áClick <menu> over your printer on the iconbar.
9.3
2.áClick <select> over ÉEdit paper sizes...æ.
9.3
This window can be used to view the preset paper sizes that you have and
design some new ones. You can view and enter values in millimetres or
inches by toggling the unit radio icons.
9.3
1.áIn the top ÉPaper size nameæ box, click <select>, delete the current
name (<ctrl-U>) and type in a new name.
9.3
2.áIn the ÉPaper sizeæ boxes, enter the actual paper size.
9.3
3.áIn the ÉGraphics marginsæ boxes, you can specify a non-printable
margin around the edge of the paper. This is very useful to prevent ink
getting too close to the edge of the paper and being Ésprayedæ into the
printer if it misses the paper!
9.3
4.áThe ÉText marginsæ boxes are used in a similar way to the ÉGraphics
marginsæ, but only for ASCII text printing, e.g. from !Edit Ö but not
outline fonts from a DTP application! However, there is a very important
final box.
9.3
5.áÉText margins-heightæ should be set very carefully if you are using a
dot matrix printer. This is because the printer will use it to calculate
the form length (height of paper) and will not use the
ÉPaperásize¡heightæ measurement. The height works out at 1/6 inch or
4.2mm per line; e.g. for a 3ö label, you will need to set it to É18
linesæ.
9.3
6.áClick <select> on ÉSaveæ to add it to the list of paper sizes
available.
9.3
If you wish to delete it later, you can do so by viewing it in the
ÉPaper sizeæ window and clicking <select> on ÉDeleteæ!
9.3
For example, a DL envelope paper size for when you are using the
envelope manual feed slot in an HP inkjet printer could be:
9.3
Name:    Envelope DL
9.3
Paper size:  215.0  105.0
9.3
Graphics margins:    40.0  20.0
9.3
    20.0  100.0
9.3
Text margins:    5  10
9.3
    10  0
9.3
Height  26 lines (about 110mm)
9.3
N.B. I have found the choice of a ÉText margins-heightæ in relation to
the ÉPaperásize¡heightæ quite tricky to achieve at times. For my dot
matrix to form feed at the right time using continuous 3ö labels, I had
settings of ÉPaperásize¡heightæ 75mm and ÉTextámargin¡heightæ 18 lines.
I also had to use a ÉPaperásize¡widthæ of 91mm, as I could not set the
tractor feed where I required it and needed to create an Impression
Style master page of 90mm ╫ 74mm in order for it all to work smoothly!
If you are not using a dot matrix printer, or you are feeding the sheets
in separately or you are using Draw, some or all of the problems will
not worry you!
9.3
Graphics margins
9.3
John Wallace from Crawley writes in response to the Graphic positioning
item in my last column and would be interested in any comments relating
to his observations. John is using Turbodriver v4.02 and !Printers
v1.22.
9.3
I have the Canon BJ-200 with CCæs Turbodriver and experienced the
problem that some lines inside the grey printing limits did not print. I
created horizontal and vertical millimetre rules in Draw, starting at
the left and bottom edges of the Draw area.
9.3
Left graphic margin in the paper size editor of !Printers was set at
1.2mm. I printed in Portrait format and the first printing appeared at
approx. 3.5mm from the left edge of the paper but the 10mm line was 13mm
from the left edge. I reset the margin to 1.9mm and reprinted. The start
of printing was still 3.5mm, but the 10mm mark was now 9.7mm from the
edge. The Top graphic margin has a similar effect and alters the
printing position on the paper, but does not set the grey printer limits
to the actual printing area.
9.3
Further complications follow. With my BJ-200 printer, the horizontally
printed scale is accurate to the thickness of the printed line, but the
vertical scale produces 28.2cm of scale in 28cm. Also, Draw uses the
bottom left hand corner as its reference for both landscape and portrait
modes, but the printer uses the top left corner of the paper for its
reference. This agrees in landscape mode but not in portrait.
9.3
So what should be done? Ideally, I think that there should be six
Graphics margin settings. A left start, bottom start and left, right,
top and bottom margins. Also, there should be page length and page
height scale factors. This would enable oneæs system to be set up to
exactly match the printer. As far as I am aware, there is no paper feed
rate customer adjustment on the Canon BJ-200.
9.3
Since receiving Johnæs letter, I briefly played around with the Graphics
margins options from !Printers and results did at first appear to be
confusing. By removing the 3.5mm left margin, the image I was trying to
print actually moved 3.5mm to the right. The image also moved downward
when I removed my top margin. What I think is happening here is that
either !Printers or the printer itself is compensating for the non-
printing area where it is either not specified or under specified in the
set up. I will experiment further and report back, but in the meantime,
if anybody has any light they could shed on this subject, I would be
very pleased to hear from them.
9.3
HP compatibility
9.3
Last month, I raised the question of HP compatibility in relation to the
Turbo Driver not correctly printing multi-paged documents on a v1.xx
Panasonic KX-P4420 printer, while !Printers had no problems. John Evans
of Mijas Software suggests that CC may be justified in claiming that the
reason for this is that the drivers operate differently. Both drivers
treat pages of text as graphics and, while an A4 graphic at 300 dpi
takes something more than 1Mb, there are usually blank horizontal spaces
between the lines of text which the printer can skip, thereby saving
memory and making an A4 page of text less memory hungry. Later HP
printers also have several compression mechanisms which allow the driver
to minimize the size of the data in the interest of transfer speed.
9.3
John surmises, therefore, that CC and Acorn drivers use either a)
different compression or b) different skip methods, some of which react
unfavourably with the printeræs ROM software. This seems probable, in my
opinion, and the main fault for this seeming incompatibility would seem
to lay at the door of Panasonic for not implementing the full HP
language into the version 1.xx ROMs in the first place.
9.3
In response to the same subject, John Woodgate from Rayleigh writes to
say that if Panasonic cannot supply the upgrade themselves then they
should be morally bound to give each printer owner permission to either
make, or have made, a copy of the 2.xx software on EPROM. He suggests
that one way of achieving this would be for Panasonic to authorise one
technical supplier to make and supply such EPROMs.
9.3
I totally agree but think it unlikely to happen, especially in this
case. When his problem first became apparent, Mick phoned Panasonic and
was given the price of the upgrade and the number of a supplier who
stocked it. He phoned the supplier and they denied all knowledge of the
upgrade. On contacting Panasonic again, Mick was told that there had
never been an upgrade. Rather confused by this, he waited a couple of
days and rang back to enquire again about upgrading from version 1 to
version 2. This time he was told that the upgrade itself had been
discontinued at the same time as the KX-P4420 range. There you have it:
the upgrade costs ú52, it has been discontinued but, in fact, it never
existed in the first place Ö just so long as we are all clear on that
one!
9.3
Duplex printing
9.3
Anyone who has ever had the need to produce double-sided copies on a
laser printer will probably have experienced paper jams due to paper
curl. It is also not easy to restack a pile of paper before turning it
over, due to the electrostatic charges which make the pages stick
together. How much easier life would be if the printer itself handled
both sides at once.
9.3
If you regularly run into the problem, the answer may be a duplex
printer. Some of the HP series III and IV printers have optional
attachments which allow you to effectively print both sides of the page
in a single pass, automatically turning the sheets as required.
9.3
In order to take advantage of this, you will also need a printer driver
extension called LjDuplex, from Mijas Software. LjDuplex has recently
been upgraded to allow the use of the Acorn Laserjet 4 drivers and to
improve the look of the dialogue box on earlier systems. It also allows
a job separation sheet to be inserted if you have dual input trays.
9.3
John Evans of Mijas Software points out that by using duplex printing,
it becomes feasible to produce print runs of up to 300 or so copies on a
laser printer. This kind of print run is often too expensive to warrant
litho printing, and duplex laser printing compares favourably with the
cost and speed of photocopying, while avoiding the problem of
photocopying printed sprites.
9.3
LjDuplex is shareware, and a fully registered copy is available for ú10
from Mijas Software, Winchester Road, Micheldever, Winchester, SO21 3DG.
9.3
Mijas also have a program which can take an Impression text file with
styles, and format it for a printer running HPæs PCL language. This
could provide huge time savings for text-only printing as, instead of
compiling pages of graphics, the software uses built-in fonts, or fonts
downloaded to the printer. This software is not, as yet, ready for
release, but I for one hope that John finds the time to develop the idea
fully.
9.3
Help! Ö Lexmark 3049-12R
9.3
Scott Wren from Peterborough has an A5000 and a Lexmark 3049-12R
printer. He has connected it all up and followed the instructions in the
manual for printing. Whenever he tries to print anything, the computer
counts the pages that are meant to be printing and all appears to be
okay at that end, but nothing is happening at the printer end of the
equation. Have any other readers got a Lexmark printer who could
possibly give Scott any help with coaxing it to talk to his A5000? If
so, please let me know at the address below.
9.3
Finally
9.3
As I said last time, there is a need for an article or two relating to
scanning in sprites for printing, and printing sprites for photocopying.
If any Archive readers have any hints and tips along these lines, it
would be very useful if you would pass them on to me. After all, the
larger the pool of information I can draw from, the more diverse and
useful the end product will become. For these or anything else printing-
related, please write to Dave Floyd,             c/oáPOáBox 2795, London
NW10 9AY.áuá
9.3
The Graphics Column
9.3
David Thornton
9.3
This month, I will be concentrating mainly on ArtWorks, the graphics
illustration program from Computer Concepts. You can obtain ArtWorks on
either fifteen floppy discs or on CD, from CC for ú169 +VAT or at ú180
through Archive.
9.3
Two other CDs are also available, containing a variety of clipart and
24-bit colour bitmaps. These two discs are available from CC for ú19
+VAT each or ú21 each through Archive. The CD version of ArtWorks has
the advantage that it also includes the entire contents of the first
clipart CD, as well as RISC OS 3 fonts at no extra cost.
9.3
ArtWorks was launched in 1992, and several versions have appeared since
then, the most significant being the upgrade to version 1.5. This
version is the most stable version of ArtWorks and I strongly suggest
that all users of earlier versions upgrade. Contact CC, quoting your
ArtWorks serial number, for details. Itáincludes support for Édeepæ
colour sprites, TIFF support and colour correction, as well as bug
fixes.
9.3
As far as I am aware, the only other developments have been the creation
of two new tools, namely Arranger and the Pressure Sensitive Tool. (I
hope to have a look at the Pressure Tool at a later date.)
9.3
Arranger
9.3
Arranger is distributed by CC at ú29 +VAT. It is only available from CC
due to distribution rights and overhead costs. The package consist of a
single disc in a CD style gem case, complete with instructions.
9.3
Installing the Arranger tool is simply a matter of double-clicking on
!Arranger, and the tool is then installed inside ArtWorks. Once Arranger
has been installed, loading ArtWorks will automatically load Arranger,
and the new tool will be installed at the bottom left of the toolbar,
represented by a magnet.
9.3
The other change to your copy of ArtWorks is that an additional layer,
entitled Émagnetæ, has been added to the layers menu.
9.3
Arranger in use
9.3
To begin using Arranger, you must first add some magnetic objects to the
page. This can best be achieved by selected the magnet layer from the
Layers pop-up menu.
9.3

9.3
Assuming that you have not set ÉMultilayeræ, selecting the magnet layer
will activate that layer only, and so all other layers will not be
editable. You may now create some magnetic objects in this layer using
any of the drawing tools. It is probably best to start off by drawing,
say, a vertical line. This will appear slightly fainter than a normal
line, which helps differentiate between the two.
9.3
After you have drawn a line, selecting the magnet tool will change the
info bar to display the following window.
9.3
The field name in the centre will display the currently selected layer.
You can cycle through each individual layer using the two adjuster
arrows, so it is then possible to make the objects in any layer
magnetic. Even though a layer may be set to magnetic, the magnetism will
not function until the magnetic attraction icon is on. When magnetic
attraction is on, all magnetic layers will be activated and all objects
in these layers will become magnetic. The field extent option determines
how closely you can drag an object before it snaps to the magnet.
9.3
(One problem here is that entering a number larger than 255 produces an
error message stating that the number is too big Ö which is fair enough
Ö but the message says it is an error outside ArtWorks and gives you the
option to quit ArtWorks! Presumably, this is because the tool is a
separate application and is therefore Éoutside ArtWorksæ, but it is a
bit unnerving to get such a drastic-sounding message.)
9.3
Uses for Arranger
9.3
Arranger is useful for aligning objects or for construction lines. It is
very helpful if you need to accurately position lines and will save you
time and effort with many types of drawing, such as technical
illustrations and drawings with perspective. You can add a diagonal
magnetic line and use it for aligning objects when using the perspective
tool, as I have attempted to illustrate below.
9.3
Arranger is a very interesting tool and good fun to play with. It can be
used for many tasks, and even if you are not sure exactly what you might
use it for, it is a great addition to an already excellent application.
9.3
Xara Studio = CorelXara
9.3
Many of you will have heard of Xara Studio which is, effectively,
ArtWorks 2, but for Windows only. Unfortunately, CC have absolutely no
plans to port Xara Studio to RISC OS until they believe that Acorn have
provided a Éproper C++ compileræ with the correct class libraries. Once
this is available, they will be happy to consider a port. This
contradicts the claim in last monthæs Graphics Column about CC
developing ArtWorks Pro. CC say that ArtWorks Pro has never been
contemplated and is definitely not under construction. My apologies to
CC and the readership for this inaccuracy. (Donæt be too apologetic,
David. I heard the same piece of news, i.e. that they were doing
ArtWorks Pro, from a number of other sources. Ed.)
9.3
In CCæs Archimedean magazine (issue 11), it says that Corel, the large
Canadian corporation that manufactures CorelDraw, has purchased the
rights to distribute Xara Studio as a complementary product to
CorelDraw. CC will still develop the product, but Corel will be the
distributor. This is not an unusual deal because Corel already
distribute many other products from smaller companies. Xara Studio will
be renamed CorelXara and will be launched at Comdex, November 13th-18th
in Las Vagas.
9.3
CC say in the Archimedean that they are not abandoning the Acorn market,
but even if they are not, it is still frustrating that no major
developments have occurred for Impression or ArtWorks for at least a
year.
9.3
The deal with Corel is certainly good for CC, but in order for the
program to ever reach a RISC OS desktop, it seems that Acorn need to
produce what CC call a öproper C++ compiler.ò It would be interesting to
know why Acorn havenæt produced what CC require.
9.3
(Let me hazard a guess... Software development can cost a lot of money
and so Acorn have to decide whether they can justify the investment.
Will a öproper C++ compilerò help to sell more Acorn computers and
thereby generate enough revenue to pay for the development? Thatæs the
commercial judgement that Acorn have to make. Ed.)
9.3
If you want to run CorelXara, you will need a PC with at least 8Mb RAM.
CC are being very cautious about recommending running CorelXara on a PC
card Ö you would need at least 12-16Mb of memory, the performance will
only be comparable to ArtWorks for RISC OS and, in some cases, it will
be slower.
9.3
Perhaps CC would consider giving us at least some improvements to
ArtWorks even if it were not up to the standard of CorelXara. Maybe we
could have an improved user interface, a new colour selection system,
updated file format filters (including full support for WMF, CGM and
possibly elements of CDR) and a few new tools. (Nice idea, David, but it
would be interesting to know whether Corel have made any stipulations
about what CC can, or cannot, do in terms of developing art programs for
Éother platformsæ. Ed.)
9.3
New tools for ArtWorks
9.3
CC have made the ArtWorks SDK (Software Development Kit) available to
anyone wishing to develop their own tools. The product is available from
CC for ú40. I would like to see a polygon tool for easy drawing of
different shapes. At the moment, you have to use the grid, which is not
perfect and is also fiddly. Has anyone developed any new tools for
ArtWorks? A recent letter from Spacetech indicated that they might
consider developing new tools for ArtWorks after Photodesk 2 is
launched.
9.3
Bitmap editors
9.3
I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to examine all of the
main 24-bit bitmap editors available for RISC OS. Over the next few
columns, I hope to look at some of them, mainly focusing on the upgrades
that were released at Acorn World 95. After examining the current
versions of Photodesk, Studio24 Pro, ProArt24, Compo, PhotoTouch and
RevPro24, I am very pleased to report that they are all excellent
applications in their own way.
9.3
The different applications are all aimed at slightly different sections
of the bitmap market, so comparing them is not straightforward. For
example, whilst Photodesk and ProArt24 are both capable of photo-
retouching and original painting, it is probable that users would choose
one over the other for the two different fields of work.
9.3
Software integration
9.3
RISC OS users are very fortunate to have six excellent applications for
bitmap graphics, but that makes it difficult to choose which one to buy.
Perhaps developers should start to look at ways of improving their
applications other than just by adding more graphical features. I would
like to see applications adopt more of a modular approach, allowing
additional tools, designed as modules as in ArtWorks, to be easily added
without having to create a new version of the application.
9.3
I would also like to see applications supporting some more industry-
standard file formats. The new version of Composition, released at Acorn
World 1995, will support Adobe Photoshop files and also EPS files. Iáam
glad that someone has decided to do this. Other important formats
include Acrobat, PDF, CDR, CMX, WMF and CGM, although most of these are
meta or vector file formats.
9.3
As usual, I am interested in your comments. You can write to me at 1
Castle Court, Lower Burraton, Saltash, Cornwall, PL12 4SE.áu
9.3
Making Crossword Puzzles
9.3
John Evans
9.3
Crosswords are popular and your Club/Parish/Community magazine could
easily take advantage of this. We have been adding a crossword to ours
for about two years and offer a small book-token prize each month. This
has been very popular, and lots of people seem to try to solve it,
although the number of entries varies with the difficulty!
9.3
So why not become a crossword compiler and help your overworked editor
provide additional interest to your magazine? What me? Yes you! Itæs not
that difficult if you get help from a couple of super utility programs
available for any RISCáOS computer.
9.3
The first of these, David Pillingæs CrossStar, helps you build up the
word grid and find simple anagrams. The second, Supergram, from William
Tunstall-Pedoe, helps you find those elusive multi-word anagrams. The
output from CrossStar is a drawfile for the finished crossword grid and
a list of clues which can easily be imported into Impression, etc.
9.3
The programs help you design the grid, fill it with words and find
anagrams to assist with the clues Ö all in less than an hour. The clues
themselves are much easier to dream up than to solve! Anyone who is even
moderately good at solving crosswords can make a job of them. It wonæt
cost you an arm and a leg Ö the two programs together will leave you
with change from ú25.
9.3
Start with CrossStar Ö optionally, copy it onto your hard disc Ö double-
click to bring it onto the iconbar and then click on the icon. Itæs a
good idea to read the manual at some time, but this program is very
intuitive. You can change the number of squares in the grid both
horizontally and vertically in the range 8 to 99 Ö 11, 13 or 15 are good
choices.
9.3
Making the empty grid
9.3
Now make the grid, by clicking with Éadjustæ on the squares you want to
be black. This is the really hard part of the job Ö there is not much
help from CrossStar. Aim at a good range of word lengths Ö you donæt
want a grid with every other word-space going from edge to edge Ö this
would be very difficult to fill. On the other hand, you donæt want a
grid full of two and three letter words. If you need some help,  have a
good look at some examples from your favourite newspaper or magazine.
CrossStar has facilities for making symmetrical patterns, by copying
vertically, horizontally and diagonally Ö these can be used to
advantage.
9.3
Filling the grid
9.3
Now fill the grid. I usually start on the top left quadrant with the
longest word. This is often something seasonal like HappyNewYear (12
letters) and can be typed into the grid. Click with select on the first
square and type in the first letter. If the position of the next letter
is obvious, CrossStar will move the cursor to the next letter but, if
not, it will Ébeepæ and you will have to select the next letter. Carry
on until the entry is complete. Alternatively, click with select on the
position of the first letter and Édragæ the cursor to the end of the
word-space. The word-space will turn red. Then click with select on
ÉSolveæ and the lefthand window will fill with all the possible words.
If the red squares are all empty, you will get a very large number of
possible words! If, later on in the process, many of the red squares
contain letters, you will get fewer possible words, or even none! If
there is a word you like, click on it with select and it will be
automatically entered into the word-space.
9.3
If, at some point, CrossStar cannot find a suitable word, you have a
number alternative strategies. At the start of the filling process, it
is fairly easy to change an earlier word. Use <select> to put the cursor
onto letters which do not form part of other words and delete the
letters with the space bar. Then use <select> to colour the whole of
this word red, and click on Ésolveæ. Look at the letter which is proving
difficult in your new word and pick an alternative word with an easier
letter in that position. Then try the new word again. If this doesnæt
work, look down the word list in the left hand window and write down or
remember all the possible letters in the difficult position. Then go
back and colour the new word red, click on Ésolveæ and see if CrossStar
can find a word with one of those letters in the critical position.
9.3
(David Pilling points out that it is possible to highlight two or more
words in red and then CrossStar will solve them simultaneously Ö I have
tried this and it works well. If it seems to take a very long time,
press <escape> and you will probably find that there are already a good
number from which to choose.)
9.3
Sometimes, even this strategy does not find a solution Ö donæt despair Ö
there are two further strategies before you have to clear this area of
the grid and start again. The first is to find a multi-word solution.
Look at the first letter and think of a possible short word which might
easily be the first part of a double word. ┬lternatively, look at the
last letter and try for an ending word. If the first letter is, say,
Énæ, try for Éno xxxxxxxæ or Énorth xxxæ etc. The xxx bits can be solved
by turning them red, as before. The second alternative strategy is to
make a small modification to the grid. If the first letter or last
letter(s) can be easily blanked out, try a shorter word and so on.
9.3
After you have filled your first one or two grids, you will start to
visualise some of the hazards and learn to avoid them when you fill
earlier words. Some letters occur less frequently than others and, if
you see a word space building up with too many of them Ö beware!
9.3
When I first started making and filling grids, I failed to complete
about half of them. After two years, I seldom fail, but I do find that
some grids have poor word selections Ö so I still throw some out.
9.3
Making up the clues
9.3
I recommend starting by making a DTP document which includes the
finished grid and a numbered list of the words chosen in the grid. This
is used as a Éworksheetæ to generate the clues.
9.3
CrossStar will generate a drawfile of the filled grid and also a list of
the ÉAcrossæ and ÉDownæ words with their numbers in the grid. I take the
drawfile and, in Draw, ÉSelect allæ and ÉGroupæ to allow me to drop the
completed grid as a selection into an Impression Publisher frame. I then
create separate frames for the across and down clues and drop them in.
(Use select and save selection in Edit.)
9.3
I then go back to CrossStar and highlight each word in turn, in red as
before, and click on Anagram. If there are one or more single word
anagrams, I edit the Impression document by adding the anagrams and the
letter count found next to Ésolveæ in CrossStar. For multi-words, the
letter count is divided, e.g (2,3).
9.3
CrossStar as a Crossword Generator Ö wish list
9.3
Dave Pilling tells me that CrossStar was intended as a solving program
rather than as a crossword creator. Despite this I have found it a very
worthwhile tool in this new capacity. As ever, I have a wish list and
would suggest three things. (1)áA multi-word solving procedure, along
the lines of Supergram (see below). (2)áAn automatic empty grid
generator. (3)áThe dictionaries might be reviewed for creation. I
suspect that because they were intended to Écatchæ all options, they
sometimes come up with words which are not in my favourite reference
tome (The Shorter Oxford). You can, however, edit the dictionaries and,
for serious work, I would suggest this. They can be dumped as an ASCII
file (press <menu> over the edit window), updated and re-imported.
9.3
Using Supergram to help with the clues
9.3
Did you know that Éman so dumbæ is an anagram of ombudsman or Écon ariaæ
of ocarina (a ceramic whistle if you arenæt musical) or Éstay menæ of
amnesty. I also like ÉEvermore succinct worshipæ as an anagram of
Norwich Computer Services. I use the program to look for anagrams where
CrossStar couldnæt find a single word anagram and add them to my
worksheet.
9.3
Multiword anagrams can add spice to your crossword, and Supergram will
find them for you. It is very easy to use, and programmed very
efficiently to find them quickly. Various options, e.g. male or female,
business, computer etc, can be set to change the bias given to these
subjects. The program sorts the multiword anagrams it finds into a
biased priority order and rejects the ones lowest on the list Ö
retaining a maximum number, set by default to 500. The only problem I
found was that, amongst the real gems which the program can find, there
are also some less attractive solutions. The program can be set to
prevent vulgar words Ö useful in an educational environment Ö but in
searching as thoroughly as it does, some solutions may still offend, and
are best avoided. I found some of the examples given in the manual
slightly satirical Ö but there are plenty of more interesting ones out
there to be found.
9.3
The Supergram program
9.3
This program works well and fast; all praise to some very clever AI
programming Ö Écon ariaæ can be found from ocarina in seconds Ö a longer
word or phrase such as ÉNorwich Computer Servicesæ takes a few minutes
to generate several thousand anagrams and store 500 of them.
9.3
Supergram has many more features than I have time to describe here Ö you
can, for example, change the priority of the single words found in the
first pass. Space prevents a full description and, apart from the use of
the title ÉWeedæ on the icon which starts the anagram process, the basic
operation is so intuitive that the manual is hardly needed. A minor bug
on the Risc PC is that moving the Supergram window partly off screen Ö
to be able to see this and the worksheet on the screen Ö causes the sub-
windows to overlap. Clicking on the topmost window, if you can see it,
puts everything back in place.
9.3
Although Supergram can also find single word anagrams, it is slower than
CrossStar because (a) you have to type in the words (b) you have to
search the results. I find it marginally quicker to search for these in
CrossStar and use Supergram only for multi-word anagrams. Watchers of
Channel 4æs ÉCountdownæ program might like to know that Supergram will
also report on the longest word in a collection of letters.
9.3
Finishing the clues
9.3
The worksheet can then be used when generating the final clues. In our
magazine, this is done by separate teams of helpers. We find that
changing the team completely changes the character of the crossword Ö
and often results in an entirely different set of winners! Crossword
aficionados will know that there are conventions in clues; Éstay men
changedæ or Éstay men shakenæ might mean an anagram of Éstay menæ (no
prizes here) Ö Éa flower in he aroseæ might mean that a flower is to be
found somewhere in Éhe aroseæ (even fewer prizes!), and so on. Biblical
and other allusions often occur Ö ÉHe had a pushover victory with some
trumpetsæ and so on. Specialist clues can be found Ö ÉOr scsi opens your
window to multi-mediaæ (RISC OS).
9.3
Preparing for publication
9.3
There should be no problem in laying out the clues Ö CrossStar numbers
the grid and these numbers will also be on your worksheet text. Next
bring up the crossword into CrossStar and clear the grid to remove the
answers! Ö Donæt save the grid or you will lose your original Ö but do
save a new copy of the Draw file and exit. Open this file in Draw, as
before, and again Éselect allæ and Égroupæ. If you find the black
squares a bit too black on the grid, change the Éfill colouræ Ö there is
no need to ungroup to do this. Finally, use Ésave selectionæ and drop
the result into whatever DTP package you are using.
9.3
An example
9.3
Here is one for you to try. Built as described Ö it took a little longer
than usual because we were mostly looking for computer-oriented clues.
Mijas Software is offering a full educational/hobby copy of ArcSimp III
to the first correct answer Éout of the hatæ. The compileræs decision is
final Ö itæs his hat anyway! Anyone can enter, except those within the
Mijas or NCS domains. Please send answers to Mijas software by 8th
December. Good hunting!
9.3
CrossStar comes from David Pilling and costs ú10 through him or through
Archive, and Supergram comes from William Tunstall-Pedoe, P.O. Box 395,
Cambridge CB3 9PJ. The starting price is ú12 for a single user licence.
9.3
Clues across
9.3
1 & 9. So thrive Wimp occurrences (7,8,8)
9.3
11. Dark ants in these vessels (7)
9.3
12. All good systems grow like this (6)
9.3
13. O! use log to improve your image (3,4)
9.3
14. Make sure your laptop is this before a long journey (7)
9.3
15. Hay mincer (9)
9.3
19. The resistance is this (3)
9.3
21. We dunno who owns this clue! (7)
9.3
23. Get ArcSimp III here (5,8)
9.3
Clues down
9.3
1. The verification program for your hard disc must be this (14)
9.3
2 & 5. Choicely strong for super windows (4,10)
9.3
3. Eh! do I move with a set top box (4,5)
9.3
4. One of the topics needed by a CD-ROM drive designer (6)
9.3
5. (see 2)
9.3
6. Mine is RISC OS! (14)
9.3
7. Deer sounds like money! (3)
9.3
8. You want it! You have it! (3)
9.3
10. Some short, light musical pieces (10)
9.3
14. The actoræs prompt, the ballæs striker! (3)
9.3
16. The (low) power house in the box! (3)
9.3
17. They are on their bar! (5)
9.3
18. The tenth and smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet (3)
9.3
20. Have you room for this bleak land? (4)
9.3
22. ÿ- biscuits with tea! (3)áu
9.3
OPL Programming
9.3
Govind Kharbanda
9.3
Variables
9.3
In BBC Basic, there are three separate variable types: strings, for
storing pieces of text, floating point, for storing decimal numbers, and
integers (no prizes for guessing this one). Multi-dimensional array
variables are available for storing lists of values.
9.3
As shown in the table, OPL has few differences, but they are important.
As stated last month, new variables must be declared with LOCAL! If,
like me, Basic is your main language, you will find this annoying at
first, but it is like having to use DIM in Basic whenever we use a new
array. Note that string variables must be declared with the $ symbol
followed by the maximum length of string in brackets. Integer variables
are split into two types (small and large). Arrays are limited to one
dimension, which may seem a bit restrictive since you can have ten (or
more!) dimensions in BBC Basic if you really want to, memory permitting!
9.3
Why three different types of variables for numbers? Well, it is a matter
of preference. If you find it confusing, you can use floating point all
the time which shouldnæt affect your programs (but note the snag
mentioned below). However, short integer variables use less memory than
long integer variables, and both use less than floating-point. They can
also be processed faster. So if your program is dealing with ages,
quantities and so on, use short integer variables (as used in last
monthæs programs).
9.3
A word of warning
9.3
Since keywords can be entered in upper or lower case (print öhelloò is
perfectly acceptable), take care not to give variables names such as
print%, otherwise your poor Pocket Book will get confused between the
two! Variable names are limited to eight characters, which includes the
%, $, and & symbols. (This restriction does not exist in BBC Basic.)
9.3
There is an exercise on the monthly disc (along the lines of last month)
so you can get practice with variables in OPL. Apart from the points
mentioned earlier, variables can be used exactly as in BBC Basic, for
example: birthyr%=year%-age%, but please note this unfortunate snag...
9.3
Consider the following:
9.3
PROC multiply:
9.3
  LOCAL a
9.3
  a=200*300
9.3
  PRINT a
9.3
ENDP
9.3
Note that a has been used as opposed to a%, since the result is too
large for a small integer. At first glance, it looks as if there is
nothing wrong with the procedure. However, the Pocket Book sees two
integers (200 and 300) and so uses short integer arithmetic (for speed).
This will cause an error because the result is too large for short
integer arithmetic. If one of the variables is turned into a long
integer, long integer arithmetic would be used which would not give an
error. The INT function does this (e.g. a=INT(200)*300) would work).
Furthermore, INTF would convert an integer into a floating-point number.
This is covered in more detail on page 14 of the Psion Series 3a
Programming Manual. Another thing to watch out for, is that you canæt
use the shortcut a%+=1 which is available in BBC Basic V; you have to
use a%=a%+1 (as was needed on the BBC Micro).
9.3
Watch out when using strings!
9.3
This is similar Ö consider the following:
9.3
PROC addtext:
9.3
  LOCAL a$(8),b$(8),c$(8)
9.3
  a$=ögoodò
9.3
  b$=ö morningò
9.3
  c$=a$+b$
9.3
  PRINT c$
9.3
ENDP
9.3
This results in an error: c$ is not truncated to read ögood morò as you
might expect!
9.3
So now we have covered displaying text on the screen, simple loops, and
variables. However, what our programs need is some user input... unless
youære happy seeing it doing exactly the same thing again and again!
9.3
INPUT
9.3
This command is similar to BBC Basic, but it is usually used in
conjunction with a PRINT statement, since you cannot display text with
INPUT in OPL Ö INPUT öPlease enter your nameò would not work. Otherwise,
it works like Basic: INPUT name$,  INPUT age% and INPUT number& are all
fine.
9.3
Unlike with Basic, you can use the arrow keys when entering text for an
INPUT command, and can use ÉEscæ to clear what you have typed
(equivalent to pressing <ctrl-U> in BBC Basic).
9.3
GET, can be used to force the computer to wait for a keypress, and will
return the ASCII value of the key pressed, identical to GET in BBC
Basic. It does not display the key pressed on the screen, or require you
to press <Enter>. So, for example, you could write: k$=GET$, PRINT GET,
or even just GET which is equivalent to IF GET. The equivalent of INKEY
is KEY Ö it returns the key, if any was pressed, but does not wait for
one.
9.3
AT command
9.3
(Nothing to do with modems!) This positions the cursor Ö similar to TAB
in BBC Basic. AT 1,1 would position the cursor in the top left hand
corner.
9.3
A note about using PRINT
9.3
As in Basic, each PRINT statement ends by moving to a new line, which
can be stopped by appending a semicolon. If a comma is used, it stays on
the same line but displays an extra space. This is, in fact, incredibly
useful to programmers! Consider the following program snippets:
9.3
1. Basic
9.3
filename$=öletterò
9.3
PROCloadfile(filename$)
9.3
IF error THEN PRINT öFile ò;filename$;
9.3
 ö cannot be found.ò
9.3
2. OPL
9.3
LOCAL filename$(8)
9.3
filename$=öletterò
9.3
loadfile:(filename$)
9.3
IF error
9.3
PRINT öFileò,filename$,öcannot be
9.3
 found.ò
9.3
ENDIF
9.3
The comma saves all the fiddling about with spaces and semicolons that
you have to do in Basic. Note that there is no THEN with IF. Donæt worry
about the slight difference in using procedures Ö Iæll explain it.
9.3
In Basic, to call a procedure called, say Émenuæ, we use ÉPROCmenuæ. In
OPL, all you need is just Émenu:æ. OK so far, but hereæs the confusing
bit Ö to define the procedure in Basic, we use ÉDEFPROCmenuæ, but in OPL
itæs ÉPROCmenu:æ! I shall explain parameters and how you implement
functions next month.
9.3
This month, there are another three programming exercises on the monthly
disc, along with solutions in Basic and OPL. Feel free to adapt the
programs and explore for yourself Ö and persevere if it doesnæt work
first time! Many error messages seem quite cryptic (e.g. ÉType mismatchæ
for a small slip like writing a$=20) but they are all explained clearly
in the Psion programming manual. Any suggestions, programs, comments
etc, are welcome: please send them via Archive.áuá
9.3
Variable type  Basic    OPL
9.3
String  Symbol:  $  Symbol:  $(max length)    Example:áname$=öGovindò
Example:  LOCAL name$(15)  áááááááááááááááááááá  ááááááá
áááááááááááááá      name$=öGovindòáááááááááááááá  Maximum length: 255
Maximum length: 255
9.3
Integer  Symbol:  %  Symbol:
%ááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááá    Example:  number%=500
Example:  LOCAL number%ááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááá    áá
number%=500ááááááááááááááááááááááááááá    Range:  As OPL long integers
Range:  Ö32768 to +32767
9.3
Large integer  Ö    Symbol:
&ááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááá           á    Range:
Ö2147483648 to [phone]
9.3
Floating-point  Symbol:  None  Symbol:
Noneááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááá     Example:  height=1.75
Example:  LOCAL height, distanceááááááááááááá    á  distance=3.46E15
height=1.75ááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááá   á  á
distance=3.46E15áááááááááááááááááááááááá á  Range:  Ö1E38 to 1E38
Range:  Ö9.99E99 to 9.99E99
9.3
Arrays  Example:  DIM address$(10)  Example:  LOCAL
address$(10,40)ááááááááááááá áá      allocates memory space for ten
stringsáááááááááá áá      each up to forty characters in
length.áááááááááááá áá  Example:  DIM age%(30)  Example:  LOCAL
age%(30)áááááááááááá  á  áááááááááááá áá      (age& would not be used
since people doáááá  á       not exceed 32767 years in general!)
9.3
Note that, in Basic and OPL, 1E38 is short for 1╫1038.
9.3
CD Tracker
9.3
Fred Grieve
9.3
This has been a very pleasant product to review for the simple reason
that I wrote the actual review whilst playing some of my favourite music
CDs on my Risc PCæs internal CD-ROM drive. Not that thatæs anything
special Ö there are several audio CD players available for Acorn
machines. Most are PD but this is one of several which are commercially
available.
9.3
CD Tracker not only plays audio CDs but it also contains a database to
store information about your entire CD collection. Not content with only
playing audio CDs, CD Tracker will also do anything that an up-market
hi-fi CD player can do. It contains a powerful jukebox facility to play
a selection of your favourite tracks and the software is supplied with a
PD application, !Cassette, which can be used to print out audio cassette
tape liners.
9.3
This application can be used on any computer but if a CD drive isnæt
fitted, the player cannot be accessed. CD Tracker then resorts to its
original form Ö a database for cataloguing a record collection. This
rather small point is quite significant as it permits anyone to use CD
Tracker; not only those with CD drives fitted.
9.3
The player
9.3
Before any CD can be played, it must be stored in the database (see
under The Database). Once the CD is catalogued in this way, the player
can then be used.
9.3
The player window takes its name from the title of the CD in the drive
and opens to show the title of track one in the top left corner. The
program control icons are placed below this, and over to the right side
are 24 track Ébuttonsæ (icons). Icon buttons also exist for nudging the
current track up or down, jumping to the start of the current track,
jumping to the next track, stopping play, pausing and searching either
back or forward. If thatæs not enough, the CD can be played in several
different play modes, viz. single track mode which plays one track then
stops; continuous play, which plays the entire CD; shuffle play, which
plays all tracks in random order and programme mode, which plays a
selection of tracks!
9.3
Like any audio player, CD Tracker also displays time and this again is
very flexible as it can be done in four different formats. Mode 1
displays lapsed time and as every track starts, this zeros the time
counter. Mode 2 displays total lapsed time but, unlike mode 1, does not
zero the clock when a new track starts. Mode 3 displays the track total
playing time of the current track and decrements it Ö very useful for
seeing how much playing time remains. Mode 4 displays the total album
playing time and decrements it.
9.3
In single play mode, CD Tracker depresses the track icon so you can see
which track is playing. Continuous play mode does the same except that,
as each is track played, its track icon is depressed so once again a
simple glance at the player window shows which tracks have already been
played. In programmed or favourite tracks modes, the icon of the next
track to be played is depressed.
9.3
Favourite play permits a selection of your favourite tracks to be chosen
and saved to disc. Incidentally, these tracks need not be on the same
CD!
9.3
The database
9.3
Like most specialised computer databases, CD Tracker has the field
titles predefined. These include CD title, performer, CD label,
individual track titles, total number of tracks, individual track times,
the year recorded and the year of issue. The application is supplied
with most of the common CD labels already built-in, so clicking a menu
icon and making your choice is all thatæs necessary to enter the CD
label. The label list is held as a text file, so can be modified by the
user. If you have a CD drive fitted to your computer, the total number
of tracks and the individual track times can be read from the CD in the
drive, thus cutting out a lot of work.
9.3
In a database, a collection of records is called a file. CD Tracker
actually uses the term Écategoryæ (as in music category) as this is how
most people will file information about their CD collection. The program
can cater for any number of categories. Yet another nice touch is that
any category can be summarised when being created and, if this is done,
it provides a sub-menu off the main application menu which displays the
summary. The current category is ticked in the menu.
9.3
Once a category has been created, information need not be entered at the
keyboard. CD Tracker can accept CSV files or files from the Smart CD
application.
9.3
As with any database, CD Tracker will sort records into order. Once the
sort field has been selected, a simple sort changes the display order of
the records. For me, this was the only disappointment because, if there
are several CDs by one performer in the database and the sort is on
performer, they are displayed in order of entry. I would have preferred
a complex sort on two fields but at ú12.72, I am certainly not
complaining!
9.3
Searching is catered for by use of a Find command. Only the CD title,
track title and performer fields can be used as key fields. One surprise
here is that wildcard searching is used by default. For example, in my
rock collection, Iásearched for öMoneyò and the database found these
records:
9.3
In use
9.3
The player is absolutely first-class. Because the application includes a
database of track names, playing times, etc, accessing the player opens
the player window with all information about the current CD displayed.
9.3
When the drive is busy, the eject button on the drive is disabled by CD
Tracker, which has its own eject icon on the player window. When this
eject is selected, CD Tracker actually displays a warning message for
Risc PC owners to ölower the pulldown flap.ò Upon acknowledging the
message, the drive tray activates Ö nice!
9.3
The database creates its own record numbering with the first CD being
referred to as CD 1, etc. Deleting an entry unfortunately creates a gap
in this numbering system but an edit menu option, Tidy, is used to tidy
up any category after editing. There is also a field called Disc No.
which is used for multiple disc sets. Thus it is not necessary to use a
new record (CD) number for the second disc in a double CD set, for
example. Dynamic linking is used between the player front end and the
database, so opening the latter will show the record of the CD being
played. This is very practical because if, for example, a typing mistake
is noticed in the player display, opening the database immediately takes
you to the correct record. Amendments can therefore be made in a matter
of seconds.
9.3
I actually started to catalogue my CD collection when I started to buy
CDs instead of LPs almost ten years ago. The only method I seriously
considered then was to use a computer database and now, some three
computers later, all of that original data has found its way into CD
Tracker. My current CD database is housed in Squirrel 2 but, as CD
Tracker can accept CSV files, it didnæt take much effort to create a CD
Tracker version. I did have to spend some time Éreadingæ CDs in order to
set up the track times but this was well worth it as the player displays
accurate time information about the CD/track currently playing.
9.3
I do have one criticism but itæs very minor. Selecting the application
icon on the iconbar opens the database; the CD player must be activated
from the application menu. As I actually play CDs more times than I
access the database, I would have preferred this to be the opposite way
round.
9.3
The 31-page A5-sized manual is very thorough Ö principally because it is
written by the programæs author. It is laser printed and is therefore of
high quality. The first version of the manual lacks a contents page or
index but the author told me that these may be added to a future
version.
9.3
Overall impression
9.3
So why purchase something which you can get from a PD library? Well, how
about product quality Ö do not be put off by this packageæs ú12 price
tag because it has been extremely well thought out, programmed and put
together. Malcolm Knightæs attention to detail is to be commended and
goes to make CD Tracker quite simply unbelievable! It must rank as one
of the best value-for-money applications available for any platform.
Indeed, its ú12.72 cost may possibly put some people off, i.e. the if-
thatæs-all-it-costs-then-it-canæt-be-up-to-much brigade! I assure you
that nothing could be further from the truth.
9.3
Werewolf Software is a Éyoungæ company Ö this is its first commercial
venture, and I look forward to more. Starting out with an application of
this calibre can do them nothing but good.
9.3
Everyone with a CD drive and an Acorn computer should buy CD Tracker. It
is money well-spent.áuá
9.3
Me and my Acorn
9.3
Elma Alexander
9.3
Although Elmaæs article is not one of deeply technical, it should be
inspirational to a number of readers Ö for themselves or for a friend or
relation who is disabled. Anyone who has seen the difference that a
computer can make to the life of a disabled person will know what I am
talking about. Ed.
9.3
My Éaffairæ with my computer seems a bit dull compared to that of James
Miller (Archive 9.2 p19), but the computer is nevertheless the Ésub-hubæ
of my life Ö the Lord Jesus being the centre, of course!
9.3
Iæve been severely disabled since my teens, lying on my back and all my
joints virtually locked with arthritis. I used a typewriter by pressing
the keys with a cane, but it was slow and tiring Ö so over ten years
ago, I thought a computer would help. Just one snag Ö could an old dog
aged 50 learn such new tricks?
9.3
My social worker put me in touch with LEAD (Linking Education And
Disability) who loaned me a BBC B computer for three months, and
provided a volunteer tutor to teach me at home and find if Iácould
manage to use it. It was fixed to a vertical stand and the keys were so
light to tap with my cane, that I took to it like the proverbial duck to
water!
9.3
I was only learning Basic Ö I had no software, just blank floppies on
which to save my efforts Ö but a lot of midnight oil was burned. At the
end of the three months, my tutor recommended that I showed enough
capability to be provided with a computer of my own, a BBC B+ with disc
drive and a printer Ö Iáwas ecstatic!
9.3
I next took an Open Learning Course in Basic Programming and passed
Intermediate and Advanced Certificates. I also got myself the Mini-
Office software pack, so I could do all my letters, etc. and also teach
myself about databases and spreadsheets.
9.3
A friend who was Headmistress at a local school was virtually terrified
of their computer, but had an idea for a program she would like it to
do. I was never good at generating new ideas, but when she put it to me,
I was off Ö and the kids loved it. So, for several years until she
retired, she got the ideas for educational fun programs, I wrote them
and her school enjoyed them.
9.3
Meanwhile, Iæd extended my previous pastime of writing articles for my
Church Newsletter and other magazines, making up fund-raising quizzes,
and added any other charity work my computer could help with. Soon, a
BBC Master was necessary and was obtained with help from several
charities, plus LEAD.
9.3
Eventually, I was asked to take over as Editor of my Church Magazine,
joined the Fellowship of Christian Writers and did various voluntary
things. My computer had totally changed my life.
9.3
The next step had to be moving up to an A5000 and inkjet printer, but
this posed a new problem Ö I could not handle a mouse nor latch two or
three keys at once with my cane. Acorn were very helpful and referred me
to LeComputer, who provide a software pack called ÉAid Setæ for people
like myself. This uses keys on the key-pad to simulate mouse keys and
movement, while also Élatchingæ shift, ctrl and alt keys. It proved very
easy to use when, with my own savings and, again, help from some
charities, I got my A5000 over two years ago, followed by an HP 550C
inkjet.
9.3
Software in daily use includes Ovation DTP, Home Accounts, Easiword-
Office, Masterfile III and various PD fonts and clipart. Iæm now
seriously debating whether to go on to a top-of-the-range Risc PC, but
it would depend on being able to sell this A5000.
9.3
How can I justify the expenditure? Well, my love of country music and
doing a Country Quiz for Telethon three years ago (raising about ú800),
led to me starting a Éfanæ club for Neil Cordery, a young Country singer
from Surrey. Country music people being great charity supporters, I
decided to organise a gig myself with Neil, in aid of LEAD. Iæd recently
met two guys who had started ÉSound-Aidæ in their spare time, giving
help to charities in their fund-raising by providing equipment and/or
experienced advice with stage work, PAæs, recording, etc, at a much
lower rate than commercial studios or sound-hire places usually charge.
They recorded and put Neilæs live gig on cassette Ö which is still being
sold at his gigs, 50p from each going to LEAD. Then August last year
Iádid a similar gig with top Liverpool country band, the Hillsiders, on
my 60th birthday!
9.3
To put the rest in a nutshell Ö Sound-Aid liked what Iádid and thought
it could be good to continue; I was made a partner; weæve also formed
the Scottish Country Music Association and are well on the way to
building a unique business to aid charities, churches, and local
community groups. My part, apart from organising the country music side,
involves printing posters, brochures, booklets, etc for both ourselves
and anyone who needs them for fund-raising Ö just another service we
realised is often too expensive for charities.
9.3
The way things are going, I think the coming months will see me
definitely having to upgrade. I feel that, at an age when most people
are retiring, Iæm just beginning to really work Ö albeit unpaid meantime
Ö and doing something worthwhile with my life. Without my computer, it
would not be possible.áuá
9.3
Products Available
9.4
Alone In The Dark Ö (Alex Card says) This is a fine conversion of a
classic graphical adventure game, the first part of the now finished
trilogy from the PC scene. It has superb 3D polygon graphics and
brilliant atmospheric sound effects. Alone in the Dark costs ú34.99 from
Krisalis or ú33 through Archive.
9.4
Anglia Multimedia now have 20 educational CD-ROMs in their collection.
Two of their more recent titles are Vikings and Seashore Life.
9.4
Vikings takes the user back a thousand years to the sights and sounds of
Viking village life, as recreated by the York Archaeological Trustæs
Jorvik Centre. Characters in the Viking village all speak to explain
their lives and surroundings. Warfare and day-to-day life, craft skills
and husbandry are all brought to life through audio, still photography,
animations and video. The saga of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer illustrates
how the Viking people recorded their own history, and a multiplicity of
maps show Viking origins and their settlement in the British Isles.
Toáassist teachers understand the benefits of CD¡ROM in the classroom,
the disc contains a range of information sheets and worksheets, with
ideas for pupils to follow through.
9.4
Seashore Life, aimed at children in the 7Ö11 range, is the follow-up to
Garden Wildlife, and shows children the range of animals and plants to
be found around the British coastline. All the principal text is
included as sound files and there are video clips from Angliaæs Survival
programmes. For classroom use, Seashore Life is supported with a range
of fifteen activity sheets which help children gain the maximum benefit
from the disc. Making the lighthouse your base, you can choose to learn
about animal classification, or watch videos and animations on TV.
9.4
Both discs are available for Acorn machines, but they work also on Macs
and PCs. They cost ú40 +VAT or ú45 through Archive.
9.4
Anagram Genius is a program to create your own anagrams. It produces
multi-word anagrams and tries to make them relevant to the subject. Each
anagram is individually scored to select, say, the best five hundred.
Searching is very quick, allowing long names, or even short phrases, to
be processed in a very short time Ö short or medium length texts can be
searched in just a few seconds. Options within the program allow the
user to choose between male, female or inanimate phrases; satire,
flattery or normal; with subject matter being political, business or
computer-related. There is a function to allow vulgar words or dropped
ÉHæs to be used. Include with Anagram Genius is a Features application
which allows the user to disable certain functions on the master disc,
making it more suitable for younger children. Anagram Genius costs
ú19.95 from the 4tháDimension or ú19 through Archive.
9.4
Ancestry II is the long awaited follow-up to Ancestry, the RISC OS
genealogy program from Minerva. The software is essentially a database
of individual personsæ records, some linked by partnership of birth
records, to build up the genealogical information. The program has been
redesigned to take full advantage of the RISC OS desktop with
flexibility and ease of use very much to the fore. Files may include any
number of variable length fields which may contain simple text, dates,
sprites, drawfiles, scanned images or almost anything the user wishes to
record. Data can be viewed and printed in a wide variety of ways, or
exported to other applications. Among its features are: unlimited file
and record size; DTP-style control over record layout; tiled output of
large reports; export in Draw and text files; import and export in
GEDCOM format; full colour output; WYSIWYG for all reports and
printouts; a wide range of tree displays including descendants and
ancestors. Ancestry II comes supplied with a data file containing
information on 19ágenerations of the British Royal Family, and costs
ú99.95 inc VAT or ú95 through Archive.
9.4
Ant Internet Suite Ö This suite including email, Web browser, Usenet,
ftp and a terminal emulator (as used by the Archive Editor!!) is now
available from NCS for ú115 inclusive. (ú99 +VAT from Ant Ltd.)
9.4
Archive price rise Ö With the rising cost of paper, etc, we have
decided, reluctantly, to raise the price of a yearæs Archive
subscription from ú22 (UK) to ú25. The overseas rates also rise by ú3
each. This rise will take effect from 31st January 1996, so you have a
month or so to renew at the old rate if you wish.
9.4
ArcTerm7 Ö This well-established terminal software package (originally
from The Serial Port) is now available from Atomwide at ú78 +VAT or ú87
inclusive through Archive.
9.4
Arm Club CD-ROM Ö The Arm Club have put together their best PD and
Shareware collection onto a single CD-ROM disc. Itæs available from them
for ú19.50 fully inclusive.
9.4
CD-Seven CD-ROM drives Ö We have found a source of CD drives that will
take seven CDs at a time. The CDs are fed in one at a time and they can
be selectively ejected one at a time. These are external SCSI 2 devices,
and there are two speeds available, dual and quad. (Nothing surprising
so far, but the staggering thing is the price...) The dual speed seven-
CD drive is only ú350 (including SCSI 2 cable, case, Eesox SCSI driver,
delivery and VAT) and the quad speed is only ú435. If you compare this
with the Eesox speed single CD drives (dual ú205, quad ú250), you can
see that a seven-CD drive costs less than the price of two single CD
drives!
9.4
The technical specs for the two drives are: data transfer rate 300/
600Kb/s (sustained) and 1500/2800Kb/s (burst), buffer memory 64/128Kb,
access time 380/350ms, and both drives are fully PhotoCD compatible.
9.4
CD Tracker Ö This CD player/database was reviewed last month (page 77).
Unfortunately, the pricing was given as ú12.72 but it did not say that
this does not include VAT. The full price is therefore ú14.95 (+ú1 p&p).
However, because the review was so favourable, Werewolf software have
agreed to offer a special price to Archive subscribers of ú12.72 (+ú1
p&p) inclusive for two weeks following this issue, i.e. until 31st
December 1995 (Christmas post permitting!).
9.4
Command Ship Ö Due to diminishing supplies of natural resources, the
Stellar Mining Corporation despatch the deep space mining ship
Andromeda, Time is short and new mining fields must be established and
old ones brought back on-line. öA superb mix of arcade action, logic
puzzles and top quality graphicsò, say TBA Software. Command Ship costs
ú24.99 from TBA or ú24 through Archive.
9.4
Cumana products (NOT now available) Ö During November, Cumana Ltd went
into administrative receivership, hoping to find a buyer to rescue the
company. Sadly, this was not possible and so they have had to close
down. We are selling off all our Cumana hardware cheaply and will do
what we can to help should anyone with Cumana hardware have problems
within the warranty period.
9.4
For CD-ROM drives, Eesox provide us with excellent drives and service
and for SCSI 2 cards, there is Alsystemsæ Powertec card. Cumanaæs
ProTeus drives have been very popular and, fortunately, we have managed
to find a second source of these drives. See below under PD drives.
9.4
Cyber Ape Ö An ape is taken from the jungle and sent to a research lab
for experimentation. The experiments endow him with human-like abilities
such as walking upright. He also gains greater intelligence, which may
or may not be a human-like ability! He escapes and is determined to make
his way home. Cyber Ape is a platform game costing ú19.99 from TBA
Software or ú19 through Archive.
9.4
Darkwood Ö Eclipse have produced öa spooky new 3D graphical adventure
gameò. Talk to the other inhabitants of Darkwood and solve the puzzles
along the quest. The six-disc set needs 2Mb or more and RISCáOS 3.1 or
higher and costs úú24.99 or ú23 through Archive.
9.4
Dazzle is a drawing and painting package from SEMERC, designed for use
in the classroom on all Acorn computers. It can be easily tailored to
suit the individual requirements of Key Stage 1, 2 and 3 learners and is
also suitable for use by children with special needs. Dazzle provides a
palette of 10 to 16 million colours and has a wide range of drawing and
painting features, including: pencil, paint brushes, and fixed objects
like stars, triangles, circles, polygons etc. The line thickness of
fixed objects can be defined separately. Special effects can be created
using the diffuser brush, the tint brush and the water brush. Dazzle
allows the user to create pictures from scratch or use images already
created using a video digitiser, scanner or from Photo CD. A Choices
features allows teachers to restrict or alter the availability of tools,
colours and the size of tool icons. Dazzle costs ú40á+áVAT for a single
user and ú80 + VAT for a site licence.
9.4
Empire Soccer Ö This is Empire Interactiveæs challenger to Sensible
Soccer. Thirty-two national teams, battle it out on the soccer pitch and
youære their only hope! Our reviewer, Andrew Clover, says that it excels
in its graphics and wins over Sensible Soccer by a whisker. The controls
allow you to kick, pass, apply aftertouch, head the ball, tackle, heel
and use overhead kicks easily. Empire Soccer is available from Magnetic
Image at ú25.99 inclusive or ú25 through Archive.
9.4
ESP Software Midi synthesizer Ö This is a software only Midi synthesizer
developed by ESP and comes with a full General Midi set of instruments
providing 128 melodic and 50 percussion instruments. An application is
provided to allow you to select the instruments that are loaded and re-
map them onto Midi program numbers if required. You can balance the
quality of sounds against the number of notes it can play simultaneously
and configure the amount of memory to use for cacheing samples after
which instruments are loaded from disc as and when they are needed. The
synthesizer is designed to work on any RISC OS machine although best
results will be achieved if you have 16-bit sound capability. It will
work alongside applications such as Sibelius to give full playback
without the need for a Midi keyboard or other expensive hardware. For
those people with PC cards in their Risc PCs, this is important, as the
latest version of the PCx86 software supports SoundBlaster sound sample
playback and passes on any Midi files to your Midi card or software Midi
synthesizer! So this product completes the jigsaw to give full
SoundBlaster support. It costs ú39.95 +VAT from ESP or ú45 through
Archive.
9.4
Fist Lore Ö Is, as the name implies, a straight-forward beat æem up Ö
hand-to-hand fighting with seven mighty warriors. The program was
developed in Norwich by Mystery Software and is being marketed by ICS.
The graphics and animation are quite staggering (good choice of words
there!), the sound effects are excellent and the machine code
programming involved is very impressive. (Thereæs a demo on this monthæs
Acorn User disc if you want to see just how good the graphics and
animation really are.) Fist Lore costs ú29.99 inc VAT from ICS.
9.4
Font Emporium from Zenta Multimedia is a CD-ROM of over 550 different
outline fonts. The CD is supplied with a comprehensive and easy-to-use
font selection application which displays full character previews for
all fonts on demand. Also included on the disc are a variety of DTP
files in Draw and Artworks format to make printing out sample sheets
easy. Fonts can easily be loaded into existing font folders, or new ones
can be created from within the font selection application. The Font
Emporium costs ú29.95 inclusive from Zenta or ú29 through Archive.
9.4
Font Directory II is the long-awaited upgrade to the font management
system from Look Systems. Information should soon be on its way to
registered users about how they can upgrade to version 2. The rest of us
will have to wait until the end of January for the full version. In the
meantime, we can tell you that the beta version weæve been using in the
office is very impressive. Itæs extremely fast and comes with a whole
host of really useful features to make font management easy. Font names
can be viewed in a number of formats, including full WYSIWYG. Speed has
been a major consideration in this latest version, so loading fonts
happens extremely quickly. The whole user interface has been simplified
to make using the program much easier. Bundled with Font Directory is a
utility called FontView which gives the user the ability to view
complete blocks of text in multiple windows, at various sizes. Each new
window can work independently of the others and contain a different
font, so it makes comparing fonts very easy. Text can be written
straight to a window or imported as a text file.
9.4
The full version of Font Directory will cost ú45 inclusive. A Lite
version will also be available, for ú25, upgradable to the full version.
Upgrades are available for existing users. Coming later will be a
network version made up of the full version plus the Lite version, and
extra manuals, costing ú150 +VAT.
9.4
FotoFUN is a photographic-quality dye sublimation printer from
Spacetech, which produces high-gloss postcard size photographs from your
digital artwork in under 3 minutes. The quality is as good as
traditional film, producing bright, sharp, clear prints. Using photo
retouching/artwork software with a colour scanner, video digitiser,
Photo-CD, or other input device, images can be retouched and then
printed to look better than the original. In addition to the normal
refill kit, there is also a FotoMUG kit which lets you transfer your
favourite photos onto coffee mugs. The FotoFUN printer costs ú349;
FotoFUN printer with the Spacetech Acorn Driver ú379; Colour consumables
ú39; Postcard refill kit (36 cards) ú43; FotoMUG starter kit (4 mugs,
clamp and instructions) ú39. Spacetech have an introductory offer of
FotoFUN + Acorn driver + colour refill pack + Photodesk at ú499. Add VAT
to all prices.
9.4
Global Effect is a simulation game where, quite simply, you control the
world... or try to do so! As you try to build cities and keep them
running, you will find that there are others who donæt want your
expansionist plans to succeed. Global Effect costs ú34.99 from Eclipse
or ú33 through Archive.
9.4
High speed serial port cards Ö Atomwide have some high speed serial port
cards available with one, two or three serial ports on each card. Each
port can run at up to 460,800 bps and has a 16-byte buffer to improve
its performance and enable it to be used even on slower Acorn computers,
down to the A310. Software support is provided to enable them to be used
with ANT Internet Suite, ArcTerm7, ArcBBS, ArcFax, Hearsay and Termite.
At the moment, these cards cannot be used to provide extra serial ports
for PC cards, but it is only a matter of writing the appropriate
software, which Atomwide intend to do in due course. The single, double
and triple cards cost ú79, ú89 and ú99 +VAT respectively or ú92, ú104
and ú116 inclusive through Archive.
9.4
Icon Technology have released two new versions of TechWriter, the
combined word processor and equation editor, and EasiWriter, the word/
document processor.
9.4
EasiWriter Professional has all the features of the original, but
includes a number of very useful additions such as: index and contents
generation; bookmarks; improved searching; automatic numbering of lists;
crop marks; improved German hyphenation; more flexible white space; save
as PostScript; OLE support; Thesaurus support. Future enhancements,
which registered users will receive automatically as free upgrades, are:
auto numbered chapters and sections; fancy borders; RTF import and
export; and pamphlet printing.
9.4
The changes to TechWriter Professional include many of the above plus
save as TEX. Future enhancements are: improved Text saving; auto-
numbered chapters and sections; auto-numbered equations; fancy borders;
RTF import and export; pamphlet printing and background colours.
9.4
The prices (exclusive of VAT and ú3 p&p) are as follows (with the
inclusive Archive prices in brackets): EasiWriter 3.16 single user ú89
(ú102), site licence ú356 (ú400); EasiWriter Professional single user
ú119 (ú136), site licence ú476 (ú535); TechWriter single user ú149
(ú169), site licence ú596 (ú669); TechWriter Professional single user
ú199 (ú225), site licence ú796 (ú892).
9.4
ImageFS 2 is the latest version of the acclaimed image conversion
software from Alternative Publishing. New features in version 2 include
the ability to export files straight out of RISC OS applications and
convert them directly into foreign graphic files. Also included is a new
Pop-up Preview feature which allows users to rapidly create previews of
graphics files before committing themselves to loading them. Also
included is a fully functional Lite version of a brand new package
called Universal Image, which is designed to assist the user in managing
graphics files. Support is provided for TIFF, Windows BMP, Apple PICT,
PCX, Clear files, Targa, PBM, MacPaint, Atari/GEM, GIF, and ColoRIX Ö
support is also provided for professional 32-bit CMYK TIFFs.
9.4
Those interested in converting Vector graphics, might like to know that
Alternative Publishing are working on vector conversion software.
Although they have a working version of an EPS converter, the
programming is still in its early stages Ö watch out next year for more
news! In the meantime, ImageFS 2 costs ú39.95 +VAT (ú45 through
Archive). Education site licences are available from Alternative at
ú99.95 +VAT. Upgrades to registered users are ú20 +VAT Ö you need to
return your original disc to Alternative.
9.4
Impact2 Ö an easy to use, fully relational database suitable for any
application where data must be stored or retrieved quickly and easily.
The philosophy behind Impact is that it should be as easy to use as
possible. Itæs been produced by Circle Software, who say that a simple
database can be created within a few minutes of installation, and so it
is ideally suited to simple tasks where more complex database packages
would not be appropriate, or would take too long to set up. On the other
hand, if you do require something more complex, Impact2 has the
facilities to provide a more sophisticated database. Itæs aimed at home,
office and school and costs ú99 +VAT for a single machine licence.
Further licences can be obtained on a sliding scale of fees, ranging
from ú135 +VAT for two machines, up to ú495 +VAT for 50.
9.4
Irlam Instruments have developed an Acorn RISC OS version of the Primax
ColourMobile Direct scanner, a low-cost handheld scanner. The
ColourMobile is a full 24-bit colour device that moves automatically
across the selected text or graphic, thus avoiding the problems usually
associated with handheld scanners. No expansion card is necessary as the
interface connects directly to the bi-directional parallel port.
ColourMobile costs ú199 +VAT + ú5 p&p or ú228 through Archive.
9.4
iSV Fonts Ö iSV Products have completely revised all of their font
packs. All fonts now have better hinting as well as an easier to use
automatic font installer. All fonts contain full kerning and are full
latin 1 character sets. The price remains the same at ú26.50 for
FontPack 277 or 298. The special summer price has been continued, so
both packs can be purchased together for ú36.50. Upgrades for existing
customers are priced at ú10 or ú15 for the pair. Version 2 of their
Blackletter FontPack now contains over 200 Gothic and Medieval style
fonts and costs ú21.50. All prices are inclusive.
9.4
MusicMaker1 is a new package from Resource, aimed at pre-school and Key
Stage 1. It introduces the ideas of pitch and composition through both
games and open-ended activities. It encourages children to explore the
world of pitch by presenting them with on-screen instruments, to play
and record with, a pre-notation method of writing their own music, and
games that help develop listening and sequencing skills.
9.4
There are five activities for children to follow. Up the Stairs shows
different instruments placed on a stairway and it will produce notes of
higher pitch the higher up the stairs they are. Tunes can be recorded
and played back, or the computer can play a tune for the user to
recreate. Jolly Keyboard presents a similar activity but displaying a
conventional keyboard instead of stairs. Other activities include
Trombone, Making Tunes and Name that Tune in which children match visual
patch patterns to short tunes which they hear. MusicMaker2 (not out yet)
will deal in a similar way with the concept of rhythm. System
requirements are RISC OS 3 or above and 2Mb of RAM. It will run from
both floppy and hard disc. MusicMakeræs launch price is ú30 +VAT, rising
to ú35 +VAT from January 1st 1996.
9.4
Panasonic PD combination drives (aka ProTeus) Ö The Panasonic PD
combination drives (quad speed CD + 650Mb magneto-optical) are the same
as were used by Cumana for their ProTeus drives. The internal version
for the RiscáPC is the same price as the Cumana version, i.e. ú635, but
the external version is quite a bit better priced at ú735, instead of
ú805.
9.4
Photodesk Ö According to Spacetech, this has undergone an öentire re-
write taking into account all the positive customer feedback and the
needs of professional usersò. The end result of a yearæs programming, is
that Photodesk 2 is nearly available. The main emphasis in the
development of Photodesk 2 has been in improving the overall quality of
the tools, effects and filters. Slickness of operation, ease of use and
quality of output have all been high on the list of objectives for the
new version. According to Spacetech, the way in which it operates and
handles input and output will make the application more familiar to
users of existing industry standard solutions. Photodesk 1 will continue
to be developed as an economical alternative for users who do not
require all the advanced features of version 2.
9.4
Weæll have to wait for a full review to see what the new package looks
like but, in the meantime, here are a few of the changes youæll find in
Photodesk 2: improved use of virtual memory, using MEMC to re¡map pages;
complete multi-channel capability with as many alpha channels as the
user requires; new filters, improved outline tracing and de-focus;
channels can be defined as masks, images or maps; gamma controls for
each ink; new soft edge paint brush; improved airbrush and anti-
aliasing; complete Twain compatibility; improved cut and paste
operations.
9.4
When available, Photodesk 2 will cost ú269.50 (ú255áthrough Archive);
upgrades from version 1 will cost ú69.81 inclusive from Spacetech.
9.4
Risc Disc Volume 2 Ö The disc contains completely new material from
Volume One with a much enlarged PD/Shareware and Resources section. One
major feature of the disc is over 100Mb of selected Web pages which may
be browsed using the PD Web browsers, ArcWeb and Webster, both of which
are supplied on the CD. Interestingly, the disc also contains a built-in
treasure hunt with the prize of a Risc PC to the first person to find
all the clues hidden on the disc. The clues are hidden throughout the
disc as Sprites, Archives, Drawfiles, Text Files, Soundtracks, in fact
just about any filetype. Each clue links to the next by suggesting the
type of file to look for and the area on the CD where it may be found.
The CD also features a section of material of special interest to Acorn
Clan members. The RISC CD Volume 2 costs ú25 inclusive or ú23 for Clan
members (same prices from Uniqueway or through Archive).
9.4
Shares 5 Ö This package from Apricote Studios has been refined over its
lifetime in response to users and provides a means of handling
portfolios both for home users and also of professional users. It allows
you to store, manipulate and analyse all your share information in
portfolios of up to 60 companies each. It features such things as direct
updating from teletext, capital gains computation, rights issues, graphs
of share price including historic low, delay averages and interest
rates, etc, etc. Shares 5 costs ú49.95 inclusive from Apricote or ú47
through Archive.
9.4
Speaking Starspell CD-ROM is an expanded version of the well-known
Starspell spelling system, from Fisher-Marriott, already used in over
10,000 schools. Speaking Starspell contains over 300 word lists, giving
unique order to English spelling, and providing a graded progression for
the learner. All of the 2500-plus words are spoken and many of them are
illustrated. The idea behind Speaking Starspell is that attention is
drawn to how words are built, allowing the learner to apply that
knowledge to his or her writing. It checks the spelling and even has a
friendly way of putting things right. It costs ú42.50 +VAT for a single
user. For a network licence, add ú42.50 +VAT.
9.4
Stereoworld Ö Stereograms are those things you see in magazines and
books where you have to discover the hidden picture in amongst a
cacophony of other images. You move your head backwards and forwards,
squint, and contort your face until the image becomes clear Ö or not.
Stereoworld is a much more sophisticated computer version of that much
loved pastime. As well as the variety of images included in the program,
there are games that can be played within the stereogram, and there is
the ability to create your own stereograms. In Stereosaw (cfáÉjigsawæ),
you have to reconstruct stereograms that have been split into tiny
fragments, and in Lunar Landing, you have to gently land a spacecraft
onto the moonæs surface, then progress to other worlds where the terrain
and gravity make your task increasingly difficult. In Escape, you have
to demolish bricks in order to escape; as the game goes on, the pace
hots up and things become more complex. Stereoworld comes on six discs,
taking up 10Mb of hard disc space, needs 4Mb RAM and costs ú29.95 inc
VAT from the 4th Dimension or ú28 through Archive.
9.4
Symphony Masterpieces is a collection of over 3,000 music tracks from
Zenta Multimedia, compiled in association with Oregan Software
Developments, and using the SymphPlay application from Digital Symphony.
The collection comes on CD-ROM with tracks including: Classical, Piano,
Rave, Pop and Mood music, as well as sampled vocals. The cost is ú29.95
inclusive from Zenta or ú29 through Archive.
9.4
Teletext+ Ö Octopus Systems have launched advanced teletext software for
teletext adaptors from Morley, Computer Concepts, Ground Control, Design
IT, Irlam and Octopus Systems. Teletext+ provides sophisticated page
cacheing and keyword searching to make teletext quicker, easier and more
usable. It can log share prices in a CSV file or in a special format for
the Apricote Studiosæ Shares program and it provides a set of standard
SWI calls for use by other programs.
9.4
The page cacheing facility means that frequently-used pages and sub-
pages can be accessed without any delay, while the advanced keyword
searching can search hundreds of pages for items of interest which might
otherwise be missed. Matches are displayed in a separate window, which
effectively gives a personalised magazine of interesting news, events
and programmes.
9.4
Pages can be saved as Viewdata, sprite or text files, either manually or
under the control of a script file, and there is an option to allow all
sub-pages to be saved in a single text file. Teletext+ is available for
ú39 inclusive as a software upgrade for existing teletext adaptors, or
with an external teletext adaptor for ú169 inclusive, while stocks last.
The adaptor connects to a podule expansion socket via a lead and podule
plug, so you should specify whether you require a full size or a mini
podule connector when ordering. A television aerial feed is also
required.
9.4
Termite Internet Ö This package from Doggysoft is a powerful new set of
tools for accessing the Internet. It includes: !Termite, supporting WWW,
telnet, and access to bulletin boards using ANSI, VT100 (and other)
standards. There are powerful mail and news facilities provided by the
!Offlite and !Mailbox applications. For example, if your service
provider gives you an IP address, you can create email addresses for
family members, employees, etc. !TermiteIP is the configuration
application that stores your account details, and gives control over
newsgroup details; telnet, finger and ftp hotlists, and selecting
dµmons. The manual is a comprehensive, ring-bound affair that makes you
feel confident you wonæt need to phone Doggysoft for help too often! The
package costs ú79.95 +VAT from Doggysoft.
9.4
The Cobalt Seed Ö The Cobalt Seed is along the lines of Starwing and
Starfighter 3000 Ö shoot everything you can and dodge things you canæt.
This is definitely one for priming those reflexes. The Cobalt Seed costs
ú24.99 from TBA Software or ú24 through Archive.
9.4
The Patience Addict from Creative Curriculum Software is a compilation
of twenty of öthe best and most enjoyable games of Patience which open
up the world of Patience to the newcomer and addict alikeò. It includes
both one-pack and two-pack games; games that usually work out, and games
that take lots of attempts; games that have a few simple rules, and a
few very complex ones. It costs ú12.73 +VAT and p&p, or ú15 through
Archive.
9.4
Voyager Ö Argonet bundle the Voyager software with a monthæs free access
to the Internet, for ú59 inc VAT. Because they are the ones who give you
the account details, they supply the software ready configured to use
with your account. The software is a collection of shareware
applications with many modifications, including a very easy-to-use front
end. Argonet can also bundle a US Robotics Sportster 14,400 or 28,800
modem including cable. They can also supply a high speed serial port to
owners of pre-A5000 Acorns, which were fitted with Éslowæ serial ports.
Because Argonet deal exclusively with Acorn machines and provide a
ready-configured solution, this is probably the easiest way to get
connected to Internet. Telephone support is included, through an 0500
(free) number.
9.4
Review software received...
9.4
We have received review copies of the following: ÅAncestry II (d),
ÅGeordian Lock (u), ÅImpact2 (d), ÅMovieFS (m), ÅMusic Maker 1 (e,m),
ÅMusic Studio 32 (e,m), ÅPhysics Tutor (e), ÅRISC Disc 2, ÅSeashoreáLife
CD (e), ÅStereoworld (g), ÅSymphonyáMasterpieces (m), ÅTrellis (u),
ÅVikings CD (e), ÅXenakis 16 (m),
9.4
d=Database, e=Education, g=Game, h=Hardware, m=music, u=Utility.
9.4
If you would like to review any of these products, please contact the
Archive office. Potential reviewers will need to show that they would
use the product in a professional capacity or that they have some
knowledge of the particular field.áuá
9.4
4Mation   14 Castle Park Road, Whiddon Valley, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32
8PA. (01271¡25353) [01271¡22974]
9.4
4th Dimension   1 Percy Street, Sheffield, S3 8AU. (0114¡276¡9950)
[0114¡278¡1091]
9.4
Abacus Training  29 Okus Grove, Upper Stratton, Swindon, Wilts, SN2 6QA.
(01793¡723347) [01793¡723347]
9.4
Acorn Computers Ltd  Acorn House, Vision Park, Histon, Cambridge, CB4
4AE. (01223¡254254) [01223¡254262]
9.4
Acorn Direct  FREEPOST, 13 Dennington Road, Wellingborough, Northants,
NN8 2BR. (01933¡279300)
9.4
Aleph One Ltd  The Old Courthouse, Bottisham, Cambridge, CB5 9BA.
(01223¡811679) [01223¡812713]
9.4
Alsystems  47 Winchester Road, Four Marks, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 5HG.
(01420¡561111)
9.4
Alternative Publishing  Suite 91, 9A Pentagon House, 36 Washington
Street, Glasgow, G3 8AZ. (0141¡248¡2322) [0141¡248¡3638]
9.4
Anglia Multimedia  Anglia House, Norwich, NR1 3JG. (01603¡615151)
[01603¡631032]
9.4
ANT Ltd  P.O.Box 300, Cambridge, CB1 2EG. (01223¡567808) [01223¡567801]
9.4
APDL  39 Knighton Park Road, Sydenham, London, SE26 5RN.
9.4
Apricote Studios  2 Purls Bridge Farm, Manea, Cambridgeshire, PE15 0ND.
(01354¡680432)
9.4
Argonet  Unit 1, The Shopwhyke Centre, Shopwhyke Road, Chichester, PO20
6GD. (01243¡531194) [01243¡531196] <[e-mail]>
9.4
ARMed Forces  38 Main Road, Littleton, Winchester, SO22 6QQ.
(01962¡880591)
9.4
ARM Club  Freepost ND6573, London, N12 0BR. (0171¡624¡9918)
[0181¡446¡3020]
9.4
Aspex Software  Heather House, Tavistock, Devon, PL19 9AG.
(01822¡611060) [01822¡611061]
9.4
Atomwide Ltd  7 The Metro Centre, Bridge Road, Orpington, Kent, BR5 2BE.
(01689¡814500) [01689¡814501]
9.4
Audio Dynamics  10 Durnford Close, Norden, Rochdale OL12 7RX.
(01706¡868803) [01706¡868803]
9.4
Avie Electronics (p17)  7 Overbury Road, Norwich. (01603¡416863)
[01603¡788640]
9.4
Beebug Ltd  117 Hatfield Road, St Albans, Herts, AL1 4JS. (01727¡840303)
[01727¡860263]
9.4
Cambridgeshire Software House  8 Bramley Road, St Ives, PE17 4WS.
(01480¡467945) [01480¡496442]
9.4
Circle Software  33 Restrop View, Purton, Swindon, Wilts, SN5 9DG.
(01793¡770021)
9.4
Clares Micro Supplies  98 Middlewich Road, Rudheath, Northwich,
Cheshire, CW9 7DA. (01606¡48511) [01606¡48512]
9.4
Colton Software  2 Signet Court, Swanns Road, Cambridge, CB5 8LA.
(01223¡311881) [01223¡312010]
9.4
Creative Curriculum Software  5 Clover Hill Road, Savile Park, Halifax,
HX1 2YG. (01422¡340524) [01422¡346388]
9.4
Dabhand Computing   30 Wingates Ind. Est., Westhoughton, Bolton, BL5
3XU. (01942¡794000) [01942¡797979]
9.4
Doggysoft  Furzefield House, Furzefield Road, Beaconsfield, Bucks, HP9
1PQ. (01494-673222) [01494¡675878] <[e-mail]>
9.4
Eclipse   Unit 1, The Shopwhyke Centre, Shopwhyke Road, Chichester, PO20
6GD. (01243¡531194) [01243¡531196]
9.4
ESP  21 Beech Lane, West Hallam, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, DE7 6GP.
(0115¡929¡5019) [0115¡929¡5019]
9.4
Fisher¡Marriott Software  3 Grove Road, Ansty, Warwickshire, CV7 9JD.
(01203¡616325 or 366748)
9.4
Hitmen Software   1 Langley Hill Close, Kings Langley, Herts, WD4 9HB.
9.4
Icon Technology  9 Jarrom Street, Leicester, LE2 7DH. (0116¡254¡6225)
9.4
ICS  1 Kington Road, West Kirby, Wirral, L48 5ET. (0151¡625¡1006)
[0151¡625¡1007]
9.4
Irlam Instruments  133 London Road, Staines, Middlesex TW18 4HN.
(01895¡811401)
9.4
iSV Products  86, Turnberry, Home Farm, Bracknell, Berks, RG12 8ZH.
(01344¡55769)
9.4
Krisalis Software  Teque House, Masonæs Yard, Downs Row, Moorgate,
Rotherham, S60 2HD. (01709¡372290) [01709¡368403]
9.4
Longman Logotron  124 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4
4ZS. (01223¡425558) [01223¡425349]
9.4
LOOKsystems  Unit 1, The Gables Yard, Pulham Market, Diss, IP21 4SY.
(01379¡608585) [01379¡608575]
9.4
Magnetic Image  3 Larkspur Close, Witham, Essex, CM8 2YQ. (01376¡500590)
[01376¡340567]
9.4
Minerva Systems  Minerva House, Baring Crescent, Exeter, EX1 1TL.
(01392¡437756) [01392¡421762]
9.4
Mystery Software  421 Sprowston Road, Norwich, NR3 4EH. (01603¡400477)
9.4
Oak Solutions  Dial House, 12 Chapel Street, Halton, Leeds, LS15 7RN
(0113¡232¡6992) [0113¡232¡6993] <[e-mail]>
9.4
Octopus Systems  9 Randwell Close, Ipswich, IP4 5ES. (01473¡728943)
[01473¡270643] <[e-mail]>
9.4
Psycore  PO Box 3837, London NW3 1JF.
9.4
Repair Zone  421 Sprowston Road, Norwich, NR3 4EH. (01603¡400477)
9.4
Resource  51 High Street, Kegworth, Derbyshire, DE74 2DA. (01509¡672222)
[01509¡672267]
9.4
SEMERC  1 Broadbent Road, Watersheddings, Oldham, OL1 4LB.
(0161¡627¡4469)
9.4
Sherston Software  Angel House, Sherston, Malmesbury, Wilts. SN16 0LH.
(01666¡840433) [01666¡840048]
9.4
Sibelius Software  75 Burleigh Street, Cambridge, CB1 1DJ.
(01223¡302765) [01223¡351947]
9.4
Simtec Electronics  Avondale Drive, Tarleton, Preston, PR4 6AX.
(01772¡812863) [01772¡816426]
9.4
Solloway Software  23 Portland Drive, Willen, Milton Keynes, MK15 9HD.
9.4
Spacetech  21 West Wools, Portland, Dorset, DT5 2EA. (01305¡822753)
[01305¡860483]
9.4
TBA Software  Mead Farm, North Road, Timsbury, Bath Avon, BA3 1JH.
(01970¡626785)
9.4
The Really Good Software Company  39 Carisbrooke Road, Harpenden,
Herts., AL5 5QS.
9.4
Topologika  Islington Wharf, Church Hill, Penryn, Falmouth, Cornwall,
TR10 8AT. (01326¡377771) [01326¡377771]
9.4
Uniqueway  42 Crwys Road, Cardiff, CF2 4NN.  (01222¡644611)
[01222¡644622]
9.4
Werewolf Software  23 The Spinneys, Bromley, Kent, BR1 2NT.
(0181¡467¡1138) [0181¡464¡7510]
9.4
Yellowstone Educational  Solutions  Welbeck House, Welbeck Road, Luton,
Beds. LU2 0HD.
9.4
Zenta Multimedia  10 Ravenhurst Drive, Birmingham, B43 7RS.
(0121¡358¡3054) [0121¡358¡5969]
9.4
Archive Monthly Disc
9.4
u Ant program from John Temple Ö page 38.
9.4
u Arcscan data files Ö Updates for volume 8 and part of 9.
9.4
u Beginneræs Column files from John Temple Ö page 67.
9.4
u C++ sample program from Tony Houghton Ö page 49.
9.4
u Files from Gerald Fittonæs ColumnáÖápage 33.
9.4
u Programming Workshop Ö Colin Singleton Ö page 19.
9.4
u Starting Basic programs from Ray Favre Ö page 53.
9.4
u Module for Taxan 770 Ö see Cain Huntæs ViVID review on page 63.
9.4
u Utility programs fron Chris Whitworth.
9.4
(I have loads of review articles that I am desperately trying to find
space for in Archive, so as there is some space free on the disc this
month, Iæll put some on there in case you want to print them out and
read them before they are officially published. They are in Impression
format, but I will try to fit text files as well.)
9.4
Fact-File
9.4
Key: (phone)áá[fax]áá<email>
9.4
Government Health Warning Ö Reading this could seriously effect your
spiritual health
9.4
A comment made recently by one of our subscribers hit me very forcibly.
öOh, Iæm not good enough to be a Christianò he said, öbut Iábelieve in
God, and I do the best I can.ò To me, that just shows what a complete
mess Christians, in past years, have made of getting across what Jesusæ
real message is.
9.4
Sadly, even some people who call themselves Christians still think itæs
all about being good enough to get to heaven. Absolute rubbish! Jesus
never, ever said such a thing. He did not come just to give us an
ethical or moral code to live by. And he certainly didnæt come to give
us a set of religious rituals to perform.
9.4
No, Jesusæ teaching is far, far more radical than any of that Ö if you
donæt believe me, get hold of a bible and read it for yourself. No, itæs
this radically different approach that people all over Britain are re-
discovering. Research undertaken in the past few months shows that there
are six new churches formed every week in Britain. (Who says that the
church is on the decline?!) No other body can claim a membership of 6.5
million, and there are 1,400 people a week joining British churches.
9.4
What is happening? Why this change and this growth? Thankfully, people
of all ages are discovering that Jesus represents a radical alternative
Ö he has an answer for that feeling that öThere must be more to life
than this.ò
9.4
What about you? Where do you stand? Well, if you think youære basically
a nice person, and you always try to be kind and helpful, then forget
it! Youære not ready to face the radical alternative. However, if you
are honest enough to realise that you donæt live up to your own
standards, let alone Godæs, youære halfway there.
9.4
Please donæt miss the opportunity. Check it out. I would say öGo along
to your local church and find outò but, sadly, there are many churches
where the most radical thing you will see is that Mrs Jones is sitting
in a different pew this week. See if you can find a church that is
growing, perhaps adding new buildings, or find someone who calls
themself a Christian and really is different from the crowd and ask them
some questions.
9.4
The other way to find out, which I have mentioned several times before,
is to find an Alpha course. Ring the Alpha Coordinator on 0171-581-8255
and ask if there is an Alpha course near you. (For more details, see the
God-slot in Archive 8.5.) Many courses start in January, so give them a
ring today. Letæs face it, youæve got nothing to lose and absolutely
everything to gain.
9.4
P.B.
9.4
Paul Beverley
9.4
I have to say that I am really very excited at the moment about the
future of Acorn and of Archive. There is a real buzz around Ö all sorts
of exciting things in prospect. So even with the demise of Greyhound and
Eurobase and now Cumana (see Products Available), I am still very
optimistic for both Acorn and Archive.
9.4
Internet and the future of Archive
9.4
I believe that the speed and ease of information transfer through the
Internet is going to make quite a difference to Archive. We have always
tried to be a Écentre for (Acorn) information interchangeæ and this is
being enhanced by the fact that machine-readable data flashes around the
Net at a rate of knots.
9.4
Imagine the scenario... You sit in front of your computer, reading
Archive and think, öAh, I could give an answer to that problem in a
couple of sentences!ò so you type it out and Éclickæ, itæs on its way to
NCS. Would you have typed out that text, printed it out, stuck it in an
envelope, written out the NCS address, added a stamp, and gone to the
postbox with it? Possibly, but I think you can see my point.
9.4
The future of Acorn
9.4
I donæt have anything specific that I can mention yet, but I believe
that there are quite a number of things Ébubbling underæ that are going
to make a huge difference to Acornæs future. There are one or two hints
in this magazine, but all I can say for now is, öWatch this space!ò
9.4
Happy reading!
9.4
Norwich Computer Services    96a Vauxhall Street, Norwich, NR2 2SD.
(01603-766592) [764011]
9.4
email: [e-mail]  OR  [e-mail]  OR sales.
[e-mail]
9.4
RiscáPC Special Deals
9.4
As an alternative to the 20-month interest-free offer, Clan Acorn
members can get up to...
9.4
11.5% discount
9.4
Buy a RiscáPC 700 or A7000, as a member of Clan Acorn*, and Acorn will
give you EITHER...
9.4
Programmeræs Pack worth almost ú400 (See Clan Column, Archive 9.2 p7)
9.4
OR...
9.4
ú150 cash-back if you buy an ACB70/ACB75
9.4
ú125 cash-back if you buy an ACB60
9.4
ú100 cash-back if you buy an A7000
9.4
This offer applies even if you buy a computer WITHOUT a monitor.
9.4
(If you want to buy a RiscáPC without a monitor or with a higher spec
monitor, you will need to fill in a ÉRiscáPC Specialist Purchaseæ form.
If you give us a ring on 01603-766592, weæll send you one.)
9.4
20/20 Ö 20 months interest free credit
9.4
This offer now applies even if you buy a computer WITHOUT a monitor.
9.4
(Both offers are only available until 31st December 1995.)
9.4
*For Life Membership of Clan Acorn, ring 01933-279300 and have your
credit/debit card ready Ö it will cost you ú15 (or ú20 if you want a
sweatshirt).
9.4
Computer & Electronics Holiday for Young People !!
9.4
Scripture Union runs a Computer & Electronics Holiday for 13 to 16 year
olds (boys and girls) at an attractive school in the Hertfordshire
countryside.
9.4
The dates? July 29th to August 6th, 1995.
9.4
The price? ú119.
9.4
For details, write to Jim Maddox, S.U. Holidays, 69 Claverdale Road,
TubeáHill, London SW2 2DH or phone [phone].
9.4
Help!!!!
9.4
The fact that there are not many help pleas (or H&T or Comments, for
that matter) reflects the fact that November was a bad month for NCS in
terms of illness and staff absence. Sorry if anyone had bad service as a
result Ö we were Éup to our eyeballsæ! At one stage, we were down to one
single member of staff for a day and a half!
9.4
Omar Sharif Bridge (again) Ö We have another customer wanting this
unobtainable program. Does someone else have one they could donate for
charity, please? Weæll get Dick to make a charity donation for it.
9.4
Ed. for Dick Alstein <[e-mail]>
9.4
Basingstoke Acorn Club Ö Is there one? Or anything in this general area?
I would like to meet up with fellow Acorn users.
9.4
Nick Chalk, 21 Rosehip Way, Lychpit, Basingstoke, RG24 8SW.áuá
9.4
Comment Column
9.4
Acorn World gloom? Ö I was rather surprised to read the somewhat unhappy
reports from Acorn World in the December issue. For my part, I came away
quite happy about Acornæs future, largely due to Peter Bondaræs talk to
Clan members. With promises of ARM810 and StrongARM cards for the Risc
PC in the middle of next year, hardware development is looking good.
Acorn are also near the front of the field with the Simtec multi-
processor card, and Taos development Ö they could be the first öPersonal
Computerò manufacturer to introduce true multi-processing. Currently,
about three American PC manufacturers are offering dual¡Pentium and
dual¡P6 machines, for around ú4,000. These machines come with Windows NT
although, to my knowledge, this has no support for multi-processing!
Beyond that lies the world of Unix workstations, some of which can use
multiple processors, but at a cost of ú10,000 to ú100,000.
9.4
Further into the future (end of æ96, according to Peter Bondar), there
will be a mark 3 Risc PC, conforming to the Common Hardware Reference
Platform (CHRP). My information on this is a little sketchy, but I do
know that it is an agreed standard between Apple and IBM for PowerPC-
based machines. The idea is that both manufactureræs machines will be
able to run the same software. If Acorn join this, they will have access
to all applications developed for the other two manufacturers! The basic
requirements of the CHRP are a PowerPC processor, and a PCI expansion
bus. Peter Bondar admitted that the new Risc PC would have a PCI bus,
but he didnæt mention the processor Ö could ART be developing a PowerPC
processor card? Imagine the power of a Risc PC with five StrongARM, a
PowerPC, and a PCI bus, running Taos! Yes please!
9.4
Another interesting feature of the Acorn stand was the RPC700 running
Windows 95 on a Cyrix M1 processor card. The M1 is the successor to the
5x86, mentioned in the December issue, and should deliver performance
equal to the Intel P6. ART are obviously still busy developing PC-
compatible processor cards, another good sign for the future. It seems
that they have beaten their competitors to it, as well Ö apparently, the
M1 inside that Risc PC was the only example of its kind in Europe!
9.4
Nick Chalk, Basingstoke.
9.4
Baud/bps Ö In the latest Archive 9.3, Torben Steeg claims that baud is
the same as bits/s (bps). If he is talking about this in connection with
modems, this is not correct. A 2400 bps modem that adheres to the
V.22bis standard is transmitting data at 600 baud and 2400 bps with what
is called phase shift keying (PSK).
9.4
Also in the same issue, Chris Claydon fell into the same trap by saying
that ömodems at 36,000 baud and faster are just becoming available ...ò.
I suspect that he really means 36,000 bps and faster.
9.4
I am not sure what the limit of baud is on the PSTN (Public Switched
Telephone Network, Énormal telephoneæ), but I think the theoretical
limit is around 4,800 baud. Modems that go beyond 600 bps are using
sophisticated technologies to squeeze the bps rate higher than the baud
rate.
9.4
On the other hand, on a standard RS-232 (V.24) serial link, the baud
rate is the same as the bps rate, and this seems to be the reason for
the confusion. The modem technology came into being much later than the
earliest RS-232 standards and, by that time, the term Ébaud rateæ had,
unfortunately, established itself as de facto, meaning the same as bps
rate. However, with the advent of faster modems, the two terms were no
longer synonyms, as these modems have a higher bps rate than modem rate.
9.4
I believe that a 14400 bps modem is transmitting at 2400 baud with a PSK
scheme with 6 different phases: 0░, 60░, 120░, 180░, 240░ and 300░. This
means that, for each baud, you can have 6 different phases and you can
therefore increase the bit rate to 2400 ╫ 6 bps. I am not an expert in
this area, but what this means is that, in addition to using different
frequencies for 0 and 1, you are also using the phase of these tones to
transmit information. This has two consequences for the transmitting
medium (modem and PSTN): 1) The complexities of the modulating hardware
(modem) increase. 2) The quality of the physical connection means a lot,
i.e. you will need to retransmit more packets if you have a bad
Ételephone lineæ.
9.4
Kjetil Thomassen, Norway. <[e-mail]>
9.4
Internet credit card fraud (9.3, p58) Ö Mike Williams reports a very
important question, though whether you are more vulnerable quoting your
credit card number on the Net rather than over the phone to a mail order
company, I am not sure. The solution, surely, lies in a good Public Key
Encryption system. Come back George Foot Ö this is your subject!
9.4
Colin Singleton, Sheffield.
9.4
Multi-file searching Ö I read in Archive 9.3 that someone is looking for
a way to search multiple text files for information. There is one
excellent way of doing this, and one that I use regularly. The program
is called StrongED and it has all the search and replace facilities you
can think of. There is only one thing that may be a problem, and that is
the amount of physical memory. However, if this is a problem, you have
the command line utilities called grep and less.
9.4
I should say one more thing about StrongED. It is commercial software
that has been released as shareware. I am one of the few licensed users
and would like to say to all of the unregistered users of shareware
(whether it is StrongED or not): please register today! There are at
least two good reasons for this: (1) You get support and the latest
version(s). (2)áYou support the making of good software, and the
authors.
9.4
Kjetil Thomassen <[e-mail]-prakla. slb.com>
9.4
Psion 3a Programmeræs Guide Ö It stated last month that the Psion 3a
Programmeræs Guide was available by sending öa cheque for ú6 (made out
to Psion UK Ltd) to Customer Services, Psion UK Ltd, 85 Frampton Street,
NW8 8NQ or ring them on 0171-262-5580ò. I tried, but they sent my cheque
back and asked for ú9.95! Still, itæs better than Acornæs price of
ú12.99!!
9.4
Peter Young, Cheltenham.áuá
9.4
Archive Announces...
9.4
Christmas Opening
9.4
Because the RiscáPC special offers run until 31st December we feel that
we need to be open during the last week of December Ö even though Acorn
is not open that week! Therefore, we will be open Wednesday, Thursday,
Friday and Saturday (27, 28, 29 & 30th December) from 9.30 am to 12.30
pm. To take advantage of either the 20/20 scheme or the Clan cashback
scheme, the order must be placed and paid for (i.e. the deposit in the
case of 20/20) before 12.30 pm on Saturday 30th December 1995.
9.4
Email Ordering
9.4
We have given some thought to the subject of placing orders by email.
There is some fear that sending credit card numbers by email is NOT a
good idea. To avoid the problem altogether, we suggest the following
procedure:
9.4
1) Ring up the NCS office (or drop us a line) and give us your credit
card details: number, expiry date and, for Switch cards, the issue
number. We will store these in a database, separate from our main
address database, along with your Archive subscription number and no
other data. (You need only do this once.)
9.4
2) When you want to place an order, send an email to
[e-mail] and quote (a) your subscription number (b) the
last four digits of the card number and (c) the expiry date.
9.4
3) We will then acknowledge the order by email, so that you know it has
arrived.
9.4
N.B. For security purposes, we will only send the goods to the address
associated with the subscription number. If you want the goods to go to
a different address, e.g. a work address, you will have to make separate
arrangements with us.
9.4
That should be enough information for us to identify you (the subs
number) and hence get your address and, from our listing, we can get
your full credit card, checking against the last four digits that weæve
got the right one. If the last four digits donæt tie up, we will email
you back and ask if you have changed your card, or whatever.
9.4
I hope this sounds OK. If you have any ideas how we might improve this
service, do let us know. Thanks.
9.4
Conversion Bonus Scheme
9.4
If Acorn is to prosper, we need to convert more people to using RISCáOS.
One of the best ways, we believe, of convincing people that it is worth
being different is to actually show them what the Acorn computers can
do. No-one believes adverts but, time and again, people have been
Éconvertedæ by actually seeing the systems in action. (Sibelius users
are at an advantage here! I reckon that more systems have been bought
just to use Sibelius than any other single package.)
9.4
This is where you can help, especially if you have a RiscáPC. Show them
your computer, give them a brochure (copies available from NCS) and see
if you can convince them to buy Acorn.
9.4
As an incentive, if you can convince someone who has never owned a
RISCáOS computer to purchase an A7000 or a RiscáPC (from NCS, of
course!) we will extend your subscription by a further twelve months,
free of charge, and weæll also give your friend a free subscription to
Volume 9, i.e. ending September 1996. What is more, if the system they
buy includes a CD drive, weæll give them a free copy of the Archive CD.
9.4
Special offer Ö Bankrupt stock...
9.4
Acorn A3020 HD (brand new, full warranty, etc) with 80Mb hard drive with
AKF53 monitor ú690.
9.4
Cumana 300ia dual speed CD-ROM drives for RiscáPC 600 including sound
mixer board and headphones(!). Was ú205, yours for only ú90 (no
warranty!).
9.4
Cumana SCSI 2 cards were ú200, yours for ú120 (no warranty!).
9.4
Here is a sample email order:
9.4
Hi, Archive!
9.4
Please could you supply one copy of ArcFax (33.00) and one copy of the
Internet Glossary Disc (5.00)?
9.4
Please debit 38.00 from my Switch card number 6752, issue 2, exp 9/96.
9.4
Thanks very much,
9.4
Fred Bloggs (DH3795J)
9.4
Christmas Crackers
9.4
by Silicon Based Grid Worm*
9.4
If you still havenæt decided what to buy me, or someone else, for
Christmas, here are two really useful items that are worth considering.
9.4
The first of my stocking-fillers has no serious application whatsoever,
but it will really get Christmas afternoon off to a raving start Ö then
when you go back to work in the New Year, you can impress your friends
with your linguistic dexterity.
9.4
If someone wanted to re-name this piece of software, it could easily be
called ÉAn Amusing Rageæ or perhaps ÉIæm a Nuns Garageæ Ö on the other
hand, it could be an ÉArguing Seaman!æ. In fact, itæs none of these. But
all these names do have something in common Ö they are all anagrams of
the actual name of this deceptively simple and ingenious piece of
software. Anagram Genius, as itæs called, is an extraordinarily clever
piece of software, which produces multi-word anagrams from whatever you
type in. Each anagram is individually scored so that you can select the
best ones, and words are chosen which are most relevant to the subject.
9.4
Options within the program allow the user to state the gender of the
text, e.g. between male or female names, or inanimate objects, like
organisations. You can change the kind of emphasis you want from the
anagrams by telling the computer to lean in a particular way e.g. by
looking for satirical or flattering words. The subject matter of the
search can also be indicated by choosing from one of three options,
Political, Business or Computer. There is a function to allow for vulgar
words and/or dropped ÉHæs to be used. If, however, you want to turn off
the vulgar aspect of the program, there is a Features application which
allows the user to disable certain functions on the master disc, making
it more suitable for younger children!
9.4
Searching is very quick, allowing long names, or even short phrases, to
be processed in a matter of minutes Ö short or medium length texts can
be searched in just a few seconds. It will even run in the background,
so you can write reviews while it processes another member of the family
completely unnoticed.
9.4
Once the search is complete, you can scroll through the best five
hundred, or however many the user decides, and pick out the most
appropriate anagrams. At this stage, individual phrases can easily be
swopped around to make new phrases, or so that existing ones make more
sense. Finally, once youæve finished choosing, all of the anagrams, or
the best one, can be saved to a text file and printed out for further
study.
9.4
It is truly a clever program Ö but does it work? Well, to help promote
the software, they include some anagrams they prepared earlier. Did you
know, for example, that Michael Portillo is (allegedly) A cool limp
Hitler? Or that Virginia Bottomley is quoted as saying öIæm an evil Tory
bigotò. Eastenders ÉNeeds a restæ; Bruce Forsythæs Generation Game is
the ÉEmbarrassing ego of the Century!æ Even Camilla Parker Bowles, and
Eric Cantona come in for some stick Ö but youæll have to buy the program
to find out why!
9.4
When I tried it at home with my family, we all had a great time with the
program. Even my wife (she is a restored army crown) found it very
amusing Ö normally she hates computers! It also becomes addictive, so
you find yourself typing in all your friendsæ names to see how they come
out. Thoroughly recommended for a good laugh. Anagram Genius costs
ú19.99 from 4th Dimension or ú19 through Archive.
9.4
(Anagram Genius is also extremely useful for us, more serious, computer
users, who create and solve crossword puzzles! Ed.)
9.4
Fonts galore!
9.4
The next item in my stocking is a very useful collection of over 550
outline fonts on CD-ROM, from Zenta Multimedia. The collection costs
ú29.95 inclusive! (Thatæs 6p a font Ö PC and Mac users, eat your heart
out! Ed.)
9.4
When you click on the CD icon, you find that it contains a filer with
four Directories; two of them are help files (one of these explains
about accessing the fonts), one is a file of examples and the other is
an application called Emporium. Itæs this last application which is at
the heart of the collection, and which makes viewing and loading the
fonts so easy. Once Emporium has been loaded, you simply click on its
icon to get a list of the fonts. Initially, the font families are split
into fifteen groups to help you find the sort of font youære looking
for, quickly and easily. Click on one of these groups and Emporium
displays a selector window listing all the fonts in that group. Once in
the window, you can view the fonts and select which ones you want copied
to your disc drive. The fonts themselves are copied in either a new
!Fonts folder, created within Emporium, a directory of fonts, or raw
directories. Once you have made your choice, you drag the directory to
your hard disc, and load the fonts in the usual manner.
9.4
In the Examples directory, youæll find a selection of Draw and Artworks
files. These are made up of examples of each font. One set shows an
example of the font using its name only, the other sets show the font
alphabet. Thereæs no need to have the fonts loaded in the system to view
them because all the examples have all been Éconverted to pathsæ. Not
only is this a good way of viewing the fonts, but it also makes it easy
to print them out and have hard copies of the fonts for future
reference.
9.4
So, are they any good? Well, as the price suggests, this is a budget
collection, so you wonæt find the same kind of sophisticated work that
goes into the font conversions of, say, The Font Company. Neither do you
get the full character set Ö mostly you get characters 33 to 126. But,
that notæs to say theyære no good. The kind of fonts supplied are
generally not meant for body text, or for intricate work; theyære what
you might call Éfun fontsæ Ö for jazzing up a drab-looking page, or
adding a touch of informality to a diagram. They could be extremely
useful for designing worksheets, or for adding Éwrittenæ comments in the
margins of other documents, or creating an instant Éfeelæ to a heading.
Recently, I was commissioned to design a youth resource manual; as part
of this manual, I had to design fifty worksheets for 11Ö13 year olds.
Each one had to be different, with different graphics and different type
faces. At times like this, it can be a life-saver having a large
selection of fonts.
9.4
At ú29.95, you canæt really go far wrong. Certainly, from my point of
view, the money would be worth it even if I only used two or three of
the fonts Ö recommended!
9.4
The fifteen groups cover the following: 3D (all fonts are 3D or
shadowed); Open (fonts which are hollow or are edged); Assortment
(miscellaneous fonts, many could be classed as wacky); Heavy Assortment
(more miscellaneous fonts which are fairly bold); Script; Swirly Script;
Handwriting; Medieval and Gothic; Themed; (famous fonts e.g. Home and
Away or Dinosaur); Object Letters (letters which are objects e.g.
skylines or wood); Technology (futuristic fonts, hard edged and
striking); Sans Serif Fonts; Serif Fonts; Deformed (these fonts are
designed to be faulty!); Symbol and Language.
9.4
Style warning
9.4
As ever, Éall things in moderationæ is a good adage when you have this
many fonts to play with. Itæs important to be selective with the types
of fonts you use and the number you apply to a page. The temptation is
to throw everything at the page in a vain attempt to attract attention.
Unfortunately, youæll attract attention for the wrong reasons. So, if I
were to recommend a third stocking filler, it would be the Non-
Designeræs Design Book. At ú13, it could save a lot of embarrassment and
wasted time.áuá
9.4
The Patience Addict
9.4
To add to Gabrielæs selection, I would like to suggest The Patience
Addict which, at only ú15 for twenty patience games, seems another
excellent stocking-filler. Christmas is the time of year when many of us
get a chance to relax, but outdoor pursuits donæt seem too appropriate!
So, if blasting aliens is not your thing, maybe patience would be.
9.4
I have to admit that this recommendation is not my own but is based on a
review which someone sent to me. (I am deliberately not publishing it
yet because Iáhave lost the name of the author Ö sorry! Ö and I donæt
like to publish articles without due credit. Who are you, please?)
However, he or she says, in conclusion, öI cannot praise highly enough
the game concept or its playability.ò
9.4
The Patience Addict is ú14.95 plus p&p from Creative Curriculum Software
or ú15 inclusive through Archive.  Ed.áuá
9.4
Internet Column
9.4
Dave Pantling
9.4
Unfortunately, Adrian Bool has had to move on to better things, so Iæll
be taking over. Iæll do my best to be interesting and informative. Help
get things rolling by posting your mail to [e-mail] and you
might see your comments in print next month!
9.4
In the Beginning...
9.4
Weæve all read the articles, we all know we need a modem, software and a
service provider. Most of us, however, sit back and wait. We know itæs
going to cost money, and wouldnæt that 8Mb SIMM be a better purchase? Or
a new printer? I thought like that Ö at one time.
9.4
One day I used the Internet and, from that moment, Iáwas committed.
There was just so much out there Ö more information than I could
possibly use, more people than I could possibly talk to, more answers
than I had questions! It was incredible.
9.4
One modem, service bill and a steep learning curve later, I was there.
From the comfort of my living room, I could talk to people all over the
world for the price of a local call. I could chat with people in
America, Thailand and Basingstoke, simultaneously, for 60p an hour
(weekend rate).
9.4
Itæs all pretty amazing, and Iæm very enthusiastic, but why state the
obvious? The answer is that the Internet is as inevitable as the
telephone. Soon, youæll be able to email your microwave from work,
telling it to delay dinner Ö the Internet is going to become a part of
everyday life.
9.4
Service providers
9.4
There are many service providers, some good, some bad. What should you
be looking out for? Service Providers (SPs) can be divided into roughly
two groups: those who provide Internet access, and those who provide
Internet access plus their own services. The second category generally
means higher charges. Companies like Compuserve, Microsoft Network and
Delphi give you a few hours of free access per month, but then they
start charging Ö anything from ú1.85 to ú4 an hour on top of your
standing charges.
9.4
The SPæs that only provide Internet service tend to only levy the
standing charge, usually ú10 to ú15 per month. You can access the Net
for as long as you like without incurring any extra charges.
9.4
This being a PC-oriented world, most SPæs will be unable to help you
with software, but there is one notable exception. Argonet, a division
of VTI, supply Internet services exclusively to Acorn users. They
commissioned software to provide a simple user interface to the
Internet, and came up with Voyager. As they supply the complete access
package, they can set up the software for you, so it already knows your
nearest POP (point of presence, or local phone number!) and account
details. You install the software, plug in the modem, which they can
also supply, and surf to your heartæs content. Whatever your SP offers,
make sure they have a POP that is within local calling distance. If your
local POP is even a regional call, your Internet access costs have just
tripled!
9.4
IP or not IP?
9.4
Some SPæs give you an email address like É[e-mail]æ. Others
will give you an ÉIP addressæ, and you can allocate your own email
Énamesæ, thus: É[e-mail]æ. If you have a choice between
two SPæs, choose the one that will give you your own IP address, all
other things being equal. That way you could, for example, give email
addresses to each family member, or business department. For example,
[e-mail], [e-mail], kids@home... and so on.
Ifáyou are unsure about this, please email me (catch 22) and Iæll send
you more information.
9.4
Next month, I will be reviewing Doggysoftæs Termite Internet, ANTæs
Internet Suite and Argonetæs Voyager. Meanwhile, Iæll be writing a FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions) list, which will be added to the Internet
Glossary disc in due course. Ifáyou have any comments on your
experiences with any of these programs, or have a question/answer for
the FAQ, please pass them to me...
9.4
Get in touch!
9.4
Please feel free to contact me with any queries or ideas for developing
the column. You can email me, [e-mail], or write to 31,
Cornwall Grove, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK3 7HX. Please enclose a
stamp, as I get quite a few letters!áuá
9.4
Internet Ö Edæs first thoughts
9.4
As I said in the inside front cover, I am excited by the prospects
represented by the Internet Ö not least in improving the quality of
information provided by Archive magazine. Currently, I send and receive
around 6Ö10 emails a day Ö and that is set to increase as more and more
people get email access.
9.4
I canæt say that it was easy getting started Ö there were certain
teething problems, to say the least! However, now that I have finally
managed to get things sorted out, using the Ant Suite and a Pipex
reseller in Norwich, Paston Chase Ltd, it is just so easy and intuitive
to send and receive emails. I have a young friend spending a year in
China and it has been such a help to him and his family in Norwich to
get messages in and out so rapidly. Similarly with a couple who went to
Kurdestan for two months and my missionary friends in Cameroon and Papua
New Guinea.
9.4
I simply havenæt had time to wander around the Web, but where I have had
to access it, in order to get updates of the Ant Suite, it has been just
so easy and so impressive Ö just click on the bit you want and wait for
it to download. Thinking back to all the efforts needed to coax a BBS to
give me a particular download, I can see why the Web is going to have
such a popular appeal. To me, the Web is to bulletin boards what the
Acorn desktop is to the command line. (Mind you, I see that Chris
Claydon is addressing this with his RSDFS, bringing the desktop to
bulletin boards Ö see the review on page 75.)
9.4
Do let Dave know what your experiences are, especially if you have
difficulties and then find a way round them. Also, please keep sending
in jargon words that you come across that arenæt on our Internet
glossary. (It is now over 8,000 words long compared with only 11,500
words that cover the whole of the rest of Acorn-related jargon!) Again,
as Iásaid in the inside front cover, you would send an email that said
simply, öWhat the heck is a Ésproggetæ?ò whereas you probably wouldnæt
bother writing a letter to that effect.
9.4
Ordering by email?
9.4
I have given details (see page12) of how I suggest you use email for
ordering things from NCS, if you are concerned about people picking up
your credit card number.  Ed.áuá
9.4
Hints and Tips
9.4
Basic programs Ö When writing a basic program, one is encouraged to keep
each procedure down to a manageable size. In real life, I suspect that
most of us often end up with procedures covering several screenfulls.
9.4
It can then be very difficult to keep track of what is going on in
multiple-nested loops, even when you have written the Éexitæ from the
loop before going back a line and writing whatever has to be
accomplished within that loop.
9.4
It is much easier to follow the logic if each entry and exit is REMmed
with a reference to the corresponding exit and entry. As an example:
9.4
IF variable% > 100 THEN
9.4
ááREM Start of loop testing variable%
9.4
áá(Lines of program)
9.4
ááFOR loop% = 1 TO 100 : REM Start of
9.4
 xyz
9.4
áááá(Lines of program)
9.4
ááááCASE variable2% OF
9.4
ááááááREM Start of testing variable2%
9.4
 loop
9.4
áááááá(Lines of program)
9.4
ááááENDCASE : REM End of testing
9.4
 variable2% loop
9.4
áááá(Lines of program)
9.4
ááNEXT loop% : REM End of xyz
9.4
áá(Lines of program)
9.4
ENDIF : REM End of loop testing variable%
9.4
(Lines of program)
9.4
It is easy enough to follow the logic in this simple example, but not so
when the (Lines of program) start to mount up! The REMs make debugging
much easier and can always be deleted when youære sure it all hangs
together.
9.4
Note that you need to put the REM at the start of an ÉIF Ö THENæ loop on
a line after the statement; the ÉTHENæ MUST be the last item on the
line.
9.4
Roger Williams <[e-mail]>
9.4
Drawing ellipses (9.3 p20) Ö Here is a quicker method of producing an
Éisometric circleæ. The required ellipse can be drawn accurately,
without having to adjust it Éuntil it looks OKæ, and it can be drawn as
one object which can then be colour-filled if required.
9.4
Using the isometric grid in Draw, draw the Éisometric squareæ, which is
actually two equilateral triangles joined at the bases. Then draw an
ellipse centred at the centre of the Ésquareæ and with the control point
as shown in the diagram (below left). This ellipse is the right shape,
but the wrong size and orientation.
9.4
Rotate the ellipse through 30░, and magnify it by 0.8165, which is ┌2î3.
The ellipse now needs to be dragged to the correct position Ö if the
Ésquareæ and the control points were locked to the grid, <ctrl-s> will
finally make the ellipse snap to the correct position.
9.4
Colin Singleton, Sheffield
9.4
Faster PC cards Ö With regard to the recent article in Archive about the
upgrading of issue 1 PC cards with new processors, I would like to say
that I have got Windows running at nearly twice the speed it was, simply
by upgrading from !PC486 version 1.87 to !PCx86 version 1.91. Like
Jochen Konietzko, I havenæt run any speed tests but it is definitely
much faster.
9.4
I would suggest that anyone wanting more speed from the IBM side of a
Risc PC should certainly try out the latest PC Card software before
paying for a processor upgrade! (!PCx86 cost ú10 through Archive,
including printed documentation, but it is also available on Acornæs ftp
site for the cost of the phone call.)
9.4
Paul Hobbs. <[e-mail]>
9.4
RiscáPC replacement keyboard Ö The keyboard of the RiscáPC is a standard
PC keyboard with a standard 6¡pin mini-din plug on the end instead of a
5¡pin din plug. If you want to connect an IBM PC(AT) compatible keyboard
to the RiscáPC, here is a wiring diagram for an adaptor (although these
adaptors can be bought from PC suppliers for about ú5).
9.4
Robert Burnell, Bristol.áuá
9.4
Avie Electronics
9.4
New artwork coming
9.4
(Phone 416863 if not!)
9.4
Programming Workshop
9.4
Colin Singleton
9.4
Subscribers to the monthly disc may have been confused by an unexplained
program on Archive Disc 9.3, apparently related to my Puzzle Column. It
was, in fact, submitted by Andrew Campbell, and it calculates the
location of a point, given the magnetic bearings from it to two
landmarks whose grid references are known. The program is far from
complete, and Andrew requests help on various aspects of programming.
9.4
(Sorry about that but, in my defence, it came on the same disc as the
Puzzle Corner which, if you remember, contained a question about grid
references. I thought this was one readeræs submission to that puzzle!
Ed.)
9.4
Wimp programming Ö Help!
9.4
Is there a better way of clearing and redrawing icons?, Andrew asks,
since he feels his present program is rather sluggish. I regret that I
have never made the effort to master Wimp programming, and I
congratulate Andrew on having got so far. Any comments from Wimp experts
who have seen the program on Archive Disc 9.3 would be very welcome.
9.4
File handling
9.4
This subject would require a Workshop column, or more, on its own Ö I
will have to think about this for a future issue. The simplest approach,
if the number of records is modest and they are not frequently changed,
is to read the whole file into memory when the program is loaded, and
save it in full whenever you change the contents. You can process the
Éfileæ as a list in memory, and almost forget about disc file handling.
9.4
Andrew needs to hold three essential data items for each location on his
file Ö Name, Easting and Northing. Since the program is written in
Basic, these could be held in three lists, for example
9.4
DIM Name$(1000), East%(1000), North%(1000)
9.4
Reading the whole file is then simple
9.4
File%=OPENIN(öFileNameò)
9.4
Count%=0
9.4
WHILE NOT EOF#File%
9.4
  Count%=Count%+1
9.4
  INPUT#File%,Name$(Count%),
9.4
 East%(Count%),North%(Count%)
9.4
ENDWHILE
9.4
This coding assumes that the records have been written using
9.4
PRINT#File%,Name$(Count%),
9.4
East%(Count%),North%(Count%)
9.4
The variable Count% will contain the number of records, which will be
stored with subscripts starting at 1. If you wish to be able to rewrite
the file after modification, you must use OPENUP instead of OPENIN.
9.4
Andrew has decided to hold his data in a block of memory accessed by
indirection operators. In this case, the whole data block can be read
from disc with
9.4
SYSöOS_Fileò,16,Filename$,Memory-Address%,0 TO ,,,,FileLength%
9.4
and written with
9.4
SYSöOS_Fileò,10,Filename$,&FFD,,
9.4
 MemoryAddress%,MemoryAddress%+
9.4
FileLength%
9.4
These, and similar operations, are described in the Programmeræs
Reference Manual, in the section on Filing Systems. The constant &FFD,
incidentally, sets the filetype as data.
9.4
The Quicksort revisited
9.4
Andrew is perhaps not alone in wanting to know just how the Quicksort,
described in this column in Issue 8.11, actually works. Please note the
corrected coding in 8.12 p21, and refer to it as you read the following
simple example. Assume the list (L$() in the published coding) initially
contains the numbers 0 to 9 in random order, thus Ö 5á6á8á0á1á3á7á9á2á4.
9.4
The coding before the first REPEAT extracts an item from the middle of
the list (the number 3 in this example) into Z$. The nested REPEAT/WHILE
loops then compare the other values with this one. Those which are less
than Z$ are moved to the beginning of the list, and those which are
greater are moved to the end. Try it on paper. When you drop through the
UNTIL, and obey the next instruction, you should have
2á1á0á3á8á4á7á9á6á5. The number 3 is now in its correct position in the
required sorted list Ö all numbers <3 are to its left and all numbers >3
are to its right.
9.4
The coding is recursive. Having fixed the number 3, the entire process
is repeated on the list of numbers <3, and on the list of numbers >3.
Try it. You should get 0á1á2á3á6á4á5á7á9á8. The numbers 1 and 7 are now
fixed in their correct positions. Since there is now only one number <1,
and one number between the fixed numbers 1 and 3, these require no
further sorting. The recursive process is repeated on the groups 6á4á5
and 9á8. In this example, this will produce the sorted list, but the
program will not recognise that the numbers 5 and 6 are correctly sorted
until it has performed the recursive process once more on this group of
two values.
9.4
You can use similar coding to sort a list of records in a block of
memory using indirect addressing, instead of in a Basic array. In this
case, L% and H% will be offsets from the base memory address, and will
increase/decrease by the length of the record, not by one. Yet another
(perhaps faster) alternative requires you first to build a list of
pointers to the records in memory, then sort the list of pointers,
rather than the records themselves. Remember that the comparisons must
compare the data records addressed by the pointers, not the values of
the pointers themselves!
9.4
Searching Ö the Binary Chop
9.4
Having sorted your list of records in memory, you will no doubt wish to
look up individual items in the sorted list. This can be done using the
Binary Chop. First compare the key you want with the one in the middle
of the sorted list, to decide which half of the list contains your item.
Then compare the required key with that in the middle of the half, then
the quarter, etc. Assume that List$(1) ... List$(Num%) contain a sorted
list of records and Key$ contains the one you wish to find.
9.4
Low%=0
9.4
High%=Num%+1
9.4
REPEAT
9.4
  Test%=(Low%+High%)DIV2
9.4
  IF Key$>List$(Test%) THEN Low%=Test%
9.4
 ELSE High%=Test%
9.4
UNTIL High%=Low%+1
9.4
Then List(High%) is equal to the required key, or if the required key is
not in the list, it should be inserted between the adjacent locations
List(Low%) and List(High%). This process is very much quicker than
searching the whole list Ö if there are 1000 items in the list, it only
requires about ten cycles to find the one you want. The list must, of
course, be sorted first.
9.4
Footnotes
9.4
For readers who remember last monthæs trailer to this column, the
Barnsley Chop was introduced by Brooklands Restaurant, at Dodworth,
(near Barnsley!) some years ago. It comprises two or three (or even
more) double lamb chops, cooked in one piece. If you are only offered
two cutlets, you have been cheated! While you are enjoying your meal,
you can try to satisfy yourself mentally that the Binary Chop coding
always works.
9.4
The only comment I have received concerning the League Tables (9.3 p28)
was favourable, and came from one of the Top Ten contestants. When (I am
always optimistic) the response to the puzzles picks up again, I will
take another look at the League Table.
9.4
My thanks to Andrew Campbell for the inspiration for this column. Please
send any further comments or suggestions to me at 41 St Quentin Drive,
Sheffield, S17 4PN.áuá
9.4
Data Storage Ö SCSI versus IDE
9.4
Nick Chalk
9.4
(There are several references in this article to products from Cumana
Ltd who have just ceased trading. As this happened close to publishing
time, we have not had time to re-edit the article, so please read it
with the knowledge that, unless someone buys up the Cumana products,
they will no longer be available and have been removed from the NCS
price list. Ed.)
9.4
Down to your last free megabyte? Want to join the multimedia revolution?
Tired of feeding floppies to a backup program? Itæs time to buy a new
drive. But which one? And which interface?
9.4
This article cannot answer these questions directly, but it aims to make
the choice a little clearer. It will look at the two major interfaces
available for Acorn computers, IDE and SCSI, and their latest
incarnations. I shall describe the strengths and weaknesses of each,
make comparisons between them, and try to predict where they are going
in the future. I shall also be looking beyond the Acorn market, as the
topic of storage systems is common across many platforms.
9.4
Definitions
9.4
First of all, let me give a few definitions that should make it easier
for you to understand the explanations in the main part of this article.
9.4
Drive Ö A general term, which I shall use to describe any storage
device; for example: Hard discs, CD-ROMs, tape streamers, magneto-
optical discs, etc.
9.4
Interface Ö The circuitry that sits between the computeræs processor and
the drive, handling the communication between them. It translates the
computeræs requests into a form the drive understands, and vice versa.
9.4
Megabyte (Mb) Ö Unit of memory or disc space. There are two alternative
definitions, 1,048,576 bytes (220) or 1,000,000 bytes. The former
describes 1áMb of memory, whilst the latter is more commonly used when
referring to storage devices. I use shall use this second definition
throughout.
9.4
Gigabyte (Gb) Ö Unit of memory or disc space. Again, there are two
alternative definitions, (wait for it...) 1,073,741,824 bytes (230) or
1,000,000,000 bytes. Once again, I shall use the latter definition, as
it is the most common amongst drive manufacturers.
9.4
Data transfer rate Ö The speed at which an interface or a drive can
handle data; usually measured in kilobytes per second (Kb/s) or
megabytes per second (Mb/s).
9.4
Asynchronous Ö A method of transferring data between two devices,
involving Éhandshakingæ signals. When the sender wants to transfer a
data word, it signals that it is ready to the receiver. The receiver
then returns a signal to say that it can accept the data, and the word
is transferred. This process is repeated for each data word to be
transferred.
9.4
Synchronous Ö A method of transferring data between two devices, using a
clock signal to synchronise the two. The receiver expects the sender to
transmit one data word for every clock interval.
9.4
Processor input / output (PIO) Ö Data transfer from the interface or
drive to memory under control of the processor. The processor reads a
data word from the interface, then writes it to memory; this process
repeats until all data has been transferred. Writing data to the
interface takes place in a similar fashion.
9.4
Direct memory access (DMA) Ö A method of improving the data transfer
speed between an interface and the computer. In the case of a read, a
block of data is written by the drive interface directly into memory,
without the processor being involved. During a write, data is taken
directly from memory in a similar manner.
9.4
IDE
9.4
The IDE interface is probably the most commonly used drive system in the
desktop computer world. It is used on Acornæs A5000/4000/3020 machines
and on the Risc PC, as well as almost all PC-compatibles. Why is it so
popular?
9.4
IDE was designed as an interface for the desktop computer market. It
achieves a balance between performance and price, delivering reasonably
good speeds without high costs. The system was made straightforward, so
that it would be easy to add to a computeræs motherboard as the standard
hard disc interface. Introduced first by Western Digital, the IDE
Interface was later made a controlled ANSI Standard. Ideally, this
should have made any drive usable with any computeræs interfaceáÖ in
practice, too many parts of the standard were made optional, giving the
system a reputation for incompatibilities.
9.4
The IDE standard sets out a simple interface, in essence an extension of
the computeræs data bus. The name is an acronym for ÉIntegrated Drive
Electronicsæ, describing the main feature of the design. The majority of
the complex electronics is integrated into the drive itself, so that the
host computer only requires a simple interface. This has many advantages
in the price-conscious market; individual computer designers need only
design and build a small circuit, whilst the drive manufacturers handle
the complicated work. This results in relatively low prices, since the
likes of Seagate, Conner and Quantum make drives in very large numbers.
9.4
To compare the available interfaces, some measure of performance is
required. Below are listed the basic attributes of IDE, in terms of what
types and sizes of drive are supported, what speed it can achieve, and
any other restrictions on the system. I shall go on to describe these
figures in more detail later.
9.4
Each IDE interface can handle two drives, of up to 528áMb capacity. Data
transfer between interface and drive can be either 8 or 16-bit,
depending on the capabilities of the drive, and there are a range of
Data Transfer Rates defined to accommodate fast and slow systems. The
range of drives available for IDE is somewhat limited: its main
application is hard discs, although CD-ROM and Tape Drives can be
obtained. The final restriction is a limit on the length of the cable
connecting the interface to the drives; the total cable length must not
be more than 18 inches (46 cm), with not more than 6 inches (15 cm)
between the two drives, if a second is fitted.
9.4
Today, the main limitation of IDE is the maximum drive size. Under
versions of RISC OS prior to 3.6, the limit is 528áMb, or 512áMb by
Acornæs definition. This restriction is the result of a combination of
the interface itself, and the operating systemæs drivers. When the
system was launched in 1986, this was considered to be a massive size!
Now, however, it is something of a restriction, especially considering
the storage capacity of a CD-ROM at 650Mb. A very common work-around for
this problem has been to partition a large hard disc, so that it appears
as two smaller drives. The solution for CD-ROM is more complicated, and
has led to a new addressing system being devised, known as ATAPI.
Iáshall be discussing this in more detail later.
9.4
The performance of IDE varies greatly between different designs. Many
parts of the Standard are optional or have multiple choices, so that a
design may be tailored for a particular market. For example, DMA data
transfers are one option for higher performance, as is the choice
between 8 and 16 bits. Acornæs designs are typical: they only employ the
basic types of transfer, but do support 16¡bit communications. The
speeds at which disc accesses occur depends on the machine Ö a Risc PC
demands far higher performance from a drive than an A3010. As an
example, the A5000 Technical Reference Manual quotes a speed of 2.4Mb/s
when transferring one sector. This is using an old 25MHz machine with
the original 40Mb drive. The Standard defines a number of data transfer
ÉModesæ, setting the time taken to transfer one Word. Using Processor I/
O (PIO), cycle times of between 600ns and 240ns are available and,
theoretically, this leads to a maximum data rate of 4Mb/s for 8¡bit and
8Mb/s for 16¡bit transfers. This is, in practice, unachievable Ö the
above figures assume that the processor spends all its time transferring
data, and that the drive can always deliver data on time. A more
realistic maximum figure is approximately 3Mb/s.
9.4
It is worthwhile describing here a couple of terms used to express the
speed of hard discs. I have already used the term Data Transfer Rate
(DTR) above, in a loose fashion. When discussing drives in particular,
there are two separate definitions: Sustained DTR and Burst DTR. The
latter defines the performance of the drive when reading or writing a
single sector which, as mentioned above, involves the use of some memory
in the drive known as the Ésector bufferæ. This value is the fastest
possible transfer that the drive can achieve, and produces nice large
figures for advertising. The Sustained measurement is, perhaps, the more
useful. It describes the rate at which a large block of data can be
written or read, requiring more than one access to the disc surface.
Naturally, this is a lower number, but bears more relation to real disc
accesses. Burst DTR, for modern drives, can reach between 10Mb/s and
20Mb/s, whilst the maximum Sustained DTR rarely exceeds 4Mb/s. Returning
to the figure quoted above for an A5000, 2.4Mb/s is the Burst DTR,
whilst the Sustained DTR is approximately 500 to 700Kb/s.
9.4
Determining data transfer rates is a difficult process. In any storage
system, the DTR is limited by the slowest component, invariably the
drive itself. There are, essentially, three components to data transfer
in IDE. Take, for example, a read from the disc. Firstly, the sector
required must be found on the disc, then read into a sector buffer in
the drive. This buffer is then gradually read by the processor, through
the interface. Finally, the processor must store the data in main
memory. This last stage is always the fastest, so it is the other stages
which limit the speed.
9.4
Transfer from drive to processor takes place over three busses: the IDE
cable, the I/O bus, and lastly the data bus. Here, the limiting factor
lies in either the IDE or I/O busses. Acornæs IDE implementation has a
significant advantage in that there is no I/O bus connection Ö data
flows straight from the IDE cable onto the data bus. Try comparing the
performance of a hard disc connected to an AT-bus PC with the same
device connected to an Acorn; the performance difference is quite
significant! Of all the components, however, it is usually the hard disc
which is the slowest element.
9.4
There have been many changes in the computer market since IDE was first
proposed in 1986, and recently there have been some changes in the
standard to accommodate them. These new developments are known by the
acronyms ATAPI and E-IDE. The former, the ÉAT Attachment Packet
Interfaceæ, is a new system for addressing CD¡ROM drives. It does not
replace IDE, but rather adds a new set of commands which allow the
computer to address the 650Mb of data on a CD¡ROM, and to handle the
various data formats for audio and video. ÉEnhanced IDEæ, the second new
development, is an update of the original IDE system, increasing its
flexibility and performance. They are both significant advances for the
Acorn market: RISC OS 3.6 supports ATAPI, and an E-IDE controller has
just been launched by Yellowstone Educational Solutions.
9.4
Enhanced IDE is a major new system in the drive market, and is worth a
closer look. It attempts to address some of the limitations of the
original interface, which have become apparent with the inevitable rise
in program and data sizes. E-IDE boasts two separate cables, the Primary
and Secondary Interfaces. Each of these can support two devices, for a
total of four, allowing any mix of the supported devices.
9.4
This selection has been widened, through the use of ATAPI. CD-ROMs are
fully supported, and a standard for tape drives is being discussed. The
528Mb limit has been increased to 8.3áGb, which should keep the most
disc-space hungry users happy for a little while. Finally, the data
transfers have been speeded up to a current maximum of 16.6áMb for PIO
and DMA. The E-IDE draft does, however, allow the Secondary Interface to
run slower than the Primary (this is for expansion-slot starved PC
users). Drives for E-IDE are freely availableáÖ the PC market has had
the interface for a little while nowáÖ plus it is compatible with IDE,
so an old IDE drive can be connected to an E-IDE interface, along with
newer, ÉEnhancedæ drives.
9.4
SCSI
9.4
The Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) is a slightly older system
than IDE. The first designs were started in 1979, with devices appearing
on the market between 1983 and 1984. From the beginning, SCSI was
intended to be a standard, a solution to the too¡wide variety of
interfaces available at the time. Today, SCSI exists as two ANSI
standards, with a third under construction Ö although this does not rule
out incompatibilities, as Jim Nottinghamæs column (ÉSCSI Compatibilityæ,
Archive 9.2, p22) proves.
9.4
SCSI currently has two forms, SCSIá1 and SCSIá2. The latter interface is
just becoming available on the Acorn market Ö there are now three
products available Ö but SCSIá1 devices have been around for a long
time. It is often viewed as the preserve of those who require large
drives or high speed, and are prepared to pay for it. With the emergence
of E-IDE, the differences in performance are no longer so large,
although SCSI is usually slightly more expensive. What you pay for is
greater flexibility.
9.4
The performance statistics for SCSI may be summarised in a similar way
to IDE. Up to eight devices can be connected to the bus, one of which is
the computeræs host adaptor. The maximum drive size is 16Gb, and the
selection of compatible devices is very wide: hard discs, CD-ROMs, tape
drives, scanners, optical discs, printers, and even other computers! The
data width used on the bus varies between 8 and 32 bits, depending on
the type of SCSI device Ö this is covered in more detail below. Finally,
the maximum cable length is six metres.
9.4
The words in italic above are a selection from the terminology that is
peculiar to SCSI Ö the terms are actually part of the standard itself.
The bus is defined as the cable connecting the drives to the computeræs
interface, the host adaptor. This latter term is used to differentiate
it from the controllers which connect the individual devices to the bus.
9.4
The differences between the two SCSI versions are many, but most are not
obvious to the user. SCSIá1 defines a system with an 8¡bit wide bus that
can transfer data either synchronously or asynchronously. Asynchronous
transfer normally achieves 1.5Mb/s, although modern devices can usually
manage 3 to 4Mb/s. Synchronous transfer is more efficient, at a constant
5Mb/s. This is the minimum specification for a SCSI system.
9.4
SCSIá2 defines two new terms: Fast and Wide. In performance terms, basic
SCSIá2 is no better than SCSIá1 Ö a point to watch out for when reading
manufacturersæ advertisements. Fast SCSIá2 defines a new synchronous
transfer mode, capable of 10Mb/s. Wide SCSIá2 increases the width of the
bus to 16 or 32 bits. This is where it gets confusing! Any SCSIá2 device
can be Fast, Wide 16, Wide 32, Fast and Wide 16 or, finally, Fast and
Wide 32 (or none of these!). The data transfer of these options range
from 10Mb/s for the first, to 40Mb/s for the last. In reality, the
situation is simpler Ö Wide 32 is rarely used, and Wide 16 or Fast and
Wide 16 is usually only seen on 2Gb or larger hard discs intended for
network servers or Unix workstations. That leaves Fast, which is the
system employed by the Cumana, Alsystems Power-tec, and MCS Connect 32
interfaces. The majority of SCSIá2 drives on the market are Fast, too.
9.4
That covers the performance differences; what else has changed? A major
improvement is the precise definition of how each type of device (hard
disc, tape, scanner, etc) should be connected to the bus, and the
commands that it should accept. SCSIá1 left many parts optional or
ÉVendor Specificæ (much like IDE), creating many of the incompatibility
problems referred to above. Hopefully, the advent of SCSIá2 to Acorn
machines will improve the situation.
9.4
The SCSIá2 standard was published in 1994, but development has not
stopped there. The standards committee is currently working on SCSIá3,
which will contain a number of enhancements. One of the most interesting
is the addition of protocols for transferring data serially through
optical fibre; this promises further increases in data transfer rate,
for those who need it. As was the case with version 2, there are already
systems on the market which follow parts of the draft SCSIá3 standard.
9.4
I have also just discovered another SCSI variant. Called variously
ÉUltra SCSIæ or ÉFast-20æ, it is not actually part of the SCSIá2
standard, but may appear in SCSIá3. As the second name suggests, it is a
faster version of ÉFastæ, allowing 20Mb/s transfers over an 8¡bit bus,
or 40áMb/s over a 16¡bit. At least one chip-set is in existence for this
system, but it will probably be a while before it reaches the Acorn
market.
9.4
Comparison
9.4
The earlier sections of this article have described the two systems and
their performance. Now it is down to the hard questions: how do they
compare, and which is the best one to choose?
9.4
Up to now, I have looked at the wider data storage market, but here I
shall examine what is available to Acorn users, starting with the
products on the market now. Please note that the following information
has been gathered from the manufacturers themselves. I cannot vouch for
its accuracy, as I have not tested any of the products. I recommend that
any potential purchaser seeks the latest information from the relevant
manufacturer, and, if possible, reads an independent review.
9.4
For standard IDE, there are several products that have been on the
market for some time. These are available from companies such as HCCS,
Cumana, and Castle Technology. For Enhanced IDE, there is only one
interface available, Yellowstone Educational Solutionsæ ÉRapIDE 32æ.
From the specifications I have received, this seems to fulfil all the
requirements of E-IDE. There appears to be no speed penalty on the
Secondary Interface, and the interface supports ATAPI devices. It is
capable of PIO modes 3 and 4, and the maximum data rate is claimed to be
8áMb/s. Unfortunately, it is compatible with the Risc PC only.
9.4
SCSI cards are also in plentiful supply. SCSIá1 devices are manufactured
by several companies, for example Cumana, Morley and Castle Technology.
For SCSIá2, there are three possibilities: Cumana, Alsystemsæ Power-tec,
and a new entrant, ÉConnect 32æ from MCS, a German company. Cumanaæs
offering has already been discussed in Archive (8.4,áp8 and 9.1, p27-8),
and commented upon in subsequent editions. Alsystemsæ card has only been
recently released Ö a review of both is eagerly awaited. The MCS card
was announced very quietly at the Acorn World show Ö Iájust happened to
notice a leaflet describing it on the Clares stand! It seems that Clares
are acting as distributors in the UK. Iábelieve that all three cards are
Fast SCSIá2; both Cumana and MCS claim this, but Alsystems do not
mention it in their brochures, nor were they able to tell me at the
show! The Alsystems and MCS cards can be fitted to both Risc PC and
older machines, although the full benefit of SCSIá2 will not be apparent
on the latter; the Cumana card is Risc PC only.
9.4
That covers the interfaces available to Acorn owners, but still leaves
the question öShould I choose IDE or SCSI?ò. The key to answering this
is to examine your existing set-up. In the following paragraphs, I shall
describe some possible system configurations, and the preferred upgrade
options for them. These are, of course, only guidelines Ö the final
choice is yours, and depends on your exact requirements.
9.4
Å IDE interface with one drive: The cheapest option here is to buy a
second IDE drive, to add to the interface already present. If you are
looking for a CD-ROM, and do not own a Risc PC, you have the choice
between a drive adapted for IDE, or a SCSI card and compatible drive.
For Risc PC owners, the choice is wider. E-IDE or SCSIá2 are
possibilities, if you are interested in performance. The advantage of E-
IDE here is that you would be able to move your old hard disc onto the
E¡IDE interface, with a possible performance improvement. If, however,
you are thinking of adding several devices to your machine, SCSI may be
more flexible. If you have RISC OS 3.5, you will have to wait for the
3.6 upgrade before being able to use an ATAPI CD¡ROM on the standard IDE
interface; an E-IDE interface will allow that now.
9.4
Å IDE interface with two devices attached: Your IDE interface is full,
so purchasing another is a necessity. For owners of pre-Risc PC
machines, the choice is between another IDE, SCSIá1 or SCSIá2. The SCSI
option is the more expensive, especially the SCSIá2, but it does allow
greater flexibility. It may be wise to consider your future computer
upgrade plans if choosing SCSI Ö although a SCSIá2 interface would bring
few immediate benefits, it could be transferred to a Risc PC at a later
date. For Risc PC owners, it is a matter of balancing cost against
flexibility. An E-IDE controller would allow you to transfer your
existing drives to the new interface, bringing a possible speed
increase.
9.4
Å SCSI interface: If you have an existing SCSIá1 interface, you have the
choice of buying a new drive for it, or upgrading, depending on the
importance to you of performance. If you are considering upgrading, it
may be worth checking if your existing SCSI drives are compatible with
any of the SCSIá2 cards. Ifáthey are, one of these devices would
probably be the favoured option; if not, then for Risc PC owners, it is
a free choice between E-IDE and SCSIá2, as a new drive will have to be
purchased for both.
9.4
Caveat Emptor
9.4
Here are a few tricky points to watch out for in the world of interfaces
and drives.
9.4
Beware of the term É32¡bitæ, as applied to interfaces. This describes
the expansion-bus link between the card and the processor, not the
connection to the drive. In the Risc PC, the expansion bus is 32¡bit,
whilst in older machines it is 16¡bit. In effect, a É32¡bitæ card is
being advertised as designed for the Risc PC. The bus width of the link
between interface and drive is set by the standard: 16¡bit in IDE and E-
IDE, 8¡bit in SCSIá1, and 8, 16 or 32¡bit in SCSIá2. However, remember
that 16 and 32¡bit SCSIá2 is very rare, even in the PC world; a quick
way to check for Wide SCSI is to count the number of data cables linking
the host adaptor to the drive Ö if there is only one, then it cannot be
Wide SCSI!
9.4
A major difficulty that all users should be aware of is the
compatibility issue. SCSI compatibility is being handled by Jim
Nottingham (see Archive 9.2, p22). IDE compatibility is more difficult.
It is always worth checking that the drive you are buying is compatible
with your interface, and asking whether you can return the device if it
does not work. The problem with IDE is that although it is a Éstandardæ,
the terms of that Éstandardæ are not very well defined. Of the forty
pins on the IDE connector, one is defined as being Éoptionalæ. In the
command set, which RISC OS uses to control the drives, there are 35
commands. Of these, only 10 are Émandatoryæ Ö the other 25 are
Éoptionalæ. With this level of standardisation, it is a wonder that any
two IDE devices are compatible! Some drives donæt even meet the
standard.
9.4
One further problem with IDE devices Ö and I suspect that E-IDE will
inherit it Ö is convincing two drives to work together as master and
slave. When two IDE drives are connected to the same interface, one must
be configured as master, the other as slave, by means of small
connectors on the drives. These Éjumpersæ set more than just this, and
the method employed differs from drive to drive. If both your drives are
from the same manufacturer, and if they come with good instructions, it
might tell you which ones need to be altered. However, if they are
different makes, you are on your own, and trial and error is often the
only way. I can provide a few hints, largely from my own (limited)
experience of setting up IDE drives. There are often markings on the
circuit board next to the jumpers, which can sometimes give a clue to
the correct settings.
9.4
The Master / Slave setting is often controlled by a ÉSlaveæ jumper,
marked variously SLV, SL, or just S. If you want the drive to be a
master, this should be disabled, and vice versa. The next problem is,
which state is disabled? Examine the text by the jumper. If it has a bar
over the letters (e.g. SLV), then fit the jumper to make that drive the
Master; if there is no bar (e.g. SLV), then remove the jumper to make it
the Master.
9.4
If there is one marked CS or CSEL, then this controls the ÉCable Selectæ
pin on the interface. Currently, none of Acornæs interfaces use this
signal, so it should be disabled. Try removing the jumper (if there is
one) to start with, and see if RISC OS recognises that a drive is
present. A second signal that is not supported by Acornæs drivers is
ÉSpindle Syncæ, so if thereæs an option for this (SS perhaps?) disable
it.
9.4
When you have the configuration right, RISC OS should automatically
detect the presence of the new drive, and display it on the iconbar. If
you are installing a hard disc, run !HForm Ö this will attempt to access
the new drive, and is a good second indication that everything is right.
As a quick aside, when you run !HForm on an IDE disc, do not ask for a
full format; IDE discs need only be ÉInitialisedæ.
9.4
Conclusions
9.4
I hope that this article has shed some light on the two most common
interfaces in the Acorn world. Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to
the upgrade question; too much depends on individual requirements. There
is no easy answer to the incompatibility issue either; IDE and SCSI are
highly complex systems, and so there are many things to go wrong.
9.4
I had hoped to be able to provide some insight into the two IDE
problems: the master / slave relationship, and the incompatibility.
However, this required the cooperation of both the drive and interface
manufacturers, which I did not receive. I did obtain the required
information from Acorn, but without the corresponding data on the
drives, I can give you no magic formula for testing incompatibility.
9.4
The coming year may well be a very interesting time for the Acorn
market. The emergence of a Common Hardware Reference Platform Risc PC at
the end of 1996 should widen the interface market, allowing Acorn users
a far wider variety of choice. Suddenly, the likes of SCSIá3, FireWire,
Serial Storage Architecture and Fibre Channel become possibilities. But
that is for the future...
9.4
If you have any comments or queries, I would be happy to hear them.
Please send them to me, either via Archive or to 22, Rosehip Way,
Lychpit, Basingstoke, Hants, RG23 0SW.áuá
9.4
Maximum Data Transfer Rate indicates the speed of the interface, not any
device connected to it. The rate of data transfer will generally be
dictated by the speed of the drive.
9.4
The EÖIDE mode numbers and data rates shown are for Processor   I/O
(PIO) transfers over the Primary connection. The EÖIDE standard also
defines three DMA modes, 0, 1 and 2, for multiple word transfers at
4.16áMb/s, 13.3áMb/s and 16.6áMb/s respectively. Data transfer over the
secondary connection will normally be slower, although this is not
defined in the standard. EÖIDE Mode 5 is a proposed standard, and had
not been ratified as of March, 1995. There is some doubt as to whether
it will be a PIO mode, or become DMA Mode 3 instead.
9.4
The data rates shown for SCSIá1 and SCSIá2 are for Synchronous
transfers. Asynchronous transfers are, in general, slower and dependent
on other factors such as the speed of the drive and the length of the
cable.
9.4
Small Ads
9.4
(Small ads for Acorn 32-bit computers and related products are free for
subscribers but we reserve the right to publish all, part or none of the
material you send, as we think fit. i.e. some people donæt know what
Ésmallæ means and there are certain things, as you can imagine, that we
would not be prepared to advertise as a matter of principle. Sending
small ads (especially long ones!) on disc is helpful but not essential.
Ed.)
9.4
A310, 4Mb, ARM3, RISC OS 3.1, 40Mb HD, AKF17 monitor, PC Emulator 1.6,
leads, manuals, discs/shareware, buyer to collect, ú300 o.n.o. Phone
01275-393203.
9.4
A4, 4Mb, 60Mb HD, exc cond. ú600 o.n.o. Phone [phone] after 6.
9.4
A410/1, 4Mb, RISC OS 3.1, 40Mb internal HD, external floppy interface
with Cumana 5╝ö drive, Taxan 770+ multisync, Amstrad SM2400 modem,
Voltmace joystick + mouse eliminator, BBC serial link, manuals (inc. OS2
Prog. Ref.), software (inc. PC Emulator 1.81, Disctree 2.30, Software
Developeræs Toolbox, Twin, ArcComm, ArcDFS, ten games) ú450. Phone
01342-844673.
9.4
A410/1, 4Mb, RISC OS 3.1, ARM3, two 200Mb SCSI HDs, Oak 16-bit SCSI
card, 4-slot backplane, Aleph One 486PC podule v.22 with 4Mb RAM, VIDC
enhancer, Taxan 770+ multisync, 5╝ö disc controller, mouse, manuals,
some software, ú800. Phone Ian on [phone] after 10pm. (Thatæs
Japan, by the way! Ed.)
9.4
A420/1, 4Mb, RISC OS 3.1, ARM3, 120Mb IDE, AKF12 colour monitor, lots of
software inc. LC, PC Emulator 1.8, ú475 o.n.o. Phone [phone].
9.4
A3000, 4Mb, 40Mb HD, Acorn monitor, manuals, ú300. Phone [phone].
9.4
A3000, 4Mb, ARM3, RISC OS 3.11, AKF17, dual disc drive, 30Mb IDE HD,
little use, lots of software and games. Phone Darren on 01692-402668.
9.4
A3000, 4Mb, ARM3, 85Mb internal HD, RISC OS 3.1, serial upgrade, monitor
stand, ú350. Philips monochrome monitor ú20. Citizen Swift 24 colour dot
matrix with spare ribbons ú90. Complete system ú450. Phone James, work
0181-941-7899, home 0181-977-7367.
9.4
A5000, ARM3, RISC OS 3.1, 4Mb RAM, 120Mb HD, 14ö multisync, PC Emulator
v1.8, Panasonic KX-P1180 printer, lots of software v.g.c, ú800. Phone
Chris on 01603-868707.
9.4
A5000, 4Mb, 210Mb HD, AKF50 monitor, joysticks, Impression Junior,
Diggers, James Pond, Zool, Lemmings, software and clipart, ú775 o.n.o.
Phone [phone].
9.4
A5000LC, 4Mb, 290Mb HD, AKF18, lots of software, ú650. Calligraph
1200dpi laser printer, ú700. CC scanner and digitiser, ú100. Impression
Publisher v4.05, ú70. Everything for ú1400. Phone [phone].
9.4
Aleph One 386PC podule, 4Mb, fast PAL, !PC v1.59f, Windows driver, ú150.
Conner 210Mb IDE hard disc, ú50. PC Emulator v1.81, MS-DOS 3.3, MS-DOS
5.0, ú20. Phone [phone], eves.
9.4
Bitfolio Cartoon Graphics, More Cartoons and Xmas Collection. All in
original packaging, as new, ú25. Phone [phone].
9.4
EasiWriter Professional, v3.16 with manuals, ú100. Phone [phone].
9.4
LC24-10 printer ú50, Phillips 8833 stereo monitor ú70, ST506 40Mb HD
ú30, Oak SCSI card ú60, US Robotics Sportster 14k4 fax modem ú70, ANSI C
rel.4 manuals ú10, many BBC B books free. Phone [phone].
9.4
Pacmania ú5, Bug Hunter in Space ú6, Haunted House ú12, Trivial Pursuit
ú5, Compression ú18, Fireworkz v1.07 ú69, Genesis Plus ú19, RISC OS 2
PRMs ú35 (excl. delivery), Rhapsody v1.04 ú22, ArcTerm7 ú49, Break 147/
SuperPool ú18. Phone Rob on 01242-231540 eves.
9.4
PC Emulator v1.8 ú15, GammaPlot v2 ú15, System Delta+ v2 ú25, Genesis v2
ú20, Investigating Local Industry ú20, Chocks Away ú3, Sporting
Triangles ú5, The Art Machine 1 and 2 ú20, Word Up Word Down ú3, MS-DOS
Quick Reference (book) ú5. Phone [phone] eves.
9.4
Prophet v1 upgradable ú39, ArcFS v2.5 new unregistered ú15, HelixBasic
ú20, EasyFont 3 ú15, PC Emulator with DR DOS ú15, Hero Quest ú5,
Voltmace Delta Joystick ú10. Phone [phone].
9.4
ScanLight 256 upgraded for Risc PC ú80, ProArtisan 2CD with ProArt24
voucher + Photo CD ú40, Revelation 2CD with CDFS 2.21Y ú40, PinPoint
2.01d ú40, Eureka 3.01 ú50. Offers for multiple purchases. Phone David
on 01752-840027 after 6.
9.4
ScanLight Video 256, mono hand-scanner and digitiser, podule version,
ú150 o.n.o. Phone [phone].
9.4
Wanted Ö Atomwide parallel port SCSI interface without printer bypass
(old type). Will pay reasonable price. Phone [phone], fax 01223-
512304.
9.4
Wanted Ö 33MHz A5000 without monitor. Phone Charlie on 0116-2660123.
9.4
Z88 with 128K RAM and 32K EPROM, mains adaptor, carry case, manual,
EPROM eraser, printer lead, ú95 +p&p. 4Mb 72-pin SIMM for Risc PC, ú90.
Phone [phone].áuá
9.4
Acorn World æ95
9.4
Alex Card
9.4
Paulæs a hard man Ö such a short time scale to write a show report is
pushing it, especially when there was so much to see at this yearæs
event. I have decided to stick with the new hardware and software
releases plus a bit of general gossip, rather than trying to cover
everything.
9.4
It has to be said that the last few months have been pretty awful on the
Acorn scene: debts, departures, dealers unhappy about dramatic changes,
job losses and the continued onslaught of Écheapæ PCs, hardly paint a
rosy picture, but the overriding feeling I got from the show was of new-
found optimism from dealers and users alike. The dust is beginning to
settle from these recent events and people seem to know what they have
to do to survive, and hopefully prosper, in the new climate.
9.4
The three divisions of Acorn have taken a firm shape; Acorn Education,
ART (Applied Risc Technologies) and Online Media all have targets to aim
at and appear to have made the transition seamlessly. Nice new ART logo
too !
9.4
The number of visitors appeared to be down this year but business itself
was brisk. Iota reported selling more in the first two days than they
had in the whole of the æ94 show. I attended on Sunday (the last day)
and quickly discovered that many of the products Iæd hoped to buy had
long since sold out so Iæm sure Iota werenæt the exception.
9.4
New Products Ö Art & Design
9.4
Competition is hotting up in the graphical stakes with new versions and
updates of old favourites abounding and the odd pretender to the throne
also creeping in. Photodesk and Studio 24 both became ÉProæ with
completely rewritten versions that looked really good, with all the
original features plus many more to boot. The packages started at
different ends of the market, with Studio 24 being more of a creative
drawing tool and Photodesk the ideal photo-retoucher and manipulator,
but there is now more of an overlap and itæll be interesting to follow
developments.
9.4
Clares released updates for Composition and Pro Artisan 24, and
Virtualise which is a virtual memory manager to complement the use of
these updates, but which will also work with other applications.
9.4
New kid on the block was Longman Logotronæs ÉThe Big Pictureæ, an
impressive and aggressively priced package which, at ú69 inclusive,
should do well for those on a more modest budget. It has its roots
firmly in the Revelation camp and has many of the facilities of its
competitors, even virtual memory and graphic tablet support, so it is
well worth checking out.
9.4
The 4th Dimensionæs ÉStereoworldæ is something completely different,
enabling those with the knack of seeing stereograms, or hidden 3D
images, to create the things and even print them out.
9.4
Aspex Software were selling Spex+ and a 24-bit version of Architech
which looks extremely impressive and easily coped with smooth, rapid
rotations of three shaded and fairly detailed helicopters. There was
also ImageFS 2 from Alternative Software which offers access to an even
wider range of graphic file formats than its predecessor.
9.4
Games
9.4
A slightly worrying aspect of the show was the lack of new games, not
just on the day but for many months now things have been very quiet.
Games have been cited as pushing forward the spread of Pentium systems
in the PC market and itæs not an area that Acorn machines can afford to
dismiss. Top game for me had to be ÉAlone In The Darkæ; a fine
conversion of a classic game, this is the first part of the now finished
trilogy from the PC scene. OK itæs a little late, but it has superb 3D
polygon graphics and brilliant atmospheric sound effects.
9.4
ÉRick Dangerousæ is the other side of the coin. Again, itæs a conversion
of an old game but left me asking ÉWhy bother ?æ Ö itæs typical platform
fodder. The Hitmen crew have done a good job on the actual conversion
and the good news is that they have other, and hopefully more inspiring,
conversions in the pipeline, so ögood luck guys!ò
9.4
TBA Software released two new games; ÉThe Cobalt Seedæ and ÉCommand
Shipæ. The former is along the lines of ÉStarwingæ and ÉStarfighter
3000æ; shoot everything you can and dodge things you canæt Ö definitely
one for priming those reflexes. ÉCommand Shipæ is similar to asteroids
but didnæt have the same appeal as ÉSpheres Of Chaosæ. More titles are
in the pipeline and thereæs also a possible release of their 3D engine
for creating your own games, but this is likely to be in the region of
ú200. Eclipse had ÉDarkwoodæ and ÉGlobal Effectæ on show. Darkwood is a
cute 3D adventure in which you play the role of a wizard on a mission.
It was obviously very popular as I couldnæt get a go on it all day.
Global Effect will appeal to sim fans Ö save the planet and balance
civilisation with ecology.
9.4
My award for Éthe best original gameæ goes to Psycore for the
deceptively simple ÉRevolveræ. Tip a 3D spherical maze left and right
and slice up pods. Donæt ask me why Ö thereæs sure to be a scenario in
there somewhere, but itæs best just to enjoy the game.
9.4
For all us old romantics, Warm Silence had something to warm the cockles
in the form of two emulators, one Beeb, the other Speccy. Shake the
cobwebs off those classics in the loft; Exile, Revs, Castle Quest,
Citadel ... it brought a tear to my eye to see Zalaga again up and
running on a Risc PC. Thereæs also a tape interface to copy programs to
Archimedes discs. I can also confirm that itæs possible to copy files
via a serial link if youæve still got a Beeb. Random Access Memories
like the corners of my mind .... (sing up !)
9.4
Music
9.4
Sibelius continues to go from strength to strength. Version 3 includes
real-time Midi input; play in a tune and it appears as a musical score
instantly. This is not all though; it will also Écorrectæ any errors in
tempo based on how good a keyboard player you are .... a truly awesome
program. Longman Logotron released Music Studio 32, although I must
confess to not having seen, or more importantly, heard it in action.
Audio Dynamics were showing off their Powerwave podule as can be heard
on the Archimedes World cover CD.
9.4
Hardware Innovations
9.4
The Simtec multi-processor socket could be seen, not in action but in a
glass case. A number of prototypes have already gone out to developers
and it should be available next spring for around ú150. There are now
plenty of PC processor options from 486SX to Pentiums from Aleph One and
Acorn so it would be nice to see other processor cards developed too.
Atomwideæs ISA Adaptor attracted plenty of attention. It enables PC
expansion cards to be connected to most Acorn machines Ö itæs not even
essential to have a PC card or podule attached in order to use add-ons.
I watched as a 3DO Blaster unit was attached. Things seemed to be going
according to plan as the usual PC port errors occurred; maybe someone
could let us know if they actually managed to get the 3DO Blaster
running? Online Media were demonstrating information on demand with
their very sleek model 2 set-top box and explaining how the Cambridge
trial on the system is coming along Ö very nicely is the answer but it
could be two years before itæs widely available.
9.4
The Internet
9.4
I have to confess that this is an area I know very little about so it
was handy that it was the major theme of the show. ArgoNet launched
itself with complete packages available, consisting of a choice of U.S.
Robotics 14.4k or 28.8k modems, Voyager software, registration and free
access for a month. I managed to crash out three times although other
users seemed to be having much more success so I ended up peering over
small childrenæs shoulders for tips. Other dealers had alternative
software on offer, with Termite from Doggysoft and The ANT Internet
Suite from (not surprisingly) ANT Ltd. All three packages had lots of
facilities, but I must confess that ANTæs suite made me feel most at
home in an unfamiliar world. (And its facilities are growing by the week
with updates freely available on the Web. It will be interesting to see
Dave Pantlingæs views next month. Ed.)
9.4
The juicy gossip
9.4
Speculation abounds about StrongARM and it all sounds staggeringly good.
A plug-in card should appear next summer for approximately ú200 which
could result in a six-fold increase in performance from a standard Risc
PC, 150 to 200 MIPS. The 2nd generation Risc PCs are also in the
pipeline, which will apparently use CHRP (Common Hardware Reference
Platform); not sure what the implications are, but be assured, itæs
definitely a good thing! The current models will not be upgradable as it
will involve a major redesign. New models could be running at 300 to 400
MIPS; eat your heart out Intel. The ARM 8 will still be released and
will be cheaper than the StrongARM but, as itæll be out around the same
time, whoæs going to buy it?
9.4
There should be a new Acorn colour portable (soon) (I think not Ö maybe
a case of Acorn employees not having seen Acorn press releases! Ed.) and
this could mean the same sort of drastic price cuts that have already
occurred with the A3010. Beebug again perchance? Speaking of the A3010,
there was some speculation that it might be possible to replace the ARM
2500 with an ARM 7500; for this I firmly point the finger at Archimedes
World. Simtec say that, although it would be possible, it is highly
unlikely to ever come to pass due to severe reliability problems etc Ö
maybe someone will try.
9.4
Conclusion
9.4
So thatæs a rapid run through of events. Stories of Acornæs demise now
seem very premature and we could all be heading for a new ÉGolden Ageæ.
Apologies for anything Iæve missed out and errors that have crept in.
Hopefully, at next yearæs show, the speculation will have become a
reality.áuá
9.4
Archiveæs Centenary
9.4
Paul Beverley
9.4
For one hundred months in succession, I have edited and produced Archive
magazine, so I think I deserve a bit of space for reminiscences.
9.4
Introduction to the Archimedes
9.4
My first meeting with Archimedes (the name used for the first Acorn 32-
bit computer) was at a developersæ meeting in 1987. I was then running
NCS as a hardware interfacing consultancy (which had died away almost to
nothing by that stage) and was making a good living selling programs and
books Iáhad written about Wordwise Plus on the BBC Micro. I knew that
the BBC Micro business could not last for ever and was looking for
something else when the invitation arrived to go to Cambridge and see
Acornæs latest development.
9.4
I was staggered by the graphics and the speed of the system and realised
I would have to do something for this new machine, but what? A
conversation with Mike Bibby (then editor of BBC Micro User, as it used
to be called) gave me the idea of doing a magazine and, as I already
owned an Apple DTP setup, this was it and Archive was born.
9.4
The name? Well, we first thought of ÉEurekaæ but found out that there
was an expensive technical designersæ magazine of the same name. Then we
decided we wanted something beginning with ÉArcæ to tie it in with
Archimedes. We thought of daft things like Archdeacon and Arch-enemy
before coming to Archive which is a store of information, so that seemed
appropriate.
9.4
Archive is born
9.4
If memory serves me correctly, we launched Archive at a Micro User Show
in London and printed a thousand copies of the first issue. The first
subscription number was 100, so if your subscription number is between
100 and 200, and you are still a subscriber, you are very special to us!
In fact, I think Iáshall give a prize to the longest surviving member.
Iáknow we have a J M Smith who is number 126 but is there anyone, still
a member, who is before that? Do let us know.
9.4
The equipment
9.4
I still actually own the original Mac Plus with its 9ö (ifáyouære lucky)
screen, and I can hardly believe that I managed to produce a 50-page
magazine on it every month with the prehistoric software I was then
using: MacAuthor for preparing the articles and PageMaker (version 1, I
think) for doing the layout. The printout was done at 300 dpi on a
Laserwriter Plus (which is still in everyday use in our church office,
along with the Mac II that succeeded the Mac Plus).
9.4
The contributors
9.4
We have had hundreds of contributors over the years Ö some whose names
are still well known. In the first issue, for example, we had an article
about ÉArchimedes Ö the Music Computeræ by one Mike Beecher, and the
Éreviewæ of Archimedes Toolkit Module from Clares Micros was, in fact
(confession time), written by none other than Dave Clare!
9.4
There have been many people who have contributed generously, over the
years, in terms of articles and it is dangerous to name names, lest
anyone feels that their contributions were not appreciated. I have said
repeatedly that all your contributions are very much appreciated and
Archive would not be Archive without them, but one name I must mention,
and that is Gerald Fitton.
9.4
Gerald Fitton
9.4
I have only found six issues of Archive to which Gerald has not
contributed an article. He started in issues 2, 3, 4 and 5 with a short
series on ÉPrinter dumpsæ (how to print out a picture of the screen on
your dot matrix printer), and it is a mark of the humility of the man
that it wasnæt until the beginning of his second series in issue 7 that
he told me that his name wasnæt ÉGerraldæ, as I had spelt it in each of
his first four articles!
9.4
Gerald wrote a range of occasional articles, reviews and short series
until the idea came for the PipeDream column, ÉPipeLineæ, at the end of
Volume 2. That continued monthly for just over five years, broadening
during Volume 6 to incorporate all of Coltonæs products, when it became
ÉPipeLineZæ. At the beginning of Volume 8, we acknowledged the fact that
Geraldæs articles were more widely appreciated than just by Coltonites
and it became ÉDocLineæ, covering anything under the general heading of
Édocument productionæ. We soon realised that, again, we were being too
narrow and gave Gerald his head completely, allowing him to range far
and wide over any topics that his correspondents wanted to raise with
him.
9.4
Over the 8+ years, Gerald must have written hundreds of letters to
people Ö probably thousands Ö giving them help and support with their
computer problems. I think we would all want to say a special thank you
to him for all his hard work.
9.4
Miscellaneous memories
9.4
I had fun while I was away for a few days last week. Iátook Volume 1
with me and read through bits of it. Some of it was a bit embarrassing
as it seemed very amateurish, but that was eight years ago, and the
equipment available for Archiveæs production has improved somewhat!
Anyway, here are a few random reminiscences, or miscellaneous
memories...
9.4
The A305/A310 was launched with OS 0.2 (with the so-called ÉArthuræ OS),
it had 0.5 or 1Mb of RAM, no hard disc and ran at 4 or 8MHz depending on
whether it was accessing ROM or RAM.
9.4
Intelligent Interfaces sold an 6.6MHz ARM second processor for the Beeb
for just ú999 +VAT.
9.4
A company called Computerware advertised a 20Mb (ST506) hard drive, with
podule, for the A300 Ö a snip at just ú399.95 inclusive.
9.4
Archive started the Eureka Bulletin Board which could be accessed at
1200/75 baud (i.e. it spoke to you at 1200 baud and you could reply at
75 baud) or at 300/300 baud.
9.4
(This is an interesting one...) Archive then cost ú14.50 for 12 issues
and had roughly 50 pages, i.e. 2.4 pence per page. At current rates (ú22
and 80 pages) itæs only 2.3p/page and even at the new rate of ú25, itæs
only 2.6p/page. So, allowing for eight years inflation, I think that
represents a good deal!
9.4
The future?
9.4
Where will we be in another eight years time when we produce issue
number 200? I shudder to think, but I hope you have enjoyed contributing
to, and reading, the first hundred issues of Archive as much as I have
enjoyed editing them . Thanks again for your support.áuá
9.4
Wot, no God Slot?!
9.4
Donæt worry, I havenæt forgotten the God Slot Ö I just thought I would
continue my practice of keeping it separate so that you could skip over
it! It started just as a simple acknowledgement of Godæs help (as I had
put in all my previously self-published books) but then people started
to make negative comments about it, so I made the occasional comment
justifying why Iáthought it was quite reasonable to say such things.
9.4
Finally, I made the concession of keeping any Christian comment separate
from the main comments on the inside front cover and added a Éspiritual
health warningæ so that people knew what was coming and could ignore it
if they wished. Over the eight years, I know of only a small handful of
people who have cancelled their Archive subscription as a result of it
and I have had many interesting discussions with Éobjectorsæ. We usually
agree to differ at the end of it, but Iæm sure it is healthy to discuss
such things, and I have made some very good friends as a result.
9.4
If my monthly ramblings have helped just one person get to know God a
little bit better, I consider it worth the effort Ö after all, if God
exists, what could be more important?!áuá
9.4
Geraldæs Column
9.4
Gerald Fitton
9.4
Although Archive 9.3 has been out only a few days, Iáhave already
received many letters about my comments under the sub-heading Marketing.
I expect many more. I shall try to summarise the gist of those that Iæve
received up to now, before moving on to my theme for this month, the
impending demise of the electronic calculator and its replacement!
9.4
(I hope Gerald wonæt think I am being patronising, but Iáactually think
this is a very important subject and would urge readers not to give up
when they hit the mathematical bit in the middle of the article. Do read
it right through to the end!! Ed.)
9.4
Upgrades to Impression
9.4
It seems that those of you who originally bought Impression or
Impression Junior were more than happy to pay for the upgrade to Style
or Publisher. You upgraded very quickly and, because the initial upgrade
price was set deliberately low, you feel that youæve done well. Even
those of you who didnæt upgrade at the original low price but waited and
then upgraded at the higher price later donæt feel that you were cheated
because you were warned of the deadline and you made your choice. As I
said last month, it seems to me that Computer Concepts marketed the
upgrade in an exemplary manner, precisely because it didnæt follow the
text book method of creaming off the enthusiasts at a high initial
price! They have no problems with Éoldæ Impression usersæ complaints ù
Éoldæ Impression users have either upgraded or they accept that they had
the chance to upgrade and didnæt!
9.4
I have been told that there is a more recent version of Publisher
available than the one I have but that, if I want to upgrade, I have to
pay ú15. Undoubtedly, that means that if I upgrade and then upgrade
again it will cost me ú15 a time. My inclination is to wait for two or
three upgrades until either my version isnæt doing what I want it to do
or until I need the features of the new version. I hope that leap-
frogging in this way will save me money.
9.4
As a general rule, it would seem that you do not mind paying for
upgrades which add functionality, particularly if you can use those new
features. What you object to is paying for an Éupgradeæ which is nothing
more than a bug fix intended to bring a package up to the specification
which you were led to believe youæd bought. I am sure that, in future,
paying for upgrades will become the rule rather than the exception.
9.4
FireworkzáPro
9.4
There is a new version of FireworkzáPro, Version 1.23. If you already
have FireworkzáPro, the upgrade is free and I recommend it to you. It
does fix a lot of the problems you have reported.
9.4
Some of you will have Fireworkz (nonáPro) Version 1.07 and be wondering
what to do. I have been told that all registered users of Wordz,
Resultz, Recordz and Fireworkz will soon receive a mail shot ù but what
it will contain is not yet finalised, so Iæll make a guess.
9.4
I guess that youæll be able to upgrade to Version 1.23 of all the
subsidiary packages of FireworkzáPro ù but at a price. For example, if
you have Fireworkz (nonáPro) Version 1.07, youæll be able to upgrade it
to Fireworkz (nonáPro) Version 1.23 by paying for the upgrade. The price
of the upgrade is not yet fixed but I expect that Colton Software will
bear in mind that Computer Concepts are charging ú15 for their upgrade
to Publisher. I expect that youæll be offered an upgrade from what you
have (e.g. Wordz) to FireworkzáPro but not the possibility of upgrading
from, say, Wordz to Fireworkz (nonáPro).
9.4
I have no doubt that it would be to Colton Softwareæs benefit if most of
the people with subsidiary packages of FireworkzáPro (e.g. Wordz)
upgraded to Pro so that they could concentrate their development effort
on Pro rather than on the subsidiary packages. Iáwould hope that the
prices offered for an upgrade to Pro would reflect some of that saving.
From your letters to me, it seems that if the upgrade price were
reasonable, many of you would upgrade to Pro even if you donæt expect to
use all the features of Pro.
9.4
There is another aspect to consider. It seems to me that if Colton
Software are to continue to offer good value to FireworkzáPro users, it
will be difficult for them to continue to support the subsidiary
packages with the same vigour as FireworkzáPro. The first sign of this
difficulty is that the upgrade to version 1.23 is available for Pro
right now but, as I write, it is not yet available for the subsidiary
packages!
9.4
What you might find is that you are faced with a four-pronged strategy
designed to persuade you to upgrade to Pro now, namely: (a) an upgrade
from the subsidiary packages to Pro roughly at the discount prices
offered at the recent Wembley Show (b) that this offer will be for a
well-defined initial period (say six months) after which the cost of
upgrading to Pro will be substantially increased (c) that after the same
initial period there would be no further upgrades to those subsidiary
packages and (d) in the meantime upgrades to the subsidiary packages
would be charged at a rates which are a substantial proportion of the
cost of upgrading to FireworkzáPro!
9.4
I may be wrong but thatæs the way I see things going. Perhaps by writing
to Colton Software, you may be able to help them decide how to market
this product! If you donæt get your mail shot soon, then write to them
anyway.
9.4
I remember the slide rule
9.4
Slide rules in one form or another have been around for over 300 years.
I once had a beautifully crafted wooden slide rule; when it broke I
replaced it with a cheap plastic clone.
9.4
When I was at school, slide rules were banned ù we had to use four
figure log tables as an aid to multiplication, division and for taking
roots and powers! The alternative to using log tables for the School
Certificate Exam (the forerunner of ÉOæ Levels) was the tedious and
error-prone method of long multiplication and long division.
9.4
After gaining a degree in Applied Mathematics at Imperial College, my
first job was to help design fighter airplanes for Vickers. Although
they were much less accurate than log tables, my colleagues and I all
bought and used a slide rule. When greater accuracy was required, we
used a mechanical calculator. To multiply, you turn the handle clockwise
ù to divide, turn anticlockwise.
9.4
The first Archimedes?
9.4
This photo was sent to Archive some years ago by a subscriber. Itáshows
the kind of mechanical calculator that Gerald mentions. Itæsáan
ÉArchimedes Muldivoæ made in Brussels in the 1930æs.
9.4
I remember the electronic calculator
9.4
After the introduction of the electronic calculator, the 300 year life
of the slide rule came to an end within two to three years. I believe
that, over the next two or three years, we shall see a similar decline
in the use of the calculator. So you donæt believe me! Read on!
9.4
In the mid 1970s, I bought one of the first electronic calculators for
around ú200. The display was not the more modern liquid crystal but red
LEDs. It was faster and more accurate than my trusty slide rule. Indeed,
it was more accurate than four figure log tables and it had the
advantage that I could use it for addition and subtraction (not possible
with a slide rule).
9.4
The price of calculators fell, the LED display was replaced by the less
power-hungry liquid crystal display, the Éreverse polish logicæ was
discarded in favour of the more conventional brackets. Today every child
at school is taught to use a calculator and (I speak from bitter
experience as a lecturer) as a result, many pupils never learn
multiplication tables, many never learn long division or multiplication,
many never learn to convert fractions to decimals and far too many
cannot divide by 100 without their trusty calculator!
9.4
My old friends, log tables and slide rules, are obsolete. Only my mature
(older) students have heard of them. My 16 year old students know of no
other way of doing sums except with a calculator ù and when I first see
them, only a few have heard of spreadsheets.
9.4
I remember the spreadsheet
9.4
Something called a spreadsheet existed centuries before computers. They
were constructed on paper in rows and columns just like their electronic
counterpart; formulae were usually written in shorthand at the top of
each column. Paper spreadsheets of this type have been used by
scientists, engineers and accountants for centuries. As an aeronautical
engineer, I remember using them at Vickers (in the late 1950s) in
conjunction with a slide rule, log tables and a mechanical calculator!
Along came computers; the software engineers who created the early
spreadsheet packages (in the 1970s), to their everlasting credit, took
into account the centuries of expertise hard won by their predecessors.
The reason it is so difficult to find improvements to the basic concept
of an electronic spreadsheet is precisely because it was built on the
foundation of centuries of experience.
9.4
I know, I still own an electronic calculator. Itæs somewhere in my
Écomputer roomæ ù but I donæt seem to use it anymore! Nowadays, when I
need to do some sums, I find it much easier to use a spreadsheet. I use
PipeDream, I use Fireworkz or, if I have my IBM clone running (and when
Iæm at college), I use Excel, Lotus or even AsEasyAs (a Lotus clone).
9.4
The big single disadvantage of the calculator is that it is a one-line
display. Before you write to me in protest, I do know that you can get
calculators which display more than one line, but the display is still
limited to just a few lines ù and theyære not interdependent like a
spreadsheet but more like a printed record.
9.4
Whilst calculators display only one line, spreadsheets, even the paper
ones, display the whole of a calculation or a set of similar
calculations on the page. The electronic spreadsheet has a further
advantage and that is the speed with which a öWhat if?ò calculation can
be executed. Simply change one pivotal value in a spreadsheet, and all
the dependent formulae are recalculated and the results ripple through
the clearly visible slots of the spreadsheet. öWhat if?ò has many uses;
accountants use the öWhat if?ò feature of spreadsheets for fine tuning
their budgets; scientists and engineers use it for solving intractable
equations with a Étry it and seeæ method of iteration. Iteration as a
general method of solving equations is included in GNVQ Application of
Number Levelá5.
9.4
What will replace the calculator?
9.4
The biggest single disadvantage of most current spreadsheets is that
they run on personal computers. Personal computers are boxes with hard
discs, printers, VDU screens, plug-in keyboards and GUI interfaces which
need a mouse or tracker ball. Most personal computers need to be plugged
into the mains and theyære not very portable.
9.4
I suppose that the lap top computer is a step in the direction of
portability but you usually have to pay a high price both in money and
missing features. Acornæs A4 is similar to an A5000 but the screen is
monochrome and itæs more expensive. Acorn are on record as saying that
they have no plans for marketing a successor to the A4 at present; their
rationale is that the market wants a lap top with a colour screen and a
long battery life at a much lower price than that at which they can
build such a machine!
9.4
No product lasts for ever. The five classic stages in the life cycle of
a product are Introduction, Development, Maturity, Saturation and
Decline. The Introduction of the calculator in the 1970s caused the
Decline of the slide rule. I believe that the calculator has now passed
the Maturity and Saturation stages of its life cycle and that, within a
year, it will be in Decline! So what will replace it? What do I think
will push it into Decline? Certainly not the lap top which, even on
Acornæs reckoning, is too expensive.
9.4
When Acorn launched its version of the Psion Pocket book, some of the
Psion standard software was removed to make space for, guess what, a
spreadsheet called Abacus! There has been much criticism of Acornæs
ability to market their products but, in my view, this was an idea which
reflects their brilliance. Yes! I believe that the palm top computer
with spreadsheet will replace the calculator during the next two or
three years.
9.4
Oh! I have just found my calculator. I see that itæs a scientific
calculator with hyperbolic functions and built in conversion of polar to
rectangular coordinates, both of which I use in many of my college
spreadsheets for engineers ù but I donæt take a calculator to work now!
What I and many others want is a portable spreadsheet instead of a
calculator. If they could afford it, many people would throw away their
calculator and buy a lap top (some of my more wealthy mature students
bring their lap tops into class ù and I encourage it) but what they
would prefer is a palm top with a good (better than Abacus) spreadsheet.
9.4
I am sure that, once equipped with a spreadsheet package with the
features of, say, PipeDreamá4, the palm top will replace its cheaper
rival (the calculator) because of its greater functionality. There will
be a steep Development phase in its life cycle because people know how
to use spreadsheets ù they will have learned how to use them at work or
at school or at college on a bulky and non-portable personal computer.
9.4
I wonder if Acorn are considering putting their RISC chips into a new
palm top rather than further developing the A4? Even if it only had a
monochrome screen, with only a system font and no printer, I would want
one. Many engineers and scientists would buy one and, if the price were
right, many students would buy one. Schools would teach their use as, at
the moment, they teach the use of calculators. Perhaps some of you know
of a school where palm tops are handed out to pupils at the beginning of
lessons as once we handed out calculators.
9.4
(We already have some very strong rumours that the next Psion computer
will be using an ARM processor Ö the plot thickens! Ed.)
9.4
Iteration ù Root 2
9.4
Those of you teaching Levelá5 Application of Number will know of the
Performance Criterion which (in abbreviated form) reads öFind the
solution to equations using iterative methodsò. Spreadsheets (and not
calculators) are ideal for this.
9.4
After giving my students some general chat about the intractability of
the more interesting mathematical problems to analytical methods, I
usually start by getting my students to find the square root of 2 by a
Étry it and seeæ method. Rather than get into any fancy linear or non-
linear interpolation (which would converge more rapidly), I get my
students to choose, for their next guess, a value half way between two
previous guesses. In PipeDream format, the spreadsheet looks like this:
9.4
This file, [Root2], is on the Archive monthly disc in PipeDream format.
If you have Fireworkz, you can drag the PipeDream file directly into
Fireworkz, and the PipeDream loader will automatically convert the
PipeDream file into a Fireworkz file.
9.4
The slots B7 and D7 contain 1 and 2 respectively; these are two initial
guesses at root 2, one too high and one too low. The formula in C7 is
(B7á+áD7)/2 and the formula in E7 is C7á^á2; the result, 1.5á^á2á=á2.25,
is larger than the 2 stored in D2, so we know that our guess of 1.5, in
C7, is too large.
9.4
The key to automating the iterative process is the formulae in B8 and
D8. The formula in B8 is if(E7>D$2,B7,C7) and the formula in D8 is
if(E7>D$2,C7,D7). The first of these two formulae selects either the
previous Low or Guess values as the new Low, and the second formula
selects either the previous Guess or High as the new High value. Note
the use of the $ character which fixes the D2 so that the 2 does not
change as the formula is replicated down the spreadsheet. Row 8 can be
copied down as far as necessary to find root 2 to as many decimal places
as required.
9.4
Yes! I know that in PipeDream and Fireworkz, Iácould use a custom
function with the necessary iterative loop built into it. I know that
would be more elegant, but I donæt want to be elegant Ö I want to be
understood! And, as a by-the-way (and to avoid you writing to me), when
I was at school, I was taught how to öextract rootsò using a method not
unlike long division based on the formula
9.4
  (xá+áy)á^á2á=áx^2á+á2xyá+áy^2.
9.4
Maybe some of you remember it too.
9.4
Iteration ù Optimisation
9.4
As a second exercise, I get the students to design an open-topped box of
a given volume and a square base. The objective is to design the box so
that it uses the minimum amount of material, i.e. the minimum surface
area. Those of you who are familiar with differential calculus will have
no difficulty setting up the equations, differentiating and finding the
shape of the box having the minimum surface area. The students to whom I
set this task as a problem to be solved by iteration, donæt know
differential calculus ù and I donæt tell them that secret method! Itæs
not in Level 5.
9.4
I give each student a separate individual volume between ╝ cubic metre
and 8 cubic metres and get them to set up a spreadsheet which, given the
side of the base, will calculate the surface area using one row of the
spreadsheet.
9.4
This simple spreadsheet, on the Archive monthly disc, uses row 7 as the
row for the first calculation. The base area in B7 is A7^2. The Height,
in C7, is Volume/Base area for which the formula is C$2/B7. Once again,
the $ character in C$2 ensures that the volume from C2 is fixed and
hence copied correctly as the formula is replicated down the
spreadsheet. The four sides are identical so that the area of the four
sides, in D7, is 4*A7*C7. The total area, in E7, is B7+D7.
9.4
Slot A8 contains A7+C$3 so that row 8 performs the same calculations
with a small increase in the base length. The formula from B7E7 are
replicated into B8E8. By copying Row 8 down the spreadsheet, the Total
area of material used for the box can be found easily as a function of
the Base length. For a Volume of 7 cubic metres, the minimum Total area
of about 17.42 square metres of material occurs at about 2.4 metres Base
length.
9.4
I get the students to change the Increment and First Guess (in C3 and C4
respectively) until they home in on the base length, which gives the
minimum Total area for their (unique to them) Volume to about four
significant figures.
9.4
The students to whom I teach iteration in this way, are not in the top
20% (if they were, theyæd know about differential calculus), many are
not in the top 30% but (nearly) all of them see this as a practical
example of the power of the iterative method. Of course, I have a secret
which I donæt tell them which allows me to check very easily whether
they have the right answer. When the Total area is minimised, the Height
is half the Base length. I persuade the faster students to repeat the
exercise with what I call the öHeinz Beans Can Problemò, an open-topped
and then a closed-top circular cylinder. You might like to see what
ratio of height to diameter gives the minimum amount of metal in a Heinz
Beans Can. Finally, I emphasise that Étry and seeæ is a very powerful
method of finding the numerical solution to many mathematical problems,
particularly when there is no analytical solution.
9.4
Back to the portable spreadsheet
9.4
Whilst it is unlikely that you will need to optimise the shape of a can
of beans for Heinz, I would like you to give some thought to the above
and agree with me that spreadsheets represent a much more powerful
mathematical tool than the calculator. I remember receiving, from one of
my correspondents, a currency exchange spreadsheet and, from another, a
spreadsheet listing their purchases from the local supermarket. Both of
these applications would have much more utility if they were on a palm
top rather than on a large bulky machine. What would you use a palm top
spreadsheet for?
9.4
I look forward to the day when all my students will carry with them a
palm top spreadsheet, instead of a calculator, so that weæll be able to
do these sums in an ordinary classroom instead of in one fitted out with
our expensive (networked) computers.
9.4
I see that Dixons offer two, a Sharp and the Psion (with 2Mb of RAM)
both at ú399.99. In Paulæs latest price list, youæll find the 1Mb Pocket
BookáII at ú335. Is there a 2Mb Acorn version yet? I still havenæt been
able to afford a RiscáPC, but Iæll see if I can persuade Father
Christmas (or Jill, my wife) to afford me a palm top!
9.4
I shall remember the personal computer
9.4
Recently, I read an article which, tongue only lightly in cheek,
suggested that the days of the personal computer may be numbered! If so,
what was to be the replacement? The suggestion was that it would be
simple terminals used to access data such as that contained in an
encyclopaedia or a Mills and Boon novel or for email communication. If
this happens, I foresee palm top machines not only for personal instant
use but, perhaps, as the terminal connected, via a portable digital
phone, to a worldwide network!
9.4
Finally
9.4
Please write to me at the Abacus Training address which youæll find at
the back of Archive. I shall be most grateful for return postage and a
self addressed label. If you have a problem or anything other than the
simplest comment, it would be most helpful if you would send it to me on
a disc. I canæt read HD format, so please format your disc to 800Kb.áuá
9.4
Life with the Ants
9.4
John Temple
9.4
I was delighted to learn, in the September edition of Archive, that the
Life program is still alive and thriving and even making money for
charity. A few weeks ago, my son-in-law showed me an article which had
appeared last year in Computer Shopper, entitled ÉAnty Mattersæ (Mike
James, Computer Shopper, October 1994, ppá575-578). If you liked the
Life program, you will certainly enjoy Ants. Mike Jamesæ program was in
QBasic and I have rewritten and extended it in BBC Basic. There are two
versions. The shorter one is for people who like to play around with a
program to explore different aspects. The longer one is for those who
prefer to explore, without programming.
9.4
A listing for the shorter one appears at the end of this article, but
both versions are on the monthly disc.
9.4
Just as in ÉLifeæ, the action takes place on a grid of squares or cells,
but instead of cells surviving, dying or being born, an ant (or more
than one ant) moves about its universe in accordance with certain rules
which are simpler than the ÉLifeæ rules.
9.4
1)  The ant moves one cell each Égenerationæ and cannot move diagonally.
9.4
2)  If the ant lands on a white cell it turns left; if it lands on a
black cell it turns right.
9.4
3)  When the ant lands on a cell, it flips its colour from black to
white or vice versa.
9.4
The resulting behaviour will either mesmerise you or turn you cold. I am
in the former category and I just had to write the program for myself so
that I could play around with it.
9.4
The diagram below shows the appearance of the screen after an ant has
taken the indicated number of steps. It is fairly easy to work out how
the patterns are formed for 2, 3, 6 and even 10 steps but after that it
becomes increasingly more difficult. These static pictures are a little
misleading because they do not show the feverish, scurrying appearance
of the antæs behaviour. Youæve really got to run the program to see
that.
9.4
After a little more than 10,000 steps the seemingly random behaviour
suddenly becomes orderly and the ant busily starts to create a track,
diagonally across the screen.
9.4
When it gets to the edge of its universe (a line on the screen), the
track wraps round and continues on its way on the opposite side.
(Reflection would change the regularity of the track; it could disappear
off the edge of the screen but that would be a pity.) Random behaviour
resumes when, after several wraps, the track reaches the random pattern
created in its first 10,200 steps.
9.4
There can be more than one ant in the universe. In my version of the
program, each one has a different colour. Four starting on the same cell
but pointing in different directions (the four points of the compass),
generate an ever-expanding diamond shape.
9.4
The four colours chase each other round and round the diamond which gets
bigger and bigger until one corner wraps to the opposite side and meets
the approaching opposite corner. The ensuing pattern is not what one
might have expected but it is not chaotic.
9.4
Eight ants starting on the same spot produce a surprise not mentioned by
Mike James. Two behave either in the same way as four or in the same way
as eight, depending upon which way they are facing when they begin.
9.4
With certain ant numbers, the change from chaos to track building
happens quite quickly. With other numbers it takes ages. More than one
ant may start track building at any time. If the tracks cross, chaotic
behaviour returns.
9.4
Sometimes, one ant will eat up the track laid by another ant. Or one
will race up a track faster than the one laying it, and when it reaches
the top it will send the other ant back down, repairing the track as it
goes; then it might itself retrace the repaired track, consuming it on
the way.
9.4
There are several different ways in which an ant can use a track put
down by another. And there are other fascinating things that can occur,
but I will leave them for you to discover yourself.
9.4
How the programs work should be clear from the REM statements in them. I
chose MODEá22 (in RISC OS 3) because it has sixteen colours and the
resolution is about right on a standard monitor. But having done all the
work, I found out that in earlier versions of the operating system, MODE
22 is different! Sorry about that. Youæll just have to upgrade. (I did
and itæs been well worthwhile.)
9.4
The speed at which things happen is amazing, especially considering the
programs run in Basic. The properties of the ants are stored in arrays
and the program has only to look at each ant, rather than each cell and
all its neighbours as in the Life program. Of course, the more ants
there are, the longer it takes to process all of them and the steps
begin to take longer.
9.4
Originally, I meant to use all sixteen colours but I abandoned the
flashing ones as I found them an irritation. So I ended up with seven
(colour number eight is black). That seems all right.
9.4
The universe size is variable. Smaller universes have their limitations
but events occurring after wrap around happen sooner. Well, thatæs it
folks. Have fun. But take care not to become addicted.
9.4
REM Ants
9.4
REM John Temple; September 1995
9.4
ON ERROR PROCerror:END
9.4
REM Define values and screen size and number of ants
9.4
gen%=0:black%=0
9.4
xsize%=600:ysize%=440:  REM  Or try
9.4
 smaller size screen
9.4
num% = 1:  REM  Try other numbers;
9.4
  e.g. 2, 4 or 8
9.4
REM Define arrays. xdir%() and ydir%() are x,y vectors for directions
N,E,S,W (0,1,2,3)
9.4
DIM xdir%(3),ydir%(3),xpos%(num%),
9.4
ypos%(num%),antdir%(num%)
9.4
FOR count=0 TO 3:   REM   N,E,S,W
9.4
  READ xdir%(count),ydir%(count)
9.4
NEXT count
9.4
REM The data gives the values of x
9.4
 and y for the vectors  (N,E,S,W)
9.4
DATA 0,2,2,0,0,Ö2,Ö2,0:   REM You have
9.4
 to use even numbers only
9.4
REM Set up position and direction of
9.4
 ants
9.4
FOR ant%=1 TO num%
9.4
  xpos%(ant%) = (xsize% DIV 4)*2
9.4
    REM  Or try: xpos%(ant%) =
9.4
 (ant%+xsize% DIV 4)*2
9.4
  ypos%(ant%) = (ysize% DIV 4)*2
9.4
    REM  You could vary ypos%()
9.4
 instead of or as well as xpos%()
9.4
  antdir%(ant%) = (ant%Ö1)MOD4
9.4
    REM  antdir%() can only be  0, 1,
9.4
 2 or 3  (ie N,E,S or W)
9.4
    REM  Try: antdir%(ant%) = 0; or 1; or ant%Ö1; or 1+2*(ant% MOD 2)
9.4
    REM  or: IF ant%<1+num%DIV2 THEN
9.4
 antdir%(ant%)=1 ELSE
9.4
antdir%(ant%)=3
9.4
NEXT ant%
9.4
MODE 22: REM works in RISC OS 3:
9.4
 Earlier OS may need a different MODE
9.4
ORIGIN 48,48:REM   Defines new
9.4
 graphics origin
9.4
REM   Print headings
9.4
PRINT TAB(36,3)öColony ofö;num%;ò Antö;
9.4
IF num%>1 THEN PRINTösò
9.4
PRINT TAB(80,3);öGenerationò
9.4
REM   Draw box around screen area
9.4
GCOL3
9.4
LINE Ö2,Ö2,Ö2,ysize%
9.4
DRAW xsize%,ysize%
9.4
DRAW xsize%,Ö2
9.4
DRAW Ö2,Ö2
9.4
REM   This is the main program loop
9.4
REPEAT
9.4
 REPEAT
9.4
  FOR ant%=1 TO num%
9.4
    xpos%(ant%) = (xpos%(ant%) +
9.4
 xdir%(antdir%(ant%))
9.4
+xsize%)MODxsize%
9.4
    ypos%(ant%) = (ypos%(ant%) +
9.4
 ydir%(antdir%(ant%))
9.4
+ysize%)MODysize%
9.4
    IF POINT(xpos%(ant%),ypos%(ant%))
9.4
 = black% THEN
9.4
      antdir%(ant%) = (antdir%(ant%)
9.4
+1) MOD 4:REM Turn right
9.4
      GCOL (ant%Ö1)MOD7+1: REM The
9.4
 antæs own colour
9.4
    ELSE
9.4
      antdir%(ant%) = (antdir%(ant%)
9.4
Ö1+4) MOD 4: REM Turn left
9.4
      GCOL black%
9.4
    ENDIF
9.4
    REM   Flip the colour to black or the antæs own colour
9.4
    POINT xpos%(ant%),ypos%(ant%)
9.4
  NEXT ant%
9.4
  gen% += 1
9.4
  PRINT TAB(84,5+(gen%DIV1000000)
9.4
MOD25);gen%MOD1000000
9.4
 UNTIL INKEY(0)=115:  REM Touch <s> to
9.4
 stop the program
9.4
UNTIL GET <> 114:   REM Touch <r> to
9.4
 resume
9.4
END
9.4
DEF PROCerror
9.4
:::  REMOVE ÉREMæ from next line to save screen on pressing <Escape>
:::
9.4
REM IF ERR=17 THEN *screensave öAntieò
9.4
REPORT:PRINT ö at ò;ERL
9.4
ENDPROCáuá
9.4
I thought John was joking about not being addicted Ö but heæs not. While
trying to edit this article, I was tempted to have a play with the
program and have sat here for the last fifteen minutes chortling over
the antics of these little fellows. I MUST get back to work! Ed.
9.4
Creating a Genesis CD-ROM
9.4
Christopher Jarman
9.4
Iæd like to share with you my first time experience of creating a
Genesis application for distribution on CD-ROM.
9.4
This is one of those activities which, had I known what it entailed, I
certainly would never have dreamed of starting it! The project began in
early 1994 when I became interested in the possibilities of making small
multimedia applications using Optima and then Genesis Project. I sent
one or two to Paul Hooper for his Swap Shop and got back some very
different and quite stimulating programs in return.
9.4
I have been using HCCSæs 24 Vision Digitiser for a while and found it
quite satisfactory for making sprites of paintings and drawings. I have
also found that if you video a 7╫5 inch colour print and digitise it, it
gives better definition than if you work from a direct video still. This
may have more to do with using a tripod and working in close-up than any
technical reason. I played about with digitising 35mm slides too. By
putting Blu-tak on the outer ring of the video camera lens hood, and
using the macro facility, I was able to stick cardboard-mounted slides
on the end of the lens, point at the light from the window, and capture
some quite passable pictures.
9.4
First, Genesis Project
9.4
Genesis Project is very good value for money because it is possible to
do most of the things you might wish to do in school, with no need to
learn a script language. You just drag and drop and click on menus for
everything. I do wish Oak Solutions would provide an exciting manual for
it though. Something like The Complete Animator manual from Iota would
be fine!
9.4
Using my newly-bought A4000, experimentation meant that I now had the
facilities to create sprites from photos and drawings and slides to drop
into Genesis Project pages. I have, like many people, a lifetimeæs
collection of colour slides, many of which Iáused as helps for my
primary classes and for in¡service art courses. I put together a small
application for my own amusement, based on using these photographs to
teach art and craft skills. The trouble was that almost all the colour
sprites were too big in memory terms and, when dropped into a Genesis
frame, would freeze up the program. Paul Hooper came to my rescue again
and reminded me of that invaluable utility !ChangeFSI. He also told me,
which I have never read anywhere, that the maximum amount of memory
suitable for a Genesis page is 210Kb. I would now recommend reducing any
major illustrative sprites for a Genesis page to less than 150Kb if
possible.
9.4
By much experimenting, it is easy to reduce sprites a lot in memory
size. In fact I have found it quite possible to fill up to six frames of
colour sprites on one page in this way. (The trick then is to take a
screen shot of the page, turn it back into a single sprite, and then
reduce it again using !ChangeFSI, but I am getting ahead of myself here
and not recounting my discoveries in order!)
9.4
A publisher friend happened to drop by to have a chat and, on seeing the
small ten-page art lesson with its one or two ideas, asked if it could
be expanded into something bigger. I said that it ought to be on a CD-
ROM although, at that stage, I had never even seen one.
9.4
We left it at that, as I had no notion nor intention of putting together
a project which seemed altogether too ambitious.
9.4
When my Risc PC arrived in late 1994, complete with Cumana CD-ROM drive,
I paid all the extra money to everyone to upgrade everything,
Turbodriver, digitiser, GameOn, etc Ö you know the sinking feeling. I
then could not afford to buy any CD-ROMs to try out. However, I was lent
Anglia TVæs ÉCastlesæ by a friend, and was very impressed with it. It is
authoritative and aimed directly at the top primary age and contains
video clips, animations and lots of lovely buttons to press. I found it
quite inspiring and was determined to have a go at something similar but
on a much more modest scale, using Genesis.
9.4
I took 100 or so of my precious colour slides to Boots and asked them to
put them onto a CD-ROM. Some of the slides, although of good quality,
had become very dirty. I asked a professional photographer how much it
would cost to have them professionally cleaned first. He told me that
all they did was to put them under the cold water tap and rub gently
with a finger! This I did myself, and it was very successful. It all
turned out to be just as easy as taking ordinary films to be developed
and, within ten days, I had a PhotoCD which worked first go. The cost
was some ú65, and I was prepared to pay this as an investment in the
possibility of writing my own CD-ROM.
9.4
The pictures were visible in the sort of detail I had never experienced
when projecting them, and could now be saved out as sprites. The quality
was superb and much better than the video and Blu-tak method!
Incidentally, any that still looked dirty or had spots on were easily
retouched in !Paint using a zoom of 5:1 and the Select Colour facility
under the Paint menu.
9.4
I phoned my publisher and said that I was willing to have a go at
writing an ÉArtLessonæ for Primary age children if he was interested. He
said fine, he was interested, and to send him an outline on paper with
some costs! I phoned Paul Middleton at Uniqueway in Cardiff, as he had
kindly put some of my artwork on his Risc Disc CD. I knew that he must
have some of the answers to costs and techniques. He answered all my
questions straightaway in that generous manner of all professionals in
the Acorn world. I sent off my outline and got a contract by return.
9.4
I immediately upgraded to Genesis Professional!
9.4
Genesis Professional
9.4
With Genesis Professional, you get a lot more resources and a more
comprehensive manual than with Project, but it is still pretty hard to
follow. Iástarted phoning Tony Holdstock at Oak Solutions for
translations of some of the instructions. He not only dealt with me with
as much patience as Uniqueway but sent me various applications that he
had written, as examples for me to take to pieces and see how they
worked. I am also most indebted to a very experienced infants teacher
from Hampshire, Maureen Goodring, who showed me some of the tricks of
the trade using Genesis.
9.4
In this manner, bit by bit, I managed to find out how to make it
possible to drag an object around a page and leave it in another
position. I learned how to make films work when a page opened and, most
important of all, how to conserve memory. When Iábegan designing the CD,
I thought that having up to 500Mb to play with meant that I could use
huge sprites and enormous sound samples on every page! Later, when
trying out samples of my efforts on my old A4000 with less than 4Mb of
RAM, I found that such large pages would not work at all. If people,
especially in Primary Schools, with older, smaller computers than the
one I was working on, wanted to play the CD, it would have to use up as
little RAM as possible per page.
9.4
There is a space inside every Genesis application which is accessed by
clicking <menu> on the iconbar icon. It is called Resources. If you put
sprites or sound samples etc in here, they can be used by any page in
the application as many times as required; for example the Épreviousæ
and Énextæ button sprites which are needed on almost every page. With
283 pages, this saves an incredible amount of memory. Also, if you can
make a frame into a Éwordæ frame instead of a Étextæ frame, it uses much
less memory onáa page. You can do this if your text will all go on one
line.
9.4
The rest of what I have to offer is probably best put in the form of
question and answer.
9.4
These are the answers I found as the project developed. Unfortunately,
at the time, I had no idea what questions needed asking! Thanks to Tony
Holdstock of Oak Solutions for checking this list. Iáhope it will be
included in future packs of the Software Developeræs Kit.
9.4
Q. What legal requirements are necessary for me to make and sell a CD-
ROM application made in Genesis Professional?
9.4
A. You need to purchase the Genesis SDK (Software Developeræs Kit) from
Oak Solutions, which includes Genesis Professional, Genesis for Windows
and a licence to sell your applications commercially. This costs ú680
plus VAT if you are upgrading from Professional.
9.4
Alternatively, you may opt for a licence to sell, but you then have to
pay a 10% royalty on all sales to Oak Solutions. These entitle you to
author and sell Genesis applications yourself, or through any publisher
in the UK and worldwide.
9.4
Q. Should I worry about the copyright of material that I use?
9.4
A. Yes, very much so, but it is not a big problem. Try to design
everything that appears on the CD-ROM yourself, including the buttons,
backdrops and all illustrations. You are allowed to use the sprites that
come with Genesis, but it is surely better to design your own. Of
course, every written word will be written by you. If you quote from
other sources, you are allowed to quote a sentence or two, providing
that you acknowledge the source. Check that any digitised or scanned
illustration is free of copyright (very few are) or write to its source
and ask for permission to use it. This is seldom refused, providing you
give an acknowledgement somewhere. Boots or most local photographers
will put your own colour slides onto PhotoCD and then you have top
quality copyright-free images to use directly or to manipulate.
9.4
As regard music samples, it is difficult avoid infringing copyright, so
it is always best to use an Oak Recorder, or similar equipment, and make
your own music and voice samples. Armadeus samples are fine in Genesis,
but they take up a lot of memory. It is best to keep them below 6-8
seconds in length. If you place them in the central resources, you may
use the same one as many times as you wish without increasing the memory
load.
9.4
Q. Is Genesis powerful enough to put together a modern multimedia CD
with branching pages, high quality sprites, sound and animations etc?
9.4
A. Yes, but you need to be as economic on using memory as you would
working from a floppy disc application, as people using computers with 4
Mb of RAM or less may want to run your CD. This means there are limits
on the size of sound samples, movies and graphics that you can use. You
should always make it clear on the packaging, and/or the manual, what
the minimum RAM requirement is for the machine on which it is to be
used.
9.4
Also, if you want to include Replay movies with sound made using Iotaæs
Complete Animator, you will have to obtain the ARM Movie upgrade module,
Decomp 500, from Iota Software and distribute it with your application
for the movies to play.
9.4
Ace movies, Tween or Rephorm, which are all silent, are fine.
9.4
Animations are most easily done using Iotaæs Complete Animator and
saving them out as Ace movies. If you want sound, you can save them out
as Replay movies with the proviso made earlier. But always keep
animations as small as possible to be on the safe side. If you wish to
use Genesis for Windows, remember that it cannot cope with 24 bit
sprites.
9.4
Q. Which applications and files exactly will I need to put on my CD in
order for it to run on as many Acorn computers as possible?
9.4
A. Only RISC OS 3 machines will run CD-ROM drives anyway. You need to
include the Genesis application, !Browser and !GenLib (with the modules
directory full, but not necessarily including the Resources directory).
You will also need to include !System from the Genesis package, and the
ABCLib module.
9.4
Genesis requires three System modules to run. Colours and FPEmulator
(⌐Acorn Computers) are provided in any RISC OS 3 !System. The ABCLib
module, ⌐Oak Solutions, (which comes with Genesis inside the !System
directory) needs to be shipped with the CD. The best way of doing this
is to shift/double click on Browser to open it up. Inside Browser,
create a new directory called RMStore. Copy ABCLib into it. Now shift/
double click on !Run to load it into Edit and find the line :
9.4
IF ABCLib = 0 THEN RMEnsure ABClibrary 4.02 RMLoad System:modules.ABClib
9.4
Change this to read:
9.4
IF ABCLib = 0 THEN RMEnsure ABClibrary 4.02 RMLoad
<Genesis$Dir>.RMStore.ABClib
9.4
(N.B. This is all one line in the file but wonæt fit on one line here.)
9.4
The advantage of doing this is that you will not need to ship !System,
which would require a licence from Acorn.
9.4
You should also write and include a comprehensive Helpfile as a textfile
and, if you can, a Helpline telephone number. My advice is to set this
between certain fixed times when you are prepared to be available.
9.4
Q. Do I need permission from my employer to include work done as a
teacher/lecturer/ salesperson etc in a commercial CD?
9.4
A. This depends on your particular terms of employment. It is always
worth playing safe and asking and obtaining written permission if there
is any doubt. This is especially necessary for using pupilsæ work or
work done as part of your employment or in working hours. For pupils it
would also be wise to ask the parentsæ permission to use their
childrenæs work too. Most authorities, employers and parents are only
too pleased to give permission, provided they are acknowledged
somewhere, just as in a printed book.
9.4
Q. Who owns the copyright to my CD when it is finished? To whom do I
have to apply?
9.4
A. You, the author, automatically possess the full copyright and you do
not have to apply to anyone! Itáis only necessary to claim it by writing
on an early page in the application the standard text: ⌐Authoræs Name
1995.
9.4
You may also like to make a more forceful statement such as:-
9.4
öThe right of Christopher Jarman to be identified as author of this work
has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1989.ò
9.4
You may, of course, sell the copyright to someone else, but I do not
recommend this, as many people live to regret doing so.
9.4
Q. Can I stop other people from changing or interfering with the pages
of my program?
9.4
A. Not entirely. You should lock all frames and pages when you have
finished by selecting Élockæ on the menu and then saving the page.
9.4
A better way might be to put the line
9.4
ON MENU BEGIN END
9.4
in the backdrop definition for each page. This will apply to frames as
well as the background, unless you specify an ON MENU action for a
particular frame.
9.4
N.B. It will also disable the resource saving from !Browser.
9.4
The Browser will allow users to take sprites graphics and text off the
application but not to change anything. Neither can the CD-ROM be
written onto, of course.
9.4
Nevertheless, if the application is copied from the CD onto a disc and
run using Genesis Professional, all your locking can be undone and your
scripts edited. Not many people would want to do this and you can
include a direct warning against it if you wish, threatening legal
action if you feel strongly. There is ultimately no way of protecting
your script from anyone who wants to get into it.
9.4
Q. How do I get an application which is too big even for an HD disc into
the post to send to the CD compiler?
9.4
A. There are several ways to do this.
9.4
1. Make a backup copy of your application Ö You can now Émoveæ the
application, not Écopyæ, onto a series of floppy discs. You should
always have at least two copies of such large and important works
anyway. Shift/select and drag to the empty floppy. When the disc is
full, click Éskipæ until no more transfers. Take out the first disc and
put in the second without touching anything. Select/shift to move the
next part of the application onto disc two and continue until the whole
application has gone onto as many discs as it takes.
9.4
Send the discs, well protected, to your CD compiler, who will be able to
copy them one at a time onto his hard disc, thereby recreating your
masterpiece.
9.4
2. Copy your application onto a removable hard disc and post off.
9.4
3. Borrow a SCSI and an external hard disc from your CD compiler and
copy your completed application onto it, then return. I recommend this
last method as the cheapest and safest!
9.4
Q. Which companies have successful experiences of making CDs from
Genesis?
9.4
A. Uniqueway, 42 Crwys Rd, Cardiff, CF2 4NN (01222-644611) for a start,
but there must be others.
9.4
Q. Do I have to name my resources and files in any particular way in
preparation for making a CD-ROM?
9.4
A. Yes, you do. All filenames must be PC Élegalæ, that is, using only
the capital letters of the alphabet and the numbers, plus the lower bar_
for dashes only.
9.4
i.e. Field-3 must be changed to FIELD_3. DO NOT use the / character in
filenames.
9.4
The ! character from application names should be replaced by the _
character, e.g. !castles becomes _CASTLES.
9.4
Filenames must not be longer than PC limits, i.e. a maximum of 8
characters (or 7 plus the _ for application names).
9.4
Make sure you do not have any text files of length 0 bytes or frame
definitions including the line TEXTáöò. This is allowable on Acorn, but
will crash the PC and therefore might well do so on a CD (Iæm not sure
about that one, but it seems worth avoiding the problem. WORD öò is not
a problem).
9.4
Hints & tips
9.4
Finally, here are some special tips and reminders.
9.4
1. Give every new page created its true number and a name which tells
you what is on the page. When dealing with over 200 pages in an
application, this is invaluable.
9.4
2. At the present time, do not use more than 256 colours.
9.4
3. Try not to use !GenLib for storing resources.
9.4
4. Put your resources into the main Resources window.
9.4
5. Using ÉOptionsæ, turn off both ÉSearch GenLib æ and ÉKeep all
resourcesæ. This will save you memory.
9.4
6. Use ChangeFSI to bring your largest sprites down to less than 150Kb
if you can. If you want graphics above 200Kb, make sure that you turn
off Compress in the Options menu.
9.4
7. Make sure you click on Save Options if you alter any of them which
you wish to be permanent.
9.4
8. Use word frames rather than text frames whenever possible.
9.4
9. Keep sound samples to below six seconds if you can.
9.4
10. The Complete Animator is excellent for making animations. Use it in
mode 28 and 256 colours only. Make your animations as small as you can
to keep the memory down.
9.4
Finally
9.4
Because a CD-ROM cannot be altered once it is made, be absolutely
thorough (if not ruthless!) in checking that everything is as you want
it. Find someone with a real talent for crashing programs and get them
to give it a workout. It is vital to get at least one person who has
never seen the application before to try and drive it without help or
instructions Ö it is very difficult to anticipate all the ways in which
your own work can be misunderstood and misused.
9.4
I know this sounds very draconian and off-putting, so the final word
should be ödo have a goò Ö it does work, it can be done and CD-ROM looks
like being the way of the immediate future.áuá
9.4
Communications Column
9.4
Chris Claydon
9.4
This month the column will begin to cover news, views, current issues
and reviews of BBSæs, web sites and comms software, plus anything else
you would like me to include. Please write or email and let me know if
you want me to cover a particular topic or if you have some feedback on
how the column is going and how you would like it to go.
9.4
What will it cost to go online?
9.4
Edward Naish writes to say that he is interested in getting into comms,
but is worried about the cost, especially the phone bill. I think this
must be a worry for many new users, so as he suggests, I will include an
analysis of the costs involved. He also asks about the policy many
boards have of forcing you to upload in order to download files Ö he
doesnæt write software himself, and is worried that he will run out of
downloads and have nothing to upload. Firstly, the ratio of downloads to
uploads required is around 80:1 on most boards Ö on my board there is no
limit. You donæt have to write the software yourself, you can upload
anything which the BBS doesnæt have already, for example, PD clipart,
programs, text files; anything you want! It will take the average comms
user months to download 80 files, and Iæm sure that, in that time, you
would find a file that the BBS didnæt already have, perhaps on a
different BBS.
9.4
Back to the subject of call costs, most people have an Acorn BBS within
local call distance, (unfortunately, Edward is not one of them Ö the
only Acorn BBS in Wales, Chaos Info BBS, recently closed down). Demon
Internet Services will shortly provide local call access to the Internet
covering the whole country; they already cover most areas. Of course, on
top of this there is the ú12 per month fee. Also, due to the way it
works, it usually takes longer to transfer information via an Internet
provider than a BBS. Local calls at the weekend cost 1p a minute, or
just over 3p for a national call. Typically, there will be around 80Kb
per day of Acorn-related mail in the FidoNet echoes, and around 400Kb a
day in the Acorn newsgroups on the Internet. A basic 14400 bps modem
will transfer this at around 2Kb per second, and a faster 28800 modem at
4Kb per second.
9.4
Of course, very few people will read all this mail; you can pick and
choose the conferences you are interested in, so an average user
probably reads no more than 50Kb of mail a day Ö it takes too long to
read more! On any speed modem, at any call rate, even peak rate, this
would only incur the minimum call charge of 5p. If you were to collect
your mail once a week, at the weekend, it would still cost only 5p for a
local call, or 10p for a national call.
9.4
The only costly exercises are multi-user chats, which depend on how long
you want to spend on them, and transferring files. You can do as much or
as little of this as you want and, to give you a general guide, at
14400, a local weekend call would transfer 1.2 Mb of data for 10p Ö
cheap! On the continent, or by cable phone, it would be much cheaper. If
you intend to do a lot of comms and you have cable TV, it might be worth
getting a cable phone line, as it will save you a lot of money.
9.4
How good is the Web anyway?
9.4
Several people have written to me about my comments on the inadequacy of
the World Wide Web. One even thought all the hype under-did it! Everyone
has their views on this, but I think there are several problems with the
Web. Itæs not a multimedia interface, only hypermedia, which means the
designers of pages have little control over how they get displayed on
the useræs computer, and the things you can do with page design are
quite limited. The Internet was never designed to provide information,
it was designed for people to communicate via messages. The Web is a
crude front end for displaying information, although it is a great
improvement over the old Unix command-based systems which are still used
for most features of the Internet.
9.4
The biggest problem, as I have said before, is finding what you want.
For example, the only way you could find the ARMed Forces Software Web
pages is by being told the address. This is why I list it at the end of
the column Ö there is no way of looking it up. There are ways of finding
information on a particular subject on the Internet but, in my
experience, they donæt generally work Ö you get a list of hundreds or
thousands of sites which might have the information you want, but
probably donæt. Visiting them all would be impossible and many sites
which did have the information you want could be missed from the list.
9.4
BABT approval
9.4
In last monthæs column, I made some comments about modem pricing, and
Paul added his own comment about BABT approval. I would like to clarify
this subject a little. Modems without BABT approval can cost up to ú50
less than approved modems. These modems have usually passed American
standards, and are often better than approved modems! Although
officially it isnæt legal to use them on a BT line, the vast majority of
modems are not approved.
9.4
I believe that only one person has ever been prosecuted for connecting a
non-BABT device to a phone line, and this was a cable with a phone plug
on one end and a power plug on the other, not a modem!!! Aánon-approved
14400 modem can be had for under ú50, plus the cost of a cable. An
approved modem can cost ú80 or more. I freely admit to using a non-
approved American-made SupraFaxModem, and itæs very good Ö I recommend
it. Itæs approved under both the Canadian and American standards, so I
have no qualms about connecting it to my phone line.
9.4
(I would like to remind readers that the views expressed by contributors
are not necessarily those of Norwich Computer Services, of Archive
magazine or of its Editor. It is NOT our recommendation that readers
should use illegal equipment on the BT network. Ed.)
9.4
News
9.4
A new Acorn BBS called ÉRocket Goldæ near Salisbury, in Wiltshire was
launched recently by James Sears. I have taken a look around, and itæs a
very well presented board. The BBS has a character all of its own Ö he
has obviously spent some time designing the menus. He carries a good
range of message areas and, amongst other things, has a large library of
clipart available for download. The BBS runs 24 hours on 01722-712422.
9.4
You can contact me in the following way (please note the change in my
email address):
9.4
Voice phone: [phone]
9.4
ARMed Forces Multimedia BBS: 01962 880003
9.4
Internet Email: [e-mail]
9.4
Web: http://www.icafe.co.za/mirage/ARMedForces/
9.4
FidoNet Netmail: 2:252/501  RiscNet Netmail: 7:44/212.
9.4
Post: Chris Claydon, 38 Main Road, Littleton, Winchester, Hampshire,
SO22 6QQ.áuá
9.4
BBS Name  Location  Phone Number
9.4
Archiboard Central  Norwich  01603 744231
9.4
ArchiNet BBS  Ashford, Kent  01233 665918
9.4
Skyline Online  London  01812 556912
9.4
The Graphics Column
9.4
David Thornton
9.4
This month, I want to look briefly at The Big Picture (TBP) by Longman
Logotron although Malcolm Banthorpe is doing a more in-depth review that
I hope will appear next month.
9.4
This is the replacement for the entire Revelation family of bitmap
graphics software. Prior to the RiscáPC, ImagePro and ProArtisan 2 were
noted as the two premier bitmap applications for RISC OS. The Risc PC
changed all that with the subsequent launch of Photodesk, Studio24 and
ProArt24, while ImagePro was rapidly left behind. To be fair to Longman,
they did release an updated version of ImagePro, but the new features
were not really significant and the program didnæt feel new anymore.
Exactly a year after the last version of ImagePro (4.01), Longman
released TBP, which has been in development for well over a year.
9.4
Installation
9.4
To use TBP you need a computer fitted with RISC OS 3.10 or later and,
preferably, 4Mb RAM. It will function on 1 or 2Mb machines but you will
be very limited in what you can create. You can run the application from
a floppy disc but you will be unable to use virtual memory and some of
the other features that require large, temporary files. It really needs
to be run from hard disc for best effect.
9.4
Once you have installed and loaded TBP, you can choose either to create
a new bitmap or to load an existing one. It can load many different
bitmap formats including sprite, JPEG, PCX, PBMPlus, Sun Raster, Clear,
Targa, TIFF, GIF and PICT2. It can also save pictures in any of these
formats.
9.4
If you choose to create a new bitmap, you then have to select your
preferred page dimensions and choose either Écreate pageæ or Écreate
virtual pageæ, i.e. use virtual memory.
9.4
In use
9.4
When a bitmap is loaded, a toolbar will appear alongside the editing
window. This can be Éswitchedæ to display three variations for the
painting, colour and motif tools.
9.4
The Painting tools are similar to those present in ImagePro. Two new
tools exist, namely the mask and the user-defined tool menu.
9.4
The crayon is used to apply the current paint (aácolour or a motif) as a
continuous line of variable thickness and density. The line thickness
can easily be adjusted using a dialogue box, as can the density.
9.4
The brush tool applies the current paint as a succession of individual
blocks. A brush can be aliased around the edges giving a blur effect or
centred giving an air-brush effect. The softness of both of these
settings can be defined. The mark produced by the brush can also be
orientated according to the initial direction of the movement of the
pointer. This is useful for producing italic effects.
9.4
The tracking option is impressive Ö the brush mark rotates in accordance
with the direction of movement so that painting a curve will rotate the
mark giving a Émore painterly brushstrokeæ according to the manual.
9.4
The spray tool can be configured to act like a can of spray-paint and
allows the current paint or motif to be randomly applied to the canvas.
This tool can also act as an air-brush and repeats some of the features
available from the brush tool. The brush and spray tools could possibly
have been combined under one tool, although the use of two tools makes
selection easier and more logical.
9.4
The crayon, brush and spray tools can be customised to give different
artistic effects. Brush tips can be defined, and the way a tool applies
paint can also be determined. Once you have created a tool definition,
you can save it for later use. TBP comes complete with a generous
selection of pre-defined tool configurations for use with either the
crayon, brush or spray tools. These can easily be selected from the
tools menu, accessed from the toolbar.
9.4
The mask tool allows an area of the bitmap to be protected from any
editing that may occur on the bitmap. The mask can also be set to
ÉAffectæ, so only the selected area can be edited. The mask is only 1-
bit so it can either be on or off. (If the mask were 8-bit, as in
Photodesk, it would be possible to change its opacity allowing some
paint to pass through where opacity was of a low value.)
9.4
One of the most useful features from ImagePro (and not available on many
other applications) is the measurement tool which allows you to measure
accurately distances and angles on a bitmap. This can be useful for
adding dimensions or to draw a line at a specific angle. I am surprised
that no other bitmap application has implemented this feature.
9.4
Colour
9.4
It is possible to choose your preferred colour using either the standard
RISC OS colour picker or by using a smaller colour picker which forms
one of the three main toolbars. The colour toolbar contains the 16-
default colours used by the desktop as well as a colour circle (in 32k
and 16m colour modes only) from where colours can be chosen. The colour
circle is compact but it is difficult to accurately specify a precise
colour with it Ö you need to use the RISC OS colour picker to do this. A
mixing palette can be opened at the bottom of the colour toolbar where
colour swatches (small samples of colour) can be stored. Storing colours
on the mixing palette is vital if you need to select the same colour
again in the future. The mixing palette cannot be saved with the bitmap
and must be saved separately. Transparency can be defined using a dial
at the top of the toolbar, and colour gradients, for the fill tool, can
also be defined between two colours. Colour transparency values range
from 0ù100% and the tool functions in a similar way to the wash tool in
ImagePro.
9.4
Motif
9.4
The motif toolbar allows a motif to be added to the canvas using most of
the tools available. Text is classed as a motif and it can easily be
created using a dialogue box. Unfortunately, text is not anti-aliased,
although this can be added afterwards using the blur tool which gives
acceptable results. Motif patterns can also be generated from this
toolbar and a directory of default motifs can be opened. Any bitmap can
be used as a motif, so dragging a sprite onto the motif panel
automatically converts it to one. A register option exists to define
where you want the motif to begin once you start painting. This is also
used for cloning because no separate cloning tool exists.
9.4
Adjust colour
9.4
Users of ImagePro will be familiar with the colour shift tool Ö about
the best tool available for RISC OS for converting one colour to another
and applying colour related effects such as contrast. The tool can be
set to affect, or protect, all, a range or a set of colours. The colour
shift tool can apply colour tints as well as RGB, CMYK and HSV colour
separation and adjustment in real time. It is possible to select any of
these colour models and to adjust the percentage of each colour on the
canvas. This is previewed on the canvas instantaneously and can be
applied globally or with a tool. The colour shift/adjust tool is a very
powerful feature. Combined with the adjust greys tool, which can convert
a bitmap into 256 shades of grey and can apply limitless grey maps to
the canvas to alter its appearance, some may feel that these two
features alone justify the cost of the application.
9.4
Other features
9.4
TBP can import and export many different bitmaps formats extremely
quickly. It does this using none other than ImageFS2 (a separate product
from Alternative Publishing). TBP has a special version of ImageFS2
(ImageFSLite) built in which allows it to import and export many bitmap
formats. Those of you who read my review of ImageFS2 some issues ago
will know that holding down <Alt> while dragging the sprite icon to a
directory displays a window allowing you to select your preferred
format. The version of ImageFS2 built into TBP will not function on its
own, but you can get a discount on the full version of ImageFS2.
9.4
Conclusion
9.4
Apart from a new user interface, some new tools and more options to
customise the program, TBP is not noticeably different from Revelation
ImagePro although many of the features have been extended.
9.4
The inclusion of ImageFSLite and support for the Eesox PenPad graphics
tablet drivers are important additions. TBP can import ArtWorks files,
but they are not rendered in anti-aliased form which, I feel, defeats
the point of the option. TBP can also import drawfiles and, like
ImagePro, includes special code so that Iotaæs Image Animator can
capture any active page as an animation frame.
9.4
The program should be suited to an educational establishment for the
majority of students, although very advanced students might demand a
more powerful application. For ú69 + VAT (ú77 through Archive) or ú37
+VAT for an upgrade from ImagePro, it is very fairly priced. For users
wanting excellent colour separation in real-time, at ú69, this is an
offer not to be missed.
9.4
The only other bitmap editor in the same price bracket is PhotoTouch,
from Oregan Developments, which I have found it to be a capable product
with some great effects and an excellent user interface which is very
RISC OS-compliant. It lacks virtual memory, but it has a number of
features not included in TBP.
9.4
TBP is an excellent image processing and general purpose bitmap editor.
I had hoped for more in the way of new features but I suggest that
potential customers, including those considering upgrading from
ImagePro, obtain a demonstration copy of the application from Longman.
TBP may be lacking in certain places, but it will be purchased by users
wanting an easy-to-use solution at an affordable price.
9.4
If you have already purchased TBP, I would be very interested to read
your comments about it. What made you choose it? What do you think if
it? Please send any letters to the address below and I will respond
accordingly. Postage for replies would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
9.4
David Thornton, 1 Castle Court, Lower Burraton, Saltash, Cornwall. PL12
4SE. u
9.4
C++ Column
9.4
Tony Houghton
9.4
This monthæs subject is templates. Not to be confused with the files of
window definitions used by the Wimp, templates in C++ are a way of
defining families of classes and functions. All the classes or functions
created from one template have the same functionality, but use different
types.
9.4
Templates are a fairly new addition to C++ and, unfortunately, Acorn C++
in particular has a few difficulties with them. You may experience the
compiler crashing or Éthrowbackingæ strange error messages which do not
match the compileræs textualáoutput (the latter can usually be relied on
in this case).
9.4
Function templates
9.4
At their simplest, function templates can be thought of as macros
(#define) with the advantage of being Éproperæ functions with type
checking. Where in C you might have used:
9.4
#define WORDALIGN(a) \
9.4
  (((a)+3) & ~3)
9.4
in C++ you can use:
9.4
template<class T> T word_align(T &a)
9.4
{& ~3); }
9.4
This is like any ordinary function definition, but preceding it with the
template declarator, template<class T>, indicates that it is a template
taking a single type argument (calling it T is something of a
tradition). As you will see, there can be more than one template
argument, and they need not be types. Using the keyword class does not
necessarily mean that T must be a class Ö it can be any type, such as
int; the keyword is just a signal to the compiler that T is a type.
Immediately following the template declarator, T is a type name that can
be used like any other until the end of the scope of word_align.
9.4
If the function is to be inline, the inline keyword belongs between the
template declarator and the return type, i.e. the above would be:
template<class T> inline T ...
9.4
To declare a function template before defining it, the syntax is the
same as for the definition above, but the body of the function is
replaced by a semi-colon, like any ordinary function.
9.4
To build and call a function generated from a template, you just call it
as for a plain function:
9.4
void f(int a, void *p, struct tm &t)
9.4
// tm from <time.h>
9.4
{a=word_align(a) ;
9.4
  p=word_align(p);
9.4
  p=word_align(a);  // type mismatch
9.4
  t=word_align(t);
9.4
    // error: body of word_align()
9.4
    // canæt convert tm to int
9.4
    // and back
9.4
}
9.4
The compiler will examine the parameter(s) passed to the function and
work out which word_align() to generate/call. This means that all the
template arguments (those in the angle brackets of the template
declarator) must always be present in the traditional function arguments
to be distinguishable; the return type alone is insufficient.
Furthermore, it is impossible to provide default arguments for function
templates. It is possible to overload function templates with the above
restrictions.
9.4
A function generated from a function template is called a template
function. I hope you donæt have too much trouble distinguishing between
the two terms!
9.4
Class templates
9.4
A useful application for templates is to contain objects of any type.
Consider a further development of the Array class from issues 8.12 and
9.2 into a class template to allow it to hold objects of any type:
9.4
template<class T> class Array {size ;
9.4
  T *array;
9.4
public:
9.4
  ~Array();
9.4
  Array(int);
9.4
  Array(Array<T> &);
9.4
  Array &operator=(Array<T> &);
9.4
  T &operator[](int subscript) {array[subscript] ;
9.4
    // Should really include
9.4
    // range check
9.4
  }
9.4
  int get_size() {size ; }
9.4
};
9.4
As for the function template, preceding the definition with
template<class T> indicates that it is a template. From immediately
after the template declarator to the end of the scope of Array, T is a
type name.
9.4
As you can see, there is no problem overloading methods of class
templates.
9.4
To create and use an object from a class template, you must indicate
what type you wish to use it with as an argument to the template:
9.4
void f(Array<int> &array_of_ints)
9.4
{something 9.4
}
9.4
int main()
9.4
{ten_ints(10) ;
9.4
  f(ten_ints);
9.4
}
9.4
Array<int> is now a class (template class) in its own right that can be
used as if the angled brackets were not there, and all occurrences of T
become int. Any type could have been used, even one from a derived class
template, e.g.
9.4
template<class T> class DerivedArray
9.4
: public Array<T> {... };
9.4
Any invocations of the DerivedArray template will cause the necessary
Array classes to be built.
9.4
Defining template methods
9.4
Like ordinary classes, class templates with methods that are not inline
must have these methods defined somewhere. The syntax is (for the
operator= in the example):
9.4
template<class T>
9.4
T &Array<T>::operator=(Array<T> &a)
9.4
{a to this array, deleting
9.4
  // any previous contents
9.4
}
9.4
After the template<class T>, the type name T is in scope until the end
of the function definition. This is simply applying the new syntax for
templates to the familiar syntax for class member function definition.
The <T> between the class name and :: might seem surplus, but it
improves consistency.
9.4
Static members
9.4
Static members will be generated for each class built from a template,
even if the type of the static member does not depend on the template
argument:
9.4
template<class T> class Temp {a ;
9.4
  static int b;
9.4
};
9.4
// Definition syntax for static
9.4
// members is similar to methods
9.4
template<class T> T Temp::a;
9.4
template<class T> int Temp::b;
9.4
Temp<int> temp_int;
9.4
Temp<float> temp_float;
9.4
This will cause generation of the members:
9.4
int Temp<int>::a;
9.4
int Temp<int>::b;
9.4
float Temp<float>::a;
9.4
int Temp<float>::b;
9.4
Implementation: a problem
9.4
It is important to understand that a template is implemented by
generating actual function code or an object for each and every
different template argument. Acornæs compiler and linker are not
equipped to deal with this when the template definitions are in a
different source file from the functions that call them, but it can be
overcome (see below). This problem probably also affects Easy C++ and
the freeware GNU C++ (GCC), because they use linkers compatible with
Acornæs.
9.4
Friends
9.4
A friend of a class template can either be a single class or function,
or a template:
9.4
template<class T> class Array {class Sort;    // OK
9.4
  friend class Sort<T>;
9.4
    // OK if Sort is a class template
9.4
  friend void sort();   // OK
9.4
  friend void sort<T>(Array<T> &);
9.4
    // OK if sort is a function
9.4
    // template
9.4
  friend void sort(Array &);
9.4
    // error: Array is not a type
9.4
  friend void sort(Array<T> &);
9.4
    // error: canæt assume non-
9.4
    // template sort functions will
9.4
    // exist for all T
9.4
};
9.4
Special definitions for specific types
9.4
You can also define methods and functions of a template for specific
types; these versions will then be used in preference to the ones
automatically created by the compiler.
9.4
As an example, you might like to ensure that all pointers to double are
aligned on a 64-bit boundary (although not required by the hardware) by
providing a special word_align() function for double:
9.4
double word_align(double d)
9.4
{d-d%8 ; }
9.4
This is now not a template at all, but will be used in preference to the
template when a call of word_align(double) is needed.
9.4
This should also work for template methods. You could provide a special
version of operator= above for char:
9.4
char &Array<char>::
9.4
  operator=(Array<char> &str)
9.4
{str , making special use of
9.4
  // its string properties
9.4
}
9.4
However, attempting to do this with Acorn C++ gives rise to one of those
errors that it doesnæt throwback properly. The textual output from the
compiler complains that you are attempting two definitions of the
method. It doesnæt give an error with GCC, but I could not test it
really thoroughly because I canæt get GCC to produce an executable file.
9.4
Not only is it possible to predefine single methods this way, but it can
be done with the whole class:
9.4
class Array<char> {... };
9.4
Unfortunately, this also seems to crash Acorn C++, although GCC seems to
be able to cope (albeit still without producing an executable file),
even if the specific class has different methods from those of the
template.
9.4
Other template arguments
9.4
Templates can take more than one argument in the angle brackets,
separated by commas. The arguments do not even have to be type names Ö
they can also be constant expressions, including pointers to permanent
objects and functions.
9.4
An alternative to specifying the size of an Array as an argument to its
constructor would be to include it as a template argument:
9.4
template<class T, int S>
9.4
class Array {v[s] ;
9.4
public:
9.4
  Array();
9.4
  Array(Array<T> &);
9.4
  // etc
9.4
};
9.4
This case would be rather impractical and inefficient, because new code
would be generated for every different size of array.
9.4
You probably wonæt use non-type template arguments often. There are only
two possible uses I can think of for non-type arguments to function
templates which obey the rule that a template function must be
identifiable by its function arguments. One is to use it as a template
argument of a class template which is a function argument of the
function template (youæll have to read that bit slowly!):
9.4
template<class T, int i>
9.4
void sort(Array<T, i> &a);
9.4
The second possibility is as any but the last dimension of an array
argument:
9.4
template<int i>
9.4
void sort_strings(char[i][] &a);
9.4
A practical example
9.4
Practical examples have been all too rare in this series, but I have
been experimenting more than usual this month, and there is a very good
example of sophisticated templates which is useful to Wimp programmers,
particularly using Acornæs latest library, but also adaptable to
DeskLib. I must thank Daniel Ellis for the idea of callbacks, but my
implementation is completely different.
9.4
Many Wimp and Toolbox events are associated with C++ objects, so we
often find ourselves writing event handlers which cast their handle or
reference argument to a pointer to an object and then call a method. We
can use a class template to implement a general purpose callback class
for passing events to specific methods of specific classes. I will use
Toolbox events as an example, because these are where callbacks are most
appreciated due to the need to cast the general struct ToolboxEvent
pointer to something more useful.
9.4
(The example is in the file Écallbackæ on the monthly disc Ö there is
not enough space to print it here.)
9.4
Even if you do not have Acorn C++, you should be able to follow this. As
an exercise, try writing a version for ordinary Wimp events, and perhaps
messages, or do the same for DeskLib. You might like to use inheritance,
because of the commonality of the different callbacks. However, you will
probably find this only serves to complicate the code.
9.4
The bug referred to is that Acorn C++ seems to be incapable of
implementing a pointer to member function if the class the pointer is
bound to is a template argument.
9.4
Solving the linkage problem
9.4
As I mentioned above, if you have your template definitions in one
source file and the code that uses them in one or more others, it is not
possible for Acorn C++ to generate a template function or method for
each type of template argument. This is reported by the linker saying it
canæt find the relevant functions. Fortunately, they are reported as
their fully qualified C++ names, not in the cryptic form they are given
when translated to C.
9.4
The simplest approach is to make all template functions and methods
inline and include them in the headers. If the compiler needs to
generate a real function from an inline (as in the example when its
address is taken) it will do so. The disadvantage is that each
translation unit will have its own unnecessary copies of each template
function. Also, Acorn C++ cannot compile certain inline functions.
9.4
The second approach is to put all the function definitions in their own
c++/c/cc/cpp (depending on which compiler you use) source file as usual.
Then you, the programmer, must work out all the different types of each
template needed throughout other source files of the same program and
signal to the compiler that each type must be generated by referring to
them in the same file as their definitions. So if you defined the
methods for the Array example in their own file, Éarray.c++æ (or
whatever), and wanted to use arrays of int, char and float in various
other source files, following the Array method definitions in
Éarray.c++æ, you could write:
9.4
static inline void generate()
9.4
{a ;
9.4
  Array<char> b;
9.4
  Array<float> c;
9.4
}
9.4
By making the function inline, it should never actually be generated. If
you are not sure of what types you need, you can start off with none and
read which are needed from the linker errors.
9.4
There is a small catch. If you mix the two approaches, and some of the
templateæs inline methods have to be created as proper methods (various
implementation details can cause this to happen for no apparent reason),
you will end up with a few unused static functions. Fortunately, these
will generally be small, and you can always redefine them non-inline. u
9.4
Starting Basic 5 Ö Menu Selection
9.4
Ray Favre
9.4
Many programs need to let the user select items from a list or menu and,
in non-Wimp programs, one of the simplest ways to do this is by using
the following four keywords in combination:
9.4
REPEAT ... UNTIL
9.4
INSTR
9.4
CHR$
9.4
GET (or GET$)
9.4
Keywords REPEAT and UNTIL
9.4
BBC Basic permits different types of Écontrol loopsæ to be constructed,
i.e. the program performs a sequence of instructions repeatedly until
(or unless) some predetermined condition is encountered. The three main
types of control loops are:
9.4
REPEAT ... UNTIL
9.4
FOR ... NEXT
9.4
WHILE ... ENDWHILE
9.4
and this session will concentrate on the first of these.
9.4
The general form of a REPEAT ... UNTIL loop is:
9.4
Enter loop at REPEAT
9.4
Carry out some instructions
9.4
Check if predetermined end condition exists. If it does, then exit loop,
otherwise go back to start of loop and repeat
9.4
For example, the routine:
9.4
count% = 0
9.4
REPEAT
9.4
  Count% += 1 :REM** Increments count% by 1 **
9.4
  PRINT Count%
9.4
UNTIL Count% = 6
9.4
will print the digits 1 to 6 and then exit. The UNTIL line evaluates the
exit condition(s) you have set Ö in this case, Count%=6 Ö to check
whether it is TRUE or FALSE and only exits the loop when TRUE occurs.
There can therefore be multiple conditions for exit, but they must all
be linked by AND/OR/EOR/NOT etc. For example:
9.4
UNTIL Moon% = Blue% OR Pig$ = Fly$
9.4
which will exit if either of the conditions is met, or:
9.4
UNTIL Moon% = Blue% AND Pig$ = Fly$
9.4
which will exit only when both conditions are met, or:
9.4
UNTIL NOT Repeat%
9.4
which will exit only when Repeat%=FALSE  (i.e. NOT TRUE)
9.4
REPEAT and UNTIL do not need to start on a new line and they can be part
of multi-statement lines. However, it is strongly recommended that you
use one line each for REPEAT and UNTIL Ö and that you use indenting for
the lines in between. The PRINT Count% routine above shows both of these
features, which make the beginning and end of each loop immediately
clear in a listing, and therefore much reduces the chances of problems
(particularly when using Énested loopsæ Ö see below).
9.4
On exiting a REPEAT ... UNTIL loop, the program continues at the line
immediately after the UNTIL line.
9.4
As the exit condition is in the last line of the loop, the program has
to carry out the loop instructions at least once, which is not always
convenient. (This is why the WHILE ... ENDWHILE loop was added to the
arsenal Ö more on this another time.)
9.4
All loops can be Énestedæ i.e. loops (of any of the types) can be placed
within other loops (of any of the types) Ö but they must be totally
nested, not Écrossedæ. For example:
9.4
REPEAT(entry main loop)
9.4
ááREPEAT(entry first nested loop)
9.4
ááááREPEAT(entry second nested loop)
9.4
ááááUNTIL(exit conditions for second
9.4
 nested loop)
9.4
ááUNTIL(exit conditions for first
9.4
 nested loop)
9.4
UNTIL(exit conditions for main loop)
9.4
would be OK, because the second Énestæ is completely surrounded by the
first Énestæ and the latter by the main loop. (Note how indenting helps
to identify the three loops clearly.) However, the following sequence:
9.4
REPEAT(entry main loop)
9.4
ááREPEAT(entry first nested loop)
9.4
UNTIL(exit conditions for main loop)
9.4
ááUNTIL(exit conditions for first nested loop)
9.4
would be a disaster, because the processor would assume the first UNTIL
applied to the nested loop and the second to the main loop.
9.4
There is a limit to the number of Énestsæ but youæll be hard-pushed to
reach it. It is more likely to be met as a result of an error in
constructing the loops.
9.4
The great merit of REPEAT ... UNTIL loops is their simplicity, which is
why they are used very frequently Ö and is also why we need say no more
about them in explanation.
9.4
Keyword INSTR
9.4
This is one of the keywords provided for Éstring manipulationæ. INSTR
acts as a function and generally takes the form,
Position%=INSTR(SearchString$,
9.4
SubString$)
9.4
where SubString$ needs to be shorter than SearchString$.
9.4
INSTR looks for the presence of Substring$ within SearchString$ and, if
found, it Éreturnsæ the position within SearchString$ where it found it.
(INSTR=öIn stringò geddit?!) Itæs easier to show some examples:
9.4
Position% = INSTR(öarchimedesò,öarcò)
9.4
Position% = INSTR(öArchimedesò,öarcò)
9.4
Position% = INSTR(öArchimedesò,öeò)
9.4
would result in Position% being assigned values of 1, 0 and 7
respectively. In the first case, öarcò matches the first three
characters of öarchimedesò Ö so it returns a value 1, signifying the
match starts at the first character (from the left) of the search
string. In the second case, no match is found Ö because weæve changed
the first letter to a capital Ö and the value returned for Éno match
foundæ is 0. In the third case, the value is 7 because the function only
considers the first occurrence of a match. If SubString$ is longer than
SearchString$ then 0 is returned.
9.4
You can force the search to start from a position other than the first
character by adding a third parameter, giving the start position. So:
9.4
Position% = INSTR(öArchimedesò,öeò,8)
9.4
will produce a value of 9 Ö i.e. a match with the second öeò at position
9.
9.4
Again, this is a simple, but powerful, keyword.
9.4
Keywords CHR$ and ASC
9.4
These are best introduced together, although we will only be using CHR$
at the moment. As computers, at heart, only recognise numbers, every
character and symbol shown on the screen, or printed, is represented
within the computer by an integer number in the range 0-255 and there is
an international standard covering most of these. For historical
reasons, most people use the phrase Éthe ASCII Codeæ when referring to
this. Hence, the keyword ASC, which is a function returning the ASCII
code of a letter e.g.
9.4
Ascii% = ASC(öAò)
9.4
will result in Ascii% being assigned the value 65 Ö the ASCII code for
ÉAæ. In fact, ASC returns the ASCII code of the first character of any
string, so we would have got the same result from:
9.4
Ascii% = ASC(öArchimedesò)
9.4
The keyword CHR$ does the reverse translation. So:
9.4
PRINT CHR$(65)
9.4
will put the letter ÉAæ on the screen.
9.4
Extract from A4 chart on disc. Character at box centre; ASCII code in
corners (hex top right, decimal bottom left)
9.4
Any programmer needs a table of at least the ASCII codes 0-127. This
used to be a standard feature of any computer manual, but not today!
This issueæs program disc comes to the rescue with a Basic program to
print an A4 chart showing the printable characters with their ASCII
codes in both decimal and hex form. (Youæll need to delete the REM in
Line 140 for a hard copy Ö and afterwards, draw the vertical lines
manually.)  Also included is a smarter, completed document in Impression
Publisher format.
9.4
Keywords GET$ and GET
9.4
These are two keywords which should not be used in Wimp programs, but
are very common in non-Wimp programs. GET$ is a function returning a
one-character string from the keyboard. Thus:
9.4
Char$ = GET$
9.4
will assign to char$ the character of the key you next press Ö and will
pause until you press one. GET works the same way but returns the ASCII
code value of the key pressed. GET$ is best regarded as returning
CHR$(GET), but note that if the character is not a printable one, GET$
will return a null string. Their response is instant, and there is no
need to press <return>. Indeed, <return> is a valid keypress in its own
right Ö it will return 13 with GET but a null string with GET$.
9.4
It is best to adopt a habit of always assigning the result of GET$
directly to a variable, as above. The reason is that, because of the way
it is written, it is very easy to forget that GET$ is a function, not a
variable itself.
9.4
Back to the task in hand...
9.4
Picking items from a list
9.4
We now have all we need to take the next step with our ÉLoanæ project.
If you run ÉLoan_4Bæ (from Part 4), you will see that the initial menu
asks us to choose from four items which are (conveniently!) labelled
with the letters öLNPRò. So, if we were to include the routine:
9.4
KeyPress$ = CHR$(GET)
9.4
Position% = INSTR(öLNPRò,KeyPress$)
9.4
after showing the menu on the screen, the program would wait for us to
press a key. If we press L or N or P or R, the integer variable
Position% will end up with a value of 1, 2, 3 or 4 respectively Ö and
the string variable KeyPress$ with the letter we had pressed. We can
then use either, or both, to direct our program further. (Yes, I know we
could use GET$ directly in the above, but wait a few lines to see the
Émethod in my madnessæ!)
9.4
There are a couple of problems though. What happens if we press a
different letter, or if we press the lower case versions l, n, p or r?
We need a way to stop the program continuing until weæve pressed one of
the required letters and we need to consider its Éuser friendlinessæ if
a lower case version is chosen.
9.4
Waiting for a valid keypress
9.4
Firstly, have a look at the following routine, which brings in the
remaining keywords introduced in this article:
9.4
REPEAT
9.4
ááKeyPress$ = CHR$(GET)
9.4
ááPosition% = INSTR(öLNPRò,KeyPress$)
9.4
UNTIL Position% > 0
9.4
This will enter the loop and wait for a keypress, which will result in
Position% being assigned a value of 0 (if the keypress doesnæt match one
of the search string letters) or otherwise a value in the range 1-4. No
other result is possible with a search string four characters long. So,
we tell the program, in the UNTIL line, that we are not interested
unless a number in the range 1-4 is produced Ö and it will keep
repeating the loop until we press one of those four letters.
9.4
ÉMaskingæ to upper case
9.4
There is more than one way of overcoming the lower-case problem. The
easiest is to change the routine to:
9.4
REPEAT
9.4
ááKeyPress$ = CHR$(GET)
9.4
ááPosition% = INSTR(öLlNnPpRrò,
9.4
 KeyPress$)
9.4
UNTIL Position% > 0
9.4
which allows either case of letter and returns a Position% value in the
range 1-8.  However, a neater way for our current needs is to take
advantage of the logic of the ASCII codes (see chart on disc). This
allows us to run the ASCII code of a keypress through a Ésieveæ or
Émaskæ which passes upper case letters unaltered and converts lower case
letters to upper case. It sounds complex but we only need to change the
second line above to:
9.4
KeyPress$ = CHR$(GET AND 223)
9.4
If you look at the binary equivalent of 223 (it is 11011111), youæll see
what is happening. Numbers in the range 32-63 and 96-127 all have a 1 in
the same bit position as 223 has its only zero. As 1áAND 0á=á0, ÉANDingæ
these numbers with 223 effectively reduces them by 32, by changing that
bit to zero. Other numbers in the range 0-127 stay the same. As all
lower case letters are in the range 97-122 and all upper case in the
range 65-90, this is just what we need. (In case you ever need it,
GETáORá32 forces letters to lower case.)
9.4
Program changes
9.4
ÉLoan_5Aæ on the disc updates ÉLoan_4Bæ by including the above routine
within FNmenuChoice. The FN returns the chosen letter in upper case to
the variable Unknown$.
9.4
Several other minor changes are needed now that the listing has a better
structure. The main one is moving the menu printing offset variables to
PROCinit, as we will probably need them in several PROCs. Some minor
printing instructions have also been moved. Finally, to leave our
project in a better state for starting next time, the initial example
calculations have been deleted.
9.4
Next time
9.4
Now that the user can choose the unknown parameter, he/she needs to be
able to enter values for the three known parameters. To do this, weæll
use the  IF ... THEN ... ELSE ... ENDIF construction and the keyword
INPUT.
9.4
Donæt forget the feedback, queries etc (and the A4 SAE if you want this
issueæs printed listings) to:  26áWest Drayton Park Avenue, West
Drayton, Middlesex, UB7 7QA.áuá
9.4
Puzzle Corner
9.4
Colin Singleton
9.4
My apologies for the incorrect numbering of last monthæs Quickies. The
correct numbers are listed below. Apologies also for setting the wrong
type of puzzle. I thought Where on Earth was a fascinating problem Ö but
I was almost alone! I will return to less arduous, but hopefully no less
interesting, puzzles.
9.4
Now Ö the latest winners ...
9.4
(38) Where on Earth?
9.4
The only entry to this puzzle came two weeks after the deadline, but
Laurence Howe, of Romford, Essex, assures me that he derived his answer
without reference to mine. With all the world to choose from, it is
intriguing that his four towns are barely stoneæs throws from mine, in
Yukon, New South Wales, Somalia and central Argentina. Laurie found
Tagish (60░18ÉN, 134░16æW), Bellata (29░55ÉS, 149░50æE), Boorama
(9░56ÉN, 43░13æE). and Rio Cuarto (33░8ÉS, 64░20æW). The standard
deviation of the six distances is 23 miles Ö a significant improvement
on my 31. It is also interesting that the eight co-ordinates given in my
atlas for these four towns are all different, by a few minutes, from
those in Laurieæs atlas!
9.4
(39Ö41) House Number Ö Birthdays Ö Backtracking
9.4
No all-correct entry, because no-one solved the Birthdays problem. This
is obviously not as well known as I thought. Jeremy Morris of Norwood,
London, wins the prize.
9.4
... and last monthæs solutions ...
9.4
(42) !Draw a Rectangle
9.4
The rectangle is 10╫5 cm. This can be established using co-ordinate
geometry to calculate the position, after the transformation of a
general starting point (x,y) in a general X╫Y rectangle, and then using
simultaneous equations to find the one point which does not move.
Alternatively, you can draw a few construction lines, as in the diagram.
A study of the various similar triangles reveals that the fixed point
does lie at the intersection shown. Given that the small rectangle in
the bottom left is 2╫1, you can deduce that the linear dimensions of
that rectangle, the rotated rectangle, and the large one are in the
ratio 1:┌5:5. Did I put you off with the message ÉDo not assume that the
diagram is accurateæ? It was accurate!
9.4
(43) Cubes
9.4
The largest number which is less than the sum of the cubes of its digits
is 1999. All solutions to this puzzle must be less than this. A simple
program will find 1 153 370 371 and 407.
9.4
(44) Plus or Minus
9.4
The solutions with the minimum numbers of symbols are
123áùá45áùá67á+á89á=á100 and 98áùá76á+á54á+á3á+á21á=á100.
9.4
(45) Triple Duel
9.4
If Harry kills Tom or Dick with his first shot, the other will then aim
at Harry, probably with fatal results. Harry should fire into the air,
leaving Tom and Dick to resolve their own duel Ö they will each ignore
their less accurate opponent. Harry then gets first shot at the
survivor, and has the best overall chance of survival! The chances of
survival for Tom, Dick and Harry are 10%, 25% and 65% respectively.
9.4
... this monthæs prize puzzle ...
9.4
(46) Prime Square
9.4
My thanks to E T Emms of Kenley, Surrey, who has contributed this
puzzle. Take the first n terms of the prime number series 2, 3, 5, 7,
11, 13, 17, 19 ... and arrange them into four sets, each set having the
same total. If the numbers represent the lengths of hinged straight
rods, these would form a square.
9.4
(For more ambitious readers, I would add the challenge of forming a
magic square of prime numbers, consecutive or otherwise. This is not
part of the prize puzzle.)
9.4
... and this monthæs prize quickies ...
9.4
(47) First
9.4
What interesting Éfirstæ is held by the number 1729 ?
9.4
(48) Second
9.4
What are the next three letters in this sequence: AáEáA P A U U U E ...
?
9.4
(49) Third
9.4
X is one third of Y. The numbers X and Y between them contain all ten
digits, once each. Find X and Y.
9.4
Feedback
9.4
E T Emms, who contributed this monthæs puzzle, asks whether I had
considered emulating Hubert Phillips, Martin Gardner and A K Dewdney by
writing a puzzle book. These authors, and several others (ranging
chronologically from Lewis Carroll to Ian Stewart) grace my bookshelves.
Gardner and Dewdney also appear frequently in my personal correspondence
files. Enough of the name-dropping Ö the answer is Yes. I wrote the
first three chapters some months ago, but there it has stagnated! I
greatly admire Martin Gardner, the only person, I think, who has made a
living from Recreational Mathematics.
9.4
Jeremy Morris, the October winner, asks for clarification on (36) Monkey
Puzzle. Martin Gardner says ÉThe correct answer is that regardless of
how the monkey climbs Ö fast, slow, or by jumps Ö monkey and weight
remain opposite. The monkey cannot get above or below the weight, even
by letting go of the rope, dropping, and grabbing the rope again.æ This,
of course, assumes that the weight and the monkey start on the same
level. If they do not, it makes little difference. They start in
equilibrium, and return to equilibrium whenever the monkey is holding
the rope but not pulling it, and the vertical distance between them
never changes. The only forces acting on the weight and the monkey are
gravity and the equal-and-opposite forces through the rope Ö because we
conveniently ignored all others! Since the rope hangs over the pulley,
these forces act vertically, equally in parallel.
9.4
Comments and solutions
9.4
The response is already picking up for the December puzzles. OK Ö I get
the message! Please send your comments, contributions and solutions to
me at 41áStáQuentin Drive, Sheffield, S17 4PN. Solutions by Friday 12th
January, 1996, please.áuá
9.4
Pocket Book Column
9.4
Audrey Laski
9.4
PocketFS blues
9.4
Steve Hutchinson, of Gloucester, in a long, interesting letter raises so
many issues that I shall spread them over two months. He records a new
problem: clicking on the Psion icon to open the conversion window
produced a complaint of ÉOut of Memoryæ with no apparent reason. He was
able to transfer files via ÉOpen $æ and the Filer, Ébut the conversion
window doesnæt want to knowæ. He cured the problem by resetting the
Acorn, but it would be good if someone could explain why it occurred in
the first place.
9.4
Dealing with data
9.4
Steve uses his Psion, as most of us do our Pocket Books, to build an
address book, and then, in order to be able to use it for making lists
and labels, transfers it to a database, Powerbase, on his A440, using
Edit to supply the requisite field header. What annoys him is that he
has to Éload the whole file into an empty version of the database each
time. What I really need is a system that just updates the Powerbase
database each quarter.æ I wonder if this would be dealt with by his
keeping two files on the Psion; one his old address book for reference,
and the other a file purely of new contacts. Wouldnæt Powerbase accept
this as an addition to the old file? The Advance database I use seems
happy to take on additional entries in this way, but I donæt know
Powerbase.
9.4
This leads neatly to another issue raised by Steve. He would like to see
a useræs comparison of the various databases available now for Psions
and Pocket Books, like Data View and Data Deluxe. Iæm still a beginner
with Cards on the Pocket Book, so I canæt help.
9.4
Abacus transfers
9.4
Ted Pottage, of Reigate, reports a problem transferring Abacus files. He
was trying to back up from Pocket Book to disc via a Risc PC, and
crashed with the hourglass stuck at 13%. The cure was to delete all the
formulae which gave ERR on the Pocket Book. Perhaps other users know of
another way out of the difficulty and could report.
9.4
The Pocket Book and dyslexia
9.4
Ted is Chairman of the Computer Committee of the British Dyslexia
Association and has been writing a chapter for the Book of the 1996
Computers & Dyslexia Conference on the value of the palmtop computer as
a resource for dyslexics. I imagine he would be glad to receive
information of usersæ experiences if he has not finished the work by the
time this column appears.
9.4
Password Éunobtainableæ
9.4
Mike Clarkson complains of an annoying difference between the Pocket
Book and the Psion, namely the disappearance, apparently because it was
thought unsuitable for the classroom, of the password facility. He
suggests an alternative way to protect files, by Éhighlighting a file on
the desktop (but not opening it), and using the File attribute option
off the File menu (or Acorn-T). Set hidden to Yes and it will not be
shown on the desktop.æ It is still listed in the file menu produced by
Tab, and may occasionally appear and need an update to the lists to make
it disappear. Also, it will need resetting to Éhiddenæ after editing and
resaving. However, he is not really satisfied with this and would prefer
a proper password system. Perhaps it may be restored for Pocket Book 3,
if ....
9.4
Pocket Book books
9.4
Well, Psion books really, but for so many purposes this amounts to the
same thing. I recently found a publication, coming out every couple of
months, called The Complete Computer Book Listing. The July/August
edition I picked up listed thirteen books about what it calls the Psion
Organiser, ranging from absolute beginner titles like ÉIntroduction to
Using Psion 3æ to ÉSerious Programming on the Psion Series 3Aæ. Most are
published by Kuma, a couple by Capall Bann and one by Dabs Press. It
would be interesting to know if Archive readers with palmtop computers
are finding any of these books useful.
9.4
Communications
9.4
More than one of the contributors above sent their material to Paul at
Archive because they didnæt have an address for me. Itæs clear that this
needs to go into the column every six months or so. Iæm afraid weære not
yet on the Net, so itæs snailmail: 18 Ebury Street, London, SW1W OLU.
9.4
I also have a grouse for one contributor, by the way. His interesting
note came to me on disc in a wordprocessor format I donæt use, and was
so full of odd codes that it was very nearly unreadable. As I also
didnæt have a hard copy of his text, I had a hard time clearing out the
interference. Getting contributions on disc is certainly helpful, as I
can then transfer my quotations from them into the column very easily,
but they do need to be in plain text format; and Iæd rather, on the
whole, have hard copy without a disc file than a disc file without hard
copy.
9.4
Endnote
9.4
As the January edition must come out during December, I donæt think itæs
out of place warmly to wish all readers of the Pocket Book Column the
compliments of the season.áuá
9.4
Finance Manager
9.4
Tim Nicholson
9.4
The first accounts program I ever used on an Acorn, was one published by
Beebug many years ago. As I recall, it enabled a month by month
breakdown of balances in a number of accounts, without retaining any
individual transaction details. Then came Contex Computingæs ÉBank
Manageræ, which was a vast improvement, with individual transaction
records, standing orders, inter-account transfers and analysis codes,
etc. With the arrival of the Acorn 32-bit machines, it was extended and
improved, and I found it extremely useful. The only real drawback was
that it ran in mode 7, and was not multitasking.
9.4
It was some time later that Apricote produced their ÉPersonal Accountsæ
package, which made full use of the RISC OS multitasking environment,
and which was generally well received (see Archive 8.8 p61). However, I
found myself struggling with it, not because of any intrinsic fault of
the package, but because it required me to work in a different way. For
all its multitasking functionality, it also lacked one or two features
of the Contex package that I had come to find invaluable.
9.4
It was therefore with great interest that I looked at Finance Manager
from Solloway Software. It appeared to offer the flexibility of a true
multitasking program, with a design philosophy which matched the way I
wanted to work.
9.4
Cabbages and kings
9.4
Finance Manager has been written by a non-accountant/book-keeper, for
non-accountants/book-keepers. It was written because the author could
not find anything already existing, which did just what he wanted, so he
sat down and wrote it himself. This, for me, is one of the best
motivations for writing software and has led to much very good software
for Acorn machines, mostly in the öSharewareò category which, as David
Holden has pointed out, in no way denigrates the quality of what is on
offer.
9.4
Nuts and bolts
9.4
The package is supplied on a single, unprotected, floppy disc, pre-
registered with the useræs name, together with a 60-page manual, both
being cased in one of those VHS style library boxes. Installation is
simply a case of dragging the application to a working directory,
preferably on a hard disc. The package will only run under RISC OS 3 or
later and occupies around 470Kb of disc space, plus whatever is required
for the data, so working from a floppy is perfectly possible, although
the amount of disc activity will slow things down in this mode.
9.4
In use, the program initially grabbed 960Kb out of my free space, a
figure which then grew to over 1Mb, depending upon the current
operation. This makes it a bit of a squeeze on a 2Mb machine but,
provided you are careful not to load too many extra bits and bobs in
your boot sequence, it is perfectly possible.
9.4
The manual is written throughout in a tutorial style designed to lead
the first time user through the myriad of features. Indeed, the first
page recommends reading the manual whilst running the software and then
goes on to give the telephone number of the free telephone support line,
to be used öas a last resort after reading the manual thoroughlyò. This
is not a instant response helpline, but the author does return calls as
soon as he can.
9.4
View from
9.4
The program is organised around a number of viewers, of which the
central one is the Accounts viewer. Here, accounts are created, or
selected for working upon. When creating an account, you need to specify
whether the account is real, or a Écategoryæ account used for analysis
of spending.
9.4
Having selected an account to work on, you can then choose to view
cleared and uncleared transactions, automatic payments and Égroupedæ
transactions. These viewers are organised as a scrolling window within a
window, (see above), the outer window containing a prΘcis of information
on entries selected in the inner window.
9.4
Transactional analysis
9.4
Transactions are entered via a window opened from the uncleared
transactions viewer for the selected account, (see below). To facilitate
multiple entries, this viewer will stay open if an entry is entered
using the adjust button or the return key. Amounts are entered in pence,
with entry of the decimal point optional. This means, for example, that
a figure of ú1.00 is entered as É100æ; entering É1.æ is not good enough.
I found this a minor annoyance, but very few entries are in round pound
amounts, so the situation arises only rarely.
9.4
If the window is kept open, the writable fields retain their last
settings. Again, to save on the amount of information to be entered each
time, an overwriting shortcut means that it is not necessary to clear a
field before entering completely different information. Although the
amount field is cleared for a new entry, the sign of the previous entry
is retained (but not indicated until a new figure is entered). Again
this is all designed to make multiple entering via the keyboard as
straightforward as possible, and is typical of the thought which has
gone into the structure of the program. Not closing the window when
<return> is pressed may contravene the style guide, but it is certainly
common sense for the way the data is likely to be entered.
9.4
Complex entries can be further eased by use of the function keys, which
may be defined to enter all or part of an entry, and automatically
increment a reference, if, for example, it is a cheque number. In fact,
48 different keys may be set up by use of combinations of the shift and
control keys, and since the use of the keys is context-sensitive, the
number of definitions is even greater. The only real problem with this
is remembering which key does what and under what circumstances!
9.4
A modified version of the transaction window is available from the
Automatic Payments viewer Ö this window has further fields for
frequency, number of payments, dates due, etc. Otherwise, it behaves
much as the ordinary entry window.
9.4
Transfer list
9.4
If required, an entry may be automatically made to be an inter account
transfer, whereby a debit from one account automatically results in a
matching credit in another. In fact, a debit from one account may be
automatically credited to more than one other account, provided that
only one of them is real and the others category accounts. This provides
for very powerful and flexible analysis of data entered, since an amount
may be categorised in more than one way for later inspection. As far as
I am aware, this is the only accounts package which allows for this. In
order to prevent book-keeping nonsenses, the program will warn if an
attempt is made to transfer between multiple real accounts, and will
abort the operation.
9.4
One Éconventionæ I found hard to get to grips with is that of whether
you indicate debits or credits with a minus sign. I was bought up with
the book-keeping tradition that you enter drawings on an account. Thus
outgoings (such as cheque payment) are indicated as plus amounts, and
payments into the account (such as wages) are indicated as minus figures
(a negative drawing). Finance Manager uses the reverse convention, with
all outgoings minus, and all incomings plus. This takes getting used to
if you have had many years of working the other way around, but is
perfectly logical from a lay perspective.
9.4
Once transactions are entered, they can be searched for, reconciled
against bank statements and transferred to the Écleared transactionsæ
viewer, copied, edited, deleted, grouped together, printed out, exported
and otherwise generally manipulated in ways only limited by the
imagination. A useful preferences window allows setting of a system
password, warnings, default account etc.
9.4
One handy option is that of using a single column for debit/credit
amounts as per a credit card account, or separate columns for credit/
debit as per a bank statement. The only problem I encountered with this
was that of the plus/minus convention Ö my credit card statements used
the convention I was used to, and Finance Manager the reverse.
9.4
Export may be in either text or CSV format. The latter allows for
loading into a charting package or spreadsheet for those who wish to go
to town with analysing their money matters.
9.4
Comparisons
9.4
Comparisons with Apricoteæs Personal Accounts are almost inevitable. The
packages take fundamentally different approaches to handling the same
information. PA uses a single window for all entries, each of which
occupies a single line, with details of individual accounts being
extracted by means of reports. FM works on an account by account basis
with automatic double entry style book-keeping.
9.4
PA has separate accounts and analysis codes, but does not allow you to
apply an analysis code to an inter-account transfer, or use more than
one on any transaction. FMæs free form flexibility allows you to apply
multiple analysis codes to a transaction so you could have say, one for
petrol, and another for all car expenses. By putting all petrol
expenditure in both, you have the choice of how you analyse the data
later.
9.4
PA works on data in the computer memory which you save to disc at the
end of a session. FM stores all transactions to disc as they are
entered, making the data more secure against Ébrown outsæ, and giving
the advantage of requiring less machine memory, although entries are not
quite as instant as PA. All files are kept in a directory internal to
the package, although provision is made for saving a backup to some
other suitable media, and restoring if required.
9.4
Neither package supports individual forward postings (except as
automatic payments) which Contex BM has had for years. PAæs look-ahead
is fairly basic, providing forecasted totals for each account. BM
provides itemised look-ahead as a menu option whilst FM provides
flexible, itemised look-ahead by means of importing a backup copy of
data with FMæs date clock set to whatever you require. Also, if looking
at old data, it is possible to import and suppress automatic payments,
thus allowing a printout of last yearæs figures if required. PA has an
inbuilt notepad and calculator, neither of which FM supports.
9.4
Conclusion
9.4
Finance Manager has been designed as an easy-to-use flexible accounting
package Ö a brief which it fulfils in a manner which is straightforward
and logical. It is advertised as being suitable for öpersonal, home or
club accountingò, for which I think it is well suited. During the course
of writing this review, and in response to feedback from myself and
other users, Iáhave received upgrades (currently at 1.16), incorporating
new facilities and features, which have dealt with reservations I had
about some aspects of early versions of the package.
9.4
I would now recommend it as worthy of consideration for someone wishing
to keep their finances under control. A demo version is available either
from Solloway Software, or downloadable from a number of Acorn bulletin
boards, so you can try before you buy, to see if it suits your way of
working.
9.4
I have found it allows me to handle my accounts in the way I want, and
at ú29.99 inclusive, it is very reasonably priced. All that remains is
to finish transferring this yearæs figures across and I will be well
satisfied.áuá
9.4
Empire Soccer
9.4
Andrew Clover
9.4
Empire Interactive have come up with another footy simulation, the
imaginatively-titled Empire Soccer. Up until now, the best of an
admittedly small bunch of Acorn football games has been Sensible Soccer
Ö a tough act to follow, and the benchmark for comparing any new game.
9.4
Both Empire and Sensible are, of course, conversions from other
platforms, but Empire has arrived remarkably quickly in comparison. It
was released for other platforms in late æ94, and has recently been
converted in a blaze of no publicity. Sadly, the original title, Empire
Soccer æ94, dates it somewhat, so all references to 1994 have been
removed from this conversionæs screens. Just not from the large, glossy
sleeve which contains the box that contains the bag that contains the
single 800Kb disc that contains the !EmpSocr94 application.
9.4
öAt the end of the ninety minutes, itæll be the team that scores the
most goals thatæll win the game.ò
9.4
Double-clicking on the application launches you into a nicely-presented
title screen and a collection of menus, accompanied by some pleasant
music. There are lots of options to play with and different types of
game to play, but thereæs a conspicuous lack of the team collections and
editable teams that Sensible had. Instead, there are thirty-two national
teams, and ₧ve simple graded teams to practice against. Naturally, this
doesnæt affect the gameplay, which is the most important factor of any
game.
9.4
Footballæs a funny old game Ö eleven men against eleven men. This is the
nub of the problem, really: unless you have a lot of people and an
excessively large keyboard, having twenty-two players around one
computer is impractical. Empire goes for the tried and tested method of
giving control to the footballer nearest the ball. The way control is
achieved is highly configurable, with a choice of joystick or keys with
one, two or six ₧re buttons. The two-button arrangement is probably the
best: with one key for all moves itæs difficult to achieve what you
want, and unless youære on a joypad, having to use six buttons is a
nightmare.
9.4
The controls Ö at least in two-button mode Ö seem fairly well designed,
allowing you to kick, pass, apply aftertouch, head the ball, tackle,
heel and use overhead kicks easily. (Though my version had a bug that
made aftertouch work somewhat erratically.) Apart from these, there are
also special moves which can be used every so often in the game, from
extra-curly banana shots to extra speed. Finally, the control can be
configured between two settings: Novice, which makes the ball stick to
the footballersæ feet; and Pro, where the ball has to be controlled more
carefully. The former option makes Empire play like the ancient Arcade
Soccer, whilst the latter feels very Sensible, although perhaps not to
such an extreme. In general, the feel of the game is pretty good.
9.4
öAnother one goes in! But with forty-₧ve minutes left to play, the game
could still go either way...ò
9.4
Empire Soccer excels, though, in its graphics. What you notice
immediately is how much larger they are than Sensibleæs, and indeed
those of most other football games. This means thereæs more scope for
detail, and the players do indeed look rather good. It also means that
the pitch is a lot larger than the screen, even though the pitch is very
much smaller than one would expect from the relative size of the people.
Thus, you canæt see who youære passing to if you kick the ball a long
way.
9.4
Us Acorn users do have things better than most, though: the PC has a
large bar over the bottom of the screen (making it much harder to see
who youære kicking the ball to), and the Amiga version is limited to
one-button control only! Still, itæs not perfect. The version I tested
had the tendency to freeze the machine at apparently random times in
some games, and the menus tend to flicker a lot if the sound quality is
high. Whatæs worst about the Acorn version, though, is that the speed of
the game is tied to the frame rate of the monitor that the computeræs
attached to, so things run faster on a VGA monitor than on a TV. This is
partly corrected by a slow-down facility that can halve the speed or go
even slower; even so, it is impossible to get exactly the same speed out
of many different set-ups.
9.4
In conclusion, this is a top-notch footy game. Better than Sensible?
Itæs a close call. Sensible wonæt run on the Risc PC or A7000, so if
youære lucky enough to own such a machine, Empire Socceræs your only
choice. The öNoviceò mode makes Empire easier to get into, and its
special moves are fun too. On the other hand, I think Sensibleæs
controls have the edge. If the problems with aftertouch and crashing are
sorted out, I think Empire may win over Sensible by a whisker, and
thatæs no mean feat.
9.4
Empire Soccer costs ú25.99 inclusive from Magnetic Image or ú25 through
Archive.áuá
9.4
ViVID20 Ö ÉVirtual VIDCæ
9.4
Cain Hunt
9.4
This utility from iSV (ú11.50 inc. VAT & carriage) looked too good to be
true when I saw it in Augustæs Archive Products Available: ö...work
areas of up to 2048╫1234 in 16 colours, up to 1472╫1070 in 256
colours...ò How could my trusty old A410 possibly produce 1.5 million
pixels at one byte per pixel? Well it canæt! The ultra high resolution
virtual screen modes are produced by squashing the image by a factor of
two in both axes so the number of pixels is a quarter of that suggested
by the work area.
9.4
Whatæs on offer?
9.4
There are seven real screen modes which offer a variety of compromises
between resolution, number of colours and flicker. Some of these modes
also have counterparts with Extended Emulated Resolutions providing
larger work areas.
9.4
So does it work?
9.4
Sadly, with my system, it didnæt! (A410, 4Mb, Watford 25MHz ARM3,
Watford MkII Multiscan VIDC enhancer, Taxan 770 Plus). I was a bit
surprised because I had spoken to someone at iSV who had assured me that
ViVID20 was compatible with my system.
9.4
The problem seems to be that ViVID20 canæt change the frequency of the
Watford VIDC enhancer. Iáfound that if I loaded my Watford VIDC software
and selected a similar Watford mode prior to using a ViVID20 one, it
cured the problem. For example: Mode 21 (640╫512, 256 col) before the
736╫535, 256 col. This fix isnæt really acceptable since, if you forget
to select the Watford mode first, the screen display generated by
ViVID20 is completely unusable.
9.4
In use
9.4
If you use software that lets you view documents at any scale (e.g.
Impression or Artworks), you donæt need a large work area to see the
whole of your document. Older spreadsheets like PipeDream3 benefit
because you can display four times the data. However, the loss of
detail, when using the compressed modes, makes them hard to use,
especially when using the system font (see examples overleaf).
9.4
True 800╫600 Ö Homerton.Medium
9.4
Virtual 1600╫1200 Ö Homerton.Medium
9.4
Virtual 1600╫1200áÖ System font
9.4
The following full screenshots indicate the increase in total workspace:
9.4
True 800╫600 (Mode 31)
9.4
Virtual 1600╫12000
9.4
How to get the same effects without using ViVID20
9.4
When I found that ViVID20 didnæt work properly with my Watford Enhancer,
I tried creating the high resolution real modes using the Watford mode
designer. To my delight, all the modes worked perfectly! In fact, I was
able to achieve less flicker at a given resolution. Setting Eigen Values
in the Define New Mode window to 2, for both X and Y directions,
produces an öemulated high resolutionò display just like the ViVID20
öemulated high resolutionò modes.
9.4
ViVID20 does also offer a Risc PC style mode picker with some
interesting palettes and the ability to dither 4 colour grey scales into
16 colour equivalents. Since RISCáOS 3.1 dithers 2 colour modes (e.g.
Mode 0) to produce 8 shades, it may also be possible to program RISCáOS
to dither 4 colour grey scales too.
9.4
On the Archive magazine disc there is the screen definition module for
my Taxan 770 plus. This includes the definitions for the modes below.
Atomwideæs !VIDCplus also allows you to set the Eigen Values, so I
expect it can produce similar modes.
9.4
I have not defined the modes which have a flicker rate below 49Hz as I
find they give me headaches. The mode numbers are chosen so they
correspond to ViVID20 mode numbers.
9.4
Conclusion
9.4
If all you need is the enlarged work areas, I would suggest trying to
produce the modes yourself using your own VIDC software. ViVID20 also
offers a convenient mode selector and an interesting selection of 16
colour palettes which include one to emulate Process colours. Whether
this is worth ú11.50, is up to you to decide.áuá
9.4
VideoTrak
9.4
Andy Watson
9.4
VideoTrak from The Really Good Software Company is a öpowerful and
flexible database that keeps track of video recordings by title, actor,
director, category, etc.ò It comes on a single disc with an 18 page A5
manual and costs ú15.
9.4
I was looking forward to reviewing this program as Iáhad just started
sorting out my video tapes so that Iácould catalogue them properly. I
have over a hundred tapes and have only outline details stored on a
word-processed list. I have very few commercial tapes, so most tapes
contain a variety of items taped from television. A typical tape will
probably contain a couple of films, some episodes from a TV comedy
series and the odd documentary that I want to keep. Everything is
recorded on double play, so there is at least six hours of material on
each tape.
9.4
As the number of tapes increases, it is becoming increasingly difficult
to remember what I have already. Also, as Iæve sorted through the tapes,
Iæve found that there are some films that I forgot to note Ö it was
great to rediscover öSome Like it Hotò!
9.4
I had thought of using my database to store details of the tapes but the
arrival of VideoTrak seemed to offer an easier alternative.
9.4
VideoTrak is an application written using the S-Base system from Longman
Logotron. S-Base is a sophisticated database which allows you to create
your own stand-alone applications. Using S-Base and his own routines,
the programmer has created a ready-made database which allows easy
storage, sorting and access to information without the user requiring
knowledge of any database commands.
9.4
VideoTrak allows you to input information on tape name, tape length,
item on tape (all called Éfilmsæ in VideoTrak), film length, actors,
director, rating, category Ö and you can add free text to give further
information about actors and directors.
9.4
This covered everything I wanted to include except the date of the item.
Steve Turnbull, the programmer, expects to add this and other options to
the program in the near future.
9.4
I spent odd moments over a couple of weeks going through tapes, checking
what was on them, the dates of films, the duration, etc, so that I would
have all the necessary information ready to go straight into the
program.
9.4
Getting started
9.4
The first problem I had with VideoTrak was the manual. I should be used
to poor manuals by now but they still annoy me. So often, the manual for
an application seems to have been written by the programmer without any
consultation with someone unfamiliar with the program. The VideoTrak
manual is good at explaining how to use the program but says nothing
about how to get started. There is no sample file supplied with
VideoTrak so you have to enter your own information before you can begin
to make sense of the manual. The likely user of a program like this is
someone with little or no knowledge of how a database operates, so a
sample file and tutorial section would have been welcome additions.
Having said that, the program is fairly easy to use and it did not take
long to get started.
9.4
Entering information
9.4
You do not enter information into VideoTrak in the same way as you would
on a conventional database. Aáconventional database would have a screen
into which you entered all the details of a film. This would be repeated
for every film you wanted to enter. Videotrak works as a series of lists
which are interconnected. There is a list of films, a list of actors, a
list of tape titles, a list of categories, etc and you make links
between them.
9.4
You start by entering the name of the tape. Then you can list the films
on the tape. Double-clicking on a film name takes you to another screen
which allows you to enter the rating, length, actors, director and
categories. Each of these has its own screen and you can either add a
new item to the list or simply double-click on an existing item to link
it to the film. This should save time, particularly with actors with
long or complicated names which donæt have to be retyped every time you
want to include them. Unfortunately, moving from list to list takes time
and some disc activity, so entering information on VideoTrak takes
longer than it would on most conventional databases.
9.4
I found that the delays moving from screen to screen, even though
slight, were annoying, but I persevered and entered all the information
on my first twenty tapes.
9.4
As I entered information, I received a Éfree memory running lowæ
message. I have a 4Mb A310, so I donæt often have memory shortages. I
found that Videotrak, with the information from sixteen tapes, required
up to 1152Kb of memory, depending on what action it was performing at
the time. By contrast, my usual database, Impact Pro, used a third of
the memory after entering three times the information. It would appear
that the program is quite memory hungry.
9.4
Getting a printout
9.4
Having entered the information, what I wanted now was to list the tapes
in various ways. I wanted a list of each tape showing all the details Ö
what films were on it, the duration of each item, the actors, etc, and
also an alphabetical list of all the films so that I could find them
easily.
9.4
VideoTrak provides two ways of printing out lists. You can list to
screen and then save a CSV file which could be printed out from
Impression or Edit. There is also a Report function which allows you to
list information in various ways and print the results.
9.4
Unfortunately, neither of these options is very flexible and, although I
could print various lists, I could not print out a list which showed all
the information on each tape. The saving of information as a CSV file is
not the best way to provide output if there is little flexibility about
the contents and format of the file. Iáalso found that printing the CSV
file resulted in some strange results. For example, a file which should
have contained an alphabetical list of films with the number of the tape
on which they appeared, looked like this:
9.4
öColor Purple, Theò,25924792
9.4
öComedy of Terrorsò,30890409
9.4
öCurse of the Werewolfò,24572513
9.4
öCyrano de Bergeracò,24572513
9.4
Whatever the numbers at the end are, they are certainly not the tape
numbers which I assigned.
9.4
The Report option allowed two lists to be connected, such as film and
tape number, and offered no flexibility in the format in which the list
was printed.
9.4
This is a major failing. What I want from a database is the facility to
input information any way I choose and get the information out in any
way I want. Because it is a ready-designed application, you canæt expect
flexibility in the way you want to input information; you have to hope
that the programmer chooses the same kind of fields that you would
choose. However, if the database is to be of any practical use, it
should be possible to get the information out in the way you want. There
is no point in having all the information available on the computer Ö I
want to have a printout which can sit beside the video tape collection
for easy reference. Iáhave no desire to have to go to my computer just
to check whether I have already recorded a program which is about to
come on TV. The ability to produce hard copy in a flexible manner is
essential for any database application.
9.4
Conclusion
9.4
Would I use VideoTrak? The answer is no. I gave up using VideoTrak and
set up a database on Impact Pro. I am halfway through entering the data
and I can export any combination of information I want to Impression and
format the output in any way I want.
9.4
In conclusion, if you donæt have any experience of setting up a simple
database and want to keep track of your videos, this program will do the
job as long as you can live with the restricted output options.
9.4
At ú15, this is reasonable value for money. If the options for output
are extended, the usability of the program will be greatly improved.áuá
9.4
Beginnersæ Corner
9.4
John Temple
9.4
Here are the answers to last monthæs problems. We were using the file
OneTo50 on the monthly disc to explore the use of magic characters in
Edit.
9.4
(1) Why are there 19 occurrences of t\*o and not more than 19?
9.4
The easiest way to answer this is to replace the string, including its
magic character, \*, with something else. If you use *** this is what
you get:
9.4
One, ***, ***ur, five, six, seven, eigh***ur***ne, ***, ***ur, ***ne,
***, ***ur, ***r***r***ne, for***, for***r***ur, for***r***r***r***rty
nine, fifty.
9.4
The first string replaced is two. The next, surprisingly perhaps, is
three, fo and then we get a long one, t, nine, ten, eleven, twelve,
thirteen, fo. Within that long replaced string, there are four other
possibilities, but the Find (and Replace) operation passes them by. So
there are only nineteen occurrences found overall. Count them in the
resulting text above.
9.4
(2) How many new line characters are there?
9.4
The answer is eight, because there are two at the end of each decade up
to forty but none after fifty. (That is if you used the file on the
disc. If you typed your own, you may have put in some more, at the end
for example.) It makes no difference how large or small the window is. A
new line character appears only where it has been typed in. A Élineæ may
occupy more than one line inside the window.
9.4
If you followed the last two articles and successfully carried out the
exercises, you will now have a better understanding of Edit than many
people. There is more, but you should be in a good position now to
explore and learn. One last thing before we move on. We have been
working with a text file. If you have RISC OS 3 or later, you can also
create Obey files, Command files and Basic programs. The differences
between these are subtle but try creating and then running all four file
types with the following text:
9.4
PRINT öHello, Worldò
9.4
To create a file, click <menu> over the Edit icon on the iconbar and
CreateÿText (or one of the other filetypes). If you are too lazy to type
those three words four times, one for each filetype, you can get the
files from the monthly disc. (See footnote.)
9.4
Double-clicking on them produces a different effect in each case. Try it
now and remember what happens for the time when you are no longer a
beginner.
9.4
Enough on Edit. Letæs move on...
9.4
Draw and Paint
9.4
The Archimedes suite of applications contains two artápackages, called
Draw and Paint. I will briefly describe and compare them and then go on
to examine each in more detail.
9.4
Of the two, Draw is the easier to use. Both have a set of Étoolsæ and
ample variety of colours, although Paint is more difficult to set up, at
least initially. The main difference between them is that Draw is
object-orientated while Paint is pixel-orientated.
9.4
Whatever does that mean?! Well, itæs not too difficult. Pictures are
made up of thousands of tiny dots called pixels. (The word is derived
from picture elements.) Letæs imagine we have drawn a shape and filled
it with a particular colour. Draw and Paint have different ways of
remembering it. Paint keeps a note of the colour of all the pixels in
the whole drawing. A Paint drawing is called a sprite and it can be
saved as a spritefile. Draw remembers the characteristics of the object
such as the position of the corners, the thickness and colour of the
lines and the fill colour. You can change individual objects without
affecting the other objects. The information can be saved as a drawfile.
9.4
For a simple object, Draw uses very little memory. A sprite needs much
more. But if objects are added to a drawfile, more and more memory is
needed, whereas the memory needed for a sprite does not change. There
comes a point when a drawfile becomes larger than an equivalent sprite.
9.4
I needed a complex drawing a few days ago and I created it using Draw.
By the time I had finished, the file took up 126Kb of memory. I
converted it into a sprite and it needed only 48Kb. (I was quite
surprised!) I donæt think I can ask Paul to include these two very large
files on the monthly disc, just to illustrate that point. The whole disc
only has 800Kb. However, I am offering some smaller files, which you
might like to examine and count.
9.4
They are in a directory called DrawPaint in the Beginners directory of
the monthly disc. DrawTree is the first. Seasonal, I hope, if not
exactly artistic, it is a drawfile, as you can see from its icon. I made
it into a sprite file, PntTree, and then I elaborated on the original
object and made two new files, DrawTrees and PntTrees.
9.4
To look at them, simply double click on their icons with the mouse using
<select>. To count them, click twice again, first with <select> and then
with <menu> and choose Count. That should help you to understand what I
have been driving at.
9.4
You may be wondering how I made the sprites from the drawfiles. I will
tell you in a moment but first let me explain how to get Draw running.
(Skip this paragraph if you already know.) If you have RISC OS 3.10 or
later, Draw is in ROM. (See my article in 9.2 p51.) Using the mouse,
select the Apps icon on the iconbar and then double click on the Draw
icon in the window which appears. That installs Draw on the iconbar and
clicking on it brings up an untitled window for you to draw in. If your
version of RISC OS is earlier, you must get Draw from Applications Disc
1. Put the disc in the drive, click on the floppy disc icon and double-
click on the Draw icon in the window which appears. Finally, select Draw
from the iconbar as before.
9.4
Down the left hand side of the Draw window there is a bar containing
several tools. They enable you to create objects containing straight
lines, curves, moves, ellipses and circles, rectangles and text. The
bottom tool on the bar is used to select an object once it has been
created.
9.4
Open straight lines
9.4
Closed straight lines
9.4
Open Curves
9.4
Closed Curves
9.4
Moves
9.4
Ellipses and circles
9.4
Rectangles
9.4
Text
9.4
Select Pointer
9.4
To create an object with straight lines, select the top or second tool
and then click wherever you want the first corner to be. Click again for
the next corner, and so on. To finish, double click when you make the
last point, being careful not to move the mouse in the middle of the
double click. If you find that difficult, or if you prefer, click
<adjust> on the last point, followed by <select>.
9.4
If you selected the öopenò tool (the one at the top), the last point
will be the end of the line. If you selected the öclosedò tool (the
second one), a final line will be drawn from your last point to your
first.
9.4
You can mix straight lines and curves in an object and you can also
include moves. To do that, you simply select a new tool whilst you are
in the middle of constructing the object. In a move, no line is drawn
but the object is not divided and the tool reverts to the previously
selected tool, once you have defined the move.
9.4
The drawfile, DrawTree, contains three objects, the green part of the
tree, the trunk and the pot. Look carefully at the green part. You can
see that it contains straight lines, a curve and a move. Or maybe two
moves? It depends where you think I started. (Itáwas the point of the
middle branch on the left and I went clockwise, obviously. Well, maybe
itæs not obvious but you should be able to work it out.)
9.4
(Actually, I tried to put in several moves but it had a peculiar effect
on the fill colour. It left bits out. Is there anybody out there who can
offer an explanation of this? Is it a bug or just the nut on the
keyboard?)
9.4
The multiple trees were created by copying and then using the
Interpolate sub menu. To copy, you must first choose the selection tool
(the arrow pointer) from the toolbar and then click on what you want to
select, in this case, the green part of the tree. Press <menu> and
SelectÿCopy.
9.4
Move the copiedáobject to its final position by picking it up with the
mouse.
9.4
The last part is the most fun. Get the menu up again and SelectÿGroup
followed by SelectÿInterpolateÿ8 or 17 (or 32, or what you will). If you
click with <adjust> instead of <select>, the menu stays on the screen
which is quite useful.
9.4
Interpolate is well worth playing around with. Now that Iæve shown you
how, why not have a go? Have a look in the manual if you want some
ideas. Oh, by the way, itæs not available on RISC OS earlier than 3.1.
Sorry!
9.4
I promised Iæd tell you how I made the sprites. Simple. I used the
Ésnapshotæ option in Paint.
9.4
Get Paint loaded onto the iconbar. You ought to know how to do this by
now. Arrange the screen so that what you want to öphotographò is
displayed as you want it. You will also need to be able to see part of
the directory into which you want to save the photo. Click <menu> and
Snapshotÿ[OK]. That gives you a little camera with an arrow next to it.
Move the arrow to the top left hand corner of the area you wish to snap
and drag a rectangle to the bottom right. When you let go you will get a
Save as window, from which you can drag the sprite icon into the
directory, first changing its name if you wish.
9.4
I used one other little trick. Before I saved the sprites, I drew a box
around the drawing of the tree to define the area of the sprite. I did
this with the grid visible and the grid lock switched on, so as to make
it exact. (GridÿShow and GridÿLock) Then I turned the grid off again.
When I took the photograph, I was careful to put the camera arrow just
inside the box, which was therefore not included in the sprite file
which Iásaved. I deleted the box before saving the drawfile so it had
the same contents as the sprite. Iádid the same with the multiple tree
drawing.
9.4
Next month, I will give you a summary of all the menus and submenus in
Draw. I am not going to try to improve on the descriptions in any of the
manuals. They are brilliant.
9.4
Finally, a question: Are these articles any use? Doáthey help? Are they
too easy or too difficult? Remember, they are aimed at beginners.
Replies via Paul, please, because he needs to know too.áuá
9.4
Beginnersæ Guide to Buying Discs
9.4
Robert Chrismas
9.4
How much should you pay for a floppy disc? Are discs which cost ú2 in
high street shops better than those you can buy in a street market for
20p? Which is better, Édouble densityæ or Éhigh densityæ? Is it worth
buying pre-formatted discs?
9.4
Faced with these choices, many new computer users choose either the
cheapest discs they can find (Éwhy pay more?æ), or the dearest (Éyou get
what you pay foræ). The first strategy increases the risk of loss of
data, the second, loss of money.
9.4
There is no way to remove risks altogether, but it is better to make an
informed choice.
9.4
Formatting
9.4
Before a computer can use a disc, it first has to write markers which
divide up the disc surface. Writing these markers is called formatting
the disc.
9.4
Different computer manufacturers choose to organise data on the disc in
different ways, so each make of computer formats discs in its own way.
Manufacturers have introduced improved disc formats, but they make sure
their machines can still read their old formats, so most makes of
computer can use several different formats.
9.4
Single, double and high density
9.4
Back in the æ80s, floppy discs really were floppy. They measured 5╝ö
square and you could store 100Kb (about 40 pages of normal typing) on
one side of a disc. Using both sides of the disc and increasing the
number of tracks from 40 to 80 made it possible to store about 400Kb on
a disc. Looking back, we describe these discs as ösingle densityò (SD).
9.4
5╝ö disc
9.4
To increase the disc capacity to 800Kb, disc drives were designed which
could write twice as much data on each track. They were called ödouble
densityò (DD) drives. The first Archimedes, 310s, 440s, 3000s etc. had
double density drives.
9.4
3╜ö disc
9.4
The next step was to make a disc drive which could write twice as much
data again in the same space. These drives are called öquad densityò
(QD) or, confusingly, öhigh densityò (HD) drives. Recent Acorn
computers, A3010/3020/4000/5000s, A4s and Risc PCs all have high density
drives.
9.4
This does not mean that these newer computers cannot use DD discs. The
format option on the disc menu allows the user to select 1.6M (HD) or
800Kb (DD). When a disc is read, the Acorn computer detects the format
and uses whichever format the disc has. It can recognise all the recent
Acorn, IBM and Atari formats.
9.4
DD and HD Disc
9.4
Disc manufacturers make their discs for either DD or HD format. DD discs
have a magnetic coating which is designed to work best at double
density, HD discs have a coating to suit high density. To distinguish
between them, the HD discs have an extra hole opposite the write protect
hole.
9.4
Some makes of computer detect the HD hole and automatically use HD
format, but if they do not detect the hole, they use DD. Acorn computers
ignore the HD hole. The user chooses HD or DD format when the disc is
formatted.
9.4
Unbranded discs
9.4
Disc manufacturers need to keep their reputation for selling good
quality discs. They make their discs in large batches and check each
batch for quality. If a batch of discs passes the quality checks, the
manufacturer puts a brand name on them and sells them normally. In a
batch which fails some quality checks, most of the discs are probably
still usable, so the manufacturer still sells them, but without any
brand markings. Unbranded discs are much cheaper than branded discs.
9.4
Retailers
9.4
Most computer shops sell discs. If you are buying other goods and you
just need ten discs quickly then this is a convenient way to buy.
However, you will find that if you buy discs in bulk from specialist
mail order disc dealers, you can save a lot of money. They advertise in
the Acorn press, but you will find more choice in IBM magazines, where
there are lots of such advertisements. As a rough guide, look for prices
of about ú20 for 100 unbranded DD discs and ú30 for unbranded HD discs.
Be careful about labels Ö you may have to buy them separately. Branded
discs will cost at least two or three times as much, depending on the
brand.
9.4
I have bought discs much cheaper than this from market stalls. My best
bargain was a batch of fifty cover discs from an Atari magazine for
ú4.50. Unfortunately, about half of them had disc errors when I
reformatted them. However, fortunately, I was just about to run a course
which included dealing with disc faults, so they were just what I
needed(!)
9.4
From a market stall, I have also bought 100 discs for ú15, branded,
error free, IBM formatted discs which looked as though they had been
used once for some kind of massive backup operation. It is an
interesting but unreliable way to buy discs.
9.4
What to buy?
9.4
If cost is of no concern, just use branded HD discs.
9.4
The cheapest solution is to buy unbranded DD discs then format them as
HD. However this is a high risk strategy. I do not recommend it. You
must be prepared for discs to fail quite often.
9.4
It makes no sense to buy HD discs and format them as DD. They cost more
and may well be less reliable than DD discs.
9.4
For large quantities of data, HD discs are more cost effective, provided
your computer can use HD. HD discs are only cost effective if you use
their full capacity. If you just want to keep a copy of an unpacked
application from a magazine disc, it will probably fit on a cheaper DD
disc.
9.4
If data is vital, keep it on branded discs and make backups on branded
discs. Using unbranded discs for Émission criticalæ data is taking an
unnecessary risk. However, if you are using branded discs, the cost of
the discs may make you reluctant to back up data. It is more of a risk
to have a single copy of a file on a branded disc than two copies of the
file on unbranded discs, and the two unbranded discs will still be
cheaper than one branded one.
9.4
Most discs contain data which could be replaced with a little
inconvenience Ö from master discs, etc. Ö so for this sort of data,
cheaper unbranded discs are a sensible choice.
9.4
In practice, most people end up with a mixture of types of disc.
9.4
Pre-formatted
9.4
Pre-formatted discs will be IBM format, unless otherwise stated. You do
save time by buying Acorn pre-formatted discs, but the cost is about 10%
more.
9.4
Acorn formats
9.4
There is only one HD format Ö ADFS 1.6M. For DD discs, use the ADFS
800Kb (E) format.
9.4
The D format stores the same quantity of data but, when files are
deleted, the space is not reclaimed effectively, so the disc will
sometimes need to be Écompactedæ. One advantage of the D format is that,
if the disc becomes corrupted, it is a bit easier to recover files Ö but
then, if you are into recovering files from corrupted discs, you
probably donæt need to read this article!
9.4
The L format gives compatibility with the old BBC Masters, and there is
no advantage in using this format for new discs.
9.4
IBMs
9.4
IBM computers cannot read or write Acorn formats. To format a disc which
can be read on an IBM, either do it on an IBM or, on an Acorn, choose
the Éother formatsæ option on the ADFS menu. DD discs should be
formatted ÉDOS 720Kæ, and HD discs ÉDOS 1.44Mæ. Discs with an HD hole
must be HD format, and discs without a HD hole must be DD, or the IBM
will not be able to read them.
9.4
Avoid using IBM-formatted discs for Acorn applications. Among other
problems, you will find that ten character file names are truncated to
nine characters.
9.4
Final warning
9.4
Even the best quality discs will not last forever. All discs fail in the
end. Back up any data you would be unhappy to lose.áuá
9.4
More Talking Stories (A)
9.4
Denise Bates
9.4
More Talking Stories (A) is part of the Oxford Reading Tree Scheme which
is being developed for the Acorn platform by Sherston Software and is
applicable to Key Stage One. The version under review is 1.22 and the
review was carried out on an A5000 (RISC OS 3.1) and an A3000 (RISC OS
2).
9.4
Manual
9.4
The program comes with a comprehensive manual which gives full and clear
instructions for installing and running the software, and also gives
detailed guidance about how to use the software in the classroom.
9.4
Installation
9.4
Six discs are provided, one per story. Each story requires 1Mb of memory
and can be run from floppy disc. Because of the large volume of data to
be processed, this is slow, particularly with RISC OS 2. Alternatively,
the stories can be installed on a hard disc but, for protection, the
original floppy must be inserted in the drive to start the program. No
problems were encountered using either method. For anyone with a hard
drive, the need to use the original disc for starting up each story is
an irritant. I fully appreciate the need to protect software against
unauthorised copying but feel strongly that a protection system should
not prevent any user who has bought a piece of software from taking full
advantage of the capabilities of his computer.
9.4
The stories
9.4
Six stories have been animated. Each one has sixteen pages. At the
bottom of each page are icons to denote forward or backward, one to
speak the text and one to animate the picture. Each story can be set at
different levels to complement the reading level the pupil has attained.
The levels range from the computer reading the story, highlighting each
word as it is spoken, through to the computer remaining silent unless a
word is clicked on by the child. The software is sufficiently intuitive
in operation for a young child to be able to use it independently, and
there is the possibility of creating a hidden log which can subsequently
be printed out. This shows any words where the child asked the computer
for help, thus enabling the teacher to be aware of how a child managed.
9.4
In the classroom
9.4
Although the speech worked perfectly well on my computer at home, the
sound level was inadequate in a classroom situation. If the program was
to be used to its full potential, either the speech would need boosting
by a small amplifier, or the computer would have to be placed in a quiet
area. I was also a little dubious as to how the software could be used
by a school which does not use the Oxford Reading Tree scheme. Working
with a class of 5-6 year olds, some were capable of reading the
copyright protection notice, whilst slow readers struggled more to read
from the screen than they would have done from a book. In terms of
working with these slower readers, Iáwould have much preferred to spend
the time reading from a book and felt that more would have been achieved
for them.
9.4
Information technology
9.4
Iæm not a fan of drill and practice educational software and, for me,
Talking Stories came into its own when used as a means of introducing
information technology. Apart from giving practice in mouse control by
using icons and pointer to turn the pages, I used the programs
successfully with several children on an individual basis to clear one
story from the screen and load another. I was also able to introduce the
menu button on the mouse and show how to go straight to a particular
page by accessing the screen menu instead of wading through several
pages. A useful exercise in anticipation, involved ignoring the
animation icon and getting the children to guess which part of the
screen would animate, and then clicking on that part of the screen to
check.
9.4
Conclusion
9.4
I tested this program in a school which hasnæt updated its software
since it acquired its first Archimedes. My young testers really enjoyed
the multimedia effects and all insisted on trying them several times.
Teachers, and those pupils who havenæt seen more sophisticated software
in other situations, were surprised by the advances made by modern
programs. Iæm sure that schools which already have earlier software in
the Talking Stories series will find these new stories a welcome
addition to the range, and other schools would be able to integrate them
into information technology lessons.
9.4
Cost
9.4
More Talking Stories costs ú40 +VAT (or ú45 inclusive from Archive) for
a single pack of six story discs.áu
9.4
Talking Clocks
9.4
Denise Bates
9.4
Talking Clocks by Topologika is a program for telling the time. It can
be used throughout primary school and possibly into the early years of
secondary school for slow learners.
9.4
Installation
9.4
The software is supplied on a 1.6Mb disc. It installed to hard disc
without problems. It would run on a 1Mb machine but would require all
other applications to be quitted to enable it to start up. The version
supplied is for RISC OS 3 only but a version for RISC OS 2 is available
by contacting Topologika.
9.4
Manual
9.4
The manual is clear, comprehensive and well-written. I learned a great
deal about the program simply by reading the manual. A number of
photocopiable worksheets are also provided which tie in with the
exercises in the software.
9.4
Four activities
9.4
The software provides four separate exercises in telling the time which
increase in complexity. Set the Clock involves setting the hands of a
clock to the time displayed at the bottom of the screen (for non-readers
the time can be spoken). Say the Time involves clicking on word and
number icons to register the time shown on the clock. Match the Clocks
means setting one clock to the time shown on another (using an analogue
and a digital clock). How Much time? requires pupils to calculate the
time difference between two displayed times.
9.4
Apart from these activities, Talking Clocks can also be used as a
science resource to explore the actual mechanics of how a clock works.
9.4
Using the software
9.4
The software has a very intuitive feel and can be used successfully by a
child who can read and who has the ability to control a mouse. Clicking
on certain icons provides help for children who are not fluent readers.
For example, clicking on the clockæs mouth speaks the time displayed on
the clock. Clicking on the mouth icon at the side of the question speaks
the time the pupil is aiming for. Clicking on the eye icon says whether
the answer is right.
9.4
Work involving digital clocks will require an understanding of number
bonds up to sixty and is most likely to be appropriate with year 3 and
above.
9.4
Configuration
9.4
The key to using Talking Clocks successfully lies in sensibly
configuring the many options in order to produce meaningful exercises.
For example, in real life, we rarely say Étwenty four minutes to fiveæ
when using an analogue clock, and to use the Éany minuteæ option may be
pedantic. Best use of the software will be achieved by a parent or
teacher who takes time to study the three pages of configuration options
available and selects those which match the childæs abilities or
weaknesses. For a young child, it is possible to set the clock just to
the Éoæclockæ and to advance the time sequentially. For a child who has
a particular problem with, say, Étoæ or Épastæ, the clock can be set to
provide intensive practice in the problem area, whilst for someone who
tells the time well, the software can be used for speed practice.
9.4
Timer
9.4
The program has a timer option which can be a useful way of ensuring
that the whole class gets a turn or that pupils who have problems are
detected. The option does need to be used very circumspectly. How Much
Time?, in particular, produced complex questions which a group of adults
found difficulty in calculating and recording in less than twenty
seconds. I also found that using the timer with children on simple
exercises, in some cases, led to increased carelessness or frustration
at having a correct answer marked wrong because they were out of time.
9.4
Printing
9.4
A childæs work can be printed if required. I had no problems when using
the Acorn printer driver, but the print option would not work properly
with Turbo Driver. Topologika are working on the problem.
9.4
Criticisms
9.4
I donæt have many criticisms of the program and the few I have are not
serious. In Say the Time, I found it a little disturbing that when the
pointer is over a number, that number vanished from the screen. Iáwould
have expected highlighting to be achieved by a different method, as a
disappearing number can leave a young child unsure of the figure
selected. Iáwas also surprised that, with the digital clock, 7.55 has to
be described as five minutes to eight, rather than as seven fifty five
which is, in many circumstances, an accepted usage.
9.4
Conclusion
9.4
My young testers at school enjoyed using this program and the sound and
graphics proved a definite hit with them. At home, my own children put
it thoroughly through its paces and my six year old has gained markedly
in confidence in telling the time.
9.4
Overall, Talking Clocks is a very well thought out, well written program
worth its place in any primary school software library. Parents would
find it a good buy if they have a growing family, because telling the
time, in a world which uses both analogue and digital clocks, each with
their own conventions, is one of the more difficult skills a child has
to master.
9.4
Talking Clocks costs ú35 +VAT, or ú39 through Archive, and there are
primary and secondary school site licences for ú60 and ú75 + VAT,
respectively, available direct from Topologika.áuá
9.4
RSDFS Ö Serial Communications
9.4
Neil Blake
9.4
Working in an Isle of Wight high school and having to make peak rate,
long distance calls to contact any Acorn BBS, I was pleased to find
ARMed Forces BBS (01962-880003) operating from Winchester. Using
ArcTerm7, I logged on expecting to be greeted with the usual ANSI
terminal screen. Following the online instructions, I selected the
option to download some slave software. Having un-archived the programs,
I loaded !RSDFS_S and, using !SerMacro, part of the package, dialled
ARMed Forces again. Having completed the New User panel, I was amazed to
be presented with WIMP windows and familiar icons which responded to
mouse clicks.
9.4
Each piece of software in this communications package is listed below.
9.4
The table shows which machine the program is for and its cost.
9.4
!RSDFStemp  both  free
9.4
!RSDFS_M  master  ú38
9.4
!RSDFS_S  slave  free (full version ú15)
9.4
!MediaMan  master  ú28
9.4
!Mediator  slave  shareware (ú5?)
9.4
!SerMacros  slave  free
9.4
!RSDFSprint  both  free
9.4
serial link cable    ú5 + ú1 per metre
9.4
!SerialDev  both  PD
9.4
!RSDFstemp
9.4
This program acts like !Scrap and must be run first on both master and
slave machines. It contains icons used in the programs and logs Error
and User text files.
9.4
!RSDFS_M
9.4
!RSDFS_M, the master/server application, loads on the left of the
iconbar with a neat harddisc icon bearing a small phone symbol. Its
label changes from ÉRSDFSMæ, when there is no activity, to ÉIn Useæ as
appropriate. Only <menu> is operative over the icon and opens a menu
with six items:
9.4
Infoë: Usual ÉAbout this Programæ.
9.4
Choicesë: with five sub options to configure the master application.
9.4
1. Ports Ö Enables the appropriate blockdriver (similar to printer
drivers) for the type of serial port/s being used to be installed. (The
blockdrivers are loaded from !SerialDev, which the filer needs to have
seen.) Clicking on the arrow icons displays menus from which a suitable
selection can be made. However, an incorrect selection crashed the
program. The port number and baud speed are also selectable. If two dual
port cards are fitted, it is possible to have five active ports on the
master.
9.4
It is possible to select a BBS driver so that RSDFS can be an option
from ArcBBS, etc.
9.4
2. Access Ö Allows the configuration of up to seven directories on the
master computer that will be accessible to the slave computer. The names
and icons of these directories are definable and the icons supplied are
easily understood.
9.4
The access to directories and files is further restricted by the
standard RISC OS Filer Access settings, Public/Private etc. An option
for users to enter a password is not yet implemented.
9.4
3. Users Ö This provides options to set logging of users in a text file
log within !RSDFStemp directory. The remaining options are for BBS
server use only and provide private user areas and up/download ratios.
9.4
In any of the above three windows, having set the configurations, if you
then decide to use the Restore saved choices button, it not only
restores the previously saved choices for that particular option, e.g.
Access, but all three areas are reset, i.e. Ports, Access and Users.
9.4
4. Save Choices Ö Saves configurations as default.
9.4
5. Restore Ö Resets ALL configurations to default (last saved) choices.
9.4
Messages... opens a window showing any Errors. This is so that the
master machine will keep running rather than waiting for the OK or
Cancel buttons to be pressed as in the normal RISC OS Error window. The
message window also appears when the master machine is paged or sent a
message by a slave user. Aátext file, ErrorLog, is updated in the
!RSDFStemp directory.
9.4
Spy... allows an overall view of the usage of all active ports. The Rx/
Tx syntax is not easily understood but, fortunately, the right hand side
of the window clarifies whatæs going on!
9.4
Notify... Specific, or all, users can be sent a typed message. Also, it
offers an option to send an automatic reply when paged by a user.
9.4
Quit Ö quit!
9.4
!RSDFS_S
9.4
The slave/client application is !RSDFS_S. When run, it loads on the left
of the iconbar with a neat icon depicting a phone linked to a terminal
window. The icon changes to a phone/WIMP window when it is in RSDFS
Filer mode. The label changes from RSDFS to FileXfer, Scanning and Icons
x/y as different operations are undertaken. Clicking <select> opens a
standard ANSI terminal window for restricted use with ANSI comms. File
transfer is not supported in this mode. <Menu> provides six options:
9.4
Info ë Ö usual details.
9.4
Choices Ö provides far easier configuration than the master software.
The serial blockdriver, port number and port/baud speed are selected
but, if wrong, a crash occurs.
9.4
Notify Ö for sending messages to Sysop/master or other online users.
9.4
ANSI mode ë Ö disconnects RSDFS and enters ANSI terminal mode.
9.4
Filer mode Ö will attempt to link with RSDFSM, a file transfer window
opening, counting the bytes transferred.
9.4
Quit Ö quit!
9.4
!MediaMan
9.4
Having made contact with ARMed Forces via RSDFS, you will encounter the
vector graphics and sound samples that are possible with !Mediaman. (Try
out the Last 20 Users to hear ÉAll the Peopleæ by Blur.) There is a
!Help file for the program explaining how the links between a button
press and media being shown are made. However, the author acknowledges
that using the link script language is not easy and that an editor may
need to be written. It is possible to Éhackæ some of the existing
drawfiles and sound samples though!
9.4
Current forms of media available are:
9.4
RISCáOS filer windows
9.4
Normal RISCáOS windows
9.4
RISCáOS menus
9.4
Drawfiles (including sprites)
9.4
ANSI colour text files
9.4
Hiper Hyper-text files (Door by Andrew Hunter)
9.4
Sound samples (Code by David Radford)
9.4
Interactive text I/O (Unfinished)
9.4
Full motion video is under serious consideration.
9.4
!Mediator
9.4
Once loaded on the slave machine to enable multimedia transfer,
!Mediator simply sits on the iconbar and provides just a few ÉAbout this
Programæ panels Ö six in fact! The !Help file inside it only contains
the shareware details.
9.4
!SerMacros
9.4
A useful part of the package, it automates many of the usual comms
commands. In fact, it was through the Dial list that I discovered
another Acorn BBS, Equinox. Based at Southsea, this one is even in the
local rate band Ö for me that is.
9.4
!RSDFSprint
9.4
I tried to follow the instructions in the !Help file within the program,
but I was not able to print from one machine to another.
9.4
In use
9.4
The attraction of this software is its similarity to the WIMP filing
system. If the user can operate a RISCáOS computer, they can use RSDFS.
Uploading and downloading of files from client to server is as easy as
dragging files from one window to another. There is not an X, Y or Z-
modem protocol to be seen anywhere! Interactive help is well documented
and may be useful when setting up the configurations. Aáproblem for some
users is not knowing what icons need single or double clicks. RSDFS has
the added problem of time delay due to the link, either by cable or,
more so, by phone line. Files can be counted for length before
downloading.
9.4
Apart from the main filer window, ÉAvailable RSDFS drivesæ, which
remains on screen, other RSDFS windows close as another is opened (like
using <adjust> to close windows). Applications cannot be run across the
link but uncompressed remote files can be dragged directly to an
application on the slave without having to download first.
9.4
Being able to run both Master and Slave on the same machine helps to
check that the configurations are correct. It is also quite fascinating
watching the two programs Étalkæ between themselves!
9.4
I attempted to trial the software across the school internal phone
system. Using two Pace modems, one 14,200 and the other 9,600, I used
!SerMacros > AT commands option to set the master modem to auto answer.
From the ANSI terminal screen on the slave, I entered the internal phone
number, prefixed with the code ATM. Once connection was made, it
confirmed connection speed (9,600). Having entered RSDFS, the file
transfers were expectedly slow and the system did crash more than once.
9.4
And finally...
9.4
Hopefully, Chris Claydon will be able to continue developing RSDFS. With
the inevitable increase in telecommunications, software that a novice
can use will certainly be helpful. But with the extra, more complex,
multimedia software, there is enough to occupy the most experienced
sysop. I want to establish a school BBS using RSDFS and provide other
schools on the Isle of Wight with the slave program to connect to it.
Even primary school children should be able to make file transfers. The
package is currently let down by the template errors and several
documentation DTP mistakes.
9.4
Get logged onto ARMed Forces and set up something in your area!áuá
9.4
The World of Robert Burns CD
9.4
David Hawkins
9.4
One of the best CD ROM titles I have ever come across is Frontier 2000
from Cambridgeshire Software House. Their new CD ROM, The World of
Robert Burns, is even better.
9.4
Robert Burns was born in a small clay biggin in Alloway, Ayrshire,
Scotland, (of course), on 25th January 1759, and died in Dumfries on
21st July 1796. However, the wealth of music and poetry, as well as the
great many letters that he wrote during his relatively short life, have
inspired and entertained many different people from all over the world.
9.4
Robert Burns was indeed a lover of life, as well as his fellow man (and
woman!), but he was also a man who had a great respect for the world
around him and, as such, is a man about whom we should know more.
9.4
Contents
9.4
The Robert Burns CD comes in a colourful video style case, with a
registration card and a 24-page manual. All of the required software is
on the CD, and there is a good deal of material within it. The CD
contains 390Mb of data, much of which is resource material such as
textfiles, drawfiles, JPEG files, Replay files, sound samples and
spritefiles. Access to the data is primarily through a front end
multimedia application called !Robert.
9.4
As you might expect, considering the software was developed with the
assistance of Dumfries and Galloway Education Authority, the package is
primarily aimed at school use, (age 9 and over). However, this does not
mean just Scottish schools, because the lessons that can be learned
about life, poetry, music and history, would be useful to most school
children.
9.4
There is, in fact, over two years of detailed research encompassed in
this CD, as the wide range of source material strongly implies; and the
release of the PC version, due early next year, will happily coincide
with Robert Burnæs bicentenary.
9.4
The software
9.4
The application which fronts the CDæs resources, handles the viewing and
examination of these resources by the use of Étrailsæ. These trails are
basically ASCII text files which govern the useræs access to the
information, by providing sequential clues to destinations, and then
answers to predefined questions. After finishing a trail, the user
should know a good deal about the topic of the trail.
9.4
Sixteen predefined trails are supplied to get the pupils started,
although these are really quite short. However, if you know about Robert
Burns, or have been able to study the CD quite closely, it wonæt be much
of a problem to create further, more extensive trails for people to use.
9.4
The trail is activated by dropping the textfile onto the !Robert icon on
the iconbar, and a window opens displaying a map of the area concerned.
Near the top left hand side there are a pair of icons: ÉCæ and É?æ,
which stand for ÉCluesæ and ÉQuestionæ.
9.4
Click once on the Clues icon to be given a suggestion of where to go
and, once you get there, click on the Question icon to get the question
you have to answer.
9.4
There are several icons in a Toolbox located on the far left hand side
of the map window. These icons allow you to look at related sprites,
letters, poetry, songs, view a Replay file, and finally, get some
general information, all in connection with the point on the map you are
Évisitingæ.
9.4
By searching through the various pictures and related text, as well as
the information available on over 300 individuals, each question can be
answered in turn. Aácorrect answer gains you some points, plus a new
clue, and once youæve moved on to the next correct location, a new
question to answer. When you have answered all of the questions in a
trail, you will be presented with a drawfile based ÉCertificateæ, which
you can print out, stating that you have completed the trail.
9.4
Going through this process, you will come across a good deal of
information about Robert Burns, his life, his friends and especially his
family. You will, whoever you are, learn a little bit more about the man
and, hopefully, be entertained and positively affected by his work.
9.4
Presentation
9.4
The works of Robert Burns can be presented in several ways and even
taken into other applications. Songs can be exported in !Maestro format,
(a few musical poems are available in Rhapsody and Notate formats), and
all text can be exported as Edit files.
9.4
Sound samples, in Armadeus format, of certain songs and poems are very
well recorded, and some are quite long. Replay files abound, with some
being highly entertaining visually, öneæer mind the sangs!ò
9.4
The quality of some of the images supplied is quite excellent,
especially many of the JPEG files. Scenes from the countryside and of
the gardens and streets around Alloway are particularly good.
9.4
Timeline
9.4
Another way to search for information is to use the 30,000 word
ÉTimelineæ. This facility allows you to set a date range, and/or a
subject selection, plus a text string to search for.áááFor example, you
may want information on ÉAlexander Graham Bellæ, between 1852 and 1924.
In that case just call up the Timeline, set the details and click OK.
From this selection, you will find the following:
9.4
1876: March 9th. Alexander Graham Bell filed his patent for the first
telephone Ö only three hours ahead of a similar one by Elisha Gray.
9.4
March 10th. Alexander Graham Bell transmitted the first coherent
telephone message from 5 Exeter Place, Boston, Massachusetts to his
assistant, Thomas Watson, consisting of the words ÉCome here, Watson, I
want youæ.
9.4
1922: August 2nd. Alexander Graham Bell, Scottish-born inventor of the
telephone in 1876, died at his home near Beddeck, Nova Scotia, aged 75.
9.4
Obviously there are no family or friendship ties between Alexander
Graham Bell and Robert Burns; but they are both Scotsmen from the same
general area.
9.4
There is a great deal of ancillary information in the package, and
although it makes no real attempt to be a fully-fledged historical
encyclopedia, The World of Robert Burns does contain more than a
sufficient amount of useful historical material on subjects other than
Robert Burns.
9.4
However, it is in the area of Robert Burnæs life and loves that this
package excels.
9.4
Conclusions
9.4
The World of Robert Burns CD is a delight to use and is just as much of
a delight to show to others. It is well presented, instructive and
entertaining, with much attention to fine detail. For example, for those
not acquainted with the language of the period, a useful glossary
feature is built into the map window.
9.4
As a further example, for those interested in altering their desktop
while using the software, a few tartan backgrounds are supplied.
Drawfiles of ÉBurns styleæ notepaper are also included for pupils to use
for their own work.
9.4
As for the software, it is very reliable Ö in fact, I only have ever
suffered one, rather non-intrusive, error when using it. If I select a
topic for the timeline and there are no related items on the CD, an
error box appears stating so. When the error box has gone, the current
outline font on the Risc PC is replaced by the system font. However, a
quick mode change returns the outline font to the screen.
9.4
I have little idea why this happens, but it does seem to occur regularly
when in screen resolutions of 1280╫1024╫256 and above. It doesnæt really
bother me at all as I can very easily avoid it. The software has not
caused me any other problems.
9.4
This is certainly a package that I would recommend to anyone with even
the slightest interest in life, poetry or just a general interest in the
history of Scotland. I would also recommend it as an insight into a very
special man, of whom Scotland should be much more aware. Iæm sad to say
that many in Scotland are totally unaware of who Robert Burns was, and
what he means to many around the world. The World of Robert Burns costs
ú79.95 +p&p +VAT from Cambridgeshire Software House (or ú95 through
Archive), and is worth every penny.áu
9.4
SnapHappy
9.4
Kristy Clarke
9.4
Whilst wandering amidst the hustle and bustle of the latest Acorn User
show, my Dad happened to discover a program called SnapHappy which, at
the time, seemed fairly boring. It was only when Iáreturned home and
started playing about with it that I realised how easy to use and
effective it was. You can make film animations from only two frames, the
result looking a lot more complicated than it really was. Before you
lose interest and think, öI donæt need anything like thatò, I ought to
tell that the results are impressive.
9.4
Uses
9.4
It can be put to uses that you wouldnæt think of at first. For example,
I had to produce an I.S. project, which I based on a school play. One of
the things Iáchose to do was a user guide (for the system I designed for
selling tickets). As it would have been rather uninteresting just to
have paper copy, I decided to use SnapHappy to make an animated user
guide, which the users could follow through as they sold the tickets.
9.4
Results
9.4
The first version was only four frames long, yet served the purpose I
required. It was only later that I realised I had omitted a factor and
found it impossible to add the extra frame once I had stopped recording
Ö I had to remake the film.
9.4
Reactions
9.4
The people I showed the animations to, were impressed and thought they
were a lot harder to produce than they were; they were also different
from any similar other displays they had seen.
9.4
How it works
9.4
Basically, SnapHappy takes a picture of the desktop and links it
together in a film. This means that you can make films using any
application which works in the desktop. It is perfect for providing
demos of how to use a certain feature and show the results, or to create
a brief instructional guide.
9.4
Basic Éfeaturesæ
9.4
Before you start recording, you have to save the film Ö be warned in
case it gets too big. Then a pointer with a camera attachment appears
and you have to use <select> to outline the area you want to use for the
animation. Itæs useful to have the program window(s) there first, as it
automatically takes a picture. You then change the objects in the
window, and take a picture by clicking on the SnapHappy icon. (It makes
a camera sound effect to inform you that it has just taken a picture Ö
although this can be switched off.) All this seems simple, until you
accidentally move the frame and canæt get in the right place again Ö in
which case, itæs handy to know that if you press <Shift> and <Alt> at
the same time, SnapHappyæs guide frame appears.
9.4
The disc
9.4
The program comes on a standard 800Kb disc, and along with SnapHappy,
you get the PD version of !Projector Ö this is the format SnapHappy uses
to save the films. You also get some examples which show you what sort
of results you can get.
9.4
Presentation
9.4
This leaves something to be desired but, as they say, never judge a
program by its box. My version was in a plastic bag with an A4 folded
manual Ö fine, except that, when youære paying approximately ú20, you
tend to expect, at the very least, a fancy box.
9.4
Conclusion
9.4
SnapHappy is the sort of program thatæs always useful to have, but
whether itæs worth buying just in case is a different matter. You can
certainly have fun playing around with it making instructions and films
and, if you use it in conjunction with SmArt, you can produce some
hilarious results.
9.4
SnapHappy costs ú20 +VAT (single user) or ú80 +VAT for a site licence
from Dial Solutions.áuá
9.4
*a.k.a. Gabriel (Dominic) Swords
9.4
Products Available
9.5
In preparing this magazine, I held back these first eight pages and sent
the rest to the printers. I knew Acorn were making certain
Éannouncementsæ at BETT and I wanted Archive readers to be the first to
know about them. Here are the three main announcements:
9.5
(1) Acorn have signed an agreement with Oracle (see page 7 for details).
9.5
(2) They have launched Acorn MediaRange Ö a whole new conceptual
approach to education, and not just a new range of products (details on
page 7).
9.5
(3)áThere are A7000áprice cuts, and two new computer variants Ö see
Products Available below.
9.5
The first of these three is easy enough to comprehend, although the
implications, in terms of technological development, will emerge with
time, and the last is also very straight forward. Acorn MediaRange,
however, is much more difficult to digest, involving new concepts and
new jargon. After spending a day walking round the BETT Show collecting
product information, arriving back in Norwich at 8.30 p.m. and having to
finish the magazine before I can go to bed, I canæt do much more than
give a brief overview of Acornæs strategy (page 7).
9.5
What I really need is an Archive contributor who can digest the Acorn
literature, and interpret it for the rest of us (in time for the next
issue?!). This needs to be someone with an appreciation of educational
theory because Acorn are not just generating a set of new products to
meet existing needs Ö they are actively involved in the development of
education as it tries to respond within our increasingly information-
rich society. Any offers of help will be gratefully received. Ed.
9.5
17ö monitor for RiscPC Ö The AKF85 is now no more. It has been replaced
by the AKF90 which is ú382 extra to the cost of the Acorn 14ò (instead
of ú326 extra for the AKF85). The AKF90 has on-screen setup including
rotation and colour temperature. However, the resolution (0.28mm dot
pitch) is not quite as good as the AKF85 (0.27mm). This makes the Iiyama
alternatives much more attractive by comparison. The 8617 flat-screen
17ö is ú400 extra and the 9017 Diatron 17ò (0.26mm slot width) is ú480
extra. (If you want to buy either of these better monitors with a
RiscPC, you need to fill in a ÉSpecialist Purchase Formæ Ö give us a
ring and we will send you one.) (Let me declare an interest here... the
dealer margin is better on the Iiyama monitors, so we make more profit
if you buy them rather than the Acorn one! We havenæt seen an AKF90 yet,
but I have no hesitation in saying that both of the Iiyama monitors are
definitely better than the AKF85. Ed.)
9.5
20/20 extended Ö Acornæs 20 month interest free loan scheme has been so
successful that it has been extended until further notice. (Details were
given in 9.1 p2 but ring the NCS office if you arenæt sure how it all
works.)
9.5
A3020/A4000 discontinued Ö Because of new regulations coming into force
on 1/1/96, the A3020 and A4000 can no longer be sold into schools. (They
are, however, still available through the Tesco scheme Ö they bought
them from Acorn in 1995.)
9.5
A7000 price drop Ö All A7000 computers have been reduced in price by
ú100 +VAT so that the entry level 2Mb network-only version (AMC01) is
ú675 +VAT including a 14ö monitor. The 2Mb/425Mb model (AMC02) is ú699
+VAT and the 4Mb/425Mb (AMC03) is ú775 +VAT. One new variant now
available is a 4Mb network-only A7000 (AMC04) at ú749 +VAT.
9.5
Acorn RiscPC 700X Ö Almost available is a RiscPC Unix box, which uses a
17ö Iiyama monitor to give a high enough resolution. The ACB96 with
AKF96 monitor has software which allows you to swap X resolutions and
colour depths at the click of a mouse button to suit different tasks
(1280╫1024      8-bit, 1024╫786 16-bit or 800╫600 24-bit). Up to eight
independent X screens can be supported simultaneously and you can hot-
key between Xáterminal and desktop applications. The ACB96 costs ú2,199
+VAT.
9.5
Acorn RiscPC PC card upgrade Ö Acorn are very keen to encourage RiscPC
owners to move up from the original SX33 PC cards to the faster cards.
To do so, they are offering very generous rebates on old cards: ú117 if
you buy a DX2-66 or a DX4-100 and ú235 if you go for the new 5x86-100
(which are expected to arrive by the end of January).
9.5
This discounted upgrade is available from Acorn-by-Post (Vector
Marketing), or through Acorn Centres of Technology. It is not available
through the normal dealer channel.
9.5
You can send your old card back to us with the order, and just pay the
upgrade price. If you donæt want to be without your old card, send a
cheque for the value of the discount (ú117 or ú235). We will hold this
cheque and reserve the right to bank it if the old card is not returned
to us within 14 days. Then when you return the old card, we will destroy
the cheque.
9.5
So, the VAT inclusive prices are as follows:
9.5
Code  Spec  RRP  Upgrade  Discount
9.5
ACA53  DX2-66  ú293  ú175  ú117
9.5
ACA56  DX4-100  ú351  ú234  ú117
9.5
ACA57  5x86-100  ú586  ú351  ú235
9.5
So, to reiterate, if you want a DX2-66, then send either your old card
and a cheque for ú175 or a cheque for ú175 and a cheque for ú117. If you
want a DX4-100, send either your old card and a cheque for ú234 or a
cheque for ú234 and a cheque for ú117. If you want a 5x86, send either
your old card and a cheque for ú351 or a cheque for ú351 and a cheque
for ú235.
9.5
Acorn RiscPC with PC card Ö Acorn are now offering all the PC cards at a
discount price when purchased at the same time as a RiscPC.
9.5
Code  Spec  RRP  Special price
9.5
ACA52  SXL-33  ú234     ú116
9.5
ACA53  DX2-66  ú291     ú175
9.5
ACA56  DX4-100  ú351     ú234
9.5
ACA57  5x86-100  ú586     ú469
9.5
Archive Internet Glossary Ö The glossary is growing rapidly and is now
over 9,500 words (plus the 11,500 words of the main Archive glossary).
These glossaries are available on a single disc for ú5.
9.5
CD drives Ö The range of Eesox CD drives continues to expand. There is
now a Platinum 6.7 speed SCSI drive which costs ú390 inclusive through
Archive for RiscPC or ú465 as an external version. For the RiscPC
(only), there is a six speed ATAPI drive for only ú240. The price of the
Eesox quad speed ATAPI drive is now ú140.
9.5
ARM Club Ö At the Acorn World Show, the ARM Club launched its new ARM
Club CD-ROM, containing the best of their PD and Shareware collection.
Also available from the club is the new GameOn! release 2. The CD-ROM
costs ú19.50. GameOn! 2 costs ú15 or ú5 for the upgrade from release 1.
9.5
Clearview 2, from DEC_dATA, is a hypertext/multimedia application that
allows you to view information and topics via an indexing and cross-
referencing system. Cross references to other places in a document, or
other ClearView documents, are shown with an underlined word Ö the user
simply clicks to go straight to the reference. External files and
applications can be run from the ClearView page, allowing drawfiles to
be loaded into Draw, or Replay files to be shown etc. There are full
search facilities, including the ability to search for two words/phrases
that are near each other. Clearview 2 Advanced allows a fully working
ClearView file to be quickly compiled using just Edit. ClearView looks
after the text formatting, with no problems of text flowing out of a
frame.
9.5
ClearView Standard and ClearView 2 Advanced cost ú10 and ú33.19 +VAT +
p&p respectively from DEC_dATA.
9.5
Clipart Ö New from DEC_dATA is a collection of clipart covering the
Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, and Greek and Romans. Aimed at Key Stage 2,
each collection consists of full colour drawfiles accessed via a
ClearView file. The file shows each graphic as a small thumbnail, and
has a hot link to load the picture into Draw. In addition, a few lines
of information are given on each picture to help the pupil and teacher
put the image into context. The discs include maps, people of the time,
transport, artifacts, tools, art and music. Each collection costs ú10
+VAT +p&p from DEC_dATA.
9.5
Cumana products ARE available Ö Following a month of trading under
administrative receivership, Cumana Ltd, the Guildford-based
manufacturer of educational IT products, has been purchased by
Sheffield-based Economatics (Education) Ltd.
9.5
Economatics Education has formed a Cumana Products Division to
complement its existing educational technology products business. The
new division plans to offer the full range of Cumana own brand and
related products, including a wide range of CD-ROM drives, the proTeus
optical drive and the SCSI II interface.
9.5
ÉCumanaæ will continue to focus its attention on high quality products
and services aimed specifically at the home and education markets, with
particular emphasis, as always, on the Acorn platform.
9.5
While administrative, distribution and accounts services will be handled
by the Sheffield office, we hope our customers will be pleased to hear
that the core of the sales, support and development team are all
employees of the original Cumana.
9.5
The team, under new management, would like to thank all those who
offered their support through a difficult time, and look forward to
doing business with you again soon.
9.5
Paul McKinnon <[e-mail]>
9.5
Easy Clip from Fabis Computing, does for clipart what Easy Font and Font
Directory do for fonts. It has the capacity to store over half a million
images in most common filetypes, and even compresses them to between 35
and 60%. Features include: large thumbnails of graphics for easy access,
virtual memory manager for thumbnail display; drag and drop between
groups and applications; preview of images in a scalable window. Easy
Clip costs ú35 (no VAT).
9.5
ESP Software Midi synthesizer Ö This software-only Midi synthesizer
developed by ESP, as we said last month, öis designed to work on any
RISC OS machine although best results will be achieved if you have 16-
bit sound capabilityò. However, ESP have not yet got it working properly
on RISCáOS 3.1, so please check before ordering it. It costs ú39.95 +VAT
from ESP or ú45 through Archive.
9.5
EZ135 drives Ö (pronounced öEasy135ò Ö a case of bad cross-Atlantic
translation!) We now have the IDE internal version in stock. These are
3╜ö devices but they come ready-mounted in a 5╝ò frame, so you can fit
them into either size bay on a RiscPC at no extra cost. I tested them
for speed by comparing them with a 270Mb removable drive. I copied a
single 4.6Mb file and then a directory with 182 files in it, totalling
4.6Mb. The resultant (effective) speeds were as follows.
9.5
  270Mb  EZ135
9.5
Single file  1350Kb/s  950Kb/s  (70%)
9.5
182 files  104Kb/s  80Kb/s  (77%)
9.5
So, from these brief tests, the drives seem to be about ╛ the speed of
the larger drives Ö not bad when you consider the price differences.
Complete with one cartridge, they cost ú240 inclusive (cf ú370) and the
extra cartridges are ú20 each (cf ú55). Remember though that the
disadvantage of using IDE removables is that IDE was never intended for
use with removables and you need special software (which we supply with
it) to allow the cartridges to be dismounted without switching the
computer off.
9.5
There is an external SCSI version (no dismounting problems!) due öby the
end of the weekò (but I have been told that several times!) which will
also be excellent value at ú290 including one cartridge.
9.5
GT5000 A4 flatbed scanner Ö Epson have released a new A4 flatbed scanner
with a low price tag Ö ú490 including PC software (we canæt buy it
without!) and Acorn software. The optics are 300 dpi. This compares with
the GT8500 (400dpi) and GT9000 (600dpi) at ú710 and ú830 respectively.
The GT5000 comes with a parallel interface and so can only be used with
A5000 or later computers that have a bi-directional parallel interface.
9.5
HP Laserjet 5L Ö An exciting new 600 dpi, 4 ppm laser printer from HP
which has received a very good (unsolicited) review from Keith Parker
(see page 45). It has a small Éfootprintæ and a low price of ú480
inclusive of VAT and carriage through Archive.
9.5
iTV Ö Irlam Instrumentsæ integrated television support for their 24i16
digitiser provides high quality television reception, including teletext
and NICAM stereo audio decoder. Cacheing software provides instant
access to teletext pages, plus network capability. SWI interface with
documentation allows users to write their own specialised applications.
iTV costs ú169 +VAT + p&p from Irlam or ú193 through Archive.
9.5
MenuBar, from Beebug, is a different way of accessing often-used
directories, applications and files, from the usual RISC OS way. In
operation, it is similar to the filer and the pinboard, but it is
presented as a slim bar of pull-down menus at the top of the screen,
complementing the iconbar at the bottom. Menus may be dragged or clicked
open and shut. The menubar may contain up to ten menus, each with up to
30 objects (i.e. directories, applications or files). It is very simple
to add, reposition and remove objects or Menus. MenuBar allows you to
organise files to suit the way you work Ö regardless of the way they are
stored on disc. Each Menu may be given a name so that, for example, you
could arrange for ÉDTPæ to hold !Printers, !Style, !MultiChrs and a data
directory. Or you might have ÉToolsæ containing !Measure, !CloseFile,
!WimpAid, !Pointer, !Flags, !Magnifier, etc. The important point is that
all these objects can be run from within MenuBar by double-clicking or
dragging. Moreover, the Menus are instantly available: no frustrating
delays while you dig deep into the filer hierarchy waiting for all the
icons to be read. By including MenuBar in your Boot sequence, your most
important files are available from the MenuBar on start-up, and no need
for any more messy backdrops! MenuBar requires RISC OS 3.1 or greater.
It works with hard or floppy discs, and costs ú11.95 +VAT +p&p from
Beebug or ú15 through Archive.
9.5
Meta Converter, from Keysoft, is a small utility for converting Windows
metafiles into drawfiles. Metafiles are widely used throughout the PC
world as they can be manipulated more easily than bitmaps and they can
be scaled and rotated without introducing jagged edges. Many PC
magazines give these files away each month on their cover discs
(sometimes in their thousands), and they are also available very cheaply
through the public domain and from several software companies. Meta
Converter costs ú15.99 inclusive from Gordon Key.
9.5
Mice Ö Having sold off my huge stock of (about 150) genuine Acorn mice
at Acorn World 95, I find that I cannot get any more from that supplier
and have to go direct to the Acorn Spares Department. This means that
the price for Acorn mice will have to go up to ú25. However, thanks to
one of the subscribers, we have located a supply of öAcorn compatibleò
mice which we can sell at ú15. (I am tempted to talk about öthe best
laid plans...ò but Iáwonæt!)
9.5
Pages, from SEMERC, is an easy-to-use word processing package. It has
been designed to be as close as possible to paper and a pencil case and
is especially useful for young learners and those with special needs.
The user is given a page onto which they can click their chosen
position, and start typing. Once on the page, the text, words or
pictures can be moved around the screen, borders can be added or the
freehand tool used to doodle. Letters, words or sentences can be read
aloud to the learner and, with its built-in spell checker, errors can be
located as they are typed. Pages can be quickly tailored by the teacher
to suit the individual requirements of the child and it can even be used
as an early desktop publishing package. Pages costs ú49 +VAT from
SEMERC.
9.5
PAPERsoft Ltd have been building up a large collection of templates of
labels and pre-printed stationery from companies such as Avery and Paper
Direct. Each disc in the collection contains templates for a range of
papers and label sheets, enabling the user to apply text and graphics
within the limits of the paper design. So far, there are six discs in
the collection covering templates for Paper Direct (Business papers;
Fun/Theme and Christmas), Avery (Laser labels; Inkjet labels and Avery
Indexing System) and Fisher Clark (Laser and Inkjet labels). Template
sets are available for Impression, Artworks, Ovation, 1st Page, Textease
and Draw. Prices range from ú5.95 to ú17.95 from PAPERsoft.
9.5
Picture Book 2, from The Really Good Software Company, is made up of
five programs to help children with reading, spelling and counting.
AlphaBook is the program which lets you see and hear the words you are
using; Flashcard helps children recognise words with pictures or spoken
words; Countæem is a counting program with single or mixed pictures;
Spell It provides spelling from pictures at three grades of difficulty.
Finally, Snap is a game for up to three players matching pictures,
sounds or words.
9.5
Each program uses Picture Book 2æs unique Alphabet files with
professionally-drawn graphics by prize-winning illustrator Walter
Briggs, plus special sound effects and spoken words. Every program is
fully configurable; individually saved Choice files can be arranged to
automatically load a specific alphabet file and run the program with a
double-click of the mouse. To go with it, RGSC have designed AlphaEdit,
an easy-to-use application for creating Alphabet files for use with
Picture Book 2. You can combine Draw or Artwork files with sound and
spoken words to build up your own files tailored to your own purposes.
Picture Book 2 costs ú35 inclusive (if you return the original Picture
Book disc, you get a ú5 discount), and AlphaEdit costs ú15 inclusive
from RGSC.
9.5
Picture Puzzler, from Cambridgeshire Software House, is a program which
has been especially designed with the young in mind. It uses no language
whatsoever and is totally under the useræs control. It will accept any
sprite and divide it into a number of tiles. You simply put the tiles
back in the correct places. You can create 4 tiles with 1 missing, or up
to 36 tiles with 35 missing. Picture Puzzler comes with a range of
ready-made pictures.
9.5
Also from CSH comes What do you Know?, a quiz type program of over 2000
questions and answers, covering TV Soaps, History, Geography, General
Knowledge, Sport, The Arts and Science. It is aimed at age 4 to adult.
Picture Puzzler and What do you Know? each cost ú19.95 +VAT +p&p from
CSH.
9.5
Pioneer 6CD Jukebox Ö We are experiencing difficulty in getting hold of
enough of the Nakamichi quad speed 7-disc CD jukeboxes, but we have now
found a Pioneer jukebox that takes 6 CDs and is slightly faster, 4.4
speed. The Pioneer is ú590 through Archive.
9.5
Sherston Software have launched a number of new products. Arcventure IV
is the latest title in Sherstonæs Arcventure series and covers the Anglo
Saxon period. The package, for junior school pupils, is designed along
similar lines to the others in the series and is centred around an
archaeological dig in West Stow, Suffolk. Budding archaeologists using
the program are able to go back in time and unearth the facts about the
mystery objects they have found.
9.5
Cambridge University Press are in the process of launching a new reading
scheme called Cambridge Reading. To accompany the scheme, Sherston have
launched six new talking stories. The new Cambridge Reading Talking
Books feature Sherstonæs lively animations and amusing sound effects and
are narrated by Barry and Jill Wilsher, known to primary schools as the
ÉWords Aliveæ team.
9.5
Finally, Elf Tales is a new adventure series aimed at young children;
the first two titles are Elf King and Elf Magic. The programs
incorporate maths and language activities in the story lines, and
contain graphics and animations, as well as human speech, to introduce
children to sorting, sequencing and the basics of time, at two levels of
difficulty.
9.5
Arcventure IV Ö Anglo Saxons, is ú34.95 +VAT or ú39 through Archive; a
Primary site licence costs ú52.42 +VAT; Secondary licence is ú69.90
+VAT.
9.5
The Cambridge Reading Talking Books are available on Acorn, Windows and
Mac platforms and cost ú40 +VAT or ú45 through Archive.
9.5
Elf Tales, which includes both adventures, costs ú32.95 +VAT, or ú37
through Archive; a Primary site licence is ú49.43 +VAT from Sherston.
9.5
SimpleTouch is a new touch screen from MicroTouch and is being
distributed by Lindis International. SimpleTouch is a resistive screen
which can be attached to almost any normal computer screen, turning it
into a fully functional touch screen. The SimpleTouch software drivers
enable it to be used to control the computer instead of using a mouse,
thereby enabling the user to use virtually any software written for the
appropriate operating system. It plugs into the computeræs serial port,
and can be attached to the top of the computeræs screen by using a
velcro-type pad.
9.5
Continued from page 6...
9.5
The complete SimpleTouch kit for 14ö & 15ò monitors Ö including software
drivers, fitting-kit and cables Ö costs ú225 +VAT +p&p from Lindis.
9.5
Sound Byte Recorder, from VTi, consists of a microphone, interface and
software, allowing users to capture sound using the Recorderæs
microphone or any other source, such as hi-fi or tape recorder. Sounds
from these sources can be captured separately or recorded from both
simultaneously. Sound Byte Recorder can be used to record voice
commentary, sound effects or music to add to multimedia creations in
Genesis, Magpie, Ultima, Animator or other similar packages. At the
moment, VTi have a special offer of a free copy of Talking Canvas
Junior, making it possible to add sound to anything from simple talking
books to more sophisticated multimedia presentations. Sound Byte
Recorder costs ú39 +VAT +p&p from VTi.
9.5
The Patience Addict Ö Creative Curriculum Software seem to have realised
that The Patience Addict was somewhat under-priced, for what it offered,
at their introductory price. The price is now ú16.98 +VAT or ú19 through
Archive Ö but it is still very good value at that. (See review on p.27.)
9.5
The UK Internet Book Ö This 360 page book by Sue Schofield has chapters
on TCP/IP software, email, Usenet, ftp, Telnet, Archie, Gopher, Veronica
and the Worldwide Web. The UK Internet Book has been updated with a new
section on Internet issues and a PC format disc containing 3Mb of text
files on newsgroups, Listservs, FAQs etc. The price including the disc
is ú19.95 from Addison Wesley (ISBN 0-201-87731-7), or ú20 through
Archive including p&p.
9.5
TinyArt is a simple art package aimed at children aged 4/5 and is
designed to encourage the childæs individual creativity. Tools include:
pencil, circle, triangle, rectangle, spray, fill and eraser. An undo
feature reverses the last action performed by the user. Choices can be
set and then locked to prevent children changing the configuration; and
a Prevent Deletion option prevents the accidental deletion of pictures.
Tiny Art is ú14.95 inc. p&p from Rooksoft.
9.5
Touch Typing Tutor has been designed to meet the needs of visually
impaired people wanting to learn to touch type. It provides the means to
set up different colours, dimensions and styles of font for the exercise
text displayed. It also incorporates speech capability, to enable the
program to be used by totally blind people as well as partially sighted
people. The program can be used by older children and adults alone or,
for younger children, with help from a teacher. A full set of exercises
is provided, and it is easy for teachers to add their own. Touch Typing
Tutor costs ú24, fully inclusive, from the Research Centre for the
Education of the Visually Handicapped, at the University of Birmingham.
9.5
ViVID20 Ö RiscPC size desktops for older machines Ö ViVID20 requires a
VIDC enhancer and a true multisync monitor. It offers work areas up to
2048╫1232 including 1600╫1200 in 16 colours at 62Hz and up to 1472╫1070
in 256 colours via a mode selection utility similar to a RiscPC. All
resolutions also support 16 level greyscale and extended 4ácolour
dithering. The price is ú11.50 inclusive.
9.5
Review software received...
9.5
We have received review copies of the following: ÅCalabash Pirates (e),
ÅCine Clips (m), ÅFreddy Teddy Directions (e), ÅGeordian Lock (u),
ÅGraphic Text Adventure Creator (gu) ÅMenuBar (u) ÅMeta Converter (u),
ÅTechWriter/Pro (+EasiWriter2/Pro), ÅTinyArt (a), ÅViVID20 (u),
ÅXenakis16 (m).
9.5
a=Art, e=Education, g=Games, m=Multimedia, u=Utility, w=wordprocessing/
DTP.
9.5
If you would like to review any of these products, please contact the
Archive office. Potential reviewers will need to show that they would
use the product in a professional capacity or that they have some
knowledge of the particular field.áuá
9.5
Abacus Training  (Gerald Fitton) 29 Okus Grove, Upper Stratton, Swindon,
Wilts, SN2 6QA. (01793¡723347) [01793¡723347]
9.5
Acorn Computers Ltd  Acorn House, Vision Park, Histon, Cambridge, CB4
4AE. (01223¡254254) [01223¡254262]
9.5
Acorn¡by¡Post  13 Dennington Road, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 2BR.
(01933¡279300)
9.5
Anglia Multimedia  Anglia House, Norwich, NR1 3JG. (01603¡615151)
[01603¡631032]
9.5
ANT Ltd  P.O.Box 300, Cambridge, CB1 2EG. (01223¡567808) [01223¡567801]
<[e-mail]>
9.5
APDL  39 Knighton Park Road, Sydenham, London, SE26 5RN.
9.5
Apricote Studios  2 Purls Bridge Farm, Manea, Cambridgeshire, PE15 0ND.
(01354¡680432)
9.5
Argonet (a.k.a. VTi)  Unit 1, The Shopwhyke Centre, Shopwhyke Road,
Chichester, PO20 6GD. (01243¡531194) [01243¡531196]
<[e-mail]>
9.5
ARM Club  Freepost ND6573, London, N12 0BR. (0171¡624¡9918)
[0181¡446¡3020]
9.5
Audio Dynamics  10 Durnford Close, Norden, Rochdale OL12 7RX.
(01706¡868803) [01706¡868803]
9.5
Beebug Ltd  117 Hatfield Road, St Albans, Herts, AL1 4JS. (01727¡840303)
[01727¡860263]
9.5
Cambridgeshire Software House  8 Bramley Road, St Ives, PE17 4WS.
(01480¡467945) [01480¡496442]
9.5
Clares Micro Supplies  98 Middlewich Road, Rudheath, Northwich,
Cheshire, CW9 7DA. (01606¡48511) [01606¡48512]
<[e-mail]>
9.5
Clips Round the Year  (C. Jarman) Wyke Hill House, Cheriton Close,
Winchester,  SO22  5HN.  (01962¡862227) [01962¡862227]
<[e-mail]>
9.5
Computer Concepts  Gaddesden Place, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 6EX.
(01442¡63933) [01442¡231632]
9.5
Concept Keyboard Co.  Moorside Road, Winnall Industrial Estate,
Winchester, SO23á7RX. (01962¡843322) [01962Ö841657]
9.5
Creative Curriculum Software  5 Clover Hill Road, Savile Park, Halifax,
HX1 2YG. (01422¡340524) [01422¡346388]
9.5
Cumana Ltd  Boundary House, The Pines, Broad Street, Guildford, GU3 3BH.
(01483¡570295) [01483¡451371] <[e-mail]>
9.5
Dalriada Data Technology  145 Albion Street, Kenilworth, Warkwickshire,
CV8 2FY. (01926¡53901)
9.5
DEC_dATA  P.O.Box 97, Exeter, EX4 4YA. (01392¡221702)
<[e-mail]>
9.5
Doggysoft  Furzefield House, Furzefield Road, Beaconsfield, Bucks, HP9
1PQ. (01494¡673222) [01494¡675878] <[e-mail]>
9.5
Eesox  Suite 8C, Newton House, 147 St Neots Road, Hardwick, Cambridge,
CB3á7QJ. (01954¡212263) [01954¡212263]
9.5
ESP  21 Beech Lane, West Hallam, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, DE7 6GP.
(0115¡929¡5019) [0115¡929¡5019]
9.5
Fabis Computing  Sarford House, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 9SL.
(01283¡552761)
9.5
Irlam Instruments  133 London Road, Staines, Middlesex TW18 4HN.
(01895¡811401) <[e-mail]>
9.5
Keysoft (Gordon Key)  Ferndorf, Tarporley Road, Norcott Brook,
Warrington, Cheshire, WA4á4DY.
9.5
Lindis International  Wood Farm, Linstead Magna, Halesworth, Suffolk,
IP19 0DU. (01986¡785477) [01986¡785460]
9.5
Longman Logotron  124 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4
4ZS. (01223¡425558) [01223¡425349]
9.5
Magnetic Image  3 Larkspur Close, Witham, Essex, CM8 2YQ. (01376¡500590)
[01376¡340567]
9.5
Matt Black  6 Henry Court, Henry Street, Peterborough, PE1 2QG.
(01733¡315439)
9.5
Papersoft Ltd  10 Dunlin Road, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 6LU.
(01442¡391967) <[e-mail]>
9.5
Repair Zone  421 Sprowston Road, Norwich, NR3 4EH. (01603¡400477)
9.5
Research Centre for the Education of the Visually Handicapped,
University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT.
(0121¡414¡6733) [0121¡414¡4865]
9.5
Rooksoft  8 Park Avenue, Wokingham, Berks, RG40 2AJ. (01734¡781150)
9.5
SEMERC  1 Broadbent Road, Watersheddings, Oldham, OL1 4LB.
(0161¡627¡4469)
9.5
Sherston Software  Angel House, Sherston, Malmesbury, Wilts. SN16 0LH.
(01666¡840433) [01666¡840048] <[e-mail]>
9.5
The Really Good Software Company    39 Carisbrooke Road, Harpenden,
Herts., AL5 5QS.
9.5
Topologika  Islington Wharf, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 8AT. (01326¡377771)
[01326¡377771] <[e-mail]>
9.5
VTi  Unit 1, The Shopwhyke Centre, Shopwhyke Road, Chichester, PO20 6GD.
(01243¡531194) [01243¡531196] <[e-mail]>
9.5
WECC  Manor Hall, Sandy Lane, Leamington Spa, CV32 6RD. (01926¡413741)
[01926¡413748]
9.5
Archive Monthly Disc
9.5
u Arcscan data files Ö Updates for volume 8 and part of 9.
9.5
u Files from Gerald Fittonæs ColumnáÖápage 15.
9.5
u Starting Basic programs from Ray Favre Ö page 59.
9.5
u Pocket Book Column: Password protection program by Andrew Baldwin Ö
page 73.
9.5
u Three utilities from Robert Lytton: !LooknFind (multi-file searching),
!CASE2case (changes case or length of filenames in bulk) and !Calendars
(data files for calendars). See page 35.
9.5
u Demonstration of a manual signal box by Chris Hall.
9.5
P.B.
9.5
Paul Beverley
9.5
Acornæs future
9.5
In my comments last month, I said öWatch this spaceò because I had a gut
feeling that some exciting things were brewing at Acorn. I promise you,
that was genuine Ö I hadnæt been given any direct indication from Acorn
about any of the things which have since been announced. The Stop Press
sheet that we added into the magazine, just before it was mailed, was
written as the news began to break and Acornæs share price began to
soar. There isnæt space here to cover all that is happening for Acorn,
so look at the Products Available section and the articles on pages 11
and 12.
9.5
Archiveæs 100
9.5
We had a great celebration at N║ 96a in December as we sent out Archive
Number 100 Ö thanks for all the positive comments, by the way. As we
celebrated, many people said, öHereæs to the next 100 Archives!ò Hmmm!
Iæm not quite sure about that... but who knows?! Anyway, thanks for your
support for the first 100!
9.5
Enjoy N║ 101!
9.5
Norwich Computer Services    96a Vauxhall Street, Norwich, NR2 2SD.
(01603-766592) [01603-764011]
9.5
<[e-mail]>  OR  <[e-mail]>  OR
<[e-mail]>
9.5
Fact-File
9.5
Key: (phone)áá[fax]áá<email>
9.5
Government Health Warning Ö Reading this could seriously affect your
spiritual health
9.5
öItæs all very well saying that Christianity is radical and growing, and
that we ought to go on an Alpha course to find out about it, but why
Christianity? Why not Islam or Hinduism or Buddhism? Arenæt they all
equally valid?ò
9.5
Well, Éall roads lead to Godæ is certainly a very attractive idea. Itæs
tolerant, itæs inclusive, it avoids conflict and itæs very convenient in
our multi-cultural society. (Be careful though Ö it may just be an
excuse for not taking any one of them seriously!) I do have a major
problem with this view. I donæt want to know whether such-and-such a
religion is Éhelpfulæ or Éattractiveæ, or even Épopularæ Ö I want to
know whether it is true.
9.5
Iæm not trying to be awkward or to pick a fight, but I cannot see how
the different religions can all be equally true. The Christian says that
Jesus was God in human form (Jesus is ÉEmmanuelæ, God with us) Ö but
thatæs blasphemy to the Muslim who says that he was simply a prophet.
The Christian says Jesus was the Messiah who fulfilled all the
prophecies in the Old Testament Ö the Jew says that the Messiah hasnæt
come yet and Jesus most certainly was not God. The Christian says that
God has spoken in the past, supremely Éspokeæ by coming to earth in
person Ö but, to Buddhists, there isnæt such a thing as ÉGodæ, certainly
not a personal God who knows us and loves us and who can be known,
worshipped and loved, as the Christian maintains.
9.5
What about the Hindus? Well, they seem very tolerant of different ideas.
Indeed, one Indian story purports to show how all these apparently
contradictory views can be unified. A ruler once brought three men,
blind from birth, into his palace and allowed them to come into contact
with one of his elephants. öDescribe to me what an elephant is likeò, he
said. In response, he got three totally different descriptions. Why? One
had hold of the elephantæs tail, one had a leg and the other held the
trunk.
9.5
In other words, God is so big, so Éotheræ, that we canæt possibly know
the whole. Each of us encounters Épartæ of God, and therefore
experiences him in a different, apparently contradictory, way. Well, it
seems a nice idea, but I still have this urge to know what the real
truth is. Will someone please tell me which is the true truth? But maybe
it doesnæt matter, maybe I can just select any Étruthæ that suits me...
Let me extend the story...
9.5
There was a fourth blind man Ö he got hold of a drain pipe instead of
the elephant! Who is going to tell him that he has not got hold of the
real thing? Who has a big enough view of God to tell me whether my
chosen road is valid? For all I know, it may be leading me in the
opposite direction! How do I know whether, say, Mormonism is one of the
roads that leads to God? Or what about Spiritualism? Or even Satanism?
9.5
Jesus tells us that God wants us to know what he is like Ö that was why
he came to earth. He wants us to relate to God as children to a loving
Father. Another way the bible talks about our relationship with God is
likening it to a marriage where we are the bride and He is the groom Ö a
relationship of tenderness and intimacy.
9.5
I have met this God. I love Him. He is fantastic. You can know Him too.
Please check it out. Talk to a Christian friend or ring the Alpha
Coordinator on 0171-581-8255.
9.5
ViVID20 & VideoTrak Reviews
9.5
ViVID20 Ö This product was reviewed last month. However, the review had
been Éon the stocksæ for quite some time and the reviewer was one of
only two customers (iSV have sold 438 copies at the latest count) who
have reported problems. The other person was also trying to use an early
version of ViVID20 with a Watford VIDC enhancer! Both customers returned
the ViVID20 to iSV and received a full refund.
9.5
iSV have long since upgraded ViVID20 and, quite rightly, feel that they
would like to see their product re-reviewed.
9.5
We apologise for any wrong impressions created by the review. The
reviewer commented on his experience in good faith, although he did not
attempt to obtain a fix from iSV for the problems he was experiencing.
(iSV provide technical support by phone or post and operate a free
upgrade scheme if the master disc is returned with SAE.) We accepted the
review in good faith, although, in view of the long delay before
publishing, we should have checked with iSV that this was sufficiently
up-to-date to reflect the current situation, but it is not our general
policy to allow companies to vet reviews of their own products. (I may
be asking reviewers of other products to do a bit of checking where I
have had the review for some time.)
9.5
So, to set the record straight, would someone be willing to review
ViVID20, please? Also, would existing users like to send in their
comments? Thanks, and again, sorry for the unnecessary grief we have
caused to iSV.
9.5
VideoTrak Ö Steve Turnbull writes, öI have just read the review of
VideoTrak that you printed in the Jan æ96 issue of Archive. It would
have been a fair review except for the fact Andy Watson must have been
using quite an old version of VideoTrak:
9.5
1. The current version certainly has much better output facilities, the
CSV saving is fully configurable and does not have the strange numbers
he found. The reason for not providing Éflexibleæ report output is that,
as individual needs vary, it is more useful to provide the powerful CSV
output option for transfer to any WP/DTP package. (Personally, I found
the standard report form fine Ö but then I wrote it!)
9.5
2. S-Base applications do use a lot of memory, but the memory limit has
nothing to do with the number of records entered (which was implied) as
all data is stored on disc. Since he is using an early version, he may
have had a problem with a memory leak.
9.5
3. The manual is a problem which is being addressed. A new version will
be shipped by the end of January. However, as he pointed out, the
program is quite intuitive.
9.5
Another feature which didnæt exist on the version Andy tested was the
ability to edit multiple records simultaneously with changing record
links being kept up-to-date even in records being edited.áuá
9.5
Archive Announces...
9.5
Special offer Ö Ex-demo...
9.5
Pocket Book A-Link Ö Full price ú50, yours for only ú35 (12-monthsæ
warranty!). Please ring or email Ö first come, first served.áuá
9.5
Special offer Ö 270Mb SyQuest SCSI drives for RiscPC or A5000. We have
over-stocked, so until stock levels diminish, they are ú320 (normally
ú370). This price includes fixings and cable and one cartridge. (Extra
cartridges ordered with drive, ú50.)áuá
9.5
Competition winner...
9.5
The winner of the crossword competition set by Mijas Software was R G
Shrubsall of Newcastle-on-Tyne who will be receiving a copy of ArcSimp
III, the electronic simulation package. In case you want to see where
you went wrong, here are the answers are shown above.áuá
9.5
Two yearsæ free Archive!
9.5
I just thought I would make another mention of our scheme to encourage
Archive subscribers to convert people to using Acorn computers.
9.5
Conversion bonus scheme Ö One of the best ways of convincing people that
it is worth being different is to show them what the Acorn computers can
actually do. No-one believes adverts but, time and again, people have
been Éconvertedæ by seeing the systems in action. (Sibelius users are at
an advantage here! I reckon that more systems have been bought just to
use Sibelius than any other single package.)
9.5
This is where you can help, especially if you have a RiscPC. Show them
your computer, give them a brochure (copies available from NCS) and see
if you can convince them to buy Acorn.
9.5
As an incentive, if you can convince someone who has never owned a
RISCáOS computer to purchase an A7000 or a RiscPC (from NCS, of
course!), we will extend your subscription by a further twelve months,
free of charge, and weæll also give your friend a free subscription to
Volume 9, i.e. ending September 1996. What is more, if the system they
buy includes a CD drive, weæll give them a free copy of the Archive
CD.áuá
9.5
Acorn and CHRP
9.5
Nick Chalk
9.5
(Nick very kindly agreed to write the following two articles picking up
on some of the news and rumours which abound at the moment. The
footnotes for the first article appear at the end of the second article!
Ed.)
9.5
The Common Hardware Reference Platform (CHRP Ö pronounced öchirpò!) is a
standard developed by Motorola, IBM and Apple, the PowerPC consortium.
It defines a PowerPC-based computer with a common set of features. The
aim is to create a Éclone-PowerPCæ market, similar to that which
currently exists for the PC. The idea is that software companies can
produce applications for the ÉReferenceæ machine, which may then be used
on a CHRP machine from any manufacturer. What IBM achieved by market
dominance, the PowerPC consortium are aiming to do by committee.
9.5
The platform
9.5
The Reference Platform is roughly as follows. It must use a PowerPC
processor, but must also support a second processor, an x86 for example.
It must provide for an OS in ROM, primarily for Appleæs Toolbox. Other
internal requirements are support for dual-port VRAM, 16 bit sound and
Éhigh-performance scalable memory systemsæ Ö more on that when I manage
to find out what it is! The expansion bus must be PCI, with optional
bridges to ISA or EISA busses. Expansion cards should configure
themselves automatically (I wonder who they borrowed that idea from?),
and it is recommended that the graphics and hard drive controllers are
connected to the PCI bus.
9.5
The PowerPC consortiumæs aim is that this system should be able to run
several operating systems, namely Windows NT, OS/2, AIX1 and the Mac OS.
Currently, Windows NT 3.51 and AIX 4.1 will run on CHRP, with OS/2 and
Solaris2 following later in æ96. Apple already have their System 7.5
running on PowerPC PowerMacs, but are planning an entirely new OS for
CHRP.
9.5
How does Acorn fit in?
9.5
What has this to do with Acorn? At Acorn World, Peter Bondar, Director
of ART, revealed that his division is working on the RiscPC mark 3; he
also announced that it would be a CHRP design.
9.5
From the description of the standard above, it can be seen that this is
a logical step forward for Acorn. They already have experience of
designing multi-processor machines, especially Éheterogeneousæ ones, and
running multiple OSæs simultaneously. Few other groups outside of
University research departments have such experience. Modifying the
RiscPC to the CHRP standard will not be an easy task Ö an almost
complete re-design Ö but it will radically improve the architecture. A
higher performance memory system is promised, important for both the
PowerPC and StrongARM. A PCI expansion bus, 32 bits wide and running at
33MHz, will be a great improvement over the current system, and will
allow a very wide range of devices to be connected to the RiscPC.
9.5
The other players
9.5
Perhaps the most significant result of adopting CHRP will be to finally
kill off the ÉItæs not Industry Standardæ complaints. By the time the
RiscPC mark 3 emerges, it will hopefully be one of a number of CHRP
machines, able to run five or six operating systems and all the
applications that go with them. IBM, Apple and Motorola are already
committed to CHRP, providing OS/2, AIX and Mac OS. Even Microsoft is
hedging its bets, releasing Windows NT ÉWorkstationæ and, soon, MS
Office. WordPerfect for PowerPC is also on the way. Also, there is
support from one of the most popular Unix workstation manufacturers, Sun
Microsystems, who are releasing their ÉSolarisæ OS. Novell are also in
on the act, porting ÉUnixwareæ3 to the PowerPC.
9.5
The processor
9.5
So what is the PowerPC processor, and how powerful is it? First of all,
there are three versions the 601, 603 and 604. Another three are
planned, the 602, 615 and 620. Taking them in chronological order, the
601 was the first model, a 32-bit RISC processor for desktop machines.
This was followed by the 603, for portables, and then the latest
version, the 604. Of the future devices, the 602 is aimed at Éconsumer
applicationsæ, the 615 is (allegedly) a PowerPC / x86 hybrid4, and the
620 is a 64-bit workhorse!
9.5
The most interesting at the moment is the 604 which has just supplanted
the 601 as the desktop PowerPC chip. I could say that it is a 32-bit
superscalar RISC design with dynamic branch prediction and a four-way
set associative cache, but that doesnæt mean a great deal to me either!
Instead, Iæll draw upon a couple of reviews of desktop machines using
the 604.
9.5
For those familiar with the SPEC benchmarks, a review of the Motorola
PowerPC DT604-100 (100MHz clocked 604, price ú2,550) awarded a SPECint92
of 123, and a SPECfp92 of 119. For everyone else, hereæs a comparative
benchmark from Byte of an IBM PowerSeries 850 (133MHz clocked 604, price
$7,017 5). Relative to the performance of a 90MHz Pentium (rated É1æ),
the IBM PowerPC achieved an Integer benchmark of 2.90, and a Floating
Point benchmark of 2.92.
9.5
In summary, here is a quotation from the Byte article: The 604 is
Éfaster than P6 and Mips, slower than Alpha, the PowerPC 604 makes a
mean NT Workstationæ.
9.5
So what will the new RiscPC look like? Several parts of the design are
constrained by the requirements of CHRP; the PowerPC, PCI bus, and fast
memory will definitely be part of the system, but beyond that is
speculation. ART could stay with the open processor bus concept,
providing slots for ARM, x86 and PowerPC processors. The new RiscPC
could then be marketed as an ARM machine, with an optional PowerPC card
to bring it to CHRP standard, or as a dual-processor system, with both
processors fitted. A machine running a StrongARM, a PowerPC, and an x86
is certainly a very interesting prospect.
9.5
On the operating system side, will RISC OS survive? By early æ97, when
the mark 3 is promised, we could be into Taos territory Ö with a
computer capable of multiprocessing with any card you give it.
9.5
Yes, the futureæs bright. Indeed, I would say the futureæs green Ö Acorn
green!áuá
9.5
Network Computing Devices
9.5
Nick Chalk
9.5
The Stop Press sheet with last monthæs Archive was probably the first
that most people had heard about this new market for Acorn. The Network
Computing Device (NCD) is a new concept aimed at widening both access to
the Internet, and computer use at home. Some of its proponents hope that
it will also wrest market share from the Intel-Microsoft duopoly.
9.5
These new developments have been brought about by the rapid rise of the
Internet as entertainment. The NCD is targeted at those people who are
not prepared to spend thousands of pounds on a general-purpose desktop
machine, when their sole interest is the Web. Current indications are
that the devices will be marketed in much the same way as Cable or
Satellite TV.
9.5
The basic concept is of a cheap and easy-to-use computer which will
bring the Worldwide Web to a mass market. The proposed system would
probably look somewhat like a Set-Top Box, using either a monitor or an
ordinary television. To meet the required price of $300 to $500, the NCD
would be without floppy or hard drive, but would rely on the Internet
connection to download software. The core operating system would be ROM-
based, allowing applications to be loaded from sites on the net as
required. Connection to the Internet could be by several means: Modem,
Cable TV, Ethernet or Online Media-like ATM network. One concession to
the current style of computer use might be a CD-ROM drive, to provide
access to multimedia CDs.
9.5
In place of a conventional desktop windowing system, the user would be
presented with a Web Browser. This would provide all the usual user-
interface functions, most of which would access the service provideræs
Internet site.
9.5
There are some big names involved. Leading the drive for NCDs are Sun
Microsystems, the workstation manufacturer, Netscape, of the Navigator
browser fame, and Oracle, the relational database software house. Sun
has developed a new programming language for the Web, known as Java.
This platform-independent system would allow a range of new media to be
added to a web browseræs repertoire, such as music, animation and real-
time interaction. Java is being adopted very quickly, with IBM and
Microsoft having already licensed the language, and Netscape and Sun
developing the HotJava browser to make use of it. Silicon Graphics (of
3D animation fame) is also eager to get into the market, and is pushing
its Virtual Reality Modelling Language.
9.5
Acornæs position in this market is similar to that of CHRP. They already
have a powerful, low-cost computer on the market Ö the A7000 Ö and an
even lower-cost set-top box. Somewhere between the two lies an ideal
Network Computing Device. Acorn already have experience of producing a
ROM operating system, discless workstations, child-proof devices; and
now ART and Online Media have the commercial freedom to license their
designs to others. There will be Éothersæ who have more international
marketing muscle, but none of the technical expertise, and Éothersæ such
as Sun, and IBM. Isnæt it wonderful to see the rest of the computing
world beginning to recognise Acornæs good ideas?! (Acornæs share price
is still continuing to rise steadily week by week! Ed.)
9.5
At the beginning of December, several newspapers ran articles on Acorn
and its supposed new Netsurfer product. Described as a stripped-down
A7000, Acorn was said to be in discussion with Éseveral US and Asian
companiesæ, with a view to licensing it. Oracle, in particular, was
mentioned as considering the Netsurfer as the basis of an Internet
package.6 ART admitted that they were talking to many Internet Épeopleæ,
and announced that they would be participating in the market in æ96,
with Éyet to be announced partnersæ.áuá
9.5
1 IBMæs flavour of Unix.
9.5
2 Sun Microsystemsæ flavour of Unix.
9.5
3 Yet another flavour of Unix.
9.5
4 IBM are currently denying that there is any such project, so itæs áááa
virtual certainty that it exists.
9.5
5 This price is for a machine with 64Mb RAM, 1 Gb SCSI hard ááádrive,
and PCI-based accelerated graphics.
9.5
6 The Times, Friday, 8th December, 1995.
9.5
Acornæs official line on all of this is that they have never announced
that they will be producing a netsurfer computer although they accept
that they clearly have the technology that would allow them to do so.
However, some other companies have made announcements: Apple, IBM and
Oracle have all said that they will be producing netsurfer type devices.
Ed.áuá
9.5
Alsystems
9.5
Powertec
9.5
New
9.5
Geraldæs Column
9.5
Gerald Fitton
9.5
I had expected that there would be some interest in my comments last
month about portable spreadsheets replacing calculators, particularly
since, in his 100th issue memoirs, Paul highlighted my column with such
a flattering editorial note. I was totally unprepared for the volume of
correspondence I received!
9.5
As a consequence of the correspondence, Iæve decided to feature the
Acorn Pocket Book II this month. In doing so, I must make it clear that
I have no intention of usurping Audrey Laskiæs excellent Pocket Book
Column which has been running in Archive for a couple of years now. It
seems to me that Audreyæs column is aimed more at existing users Ö my
comments are more in the nature of a review for those who havenæt got
one yet (though Iárefer to correspondence Iæve received from many who
have). In addition, my review will be more than a little biased towards
the use of the spreadsheet, Abacus, rather than the more balanced nature
of the Pocket Book Column. However, even if youære not a user of
spreadsheets, donæt be put off. Thereæs plenty here for all of you.
9.5
Acorn Pocket Book II
9.5
As a result of last monthæs column, Iæve had questions ranging from an
interest in whether Father Christmas did drop an Acorn Pocket Book into
my stocking to asking me for a more detailed description and an opinion
about whether to buy one! To those of you who asked, Father Christmas
has been kind to me and, to summarise my view of it, I am greatly
impressed and I am going to find it most useful. However, to say I am
greatly impressed does not mean that I think it cannot be improved Ö and
to say that I shall find it most useful is not meant to imply that it
will be useful to everybody.
9.5
Let me expand on my views first about all those things I shall find most
useful, before moving on to limitations, and my thoughts about the
future of the palm top and possible or likely improvements.
9.5
The portable spreadsheet
9.5
My earlier comments centred on the use of the palm top computer as a
portable spreadsheet, so I suppose thatæs where I ought to begin. In
doing so, my comparison has to be with a calculator, rather than with a
personal computer. As Iásaid last month, a spreadsheet has many
advantages over an electronic calculator, not the least of which are (a)
its ability to show all the stages and Épart sumsæ of a calculation on
screen simultaneously and (b) the use of the öWhat if?ò facility. In
this regard, the Acorn Pocket Book II performs excellently for the
calculations Iáneed both at College and at home.
9.5
Using a reasonable size of font, the screen contains 47ácharacters
across the screen width. The default screen is 6 columns, each of 8
characters, but you can use narrower, wider or more columns within this
limit of 47 characters. There are two screen modes which show more
characters across the width but Iáfind them too hard on my eyes. In my
favourite mode, 10árows are displayed. Have a look at the screenshot
below. Of course, as with all spreadsheets, you can move across and
down, creating as many new columns and rows as required within the
memory limits of the machine (and Iáthink thereæs a limit of about 225
columns and about 8000 rows Ö but Iæm not sure).
9.5
What Iáhad forgotten to mention in my comments last month is that you
can use a spreadsheet as a simple database in which each row is a record
and each column a field. Iáfind that, for names, addresses and phone
numbers, Abacus is easier to use than Cards, the database supplied with
the Pocket Book. An advantage of using a spreadsheet as a simple
database is that you can Sort records (change the order of the rows) so
that any particular column is in order (what mathematicians call
Érankedæ).
9.5
Let me give you an example, even though it is one you might never use!
Iáentered the names of my students (Iæm a lecturer) into column A and
their date of birth into column B. Sorting on B placed all the students
in order of age.
9.5
One of my correspondents uses this facility for a different application.
He enters the price of his purchases at the time he takes them off the
supermarket shelf and, having done so, he sorts his list of purchases
made over a period of time by product, by price and by the name of the
store. He claims that this helps him to know which store to shop at and
whether a Ébargainæ is a real bargain! In a similar way, another of my
correspondents checks prices against previous prices as she does her
weekly shopping. She has built in a öPrice per Kg to Price per lbò
converter which she says came in very handy when we changed over to
metric weights recently.
9.5
Another correspondent says ödonæt forget to mention the graphs!ò He taps
in a few of his favourite share prices each evening from the Teletext
results and looks for trends graphically. He says he can do this without
seeming unsociable and without the risk of making a mistake by writing
to paper and then keying into the computer (in another room).
9.5
As a final example of the use of a pocket spreadsheet (I have many more
from other correspondents Ö thanks to all of you), one correspondent
uses his Pocket Book on the train each day and then transfers what he
has done to his Archimedes when he gets home.
9.5
In use, Abacus is almost totally key compatible with Lotus 1-2-3. Files
can be saved in Lotus WK1 format or converted to Lotus format during
transfer to an Archimedes via the A-Link accessory. Fireworkz has a
built-in Lotus to Fireworkz converter; in the jargon, Fireworkz has a
Lotus loader. You can save Fireworkz files in Lotus format and convert
them to Abacus .SPR (for SPReadsheet?) format during transfer. A Lotus
converter is supplied with PipeDream as a separate utility. Iáhave tried
both conversions, and, with the usual limitations (mainly the style of
the display), they work well.
9.5
In summary, Iáand many of my correspondents find that, as a portable
spreadsheet, the Pocket Book II is even better than anticipated; easy to
use, highly useful and compatible with both Fireworkz and PipeDream.
9.5
Portable word processor
9.5
The word processor, Write, is not WYSIWYG. This came as a bit of a shock
to me after years of using Impression, Fireworkz and PipeDream. Have a
look at the next screenshot.
9.5
To see what the final layout will look like when printed, you have to
use something called a Print preview. If you have ever used Wordwise,
youæll know what Iámean. (Ed drifts off into a fit of nostalgia at this
point!) You can swap between the Print preview screen (the text is too
small for me to read but it does show the page layout) and the text
editing screen quite quickly Ö but is something Iáhave had to get used
to again. A screenshot of the Print preview is shown below; the preview
is the view of an A4 page shown in the centre. As Iásaid, the text is
too small for me to read but it does show two lines of text, each having
about 80 characters.
9.5
At work, we used to teach students word processing using something
similar to Write, the MS-DOS, non-Windows version of Word Ö we donæt use
it any more.
9.5
Donæt let me be too disparaging about Write. It has a good spell
checker, dictionary and thesaurus, all of which are completely
interactive. Let me explain what Iámean by interactive. If you are
unhappy with a word youæve used and want to find a better one, you place
the cursor in that word, call up the Thesaurus with a keyboard shortcut,
look at the dictionary definition of each of the alternatives given in
the Thesaurus (viewed on a split screen Ö see the screenshot below) and,
when you tap the <Enter> key, the word in Write changes to the word
highlighted in the Thesaurus! Magic!
9.5
I donæt think Iáwould want to rely on the Style features of Write for my
masterpiece, in fact, Iádonæt think Iæll ever print out in earnest from
Write. The benefit of Write to me, and to many of my correspondents,
lies elsewhere. Iáshall use Write purely as a non-WYSIWYG word processor
and apply Styles after porting the plain text to the Archimedes.
9.5
As Iácompose this article, Iáam on holiday in a hotel room tapping away
in Write. There is no way that Iácould have brought the A540 with me, so
the Pocket Book is a boon Ö Iádonæt think Iæd have met Paulæs deadline
without it. However, what Iáshall do is to convert the file to plain
ASCII as Iátransfer it from the Pocket Book to the Archimedes through
the A-Link; then Iæll load the ASCII file into Impression. In
Impression, Iáshall add my preferred Styles Ö which Paul will carefully
remove before applying his own!
9.5
I will add a few screenshots when Iáget home Ö a picture paints a
thousand words and space in Archive is at a premium these days!
9.5
Other correspondents tell me they find Write most useful for making
notes. Iáshall probably do that also.
9.5
Other built-in packages
9.5
Cards is a simple database. Iádonæt think Iáshall use it much, since
Iáprefer the spreadsheet format as Iæve said before. However, there is
one feature Iádo like and that is that you can generate dialling tones
from phone numbers entered into the cards. You hold the Pocket Book to
the phone and the tones are transferred down the line from the speaker
of the Pocket Book to the mouthpiece of the phone.
9.5
Schedule is a first class diary and planner; you can view a day, a week,
a month or a year. The slots into which you type text expand as you
enter more and more into the same slot. Iáshall certainly be able to
find a use for that.
9.5
Time includes alarms. The battery on the clock we brought with us has
died, so Iæve set up the Pocket Book to wake us up in time for breakfast
tomorrow Ö Iádonæt have to leave the Pocket Book switched on, because
itæll do that for itself when the alarm goes off. You have a choice of
alarm noises including the possibility of recording your own wake up
message.
9.5
The World application is quite fascinating. You can put in the latitude
and longitude of any place on Earth and it will tell you how far away it
is (using spherical trigonometry), the local time and the time of
sunrise and sunset! World includes many UK and International STD codes
and you can add your own for any place on Earth. Iáhave already added a
few, including Swindon!
9.5
There is also a Calculator which retains the last few calculations on
screen and a Plotter which will display a wide range of functions,
including the derivatives and integrals of the chosen functions. A
screenshot of a couple of graphs drawn in Plotter are shown below.
9.5
Other packages, including games, can be added as plug-in solid state
memory modules. It is well reported that any which are sold for the
Psion series 3a will work on the Acorn Pocket Book II.
9.5
Overall
9.5
It would be unfair to compare Acornæs Pocket Book II with an Archimedes.
The Archimedes is far superior but bulkier, heavier and not portable. If
Iámake any software comparisons, they would have to be with software
used on an IBM compatible. Iáthink that the Pocket Book software,
particularly the spreadsheet and word processor, remind me more of non-
Windows MS-DOS software than Archimedes software. However, unlike MS-DOS
packages, the Pocket Book is multitasking and it is possible to transfer
data and formulae between documents. In my view, it is only the small
screen size which prevents multiple windows being displayed as they are
on the Archimedes.
9.5
I have already compared the Pocket Book with a calculator Ö that
comparison doesnæt do the Pocket Book justice because it is much more
than a super calculator, it is a palm top computer. So, for those of you
who know it, let me try another comparison. Iáhave a Z88; to be more
accurate Iáhave two. It is a portable computer which runs off four AA
batteries. Iáthink itæs no longer available but the software on it has
many features which the next version of the Pocket Book would do well to
emulate. Because of this, Iáshall spend a little time describing the Z88
and those features from it Iæd like to see on the next Pocket Book.
9.5
In comparing the Z88 with the Pocket Book, let me start with the weight
and size. The Z88 weighs about 1kg against 300g for the Pocket Book
(both with batteries). The Z88 is the size of an A4 sheet of paper
compared with the Pocket Book which is just larger than A6. The Z88 has
a full size QWERTY keyboard (without function keys or numeric pad). The
keyboard of the Pocket Book is about half size (in any linear
dimension). Concentrating now on the Z88; the screen display is across
the top of the keyboard and, in PipeDream, it displays 72 characters
across the screen plus a couple of useful areas to the left and right of
the part you can type into; however it displays only 7 lines (and not 10
as the Pocket Book). In my view, the wider Z88 display is better than
that of the Pocket Book and Iálike the full size keyboard better than
the half size one of the Pocket Book.
9.5
Now to power. The Z88 uses four AA batteries and uses them up in a few
hours Ö a real embarrassment. You canæt change batteries without using
the mains eliminator or losing data. The Pocket Book will run for many
weeks on its two batteries and has a lithium back-up battery so that you
can change batteries anywhere.
9.5
The software built into the Z88 includes a version of PipeDream
(approximately equivalent to PipeDreamá2), BBC Basic, a Calendar,
Terminal software and quite a few other interesting packages. The Z88
shows its age because it does not contain any means of generating
graphs, and it has no dictionary, spell checker or thesaurus. The Z88
version of PipeDream is used as a spreadsheet, word processor, and
simple database; it is a complete integrated package. You canæt use
fancy fonts for display on the Z88 but only aámonospaced system font. If
you print out a PipeDream file using a monospaced font stored within the
printer then, within the limitations of mono spaced fonts, the display
is completely WYSIWYG.
9.5
So, compared with the Pocket Book, the Z88 is bigger, less portable and
runs out of batteries after a few hours of use. There are omissions in
the software, notably a spell checker, dictionary, thesaurus and graphs,
but Iáprefer the Z88æs integrated PipeDream to the Pocket Book
combination of Write and Abacus.
9.5
The future?
9.5
Now to the future of the palm top computer. Although Iáwould like to see
some way of having a larger screen and keyboard, Iáthink Iámight be in
the minority and Iádonæt expect it to happen. Where Iáwould expect many
to agree with me is that concepts in software should have moved on since
the Z88 was first produced (1988) and Iáwould expect an improvement
whereas, at least in part, some of the software on the Pocket Book is
not as good as on the Z88. Iæd like to see something with at least the
power of PipeDreamá4 (complete with PipeDreamá4-type graphs, custom
functions and command files and including the dictionary and thesaurus
of Write). This could replace the combination of Cards, Write and Abacus
Ö and Iádo expect it will happen on the next model. To Acorn and to
Colton Software, Iæll say öWhat are you doing about it?ò For the rest of
the specification, memory will get cheaper and so weæll be able to have
more of it built in to the next palm top series and weæll find it
operating more quickly, perhaps with RISC chips and perhaps with more
than one window on screen at the same time.
9.5
Should you buy one now?
9.5
Of course, you can always wait for the next model Ö and the next one Ö
and the one after that. And theyæll always get bigger (memories) and
better and cheaper! So Iásuggest that you look at this question from a
different angle. Do you have a use for a portable spreadsheet,
electronic note taker, planner, etc, now? If the answer to that question
is öYes!ò then youæll be able to get your moneyæs worth before the new
model comes along and, when it does, undoubtedly youæll want to update
your system. What people generally leave out of their considerations is
the time they invest and the value of the knowledge and expertise they
build up by using a system. Iádonæt think it will be more than a couple
of years before the Pocket Book II looks outmoded, but Iæll bet that the
expertise that you will gain and the benefits which will accrue from
using the current model of palm top for two years will far outweigh the
written-off cost of what Iáshall call the core hardware (the Pocket Book
itself with no accessories).
9.5
Another consideration with any system is the portability of data. When
Iáhave been hired as a consultant to advise on a new computer system,
Iáhave always stressed that, when you buy a system you must look at it
to see what the cost (in time, money and inconvenience) will be when you
want to get your data out of it and into your next system. Perhaps the
most expensive part of any well-used computer system is the (unique to
you) data which you will have spent hundreds of hours entering into it.
Acorn have an excellent record for compatibility between their new
systems and their old ones. Iáwould expect the next series of the Acorn
Pocket Book to accept all your plug-in memory modules (called Solid
State Discs and abbreviated to SSD for short); Iáwould expect that any
Acorn packages you bought for the Pocket Book will still work on the new
model; Iáwould expect that the old A-Link will still work but perhaps a
little more slowly than a newer model. The only bit youæll find useless
is the ú200 to ú400 worth of core hardware (the Pocket Book itself)
which youæll be able to replace either more cheaply or with something
much better Ö or, more likely, both cheaper and better. My guess is
that, in addition to the core hardware, youæll have spent as much again
on things like the A-Link, SSD memory and other software packages.
9.5
So, to summarise, donæt be put off by the thought that a new model of
Pocket Book will appear in the next couple of years and youæll feel hard
done by when it does. Of course you will and so will I! Iæve been
through that analysis myself and Iáconcluded that Iáwould get solid
valuable use out of one now (even if Iácanæt quantify that value in
terms of money) and that when a new model comes out in a couple of years
Iáwill probably discard the current one in its favour (or keep it as a
back up). Iáfeel confident that Iæll be able to use all the knowledge
and expertise Iágain with the current model on the new one and that all
my hard won data files will be instantly transferrable. Inámy view, the
palm top computer is here to stay and everyone who does sums or makes
notes will soon have one.
9.5
By contrast, Iáhave a distinct feeling that Iáwonæt be able to justify
(in terms of use to me) any personal computer more powerful than the
current RiscPC, and there may be many of you wondering the same thing
(see öPlanned Obsolescenceò below). If so, perhaps the way for you to
acquire something more useful than a new, not yet announced, super-
RiscPC is to transfer your time and attention to a palm top computer.
9.5
Finally, and not as a commercial but to emphasise availability from a
reliable source, Norwich Computer Services do sell all current models of
the Acorn Pocket Book II. Undoubtedly, through the Archive magazine,
youæll hear about any developments as soon as the information becomes
available. Think about it and let me know your views; would you buy a
super-RiscPC or a super-palm top? Write to me at Abacus Training Ö
Iáassure you Iæll be interested in whether you think a palm top with the
sort of highly integrated software Iæve mentioned above is more relevant
to your future use of computer technology than a more powerful personal
computer (such as a super RiscPC) with many facilities which you may
never use.
9.5
Shares
9.5
This column is not a share tipping service but Iáwould like to report
that not only have Acorn shares more than doubled during the last year
(Based on latest news, itæs 104 to 244 in three months! Ed.) but that
shares in Psion now stand at about four times the value they had a year
ago. This augurs well for the continued supply of Acorn Pocket Books and
their future development.
9.5
Planned obsolescence
9.5
I had intended to include my considered thoughts on this topic in this
monthæs article but, partly because of constraints on my time and the
space in Archive, Iæll just make a few quick remarks, ask you for
comments and leave it until next month.
9.5
What is called Éindustry standardæ hardware (IBM type) and software (MS-
DOS, Windows etc) doesnæt last as long as hardware and software does for
the Archimedes. A couple of years ago (before the launch of the RiscPC)
this longevity presented real problems for Acorn (who make hardware) and
for hardware suppliers such as NCS. We are now arriving at the time when
the longevity of Archimedes packages is presenting similar problems for
many Archimedes software suppliers as well. Users of the Archimedes and
Archimedes packages donæt need to spend as much money in the medium and
longer term as do those locked into an Éindustry standardæ system.
Iábelieve that this Éproblemæ should be seen as an opportunity. Watch
this space and see what comes next Ö or let me know your views.
9.5
In conclusion
9.5
I canæt read HD discs on my Archimedes A540, so please format to 800Kb
and not HD. If you write to me, the address is that of Abacus Training
(see the back cover of Archive). If your problem is more than a quick
couple of lines then please send me an example file on disc so that
Iácan better see exactly what it is that youære trying to do.
9.5
Finally, Iæm willing to help with spreadsheet problems for the Pocket
Book. It may be that my expertise with spreadsheets will be more
relevant to finding a solution than the undoubted expertise in more
general matters of Audrey Laski. But please send me a disc with an
example file in .SPR format rather than trying to describe your problem
in words.áuá
9.5
Comment Column
9.5
Acorn portable? Ö There have been interesting noises emanating from the
ÉHead Honchoæ of Acorn in recent months but, as I see it, at least some
of the problem of making the non-Acorn public more aware of our system
lies in the way we lump hardware and firmware together when we argue our
side.
9.5
Way back in the distant past, when the Archimedes was born, it was a VFM
(Very Fast Machine). It also boasted a very user-friendly graphical user
interface. However, as time went on, the rest of the world more than
caught up on the speed front, and there are very many VVFMs out there
now, at reasonable cost. Where the RISC OS machines have not been beaten
is in the elegance of the GUI.
9.5
Letæs face it, if we are demonstrating the machine, most of the time the
number of damppebbles/sec (or whatever it is that they use to measure
the speed) is not apparent from the screen. What is apparent is the ease
and versatility of use, and that is what we should be trying to get
over.
9.5
We are never going to convince a PC user that RISC OS is any better than
his own system unless he can see it working; that is obvious. Yet how
can he see it demonstrated? Very few will be in a position to come and
see a desktop machine in our homes.
9.5
I believe that Acorn have done themselves a fundamental disservice by
not promoting state-of-the-art, affordable, laptops. They are the way
the big wide world gets to see what they are missing! Iæve been using my
A4 all over the world for several years now and have, vicariously,
accepted many compliments on RISC OS along the way. However, the
impression that is often given is of a small, monochrome screen from the
dark ages!
9.5
So, ÉHead Honchoæ, please give us a fast, affordable, ARM-powered RISC
OS laptop with a decent 10╜ö TFT screen (and a battery that doesnæt
collapse after five minutes!) and enable the user to demonstrate RISC OS
to its full potential.
9.5
I for one would far prefer to use a portable for all my computing, if it
were capable of being connected to a decent screen and peripherals when
using it at home. And I would not feel a poor relation when showing it
off to the peasants!
9.5
Roger Williams <[e-mail]>
9.5
Archive mouse mats Ö When I first got my free Archive mouse mat, I was
most unimpressed with the surface. My old Éclothæ style mat worked much
better with my A3000 mouse. The glossy ones got used as plant pot mats.
I think this was commented on in Archive.
9.5
However, the RiscPC mouse seemed to Éstickæ on the cloth mat, as had the
very similar one that came with my A3010 Éstandbyæ machine. So I tried
the Archive one Ö magic, it works much better. I have just received my
order of two more Archive mats, so these have now replaced the cloth
ones. I have still kept the free one as a plant mat, the colour scheme
matches perfectly!
9.5
Clive Bell <[e-mail]>
9.5
Email, the new communication medium Ö Having now really got going with
email, I find it extremely helpful as a means of communication, although
there are drawbacks. Soáhere are a few random thoughts...
9.5
Speed of communication Ö The speed is helpful if, say, someone orders
something and there is a question about it, such as öWhich computer is
it for?ò (The paper order form has a box to fill in for this!) The
answer can come back quite quickly and may not even hold up the supply
of the goods even for a day, let alone the several days involved in a
two-way letter correspondence.
9.5
The disadvantage of the speed of communication is that I tend to respond
quickly Ö sometimes too quickly Ö and canæt then go down to the mailroom
and retrieve the letter and change it. So I ask myself, öMight I regret
saying this 10 minutes after I have written it and uploaded it to
Paston?ò
9.5
I had an apology from one emailer saying that he had sent two emails in
quick succession and if he had used a letter, the two would have arrived
as one. My reply to him was that I didnæt mind. My reasoning was that if
they were two separate comments and one was easily answerable and the
other not, itæs much easier to bang off an answer to the one email and
keep the other email on file until I do have an answer.
9.5
Mind you, that is the other good thing about email Ö you have a quick
and easy way of finding out what you said to whom and when. (Iæm
probably negating my argument above, but never mind!) The only problem
is, the volume of email is such that archiving is going to get a problem
Ö I have sent 68 in the last seven days!
9.5
Overseas email Ö Since it costs no more to send an email to Australia
(and doesnæt seem to take any longer!) then somewhere else in Norwich,
the potential is obvious. I have friends in Cameroon, Papua New Guinea,
China and Tasmania that I can now communicate with so easily! The
potential for individuals and schools running pen-pal schemes is
tremendous. Have a lesson one day when the class sends emails to, say, a
school in France and you may well have emails back that you can reply to
in the next lesson! This speed of two-way communication brings much more
life to a correspondence.
9.5
Email art Ö I like all the clever pictures that people make by combining
dashes, slashes and hyphens etc, but I havenæt the patience to try to
design anything myself. Maybe we ought to have a competition for the
best one Ö why not send me yours (or one you have received, giving the
email address of the sender) and Iæll see if itæs worth raising the
stakes on this?
9.5
Line length Ö Being a bit of a layout perfectionist, I find it really
annoying when someone sends a message formatted to, say, 78 character so
that when the email software adds the ö>ááò quote marks at the beginning
of each line, all the lines wrap around. Actually, my editoræs eye is
often caught by spelling errors, so I may correct the spelling in a
message that I am quoting back to the sender before adding my reply!
9.5
File transfer Ö Remember that it will cost less phone-time for you and
the recipient if files are compressed before being sent but be sure that
the recipient has a means of uncompressing it! There are lots of
different compression algorithms and not every compression system can
cope with them all. (Has anyone got any views on what is the most common
or Ébestæ one to use?) Also, remember that the filetype, being Acorn
specific, is lost in the transfer, so itæs a good idea to state what
filetype it is. There is nothing more frustrating then spending time
trying to find which type of compression has been used, only to find
that itæs an uncompressed drawfile or Impression document!
9.5
Anonymity Ö It is all too easy to send an email that is far too
anonymous. Knowing that it comes from [e-mail] doesnæt help a
lot, especially if they ask you to supply some goods on a Switch card
number! Even if you give your name, there may be confusion because we
have a database of 22,000+ customers Ö including 42 J Smiths Ö and the
email address doesnæt even give a clue as to the town where you live.
(There is no equivalent of postcodes or phonecodes which often allow us
to track down the identity of a customer!)
9.5
Email snobbery Ö Email is extremely helpful, and the growth of Internet
access is increasing at a rate of 112% p.a. (i.e. more than doubling
every year). We will be using it more and more within Archive, but
please beware of treating those who do not have email access as lesser
mortals!
9.5
Ed. <[e-mail]>
9.5
Inkjets v. Laser Ö A few issues ago (8.12 p62) Dave Floyd advised us
against buying an inkjet printer, but I feel that his statement canæt be
allowed to stand. I suppose that he is someone who prints a lot, in
which case, a laser printer is certainly more economical, but a totally
different picture emerges when you print very little!
9.5
I bought my DeskJet 500C two years ago and, since then, I have used it
basically for printing letters and one copy of each test paper for my
pupils (this is then run through my schoolæs offset printer). Even
though I use expensive paper (about ú10 for 500 sheets), the total cost
for paper and (refill) ink so far amounts only to about ú90, which means
that the overall sum I have spent on my printer is still way below the
purchasing price Ö two years ago Ö for a cheap laser printer!
9.5
Occasionally, I even make use of the option to print in colour (mainly
for the projection of graphs printed on special write-on film), but this
was no major deciding point for me Ö I am still on my first colour
cartridge.
9.5
Jochen Konietzko, K÷ln, Germany.
9.5
Personal Accounts v. Finance Manager Ö I have just read the review of
Finance Manager in Archive 9.4 p59 and must point out some inaccuracies
which it levelled at Personal Accounts.
9.5
The Éitemised look aheadæ was actually added 18ámonths ago and is
probably the simplest implementation yet Ö no need for a menu option,
let alone Éimporting a backupæ Ö all you do is enter a Ésearch toæ date
in a report. If it is set ahead of the computeræs clock, the report will
include future standing orders, etc.
9.5
FMæs way of entering data is typical of most accounting software; the
user fills in a Écardæ, clicks on ÉOKæ (or whatever) and the entry is
Épostedæ off somewhere. Despite the excellent reviews that PA has
received, most reviewers have never spelt out why they find it easy to
use. Instead of filling out dialogue boxes, you actually enter your data
directly into a complete scrolling list. You can see everything you have
entered as you do it, and you can scroll around and edit all your data
immediately. There is no need for separate dialogue boxes, after all,
you wouldnæt buy a spreadsheet if it meant opening a dialogue box each
time you wanted to enter or edit a cell. Furthermore reports can be
defined in many ways including the ability to see Éall your car
expensesæ as well as just the Épetrolæ entries.
9.5
In 1991, I made another design decision based on the frequency of calls
to our helpline from people with corrupted discs. It was simply to load
all the data into memory, save it back at the end of a session and have
user-definable timed auto-saves in between. The reason is simple and
very important. On page 61, the reviewer makes the assumption that
continuously saving to disc is more secure against Ébrown-outæsæ. Discs,
especially floppy discs, do go wrong. If this happens while Éwritingæ,
you will corrupt the disc. Aápower cut whilst writing will do the same.
The chances of this happening are greatly increased when continuous
saving is employed (ask any long-time user of such software). As to
memory requirements, running PA loaded with 3000 entries (this is
typically 5 years of accounts) uses a total wimp slot of 680Kb, saves
and loads in around 3 seconds and uses just 160Kb of disc space for the
whole file.
9.5
This comment is not intended to denigrate FM, but more of a request to
reviewers to get their facts right before committing them to print.
9.5
Quentin Pain, Apricote Studios.
9.5
Apologies to Quentin for anything that might have misled readers. All
our reviewers supply information to me in good faith and it is difficult
to check the accuracy of every article. Would any existing users of
Personal Accounts like to add their views? Ed.
9.5
Quinkey/Microwriter help Ö A very big THANK YOU, to the very many people
who offered and gave help with the Quinkey project Ö trying to get hold
of, and get working, a Quinkey for a friend with MS. Several offered
free Quinkey/Microwriters, we accepted a couple of offers and have got
one working. Unfortunately, the project has been put on ice because the
man who holds the bureaucratic key to the money for the computer to go
with the (free!) Quinkey, fell while sledging with his grand-children
and broke three ribs! When he gets back to work, weæll be able to
progress further.
9.5
Once again, thanks for your help. The Archive spirit comes to the fore
once again!
9.5
By the way, are there other people in need of a Quinkey/Microwriter?
Several people have offered them free of charge, so we could put people
in touch with one another.
9.5
(The project to get a computer for Alyn Haskey is moving forward and,
once again, many thanks for peopleæs generosity.)
9.5
Ed.
9.5
Stability of RiscPC lid Ö If you buy a 17ö monitor for your RiscPC,
beware! My monitor is a little more than half a kilogram below the
weight limit set by Acorn for putting things on top of the computer, yet
I recently had a very disturbing hardware failure which turned out to be
caused by the monitoræs weight.
9.5
My third internal hard disc rests in the 3.5ö bay right below the lid,
and the 50-way cable runs across the top of the backplane. With the old
15ò monitor, this worked perfectly, but the new bigger model presses so
hard on the lid that, in one spot (about a centimetre wide), the cable
was severed after five weeks! It must be said that my PC table is
mounted on wheels, and is regularly rolled into a classroom. Luckily,
none of the leads touched, so a new cable returned everything to normal.
Still Ö you have been warned!
9.5
Jochen Konietzko, K÷ln, Germany.
9.5
DTP for Acorns
9.5
Keith Parker
9.5
This is a follow-up to my article entitled öImpression versus Quark
XPressò, together with some other information about DTP for Acorn users.
9.5
Feedback Ö General
9.5
Many thanks to all those who let me know your thoughts on the article.
What was so gratifying was the quality of the feedback I received. In
general (about 96%) readers agreed with my observations. Everyone agreed
that QuarkXPress was indeed feature-packed and had some advantages over
Impression, but that it was easier to get going in Impression, as well
as it being less strain to use and easier on the pocket.
9.5
I received a letter from Bristol from a reader who was going to produce
a magazine and asked should he use a PowerMac and QuarkXPress or a
RiscPCá700 and Publisher Plus. We talked and I believe he has decided on
the Acorn route. Another reader (a commercial printer) left a message on
my mobile phone agreeing totally with the article. (I lost the message,
so if you are reading this could you contact me again, please?) Finally,
Richard Lambley, Editor of Land Mobile magazine (the first full-colour
commercial magazine to be produced on Acorn equipment) emailed me
agreeing with my comments. All these people use Acorn computers and
Impression DTP software professionally (and commercially) and although
they can do what they want, they are looking for more!
9.5
Feedback Ö Specific
9.5
Someone wrote to Paul disagreeing with my statement that öQuarkXPress
was the first DTP package designed to be used on PCsò. The confusion
arose because I use the term ÉPCæ to mean Épersonal computeræ not ÉIBM
compatibleæ, so Acorns, IBMs, Apples, Dells, etc, are all PCs to me.
Most DTP programs on other (non-Acorn) platforms originate from the
mainframe marketplace whereas XPress was designed for the Apple
Macintosh (PC) and only later was it converted to run on an IBM
compatible.
9.5
One of our readers in Oslo (I think) wrote to give Paul the answers to
some questions he raised with CC some years ago. With his permission, I
will list them here.
9.5
Pantone Colours Ö CC stated it would be very expensive. I would ask
whether CC approached Acorn and the other DTP/graphics software houses
about sharing the cost and getting these colours integrated into RISC
OS.
9.5
Undo/Redo Ö CC say that it would need a complete rewrite and I cannot
disagree, but Ovation Pro is not a Ébolt-onæ to Ovation as Style/
Publisher and Publisher Plus were to Impression 2.5.
9.5
OvationáPro
9.5
By the time you read this, Beebug should be shipping this potential
XPress-beater. The program will be released in three stages. The first
release will require RISC OS 3.10 (or later) and 4Mb of RAM. A hard disc
is recommended, but Ovation Pro can be run (with Interactive Help) from
a floppy disc. A version that runs in only 2Mb of RAM will be released
early in 1996.
9.5
Stage one (due just before or after Christmas) will include the
following features:
9.5
Multi-level undo/redo  OLE
9.5
Single keystroke font changes  Spelling checker
9.5
Integrated character selector  Drag/drop for text
9.5
Variable width pasteboard  Mailmerge
9.5
Advanced page handling  Pamphlet printing
9.5
Colour naming system  Tints
9.5
User definable colour chart  Show invisibles
9.5
Integrated script language  Interactive help
9.5
Full customisability  Frame borders
9.5
Headers and footers  Thumbnail printing
9.5
Active master pages
9.5
Stage Two (due April/May 1996) will include:
9.5
Virtual memory system  Image processing
9.5
Full + spot colour separations  Thesaurus
9.5
Horizontal/vertical para rules  Contents and index
9.5
TIFF/PCD/JPEG filters  ááágeneration
9.5
Stage Three (no date fixed):
9.5
This release may well include some or all of the following: widow/orphan
control, imposition, trapping and creeping.
9.5
If Beebug can produce 95% of this in a reasonable timescale, they will
have the Acorn XPress-beater and we can all help by upgrading Ovation
(and others) to OvationáPro. Upgrades are only available from Beebug.
Prices are as follows:
9.5
Full package (releases one and two)  ú165
9.5
                                          (Risc User Member  ú139)
9.5
30 user site licence  ú600
9.5
15 user primary school licence  ú300
9.5
Upgrade from Ovation or other packages*   ú99
9.5
Upgrade from Ovation
9.5
   (if it was purchased before 27/10/95)  ú79
9.5
Ovation site licence upgrade  ú315
9.5
Ovation primary school licence upgrade  ú155
9.5
(*includes Impression, EasiWriter and PenDown+. Upgrades from other
packages and word processors are available upon request from Beebug.)
9.5
Whilst I am not advocating that we stop supporting the other DTP
packages (and I for one will upgrade my copy of Publisher as often as
upgrades are announced), I do believe that Beebug have indicated that
they are prepared to give us the professional DTP package that I and
many others crave.
9.5
I have arranged to upgrade my copy of Publisher to OvationáPro and I
will do a full review of Release One (first stage) as soon as possible.
Once the second stage is available, I will repeat the comparison against
QuarkXPress.
9.5
(Beebug say Ovation Pro is not available yet. They hope to be able to
release it as soon as possible but it is difficult to predict when it
will be. All the features for the first release are implemented but they
have to go through a process of testing and bug-fixing before release.
Ed.)
9.5
Prices and upgrades
9.5
One subject that is close to my heart is software prices and upgrade
charges. Many professional users of the Acorn range and its software say
that our chosen vehicle is 95% of the way there but is hampered by the
Éeducationalæ tag. As education accounts for a large proportion of
Acornæs market, I can appreciate this problem Ö do schools need full
colour separations etc? Probably not, but if they were available, would
they use them? Possibly, yes.
9.5
Professional users need these features, and if software houses were to
provide an Éeducationalæ version and a Éprofessionalæ version (at a
premium price) with an upgrade facility, I believe we would all benefit.
Ovation and Style are two excellent examples of what could be classed as
Éeducationalæ DTP and are priced accordingly.
9.5
Another sensibly priced package is PhotoDesk (from Spacetech), which
comes as versions one and two. One is fine for the school and the home
user, whereas two is designed for the professional, and is priced
accordingly. If we professional Acorn users are to get the software we
need, we must be prepared to pay for it and if we are prepared to pay
(and many are, I know), software houses must look to their laurels. ART
have already announced their commitment to building a CHRP platform for
Éthe techie, anorak and professionalæ markets (schools in the main donæt
need this) so we have to hope that our software houses match ARTæs
confidence.
9.5
Having indicated that I have no problem(?) in asking software houses to
move their products into Mac/IBM compatible price areas, there is one
area I hope they will not emulate Ö upgrades. We all like upgrades IF
they give us more/extra facilities but not upgrades that are merely bug-
fixes. If an upgrade, say Ovation Pro, gives us an extra feature like
trapping, we need to pay for the time and money invested, but if it only
puts something right that was provided initially, it should be a free
upgrade!
9.5
We can see that there are good things happening in the Acorn arena as a
whole, and DTP specifically, and 1996 could become the Year of the
Acorn. I am excited and I know Paul is!
9.5
If you want to contact me: 33 Fieldend, Twickenham, Middlesex TW1 4TG.
(0860-919216) <[e-mail]>áuá
9.5
The Big Picture
9.5
Malcolm Banthorpe
9.5
The Big Picture is a general purpose desktop graphics application
published by Longman Logotron. The software is supplied on three discs,
containing the main application, additional resources and sample
pictures. It provides a set of tools for creating, manipulating and
processing bitmap images. Any combination of screen resolution and
colour depth Ö up to 16.7 million colours Ö can be used. It is able to
cope with large images, even at maximum colour depth, on machines with
modest amounts of memory by using a virtual memory system, i.e. it uses
hard disc space to supplement RAM memory. The Big Picture includes a
version of the ImageFS module, called ImageFSLite, which allows it to
accept and save in a wide variety of graphics formats as well as the
standard Sprite and JPEG files: PCX, BMP, Clear, PBMPlus, Sun Raster,
Targa, TIFF, Amiga IFF and PICT2. PhotoCD, Draw and ArtWorks files can
also be loaded, the latter two being translated into bitmap images. The
use of a pressure sensitive graphics tablet, as an alternative to a
mouse, is supported. In addition to a well structured user guide, a
second booklet describing a number of creative ideas and techniques is
supplied.
9.5
I shall now give a description of some of the more notable features.
9.5
Screen modes
9.5
Although The Big Picture is capable of editing 24-bit (i.e. 16.7 million
colour) images on a RiscPC, it does not Ö unlike some other recently
released graphics programs Ö always process the image internally as 24
bits, regardless of the current screen mode. The image is always
displayed and edited in the current display mode and so what you see on
the screen is exactly what you will get when the image is saved. For
this reason, it is important to select a screen mode appropriate to the
colour depth that you require before loading an image or creating a new
one. If you change the screen mode while working on an image, it may be
degraded if the colour depth changes. Aáwarning message is displayed to
help prevent this happening accidentally.
9.5
A RiscPC is not essential to run The Big Picture Ö Iáfound that it also
worked quite happily on my old A440/1 Ö but an 8Mb RiscPC with 2Mb video
RAM is recommended for large high resolution images in 16.7 million
colours. A pre-RiscPC machine would be limited to working in 256
colours. If you need to work in a screen mode with a smaller colour
depth than the loaded image then, as long as Étranslate spritesæ is
selected on the set-up menu, the image will be dithered to look its best
in the lower mode. The facilities offered by The Big Picture vary
according to the screen mode. For instance, painting in transparent
colours is not available at the lower colour depths.
9.5
Making marks
9.5
One of the areas in which The Big Picture excels is the very wide range
of marks that it is capable of making. The default tool is the Crayon
which applies the current Épaintæ as a continuous line of variable
thickness and density. Variable density can be set as either regular or
random, the latter giving a charcoal or chalk-like effect. In addition,
if a 16 or 24-bit screen mode is being used, the transparency of the
Épaintæ can be set so that its final density can be built up in layers,
giving an effect closer to that of a wax crayon. Transparency also works
with 256 greys. There are eight pre-set crayon sizes (four round and
four square) and two user-defined sizes (one oval and one rectangular)
9.5
The term Épaintæ here refers to either a colour or a motif. A motif Ö
which will be familiar to users of Revelation Ö is a regular or
irregular bitmap, usually cut from an existing image. Motifs can be of
any size, can be saved and can be freely painted into any picture. Small
motifs are often usefully applied either singly or as a tiled repeat
using drawing and painting tools. A number of sample motifs are supplied
with The Big Picture.
9.5
The Brush tool applies paint as a series of individual blocks which can,
like the crayon, be round, square, oval, rectangular or a user-defined
shape, and can be applied with varying softness. Brushes can be set to
have a bristle and stipple effects and can be directional. When the
latter option is set, the orientation of the mark can be selected to
align with the initial direction of movement of the brush Ö giving
italic effects Ö or to change continually according to the direction of
movement.
9.5
The Spray tool has a similar wide range of size and shape options and
can apply the paint either uniformly, as a series of dots or as a
progressive radial wash. Like brushes, the spray tool can be set to
behave in a directional manner.
9.5
Both sprays and brushes can take their shape from a user-defined mark. A
mark is defined by painting a small shape and then selecting ÉGrab as a
markæ from the menu. Using all these facilities it is possible to
achieve an enormous range of painting effects. To get you started, a
number of predefined tools are supplied. These tools are special
configurations of crayon, brush and spray, and have names such as
DryBrush, Grit, Splatter, Comb Ö twenty in all. If thatæs still not
enough, you can define and save your own tools.
9.5
Any of the above painting tools can be further exploited by using a
pressure sensitive graphics tablet in conjunction with the Eesox !Penpad
driver. I found that a Wacom Artpad and Computer Concepts CCTablet
driver with Eesox driver simulation selected worked perfectly. A major
advantage of using a graphics tablet instead of the mouse is that any
combination of transparency, mark size and dither density can be chosen
to be dependent on the pen pressure. If the ALT key is held down while
painting, pressure information is locked and held constant until the end
of the current stroke.
9.5
Drawing
9.5
The DrawPen tool is used for drawing geometrical figures. These include
lines Ö either curved or straight Ö and two-dimensional figures such as
rectangle, ellipse and polygon Ö either solid or filled. Line thickness
and fill density are variable. Line style is also variable in terms of
either mitred, bevelled or round joins.
9.5
Fills
9.5
The fill tool works normally to fill any area of uniform colour and with
a continuous boundary. The uniform colour is replaced with the current
Épaintæ. It is also possible to fill a whole page either with a solid
colour or, if transparency is set, the fill will result in a colour wash
over anything already on the page. Auto Fill will replace a range of
colours related to the point at which the fill was applied. The range
that will be filled can be adjusted and can be related to either RGB
values, hue, grey level or hue plus grey level. Graded fills and fit to
fill are two further options. In the latter case, a motif can be
stretched to fit an irregular shape.
9.5
Effects
9.5
The FX tool provides six main options, any of which can be applied to a
rectangular area of the image or a freely defined irregular shape. The
options are trace, outline, blur, sharpen, dither and mosaic. These are
largely self-explanatory but perhaps it is worth mentioning that, as
well as rectangular blocks, the mosaic option allows for hexagonal,
diamond and chevron shapes, all of variable size. The dither option
renders the selected area of the image as a pattern of dots arranged to
represent as closely as possible the colours of the image. When the
current Épaintæ is a colour, the dots will be of that colour and either
black or white, depending on which gives the greater contrast. If the
current Épaintæ is a motif, the dots can be any of the colours contained
in the motif.
9.5
Conclusions
9.5
This is quite a comprehensive package and contains many more features
than those which I have mentioned, such as text and masking. At about
half the price of many of the other recently released graphics packages
for the RiscPC (although it also seems to work OK on older machines), it
represents excellent value for money. Compared with some other packages,
it is lacking in effects filters but this is unlikely to be of concern
unless you intend to use it mainly for the processing of captured video
images. As mentioned earlier its great strength is in its variety of
painting options which can be enhanced by the use of a suitable graphics
tablet. Well worth a look if youære seeking a versatile graphics
application.
9.5
The Big Picture costs  ú69 +VAT from Longman Logotron or ú77 through
Archive.áuá
9.5
The Patience Addict
9.5
(The authoræs name got separated from the disc that contained the
review. Sorry! I asked in the last two issues who the author was, but
got no response. Moral: Always put your name on any disc you send to
NCS. Ed.)
9.5
I would like to introduce you to a little item that I discovered at
Acorn World 95 Ö öThe Patience Addictò from Creative Curriculum
Software, a program written by Neil Coffey.
9.5
It comes in what looks like a CD box, but which, in the event, turns out
to contain a folded instruction sheet and a single 800Kb floppy disc.
The disc contains just three items: a copy of !Addict to run from the
floppy disc, a separate !Adinstall application to enable the !Addict
software to be copied to a hard disc and a copy of !System. Clicking on
!Adinstall only requires the user to stipulate into which directory the
software is to be installed, and then it sets up !Addict ready for use.
9.5
Clicking on the !Addict item brings up the Game Selection menu which has
a ÉPlayæ button, next to which is a text field which initially is empty.
At the right hand end of this text box is a menu icon Ö click on it to
reveal a list of twenty patience games. Some are well known like
Canfield, Forty Thieves and Scorpion, and some are, for me, more
obscure. Selecting one of these, returns the user to the Game Selection
menu, where the program has appended the details of the selected game Ö
average playing time, degree of difficulty etc. There are two additional
buttons, labelled ÉIndexæ and ÉCancelæ. The Index button reveals a
somewhat enlarged list including what look like variations on some of
the titles, as well as a key to alternative names for some of the games.
It is here that I discovered, for instance, that the game, Canfield, is
alternatively known as both Klondike and Demon Patience.
9.5
In the interests of exploration, I selected the first game listed which
I am advised should take about ten minutes to solve. Somebody is an
optimist. It may be the program or it may just be me but my ten minutes
slowly became an hour. Perhaps this is the point where I should
recommend to CCS that they affix a label along the lines of, öLoading
and playing this game can seriously deplete your free timeò.
9.5
In addition to the cards appearing ready dealt for play, there is a menu
from which various options can be selected to customise the appearance
of the games. The colour of the backcloth can be varied (sixteen
available shades) but there are only two alternative patterns for the
backs of the cards. There is an information option which fills in some
of the details for the currently selected game, and the playing area can
be scaled up or down Ö indeed, there are four presets already available
to click on. There is a ÉRedealsæ option, which either does not work or
perhaps only applies to some of the games, and lastly there is a new
game option. Four of the menu options are also available as buttons
within a timer/toolbox type display at the top left of the playing area.
(If you want to relocate this, you will be disappointed!)
9.5
I cannot praise highly enough the game concept or its playability. There
is, however, one tiny niggle. The card graphics are awful. It is
difficult to focus on the symbols, which seem to my eyes to be
permanently blurred. When the scaling option is attempted, these
graphics look even worse, if anything. However, this is a small matter
compared to all the softwareæs good points. Hopefully CCS will be able
to improve on the graphics if and when making any later revisions to the
software.
9.5
The Patience Addict costs ú16.98 +VAT from Creative Curriculum Software
or ú19 inclusive through Archive.áuá
9.5
Hints and Tips
9.5
Archiving to floppy Ö If you want to archive a large directory from a
hard disc onto floppies, (a) give all the floppies the same name,
(b)ácopy onto floppy 1 until Édisc fullæ message, (c)ádismount the
floppy, (d) mount the second one, (e) click on ÉRetryæ and away you go,
(f) donæt forget to give the floppies a meaningful name once you have
finished.
9.5
Wouter Kolkman, <[e-mail]>
9.5
CC Turbodrivers Ö You may find that you get different paper margins when
using the standard !Printers application compared with CC settings. CC
helpline was right: the Acorn driver does not check for the printer DIP
switch settings! The printer I tried was an HP Deskjet.
9.5
Wouter Kolkman, <[e-mail]>
9.5
Display of large row numbers in PipeDream 4 Ö I have read several times
in your magazine about how PipeDream 4 will not display large row
numbers correctly. During an idle moment recently, I experimented with
this anomaly and found that the effect is dependent on the Desktop
display font used (obviously only applicable to RISC OS 3.5 or later).
9.5
A monospaced font (System, Courier etc) give the worst results, chopping
off all but the last two figures in the row number. Proportionally
spaced fonts are much better, displaying at least the last three
numerals.
9.5
However, for some unknown reason, the outline font öSystem.Mediumò
supplied with RISC OS 3.5 allows at least four numerals to be displayed
in the row border. System.Medium is not a particularly attractive choice
for the desktop font but as it is so easy to change it, very long
PipeDream files can be quite simply viewed in System.Medium, before
reverting to oneæs favourite font. Changing the desktop font does not
alter the font in which the PipeDream file itself is displayed.
9.5
Robin Hampshire, Devon.
9.5
Network cards on RISC OS 3.6 Ö Please check the file
!Boot.Choices.Boot.PreDesk.SetUpNet, otherwise you may find that quite a
few modules are Éunpluggedæ.
9.5
Wouter Kolkman, <[e-mail]>
9.5
Night Sky and the system date Ö Some time ago, my version of Night Sky
suddenly refused to load, and nothing I tried (from starting the program
directly from floppy to a complete reset of my computer) helped.
9.5
Since yesterday (New Year) it works again; the trouble lies in the
(German RISC OS only?) system date; Night Sky checks the date while
loading and, for some reason, canæt handle December! Clares have
promised to look for a solution. So if, in December, Night Sky gave you
trouble, try it again in January!
9.5
Jochen Konietzko, K÷ln, Germany.
9.5
Networking on a Shoestring
9.5
Richard Bradbury
9.5
In an earlier article (Archive 9.2 p31) I described the freeware
Internet Protocol Stack, FreeNet. In this article, I will attempt to
describe how it can be set up to suit a variety of networking
requirements.
9.5
The most obvious application of FreeNet is in connecting your Acorn
machine at home to the Internet at large via a modem and telephone line.
Most of the Internet Service Providers operating in the UK offer a
ÉSLIPæ service to customers. As described in my earlier article, this
allows your computer to send IP packets over its RS-232 serial
interface.
9.5
Two typical scenarios
9.5
If you think about it, your computeræs serial port doesnæt have to be
connected to a modem. Indeed, it could just as easily be attached
directly to another computer via a serial cable. Figures 1 and 2
illustrate the two different scenarios.
9.5
Figure 1: Connection to an Internet Service Provider
9.5
Figure 2: Direct SLIP connection between two machines
9.5
In the figure 1, your Acorn (A) is connected via a serial link (SLIP) to
a modem (M), which modulates the digital signal so that it can be sent
down a telephone line. At the other end, a second modem, located in the
premises of your Internet Service Provider, demodulates the signal and
regenerates the original bit patterns. These are then sent to the
provideræs computer (ISP) over another SLIP link. ISP behaves as a
gateway onto the Internet at large, and sends your IP packets on their
way to the correct destination.
9.5
In the opposite direction, packets follow the obvious reverse path from
ISP to A. Both machines implement the Internet protocol stack and
communicate using IP (the Internet Protocol). Therefore, for the
duration of the telephone call, your machine is effectively part of the
Internet Ö it is a first class Internet Host.
9.5
In figure 2, a simpler setup is shown. Here, your Acorn (A) is directly
connected to another machine (B). B could be any computer which
understands SLIP Ö another Acorn running FreeNet, or perhaps a PC
running Windows or Linux. Because there is no telephone connection
involved, the two modems can be dispensed with altogether. Instead, a
special serial cable (often referred to as a Énull modemæ) joins the two
machines directly.
9.5
Since both machines are running the Internet Protocol Stack, it can be
argued that they form their own private network. In fact, the Internet
we all hear so much about these days is comprised of many such private
networks, each belonging to a particular university or corporation, but
linked together to form a network of networks Ö an internetwork.
9.5
This is just one example of a low-cost network which you can build in
your own home. If you have three machines, they could all be connected
together via serial links if one machine has two spare serial ports. The
more adventurous may wish to connect several machines together using
Ethernet. FreeNet can deal with all these situations and more.
9.5
Setting up FreeNet
9.5
FreeNet is supplied in two parts: a pseudo-application called !FreeNet
and another called !FreeUser. The idea behind this is that !FreeNet
contains the essential elements of the protocol stack, whereas !FreeUser
contains the various user configuration files. When a new version of the
stack is released, only the !FreeNet application needs to be updated Ö
the user configuration should remain the same. It is also worth pointing
out that the document !FreeNet.Docs.Setup contains a lot of useful
information on setting up the system.
9.5
The present FreeNet distribution also contains a further application,
!SerialDev, which contains two serial port block drivers. If you plan to
use SLIP with FreeNet, then these bug-fixed drivers will be essential.
However, the files supplied only represent an upgrade to the current
full version of !SerialDev, which is available as package B078 on HENSA,
and from various other sources. Dragging the new version onto the old
should update the relevant files automatically.
9.5
It is essential that the filer Éseesæ the three applications !FreeNet,
!FreeUser and !SerialDev before you attempt to run FreeNet. If you have
a hard disc, Iáwould suggest placing them in a convenient directory;
floppy users could create a FreeNet disc for the three applications. On
my RiscPC, I find it convenient to place system resources like these in
the directory !Boot.Resources. This ensures that the three application
directories are correctly FilerBooted when the machine is rebooted.
9.5
Having copied the FreeNet software to its new home, the first thing to
do is to edit the configuration file !FreeUser.Startup. This is an obey
file which loads a number of modules and configures your system to send
and receive data. The remainder of the article describes how machine A
could be set up, as shown in figure 2.
9.5
The FreeNet startup file
9.5
The first section of the Startup script loads the FreeNet module and a
dummy Internet module. You should not need to change this. The second
section loads the network drivers you intend to use. As a SLIP user, you
should find the line:
9.5
| Load any drivers that we need
9.5
RMRun FreeNet:Drivers.SLIPdriver 576
9.5
If you are not using SLIP, you should comment out this line (by adding a
vertical bar in front), and load a driver appropriate to your own
hardware. Setting up FreeNet for use with Ethernet would require a whole
article to itself, and I donæt propose to go into details here. As a
general point, however, user-specific files such as drivers should be
added to !FreeUser in preference to !FreeNet. New drivers should go in
!FreeUser.Drivers; executable programs belong in !FreeUser.Bin.
9.5
The third section of the Startup script (which loads the DNS resolver,
InetDB) can be left alone.
9.5
The next section sets the name of your computer. If you are going to be
using your computer in isolation from other networks, you are free to
choose any textual name as long as it contains no spaces or dots. If you
are planning to connect the computer to somebody elseæs network, you
should contact your local system administrator who will ensure that the
name does not clash with that of any other machine on the network.
9.5
| Set the host name
9.5
Set Inet$HostName wibble
9.5
The last two sections of the Startup script are the interface
configuration and the routing table setup. These are the most fiddly
parts of the script, and tend to cause the most trouble for new users.
9.5
Interface configuration for SLIP
9.5
Configuring your serial port for SLIP use is a two-stage process.
Firstly, you need to set up the hardware and the serial block driver
using the slattach (SLIP attach) command. This is the easy part.
Secondly, you need to configure FreeNet to use this as a valid
interface, using the ifconfig (interface configure) command. This is the
tricky part.
9.5
As you may already have guessed, a lot of the FreeNet terminology has
been borrowed from the world of Unix, where Internet software was
originally developed. The peculiar naming conventions for commands are
no exception to this, and anyone familiar with network programming under
Unix will immediately feel at home. Unfortunately, this rather leaves
the novice out in the cold. Contrary to what the popular press would
have us believe, the Internet is not a user-friendly environment at all.
It was designed by computer scientists for computer scientists! However,
the following explanation will hopefully demystify the black art
somewhat.
9.5
A typical setup may be:
9.5
| Attach and configure the interfaces
9.5
slattach internal 0 19200
9.5
ifconfig sl0 inet 128.1.44.22 128.1.33
9.5
.5 up
9.5
The slattach command specifies which of the serial block drivers you
wish to use. The Éinternalæ driver is suitable for driving the standard
Acorn serial port; if you have a dual serial port expansion card, the
ÉSP_Dualæ or ÉII_Dualæ drivers may be more suitable. In this latter
case, the number following the driver name (0 in the example above) is
used to specify which of the two ports you are talking about (numbered 0
and 1). For the internal port, this number should always be 0. As a
final point, you can opt to use the ÉinternalPCæ driver if you intend to
use a standard PC serial cable instead of the peculiar Acorn wiring
convention.
9.5
The final parameter of the slattach command is the speed (in bits per
second) at which you wish to drive the serial port. On some older
machines, 19200 is a sensible maximum, but more recent models such as
the A5000 and RiscPC are capable of transmitting reliably at higher
speeds. Of course, if you have a separate serial expansion card, your
extra port(s) will probably be capable of even higher performance Ö
check the supplieræs documentation.
9.5
Indeed, you can have as many slattach commands in your startup script as
you have serial ports. For example:
9.5
slattach internalpc 0 19200
9.5
slattach sp_dual 0 38400
9.5
slattach sp_dual 1 57600
9.5
Now that the physical interfaces are set up, we need to inform FreeNet
about them. Each interface must be uniquely identifiable, and the scheme
used in FreeNet is to give each a unique name. The first slattach
command creates a logical interface called Ésl0æ, the second interface
will be called Ésl1æ and so on. The names used with other types of
interface (such as Ethernet cards) follow similar conventions (e.g.
Éea0æ or Éeb0æ, depending on the model). These names are then used in
the ifconfig command, e.g.:
9.5
ifconfig sl0 inet 128.1.44.22 128.1.33
9.5
.5 up
9.5
The chief purpose of the ifconfig command is to associate logical
addresses (in this case, IP numbers) with physical interfaces. Assuming
that we are setting up machine A in figure 2, the parameters of the
command, from left to right, are:
9.5
sl0 Ö the name of the logical interface to be configured
9.5
inet Ö tells FreeNet that the following parameters are Internet
addresses
9.5
128.1.44.22 Ö the IP address of this machine
9.5
128.1.33.5 Ö the IP address of the machine at the other end of the SLIP
link
9.5
up Ö a switch to turn the interface on.
9.5
The three parameters you will need to change are 1, 3, and 4. You will
need an ifconfig command for each of the interfaces configured using
slattach. The equivalent command for an Ethernet card is somewhat
different because Ethernet is a broadcast medium while SLIP uses a
point-to-point link communications model.
9.5
If you are building an isolated network, you can pick any IP addresses
for your machines, within reason. Avoid numbers such as 0, 127 and 255,
which have special meanings. If you are connecting to a larger network,
your system administrator will assign an IP number to your machine
(parameter 3), and will be able to tell you the IP address of the
computer at the other end of your SLIP link (parameter 4).
9.5
As a final note on the ifconfig command, make sure you donæt delete the
final parameter, Éupæ. This is important and tells FreeNet that the
interface can now be put into service.
9.5
Routing table configuration
9.5
The purpose of a routing table is to tell FreeNet how to reach a
particular host. With SLIP, this is particularly simple because all
hosts other than your own machine can be reached via the SLIP link. With
Ethernet, things are slightly more tricky because there may be more than
one gateway on your Ethernet segment.
9.5
For a simple SLIP setup, we can route all IP packets to the machine at
the other end of the SLIP link with the following line:
9.5
route add default 128.1.33.5 1
9.5
You should replace É128.1.33.5æ with the IP address of the machine at
the far end of your SLIP connection. Donæt forget the final parameter,
É1æ, which tells FreeNet that the specified machine is a gateway.
9.5
Host names
9.5
So far, the setup procedure has dealt only with numeric IP addresses.
Whilst it is possible to make do with these when using application
programs such as Telnet and FTP, it would be much easier to remember
names of particular machines. The way this is achieved is with a name
resolver, called INetDB in FreeNet.
9.5
In practice, the name resolution system actually works as a distributed
database. As the Internet took off in the nineteen eighties, it was soon
realised that a single centralised database of mappings would be too
unreliable. Duplicating the entire database at each site would be too
inefficient and would lead to inconsistencies as machines were moved
around.
9.5
The solution is that each site on the Internet runs a Domain Name Server
on two of its machines (called the Primary and Secondary). These
maintain a cache of <host name, IP address> mappings on behalf of the
other hosts on the site. They can also talk to the DNS at other sites if
necessary. Therefore, each site has a limited view of the world, but is
still capable of resolving the names of frequently accessed hosts very
quickly. Mappings all have an associated timeout, so that if a host is
moved, interested DNSs will find out about its new location before too
long.
9.5
In addition, each Internet host maintains a small cache of recently
accessed addresses for extra performance gain. This can be initialised
with a few frequently-used address mappings (such as the IP address of
the host itself).
9.5
The resolver running on a particular host seeks a mapping from the
following sources in turn:
9.5
Å  A local file of static mappings called the hosts file.
9.5
Å  The local cache which is dynamic.
9.5
Å  The primary local name server.
9.5
Å  The secondary local name server (if the primary áááfails to respond).
9.5
Å  A third name server at another site (as a last ditch ááámeasure).
9.5
Hence, for the system to work properly, we need to specify three
separate name servers. In practice, it is possible to get away with
fewer, but the system will be much more prone to failure.
9.5
The per-host components of the Internet database are stored in the
directory !FreeUser.Files. The two of most interest to us are ÉHostsæ,
the static hosts file, and ÉResConfæ, the configuration file for the
resolver. The resolver will also create a file ÉResCacheæ when it runs;
you should not need to touch this.
9.5
The format of the hosts file is that of a flat file database. Each
record is on a new line, and the fields are separated by white space
(e.g. tab characters). The three fields are:
9.5
Å  IP address
9.5
Å  Full Internet name
9.5
Å  Zero or more name aliases
9.5
For example,
9.5
128.1.44.22  wibble.cam.ac.uk  wibble
9.5
 riscpc700
9.5
128.1.33.5   slip23.cam.ac.uk  slip23
9.5
The first record actually contains four fields because Iáhave given my
own machine two name aliases: Éwibbleæ, the official name assigned to
it, and Ériscpc700æ, the name I prefer to use. The hosts file should
only need to contain a small number of mappings, probably no more than
ten. It should only contain well-known addresses which are never likely
to change. For example, you may wish to include the mapping for the
gateway of your Internet Service Provider, plus some of the other
frequently-used machines such as the mail and news servers.
9.5
Finally, you should modify the ÉResConfæ file. This simply sets up some
parameters for the INetDB module to read in when it is initialised. The
first line, labelled Ésearchæ, tells the host name resolver which
Internet domains the lookup procedure should use. For example, if I have
the entry:
9.5
search   cam.ac.uk
9.5
and when I access the host Ébananaæ, the resolver will try to resolve
the names Ébanana.cam.ac.ukæ, Ébanana.ac.ukæ and Ébanana.ukæ in turn.
9.5
The values of the other entries specify various parameters, such as the
size of the local cache and the number of retries to be used when
talking to name servers before giving up. The values provided by default
should be adequate for most uses; interested readers should refer to the
file !FreeNet.Docs.Resolver for a full description of all possible
parameters.
9.5
The last change you will need to make to ÉResConfæ is to change the
Énameserveræ entries to suit your setup. Your system administrator
should be able to provide you with the three necessary IP addresses.
9.5
A system with no name servers
9.5
If you are running a very simple network comprising only a handful of
hosts, using a name server is something of a sledgehammer approach. You
can probably get away with entering all the host name mappings into the
ÉHostsæ file; for example:
9.5
128.1.44.22  wibble.home  wibble riscpc700
9.5
128.1.33.5   slip23.home  slip23
9.5
In this case, you still need to use the INetDB module, but the
resolveræs cache can be disabled by modifying the Élookupæ entry in the
ÉResConfæ file. You should remove the reference to BIND, leaving the
entry as:
9.5
  lookup     file
9.5
You can also remove the three Énameserveræ entries. Note that, in this
example, the search domain would now be set to Éhomeæ rather than
Écam.ac.ukæ.
9.5
The shutdown script
9.5
The file !FreeUser.ShutDown is the obey file you should run when you
have finished using FreeNet. Itáis not strictly necessary, but its
purpose is to shut down all your active connections. The way this is
achieved is by RMKilling the various modules associated with FreeNet.
For the example given here, this means InetDB, SLIPdriver and FreeNet
itself. The dummy Internet module should also be killed.
9.5
Firing up
9.5
Now that everything is set up, it is time to kick the system into
action. This involves simply double clicking on the !FreeUser.Startup
script. FreeNet is configured to maintain a log file of messages
(!FreeUser.Log), and you should now take a look at it to make sure
everything has started up correctly. Here is an extract from my log
file:
9.5
291195 100216 FreeNet started
9.5
291195 100217 Hardware driver detected for interfaces Ésl0æ to Ésl3æ
9.5
This tells me that the FreeNet stack has started correctly and has
detected the SLIPdriver module. The FreeNet module also provides a
command line interface for debugging purposes, in the form of the
NetStat command. To check the interfaces:
9.5
*NetStat -i
9.5
Name Mtu Network Address    Ipkts Opkts
9.5
sl0  576 128.1   128.1.44.22  0    0
9.5
NetStat can also be used to inspect the routing table:
9.5
*NetStat -r
9.5
Routing tables
9.5
Destination Gateway    Flags Refs Use Inter-
9.5
face
9.5
default     128.1.33.5  UG    0    0  sl0
9.5
All being well, the next thing to test is whether you can actually send
packets to the other end of the SLIP link. The ping program is used to
send test packets to another machine. It also provides statistics on the
round-trip time for the packets, which gives a pretty good performance
indication for the link.
9.5
*Ping slip23.cam.ac.uk
9.5
PING slip23 (128.1.33.5): 56 data bytes
9.5
64 bytes from 128.1.44.22: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=2.236 ms
9.5
64 bytes from 128.1.44.22: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=2.171 ms
9.5
64 bytes from 128.1.44.22: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=2.132 ms
9.5
ÿ- slip23 ping statistics ÿ-
9.5
3 packets transmitted, 3 packets received,
9.5
 0% packet loss
9.5
round-trip min/avg/max = 2.132/2.180/2.236
9.5
 ms
9.5
Press <escape> to stop the ping program. This being the case, everything
is working fine. You can now move on to the next problem: setting up
some real applications like ArcWeb and FreeTerm!
9.5
Unfortunately, you may just be staring at a blank screen. One possible
reason is that your serial hardware is asleep. The recommended method
for waking it up is to enter the following line in Basic:
9.5
  SYS öOS_SerialOpò,2,50
9.5
If this doesnæt help, youære in real trouble, and itæs probably time to
resort to outside help. You can get help by posting on the Usenet news
group Écomp.sys.acorn.networkingæ. Another good place to try is the
FreeNet discussion list, where direct support from the author and users
is available. Send an email message to É[e-mail]æ
with the body Ésubscribe freenetæ. You will receive a message in return
which explains how to send messages to the list.
9.5
I hope that these articles have proved useful and informative. As usual,
your comments are welcome. My e-mail address is [e-mail].
9.5
News about FreeNet
9.5
The FreeNet stack itself has finally reached version 1.00. This
effectively moves it out of beta test phase and gives it Éfull working
versionæ status. In fact, at the time of writing (end of November),
there has already been a minor bug-fix, and the stack stands at version
1.01.
9.5
There is now a PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) device driver for Acorn
machines. Written by Sergio Monesi, it is a DCI-2 driver suitable for
use with current versions of FreeNet, and also older versions of the
Acorn TCP/IP stack. It is not suitable, however, for DCI-4 stacks. The
driver is available at the FreeNet FTP site:
9.5
ftp://cslib.ecs.soton.ac.uk/pub/Acorn/
9.5
freenet/s.monesi/ppp002.arc.
9.5
Version 0.05 of the FreeNet starter pack, which I mentioned last month,
was delayed slightly by issues relating to the new stack. It has now
been released and can be found in the directory:
9.5
ftp://cslib.ecs.soton.ac.uk/pub/Acorn/
9.5
freenet/p.temple/.
9.5
A new version of the freeware terminal emulator, FreeTerm, is also on
its way. This emulates a scrolling VT series terminal for use during
Telnet log-in sessions to remotely located hosts. FreeTerm will also
work with Internet stacks other than FreeNet, and can be found inside
the directory:
9.5
ftp://cslib.ecs.soton.ac.uk/pub/Acorn/
9.5
freenet/t.howat/.
9.5
Finally, Tom Hughes, the creator of FreeNet has recently released a
beta-test SLIP driver which complies with the DCI-4 interface
specification. This makes it the only freeware SLIP driver suitable for
use with recent Internet stacks, such as Acornæs version 4.xx Internet
module. The driver can be downloaded as:
9.5
ftp://cslib.soton.ac.uk/pub/Acorn/
9.5
freenet/t.hughes/slipdriver200.arc.
9.5
Acornæs DCI-4 stack is also available free as:
9.5
ftp://ftp.acorn.co.uk/pub/riscos/
9.5
releases/networking/DCI4/
9.5
internet.arc.
9.5
Coupled with freeware applications such as FreeTerm and ArcWeb, this
makes for a very cost-effective alternative to the pricey offerings from
companies like Acorn and ANT. Admittedly, the software is not as
polished as its commercial equivalents, and there is no hand-holding for
novices. However, with a little effort, near equal functionality can be
achieved for next to nothing. This surely is networking on a shoestring!
9.5
Richard Bradbury  <[e-mail]>
9.5
Help!!!!
9.5
Archive articles wanted Ö Some suggestions that have come through for
articles that people would like to see in Archive:
9.5
1) A Étechnicalæ series detailing the expansion card system, and showing
how a podule might be designed and constructed. The example of designing
and constructing a fast serial interface podule for A30x0 and A4000
machines has been mooted.
9.5
2) A project to design an adapter so that full-size podules can be
fitted to the A30x0 or A4000.
9.5
3) More technical details, such as pin-outs of ports, and their
operation.
9.5
4) A brief article on consumer law as regards buying hardware and
software, claiming refunds, licence conditions, etc. (e.g. Who is
responsible when hardware and software donæt work together?!)
9.5
Any offers?
9.5
Ed., <[e-mail]>
9.5
Disc backup Ö As hard discs are now much larger than they used to be,
could anyone tell me which backup package is suitable for multi-hundred
Mb discs, please?
9.5
Peter Chambers <[e-mail]>
9.5
FPA11 Ö Acorn say they no longer supply the FPA11 but I am very keen to
get floating point facility on my 33MHz A5000. Can anyone help, please?
9.5
Eric Willemen,áAntwerpen, Belgium.
9.5
Multi-file searching (1) Ö Re: Kjetil Thomassenæs comment in Archive 9.4
p11. If you are searching for any type of string in any file, you would
find an application on the Risc User disc (Vol.8 No7), called Match,
very useful. It searches any file, directory or sub-directories for your
specified string and even opens the directory for you, if asked.
9.5
Chris Dawson <[e-mail]>
9.5
Multi-file searching (2) Ö In 9.3 p55, you suggested using !Find to
browse the Archive CD. Iáhave !Find, and have tried to use it as you
suggest. However, without useful instructions, (the help file isnæt!) I
have not been able to use it. Could someone explain how to do it,
please?
9.5
Andrew Campbell,  <[e-mail]>
9.5
Multi-file searching (3) Ö In answer to the original query, I have
written !LooknFind which searches the contents of multiple files. This
is on the monthly program disc (ú2) or you can get it direct from me by
sending an E-format disc and return postage. Also available and on the
monthly disc are: !CASE2case which changes the case and/or the length of
filenames in bulk, and !Calendars which provides data files for
calendars.
9.5
Robert Lytton, 7 Helmsley Drive, West Park, Leeds, LS16 5HY.
9.5
SCSI compatibility Ö A number of readers have been seeking my advice on
compatibility of the Alsystemsæ SCSI 2 interface with their devices.
Although I have some limited information from the manufacturers, to date
I havenæt had any reports from users. Please could any reader who has
installed the Alsystems Power-tec card let me have a run-down on your
experiences. The range of data ideally required is listed in Archive 9.2
pp24/25. I would also appreciate reports from any readers who have
recently updated their Cumana SCSI 2 card firmware. Iæm especially
interested in the version number of the firmware upgrade fitted (v2.05
is the latest reported to me) and whether this is an improvement on the
earlier versions, particularly in the area of copying large files/
directories to and from SyQuest drives.
9.5
Jim Nottingham, 16áWestfield Close, Pocklington, York, YO4á2EY.
9.5
Winchester Acorn Club? Ö Is there anything happening in the Winchester
area? I would like to meet up with other people interested in things
Acorn.
9.5
Martin Osborne, 2 Cherry Close, South Wonston, SO21 3HU.
9.5
C++ Column
9.5
Tony Houghton
9.5
In C, standard I/O (input/output) operations are provided by the
<stdio.h> library. In C++, this has been superseded by the streams
library. Although the numerous complex classes and their interrelations
make learning them daunting, their use can make program source easier to
understand.
9.5
As with the functions in <stdio.h>, there are streams specialised for
the console (display and keyboard), files and strings.
9.5
The use of streams is centred around the operators << and >>, which are
overloaded (see Archive 9.2) for streams to mean output and input
respectively. In this context, the operators are known as inserters
(output) and extractors (input), or more simply put to and get from. The
result of each of these operators is the stream to which they were
applied. So, as the operators have low precedence, and associate from
left to right they can be chained. For example:
9.5
cout << öHello ò << öworld\nò;
9.5
is equivalent to
9.5
cout << öHello ò;
9.5
cout << öworld\nò;
9.5
An important feature of streams is that they are buffered, so writing to
an output stream will not necessarily cause anything to appear at the
output (such as on screen) straight away. This makes use with files more
efficient, but it can be a nuisance. Fortunately, it is possible to
program streams to read and write straight through the buffer.
9.5
The full details of the streams libraries are too long for this article,
which is intended as a thorough introduction to using the existing
facilities provided by the libraries. The Acorn C/C++ manual contains a
very good reference chapter for the streams library, and you should read
it after this if you have that package and are interested in extending
streams (e.g. writing one to use Wimp_ReportError).
9.5
When including C++ header files, note that you may get compiler warnings
saying öNon-ANSI #includeò, because the latest version of Acorn C++
preprocesses in an ANSI-compatible mode. This is nothing to worry about.
9.5
Simple output
9.5
The main class for output functions is ostream, defined in <iostream.h>.
It has a number of overloaded versions of << already defined for built-
in types such as int, float and char* (strings), and other types can be
added. Pointers other than chará* are treated as unsigned integers.
ostream can be used as the base class for classes that write to files,
strings and the screen (or anywhere more advanced users care). By adding
operations to ostream, you allow them to be used for all these outputs.
9.5
<iostream.h> provides a standard object derived from ostream for writing
to the screen, called cout. Examples of its usage are:
9.5
cout << öHello world\nò;
9.5
cout<<öHere is a number: ò<<4<<É\næ;
9.5
Try them in a short program. The second example highlights that there
are separate operators for outputting int and char, the former converts
the number to a string (like %d in Cæs printf()) and the latter displays
the char as a character.
9.5
Adding operators for user-defined types
9.5
Output operators for the built-in types are provided as members of
ostream. A subset of ostream is:
9.5
class ostream //...
9.5
{ostream &operator<<(int);
9.5
    // Returns reference to itself
9.5
};
9.5
We should not consider adding operations for our own types to ostream
this way, because we would have to alter the library, nor can we add
them to a user-defined derived class because it wonæt be usable in other
library classes derived directly from ostream. This leaves us with
globally overloading operator<<. The class complex is a good example,
its output operator might be:
9.5
ostream &operator<<(ostream &s,
9.5
                    complex z)
9.5
{<< É(æ << real(z) << É,æ
9.5
        << imag(z) << É)æ;
9.5
}
9.5
which outputs a complex number as a comma-separated pair of numbers in
brackets.
9.5
Simple input
9.5
The class istream is a close parallel of ostream used for input.
Inputting values introduces the problem of what should be considered as
the terminator or separator of values. For all types, a whitespace
(defined as a space, tab or newline etc) is considered the terminator,
for numbers anything that is not considered a numerical character is a
terminator. Whitespace at the beginning of any value is skipped.
9.5
Therefore, although we have written öHello world\nò as one string, if
this was read back it would be as two strings, öHelloò and öworldò.
9.5
Stream states Ö ios
9.5
During input, it is possible that we will encounter errors, e.g. a
string of letters being present when we were expecting a number.
Therefore, before discussing input further, we need to look at aspects
of the state of a stream. The state of a stream is handled by the base
class ios. The simplest way to read the state of a class is with its
member operators ! and void *. These are defined as (members of ios):
9.5
int operator!();
9.5
operator void *();
9.5
! returns non-zero if the stream is in a state of error and void *
returns non-zero if there is no error (the pointer value should not
actually be used). This allows you to write something like:
9.5
if (cin)
9.5
  // No error
9.5
if (!cin)
9.5
  // There has been an error
9.5
cin is the standard input stream (from the keyboard), the complement of
cout.
9.5
The state is represented internally by a set of flags manipulated by the
following (public) members of ios:
9.5
enum io_state {goodbit ,    // These represent bits
9.5
  eofbit,     // Actual values depend
9.5
  failbit,    // on implementation
9.5
  badbit
9.5
};
9.5
int rdstate();
9.5
void clear(int state=0);
9.5
The bits represented by io_state represent, in the order shown: no
errors; no errors but end of file has been reached; failure, but stream
is still usable; stream has become unusable.
9.5
rdstate returns a value made up from the io_state bits. To test for a
particular condition, you should mask the value with bitwise and (&):
9.5
if (cin.rdstate() & ios::goodbit)
9.5
  // OK to continue
9.5
clear() is rather confusingly named Ö it actually sets the error state
to its argument. It is called clear because the default with no argument
is to set the state to good (clear all errors).
9.5
Members are provided to test for specific error states in a more elegant
way (NZ means returns non-zero):
9.5
int good();  // NZ if no errors
9.5
int eof();   // NZ if eofbit set
9.5
int fail();  // NZ if failbit or
9.5
             // badbit set
9.5
int bad();   // NZ if badbit set
9.5
Input of user defined types
9.5
This is similar to adding output operators, but we should be careful to
deal with errors. To complement the output of complex weæll look at an
input operator that can deal with the brackets and comma. Note that the
second argument of an input operator must be a reference, or nothing
will appear to happen:
9.5
istream &operator>>(istream &s,
9.5
                    complex &z)
9.5
{input operations must leave
9.5
  their target variable unaltered
9.5
  so we read values into temporaries,
9.5
  and c must be initialised to
9.5
  anything other than É(æ
9.5
*/
9.5
  double re, im;
9.5
  char c=0;
9.5
  s >> c;
9.5
  if (c==É(æ)
9.5
  {re >> c;
9.5
    if (c==É,æ)
9.5
    {im >> c;
9.5
      if (c==É)æ)
9.5
      {complex(re , im);
9.5
        // In practice, this operator
9.5
        // would be a friend of
9.5
        // complex to allow it to set
9.5
        // zæs members directly for
9.5
        // efficiency
9.5
        return s;
9.5
      }
9.5
    }
9.5
  }
9.5
  if (!s.fail())
9.5
    s.clear(ios::failbit);
9.5
  return s;
9.5
}
9.5
Formatting
9.5
The states of a stream handled by ios do not only concern errors, the
other main set of states is concerned with formatting. Just as
characters in the format string of a printf or scanf call can be used to
change attributes of the output (or expected input), such as base and
number of decimal places, flags in ios are used for streams.
Unfortunately, there is insufficient space to cover the flags here;
where possible, it is better to use manipulators (see below) anyway. The
Acorn C++ manual has a very good reference chapter for streams; if you
have Easy C++ or GCC with no other documentation, you may be lucky and
find that the header file <iostream.h> is sufficiently commented. The
enum group of flags for formatting usually begins with skipws.
9.5
The members of ios for accessing format flags are:
9.5
long flags();  // Returns value
9.5
long flags(long b);
9.5
  // Sets value of flags to b and
9.5
  // returns old value of all flags
9.5
long setf(long b);
9.5
  // Sets just the flag b and
9.5
  // returns old value of that flag
9.5
long unsetf(long b);
9.5
  // As setf(long b) but clears b
9.5
long setf(long b, long f);
9.5
  // Sets group of flags represented
9.5
  // by f to b, returns old value of
9.5
  // group
9.5
The flags fall into three main groups, so the last of the above members
is used to set a group of flags at a time. The groups are:
9.5
f=basefield Ö base of numerical values (decimal, hex or octal)
9.5
f=adjustfield Ö alignment of numerical values
9.5
f=floatfield Ö floating point notation.
9.5
Two other important flags in the same enum, but not strictly concerned
with formatting, are unitbuf and stdio. When unitbuf is set, the stream
is flushed after every operation (but not necessarily for every
character), this makes sure output appears on the screen etc straight
away. If stdio is set, the standard streams are flushed after every
operation.
9.5
Other members of ios
9.5
There are three more members of ios for controlling format by setting
and returning various values. In each case, the argument is optional;
where present, it sets the value as well as returning the old value:
9.5
int precision(int);
9.5
the number of significant digits to use for floating point types (the
default is 6).
9.5
int width(int);
9.5
the minimum number of characters used to output a value; if a value
needs more than the setting, it will overflow the width, and if it needs
less, it will be padded with the fill character.
9.5
char fill(char);
9.5
the fill character used for padding out to width (default is a space).
9.5
As well as formatting, you can control the behaviour of a stream.
9.5
ostream *tie(ostream *);
9.5
  // Argument optional,
9.5
  // zero to untie
9.5
allows a stream to be Étiedæ to an ostream, meaning that when an
operation is performed on one of the streams, the other is flushed. By
default, cin is tied to cerr to ensure that all the text written to the
screen actually appears in sequence with text read from the keyboard.
9.5
static void sync_with_stdio();
9.5
causes all the standard streams (including cin and cerr) to be attached
to their stdio counterparts and unit-buffered. This allows code using
streams to be freely mixed with code using stdio with no problems of
characters appearing or being consumed out of sequence.
9.5
Manipulators
9.5
Manipulators allow the state of a stream to be changed more conveniently
by outputting or inputting predefined objects (actually, they are
functions, but the implementation is beyond the scope of this article)
to or from a stream.
9.5
The simpler manipulators are dec, hex, oct, endlá(o), endsá(o), flush
(o), ws (i); where (o) means it applies only to ostream, and (i) means
it applies only to istream. dec, hex and oct set the base of the next
value; endl and ends set the end of a line or string with a É\næ or zero
respectively, and flush the stream; flush flushes the stream; ws strips
any further whitespace characters before the next value.
9.5
You can write:
9.5
cout << hex << 33 << endl;
9.5
to cause:
9.5
21
9.5
to be written on the screen (including a newline).
9.5
To read the same string back as a hex value into a variable number_in,
you would write:
9.5
cin >> hex >> number_in;
9.5
More complicated manipulators taking arguments, implemented by function
templates, are defined in <iomanip.h>. The predefined ones duplicate the
members of ios previously described:
9.5
setprecision(int) Ö floating point precision
9.5
setfill(int) Ö fill character
9.5
setw(int) Ö width
9.5
setiosflags(long) Ö set format flags
9.5
resetiosflags(long) Ö clear format flags
9.5
So an alternative to writing:
9.5
cout.width(10);
9.5
cout << PI;
9.5
is:
9.5
cout << setw(10) << PI;
9.5
Note that PI is not defined by default in C or C++.
9.5
Members of istream and ostream
9.5
So far, we have only looked at members of istream and ostream provided
by their base classes and the inserters and extractors. The stream
classes themselves provide a few members to make i/o easier.
9.5
iostream has some members to give more control over input:
9.5
istream &get(char &c);
9.5
extracts a single character and stores it in c.
9.5
istream &get(char *s, int n,
9.5
             char d=É\næ);
9.5
extracts up to n characters into the string s, stopping if it reaches
the delimiter character d, which is left in the stream. n is also
optional, allowing the length of the string to be ignored (considered to
be an unsafe thing to do). The string is terminated.
9.5
istream &getline(char *s, int n,
9.5
                 char d=É\næ);
9.5
As above, but the delimiter is also extracted and added to s, and there
is no version without n.
9.5
istream &read(char *s, int n);
9.5
as get(char *, int, char); but with no delimiter.
9.5
istream &ignore(int n, int d=EOF);
9.5
as get(char *, int, char); but characters are ignored.
9.5
int peek();
9.5
returns the next character (or EOF, defined as Ö1) in the stream without
extracting it.
9.5
istream &putback(char);
9.5
attempts to put back the last character read from the stream and change
the internal pointer, so it is as if the character was never read. Do
not attempt to use it for any other purpose.
9.5
Such fine control is not needed for output, so the only members of
ostream complementing the above members of istream are:
9.5
ostream &put(char c);
9.5
puts a single character, provided only for symmetry.
9.5
ostream &write(char *s, int n);
9.5
writes n characters from s which can contain zeros.
9.5
Both istream and ostream provide members for reading and writing the
position of the internal pointer. This is most meaningful when applied
to file streams and is analogous to the fseek() and ftell() functions in
<stdio.h>, but it can also be applied to other streams, strings in
particular.
9.5
For ostream, the members are (with the p suffix standing for put):
9.5
ostream &seekp(streampos);
9.5
sets the position to the streampos argument; streampos is an integral
type (Acorn C++ defines it as typedef long).
9.5
ostream &seekp(streamoff, seek_dir);
9.5
sets the position relative to a position defined by the seek_dir which
is defined as a type member of ios:
9.5
enum seek_dir {beg ,          // beginning of file
9.5
  cur,          // current position
9.5
  end           // end of file
9.5
};
9.5
streampos tellp();
9.5
returns the current position.
9.5
istream contains identical members, but the p suffix is replaced by g
(for get), e.g. tellg() and ostream & results are replaced by istream &.
The reason for distinguishing between input and output with p and g is
because there is a class iostream derived from istream and ostream.
9.5
Stream buffers
9.5
The actual buffer to which a stream is attached depends on what sort of
stream it is (e.g. file, string). Buffers are derived from the class
streambuf. A streambuf must be attached to a stream when it is
initialised by passing a streambuf * to its constructor. All the
practical streams derived from the basic stream classes (such as those
used by cin and cout) do this for you, and we need not concern ourselves
with implementation details of streambuf here.
9.5
cin and cout are of little use to Wimp programmers, so we shall now look
at some streams that are.
9.5
File streams
9.5
These are probably the type of stream you will use most in applications.
The classes provided for file streams in <fstream.h> are ofstream
(output), ifstream (input) and fstream (input and output). Much of the
way they deal with files is common, so each member will only be
described once for an imaginary class xstream where x can mean if, of or
f.
9.5
The constructors of an xstream are:
9.5
xstream();
9.5
constructs a file stream without opening a file.
9.5
xstream(const char *name,
9.5
        int mode, int prot);
9.5
constructs the stream, attaching it to a file called name, using mode.
prot is ignored by RISC OS. mode takes values from flags in
enumáopen_mode, a member of ios. Possible values are:
9.5
in Ö input; default value for ifstream.
9.5
out Ö output; default value for ofstream. Implies trunc.
9.5
ate Ö (at end) once file is opened, its pointer is set to the end.
9.5
app Ö (append) as ate, but also implies out.
9.5
trunc Ö (truncate) causes any existing data to be discarded.
9.5
nocreate Ö open will fail (setting failbit) if file doesnæt already
exist.
9.5
noreplace Ö open will fail if file does already exist (only usable in
conjunction with out).
9.5
There are other constructors, but they will not be covered here.
9.5
If you create an xstream without opening a file, it must subsequently be
opened by the member:
9.5
void open(const char *, int, int);
9.5
// Arguments as for constructor
9.5
The member:
9.5
void close();
9.5
closes any file attached to the stream. This is also done by the
destructor, so you donæt usually have to explicitly close files.
9.5
A minimal example program to copy one file to another with no error
checking would be:
9.5
#include <fstream.h>
9.5
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
9.5
{file named by first argument
9.5
   to one named by second argument */
9.5
  ifstream from(argv[1]);
9.5
    // Default open_mode is OK
9.5
  ofstream to(argv[2]);
9.5
  char ch;
9.5
  while (from.get(ch)) to.put(ch);
9.5
    // get will fail after eof
9.5
}
9.5
String streams
9.5
Streams using strings (cf printf() and sscanf()) can be found in
<strstream.h>. The classes are istrstream for input, ostrstream for
output and strstream for both. The constructors are:
9.5
istrstream(char *s);
9.5
Characters will be extracted from the string s which is assumed to be
zero-terminated; the eof condition is set when the terminator, which is
not considered part of the sequence, is reached.
9.5
istrstream(char *s, int len);
9.5
As above, but the string has a predefined length of len.
9.5
ostrstream(char *s,int len,int mode);
9.5
strstream(char *s,int len,int mode);
9.5
Characters will be inserted into the array of len bytes. The mode is as
for file streams; if ios::app or ios::ate are set, the string should be
null-terminated within len and inserting begins at that point.
9.5
ostrstream();
9.5
strstream();
9.5
The string is created by ostrstream or strstream and dynamically
reallocated as necessary.
9.5
Where the string is dynamically allocated, we need access to it once
operations are complete. ostrstream and strstream each have a member:
9.5
char *str();
9.5
which returns the string created. Once this is called, the string is no
longer attached to the stream, so the stream is no longer usable. Also,
it is the calleræs responsibility to delete[] the string when finished
with; before the call to str(), the streamæs destructor does this.
9.5
If you need to know the length of a non-terminated string written to by
an ostream, you can call:
9.5
int pcount();
9.5
to find the number of bytes written.
9.5
Stdio streams
9.5
A stdiostream, defined in <stdiostream.h> (truncated by RISCáOS to
<stdiostrea.h>), can be created for use on files controlled by
<stdio.h>, but it should only be used to allow mixing of C and C++ code.
A stdiostream is unit-buffered and has the constructor:
9.5
stdiostream(FILE *fp);
9.5
where fp is opened and closed by C code using <stdio.h>.
9.5
Exercise (advanced)
9.5
If you have adequate documentation, try finding out how to derive a
buffer from streambuf and use it to make a stream that outputs via
Wimp_ReportError at every flush. Provide manipulators (be careful when
choosing global names) for setting the error number, error flags and the
error box title. Also provide an inserter for _kernel_oserror * (and/or
os_error *, depending on the libraries you use); itácan bypass the
actual insertion process, and just use the streamæs flags and title
values, and do nothing for null errors (make the operator, or at least
an initial part that checks for zero, inline for efficiency). u
9.5
Beginnersæ Corner
9.5
John Temple
9.5
John has been unable to do a contribution in time this month due to
family illness but he wanted you to have the promised menu-tree for
Draw, so here it is.
9.5
Also, please could we have some feedback for John? It represents a lot
of work writing a column like this and so it is very helpful to know if
it is hitting the mark. It is even helpful to know if it is NOT hitting
the mark, so donæt think that John is only looking for pats on the back.
He wants to know what it is that YOU want to know! Thanks. Ed.
9.5
John Temple, The Mews, Rawlinson Road, Oxford, OX2á6UE.
<[e-mail]>
9.5
Small Ads
9.5
(Small ads for Acorn 32-bit computers (i.e. not BBCs) and related
products are free for subscribers but we reserve the right to publish
all, part or none of the material you send, as we think fit. i.e. some
people donæt know what Ésmallæ means and there are certain things, as
you can imagine, that we would not be prepared to advertise as a matter
of principle. Sending small ads (especially long ones) on disc is
helpful but not essential.)
9.5
A3000 OS3 2Mb ú195, Risc Dev. 60Mb HD ú90, Monitor ú90, Colour printer
ú70, all for ú395 with s/w (including Impression). User Analog port
A3000/A4000 ú30, PRM OS2 ú25, Pendown ú25, PCEmulator 1.82 ú25, StrongEd
ú9, Leeds 0113-275-5276.
9.5
A310, 4Mb RAM, ARM3, RISC OS 3.1, SVGA video enhancer (800╫600), almost
new mouse, Acorn four-slot backplane ú195 ovno, same with Oak SCSI
interface and 45Mb HD ú265 ovno, same with Oak HD and Taxan 787 SVGA
monitor, 2╝ yrs old, ú375 ovno. Will deliver and setup within 100 mile
radius for petrol cost. Pineapple PAL encoder ú25, Beebug 5╝ö disc
interface (not RiscPC) ú10. Phone Stuart Bell on 01403-253915.
9.5
A440, ARM3, 20Mb, RISC OS 3.1, Beebug VME and 5╝ö floppy disc interface,
Taxan 770+LR 15ò monitor, Panasonic KX-P1124 printer, Fireworkz, Twin,
miscellaneous software, ú350. Phone [phone] eves.
9.5
A440/1, ARM3, 4Mb RAM, RISCOS 3.1, VIDC, Eizo 9060S, 47Mb HardDisc,
PCáEmulator 1.83, PipeDream 4, CC Compression, Games,  ú550 o.n.o. Phone
Gordon on 01257-424113.
9.5
A3000, 4Mb RAM, ARM3, RISC OS 3.1, Eizo 9060S 14ö colour monitor, Lindis
SCSI card, 240Mb HD, Pres monitor plinth, external CD-ROM drive, Midi
interface and sound sampler, VIDC enhancer, double podule expansion, PC
Emulator, lots of software ú750 ono. Phone [phone].
9.5
A5000, 4Mb RAM, 60Mb HD, Taxan 770+ monitor, Learning Curve and other
software, manuals etc. ú550, Morley 16-bit SCSI card with latest ROM
ú75, Cumana external single-speed SCSI CD-ROM drive with cable and 3 CDs
ú70. Phone [phone].
9.5
A5000, 4Mb RAM, 120Mb HD, RISC OS 3.1, AKF18 monitor ú600, Aleph One
25MHz 486PC podule with 4Mb RAM ú250, Beebug disc buffer and DFS Reader
ú15. Phone [phone].
9.5
AKF60 14ö monitor, ú225. ScanLight Video 256 v2.06, RiscPC compatible
ú140, both in excellent condition. Phone G. Rhodes on 01302-338312 after
6.
9.5
Canon LBP4 Laser Direct HiRes printer with CC podule and current
software in good working order ú430 +carriage or collect/deliver
reasonable radius of Bristol. Phone [phone].
9.5
Cumana SCSI 2 32-bit interface ú155, Pace Microlin fx32+ external fax/
data modem 14,400bps boxed with warranty, manuals and cables ú140,
Clares Video Titler unused ú80, Eidoscope video editing for the RiscPC
unused ú100, Encarta 95 CD ú20, Dangerous Creatures CD ú15, MS-Golf CD
ú15. Phone Barry on 01332-701969.
9.5
Cycloids, vgc ú10, A3000 user port ú10, Archive magazine volumes 4-7
worth over ú50 (At least! Ed.), vgc ú20. Phone Benjamin on 01449-673443.
9.5
Junior Pinpoint version 2, boxed and unused ú15. Phone D. Marshall on
0161-941-1683.
9.5
ProArtisan 2 CD with ProArt24 upgrade voucher and a PhotoCD ú35,
Revelation 2 CD with CDFS 2.21Y upgrade ú35, Eureka 3.01 ú50, PinPoint
2.01d ú40, Revelation imagePro ú40, offers welcome. Phone David on
01752-840027 after 5.
9.5
ProLink fax/data modem, 9600 fax, 2400bps data with V42, V42bis and MNP5
ú45, Rhapsody 3 ú49, Rhythm Bed ú24, Serenade ú49, Chocks Away and Extra
Missions ú18, Snippet ú15. Phone Devon on 01626-853774.
9.5
RiscPC 600, 13Mb, ARM710, PC486 card, SCSI 2 interface, 240Mb IDE HD,
540Mb SCSI HD, six-speed SCSI CD-ROM drive with CD Fast, 16-bit sound
card with 25W speakers, Scanlight 256, Canon BJ10ex, computer desk if
required, lots of software inc. Windows 3.1, Style etc. and manuals,
reference books and discs. Cost over ú3,000, sell for ú1,500. Can
deliver within 30 miles of Wellingborough. Phone Eric Critchley on
01933-678093.
9.5
SyQuest 105Mb removable hard drive, internal IDE with RiscPC mounting
and one cartridge, hardly used ú150. HP 500C colour printer ú170. Phone
John Savage on 01525-237625.
9.5
Internet Column
9.5
Dave Pantling
9.5
This month, I shall be looking at Termite Internet from DoggySoft and
Argonetæs Voyager software. Iáwas hoping to review ANTæs Internet Suite,
but it didnæt arrive in time for me to get truly familiar with it, so I
will cover it in detail next month. Before proceeding with the review, I
need to point out that Iáam an Argonet customer and use Voyager daily.
Iáused Termite on a test account provided by a local company for a
period of a month before writing their review.
9.5
Argonetæs Voyager
9.5
This package is distinctly separate from Termite and ANTæs Internet
Suite because it can only be used with Argonetæs Internet service. As
they are the Service Provider, they know what your email address,
password and local number will be, so they can configure the software
before despatch. If you buy this software, youæll also be buying
Argonetæs access.
9.5
Voyager places itself on the iconbar as an old-style telephone. The
little phone is green when offline, red when accessing the Internet and
a murky yellow when in Autofetch mode! On clicking, a control panel
opens, showing six icons: log on/off, access the WWW, mail, Usenet news,
Telnet and FTP. Below this are a status line and call timer, plus four
indicators (in the style of LEDæs) showing the progress of fetching and
sending news and mail.
9.5
All configuration options are accessed via a menu from the iconbar. The
software is set up with sensible defaults, but you might want to disable
WWW or Telnet access, or password protect the configuration if you wish
to prevent your children running up the phone bill while youære out
shopping!
9.5
A few days into using the program, Argonet emailed instructions to öftp
an upgradeò. Ftp (file transfer protocol) is a simple way to download
files from the Internet. Using it, I copied a small program from
Argonetæs ftp site to my hard disc Ö itæs as simple as finding the file
and dragging it into a directory, then running it. Iæve received two ftp
upgrades since then.
9.5
Voyageræs features all worked well, though the program does have a few
rough edges. It regularly complained of files being left open, sometimes
resulting in a lock up, though this has improved a little since the last
upgrade.
9.5
Voyager is being continuously updated, with new features being added if
enough users request them, so we can look forward to bugs being ironed
out, too. Recently added features include a facility to automatically
log on at a predetermined time and collect news and mail. You can set
marks on a chart allowing the software to Éautofetchæ at times on a half
hourly grid, with difference patterns for each day. (However, the
release note said this feature was not to be used unattended!)
9.5
The Étemporaryæ manual is a little disappointing, not covering many of
the essential features, but these are usually easy enough to work out
once you have a little experience. The full manual will be sent to all
existing users when it is ready.
9.5
The mail and news sections are functional, though laboriously slow. The
software automatically adds your Ésignatureæ at the end of each item you
post, even providing the correct separator; something many PC packages
donæt manage to do.
9.5
I would like to see the offline mail and news facilities optimised for
speed, but I have been assured that this is in the pipeline. The web
browser is also quite slow at displaying graphics but you can select the
Édelay image loading optionæ if this becomes intolerable. This package
is reasonably complete and offers most of the facilities you will need.
See http://www.argonet.co.uk/ to find out more. (Err, Dave, isnæt there
an element of Catch 22 here?! Ed.)
9.5
DoggySoftæs Termite
9.5
Termite is more flexible than Voyager, allowing you to connect to
virtually any Service Provider. If youære issued with your own Internet
Protocol (IP) address, which is a number uniquely identifying your
machine on the Internet, this package allows you to have as many email
addresses as you like. You choose a node name, and all email bearing
that name will be forwarded to your machine, where Termite will sort the
mail for the various addresses.
9.5
Configuration is simple, using the !TermiteIP application supplied. Mail
is best dealt with offline (no call charges) and !Offlite does the job
sufficiently well. You will need to use your own text editor, Iæm
afraid, but everyone has Edit, and !Offlite will use that in the absence
of anything better. When you have finished writing your email, it will
even provide a critique, offering suggestions that protect you from
breaking netiquette, like not using continuous CAPITALS as people will
think youære SHOUTING!
9.5
There are three levels of menus Ö expert, standard and beginner. The
control panel, for example, can show just the icons, icons with titles
or icons, titles and descriptions...
9.5
Alongside the WWW, Telnet and FTP provisions that youæd expect from an
ÉInternetÉ package, thereæs also support for VT100 and ANSI terminal
emulations, giving access to bulletin boards. If you use Termite, you
can combine all your communications needs into one package. The terminal
emulation is fast and very effective, and thereæs a useful ÉIEMSIæ
facility, allowing you to log on automatically, saving time entering
your name and password. The call costing facilities are extensive, with
a continuous cost and time report attached to the bottom of the terminal
window. File transfer is supported in both directions with many
standards supported upto, and including, Z-modem.
9.5
The manual is 328 pages in length. The ring binding is handy as youæll
be spending a lot of time in the manual Ö a reflection on the Internet,
not these programs!
9.5
Everything is provided that you would expect and there are no glaring
omissions. It crashed twice in the reviewing process, and I had a few
reliability problems with !Offlite, but these were minor grumbles, and
other mail readers are available.
9.5
This package is ideally suited to situations where a family or business
will be sharing an account for email, and is particularly flexible in
this respect. Aside from a few minor glitches, it came across as a well
thought out and well prepared package. DoggySoftæs web site, http://
www.doggysoft.co.uk/ has more information.
9.5
Acorn Web Sites
9.5
Here are the URLs of some interesting Acorn-oriented web sites:
9.5
http://www.acorn.co.uk/ Ö Acornæs home page
9.5
http://www.cybervillage.co.uk/acorn/ Ö a developing site Ö keep
watching!
9.5
http://www.idg.co.uk/acornuser/ Ö lots of references to other Acorn
sites
9.5
If you are an Acorn dealer or organisation and you have a web site,
please email the URL to me as Iæm producing a web site guide for next
monthæs issue and can list your site...
9.5
Time travel troubles!
9.5
Iæm going to tell you about a mistake I made, which cost me a few pounds
in wasted phone calls. When logging on one day, I waited two hours while
the software downloaded thousands of news items. Normally Iæd get 50 or
100 items, but thousands? Iácame to realise that Iæd done a delete-power
on reset before I logged on, which had reset the clock to 1991... The
news fetcher was fetching all the news backdated as far as records went,
which was fortunately only a month or so! Resetting the clock didnæt
improve things much Ö the software was now convinced that Iæd last
logged on in 1991, and again tried to fetch all the news. I took the
easy way out Ö Iáput the clock right, deleted the software and
re¡installed it! So be warned!
9.5
Internet Survival guide...
9.5
Beebugæs latest offering, The Internet Survival Guide, is unique amongst
internet books because it is exclusively Acorn-based. It begins by
asking what it is you actually want from the Internet, then explains how
you might best get started. You are introduced to the concepts of email,
Usenet, FTP, Telnet and the worldwide web in a readable, friendly style.
There are lots of Acorn screenshots so you can see exactly what the
author, Ian MacDougall, means.
9.5
The second half of the book is devoted to setting up and using all the
major commercial and public domain packages. The Internet Starter Pack,
Freenet, Termite, ANTæs Internet Suite, Voyager and Intertalk, (Acornæs
Internet package), are described in detail, with more screen shots.
Finally, a list of Service Providers with prices, local numbers (PoPs),
contact details and an ÉAcorn Friendlinessæ rating makes this book
indispensable for anyone who hasnæt yet taken the plunge. Buying this
book will probably save you more money than it costs.
9.5
Beebug are generously offering a ú21.15 discount off a six month
subscription to Zynet, so the first savings come with the book!
9.5
The Internet Survival Guide from Beebug (ISBN 1¡85142-091-6) costs ú6.95
+ ú1.70 p&p or ú8áthrough Archive.
9.5
Archive web site?
9.5
Archive, in embracing the Internet, is considering setting up and
running a web site. We have some ideas about what would be on the site
but, as Archive is an Enthusiastæs magazine, weæd like to ask what you
would like to see. We obviously canæt put the complete contents of
Archive on-line, or subscriptions would collapse, but there are lots of
other things we could do; a small ads page, a Q & A page and features on
new products. If you have any other ideas...
9.5
Get in touch!
9.5
You can email me, [e-mail], or write to 31 Cornwall Grove,
Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK3á7HX. Please send discs in a padded bag and
enclose a stamp if you write Ö I cannot promise to return discs if you
havenæt included an address, or if the disc is crushed! If you have any
questions, please share them with me. If I can find the answer, you have
been helped and I can also put the Q & A in this column, saving others
the trouble you have had.áuá
9.5
Hewlett Packard LJ5L
9.5
Keith Parker
9.5
I have just taken delivery of the new Hewlett Packard LJ5L (for personal
printing requirements). This is a new printer from the worldæs best
known printer manufacturer and I thought it might be useful for Acorn
users to see what this printer has to offer, how it performs and whether
it is good value for money.
9.5
Style and size
9.5
The first thing you notice is that it is not the usual boxy unit. It
takes up substantially less desk space (measuring only 320mm ╫ 250mm)
than my old LJ3 compatible. It looks more like an inkjet or dot matrix
printer than a laser printer, and the colour tones in nicely with my
RiscPC. Finally, it weighs much less than any laser printer Iæve ever
experienced.
9.5
Features
9.5
600 ╫ 600 dpi Ö superb quality.
9.5
PCL5e (the latest version of HPæs printer control language).
9.5
Memory enhancement technology Ö although supplied with only 1Mb of RAM
(expandable to 9Mb) this allows large files to be printed using
compression systems.
9.5
Prints on paper, card, acetates, envelopes.
9.5
26 scalable fonts built-in.
9.5
100 sheet paper feeder.
9.5
Sleep-mode Ö the printer Éswitches offæ if no printing is done for
fifteen minutes. It automatically switches back on when it senses data
arriving.
9.5
Individual feeder tray.
9.5
4 pages per minute.
9.5
DOS, Windows3 and 95 drivers.
9.5
Economy mode Ö Windows only
9.5
Bi-Tronic centronics-type port (bi-directional parallel port on Acorn
needed, i.e. A5000 or later).
9.5
Setting up
9.5
The printer arrives superbly packed with a comprehensive manual, four
DOS/Windows discs and power cable. Unpacking takes about 2 minutes. The
first thing to do is to look closely at the paper in¡feeds and paper
out-feeds. They are both on the top but once identified (by use of the
manual), simply put in up to 100 sheets of paper. Secondly, open the
front Ö no catches Ö simply pull forward and install the toner
cartridge. Thirdly, connect the standard parallel (centronics) printer
lead to the printer and your Acorn. Finally, plug in the power cable.
9.5
For the Acorn drivers, I am using the latest version of !Printers
(v1.52) which I downloaded from Acorns ftp site (also available from NCS
as Utilities Disc N║7 at ú2). This includes a driver called LasJet-5
which allows me to select 150dpi, 300dpi or 600dpi. (I am not sure if
the earlier LasJet-4 supplied with v1.28c works, but I see no reason why
it shouldnæt.) The 300dpi option is the equivalent of Windows economy
mode. (The Windows setup allows it to be set more easily but 150dpi is
not available to Windows users.)
9.5
In use
9.5
HP claim that the first page should come out in 20 seconds, but as
Impression Publisher is slow in non¡turbo mode, I couldnæt test that
out, but from a non-Publisher document, it was indeed 20 seconds. There
is no fan, so the printer is silent. The quality is brilliant Ö I have
sent Paul copies of some printouts (mixed text and graphics) at both
300dpi and 600dpi and the difference is quite marked. You can read 6pt
Trinity at 300dpi, but at 600dpi it is very clear.
9.5
Conclusion
9.5
Can I thoroughly recommend this printer? Unreservedly YES! It is
brilliant. The small footprint, the quiet operation and the lack of
buttons means that it is suitable for all environments Ö home, office
and, yes, even school. The quality of the printout means that it is
suitable for producing camera-ready artwork. Finally, the best news of
all, the price: the lowest price Iæve seen from an Acorn stocking
establishment (Watford Electronics) is ú347 + VAT + ú8 carriage (=ú417).
Toner cartridges are about ú57 + VAT + ú6 carriage (=ú74).áuá
9.5
Programming Workshop
9.5
Colin Singleton
9.5
A few follow-up items this month.
9.5
Wimp programming Ö Help!
9.5
Andrew Campbell asked if it is possible to speed up the redrawing of
icons in his program on Archive Disc 9.3. Alisdair McDiarmid suggests
the sluggishness may result from the use of filled display icons within
a filled frame. He recommends using only one layer of filled icon (if
any at all), which he says also looks better against the textured
background on a RiscPC, and he reports an improvement in the speed of
Andrewæs program. Thanks Alisdair!
9.5
League table
9.5
This was introduced a few issues back to illustrate a programming
technique, with added interest for Puzzle Corner addicts. Here is the
up-to-date leader-board, which shows how quickly a newcomer can get
close to the top, and how the twelve-month average can differ
substantially from the exponentially smoothed. The calculations were
explained in issues 9.2 and 9.3, but I have now shown the last three
monthsæ scores individually, rather than just one month. There are now
40 names on the full list.
9.5
File searching Ö and square roots!
9.5
It was pure coincidence last month (honest!) that my column and Geraldæs
used essentially the same Binary Chop technique for two very different
purposes. This, perhaps, shows the value of the technique. What Gerald
did not explain Ö unless I have missed something Ö was how you stop the
process! Using a spreadsheet on the screen, you can, no doubt, try the
progressive approximation a line at a time until it looks good.
9.5
We can use Geraldæs technique to find the root of an equation using a
program in Basic (for example), but to make it stop automatically, we
need to be more precise Ö what do we mean by Élooks goodæ? We might be
tempted to make it continue with low and high coming ever closer until
they have the same value. Donæt do it! It might work but, depending how
the machine rounds the calculations, it may stick on an unchanging pair
of very similar, but unequal, values. The program will then loop. You
should write your program to continue until the difference between low
and high is less than some arbitrary small value, say 10ù8, or until the
values of low and high are the same as they were on the previous cycle.
The latter will give the most accurate approximation possible within the
limits of the machine.
9.5
Geraldæs example used the Binary Chop to approximate to the square root
of two, i.e. to solve the equation x▓ù2=0. The technique can be used for
any such Éincreasing functionæ, ie one which (like x▓ù2) always
increases as x increases. If the function goes Éup and downæ as x
increases, the equation may have more than one solution, or perhaps
none! The result of using this technique is then somewhat unpredictable.
9.5
Baked bean cans.
9.5
I imagine Gerald will return to this problem, so I will keep this
comment short. For a program to Éhome inæ on the answer to this type of
problem, it is necessary to reduce, and sometimes reverse, the increment
at each stage, and this needs careful program design to avoid the
pitfalls. The solution to Geraldæs problem for the conventional (double-
ended) can is interesting Ö I wish I had thought of it for Puzzle
Corner! A quick look at the shelves of any supermarket suggests there
are commercial factors other than minimising the quantity of metal.
9.5
Please send any further comments or suggestions to me at 41 St Quentin
Drive, Sheffield, S17 4PN.áuá
9.5
Seashore Life & Vikings CDs
9.5
Dave Wilcox
9.5
I was going to review these as separate items but, on looking at them,
they are so similar in layout that it seemed pointless. These two discs
are amongst the latest offerings from the Anglia Multimedia stable, and
they are designed to run on Acorn, Multimedia PC and Apple Macintosh
machines. Seashore Life is aimed at the age group 6-12 years and
Vikings, 7-11 years Ö both are subjects covered by National Curriculum
Keystage Two.
9.5
The package
9.5
The discs come in the normal crystal pack with a little booklet
explaining the running procedure for the various machines. Forgetting
the other machines, you will require an Archimedes ÉAæ series or RiscPC
to run the discs, and it must have RISC OS 3.1 or later, 4Mb of RAM, at
least a single speed 150kbps CD¡ROM drive and a monitor which supports
640╫480 pixels.
9.5
The software
9.5
There are really only two directories which will concern the average
user, ÉAcornæ and ÉActShtsæ. Taking the simplest first, ActShts contains
activity sheets for students to use in conjunction with the disc and for
further study. There are six of these in draw format on the Vikings disc
and sixteen on the Seashore disc. All are well laid out and are very
eye-catching.
9.5
ÉAcornæ is the business end of the disc. Opening this, you will find a
cut-down version of !CDFast, !Setup, !SysAuthor and !Vikings or
!Seashore. !CDFast is a utility by Eesox to speed up CD access, !Setup
contains the likes of !System, !ARMovie, !ARPlayer etc.... !SysAuthor is
the engine for Angliaæs Multimedia display system and !Vikings or
!Seashore are the data files. Before starting, you should select a
640╫480 screen mode in order to use the full screen for display. This
done, click on !CDFast, followed by the appropriate !Application file
and youære off.
9.5
I have to say that, as with most of Angliaæs Multimedia software, the
presentation is excellent, and the content precise. For the Viking disc,
the help of the world-renowned Jorvik Centre in York was sought, and for
the Seashore Life disc clips were obtained from the Survival TV series.
Full use is made of the machineæs capability to display and use
drawings, high resolution pictures, video files, animated files, real
life sound clips and voice samples, and most pages have the option to
play the text content as digitised speech.
9.5
The layout of each screen is ideal for children. With these discs, they
can be as inquisitive as they like, the more so the better, and each
screen has lots of items to click on for further details. Some of these
are not as obvious as others, so those who like to explore will soon
find more information, fuelling the interest of other members of a class
or family. This worked extremely well in my test group, and with a lot
of the information being graphically presented, a lot more detail
appears to have been retained by the group. If ongoing report work is
required, the text and graphics can be saved from the application for
use by the student in other applications.
9.5
Conclusion
9.5
I am always impressed by Angliaæs presentation Ö graphically, it is
excellent, and the layout is eye-catching and clean. However, because my
review of Angliaæs Weather disc found some areas slightly lacking, it
was with some scepticism that I started to review these discs; all fears
were soon laid to rest Ö these products are truly excellent and I would
highly recommend them for school or home use. Well done Anglia Ö two
more very good products!
9.5
Should you require either of these discs for your collection, they will
cost you ú39 +VAT each from Anglia or ú45 each through Archive.áuá
9.5
Puzzle Corner
9.5
Colin Singleton
9.5
After a couple of months with very few entries, interest seems to be
picking up again. I hope I can learn something from this!
9.5
The latest winners ...
9.5
(42) !Draw a Rectangle
9.5
I received several correct entries to this ingenious puzzle. The prize
goes to Terry Bennett of Weymouth, Dorset.
9.5
(43Ö45) Cubes Ö Plus or Minus Ö Triple Duel
9.5
Several partially-correct entries, but only two all-correct. Pleasingly,
several readers did realise that the worst shot should fire into the air
to improve his chance of survival! Mike Williams of Stoke Newington wins
the prize.
9.5
... last monthæs answers ...
9.5
(46) Prime Square
9.5
The primes must, of course, total a multiple of four. The simplest
solution uses the first 11 primes, and the partitioning (2, 7, 31) (17,
23) (11, 29) (3, 5, 13, 19) is unique. There are seven solutions using
the first 15 primes.
9.5
There are many 3╫3 magic squares using prime numbers, the smallest
possible total being 177. No solution is known using consecutive primes,
but this puzzle has not been proved impossible. Martin Gardner has
offered $100 for a solution.
9.5
It is possible to construct a 4╫4 magic square using consecutive prime
numbers, the smallest possible total being 258. The prime number 2
cannot be included in such a square. The simplest magic square using the
first N▓ odd primes is of order 35, which Iáthink is beyond the realms
of ÉMathematical Recreationsæ! If you consider the number 1 to be prime,
as mathematicians did until some time this century, W W Rouse Ball
assures us that we can build a 12╫12 magic square using the first 144
odd primes, 1, 3, 5, 7, 11 ... 827, but he doesnæt tell us what it looks
like Ö any offers?
9.5
(47) First
9.5
G H Hardy visited Srinivasa Ramanujan who was lying ill in Putney, and
commented on the uninteresting number of his taxi Ö 1729. ÉNo,æ replied
Ramanujan, Éit is a very interesting number Ö it is the smallest number
expressible as the sum of two cubes in two different ways.æ 1729 =
1│+12│ = 9│+10│. It was, I think, J E Littlewood who proved that there
are no uninteresting numbers.
9.5
(48) Second
9.5
They are the second letters of the months of the year. The next, and
last, three are therefore C, O, E.
9.5
(49) Third
9.5
I didnæt tell you how many solutions there are. Maximum Brownie points
will go to those who find all six. 16794╫3=50382, 17694╫3=53082,
20583╫3=61749, 23058╫3=69174, 30582╫3=91746 and 32058╫3=96174. Note that
the first two solutions are Éanagramsæ of each other, as are the other
four.
9.5
... this monthæs prize puzzle ...
9.5
(50) Infinite Roots
9.5
Ramanujan again. Can you, by hook or by crook, find the value of this
expression, where the square root signs and the increasing numbers
continue to infinity?
9.5
... and this monthæs prize quickies ...
9.5
(51) Interesting!
9.5
Can you prove that there are no uninteresting numbers? (See above.)
9.5
(52) The Vicaræs age
9.5
(My thanks to George Foot for this one Ö there are many others like it,
but I will quote Georgeæs version.)
9.5
The verger, who knew all about the villagers, fancied himself as a
mathematician. One Sunday, after Evensong, he took the vicar to one side
and said öVicar, did you notice an interesting fact concerning this
eveningæs congregation? There were only three present Ö five including
you and me. The product of the ages of the other three was 2450, and the
sum of their ages was twice my age, which you know.ò
9.5
öGood heavens,ò said the vicar, no mean mathematician himself, öbut you
havenæt given me enough information to work out their ages.ò
9.5
öOh, no. So I havenæt. I should tell you, Vicar, that you are older than
any of us!ò
9.5
The vicar then deduced the ages of the trio. Can you?
9.5
(53) More Pandigitals
9.5
Last month, I set the puzzle Ö X is one third of Y. The numbers X and Y
between them contain all ten digits, once each. Find X and Y. Can you
now find a single-digit ratio, instead of three, which gives a unique
solution?
9.5
And finally ...
9.5
Name-dropping again... This month, I have managed to include four
Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge, where I was a humble student.
Since they are all dead, their potential contributions to this column
are clearly limited. I look to you for inspiration for future puzzles,
and offer my thanks to those who have already responded. Please send
comments, contributions and solutions to me at 41áStáQuentin Drive,
Sheffield, S17 4PN. Solutions by Friday 9th February, please.áuá
9.5
Castles CD-ROM
9.5
Peter Jennings
9.5
Castles are among the most evocative survivals of a countryæs past. With
them, we can enter the medieval world of banquets and battles, knights
at round tables or fair maidens in towers, depending on which Hollywood
films most influenced our childhood imagination. The Castles CD-ROM
(version 2.0) from Anglia Multimedia enables us to explore this world in
more authentic surroundings and to learn something of the lives of the
people who built, lived in and fought to take or defend these
strongholds. The CD costs ú40 +VAT (or ú45 from Archive) and can be used
on Acorn machines with RISC OS 3.1 or above, running either full screen
or in a desktop window, and also on PCs or Apple computers.
9.5
The program, which deals with castles in the British Isles, is
attractively presented with short pages of text, illustrated with
photographs, drawings, animations and videos. Words which may be
unfamiliar are highlighted in red and clicking on them leads to the
appropriate page in a dictionary. Most of the videos have sound and
often music, and a brief commentary by a named historian. The
commentaries are interesting and well delivered but sometimes begin or
end abruptly, suggesting that they are extracts from longer lectures.
There is a toolbox which provides a word search window and a notepad
which can be saved at the end of the session. The notepad is not very
satisfactory. The notes can be saved only when the program has been
closed and only by dragging the text file icon into a directory.
Attempting to load it into another program, such as Edit, or onto a word
processor or DTP page, loses the text completely.
9.5
Subjects
9.5
The program offers five subjects from its main menu screen: About
Castles, Building a Castle, Living in a Castle, Castle Guides and Castle
Data. Each is chosen by clicking on an icon and three of these lead to
other screens offering sub-menus.
9.5
About Castles is a guide to the various types of castles, their features
and the techniques of attacking and defending them. Building a Castle
has topics on the work of the various craftsmen involved, their tools
and materials and the building techniques used. Living in a Castle looks
at the conditions enjoyed or endured by those who lived and worked in
Orford Castle, in Suffolk, in the Middle Ages. It begins with a cut-out
plan and a list of locations, from roof to basement, which can be
explored.
9.5
For me, the most fascinating part of the CD is Castle Guides. This takes
the user back to Chirk Castle, in the troubled March of Wales, just
before Christmas in 1322 when frantic preparations were under way for a
visit by the castleæs newly-appointed lord, Edmund Fitzalan, Earl of
Arundel. Apart from a modern historian who sets the scene, the guides
are some of the ordinary people who lived there at the time, from the
Constable of the castle to a newly-arrived serving girl, who tell of the
extra work and worry that the visit involved. Their stories have been
constructed from the actual account rolls of the year, detailing the
expenses incurred and the stores that were used during the Earlæs brief
stay.
9.5
Resources
9.5
The final section, Castle Data, contains information and pictures of 159
castles in the British Isles, the dictionary of terms relating to
castles, graphics (of varying quality) which can be exported for use by
students, plus teachersæ resources which include worksheets, ideas for
classroom work developing the castles theme and a database of other
resources and useful addresses. Users of Key Plus (not provided on the
CD) can access the Castles database, making use of some additional
facilities.
9.5
This is an interesting subject, well presented, and the CD-ROM can be
recommended for educational use or just sheer enjoyment.áuá
9.5
Two CD-ROMs from Anglia
9.5
John Woodthorpe
9.5
Understanding Energy and Industrial Revolution are CD-ROMs published by
Anglia Multimedia, with the former incorporating help and photographs
from the National Energy Foundation.
9.5
This review was done on a RiscPC600 with 10Mb RAM and a quad-speed CD
drive, although both CDs require a minimum of RISC OS 3.1, single speed
CD drive, 4Mb RAM and a monitor capable of supporting mode 28 (640 ╫ 480
pixels and 256 colours). The instructions donæt mention the age range
the authors had in mind when producing them, but magazine advertisements
suggest 11-14 years old is the intended audience. As a Chartered
Engineer researching and teaching in technology and materials science, I
was very much interested in the cover notes which claim that the
Understanding Energy CD:
9.5
* Contains material intended to develop an understanding of energy
transfers and the units used for energy and power.
9.5
* Provides information about, and examples of, our main energy
resources, including renewable and non-renewable options.
9.5
* Considers patterns of energy usage and strategies for reducing the
demand for energy.
9.5
* Indicates some of the environmental considerations and possible future
sources for our energy supplies.
9.5
Having worked through the bulk of the CD (you canæt always be certain
that youæve seen everything in something as large and detailed as this
is!), I would agree with all of those statements, and add that it does
it all very well.
9.5
Starting up
9.5
The CDs come with a twelve page insert in the jewel case which provides
basic instructions for starting up, after which the on-screen
instructions take over. Interestingly, the CDs contain versions of the
software for Acorn, PC (Windows only), and Mac machines (a trend that it
seems Dorling Kindersley are starting to copy), and I tried both of the
first two setups (the second via the Acorn 486 card). The main
difference is that the PC version needs to copy some files over onto
your hard drive before it will work, whilst the Acorn application runs
directly from the CD. It includes its own setup and cache programs which
you are recommended to run before launching the main application.
Inevitably, this multi-format approach means that some of the 300Mb
(460Mb for Industrial Revolution) used on the CD is given over to
duplication of data in different formats, but it still works out at some
180Mb (230Mb) of accessible data for Acorn users, including 50Mb (88Mb)
of video clips.
9.5
The comment in the documentation recommending mode 28 be used is to be
taken seriously for Industrial Revolution, as the screen redraws are
very odd in other modes. It fills the screen properly in larger modes
when the PC version is run, so the peculiar behaviour of the Acorn one
is a little irritating, especially when Understanding Energy behaves so
much better. Both can run in the desktop to allow screens to be saved
for printing out or including in project work. The instructions (both
written and on¡screen) are better in Understanding Energy, which has
more guidance for those new to multimedia.
9.5
In addition, the user interface on Understanding Energy is clearer and
more intuitive. For instance, in Industrial Revolution, itæs not always
easy to spot which parts of the screen lead on to others: sometimes itæs
red text, a labelled box, or just some of the pictures. Understanding
Energy does all of this much better and more clearly with its standard
yellow text or frames. There is a variety of tools to do things such as
go on to the next page or go to a more detailed explanation, but these
tend to be different as well. Iæd have thought it would be better if
Anglia settled on one approach and stuck to it for all their CDs,
especially for school use, where busy teachers may not want to have to
cope with variations. Itæs a minor quibble, but I did find it annoying
from time to time.
9.5
Many of the diversionary links signalled on the screen work extremely
well, expanding on the particular topic and then returning you to the
main discussion. Other tools are provided to help in the exploration and
learning: an on-screen calculator, notepad, and stopwatch, although
there is no real guidance as to how and why they should be used. Also,
there is a problem with the video clips in both CDs that causes them to
trip out with a ömask or palette operations not supported in this
display depthò error in 32,000 colour modes (but you are told that mode
28 is preferred).
9.5
Understanding Energy
9.5
The main screen presents you with several options entitled What is
energy?, How do we get our energy supplies? Who uses what?, Future
energy decisions, and Resources. Iæll look at each one briefly:
9.5
What is energy?
9.5
This subdivides into sections on units, energy and humans, conversion,
forms of energy, and power. Thereæs information on food and energy,
metering and billing, and some calculations. Itæs here that Iácome to my
main criticism, in that the CD doesnæt quite seem to know whether it is
a general resource and reference work on energy, or a specialized
teaching package. In fact, it falls between the two, actually tending to
concentrate on the reference aspect with just a nod towards being a CAL
(Computer Assisted Learning) package. Itæs this section that could
usefully be built up into a more formal CAL package where you are taken
through a series of calculations on Joules, Watts and so on. As the
program points out, there are a lot of common misconceptions and
misunderstandings about the units used in this area, and some computer-
led exercises would help to dispel these.
9.5
The energy conversion section is rather more exciting, with replay films
including a shuttle launch and many other animations. In fact,
concentrating them here emphasises the relative lack of animation and
sound in the rest of the package. They do turn up elsewhere, but most of
them seem to deal with energy conversion in one way or another.
9.5
How do we get our energy supplies?
9.5
Topics such as Where does energy come from?, How do we extract it?, How
is energy stored? and Supplying energy where it is needed, are dealt
with. The roles of the sun and moon as being the ultimate indirect
sources of our energy are discussed, and extended to deal with topics
such as hot rocks, and the atom Ö even fireworks get a mention! Combined
Heat and Power (CHP) is discussed favourably, but no reasons are given
for why it is not widely used outside of Scandinavia Ö nor indeed is
there any recognition of that fact. Both aspects seem to me to be
important omissions in the context of energy sources in general, and CHP
in particular.
9.5
Who uses what?
9.5
This deals with such topics as reducing demand by building low energy
homes, and using insulation. There are also graphs showing demand and
population trends with time, both region by region and globally, and
these definitely fall into the category of a resource. It is easy to
save them for inclusion in a project report, and indeed they cry out for
some interpretation and comment to be made.
9.5
Future energy decisions
9.5
Having set the scene by describing the historical background, this
section turns to the future, looking at some of the options available to
us. Electric vehicles cause bursts of interest from time to time, and
are presented in terms of the US emission laws and the need they create
for alternative fuels for road vehicles.
9.5
The section on future energy sources looks at conservation, pointing out
that recycling some items can use more energy than their initial
manufacture. It also deals with fusion, microbe energy (microbe
batteries, something Iæd not heard of before), and some other new ideas.
No mention is made of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, which have been attracting
considerable research interest for the last few years, and really ought
to be included.
9.5
Energy and the environment is a large and potentially emotive subject,
and is introduced next. We need to ensure that we can provide energy for
the future, whilst taking account of the many problems such as air
quality, nuclear waste, acid rain, global warming and population growth.
There are no quick and simple answers to these questions, and there is
enough material here to fuel (sorry!) discussions on the possibilities.
9.5
Resources
9.5
This means resources for teachers and students, not for energy
conversion! It allows access to 180 photos (ranging from a fallen pylon
to a wind turbine, via Concorde) 60 diagrams (as drawfiles), and 13
worksheets to view and save directly Ö with instructions as to how to do
that for all three platforms. That gets a little confusing at times Ö
surely it knows which machine itæs running on, and the program could
give the right instructions? Anyone using this should also read the
copyright conditions Ö they make it clear that you cannot pass these
illustrations or text onto any other school or individual without
infringing copyright. They can only be used in a school project, but not
released to a wider audience (those used in this review are reproduced
by permission).
9.5
Industrial Revolution
9.5
The Industrial Revolution is a term used to describe the changes that
happened in technology, farming, transportation and living conditions
between the years 1750 and 1900. The CD tries to describe the many
events of that period and link them together to provide a comprehensive
account of this period in history. On starting up, the main screen
presents you with several options entitled People, Agriculture, Industry
and Transport.
9.5
These are four separate applications run from the main menu, and each
one divides into a lesson and a series of graphs giving facts and
figures. This has an unfortunate effect, in that the otherwise excellent
text search facility will only work for the section you are looking at.
If you want to search the whole application, you have to do it four
separate times.
9.5
Case studies (in the form of 13Mb of Key datafiles and maps) are related
to each section, covering canals, railways, market towns in Norfolk and
Staffordshire, census data for Coalbrookdale, and a doctoræs records of
the Manchester Cholera Epidemic of 1832. These are separate from the
main presentation and run within Angliaæs own Key Plus database. Minimal
documentation is included for this, but it is fairly easy to find your
way into it, and a free set of instructions can be obtained from an
address given. Finally, there are several illustrations provided as Draw
and/or Artworks files, covering some of the topics mentioned in the main
presentations, such as amputations, sewers, farms and various domestic
scenes of the period.
9.5
People
9.5
Living conditions changed dramatically between 1750 and 1900, and this
section tries to convey the changes in housing, clothing and employment
in pictures, text and spoken accounts based on the words of the people
involved (although some of the accents chosen are very unconvincing!).
Some of these are imaginary comments, but they do produce a good picture
of some of the living and working conditions of the time. Unfortunately,
the audio cannot be stopped, only interrupted once started, so it must
play to the end before you can do anything else. This is especially
annoying with those samples that play automatically, as you have to sit
and wait for them to finish each time you reach that page, and as some
of them include several seconds of silence at the end, it is sometimes
hard to know when theyæve finished. This results in some frustrated
clicking of the mouse, which freezes the program until you click again.
9.5
Agriculture
9.5
Farming methods became increasing mechanized and less labour-intensive.
Most of the video clips are located here, demonstrating the more
efficient methods, such as horse-drawn, and then steam-powered, farm
equipment that were developed. Some of these are archive film and some
modern reconstructions from various Anglia TV programmes. The systems
used before 1750 are described, along with the improvements and some of
the problems experienced.
9.5
Industry
9.5
The driving force for the social changes was the technological advances
being made by people such as Stephenson, Watt and Arkwright, and these
are described in pictures, text and some sounds. The woollen and cotton
industries, the factory system, steam power, coal mining and iron
extraction are all dealt with. Some of the eyewitness accounts here are
particularly effective in conveying the hardships undergone by workers
aged as young as eight.
9.5
Transport
9.5
All the technological developments are demonstrated by the dramatic
advances in transport, including canals, roads, railways and ships. Both
the infrastructure and vehicles are covered, along with the consequences
for trade on the general population.
9.5
Case studies
9.5
As already mentioned, these are in the form of Key Plus data files and
maps. The railways datafiles contain information about all railway
stations which have been opened between 1820 and 1990. This appears as
station name, OS reference, the latitude and longitude (for plotting
onto Key Plus maps), the county, company which built the station and any
company which took over the running of the line. The opening and closing
dates for both freight and passenger services are listed. For canals,
the datafile gives information about all canals, navigations and
navigable rivers which have been used for transport in the British Isles
since Roman times. This includes canal name and route, whether built or
not, and the classification into wide, narrow or ship canal. The chief
engineer is named and there are details of costs, where known, and a
whole range of features, such as locks and tunnels. Staple traffic, the
reason for closure and the use today are also added. The others are
equally detailed, and constitute a significant resource when combined
with the activity sheets. Taken together, these can provide the basis of
extended teaching sessions, with pupils left to work through these
sheets finding answers from the datafiles and the main presentation.
Most of these files can also be plotted onto a map of all or part of the
British Isles to inspect the geographical distribution of the data.
9.5
Conclusions
9.5
With the reservations I mentioned earlier about some deficiencies in
presentation and content, I think Understanding Energy is a commendable
attempt to deal with a complicated subject in a thoughtful and
interesting way. Itæs easy to dip into, very comprehensive, and all ages
could get something from it. For me, the key thing is that it emphasises
that there are no easy answers to the very real problems of providing
the energy we will need in the future, and leaves you to draw your own
conclusions. Used well, it could be a valuable teaching aid in schools,
but it would be a shame if it goes no further than that. If you are
interested in learning more about this topic, Iæd recommend buying
Understanding Energy for home use Ö especially if you have children of
around the right age to benefit from it.
9.5
At first I was disappointed with Industrial Revolution, but I gradually
realized that the main reason was the implementation, rather than the
content. There is even more information available there, and it is
accessible for many purposes, ranging from individual student work to
providing worksheets and illustrations for teachers to use in more
formal lessons. I find it difficult to recommend Industrial Revolution
for home use, mainly because of its high purchase price, but for schools
it could be a great asset in teaching about one of the most significant
periods in the history of the British Isles, when it was at the centre
of world events.
9.5
Understanding Energy costs ú50 +VAT (ú56 through Archive) and the
Industrial Revolution costs ú110 +VAT (ú122 through Archive). Schools
that already have licences for the Key Plus database system can purchase
this CD for ú90 +VAT direct from Anglia Multimedia.áuá
9.5
ArtWorks on CD
9.5
Alan Wilburn
9.5
At the present time there are three CD ROMs connected with ArtWorks, two
containing clip art and the other a program disc.
9.5
ArtWorks CD
9.5
The CD contains 474Mb of data which you will appreciate is a lot more
than the contents of the fourteen disc version, so what do you get?
9.5
Firstly, you get the ArtWorks (AW) application to load onto your hard
disc, as well as the normal applications, such as Fliptop, New Modes,
Convert Print and Font View and the set of fonts. The fonts are in four
sections: RISC OS 2 & 3 in compressed format with their loader and then
again in uncompressed format so that they can be loaded straight away.
RISCáOSá3 fonts are of a higher quality, and include full foreign
character sets. Many include kerning information which means that, when
used in an application supporting automatic kerning, the letters will be
spaced more correctly. The AWáapplication will be out of date as soon as
new versions appear, so it will need upgrading at regular intervals as
with the disc-based version.
9.5
Secondly, you get the complete contents of the CD 1 clipart disc as well
as the normal clipart examples. There are also pictures in both TIFF and
sprite format as per clip CD 1. There are also 60 samples of Matt Black
clipart in a rather jumbled, untidy directory that contains images from
Image Art and Vanguard Graphics.
9.5
Thirdly, you get three demos of AW, Colour Card and AudioWorks. The
AWádemo cycles through a simple presentation of some of the features of
ArtWorks, and the Colour Card demo only works (not surprisingly!) if you
have a card in your machine, so that demo is of little use. The
AudioWorks demo, however, is very interesting. You get a crippled
version that can play the many megabytes of sounds, instruments, voices
and effects supplied.
9.5
ArtWorks Clipart CDs
9.5
In 1993 and æ94, Computer Concepts ran vector graphics artwork
competitions and the best work was released on CDs. These form the main
basis for the two CDs, with other additions of vector graphics and
bitmap graphics in 24-bit sprite and TIFF format.
9.5
The graphics on each CD are not sorted into any thematic order, but are
listed in alphabetic directories. There is a utility called Portfolio
which can be used to display thumbnail pictures of TIFF, sprite and
vector files. In the window, there are buttons to step backwards and
forwards through the pictures and there is a database search facility.
If you want a given picture, there is a drag icon so it can easily be
loaded, rather going through the directory structure. The search
facility is on a keyword which can be redefined to the required target
group. For example, ötransportò gives 81 files and öcarò gives 23
pictures. Some of the keywords seem a little obscure to me, but if you
open !CCSTORE in the main directory, you can get at the CSV file that
the search facility uses and, when it is dropped into Publisher or
TableMate, you can get a hard copy or you can browse through the
formatted listing.
9.5
It is very difficult to go into details as to the actual contents
without listing everything, so I chose keywords and performed identical
searches on each CD to give an idea of contents. In some cases, the same
picture will be included in different categories and others will not be
covered by the table.
9.5
The overall standard is very good, with just a few poor files. In some
cases, you would need a colour printer to get the best results, and some
are fairly large files that may not load or print on smaller machines.
One excellent picture of a mermaid is nearly 3Mb, so you need 6Mb of
memory to load and print it. A few files are demonstrations of colour
blending using different techniques and so are of no real use to a
clipart user, but are of use to an AWáuseráas study examples.
9.5
Copyright
9.5
The files are all royalty free which means that they can be used by any
purchaser for their own use and may be reproduced in any printed
document free of charge. The files may not be used in electronic form in
any other commercial or public domain product without prior written
permission, so cannot be used in multimedia. However, in my experience,
Computer Concepts seem to be quite reasonable in granting permission, so
this may not be a severe limitation.
9.5
Conclusions
9.5
I consider the CDs to be a worthwhile investment. Some of the files will
be of immediate use and others will have their place at a later time.
You also have the opportunity to look at some excellent artwork and are
able to dissect them to learn new techniques. It means a large selection
of pictures are available, some of which would not fit on a normal disc,
so this is the only sensible way to distribute them. The CD version of
AWáis the same price as the disc version, so is definitely the best way
to buy it. If you already have AW,áyou can upgrade to the CD for ú10,
which makes it really cheap and a worthwhile buy.
9.5
ArtWorks CD is ú180 through Archive, and Clipart CD-2 is ú21. Contact
Computer Concepts if you are interested in an upgrade.áuá
9.5
Looking At Animals CD-ROM
9.5
Peter Jennings
9.5
Animal lovers interested in art can now get a new CD-ROM which combines
both subjects. Art Store Ö Looking At Animals, one of an educational
series from Anglia Multimedia, includes works of art featuring animals
from 48 British and Irish galleries and museums. The disc is aimed at
providing schools with öa practical guide which links classroom projects
to works of art which can be seen in local museumsò but it is attractive
enough to appeal to anyone who enjoys looking at pictures and likes to
know something about them. The price is ú50 +VAT, or ú55 from Archive,
and like others in the series, it runs on machines with RISC OS 3.1 or
later and 4Mb of RAM and can also be used on PCs and Apple Macintoshes.
9.5
The disc is a mixture of picture book, art appreciation tutorial and
reference work, with its main menu screen as the gateway to an Artistsæ
Index, a Picture Database, Activity Sheets for schools, a choice of
Themes to explore and a Museum Database. There is an Info button, for a
screenful of general information, and a Help button which gives
explanations of what each of the main options offers.
9.5
The principal one of these, the Themes Menu, provides a choice of
pictures and information on Domestic Animals, Trained Animals, Wild
Animals and Working Animals, each of which is further subdivided. The
Artistsæ Index contains biographies, the Picture Database allows all the
paintings to be viewed full screen, the Museum Database gives details of
where the pictures can be seen and has öthumbnailsò of all the works
grouped by galleries. The 135 activity sheets, in Draw format, provide
lesson plans and ideas for projects suitable for school work in Key
Stages one, two and three.
9.5
Themes
9.5
Clicking on the Themes icon brings up a screen offering a choice of
going directly to any of the four subjects or browsing through a series
of other menu screens offering the sections available under each
heading. For example, the first theme, Trained Animals, has sections on
Horse Racing, Dressage/Riding Style, Animal Portraits, Animal Cruelty
and Welfare, Hunting, Still Life, Animals in Entertainment, Animals and
War, and Sculpture, all instantly accessible with the click of a button.
9.5
Each section has a brief page of introduction leading on to a series of
screens with up to four captioned pictures on each. Icons at the bottom
of the screen allow a return to menus or introductory pages or the help
facility. Clicking on a picture enlarges it and offers more icons to
provide information on the picture, the artist and the gallery where it
can be seen. Some of the information screens have an extra icon of a man
with an ear trumpet, which is not explained anywhere. A click on this
produces a sound effect to go with the picture, such as the call of the
animal depicted. This is not always very appropriate. Dogs of vastly
different size and breeds all have the same bark, for example, but it
does introduce a touch of fun which children will enjoy.
9.5
Feed the lions
9.5
The information is presented in short, easily read, sections and
includes some fascinating facts of the Trivial Pursuits variety among
the more cultural learning. A note on the picture of the Royal Menagerie
in the Tower of London offers the information that the price of
admission in the reign of Henry III was three halfpence or the donation
of a cat or dog to feed the lions! Not many animal lovers know that.
9.5
Some words are highlighted in red and clicking on them brings up more
information, which can be anything from a brief definition to a full-
screen essay. These include explanations of artistic terms, further
background information on the artist or the people who inƒuenced them
and details of the roles played by the animals in the setting in which
they are shown.
9.5
Text and pictures can both be saved out for use in the studentsæ own
work and there is also a toolbox with a text finder and a notepad which
can have its contents saved at the end of the session. Saving
information from the Museum database has its problems as the details are
given in separate panels for Address, Hours, Disabled facilities and
Admission fee and only the text in the panel clicked over is saved, not
the whole screen. In fact, clicking over the title of a panel will save
just the title name!
9.5
The disc could have benefited from some closer checking before issue as
there are a few minor blemishes. One picture, Hydrangeas, appears on
both pages three and seven in the Domestic Animals section. Clicking on
the highlighted name öTowneleyò produces a note on Miracle Plays rather
than Charles Towneley, the collector. The noun ölicenceò is given the
American spelling of ölicenseò, which is normally used in English for
the verb, and this could prove irritating in schools. However, these are
very minor faults in a large and generally impressive work.
9.5
Explore and learn
9.5
Most children like animals and are attracted by pictures of them and
this is a very well planned disc which will catch the interest and allow
a child to explore and learn about the artists and their work in the way
he or she finds most interesting. For adults, it is a fascinating
equivalent of a coffee table book, ideal for casual browsing but with
information quickly to hand whenever a picture seizes the attention and
arouses the desire to know more.áuá
9.5
Communications Column
9.5
Chris Claydon
9.5
Sorry, only a short column this month because things are rather busy at
the moment at ARMed Forces Software, but youæll have to wait a month or
so to find out why!
9.5
Net-Speak
9.5
The language used on the computer networks is often confusing to new
users. It is based on English, but it isnæt the same. There are three
reasons for this: firstly, the Internet, Fidonet and RiscNet are all
international networks, and so the language has to be simple enough for
foreigners to write and understand easily. It also has to use the
minimum amount of space because, although the cost of one or two
characters here and there may seem like nothing to transfer, when you
think that perhaps 3000 people may well have to transfer it, everyone
loses except the phone company Ö they make several pounds out of every
single message posted in Internet conferences. The third and final
reason is that it is meant to be less like letter writing and more like
conversation - you donæt spend much time thinking about how to put
things, and how to express emotions, sarcasm etc.
9.5
In order to cut down the size of the messages, many abbreviations are
used for common phrases, such as: BTW = By the way, AFAIK = As far as I
know, IMHO = In my humble/honest opinion, ROTFL = Rolling on the floor
laughing! (These and more are included on the updated Internet Glossary
Ö ú5 through Archive Ö now over 9,500 words in total! Ed.)
9.5
To express the tone of voice and expression you would use if you were
talking, smilies (sideways faces made of text characters) are used:
9.5
:-)  = Happy   ;-)  = Sarcastic (i.e. winking)    :¡(á = Sad      :-p =
Sticking tongue out!
9.5
When replying to other peopleæs messages, you first quote the relevant
part of their message, for example:
9.5
From: Chris Claydon   To:   John Smith
9.5
Subject: Quoting    Date: 3rd Jan 1996
9.5
On 2nd Jan 1996 John Smith wrote:
9.5
JS> On 1st Jan 1996 Chris Claydon wrote:
9.5
JS>CC> You really should use quoting
9.5
JS> What, like that?
9.5
Yes, thatæs right!
9.5
Over-quoting, for example quoting twenty lines of text then replying
with ÉYesæ, is frowned upon. But so is replying to a message without
quoting, because nobody will know what youære talking about unless they
saw the first message.
9.5
You may have heard this referred to as ÉNetiquetteæ, or smilies referred
to as ÉEmoticonsæ. Not many people actually use those terms, except
American Internet magazines!
9.5
News
9.5
A brand new Acorn bulletin board called ÉBrain Storm BBSæ has recently
started up near Sevenoaks. Run by sisters Helen and Angela Rayner on
Keith Hallæs popular ArmBBS software, itæs a small board but growing
fast. The menus are colourful and the atmosphere friendly. Within a
regional phone call of London, ÉBrain Stormæ is a pleasant alternative
to the bigger, less personal boards. They hope to have both Internet and
Fidonet access for the users soon, and the filebase is growing all the
time. The board provides support areas for ÉGilbert the Hamster
Softwareæ and ÉWerewolf Softwareæ. You can call Brain Storm BBS between
6pm and 9.30pm on 01732-886638.
9.5
My own board has now been upgraded with a RiscPC 700 and Nakamichi 7
disc CD-ROM jukebox drive (itæs very good, especially at the price!),
making this the biggest Acorn filebase available!
9.5
If you have any feedback on how you would like me to develop this
column, or suggestions for topics to cover, you can contact me in the
following ways (sorry, another temporary change of email address!):
9.5
Voice phone: [phone], ARMed Forces Multimedia BBS: 01962-880003,
Email: chris@ arcade.demon.co.uk, FidoNet Netmail: 2:252/501, RiscNet
Netmail: 7:44/212, Post: 38 Main Road, Littleton, Winchester, Hampshire,
SO22 6QQ.áuá
9.5
Starting Basic 6 Ö Making an Input
9.5
Ray Favre
9.5
We left our ÉLoanæ project last time with the means of selecting one
unknown from the four key parameters. This time, we will present the
remaining three (known) parameters to the user and ask him/her to enter
values for them.
9.5
In a Wimp program, making user input would almost certainly be done
using Éwritable iconsæ, but in our non-Wimp exercise, we will use the
keyword INPUT. In our particular example, weæll also make use of the IF
... THEN ... ELSE ... ENDIF construction.
9.5
Keyword INPUT
9.5
This keyword allows keyboard entry of text or numbers within a running
program. When the Basic interpreter encounters the word INPUT, it pauses
and waits for the user to enter something. The user duly enters a
number/text and signifies that the item of input is complete by pressing
<return>. The syntax of INPUT is very similar to that of PRINT (see Part
3) and it is most easily explored in Basic Command Mode. So, enter Basic
from a Task Window (see Part 1) and type:
9.5
INPUT RealNumber
9.5
This will cause a ö?ò character to appear on the next line, with the
caret immediately after it. The ö?ò is the default INPUT prompt telling
you that your typed input is awaited. So, respond by typing, say:
9.5
67.9<return>
9.5
The Basic prompt (ö>ò) will return again and nothing else appears to
have happened. But now type:
9.5
PRINT RealNumber
9.5
and 67.9 will be printed Ö proving that the INPUT statement plus your
typed response, did two things: firstly, the variable RealNumber was
declared and, secondly, the value you typed in was assigned to it.
9.5
The remaining aspects of INPUT concern the use of Émodifiersæ (remember
them in Part 3, when we discussed PRINT?) which make things more user-
friendly by allowing us to specify and format more meaningful prompts
for the user. This time, still in the Task Window, type:
9.5
INPUT öInteger = ò Integer%
9.5
and, instead of a ö?ò you will see:
9.5
Integer =
9.5
with the caret after the equals sign Ö and no ö?ò. In effect, INPUT
allows you to customize the prompt, by putting text in quotes
immediately after the keyword. If you choose to do this, a further
option is available. Make some keyboard input to get back to the Basic
prompt, then type:
9.5
INPUT öInteger = ò, Integer%
9.5
Note the comma. This time the result is:
9.5
Integer = ?
9.5
with the caret waiting after the ö?ò. (A semi-colon could have been used
instead of the comma.) So, the comma (or semi-colon) Éswitches onæ the
ö?ò Ö provided that text in quotes is present after INPUT.
9.5
If you have more than one item to be input, they can be included in one
INPUT statement, thus:
9.5
INPUT One, Two, Three
9.5
will provide a ö?ò prompt at the start, and also after you have made the
first Éinput-plus-<return>æ, and again after the second input. Different
customised prompts can be given to each one, thus:
9.5
INPUT öOne = ò, One öTwo = ò, Two öThree = ò, Three
9.5
As before, leave out the commas if you donæt want the ö?ò to appear.
9.5
TAB, SPC and É (single quote) can also be used, exactly as with PRINT.
Iæll leave them for homework. The only thing you cannot do with INPUT is
to use a string variable instead of (or in addition to) the text-in-
quotes Ö because it could not be distinguished from the multiple input
example above.
9.5
Another short piece of useful homework would be to explore what happens
if the keyboard input doesnæt match the variable type, e.g. input text
when a number is needed and check what is assigned. Youæll find that
INPUT is not very good in providing error messages.
9.5
Finally, just hitting <return> when input is awaited is a valid
response. It is interpreted as zero or a null string, depending on the
input variable type. The program needs to guard against this input Ö and
we will be looking at this in our ÉLoanæ project.
9.5
Keywords IF ... THEN ... ELSE ... ENDIF
9.5
This is one of two main Éconditionalæ constructions Ö the other being
CASE ... OF ... WHEN ... OTHERWISE ... ENDCASE which we will come to
next time.
9.5
IF ... THEN ... ELSE ... ENDIF can be used in distinctly separate ways:
firstly by just using the keyword combination IF ... THEN (with or
without ELSE) within a one-line statement. For example:
9.5
IF Tuesday% THEN Itinerary$=öIt must be Romeò
9.5
or:
9.5
IF Weekday% THEN Diary$=öGot upò ELSE Diary$=öStayed in bedò
9.5
(By the way, in this one-line form, the THEN does not actually need to
be typed in, but at this stage you are strongly advised to include it.)
9.5
The expression between IF and THEN is called the Éconditionæ, for
obvious reasons, and needs to be able to be evaluated to TRUE or FALSE:
9.5
  If found FALSE, the statements after THEN up to an ELSE (if there is
one) are ignored. If there is an ELSE present, the statements after it
are actioned and the program then continues at the next line.
9.5
  If found TRUE, the statements after THEN up to an ELSE (if there is
one) are actioned. If there is an ELSE present, the instructions after
it are ignored and the program steps to the next line.
9.5
As this usage must be on one program line, it is not uncommon for it to
be multi-statement and quite long. Nonetheless, it is straightforward to
use in this simple form and, for many years prior to Basic V, it was the
only option available. Things can get a little hairy if you attempt to
Énestæ further IF ... THENs within the one line. It is Élegalæ but
sorting out what should happen is not always easy Ö and it is no longer
necessary, because Basic V adds ENDIF to the story.
9.5
ENDIF allows us to put our IF ... THEN constructions on more than one
line. The general form is:
9.5
IF <condition> THEN
9.5
ááDo something
9.5
ááELSE
9.5
ááDo something else
9.5
ENDIF
9.5
Again, the ELSE is optional. As before, <condition> is evaluated to
TRUE/FALSE and the sequences are as before. The vital thing in this
variation is that the THEN on the first line must be present and must be
the last item on the line (even a space after it can mess things up).
9.5
By using the ENDIF form, particularly with indented listings, all the
mind-twisting problems of Énestingæ in the one-line form disappear and
quite complex Énestsæ, become easy to sort out Ö one giant step for
mankind!
9.5
Back to the ÉLoanæ project
9.5
ÉLoan_6Aæ on the disc has been upgraded from ÉLoan_5Aæ by the filling
out of PROCinputKnowns, which has also needed a third formatting offset
variable to be added to PROCinit.
9.5
Firstly, PROCinputKnowns has been changed to pass a string as a
parameter. It is now defined as DEF PROCinputKnowns(NotThisLetter$) and
it is called at line 160 by PROCinputKnowns(Unknown$). Thus, the upper
case letter label of the unknown item previously chosen by the user is
now passed to this PROC.
9.5
After some lines displaying an overall prompt heading to the user, there
are four similar IF ... THEN ... ENDIF blocks, each with a condition
statement for a different one of the letters we are concerned with.
Therefore, one of the four condition statements will evaluate to FALSE Ö
because its letter will match Unknown$ passed to this procedure by line
160, plus the fact that we have used ö<>ò (önot equal toò) as the
condition. The remaining three blocks will evaluate to TRUE and be
actioned.
9.5
Within each IF ... THEN ... ENDIF block, there is a need to handle the
input of the items almost identically, and therefore it makes sense to
use a PROC/FN within it to do this. We have used FNinputLoop(), passing
the individual text string (different for each item) as the single
parameter, and returning the value input.
9.5
The listing should be straightforward to follow. The net effect is that
the user will always be presented with, in a uniform format, three items
for input Ö but which three depends on which item was previously chosen
by the user as the Éunknownæ.
9.5
Input validation
9.5
As it stands in ÉLoan_6Aæ, this input section leaves a lot to be desired
because it does nothing to protect the program against invalid or
inappropriate input entries. We need to do something about this before
going on Ö and it will also warrant a later re-visit.
9.5
At this stage, letæs set some overall input limits for each of the four
items, and show the user what they are. For example:
9.5
(L) Loan Amount Ö Not less than ú500 and not more than ú15000
9.5
(N) Number of Equal Monthly Payments Ö Not less than 12 and not more
than 180
9.5
(P) Amount of Monthly Payment Ö Not less than ú20 and not more than
ú1000
9.5
(N) Monthly Interest Rate Ö Not less than 0.5% and not more than 3.0%
9.5
In ÉLoan_6Bæ on the disc, PROCsetLimits has been added to declare and
assign values to the necessary variables. (Real numeric variables have
been used throughout in this case; partly for uniformity and partly to
enable you to use your own values without restriction.)
9.5
To incorporate these limits into the input process, we need to modify
FNinputLoop(); firstly by adding the right set of limits to each input
message and, secondly, by putting the INPUT statement inside a REPEAT
... UNTIL loop, with exit conditions corresponding to the limits Ö
similar to our approach in FNmenuChoice (see Part 5). An easy way to
achieve both needs is to add the limits as parameters to the FN
definition and modify the calling statements in DEF PROCinputKnowns()
correspondingly.
9.5
However, it is not quite straightforward because we need to do a little
extra work to overcome the screen formatting problems that occur. The
gist of the end result in ÉLoan_6Bæ looks like this:
9.5
1810 DEF FNinputLoop( Input$ ,
9.5
 LowerLimit , UpperLimit )
9.5
1850 Limit$ = ö(ò + STR$(LowerLimit) +
9.5
 ö Ö ò + STR$(UpperLimit) + ö)ò
9.5
1870 Loop% = 0
9.5
1880 REPEAT
9.5
1890áááLoop% = Loop% + 1
9.5
1900áááIF Loop% > 1 THEN VDU11
9.5
1920áááPRINT TAB(Offset3% Ö
9.5
LEN(Input$)) Input$ ; SPC(15) ; Limit$;
9.5
1930áááVDU31 , Offset3% , VPOS
9.5
1950áááINPUT ö ò Item
9.5
1960 UNTIL Item >= LowerLimit AND Item
9.5
 <= UpperLimit
9.5
1990 = Item
9.5
Iæm glossing over line 1850 for now; because it uses string handling
methods which we havenæt yet covered, although you can probably follow
this example easily enough. The REPEAT ... UNTIL loop holds the user
until a valid input is made. Line 1920 writes the input message and
chosen limits on the same line but separated by 15 spaces. Line 1930
then moves the text cursor into that gap, just after the input message.
Keyboard input appears there. If an invalid input is made, the loop
counter Loop% becomes greater than 1 and line 1900 shifts the cursor up
one line before the printing starts again. As the <return> after the
keyboard input (at line 1950) has moved the cursor down one line the net
effect is that line 1920 reprints the message on the same line as
before. The added bonus is that reprinting the gap erases the invalid
entry Ö so the result is neat and tidy and reasonably user-friendly. If
you are not sure what is happening, try putting a new line containing
G=GET between each line. You can then step through.
9.5
The keyword VPOS acts as a function returning the current vertical
position of the cursor, measured in lines from the top of the screen
(with the top line being 0).
9.5
The use of VDU is somewhat vast (and still increasing) but the low,
single number commands, such as VDU11 above, are well-established and
provide useful facilities. We will cover them sometime soon.
9.5
A few other minor changes have been made between ÉLoan_6Aæ and
ÉLoan_6Bæ, to tidy presentation.
9.5
Next time
9.5
As indicated earlier, weæll take a look at the CASE ... OF ... WHEN ...
OTHERWISE ... ENDCASE construction next time, and use it to cause our
program to branch to the right type of calculation to find the Éunknownæ
one of our four items.
9.5
You can contact me at: 26 West Drayton Park Avenue, West Drayton,
Middlesex, UB7 7QA.áuá
9.5
Using a Concept Keyboard
9.5
Dave Walsh
9.5
Many readers will have heard of this Éinput deviceæ, as it is widely
used in schools throughout the country but, rather than repeat its
virtues once more (or indeed run through all the features that current
software has added to its use!), I thought Iæd put pen to paper to share
some hints and tips on its use. If itæs all second nature to you, I
apologise, but speaking to parents and teachers, it seems that even
simple things can make all the difference between getting good use out
of it and not!
9.5
What is it?
9.5
If youæve not come across one, a concept keyboard is a flat A3 or A4
sized, pressure sensitive pad. Depending on the model, it can have
either 256 or 4096 little areas that can all be made to respond
differently to presses. For those of you wondering what it might be
useful for, there are three major areas:
9.5
Å As a visual aid to add words to word processing
9.5
Å Instead of using the QWERTY keyboard to control a program
9.5
Å As an exploratory medium, where the computer gives information in
response to childrenæs presses
9.5
Although these are all major areas, I know that enterprising folk across
the country have found many more!
9.5
The CK in use
9.5
To use the board, it is usual to put a paper Éoverlayæ on its surface to
guide children as to which part of the board to press. Overlays are
quite common around schools and, if you are a parent, it could be that
your childæs school will share their copies of overlays with you. Three
obvious things to consider when photocopying concept keyboard overlays
are:
9.5
Å Some photocopiers tend to Épush overæ copies by a few mm. If you are
copying a friend of a friendæs, friendæs copy, it could be quite a long
way out and the areas wonæt line up anymore! Try and get access to an
original.
9.5
Å Enlargement of A4 overlays to A3 (and vice versa) doesnæt work either,
as the areas are not squares
9.5
Å Coloured paper (such as pink) might look very pretty but it doesnæt
photocopy at all well!
9.5
Now a couple of more general hints:
9.5
Å Make sure itæs on a flat solid surface, otherwise key presses are much
harder to get
9.5
Å Try to have enough room so that children can use the board and do
other activities around it (e.g. writing or using the main keyboard).
9.5
DIY overlays
9.5
Making your own overlay is a worthwhile pursuit because, although the
commercial efforts represent brilliant art and cunning illustrations,
they are often not what you, or your children actually need. The first
thing I would recommend you to do is roughly sketch out what words,
keypresses or stimulus art youæd like on the overlay. Of course, if you
have a scanner, you can use illustrations from workbooks to liven up
your overlays, or use anyone with artistic talents to help.
9.5
Unfortunately, from a copyright point of view, you are entering a
minefield. For instance, all characters (e.g. Chip, Floppy, etc, from
the Oxford Reading books) are not only banned from being copied but also
(I believe) from being represented in a recognisable form on paper. If
youære making a school or home resource, itæs likely that the copyright
holder wonæt mind (assuming youæve already bought into their scheme
through other resources), but watch out if you want to distribute the
materials outside your own four walls!
9.5
Plan your overlay
9.5
If youære going to run a program from the board, itæs a very good idea
to go through it deciding exactly what keys you do use! Itæs amazing how
many overlays Iæve made, only to find that Iæve forgotten to add a
ÉReturnæ key!
9.5
If you are now in the position of wanting to create your masterpiece,
complete with all the keys and artwork, do think about the following:
9.5
Å Are the areas far enough apart from each other? Childrenæs little
fingers do tend to stray.
9.5
Å Are you sure that youæve got all the key presses youæll need on it? (I
sometimes put a Ésecretæ square for Éprintingæ.)
9.5
Å Is the overlay consistent with others that are in use? It is very
frustrating to have ÉReturnæ marked as ÉReturnæ on one overlay at the
top right hand corner, and as an arrow symbol at the bottom left on the
next one!
9.5
Å Is it clear and readable?
9.5
Å Is it better by being on a concept keyboard? There are many products
that just put words on the screen; some read them; some combine them
with pictures. If your overlay is simply a list of words with no visual
clues, wouldnæt it be easier using one of these other software titles?!
The concept keyboard triumphs by being highly visual and tactile. Donæt
be afraid to use real objects, like coins or things to count if the
overlay is for maths, or textures if it is for science. You can put
three-dimensional models on it for History and Geography. but remember
to make sure that presses can get to the board. You can even make it
play sound samples with the right software so that it can become a
composition tool.
9.5
If you are using a 256 square board, and want to have the squares lining
up, without having the grid left on the paper, you can always turn the
Éready griddedæ paper over. The lines are often bold enough to show
through without back-lighting them Ö if necessary, you can hold the
paper up to a window.
9.5
Draw on the overlay paper, colour it, test it and then cover it. You
will find that children can add their own thumb and finger prints to
your overlay within an hour or so, especially in Épopularæ areas such as
the full stop or the word Étheæ.
9.5
An alternative to covering every single overlay is to have a clear
plastic top over the paper overlay. This has some disadvantages with
children as it can slide around the place but is far quicker than the
alternative. ÉBlu Tacæ is a great help in holding overlays and their
covers in place. If you have a heat sealing machine in your
establishment, you could use this. To conserve resources, why not put
two overlays back to back during sealing Ö but donæt be tempted to cut
the edges off, split them in half and use them separately, as the
sealing causes them to roll up horribly.
9.5
One last piece of essential information for the paper overlay is the
program it has been designed for and the filename to use it on the disc.
Donæt be afraid to use the same overlay in several programs if it fits.
9.5
The actual making of the electronic overlay will differ, depending on
which software and board you are using, but it is usually achieved by
either pressing the areas on your board or pointing at the corresponding
squares on the screen with a mouse. If anyone wants a comparative review
of the different products, please ask.
9.5
Finally, overlays are often quite time-consuming to make and design. As
a partial solution (and to get the best from your work), a concept
keyboard exchange scheme has been set up by Chris Abbotts at Kings
College in London. If youæd like to have your work distributed to a
wider audience or even try out some of the materials that others have
made, do get in contact with him directly.
9.5
If you can think of other things to do with concept keyboards that you
öwish somebody had told youò, why not drop me a line c/o the Archive
office?áuá
9.5
Spelling Book
9.5
Paul Savage
9.5
Spelling Book, from Creative Curriculum Software, is one of those little
programs which shows a list of words on screen. Then one of those words
can be inserted into a piece of text you are working on by simply
clicking on the word with the mouse. It does the job nicely, very nicely
indeed, its main advantage being its ability to handle a number of
separate dictionaries. The interface is simple yet effective, and it is
very easy to set up or amend the dictionaries to match individual pupils
or different classroom topics. Along with its main function, the program
also comes with three word games based around some or all of the words
currently in use.
9.5
The program installs onto the iconbar. From <menu> on this icon, the one
or more dictionaries which the pupils are to use are chosen, and, if
necessary, the selection is saved. The word processor or DTP program is
run, and a single click brings up a small Spelling Book window
containing the letters of the alphabet. These letters call up words from
the dictionaries. With the focus inside the document, you can easily
click first to select a letter, then a word which appears in your work.
9.5
There are options available to use capital letters at the start of
words, to follow words with a space and to use a range of punctuation
marks with the mouse as well as the keyboard. The Spelling Book window
can be closed and reopened easily, as required.
9.5
I see the program being used in a number of different ways in school,
and each of these different uses would require a different range of
dictionaries. It is very easy to set up these dictionaries using Edit or
another simple text editor Ö you donæt even need to enter them in order!
9.5
With key stage 1 pupils, it will, at first, be used with basic words,
(some suitable dictionaries are provided), and it could then be used in
the same way as concept keyboards, enabling complete simple sentences to
be built up. Its use could then be extended to include words as they are
met in the reading scheme.
9.5
With pupils from all key stages, Spelling Book will also provide
valuable support for topic work. Words from appropriate dictionaries
could prompt pupils as they write on different subjects, give them leads
when engaging in their own research, or give gentle hints in finding
answers to questions.
9.5
There is an important role for Spelling Book with Special Needs pupils
or simply those pupils who have a particular problem with spelling.
Having words so readily to hand gives confidence to those unsure of
their ability in writing and, in searching for the correct word, a lot
of experience is gained in reading, at a level appropriate for each
pupil. Spelling Book has the facility for personal dictionaries, another
feature which is of great benefit to some pupils. These dictionaries are
loaded onto the iconbar icon, and can be added to while the work is in
progress. If a new word is needed, the pupil finds it in the usual way
(word box, dictionary or teacher) and then adds it into their dictionary
Ö your own vocabulary book is now electronic!
9.5
Iæve tested the program out with Impression (Style and Publisher),
Pendown, Stylus and Edit, and it works well with all of them. (When used
with programs with speech it can be especially useful.) Itácan also be
used with multimedia programs like Genesis, and Iæve even used it with
some spreadsheet programs, too Ö though Iæm not sure why you might want
to!
9.5
The three games which come with the program will all give extra practice
in using the words in the dictionaries. There is a wordsearch and two
variations on the Éhangmanæ activity without the actual violence of that
old favourite. There are a number of options which can be set within
each game to make it suitable to any pupil or age range.
9.5
Spelling Book is intended for use in keystages 1 and 2, but the
interface is by no means inappropriate for older students. I would
heartily recommend its use in primary schools, especially for work with
Special Needs pupils. The only improvement I could think of would be to
have the ability to show all the words in a dictionary at once, so that
pupils using it at the very first stages would not have to use
alphabetical searching.
9.5
Spelling Book is available for ú39 +VAT (stand alone) or ú89 +VAT for a
site licence from Creative Curriculum Software.áuá
9.5
PowerWave 30
9.5
Andrew Rawnsley
9.5
The A3000 is an unusual beast Ö with two expansion ports, Econet and
serial (optional), and parallel ports, it offered quite significant
potential for expansion, in its day. Although Acorn has replaced it with
more up-to-date architecture, there are many satisfied A3000 owners for
whom the only criticism is the lack of suitable upgrades. Sure, they
could fit a standard podule into the external connector, but there are
few products which have been designed for the smaller internal expansion
port.
9.5
Despite having this internal expansion port in common with A3020 and
A4000 machines (and A3010s, although the PowerWave draws too much power
for those computers), there have been few dedicated cards Ö really only
SCSI, micropodules, and simple Midi ports.
9.5
Audio Dynamics will delight A3000 owners as they have developed a full
Midi Synthesizer, two Midi ports and a User interface port, all on one
small card.
9.5
Whatæs so special?
9.5
By offering all the different ports, the card is ideal for the
educational or home user. In the past, one of the few upgrades that an
educational A3000 would see was an internal User port card. The
PowerWave 30 card gives all the functionality of the User port, and adds
in the Midi support, which is what really makes it so attractive.
9.5
To many people, the term Midi is an immediate turn-off. Well, it was for
me until I had my eyes opened. In the early days, Midi had meant merely
a way of communicating between an external electronic keyboard and a
computer. To a classical pianist, this was off-putting, as a keyboard
could never compare with a proper piano.
9.5
Enter General Midi
9.5
Recent innovations have resulted in the General Midi (GM) standard, with
wide-ranging effects on musical playback. GM defined a fixed set of 128
voices (instruments) which should always be available for music, and 16
channels, with a total of 32 notes playable at a given time. Each voice
would be stored in ROM, sampled at 16-bit (44kHz) quality, on the
particular piece of equipment (keyboard or synthesizer card), so that
music created on one system could be played back on any other.
9.5
The result is music quality that stands out above the Acornæs internal
8-bit sound system in the way that it, in turn, stands out above the old
BBCæs audio.
9.5
On the PC, GM has become the standard way of creating music for every
purpose, from multimedia presentations to games. Indeed, VTI have
recently released Dune 2 on CD for Acorn owners, with a complete Midi
score. GM is filtering its way into our world too!
9.5
The PowerWave 30
9.5
The Audio Dynamics card offers full GM compatibility, using the popular
Ensoniq voice set. Whilst not perfect, this is far superior to many of
the voice sets found in electronic keyboards. Of course, if you buy a
professional keyboard (costing well into four figures), you would expect
it to sound better, but then the full PowerWave 30 only sets you back
ú200!
9.5
If you just want to listen to high quality music, you can obtain Midi
files from many sources, ranging from the alt.binaries.sounds.midi
newsgroup (highly recommended) on the Internet, to PC CD-ROMs.
9.5
However, to make the most of the card, you should really use one of the
Acorn music creation packages Ö Serenade or Rhapsody 3 from Clares, or
Sibelius 6 or 7 (but not Digital Symphony and the like, as they will
still use your 8-bit internal sound system!).
9.5
You can enter music into one of these three packages either via an
external keyboard, using the Midi interface on the card, or by hand.
Either way, once youæve begun to create your masterpiece, you can play
it back through your Ensoniq voice set. Of course, getting top quality
reproduction from your hardware, makes creating scores much more
pleasurable, and you will get a much clearer picture of how the finished
product will sound.
9.5
The Ensoniq voice set
9.5
Playback of standard Midi files using the Ensoniq voice set is via the
!Conductor software supplied with the package. Whilst the review version
was still a little rough around the edges, the level of control was very
impressive. The software allows you to adjust channel volumes, the
instruments, and the stereo positions at any time during playback. You
can mute channels, or select one for solo playback.
9.5
The software also provides a 10 track jukebox, for setting up playback
lists, and an on-screen keyboard for trying out the individual
instruments. This allows you to listen carefully to the voices provided.
Whilst they often sound good together, perhaps in a modern dance track,
the reproduction of most voices is very synthetic and a far cry from the
tonal quality of the real instruments/voices they claimed to be. As a
result, the card is less suitable for composers of classical orchestral
music, as this often relies on the tone of the individual instruments.
9.5
However, I was comparing the card to the VTI VTX2000, costing at least
ú100 more, which uses some very high performance instruments for which
you would expect to pay more. (Stop Press: the VTX2000 has just been
discontinued as they cannot get one of the vital chips it contains. Ed.)
9.5
Future expansion
9.5
You can buy the Audio Dynamics card with or without the Ensoniq voice
set. Without, you have to have an external keyboard (or voice module),
which will probably be less suited to music playback. This will,
however, work with an A3010.
9.5
The card does have the daughter-board connector needed for the Ensoniq
voices, and this is industry standard. As a result, you can purchase a
daughter-board from well known companies such as Roland, Yamaha or
Turtle Beach, and they should work straight away. Indeed, Audio Dynamics
plan to produce a version of the PowerWave using the latest Yamaha
extended Midi sound set later this year, but this will cost at least ú50
more.
9.5
Conclusions
9.5
The PowerWave 30 (or DMI 30 without the voice set) is a superb addition
to any A3000 owneræs armoury. Not only does it bring great sound quality
to the home user, but it should be viewed as an essential purchase for
school Music departments with A3000, A3020 or A4000 machines.
9.5
Whilst the card isnæt up to the quality of the VTX2000, it is
considerably less expensive, and the VTI card will only work in machines
capable of taking normal sized podules. This rules out the A3020 and
A4000 straight away!
9.5
The PowerWave 30 costs ú215 from Audio Dynamics or through Archive.áuá
9.5
Tablemate III
9.5
Dave Wilcox
9.5
I have been an admirer of this software since I first purchased
Impression Publisher, and I agree with some of the comments by Dave
Floyd in his review of Tablemate 2 (8.8 p73). There have been a few
teething problems, but anything that saves all the ruler settings with
Impression styles has to be good and worth a little perseverance. Iæm
happy to say that the author, George Buchanan of Dalriada Data
Technology, has not sat back on his laurels after the release of Version
2, as Version 3.11a clearly shows.
9.5
On running the new version, it is immediately apparent that this program
has undergone a major overhaul, and several items in Daveæs wish list
have been implemented. You still cannot have fully justified text, but
you can now use the table as a simple spreadsheet. An Index has been
added to the back of the addendum instruction booklet which comes with
version 3. This is a supplement to the main manual and only explains new
or updated features.
9.5
The package
9.5
The program comes on one disc, containing the program itself, System,
SysMerge, Keystrip and Examples directory, totalling approximately
498Kb. Installation is simply a matter of updating your system by using
Sysmerge, or the Boot of a RiscPC, and dragging TableMate3 to the
desired location on your hard disc. You can, if you wish, run the
program perfectly happily from the floppy disc.
9.5
The first thing that version 2 users will notice is the new toolbar Ö
you now have lots of buttons to play with, just as with Impression!
9.5
These buttons enable you to join cells, break open joined cells in rows
and in columns, add new rows and columns, cut or copy an area to the
clipboard, paste from the clipboard, set the font style and size,
foreground colour, background colour, enter a formula, alter the line
thickness and colour, select double lines, justify any text left, right
or centre, or have a decimal point tab, all at the click of a button.
9.5
Tablemate will still only import drawfile format, so it is necessary to
drop sprites into Draw first, and then to save the drawfile into the
Tablemate frame. This is not a problem and does not hinder production in
the slightest. Tablemate 3 now has the full OLE feature implemented. In
previous releases, Tablemate was the editor for Impression under
Impressionæs OLE, but now you can use the OLE feature of Tablemate to
edit your graphics or formulae etc, in a similar manner. With a graphic,
for example, Tablemate is the client and Draw the editor. So, if you are
editing a DTP document and wish to modify your table, this table could
be OLEæd to Tablemate. From there, you could then OLE a picture into
Draw. If the picture is a sprite, save it from Draw into Paint and carry
out the desired modification, then load the sprite back into Draw, save
the modified drawfile which is passed back into Tablemate, save the
resultant Tablemate table which is passed back to the DTP package and...
OLE!
9.5
As mentioned above, it is now possible to join rows vertically as well
as horizontally. Once they are joined vertically, you have the
equivalent tab alignments as for horizontal joins, obviously renamed to
suit, as top, middle and bottom.
9.5
You can also now use your table as a simple spreadsheet, allowing
summation, and the use of basic maths operations, i.e. +, Ö, ╫, ≈. You
can use cell referencing, including absolute cell referencing, and you
can define your own currency character, e.g. ú, $, DM etc.
9.5
Also added in the latest version is the ability to use double rule-offs.
The save dialogue has been increased so that you can now save your sheet
in CSV format. With later versions of RISC OS, you can also select
colours, using the new colour picker routines.
9.5
Conclusion
9.5
As I said at the start of this review, this is a nice piece of software
designed to take the strain out of producing tables, and it does its
designed job admirably. As with most software, different people will use
different aspects of the package. For me, the spreadsheet is of little
use, but Dave Floyd obviously has a situation where its use would be an
advantage. In terms of time saved, the cost of the package will soon be
recouped by anyone who has a need to produce tables in reports on a
regular basis. I would recommend this package to anyone.
9.5
The basic cost of the package for a single user is ú34.50 from Dalriada,
or ú35 from Archive. If the program is purchased with the Impression
Style/Publisher discount, it is ú19.50 from Dalriada. A Primary site
licence is ú65 (ú35 with Impression discount), a Secondary site licence
is ú100 (ú55 with Impression discount). Users with Tablemate 2 can
upgrade to version 3 for ú5 by returning their original disc and
remittance to Dalriada Data Technology (no VAT as DDT are not VAT-
registered).áuá
9.5
Click Art Animals & Nature
9.5
Christopher Jarman
9.5
It is difficult to know how much people actually use full colour
clipart. I believe more folk are budding artists and designers these
days than is realised. We like to have a go ourselves with the various
art packages that abound. What is apparent, however, is that plenty of
people buy clips. Perhaps we hope to learn from them or to get new
ideas, and, of course, if you are only printing in black and white,
nothing is simpler than to convert colour clips to your requirements.
9.5
The latest offering in Matt Blackæs ClickArt series is so professional
and so excellent that it is hard to find any fault with it. Originally
produced in America for the Apple Mac, this package has been converted
to drawfiles in beautiful colour and detail. The accompanying brochure
is the original American glossy A5 size with full colour thumbnail
pictures of each clip. It states that the graphics were created by a
team of professional graphic artists. Any aspiring computer artist would
do well to study some of these pictures to learn how to do it.
9.5
Matt Black, as the British distributors, have enclosed an A4 B/W leaflet
which tells you all you need to know about using the clips with Acorn
machines. It is also worth noting that the international licence
agreement does allow you to use these illustrations for limited
commercial purposes, e.g. in a newsletter, providing that what you are
selling does not depend substantially upon the ClickArt clips for its
value.
9.5
There are four floppy discs containing the 150 nature pictures and
another with 120 silhouettes. Also included is the Freeware application
!PickAPick for displaying the clips as thumbnails on your screen if you
wish. On the other hand, the brochure is so helpful I could see no
reason to burden my disc with !PickAPick. If you need a lion picture,
you just look on page 17 and it shows you a super little picture and
tells you which disc it is on.
9.5
I show it here for you to get an idea of the quality.
9.5
If, like me, you are concerned with the memory use of your images, say
for dropping into other applications or for making animations, then you
may also be reassured. The biggest image I could find was Globe 1 which
was 43676 bytes in ClickArt Draw format. When dropped into Artworks and
then re-exported as a drawfile, it reduced to 42892 bytes, just under 2%
less! All the clips could be reduced slightly in this way, which is
curious.
9.5
Most clips are between 20Kb and 27Kb in size. The Dingbats, which are
also in colour, are very good on low memory. The cherries dingbat shown
here takes only 1456 bytes. (There should be a joke about Ébytes of a
cherryæ here somewhere but I canæt think how to put it!)
9.5
The drawings are so good and strong that they will stand being
miniaturised to quite a reasonable degree without the lines
disappearing. This makes them suitable for logos and other small images.
The borders, silhouettes and dingbats are, of course, particularly
suited for this kind of use. Neither are any of the files compressed,
which makes them very quick to access and to use. I personally like the
fact that none of the illustrations is either whimsical or cartoonish.
We have quite enough of that type of clipart already. Hey ho, I suppose
it is my age showing!
9.5
My only minor criticism is that a few of the colours in one or two
pictures seem a little odd. These are almost certainly explained by the
problems of porting to different computer systems. As it is easy to
alter colours, it makes it more fun anyway to try and improve on the
Dove, the Coast and the Trout, clips which I found slightly eccentric.
9.5
I suppose the main problem with using this set is that no-one will be
able to kid anyone else that they produced them themselves, they are
just too good!
9.5
This is excellent value at ú35 (no VAT) plus ú2 p&p from Matt
Black.áThis includes a free educational site licence. uá
9.5
ProTeus CD-ROM Drive
9.5
Chris Hall
9.5
This article was written before the demise (and subsequent re-birth!) of
Cumana. However, the information is still relevant as Cumana will, in
due course, be able to supply the product again and, in the meantime, we
have found an alternative supply of these drives. Ed.
9.5
The ProTeus CD-ROM drive has been featured in some magazines recently
although I have not seen an Éin-depthæ review. It is a combination
drive, combining quad-speed CD-ROM technology (read only) with the
capability of reading and writing 650Mb rewriteable optical cartridges.
These cartridges use Éphase changeæ technology and cannot be used in
other CD-ROM or magneto-optical drives: cartridges are not supplied with
the drive. There have been features in Archive before about CD-ROM
drives (notably 7.2 p27 and 7.9 p65) but a combination drive is slightly
more complicated to set up. In this description, I will focus on the
usability of the drive but include a brief explanation of the set-up
process. The drive itself costs ú635 (8.12 p9) as an internal 5╝ö drive
for the RiscPC. My drive was supplied with a Cumana SCSI II interface
but this is not included in the price.
9.5
Installation
9.5
Firstly, a SCSI interface is required. This is an interface card which
plugs into the DEBI connector on the Archimedes and provides a 50-way
connection onto which several ÉSCSIæ devices may be attached in
parallel, arranged in Édaisy-chainæ fashion.
9.5
The software side of the interface can be more intimidating. I have an
Oak Solutions SCSI interface and it is fairly friendly. Basically, the
CDFS software supplied with the SCSI interface (a standard CDFS at
version 2.20 or higher, supporting Ésoft loadingæ drivers) looks after
the drive as a CD-ROM, and shows a CD-ROM icon on the iconbar. The
utility software supplied with the SCSI card configures the drive as a
writeable unit in a similar way to connection of a hard disc drive Ö the
user has to specify the SCSIFS drive number allocated to the unitæs
physical SCSI ID, and a SCSI icon then appears on the iconbar.
9.5
Once the unit is installed and cabled up, the *DEVICES command will show
whether the hardware connection is correct:
9.5
This shows that the ProTeus drive is present as device 1 (although it
cannot be recognised, as no blank disc is present). A similar display is
obtained using the Cumana SCSI II interface:
9.5
Some CD-ROMs are supplied with soft-loadable drivers, without which they
will not be properly recognised. The ProTeus drive is one of these.
Soft-loadable drivers are modules that need to be loaded during the
!Boot process when the computer is turned on or reset. On the RiscPC,
this may be done by copying the driver module supplied into the
directory !Boot.Choices.Boot.PreDesk. Having done this, the module
listing will show the new module:
9.5
CDFSSoft Panasonic 1.07 (15 Jun 1995) (Cumana Proteus)
9.5
Using the ProTeus drive
9.5
Once cabled up and with the soft-driver loaded, the ProTeus drive should
be functional as a CD-ROM drive. Clicking on the CD-ROM icon on the
iconbar will open a directory display, if a CD-ROM is in the drive.
9.5
Using the CD-ROM drive on a PC requires changes to the CONFIG.SYS and
the AUTOEXEC.BAT files. The CD-ROM will then also appear as a DOS drive
with the next available drive letter.
9.5
The application !CDFast (by Eesox) may be used to maximise the access
speed of the CD-ROM drive Ö the improvement is useful but marginal (see
8.9 p76). The Acorn PhotoCD sample application !PhotoView allows the
images on a Photo CD disc to be accessed.
9.5
The ProTeus drive functions as a CD-ROM drive quickly and competently.
However, it has difficulty in accessing my ArtWorks CD (AWCD-2). Most of
the time it acted exactly as if the CD drawer were empty. When it did
recognise the ArtWorks CD, it would work correctly for a time and then
would produce öMessage from CDFS filer Ö Target error Ö Hardware errorò.
All other CDs that I have, including a PhotoCD, work correctly. The
Artworks CD also works perfectly on my Toshiba CD-ROM drive. Following
this up with Cumana, it appears that the CD¡ROM part of the drive is
more sensitive than standard CD¡ROM drives and such problems are not
unknown.
9.5
It loaded the ÉBulletæ file (test A on 7.9 p68) in 8.3 seconds and had
no difficulty displaying Acorn Replay files. The CD¡ROM may be ejected
from the desktop using the command *-CDFS-EJECT but selecting the menu
option ÉDismountæ does not work. However, this menu option did not work
with other interfaces or other CD¡ROM drives so Iácanæt really complain!
9.5
Overall the drive operates reliably and quickly, although not quite at
double the speed of a Édouble-speedæ drive.
9.5
Using the drive as a writeable optical drive
9.5
The drive is not supplied with optical media. Before the unit can be
configured and formatted (using the ÉFormatæ option in the SCSI card
utility software) blank media is essential. In the desktop, a new drive
icon, corresponding to the new SCSIFS drive number, has appeared. The
formatting process takes some time the first time a cartridge is used Ö
over 30 minutes. However, once this has been done, all works normally as
if the unit were a hard disc drive. With RISCáOSá3.50, the largest
partition that can be used is 512Mb (wasting the remaining 138Mb!).
Speed is perfectly acceptable Ö it operates at a nominal transfer speed
of 1006Kb/s: more quickly than a 128Mb optical drive (550Kb/s) but not
quite as fast as a 270Mb Syquest drive (1794Kb/s).
9.5
The transfer speed measures the speed at which a large file would be
transferred, and therefore ignores the track-to-track access speed which
becomes significant when the files being transferred are small, as a
large number of writes to the catalogue area are then required. The
nominal speed is also a theoretical figure. As a better guide to speed,
I have measured the time taken (using my Oak Solutions SCSI card) to
copy an application containing a 12Mb and a 6Mb data file, totalling
19Mbs (13 files) and the time taken to copy a number of word-processor
files (681 files totalling 2.9Mbs) for each of these drives:
9.5
  Syquest   ProTeus   Pæsonic optical
9.5
Application (19M)  63sec  122sec  238sec
9.5
WP files (2.9Mb)  140sec*  325sec*  ...
9.5
Large files  302Kb/s  156Kb/s  80Kb/s
9.5
Small files  21Kb/s  9Kb/s   ...
9.5
*plus 80sec time for reading from the RiscPC 410Mb IDE drive.
9.5
Conclusions
9.5
The ProTeus drive is a capable CD-ROM drive offering a modest speed
improvement over double-speed drives (but not double the speed), but you
may have some difficulty reading one or two CD¡ROMs. Iáwas able to
overcome this by cleaning the CD¡ROM, but the tolerance of the drive to
dirty or scratched CD-ROMs is noticeably lower than CD¡only drives.
9.5
As a writeable drive, it operates with no problems and the cartridge is
not susceptible to magnetic fields and should be a much more reliable
backup medium than a Syquest cartridge or a floppy disc. Time will tell!
9.5
In short, donæt buy this drive if your prime need is a quad-speed CD-ROM
drive Ö its performance is slightly less than quad speed CD-only drives.
However, its performance as a CD-ROM is perfectly acceptable and if your
prime need is to make backup copies of important data then this drive is
very good value and you will save the additional cost of a separate CD-
ROM drive.áuá
9.5
*DEVICES
9.5
Device Type           Size     Vendor   Product          Rev
9.5
001    Optical memory Unknown  MATSHITA PD-1 LF-1000     A105
9.5
101    Read-only      Unknown  MATSHITA PD-1 LF-1000     A105
9.5
007    Host                    CUMANA   SCSI Interface   1.96
9.5
*DEVICES
9.5
Device Type      Capacity Vendor   Product       Revision
9.5
0      ...
9.5
1      Unknown   Unknown  MATSHITA PD-1 LF-1000  A105
9.5
2      ...
9.5
7      Host               Oak      16 Bit SCSI  1.36
9.5
Report
9.5
Ed Archer
9.5
I am usually sceptical when it comes to claims that a reporting process
can be speeded up 10 times, but I must confess that, on this occasion,
there is some substance to the claims being made for the package being
reviewed.
9.5
These days, teachers in Britain are bombarded with demands for reports,
varying from the 5-14 curricular assessments to assessable elements at
A-Level or Scottish Higher. The distressing factor is that reporting is
going to get worse and the only solution is to have a user-friendly
piece of idiot-proof software which has an easily understood manual.
9.5
I think that I am by no means alone in thinking this, as many of my
colleagues have little time to devote to reading any long-winded manual,
and I am glad to say Report comes with a modest six page effort. This
was a plus point, though I must say that I thought the manual could have
been more user-friendly, e.g there is too much technospeak in it, such
as Étype ahead buffer.æ This does pose immediate problems for many
would-be users, even for those involved in teaching computing! On the
other hand, I greatly appreciated the use of graphics to go along with
the text, principally as I find instructions very much easier to follow
from an illustration Ö the old Chinese proverb, öa picture is worth a
thousand wordsò, should be considered by all manual writers.
9.5
The manual contents could also have been better organized. For example,
the sections on Phrases and Phrase Selection would have been better
grouped together, both for the sake of continuity and also to assist
understanding. On the question of being able to understand the manual,
it would also have been very useful to have the section mentioning ÉAuto
Stepæ before it is mentioned in the text, as this is rather confusing
for a novice user.
9.5
Getting going
9.5
I found the package quite easy to use but I would strongly suggest that
every user both reads the Help file in !Report and looks at the manual.
This is essential, as it is not possible to understand the true
potential of this package without going through these steps first. The
main benefit is the ability to run !Report alongside any word processing
package. Iáhave tried two packages, Style and Advance, and Iáhave not
encountered any problems as yet.
9.5
Entering names and appropriate phrases was straightforward and it was
gratifying to see everything appear on the screen where it was supposed
to go. Obviously, 250 characters is a limitation, but it does offer the
opportunity to put in a sentence about four lines long and, given the
space allowed on most report cards, that is adequate enough. Also, the
creation of new phrases is easy, provided you stick to the instructions.
9.5
Another useful feature is the gender changer which enables the user to
define either male or female. This certainly helps to speed up report
writing and avoids potentially embarrassing mistakes! Other useful
features on the click panel include a facility for changing case and
automatic returns. That is not all Ö the click panel also contains the
words Ö and, but, also, or, can and not; all of these features are
valuable to a regular user.
9.5
Alongside the words, there is a good selection of the more commonly used
punctuations; again this is a feature that I would not be without.
Obviously, there are other features that one might like to have, but I
think the right balance has been struck in terms of what the average
user might require. Also, it is useful to have a relatively uncluttered
control panel, especially as it is necessary to have both a word
processor and Report on the screen simultaneously. Apart from which, the
average user would tend to become a bit confused with the presence of an
all-dancing, all-singing panel for Report. Simplicity needs to be the
order of the day.
9.5
Examples
9.5
The examples on the disc are somewhat of a mixed bag, varying from the
very useful to the inexplicable. The Database, Maths Report and Year 3
examples are good, especially the Maths one, which is excellent. The
poem and story are useful examples, but really merit further development
to endorse the points they are trying to make. The Readme file is also
worthwhile, but it could have incorporated some explanation for the
technically disadvantaged who would not pick up the significance of the
spaces and the Wrong! file. Indeed, a trouble-shooting section would
have been very useful in the manual or, failing that, in the Readme file
itself.
9.5
Forms
9.5
The idea of having the forms is basically sound, but some explanation is
necessary for those that would not know that you cannot use the
drawfiles in direct conjunction with Report. Instead, elements have to
be carefully loaded into a DTP package and then used. However, I do
think that it is essential to have these exemplars available as they
give the average teacher some useful tips about Report construction.
Having constructed school reports myself, I am familiar with the
problems, the main one being trying to have a very comprehensive report
in the smallest possible space with the maximum amount of information Ö
a tall order! I think the exemplar material is very good and, even if
you donæt use it, it does give some excellent ideas.
9.5
Other possible applications
9.5
I can see that Report would also be useful for teachers for the creation
of standard letters, e.g. informing parents about discipline, or for
individual letters concerning the childæs welfare.
9.5
From the pupilæs point of view, it would be useful, especially the
phrases to help them with the production of their Record of Achievement.
This would help those pupils who have difficulty in expressing
themselves, as well as those who have spelling difficulties. Obviously,
the teacher would have to help, but the end result would be infinitely
better than some of the products I have seen. Reportæs facilities could
be of use to people outside Education in the Business World for creating
Standard letters, not to mention similar uses for people writing ÉThank
Youæ letters! The potential for saving time is tremendous.
9.5
Overall assessment
9.5
Report is a really useful package despite the minor reservations
concerning the manual, and I am going to twist a couple of arms to get a
copy for my school. For the potential time saved, the price is a steal
and, most important of all, it is easy to use. To get your copy of
Report, you will have to send a cheque for either ú14.95 (single user
licence) or ú29.95 (site licence) to Robert Lytton, 7 Helmsley Drive,
West Park, Leeds LS 16 5HY.áuá
9.5
Pocket Book Column
9.5
Audrey Laski
9.5
The ÉOwneræ query
9.5
Both Ian Clark of Haxby, York, and John Woodthorpe of Rugby have written
in response to the query, in the December issue, about the Info Option
ÉSet Owneræ. They both associate it with the password facility in the
Psion, since, on these machines, the owner information is displayed as
part of the password procedure. They both comment on the probability
that this facility was removed when Acorn commissioned the Pocket Book
in order to prevent what Ian calls ösome little $#@!%ò from setting
password protection on all the class machines as an experiment in
teacher modification!
9.5
PocketFS blues revisited
9.5
In response to James Ducatæs ÉRemote Link not plugged inæ problem,
(November), John Woodthorpe of Rugby suggests opening and closing one of
the drive bay doors, which ömakes the machine check all the drives,
including the ROM in the Link)ò. If this fails, ögo to the system
screen, press the TAB key and then the right (or left) arrow key twice
to get to the directory display for drive C (the ROM in the Link). If it
says the disc is absent, try pulling the link plug in and out slightly
to see if the disc is recognized.ò More depressingly, he adds that this
problem seems to get worse with time, and that Jamesæ machine may need a
service.
9.5
Michael Turner of Diss has a different problem. He created a ÉNew Listæ
for the data application on his Psion 3A, which on that machine carried
a heading icon of the Édataæ type. However, when he configured !PocketFS
on his A5000 to display it, he found he could not assign an icon to the
new column. He says, öWhen looking at the file called ConFigFile that
has been created inside !PocketFS.Resources, within which the icons for
the individual columns appear to be assigned, it seems that the icon for
my newly created column is called ÉUnknownæ.ò Attempts to change this,
generate the error öUnable to access configuration fileò. Can anyone
explain how he can assign the data icon to his new column?
9.5
Recommendations
9.5
John Woodthorpe recommends a magazine for and by Psion enthusiasts,
which has many reviews and articles useful to Pocket Book users. It is
sold by subscription only (ú24 for six issues), but the editor, Steve
Clack, 25 Avocet Way, Bicester Oxon OX6 OYN, will let Archive readers
have a single copy to try in return for ú4. From the current issue, John
found out about a Shareware project planner for the 3a/PBII, öcapable of
dealing with complex projectsò, about which he is extremely
enthusiastic; called Plan, by Andy Clarkson, it certainly looks a
remarkably powerful resource for anyone with any kind of development
project in view.
9.5
Dealing with $
9.5
He also raises a problem to which he hopes someone has the answer. öSome
DOS and Psion files can have the É$æ sign in the filename (e.g.
Sys$samp.lld, Sys$prgm.img), but RISC OS wonæt recognize these. If they
are on DOS media (such as a floppy or Pocket Book drive) thereæs no
problem, as the É<æ character is substituted, but the file canæt be
moved or renamed if itæs on an Acorn floppy or in a compressed file.ò He
deals with it by using DOS on his 486 card (or on the PCEmulator) öto
open the ZIPped archive containing the file, transfer it to a DOS format
disc, and then use RISC OS to copy it to the Psion.ò If anyone has a
better method, he would love to know.
9.5
Powerpack blues
9.5
Steve Hutchinson, of Hucclecote, Gloucester, part of whose letter I used
last time, has, like me, had difficulties with the power light going on
and off. He has solved it to his satisfaction by using a 9v Maplin
regulated power supply (Order code BZ84F), which comes with six plugs;
öhaving found the right one, you then have to work out which way round
to connect it to get the polarity right... the plug has an extra groove
near the tip which seems to keep it fixed in better...ò Heæs a little
concerned that using this non-standard plug might invalidate the
guarantee, but very pleased with the effect.
9.5
Assorted problems
9.5
Steve uses his Psion to take notes at meetings and transfers them to his
A440 but cannot retain bold headings and styles; he suspects that he
needs RTF transfers and the new Impression RTF Loaders, and would be
glad to know if readers using these are finding them worth the expense.
He also has a problem with the year view on Agenda; entering an item
into the week view doesnæt automatically add it to the year view, so
that it has to be done manually. Has anyone with a Psion found a trick
for this? (Schedule doesnæt have a year view, so I canæt help.)
9.5
Endnote
9.5
Perhaps it should be Clumsy Dunceæs Corner. If you are using your
palmtop connected to the wall via the powerpack, itæs as well to make
sure the lead doesnæt cross a public passage through the room; I forgot
this simple rule, and my cousin tripped over the lead and brought the
open Pocket Book hurtling to the ground. The fall broke one of the
plastic hinges of the cover so badly that the whole case had to be
replaced; be warned by me!áuá
9.5
Falcon Analogue Joystick Interface
9.5
Andrew Rawnsley
9.5
For many years, since the introduction of the Archimedes series of
computers, the words ÉAcornæ and Éjoystickæ have rarely been used in the
same sentence.
9.5
There have, on occasion, been attempts by companies to introduce
joysticks or, more recently, joypads (made popular by Sega and Nintendo
consoles), but these have usually met with failure. Most Acorn games-
players seem to find the keyboard and mouse a much more viable
alternative.
9.5
Previous products have usually been flawed in a number of ways:
9.5
1) The joystick or joypad is of poor quality, invariably making life
harder for the user!
9.5
2) You are restricted to using the joystick supplied by the particular
company, as the interface is built into the joystick itself.
9.5
3) The software support is poor, and the joystick fails to work with
many games.
9.5
However, the single biggest flaw has been the digital nature of the
joysticks Ö each button or direction being either on or off. You canæt
move the joystick just a small distance to get a small movement on
screen.
9.5
You may not consider this much of a problem, but take the example where
you want to move your character fractionally to the left, perhaps to
position a jump. On the keyboard, you would simply tap the appropriate
key very quickly. However, with the joystick you can only move a fixed
distance, sometimes making the move almost impossible.
9.5
The problem is accentuated in flight simulators, where the degree of
movement is critical to avoid collisions and allow accurate aiming.
9.5
Introducing the Analogue Joystick
9.5
This problem has been solved for a long time for PC owners Ö the
analogue approach allows the joystick to return the amount of movement
that has been applied. The more movement, the greater the effect in the
game.
9.5
As far as I know, the Falcon interface from Magnetic Image is the first
Acorn product to allow the use of such PC joysticks!
9.5
Not only does the interface solve the problem, but it does so in style,
avoiding most of the problems found with competing products.
9.5
For example, there is no joystick supplied with the product, allowing
the user freedom of choice as to what quality of device to use. You can
pick up a suitable joystick from a PC dealer for less than ú10, but for
ú5 or ú10 more, youæll get a high quality joystick which is bang up-to-
date.
9.5
Software support
9.5
The Falcon is supplied with various modules to allow the product to be
used with any Acorn machine. Iæve tested it on a RiscPC and A5000 with
no problems.
9.5
The modules are supported by a configuration and calibration
application. This may sound complex, and indeed the software took a
little effort to master, but this is time well spent. You set the extent
of movement given by your particular joystick, and the software will
then calculate the degree of movement proportionally.
9.5
You are given a choice whether or not the extra analogue information
should be used or not Ö some arcade games are better played with a
digital-type joystick, so the software allows the analogue device to be
treated as digital for such games.
9.5
I encountered no incompatibilities Ö testing the joystick with titles
such as Star Fighter 3000 and Chocks Away. It brought new life into
these games, as I suddenly became able to swoop and dive just as if
Iáwere controlling a real flight stick.
9.5
Arcade games, such as Burn æOut and Hamsters, also worked without any
difficulties.
9.5
The hardware interface
9.5
The Falcon interface itself is well produced and provides a neat and
compact solution. However, it has one major disadvantage Ö it connects
to the printer port of your machine. This is a popular interface for
such devices, with developers seeming to forget that users might
actually have a printer connected to the printer port.
9.5
The solution is a printer port splitting device which is best bought
from a local PC dealer. At the flick of a switch, you can swap between
your printer and your joystick Ö I canæt see you using both at once!
9.5
Fortunately, the interface worked on the end of both Artworks and
Impression dongles, which will please anyone who doesnæt just use their
Acorn as an expensive alternative to a console!
9.5
Conclusions
9.5
Costing around ú25 from Magnetic Image, the Falcon interface isnæt cheap
when you consider that youæll have to buy a joystick and printer port
splitter on top of that (budget for around ú55 in total). However, it is
a classy product and provides a complete solution to all your game
control needs.
9.5
Bear in mind that, on a PC, youæd have to pay around ú80, as the
interface tends to be only available as part of a sound system
(apparently the sound card is the single multimedia / leisure solution).
9.5
The Falcon interface outclasses any of the other joystick and joypad
solutions available for Acorn users (although which companies will sell
you such a product varies by the month!) and if you like the idea of a
joystick, itæs your best bet for connecting one to your Acorn.
9.5
Me? Iæm going back to practise stunt flying in Star Fighter 3000, now
that I can fly the thing with my spanking new analogue joystick (and
interface!).áuá
9.5
MathMania
9.5
Dave Walsh
9.5
I really liked this program, and so did the children who tried it with
me. As an educational IT trainer, Iáhave to come straight out and say
that it does little with regards to the IT requirements, but it does
achieve its aims to practice maths skills with children in a fun,
interesting and inspiring way.
9.5
MathMania comes on a single disc and installs to a hard disc as soon as
it becomes a registered copy. The manual is clear and the program is
easy enough to use, being mouse driven (or via cursor keys if you wish).
The gameplay is that one of four players is within a maze and must
collect enough gold and a key before finding an exit. Unfortunately (or
fortunately if you are a teacher or parent!), a lot of the passages are
blocked with sliding doors that only open (with a great Éwhooshæ sound)
when a correct answer to a question is given.
9.5
Questions, as you have probably surmised, are based on mathematical
areas including number (the four rules), shape and space, time, angles
and measurement. The Élevelæ of questions can be controlled from a
configuration panel or, indeed, by the children using the program, by
pressing <Alt> and a number between 1 and 4. The manual explains that
difficulty levels 3 and 4 are aimed at Key Stages 3 and 4 whilst levels
1 and 2 are for Key Stage 2.
9.5
There is a choice of six mazes, and although it might have been an
improvement with random mazes created each time, it didnæt seem to
concern the children that much. Maps of mazes can be provided on screen,
or from photocopy masters which are provided in the pack. As the gold
bars and key are placed randomly, pupils will still need to answer a
good number of questions, even if they know the maze outline. Answers
are given by clicking on a small on-screen keypad or by moving across a
series of multiple-choice answers. Points are allotted for each correct
question as well as for each gold bar collected. Be warned that it is
possible to have a negative score, and when you do make an error, the
correct response is not shown, so the program is definitely a revision
tool rather than a learning one.
9.5
Once you have successfully collected gold and keys, you leave the maze
to be given a challenge puzzle. These are more like a mathematical
investigation and are presented in four forms Ö Sliding Block Puzzles,
Tower of Hanoi, Fill it (a puzzle to make the same volume in two bottles
from several different containers) and coins (a strategy game where you
have to try and be the last one to pick up a coin). These can be played
against the clock if you wish.
9.5
I thought some of the topic-based questions were sometimes a little
difficult, as they expected knowledge that might not be present in all
users (e.g.áWhat length is a cricket pitch?, What is the standard unit
to measure discs in?) but I could understand why they had been chosen.
What I would have liked to see, which wasnæt provided, is a way of
editing or adding your own questions to the data file. One of the
difficulties of the program was a lack of clarity in the display of
fractions, and even in the textual description of the puzzles, as they
were red text superimposed on a black background.
9.5
The program keeps a careful record of the performance of the last
player, giving statistics on each area attempted. It even has a high
score table filled with some of the great mathematical minds of the
ancient world, which is a nice touch. Both individual performance and
high score can be saved, which would be the only way of comparing
individual performances accurately.
9.5
The program runs as a single-tasking application but gives clear routes
back to the desktop. I tried it on both A5000 and RiscPC machines and it
behaved perfectly on both. The publicity says it Éis a great way to
practise basic maths and problem-solving and knocks the spots off other
maze games!æ, and I would tend to agree.
9.5
MathMania is available from Topologika priced ú25á+VAT (or ú28 through
Archive). The primary site licence costs ú50 +VAT and the secondary one
is ú65á+VAT from Topologika.áuá
9.5
Cross Stitch Designer
9.5
Dave Wilcox
9.5
Letæs have the attention of all you men out there whose wives always
want to know what the dreaded computer can do for them! Here is one
answer: Cross-Stitch Designer, produced by iSV Products, which converts
sprites into cross-stitch patterns.
9.5
The first version received for review, 1.7, had a few niggling little
faults which detracted from the overall impression of the package, but a
quick telephone call to iSV had version 1.8b winging its way through the
postal system. With this new version, it would seem that all the faults
I moaned about had been put to rights Ö plus a few unknown ones too! By
the time you read this, version 1.8 will be the current version.
9.5
What do you get?
9.5
You get one floppy disc presented in a plastic box. The current version
has a manual on the disc as a hypertext file, but if, like me, you
prefer to read paper print, you can by-pass this and make yourself a
hard copy (approx. four A4 sheets) via Edit or your chosen text editor.
The rest of the disc contains the program (approx. 104Kb), a special
font for use within the program, a reference card showing the colour
symbols, and a folder containing some examples.
9.5
The program
9.5
There is no disc protection on this package, so back it up first or
install it onto hard disc in any location of your choice. Before running
the program, the special font must be installed. This font is a
combination of text and Dingbats, with full skeleton lines, and it has
obviously had a lot of time and effort spent on it, to get the right
combination of characters which will be easily distinguished from each
other.
9.5
Double-clicking on the application icon installs the program onto the
right hand side of the iconbar. The iconbar menu will only give you two
options, info and quit, both of which are self-explanatory.
9.5
Input
9.5
The best way to start the program is to select the sprite you wish
converted and drag it to the iconbar icon. There are a few points to
bear in mind before selecting your sprite file; one pixel translates to
one stitch, and a limit has been set by the author of approximately
250,000 stitches, which is more than adequate, I would suggest!
9.5
The maximum number of colours in a picture is 64, so any pictures with
more than this will need modifying using ChangeFSI or a similar program.
Ifáyou try to load too large a file, or an incorrect file, the program
objects and then lets you try again.
9.5
Dropping your selected sprite onto the icon opens two windows; the
sprite window, which shows the loaded sprite, and the main information
window, which shows details of sprite name, sprite size, resultant
cross-stitch size and the number of stitches in the resultant design,
along with an approximation of the time required to stitch the pattern.
9.5
This is an educated guestimate, presumably based on the stitching times
of the authoræs wife, but would no doubt be a useful guide for school
use. At the bottom of this window are two buttons which work on the
loaded sprite Ö ÉShow Coloursæ and ÉMake XStitchæ.
9.5
Conversion configuration
9.5
Before making your cross-stitch design, select the configuration menu.
From here, you can make selections for your conversion. You can set the
colour of the material used, the number of holes per inch for your
chosen material, the type and style of grid display, the way the text of
the colour listing is saved: standard text, Draw text object or
Impression script file. You can also select whether to keep the picture
as a coloured print or symbols or a combination of both. Once decided,
click on the ÉMake XStitchæ button and wait.
9.5
Output
9.5
Once the design has been calculated, two new windows open, one with the
final design and one with a listing of the colours. From the design
window, you can zoom, save out as a drawfile, or print out to hard copy.
9.5
A quick word of warning here Ö these printouts can be very large,
although they are tiled with an adjustable overlap. The default output
is at 200% for ease of reading. To give an example of size, a sprite of
290╫195 pixels will translate to a cross-stitch of 20.7╫13.9 inches, and
the printout of this pattern will need eighteen A4 pages at 200% scale
(too much smaller and you are entering the realms of eye strain).
9.5
For those with printers that donæt have a sheet feeder, an option exists
for pausing between pages. The colours window can be saved or printed to
accompany your design. If you do not print your design from cross-
stitch, it can be saved as a draw file for later use. I would suggest
the colours are incorporated alongside the final design, and printed out
as one piece of work.
9.5
A quick note about the colours. At present, the colours are matched to
the ÉAnchoræ colour list, as supplied by ÉAnchoræ. I believe they have a
range of approximately 512 colours and shades. According to the author,
ÉAnchoræ have been so impressed by this software that they readily
agreed to supply all their colour information and were more than happy
to have their logo and name associated with the product on release.
Enquiries were also made with ÉDMCæ along the same lines, (ÉDMCæ are
another thread manufacturer), but they do not seem so enthusiastic to
supply their information. Work is still, apparently, continuing along
this line, and will hopefully be included in a later version.
9.5
Conclusion
9.5
As I said at the beginning of this article, I was a little sceptical,
having seen the first version I received for review (1.7), but after the
corrections were sent out, virtually by return of post, as version 1.8,
what a different package! On a scale of one to ten, this package scores
ten from myself and my daughter and is thoroughly recommended for home
and school use. Well done iSV! Excellent value for money.
9.5
Talking of money, Cross-Stitch costs ú21.50 inclusive from iSV Products
or ú21 though Archive.
9.5
Anyone who purchased this software prior to this latest version can
upgrade free of charge by returning their original disc with a stamped
addressed envelope to iSV. No stamp Ö no upgrade.áuá
9.5
Portfolio
9.5
Dave Wilcox
9.5
Portfolio is a very simple media display tool produced by WECC,
(Warwickshire Educational Computing Centre). The program lets you
display a sequence of graphic images and, if appropriate, associated
sound samples. It is a nice presentation package, suitable for home,
school or business use.
9.5
What do you get?
9.5
The software comes in a plastic fold-over wallet containing four discs
and an A5 manual. The manual consists of 36 pages, is well written and
well presented, and explains the software in a concise manner which will
have anybody making presentations in no time at all.
9.5
Disc one contains the program, !System and !Scrap, taking up a massive
160Kb. The rest of the disc and the other three discs are filled with
example presentations, used to good effect to show how simple the
software is to use.
9.5
Requirements
9.5
The minimum requirements for this package are RISC OS 3.1 or higher,
preferably a hard drive, (it will run from floppy, only slower) and 2Mb
of memory. Obviously, if you start using high resolution graphics and
large JPEG files or the like, a larger memory machine will be needed.
When using these files, it must also be noted that the timing will be
inconsistent with the configuration setting, due to the time these files
take to load Ö you rich people out there with RiscPCs will have little
or no trouble. (Iæve just gone green!)
9.5
The program
9.5
There is no copy protection on the disc, so backup first or install to
hard disc. The program can be installed anywhere on the disc you wish.
The configuration window is the main item, which allows several settings
to control the manner the frames load and wipe. You can run your
presentation in a carousel fashion, i.e. when the end is reached, it
restarts and goes on ad infinitum, or you can set it for a single pass.
There are 16 fade options, such as diamonds Ö when the current screen is
due to be changed, it fades and the new screen is introduced with an
overlay diamond effect.
9.5
These effects can be selected as a single fade throughout or Éallæ,
where a different fade is used for each update. You can, of course,
switch off the fade option if desired. The time between fades can be
altered; some screens obviously take longer for the spectator to digest
than others, especially if text is used. The display can be set to
change automatically or manually. This will be a great help if your
presentation is keyed to your speech and gives time for side tracking or
dealing with questions. Using this feature, it is possible to step
forwards and backwards using the mouse or icons on screen.
9.5
A presentation
9.5
A presentation is so easy to construct Ö I did not initially believe
this was all I had to do. To construct a basic presentation, you drag
your pictures into a directory, (files do not need to be squashed but
they can be if you prefer), name your directory to fit your presentation
for future reference, and then drag it onto the iconbar icon. The frames
step through in alphanumeric order using the configurations set up as
above Ö thatæs it!!
9.5
To top this, within the presentation directory make another directory
called sounds. Put sound samples, again squashed, into this directory
and name them the same as the associated picture. When the picture
loads, so long as you have a sample player, like ÉSoundConæ by Rick
Hudson, (FreeWare), you will hear the sound as well Ö impressive or
what?
9.5
For the more adventurous, control can be via script files, which are
also saved into your root presentation directory. These files are made
up of some very simple commands and are very easy to construct using a
text editor. This enables more precise control over the presentation.
9.5
At present, Portfolio can cater for the following filetypes: Sprites,
drawfiles, JPEG files, squashed sprites, squashed drawfiles, GIF files,
PCX files, BMP files, RLE files, PhotoCD files and Armadeus sound files.
(For PhotoCD, you will need to have Photoview loaded first. This should
have been provided with your CD-ROM.)
9.5
Conclusion
9.5
Excellent, no hang ups, no crashes, easy to use, versatile and
reasonably priced. Portfolio costs ú25 single user, ú25 primary school
site licence, and ú29 secondary school site licence from WECC, but you
have to add ú1 p&p and VAT to these prices.áuá
9.5
The Oxford Infant Talking Atlas
9.5
Joe Gallagher
9.5
The Oxford Infant Talking Atlas is the latest fruit of the collaboration
between Sherston Software and OUP which began with the Oxford Reading
Tree series of talking books several years ago. Sherston had been
involved with talking books, prior to this, in the form of its own
Naughty Stories series and had already begun to explore using sound for
information books in its Look Hear topic books. If you are familiar with
these, the format of the latest offering will come as no surprise.
9.5
As well as the discs the package includes a paperback version of the
atlas. The single user version employs Sherstonæs familiar key disc
approach, and although there has been much debate about it in the pages
of this magazine, I must add my two pennyæs worth.
9.5
Obviously, software producers want to prevent unauthorised copying of
programs, but I feel that, now that hard disc systems are becoming the
norm, having to use a floppy disc to start up a program is a bit
primitive. I donæt believe that programs such as this will be pirated to
the same extent as happens with games software. Sherston has started to
appreciate this with its reduced and very reasonable site licence
prices. If you have more than one computer, it is definitely worth
buying the site licence version.
9.5
As with all Sherstonæs products, navigating through the program is
simplicity itself, and it certainly does seem to achieve coverage of the
Key Stage 1 requirements for map reading under the National Curriculum.
Unfortunately, thatæs about it really, as the program doesnæt actually
do much else.
9.5
To be fair this isnæt so much the fault of Sherston as the material with
which they were working (the National Curriculum) and the limitations
imposed by the floppy disc medium. I think, however, that slightly more
use could have been made of hyper-links for exploring some features of
the countries. As it is, it comes across as a fairly run-of-the-mill
presentation which could have been knocked up in a few hours with the
likes of Genesis.
9.5
This is potentially such an exciting topic that it deserves more
attention than merely reading out the names of towns, maps and rivers.
9.5
The Oxford Talking Atlas is available from Sherston software and costs
ú20 +VAT for a single user licence (ú22 through Archive) and ú30 for a
site licence version.áuá
9.5
Oracle Agreement Signed
9.5
öAcorn has entered into an agreement with Oracle Corporation for the
development of reference designs for a range of Network Computing
products.
9.5
öThese Network Computers will be based on open internet standards such
as HTML and Sunæs Java, and at a level that is independent of any
specific machine architecture. They will be intelligent devices which
are connected to networks and are low cost as they do not need local
mass storage and have minimal RAM requirements.ò
9.5
OK, so what does it mean? Nick Chalk has written an excellent article
(page 12) based on prior speculation. Oracle (the worldæs second biggest
software producer) want to attack Microsoftæs monopoly and they see the
netsurfer (sorry, ÉMediaSurferæ), as one way to try. Acorn Éhave the
technologyæ that Oracle want, and now that the link with Oracle is
official, Acorn have the money to get the development moving apace. The
up-front payment from Oracle is rumoured to be a seven-figure sum which
will presumably be spent mainly on development.
9.5
The money being thrown at MediaSurfer will generate technological spin-
off at other levels, most directly for ÉMediaSelectoræ (STB) but also at
other levels. If you combine this with the likely future input at
ÉMediaMakeræ level with multi-platform computers (RiscPC 800, StrongARM
and CHRP Ö see page 11), Acornæs future looks set very fair.áuá
9.5
Acorn MediaRange Ö No Limits to Learning
9.5
Acorn is involved, as ever, in discussions on the future of education.
The massive explosion of multimedia information is a fact of life, and
education needs to move very rapidly if it is to enable our young people
not just to cope with this revolution but to exploit it (in the best
possible sense of the word). Acorn are aware that education is no longer
just a school or college activity but, with improved communications,
also a home or community activity Ö hence the phrase ÉNo limits to
learningæ.
9.5
To provide the tools for this, Acorn is developing a new range of
Étechnologiesæ (they are trying to get away from it being about
Écomputersæ) which includes hardware, software, communications and
networking. The Acorn MediaRange is providing a Éframework for
technologyæ with Éappropriateæ technology for the different stages of
learning.
9.5
But are there any actual new products? MediaSurfer is Acornæs netsurfer
offering which will allow pupils to browse the Web. MediaStore and
MediaService are going to offer ÉEducation Onlineæ via cable or
SchoolServer Ö in due course, homework may well involve accessing the
school Élibraryæ from home via cable! All of these, including
MediaSurfer, are due to be available in the third quarter of 1996.
9.5
Conspicuous by its absence at BETT was the threatened Acorn PC-clone. It
would not surprise me if Acorn had decided that they can now afford to
concentrate on leading into the future with MediaRange rather than
following the crowd into PCs. Certainly, at BETT, the contrast was very
marked: Apple, IBM, Elonex, RM, etc were all concentrating on the
latest, fastest computer, offering multimedia facilities and Internet
access and selling educational software Ö a reactive exercise to provide
Éwhat education wantsæ. Acorn, on the other hand, is working with
educationalists to see where this information-rich society is going, how
education needs to respond, and how Acorn can provide appropriate
technologies for the future.
9.5
The only thing missing in the range (see the comment on page 20) is a
decent portable. Mind you, it will be interesting to see what comes from
Psion in the months ahead. If, as is rumoured, their next offering is
going to be ARM-based, this helps Acorn to produce a continuum of
appropriate technology for education, home (and business?) at every
level.
9.5
On a personal note, like Gerald Fitton (see page 15), I have recently
started using a Pocket Book and am realising what an incredibly powerful
little beast it is. Those who use it will know that its size belies its
potential. Once you start to use it, you see more and more applications
for it and become hooked! As I said last month, I think Geraldæs
comments have a prophetic edge and it will be interesting to see where
things go in the future.
9.5
The importance of all this is that Acorn is the only company, certainly
in the UK and probably in the world, that has the range of technologies
to cover the whole spectrum of educational requirements. That is a very
bold statement and, without some interpretation of what Acorn are up to,
it is difficult to justify, but watch this space...áuá
9.5
...continued on page 8
9.5
Products Available
9.06
A7000 backplane Ö The A7000 can either take a CD-ROM or a single
expansion card. However, since most people are going for the CD-ROM,
Acorn have not put a backplane in the computer. So if you want to put an
expansion card in an A7000, you need a single-slot backplane which costs
ú35 through Archive. (cf the two-slot backplane for the ACB60, RiscPC
600, which also costs ú35 through Archive.)
9.06
ART is on the move Ö Applied Risc Technologies have moved into new
premises on the Cambridge Technopark. See Factfile.
9.06
ArtLesson CD-ROM is an art lesson on CD which can, depending on how it
is used, take the user a week, a term or a year to work through. There
are 280 colour pages of ideas, stimulus material and activities in
different types of art media. At the heart of Art Lesson are ten themes,
each consisting of about eight stimulus pages, five or six activities,
and ideas for follow-up and extension. The themes are in a gradual
progression of difficulty, with half of the themes suitable for children
aged 9 years and up. The ten themes include; Driftwood, Lichen, Birds,
Frost, Leaves, Natural Forms, Wood, Brick & Stone, the Sea, and Pictures
from Life. ArtLesson has been written by Christopher Jarman and is
described as being for the non-specialist art teacher at Key Stage 2 and
above. ArtLesson CD-ROM costs ú29.95 +VAT +p&p from Nash Pollock
Publishing.
9.06
Bitfolio 7 CD-ROM is the latest collection of over 10,000 clipart images
from Management Graphics. All of the images have been commissioned by
MGL in the UK and drawn with an international flavour to complement
North American clipart products. 8,000 of the images are entirely new
and most are in full colour; they are royalty-free, so they can be used
in all kinds of printed materials without charge. Because they are
vector graphic drawings, they can be ungrouped and edited to suit usersæ
needs. Bitfolio Edition 7 CD-ROM costs ú80 +VAT +p&p, or ú90 through
Archive. The previous edition, Bitfolio Edition 6 is still available at
the reduced price of ú40 +VAT +p&p, or ú45 through Archive. For more
information, see the review on page 9.
9.06
Burns CD-ROM Ö At this yearæs BETT show, Cambridgeshire Software House
won the Primary Gold Award for their CD-ROM, The World of Robert Burns
(see 9.4 p77 for review). This interactive CD includes all of his poems
and songs; most of his music, and extracts from letters he wrote. There
is information on over 400 places of interest; personal cameos on 400 of
his friends; 850 full colour pictures; full supporting reference
material; a 40,000 word time-line; and ready-made trails to solve and
worksheets to complete. It also gives background information on such
subjects as martyrdom, mining, forestry, fishing, the Bible and much
more. As this year is the bicentenary of Burns, this could be a useful
CD-ROM to have in your collection. The World of Robert Burns costs
ú79.95 +VAT +p&p from CSH, or ú95 through Archive.
9.06
Connect 32 SCSI II Interface Ö These are manufactured by MCS in
Dortmund, Germany (the people who brought you the low price PC card
upgrade Ö see Archive 9.3 p17). The Connect 32 is a SCSI II interface
which MCS claim to be öprobably the fastest real 32-bit card for the
RiscPCò. Jim Nottingham has received reports from users in Germany which
tend to substantiate this claim. In the UK, Connect 32 is available from
Clares for ú199á+áVAT (carriage included) or ú230 inclusive through
Archive. Jim has reports from MCS and others showing compatibility with
numerous SCSI devices, and details are available from Jim at
16áWestfield Close, Pocklington, York, YO4 2EY.
9.06
CoreFS Ö This will be extremely useful to anyone who needs to prepare
floppy discs for bulk duplication. Technically speaking, it is an Éimage
filing systemæ whose partition files are exact floppy disc images,
including disc name and boot options. Inápractice, this means that you
can prepare the contents of a floppy disc on your (much faster) hard
disc, and perhaps store all your master floppy discs on your hard disc
in this way, and then write out any one of them to a real floppy disc in
around 40áseconds! CoreFS supports ADFS formats D, E and F, and also
ArcFS/SparkFS archives and CFS. CoreFS Max provides all the features of
the standard release of CoreFS, but will also allow the creation of
large ADFS partitions suitable for distributing on a CD¡ROM. The benefit
of this is that the filenames within the partition do not have to be
limited to the ISO standard A-Z and underscore characters, nor is it
necessary to place everything in an archive to get around this. The
result is that the user of your CD¡ROM does not have to understand how
to use the various compression programs, and the presentation is
considerably better too. CoreFS Max is supplied with a guide to
mastering CDs and a licence to use it on two CD-ROM titles. CoreFS is
available from Zenta Multimedia for ú45 +VAT or ú50 through Archive.
CoreFS Max is available from Zenta Multimedia for ú95 +VAT or ú106
through Archive.
9.06
Easy Clip from Fabis Computing, does for clipart what Easy Font and Font
Directory do for fonts. It has the capacity to store over half a million
images in most common filetypes, and even compresses them to between 35
and 60%. Features include: large thumbnails of graphics for easy access,
virtual memory manager for thumbnail display; drag and drop between
groups and applications; preview of images in a scalable window. Easy
Clip costs ú35 (no VAT) or ú35 inc VAT through Archive.
9.06
Eesox CDBricks Ö A CDBrick consists of a CDdrive in a single box linked
to a big hard drive. You put the CDs in the drive, one at a time, and
the information is automatically downloaded onto the hard drive. That
information is then available via CDFS as if it had come directly from
the CD, except that it comes through at hard drive speed! The
VAT¡inclusive Archive prices are:
9.06
2Gb (takes about 5-6 CDs)    ú1150
9.06
4Gb (takes about 10-12 CDs)    ú1738
9.06
9Gb (takes about 20-25 CDs)    ú2678
9.06
Eesox CD-ROM towers Ö Eesox has a range of CD-ROM towers to suit all
applications and price points. You can have anything from two to six CD-
ROMs per tower, quad speed or 6.7 speed drives and, for the quad speed
drives, a choice of tray¡loading or the more expensive caddy-loading
type. Sample VAT-inclusive Archive prices are:
9.06
2 ╫ Quad speed (tray)    ú445
9.06
2 ╫ Quad speed (caddy)    ú682
9.06
6 ╫ Quad speed (tray)    ú1150
9.06
6 ╫ Quad speed (caddy)    ú1810
9.06
6 ╫ 6.7 speed (tray)    ú2443
9.06
When bought with a Tower, the CDNetFast utility costs only ú115 instead
of ú148 inclusive through Archive.
9.06
Escape from Exeria 2 is a re-write of the first game, released by Soft
Rock Software. The main points of number 2 are that it has new graphics
and sound effects, and the basic game-play has changed slightly. There
is also a version with enhanced graphics and sound available for the
RiscPC. Escape from Exeria 2 costs ú4.99, or ú7.99 for the RiscPC
version (no VAT, postage included), from Soft Rock Software.
9.06
Expandable SIMMs Ö Simtec have now produced a third size of SIMM memory
cards which are upgradable to twice the size by adding extra chips.
There is an 8Mb to 16Mb SIMM which costs ú255 through Archive and then
another ú255 for the extra chips to upgrade it later. The 16Mb
upgradable to 32Mb is now down to ú490. (cf the current Archive price
for fixed size SIMMs: 8Mb ú220, 16Mb ú420 and 32Mb ú820.)
9.06
Impression Tutorial Guide Ö (This was commissioned by Acorn Australia.)
The Impression Tutorial Guide is designed to be a beginnersæ guide to
using Impression Style and Publisher. As this guide is said to be easier
to follow than the Impression manual, the author, Dr Anthony Wood,
recommends that it be used as an alternative to the Impression manual,
especially for the absolute beginner. There are exercises throughout to
take the user from the very basics right up to some of the more advanced
features of the programs. Impression Tutorial Guides for Publisher and
Style and cost ú9.95 +p&p each, or ú10 through Archive.
9.06
Internet Survival Guide Ö Beebugæs latest offering, The Internet
Survival Guide, is exclusively Acorn-based. It begins by asking what it
is you actually want from the Internet, then explains how you might best
get started. It covers the concepts of email, Usenet, FTP, Telnet and
the Worldwide Web. It also deals with setting up and using all the major
commercial and public domain packages: The Internet Starter Pack,
Freenet, Termite, ANTæs Internet Suite, Voyager and Intertalk, (Acornæs
Internet package). Finally, it provides a list of Service Providers with
prices, local numbers (PoPs), contact details and an ÉAcorn
Friendlinessæ rating. The Internet Survival Guide from Beebug (ISBN
1¡85142-091-6) costs ú6.95 + ú1.70 p&p, or ú8áthrough Archive.
9.06
Informatrix 2 is an A3-sized overlay keyboard with 4096 programmable
keys. It uses a membrane overlay, featuring a range of simple icons to
replace standard QWERTY keystrokes. Because children require no special
computing or typing skills, or even literacy, they can produce graphics,
text and figures on screen, with sounds, just by pressing the
appropriate icons. The high resolution of the keyboard makes it
particularly useful for producing maps, and for finely detailed or
irregularly shaped graphics. The keyboard and stylus can also be used as
a sketch-pad, drawing or tracing shapes in a continuous movement,
instead of having to pick out each cell individually. Informatrix comes
complete with overlay designer software for easy creation of overlays
from any map or picture. Informatrix costs ú179 +VAT +p&p from The
Concept Keyboard Company.
9.06
InterActive Learning Ö From Yorkshire International Thompson Multimedia
come three new titles: Early Victorians CD-ROM is based on Channel 4æs
series ÉHow We Used to Liveæ and is a fully interactive disc providing a
comprehensive database of information on the early Victorian period
(circa 1845), designed for Key Stage 2. Major themes such as trade and
industry, transport, work, domestic life, leisure and education are
brought to life using a combination of video material from the TV
series, along with animations, text, stills and audio. Users can
investigate, in depth, a range of issues, from key historical events
such as the Industrial Revolution, down to biographical details of the
fictional Coggin family, living in the fictional industrial town of
ÉBradleyæ. Early Victorians costs ú69.99 +VAT +p&p, or ú80 through
Archive.
9.06
The Maximania CD-ROM is the second in a series of InterActive CD-ROMs
designed to support the development of reading in children aged 4-7. It
can be used on its own or with the Flying Boot Reading Scheme, published
by Thomas Nelson. The disc comprises a series of six chapters, each
containing sets of educational games which use a different character to
focus on different skill areas, such as matching, sorting, sequencing
and comprehension. The games have several levels through which children
can move, and a completed game can provide teachers and parents with a
profile of the childæs performance in terms of the levels achieved, the
time taken and the number of attempts made. The games and stories are
presented in a way which encourages success and aims to create an active
resource that engages the child and then motivates them to find out more
by reading off-screen. Maximania CD costs ú69.99 +VAT +p&p, or ú80
through Archive.
9.06
Breakaway Maths is a CD-ROM whose aim is to encourage less able 7-12
year-olds to progress in mathematics at Key Stage 2 and 3. Set in Alton
Towers Theme Park, the program captures the imagination of users by
setting a series of true-to-life problem-solving activities and
investigations based on various rides within the park. Extensive use of
full-colour graphics, animations, video and sound, help to hold the
usersæ interest while exploring number, shape & space, algebra and data
handling activities. Having been assessed on entry to the theme park,
each user receives assistance in the shape of four children, who help
them read a map and navigate around the park. This is supplemented by
audio instruction. Most importantly, the complexity of each exercise is
automatically adjusted by the program, in line with each individualæs
performance. Breakaway Maths CD costs ú65 +VAT +p&p, or ú74 through
Archive.
9.06
Kudlian Soft Ö Three new programs from Kudlian Soft: Splosh+ is the
sequel to Splosh, the painting program for young children and those with
special needs. Splosh+ allows access to a far wider range of facilities
which will enable children to exploit the features of the latest
hardware, including the RiscPC. It provides users with, amongst other
things, a wider range of brushes and brush shapes, additional geometric
shapes and fills, multiple undo, imports for JPEG and deep sprites, plus
16, 32, 256 and thousands and millions of colour modes. Splosh will
still be on sale providing a introduction to painting programs.
9.06
ReTreeval is an application that combines a database with a
sophisticated decision tree program. To create and search the database,
all you have to do is answer questions in natural English. The amount of
information stored about each item grows with your needs. ReTreeval
learns with you so that it always asks questions in an easily understood
language. Behind the scenes, it uses a sophisticated object-oriented
database to handle the decisions and questions required to structure the
data. Full reporting facilities are available, allowing data to be
exported as ASCII, CSV or TSV; a tree can be exported as a drawfile, and
data can have a picture associated with it.
9.06
PortFolio is a multimedia application which has been developed to allow
children, or adults, to display a carousel of images, either vector
graphics or bitmaps, including JPEG images. Each picture can have a
sound file or music or a voice recording, associated with it Ö itæs an
ideal tool for displaying childrenæs work using a variety of styles and
media.
9.06
Splosh+ costs ú39 for a single user; ú59 for Primary site pack and ú89
for Secondary site pack. Upgrades from Splosh are available at ú15, ú35
and ú49 respectively. ReTreeval costs ú40 for single user and Primary
site pack; ú60 for Secondary site pack. PortFolio costs ú29 for single
user and Primary site pack; ú45 for Secondary site packs. All prices are
+VAT +p&p.
9.06
Map Converter is a program for converting Ordnance Survey map data into
both Draw and Key Plus Map format. The package takes OS vector types,
such as NTF or Land-Line, and transfers them into Acorn vector format.
Unlike other packages of this type, the converter makes a point of
retaining all the layering within the OS data. Once exported into Key
Plus Map format, it can then be used for plotting data from Key Plus
files. This opens up to schools, and computer users generally, a wide
range of maps, from 1:2500 to 1:625000 scales, of the United Kingdom.
9.06
Key Map Editor is another product which offers an alternative range of
facilities for users to create their own Key Plus Maps for plotting
purposes. It also allows existing Key Plus maps to be edited to suit
particular requirements. One option is to take a vertical aerial
photograph, or an out-of-copyright map, scan in the image and then draw
the map on top before exporting it to map editor. Whether it is creating
a map of the school, your own town or the whole country, this tool will
open all sorts of possibilities.
9.06
OS Map Converter and Key Plus Map Editor are ú30 each +VAT +p&p from
SCA, or ú35 through Archive.
9.06
Nelson CD-ROM from Anglia Multimedia, is designed to help meet Key Stage
3 History. It contains 18 separate sections dealing with aspects of
Nelsonæs life and times. The user begins by landing on the deck of the
HMS Victory and moves through various parts of the ship examining
documents, artifacts and photographs. By clicking on any of the objects,
the user is taken through such things as life on board a battleship, the
history of the Navy, armaments, the lives of sailors, ship-building and
life at sea, etc. A document in Nelsonæs cabin leads on to a 35 minute
documentary on the Battle of Trafalgar. The CD-ROM contains animations,
video, paintings, audio and textual information about each section, and
specially commissioned photographs. The disc has been put together in
association with the National Maritime Museum, who allowed Anglia access
to areas of the Victory not normally open to the public. Nelson and His
Navy CD costs ú50 +VAT +p&p from Anglia Multimedia, or ú58 through
Archive.
9.06
Pentium-class processors are now available from Aleph One at reduced
prices. The top-of-the-range PC card features a Cyrix 5╫86 processor and
delivers Pentium-class performance, as well as software with enhanced
support for Windows 95 and sound emulation. Further software upgrades
are planned for release during 1996 including enhanced disc and video
drivers, support for the Linux operating system, and utilities for PC to
RISCáOS data exchange. The software upgrades are available to users of
all models of Acornæs PC cards and can be purchased for a nominal
charge. Aleph One customers will receive updates free of charge. The PC
5╫86 now costs ú499 +VAT +p&p from Aleph One, or ú586 through Archive.
9.06
Quipalarm Ö The Sonamara Quipalarm Q3 is an effective and robust
equipment alarm with built-in Éintelligentæ motion detectors to sense
when equipment is being disturbed. The alarm allows equipment to be used
on a normal day-to-day basis but issues a continuous ear-splitting alarm
if the equipment is being tampered with or removed. It fits to the
computer either externally by screws and locknuts, or internally by
adhesive tape. The power supply is a 9V battery fitted inside the
alarmæs casing. The Quipalarm costs ú59 +VAT +p&p from Sonamara, or ú67
through Archive.
9.06
Rcomp Ö Two new products from Rcomp... TheáKeyboard ShortCuts Utility,
is a small program, requiring only 32Kb of RAM, designed to help you
automate the RISC OS desktop. Keyboard shortcuts can be used to do
anything that a double-click would normally do, including opening
directories, loading programs, accessing floppy drives, etc. The program
features five utilities for defining, displaying and executing desktop
shortcuts. It also includes a multiboot utility with optional default
selections and time-outs. For owners of older machines, it provides some
of the features only available on the RiscPC.
9.06
Textures is a graphic effects extension for RISC OS containing over 40
professionally designed royalty-free textures for use with all major
graphics packages. They can be used as backgrounds for web pages, or
loaded onto Acornæs pinboard, as well as being used in programs such as
Photodesk, Studio 24, ProArtisan, etc.
9.06
Keyboard Shortcuts Utility costs ú15 fully inclusive from Rcomp, and
Textures costs ú12 for a single user or ú30 for a site licence from
Rcomp (no VAT).
9.06
Shakespeare comes to life with Topologikaæs ÉHow to be Bottom Ö The
Interactive Shakespeare Showæ. Originally commissioned by Londonæs
Barbican Centre and sponsored by Acorn, it aimed to give children a
multimedia look at the life and times of the Bard. Students can now get
involved in their own version of the show. Based on A Midsummer Nightæs
Dream, this multimedia resource comes on seven HD discs, giving students
an opportunity to create their own Shakespearian experience. The
material allows them to design four different stage sets as well as
their own poster. They can also create their own version of Puckæs
Spell, learn about Elizabethan musical instruments, listen to sound
samples and compose their own Elizabethan tunes. The pack also comes
with a complete set of the works of Shakespeare, as text files.
Topologika say that How to be Bottom will suit primary and secondary
students in English Language, Literature, Music and Design. The
Interactive Shakespeare Show needs RISC OS 3, a hard drive, plus 2Mb of
RAM for all parts of the pack, except Music in Shakespeareæs Time, which
needs 4Mb. It costs ú40 +VAT +p&p from Topologika, or ú45 through
Archive. The stage design element needs My World 2, available for ú39
+VAT +p&p from SEMERC. A free site licence is included, as is a voucher
to obtain a full working version of Music Box at a special discount.
9.06
RISCáOS 3.6 PRM Ö The new version of the PRM Volume 5 which now covers
RISCáOS 3.6, as well as RISCáOS 3.5, is available for ú31 inclusive
through Archive.
9.06
Tanzania CD-ROM, from Creative Curriculum Software, explores the life of
a Tanzanian village through the eyes of Elizabeth Mchald and her family,
who live and work in Sanawari. This multimedia resource consists of a
CD-ROM, video and book. They allow pupils of a wide range of ages and
abilities to explore life in a Tanzania village. The video stories have
clearly written and spoken subtitles; the CD-ROM takes the pupil into
more depth and wider issues; the book gives teachers and pupils a wealth
of ideas and information. Tanzania CD-ROM on its own costs ú49; the pack
including CD-ROM, Video and Book is ú69 for a single user; a site
licence costs ú99 Ö all prices +VAT +p&p. Through Archive, the CD-ROM on
its own costs ú55 and the CD-ROM, video and book are ú77.
9.06
The Calabash Pirates is a cross-curricula educational game for 7-11
year-olds. It introduces the user to Natty Nick, Soggy Sam, Lost Luke
and Dagger Jack, a bunch of pirates in search of gold. To find the gold,
the user has to solve mathematical and geographical puzzles requiring
problem-solving, decision-making and planning. The game should appeal to
children of a wide range of ages and abilities, and may be played again
and again Ö passage around and across the island is never as simple as
it seems. Roam through the screens of vivid graphics to find; Riddle of
the Sands; Patch the Sail; Tacking; Cannons and Raft Rescue. As well as
the obvious disciplines, the Calabash Pirates can be used (with the
accompanying study notes) to study the Tudors and Stuarts Ö the golden
age of pirates. The Calabash Pirates costs ú25.99 inc VAT +p&p from
Storm Educational Software, or ú25 through Archive.
9.06
ViVID 5000 is iSVæs latest version of their desktop resolution software.
ViVID 5000 is specially designed to run on Acornæs A5000 using 14 or 15
inch multisync monitors. It offers desktops of up to 2240╫2016 in size,
and includes 256 colour versions of most resolutions including, 1056╫832
and 1472╫ 1070 and can produce 1600╫1200 in 256 colours on some
machines. ViVID 5000 offers greyscale versions of all resolutions,
control of colour and contrast, as well as almost 100 screen modes.
ViVID costs ú16.50 including carriage (no VAT) or ú17 inc VAT through
Archive. Existing owners of ViVID20 can upgrade by returning their
master disc with a cheque for ú5 to iSV.
9.06
Review software received...
9.06
We have received review copies of the following:        ÅArt Lesson CD-
ROM(a), ÅCalabash Pirates(e), ÅESPáMidi Synthesiser(um),  ÅFreddy Teddy
Directions(e), ÅOS Map Converter & Key Plus Map Editor (e), ÅViVID
5000(u), ÅSpeaking Starspell(ew).
Product Highlights...
9.06
Gabriel Swords
9.06
I have blatantly given Gabriel the job of selling products by bringing
them to your attention! These are not new products, but they are ones
which he feels are worth bringing to your attention again. Ed.
9.06
Two clipart products have come to my notice this month. They are very
different in their style of drawings and in their appeal.
9.06
Food for Thought, from Sherston, is a collection of drawfiles on food
and related utensils. It comes on three discs with activity cards to
help pupils use the designs. Also included in the pack is a helpful
tutorial disc to enable you to make the most of the images. Drawfiles
come in full colour, grey images and outlines only, and include; fruit
and vegetables; meat, fish and poultry; cooking utensils; and scenes in
the kitchen, dining room and outside. Food for Thought is ú17.95 +VAT
+p&p from Sherston, or ú20 through Archive.
9.06
Split an Image, also from Sherston, is a collection of 100 cartoon
drawfiles of some of the best known people from politics, royalty,
sport, pop music, TV & film. Sherston say itæs aimed at 7-16 year olds,
but from what weæve seen of them, they could be used in a variety of
ways.
9.06
As well as the categories already mentioned, the collection is further
divided into bodies, hats, bubbles and shoulders. The idea being that
different Éheadsæ can be fitted onto different bodies, and can be given
different headgear. Although the cartoons were produced in 1992 and are,
as my son pointed out, too old to include the likes of Tony Blair and
the latest version of Michael Jackson, they have, nevertheless, worn
well. The beauty of caricatures is that they contain the most obvious
and easily distorted characteristics of their subjects. These are things
which donæt change that much over the years, which means that all of the
characters are easily recognisable Ö certainly my trained team of
quality controllers (two quite cynical children) had no problem deciding
who was who. They also had no problem using them to create some quite
amusing images.
9.06
As well as the three discs of images, thereæs a user guide and tutorial
disc which describes how images can be ungrouped and manipulated, and
how to assemble characters to various shoulders and bodies. There are
also four activity cards which give a step-by-step guide to using the
collection.
9.06
Split an Image costs ú17.95 +VAT +p&p, or ú20 through Archive.
9.06
9.06
a=Art, e=Education, m=Multimedia, u=Utility, w=wordprocessing/DTP.
9.06
If you would like to review any of these products, please contact the
Archive office. Potential reviewers will need to show that they would
use the product in a professional capacity or that they have some
knowledge of the particular field.áuá
9.06
3-Lib    22 Grays Crescent, Woodley, Berkshire, RG5 3EN. <http://
ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/slitchfield>
9.06
Abacus Training    29 Okus Grove, Upper Stratton, Swindon, Wilts, SN2
6QA. (01793¡723347) [01793¡723347]
9.06
Acorn Computers Ltd    Acorn House,
Vision Park, Histon, Cambridge, CB4 4AE. (01223¡254254) [01223¡254262]
9.06
Acorn¡by¡Post    13 Dennington Road, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 2BR.
(01933¡279300)
9.06
    Peter Goater
9.06
Aleph One Ltd    The Old Courthouse, Bottisham, Cambridge, CB5 9BA.
(01223¡811679) [01223¡812713] <[e-mail]>
9.06
Alsystems (p11)    47 Winchester Road, Four Marks, Alton, Hampshire, GU34
5HG. (01420¡561111) <[e-mail]>
9.06
Alternative Publishing    Suite 1,
Pentagon House, 38 Washington Street, Glasgow, G3 8AZ. (0141¡248¡2322)
[0141¡248¡3638] <[e-mail]>
9.06
Anglia Multimedia    Anglia House, Norwich, NR1 3JG. (01603¡615151)
[01603¡631032]
9.06
ANT Ltd    P.O.Box 300, Cambridge, CB1 2EG. (01223¡567808) [01223¡567801]
<[e-mail]>
9.06
APDL    39 Knighton Park Road, Sydenham, London, SE26 5RN.
9.06
Applied Risc Technologies    Cambridge
Technopark, 645 Newmarket Road, Cambridge, CB5 8PB. (01223¡577800)
[01223¡577900] <sales@applied¡risc¡tech.co.uk>
9.06
Apricote Studios    2 Purls Bridge Farm, Manea, Cambridgeshire, PE15 0ND.
(01354¡680432)
9.06
Atomic Software    1 Fells Grove, Worsley, Manchester, M28 7JN
9.06
Beebug Ltd    117 Hatfield Road, St Albans, Herts, AL1 4JS.
(01727¡840303) [01727¡860263]
9.06
Brilliant Computing    P.O.Box 142,
Bradford, BD9 5NF. (01274¡497617) [01274¡497617]
<[e-mail]>
9.06
Clares Micro Supplies    98
Middlewich Road, Rudheath, Northwich, Cheshire, CW9 7DA. (01606¡48511)
[01606¡48512] <[e-mail]>
9.06
Colton Software    2 Signet Court, Swanns Road, Cambridge, CB5 8LA.
(01223¡311881) [01223¡312010] <[e-mail]>
9.06
Computer Concepts    Gaddesden Place, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 6EX.
(01442¡63933) [01442¡231632]
9.06
Creative Curriculum Software    5 Clover
Hill Road, Savile Park, Halifax, HX1 2YG. (01422¡340524) [01422¡346388]
<[e-mail]>
9.06
Data Store    6 Chatterton Road, Bromley, Kent. (0181¡460¡8991)
[0181¡313¡0400]
9.06
Datafile    71 Anson Road, Locking, Weston¡super¡Mare, Avon, BS24 7DQ.
(01934¡823005) <[e-mail]>
9.06
EesoxSuite 8C, Newton House, 147 St Neots Road, Hardwick, Cambridge,
CB3 7QJ. (01954¡212263) [01954¡212263]
9.06
Fabis Computing    Sarford House, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 9SL.
(01283¡552761)
9.06
IMS    Desktop Laminations, P.O.Box 332, Bristol, BS99 7XL.
(0117¡979¡9979)
9.06
Interactive Learning Productions Ltd      Third
Floor, North Street Court, North Street East, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1
8HD.
9.06
iSV Products (p15)    86,
Turnberry, Home Farm, Bracknell, Berks, RG12 8ZH. (01344¡55769)
9.06
Jonathan Duddington    6a Old Mill
Avenue, Coventry, CV4 7DY. (01203¡415535)
9.06
Keysoft (Gordon Key)    Ferndorf,
Tarporley Road, Norcott Brook, Warrington, Cheshire, WA4á4DY.
(0973¡674757)
9.06
Kudlian Soft    8 Barrow Road, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8á1EH.
(01926¡851147)
9.06
Longman Logotron    124 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4
4ZS. (01223¡425558) [01223¡425349]
9.06
Minerva Systems    Minerva House, Baring Crescent, Exeter, EX1 1TL.
(01392¡437756) [01392¡421762]
9.06
Nash Pollock Publishing    32 Warwick
Street, Oxford, OX4 1SX (01865 247885) [01865 247885]
9.06
Pineapple Software    Suite13,
South Park Business Centre, 310 Green Lane, Ilford, Essex IG1 1XT.
(0181¡599¡1476) [0181¡598¡2343] <[e-mail]>
9.06
Rcomp    22 Robert Moffat, High Legh, Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 6PS
(01925¡755043) [01925¡757377] <[e-mail]>
9.06
Repair Zone    421 Sprowston Road, Norwich, NR3 4EH. (01603¡400477)
9.06
SCA (Anglia Television)    PO Box 18,
Benfleet, Essex, SS7 1AZ.
9.06
Sherston Software    Angel House, Sherston, Malmesbury, Wilts. SN16 0LH.
(01666¡840433) [01666¡840048] Sibelius Software    75 Burleigh
Street, Cambridge, CB1 1DJ. (01223¡302765) [01223¡351947]
9.06
Simtec Electronics    Avondale
Drive, Tarleton, Preston, PR4 6AX. (01772¡812863) [01772¡816426]
9.06
Soft Rock Software    124 Marissal
Road, Henbury, Bristol, BS10 7NP. (0117¡949¡1634)
9.06
Sonamara    Torquay Road, Shaldon, Devon, TQ14 0AZ. (01626¡873866)
[01626¡297866]
9.06
Storm Educational Software    Coachmanæs
Quarters, Digby Road, Sherbourne, Dorset, DT9 3NN. (01935¡817699)
<[e-mail]>
9.06
Topologika    Islington Wharf, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 8AT.
(01326¡377771) [01326¡377771] <[e-mail]>
9.06
UK Software    38 Midlands Estate, West End, Southampton, SO3 3AD.
(01703¡474681)
9.06
Uniqueway    42 Crwys Road, Cardiff, CF2 4NN.  (01222¡644611)
[01222¡644622] <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]>
9.06
WECC    Manor Hall, Sandy Lane, Leamington Spa, CV32 6RD. (01926¡413741)
[01926¡413748]
9.06
Yellowstone Educational Solutions      Welbeck
House, Welbeck Road, Luton, Beds. LU2 0HD. (01582¡584828) [01582¡562255]
9.06
Zenta Multimedia    10 Ravenhurst Drive, Birmingham, B43 7RS.
(0121¡358¡3054) [0121¡358¡5969]
9.06
Archive Monthly Disc
9.06
u FasterAct and WinSave Ö two utilities written by Ian Clark Ö see Help
Column, page 39.
9.06
u Pocket Book Column: various PD programs Ö see page 29.
9.06
u Report writing program for teachers from Robert Lytton Ö see Comment
Column, page 15.
9.06
u Scientific software from Chris Johnson Ö see Help Column, page 38.
9.06
u Starting Basic programs from Ray Favre Ö see page 63.
9.06
u Studio24Pro Ö sample paintings from Malcolm Banthorpe Ö see his review
on page 43.
9.06
u TaskWindow program from Robert Lytton Ö see article on page 33.
9.06
u Version 1.7 of Keith Sloanæs WMF->draw Ö see Charlie Woodbridgeæs
article on page 21.
9.06
Government Health Warning Ö Reading this could seriously affect your
spiritual health
9.06
öI just canæt believe in the kind of Éloving, personal Godæ you talk
about! I watched my mother die of cancer, and no loving God would allow
such suffering.ò I have received many comments like this and my heart
goes out to those who do suffer in such ways. If you are experiencing
such suffering in yourself or in a loved one, I wouldnæt want to do
anything other than stand alongside you in that suffering but although I
can understand perfectly why you react in that way, I have to say that
that is what it is, a reaction.
9.06
The first thing I would question is whether it is right to say that you
canæt (i.e. you wonæt) believe the truth of the Christian claims just
because there is one aspect of it that is very difficult to come to
terms with. (And I certainly would not try to pretend that I have an
Éansweræ to the problem of suffering.) If I can use a scientific
analogy, Iácannot understand how an electron can act as a particle one
minute and act as a wave the next Ö but it does, apparently! I just
cannot see how it can be possible, and yet I accept the quantum theory
of matter because the rest of the evidence forces me to accept it. I
cannot find a better logical explanation of the observable facts.
9.06
In the same way, as a Christian, I cannot say that I Éunderstandæ
suffering, and yet I cannot find any better explanation of the
observable facts of life. What is important, it seems to me, is that you
donæt say, öBecause I cannot cope with the idea of suffering and a God
of love, I will not consider the rest of the evidence.ò So, please at
least consider the Christian claims rather than turning away at the
first hurdle.
9.06
Anyway, what is the alternative? A different kind of god? Is there any
kind of god who could face the accusation of allowing innocent
suffering? The correspondent quoted above turned to Buddhism which
avoids the problem because it is virtually atheistic so that there is
no-one to Éblameæ for suffering.
9.06
The only logical alternative, it seems to me, is complete atheism. But
what are the implications of that? When you are in pain and you scream
out, öWhy?ò you just have to say to yourself, öDonæt be silly! That
question has no meaning. Thereæs nothing I can do about it and thereæs
no-one to blame, so I just have to grin and bear it.ò Alone in an empty
and savage universe!
9.06
What does a loving father do when his child is suffering? He holds the
child in his loving arms and receives the out-pouring of the childæs
anger and frustration. Does he then say, öItæs not my fault, son. Donæt
blame me!ò No, he says, öYes, I know it hurts, but I love you and I
wonæt leave you.ò
9.06
You may call me weak if you like, but when I am in pain, I turn to the
One who knows me, who loves me and who doesnæt mind if I shout out, öWhy
me, Lord?ò He is my loving, heavenly Father.
9.06
P.B.
9.06
Paul Beverley
9.06
Acorn leads the way, yet again...
9.06
It has to be said that Acorn does have a habit of leading into the
future. Think back to Acornæs hardware achievements... the BBC Micro,
the first ever RISC-based home computer, the first workable set-top box,
the fastest low-power processor in the world (StrongARM), and the first
sub $500 netsurfer computer.
9.06
But itæs not just the hardware. Acorn has lead in terms of forcing
education to face up to change. Think of the massive impact of the BBC
Micro and the Computer Literacy Project. Think of the effect of RISCáOS
as a user-friendly desktop that showed the way to others (e.g.
Windows95!). Think of the pioneer work in using multimedia in schools.
9.06
No limits to learning
9.06
OK, I know that Acorn has to sell things to survive, but put together
the set-top box, the Cambridge Trials, the Netsurfer, RISCáOS, RiscPC,
A7000 and the Pocket Book, and think of the educational significance of
it all. Education MUST stop and think of the significance of it all Ö it
is our future and our childrenæs future. They need to be educated, NOT
to be taught how to run Excel or Word for Windows!
9.06
Interesting times!
9.06
Norwich Computer Services    96a Vauxhall Street, Norwich, NR2 2SD.
(01603-766592) [01603-764011]
9.06
<[e-mail]>  OR  <[e-mail]>  OR
<[e-mail]>
9.06
http://www.cybervillage.co.uk/acorn/archive/
9.06
Fact-File
9.06
Key: (phone)áá[fax]áá<net>
9.06
PC Card Hold Up
9.06
Because of the popularity of Acornæs PC card special offer, a backlog
has developed. This is made worse by the fact that the majority of
people are keeping their old cards until their new ones are available.
We therefore need to pay Vector the full price for the cards, and only
get the refund when you send us your old PC card back! So, to speed the
whole thing up, we would like to bank cheques a few days before we
supply the new card to you. Our normal policy is only to bank cheques
and debit card accounts when we have the goods ready to send out but, in
this case, we hope you will accept this change of policy.áuá
9.06
Speak!
9.06
George Barnett
9.06
In Archive 8.9 p39, Simon Weaver wrote a comprehensive review of Speech
II. In my view, Speak is better than Speech II in all respects and, best
of all, itæs much cheaper at ú19.50 plus only ú10 for a site licence.
9.06
Jonathan Duddington has produced a splendid text reader and simple text
editor application. Text may be spoken continuously, or a word, a clause
or a single letter by clicking on the appropriate buttons. Load !Speak
and drag any text file onto the !Speak icon which appears on the
iconbar. The text is then loaded into the Speak screen in Homerton font
(this can be changed if required); click on the Play button and the
facilities mentioned above become available. Many shortcut keyclicks may
be programmed. Only about 150Kb is needed to run Speak and it will
therefore run on any Acorn RISC computer.
9.06
The Speak system is a big improvement over previous speech systems on
Acorn computers, using British speak rather than Dalek speak. The
PhonEdit module, a pronunciation exception editor, enables you to make a
distinction between words which are spelt the same but pronounced
differently. The system is already being used within various pieces of
educational software such as Talking Textease, TalkWrite and Writing
with Symbols. Should you wish to use it instead of Speech in Pendown or
Phases, there is a Speak module available and Screen installation
instructions.
9.06
There is a print facility and font selection which make it a very
useful, cheap and simple word processor. Put David Pillingæs Microspell
(ú10 Archive) on the iconbar and few pupils would require anything more
in the way of talking wordprocessors. Some of my pupils have found that
using it as a proof-reader has been a great help (and, to my special
needs pupils, a Godsend.)
9.06
A comprehensive fifteen page Readme file is supplied (which can be
printed out). I understand from the author that should there be
sufficient uptake by any Educational Authority, a very low price site
licence will be available.
9.06
Buy it from Jon Duddington, 6a Old Mill Avenue, Coventry, CV4 7DY,
(01203-415535), price ú19.50 inclusive.áuá
9.06
Bitfolio Edition 7 CD-ROM
9.06
Gabriel Swords
9.06
As already mentioned in the Products Available section, the Bitfolio 7
CD-ROM is a collection of over 10,000 clipart images. These are not
American imports, but home-grown ones. The collection is made up,
throughout, of vector graphics Ö so they can be ungrouped, re-coloured,
altered, combined with other images, and generally manipulated to suit
your needs.
9.06
There are about 44 categories, with some of these divided into sub-
categories. Subjects range from anatomy, animals and architecture to
shapes, sports, and transportation. Among some of the more unusual
groups, there are sections on sign language, interior design, defence
and healthcare. Thereæs also a section on world flags with each flag
shown flying and flat Ö I canæt vouch for this, but there must be every
flag you could ever want to use.
9.06
Each category has its own named directory and, inside each image, has an
alphanumeric code number. At first sight, you might think this is a
rather obscure way to store a collection of clipart, but not so. One of
the things that really annoys me about most clipart collections, is the
way that you have to look through endless files to find the image you
really want, even when they are named. It can be frustrating and time-
consuming, and you have to be in front of the computer to view them.
With Bitfolio 7, this is not a problem. Included in the price is a full
colour, 266 page book showing each image as a numbered thumb nail. All
you have to do is decide which picture you want, then open the relevant
directory on the CD, and go to the number shown in the catalogue. It
means you can browse the images away from the computer, and even take
the book away to show others whatæs in the collection.
9.06
Quality
9.06
Iæm sure most of us have come across clipart collections which look as
if theyæve been scrawled by a four year-old on tartrazine (no offence
meant to four year-olds!). I think we should expect a lot from
commercially available clipart Ö the images should be relevant, easily
accessible and well drawn. These are!
9.06
On the point of relevancy, all of the images in this collection are
modern designs and cover such a wide area that they will be usable in a
variety of contexts. Secondly, having the collection on CD means hard
drives donæt have to be cluttered with clipart which you may or may not
want. Of course, if you donæt have a CD youære going to be a bit stuck;
so my advice would be to get one soon Ö itæs worth having just for the
Bitfolio collection. Lastly, as to the quality of the drawings
themselves, I canæt really fault them. They have been drawn by
professional artists who display a high level of creativity Ö I would be
happy to use almost any of them in the material I produce
professionally.
9.06
If you only ever buy one clipart collection, this is probably the one to
buy Ö until, of course, something better comes along! Bitfolio 7 costs
ú80 +VAT +p&p (ú95.17) but see the previous page for an Archive special
offer.áuá
9.06
Special Offer...
9.06
Bitfolio 7 CD-ROM
9.06
Full price: ú95
9.06
Special offer price: ú75
9.06
This is a limited offer. We can buy 100 CDs at a special price, but when
they are gone, the offer is finished Ö unless we buy 200(!) Ö first
come, first served!
9.06
Alsystems
9.06
From 9.5 page 14
9.06
Comment Column
9.06
Bible stories for computer programmers Ö Part one: ÉIn the beginning...æ
9.06
REM >God$Slot.Creation
9.06
book$=öGenesisò
9.06
chapter%=1
9.06
CASEáday%áOF
9.06
áWHENá1:áLETáheaven%=TRUE
9.06
  LETáearth%=TRUE
9.06
ááPROC_light
9.06
ááLETáday%=FN_IsItLight(TRUE)
9.06
ááLETánight%á=áNOTáday%
9.06
áWHENá2:áLETáfirmament$=öHeavenò
9.06
áWHENá3:
9.06
ááREPEAT
9.06
ááPROC_gather_waters
9.06
ááUNTILádry_land%=TRUE
9.06
ááMOVEáland_x%,land_y%
9.06
ááPROC_plot_sprite(öplantò)
9.06
ááAPPENDáöfruitò
9.06
ááINSTALLáögrassò
9.06
áá
9.06
áWHENá4:
9.06
ááMOVEásky_x%,sky_y%
9.06
ááCIRCLEá200,200
9.06
ááPRINTáöTheáSunò
9.06
ááFORástar%=1áTOá10000000
9.06
ááPOINT(RND(1024),áRND(1240))
9.06
ááNEXTástar%
9.06
ááSYSáöSprite_Opò,,moon%áTOánight%
9.06
ááTIME$=ö1stáJaná0000ò
9.06
ááPROC_Vivaldi
9.06
ááREMáFouráSeasons!
9.06
áWHENá5:
9.06
ááREPEAT
9.06
áááPROC_living_creature
9.06
ááUNTILáwater$=öabundantòáANDáair$=
9.06
öabundantò
9.06
áWHENá6:
9.06
ááFILLáland%,beasts%
9.06
ááONáERRORáPROC_make_mankind
9.06
ááPROCreateá:áREMáReadáitáoutáloud!
9.06
áWHENá7:
9.06
ááWAITátwenty_four_hours%
9.06
ENDCASE
9.06
GOTO chapter_two%
9.06
REM He made the rules, so He can break them too!
9.06
END
9.06
Nigel Caplan, Leeds.
9.06
Confessions of an email addict Ö All this emailing is getting to me Ö
Iáspend ages emailing people because it is such good fun! Also, there is
a real danger of it creating a two-tier communications system because it
so easily takes precedence over letters. Since Iágot the ANT Suite
going, it is so easy to do emails that Iáhardly ever leave an email
unanswered overnight.
9.06
The speed and ease of sending emails, means that they tend to be shorter
than letters Ö you send an email when you think of something to say Ö so
because emails tend to be shorter than letters, they are quicker and
easier to answer. What is more, if you are taking the trouble to write a
letter, you tend to make it worthwhile, donæt you? A very frequent line
in the letters Iáreceive is öWhile Iæm writing, Iæd just like to
say...ò. That is quite understandable, but the longer the letter, the
more likely it is that it gets left öuntil Iácan find time to answer
itò. Sorry about this Ö itæs not deliberate, but Iæm only human!
9.06
Respond in haste, repent at leisure! Ö One danger of this, as
Iámentioned last month, was of sending an email in the heat of the
moment and regretting it later. That happened to a good friend of mine
just recently. He wrote a very stroppy email to someone in response to a
decision he disagreed with. Having written it, and got it out of his
(emotional) system, he deleted it (he thought) from his computer system.
Wrong! He had hit the wrong icon on the Voyager toolbar and the email
was sent anyway. It was extremely embarrassing, so take that as a
warning and donæt get caught out. If Iáam doing anything like that,
Iáprepare the message in Impression and save it as a separate document,
and then IáSave Text (with linefeeds and no styles) into Marcel, the ANT
Suiteæs mailer.
9.06
Declining standards (of English) Ö One thing Iáregret with emails is
that, because they are so informal, people tend to get very sloppy with
their use of English; grammar, syntax and punctuation. Iáthink that is a
shame. Iáalso donæt much care for the abbreviations that infect the
emails and newsgroups. They are not worth the time and/or transmission
time they save, IMHO. :-)
9.06
Declining standards Ö Whilst Iáam in ÉMoaning Minnieæ mode, Iáwill share
quite an unpleasant experience. As you well know, Iáwrite provocative
Godslot-type comments in the ifc (Ooops, sorry! inside front cover) of
the magazine. öWouldnæt it be goodò, Iáthought, öto find some other
Christians who frequent the Internet. Iácould email the Godslots to them
in draft form and see what they think.ò
9.06
So, how do you go about getting in touch with someone on the Internet
who has similar interests to you? You frequent the newsgroups Ö
Ébirdwatchingæ, ÉChicago-Bearsæ, ÉMetallicaæ, Éurban-transportæ Ö you
name it, itæs there Ö and the range is growing daily. Well, Iásearched
through the list of newsgroups and came up with Éalt.christnetæ and
Éalt.religion. christianæ. öThey should be a good place to startò,
Iá(naively) thought.
9.06
Iásubscribed and immediately (a serious newbie error!) posted my request
for help. A couple of hours later, Iálogged on again to see what Iámight
find. Iáfelt as if Iáhad descended into some sort of international
cesspit. What Iáfound myself reading was a barrage of abuse against the
church, against Christians, against God and against Jesus, using foul
language and sexual innuendo. Well, no, they generally didnæt bother
with innuendo but were sexually explicit, most often about Jesus and his
mother, Mary.
9.06
Iádo feel sorry for people who think it is clever to descend to these
sorts of depths but it also annoys me that they can get away with such
behaviour. Iávery much doubt whether they would get away with similar
abuse against Islam, Muslims and Allah!
9.06
(Iáhave just checked out Éalt.religion.islamæ and, surprise, surprise,
it seems to be just fairly level-headed discussion of Islam Ö no abuse
it sight.)
9.06
Best sig-art? Ö Iágot in trouble for encouraging email art because öit
chews up peopleæs phone billsò, Iáwas told, if there are too many large
art files flying around. Iádecided, therefore, that Iáwould reduce the
size of my own .sig. Originally, being a keen öNon-Designeræs Design
Bookò user, Iáhad my address etc ranged right and, to do that, Iáhad
padded it out with space characters. Iáthen changed it so that it was
ranged left again, albeit with a three-space indent. This reduced the
size by 125 bytes. So, what does that save? Well, on average, Iásend
about 24 emails a day, so thatæs 3Kb Iáhave saved. Great! That will save
me, err, about one second of transmission time which, at local daytime
rates, is 2p. Still, thatæs 10p a week, ú5 a year. Hmm, Iáthink Iæll go
back to my right-ranged .sig after all!
9.06
Anyway, here is a nice little piece of sig-art and that only occupies
126 bytes including the name and the separator Ö well done, John!
9.06
ÿ
9.06
John Dawson               @@
9.06
                          \/
9.06
[e-mail]   /(  )\
9.06
=========================m==m===
9.06
.sig separator Ö In case there are any other newbies out there, the
<hyphen><hyphen><space> above Johnæs name is deliberate Ö a special
convention. Donæt take the (invisible) space out like Iádid (the ever-
tidy editor!) because it is part of the convention and it wonæt work
without it. What is it for? Well, it is a special separator, so that
email software can detect where the real message ends and the .sig
begins. If you so choose, the software can then chop off the .sig and
not display it.
9.06
Message preparation Ö Having got used to using Impression with its
automatic spell-checking and its abbreviations, Iáwas finding it hard,
having to use a plain text editor, so Iádecided to use Impression and
save as text-with-linefeeds. That is OK to an extent, but Impression
puts in smart quotes which email doesnæt like.
9.06
My solution, therefore, is Impression Junior. This was distributed free
on an Acorn User disc, so there should not be any copyright problems.
Iáhave it set up so that it does not use smart quotes and so that, by
default, when Iáhit <ctrl-shift-T>, styles are off and linefeeds are on.
Also, the default document includes öCheers, Paul.ò plus my .sig. The
default document also uses a monospaced font (Corpus) at such a size
that the line length is just 70 characters. That way, when people quote
back my comments, the line length wonæt be too long.
9.06
Since Publisher is Filer_Run in my boot sequence, any files Iádouble-
click will load into Publisher rather than Junior. The only thing
Iácanæt do is <ctrl-C> to copy from a Publisher document and <ctrl-V>
back into Junior Ö bother! Still, when Iáam quoting from a Publisher
file, it probably has Énastiesæ in it, so what Iádo is save it without
styles or linefeeds into my ramdisc and load it into Edit. Then, using a
single Keystroke combination, Iástrip through it, turning smart quotes
into normal quotes, dashes into hyphens and pound signs into #æs. Then
Iádrop it into Junior.
9.06
(When Iástarted doing this, Iáwas using Publisher Plus 5.06 and so Iáwas
having to remember to use smart quotes (<shift-ctrl-\>, etc) in Plus and
unsmart quotes in Junior. What a relief to find that, in Plus 5.08 (and
Publisher 4.08), you type unsmart quotes anyway, and Publisher
automatically turns them into smarts Ö bliss!)
9.06
(On the negative side, Iáhave had a lot more crashes since IáÉupgradedæ
to 5.08. Has anyone else found that, or is it just coincidence?!)
9.06
Site and email quoting Ö If you are telling someone about a web site and
giving them the URL, or if you are suggesting they email someone, it
would be good to get into the habit of saying, öWhy not contact
mailto:[e-mail]?ò or öYou should see our wonderful new web site
at http://www.cybervillage .co.uk/acorn/archive/ò. The reason for being
sure to include the Émailto:æ and Éhttp:æ is that Éall good Internet
softwareæ (e.g. the ANT Suite), displays those URLs on screen in blue
so, if you do want to mail the person or visit the site, you just click
on the URL and away you go Ö easy or what?!
9.06
(Actually, Iáemailed this last piece of advice to a PC-user and his
response was that it would be nice to have software as integrated as the
ANT Suite. Does anyone know how Acorn Internet software compares with PC
equivalents Ö in both price and facilities?)
9.06
Ed.
9.06
Email misuse? Ö Iáwould be interested to hear what other readers think
about this...
9.06
Iáemailed [e-mail] to chase an order that was a month
overdue and received what seemed to be an automated response assuring me
of their good commercial practices. It advised me that if Iáwished to
trace the progress of an order, Iáshould email [e-mail].
Iáassumed that they were trying to centralise their customer service and
did as requested but received exactly the same automated message!
9.06
Iáfeel that this is an appalling misuse of email. It wasted my time,
delayed chasing the order by phone for a further two days and, for those
who pay directly for email services, it is a waste of money. Iáfeel that
the use of such automated services is the antithesis of spirit of the
system and that organizations should be strongly discouraged from such
practices. We would be much better off without any apparent email access
to this company.
9.06
Don Lewis <[e-mail]>
9.06
Iáagree entirely, Don, but Iáfind that Iáhave also tried to avoid
ringing the same company since they installed their automated answering
system. It is SO unfriendly, trying to remember which number to press,
and wondering whether to wait until the bitter end of the interminable
message in case it tells you something helpful. It canæt save much money
and, in my view, it creates SUCH a bad impression for customers. Neither
of these, to me, are signs of progress. What do others think? Ed.
9.06
PC card speed Ö People seem to want some form of comparative benchmark
timings for the various PC Cards now available. Whilst Iáwould not wish
to imply that the following details are definitive, they should at least
give an idea of how the various cards compare to one another when
running Windows.
9.06
These ratings were created using the Windows User benchmark program.
They were run on a 34Mb RiscPC with 16Mb allocated to the PC card. Both
PC partitions (drive C: 200Mb, drive D: 400MB) exist on SCSIádrives
attached to the computer via an Acorn MkIIIáSCSIácard. Windows 95 is
being booted. The figures are averages of five runs through the program.
9.06
Benchmark    Acorn    Aleph1    Acorn
Aleph1
9.06
    SX/33    DX2/80    DX4/100    5x86/100
9.06
Processor    4.6    15.5    21.5    36.5
9.06
Memory    4.1    8.2    9.3    12.2
9.06
Graphics    4.3    6.2    6.4    6.5
9.06
Disc    5.9    12.4    13.0    18.3
9.06
Windows Perf.    1.7    3.6    4.0
5.9
9.06
OVERALL    3.8    8.1    9.2    12.5
9.06
If one recalibrates these figures as percentage improvements over the
lower rated cards, we get:
9.06
From/To    DX2/80    DX4/100    5x86/100
9.06
SX/33    +113%    +142%    +229%
9.06
DX2/80    -    +14%    +54%
9.06
DX4/100    -    -    +36%
9.06
David Coronel, The Data Store, Bromley.
9.06
Personal Accounts from Apricote Ö Iáasked last month whether anyone
wanted to share their experiences of Personal Accounts, positive or
negative. Iáhavenæt had much response so far but all Iáhave had has been
very much in terms of strong support for an excellent product.
9.06
Ed.
9.06
Report Ö Thanks for publishing the review. It was good timing as
teachers will now be contemplating the prospect of report-writing
looming upon them... and Iáhope !Report will assist them.
9.06
Iáfelt the review was fair and Iáhave made alterations accordingly.
Iáregret Iáhave had little feedback or comments from users and would be
pleased to receive further requests or criticism.
9.06
However, Iáfeel that the power of Reportæs code system was not fully
conveyed in the review. In brief, when !Report comes across #She#, this
will be changed, depending upon the gender set, to She or He (the same
with #she#, #Her#, #her# etc). The code #Name# will also be changed to
the setting given in the name box.
9.06
Iáhave included a full version of Report (now Careware) for the Archive
monthly disc. If anyone would like a copy, please send an E-formatted
disc and p&p (or ú1) to me. If readers wish to pass a copy on to their
schoolæs IT service, Iáwould be delighted. (No, Iádonæt make a profit!)
9.06
Robert Lytton, 7 Helmsley Drive, West Park, Leeds LS16 5HY.
9.06
Internet Column
9.06
Dave Pantling
9.06
I chose an interesting time to become the Internet Columnist! It appears
that Acorn will be focusing much of their future development resources
onto Éreference designæ machines for Internet access. The ÉNetSurferæ,
for want of an official title, is being designed to provide a low-cost,
stand-alone system with internal modem, OS in ROM, and software for
Internet access.
9.06
Acorn has been contracted to design a range of such Éboxesæ for Oracle Ö
the Worldæs second biggest software developer. Why should Oracle be
interested in ARM-based machines? Well, particularly for the home
market, ARM machines have several distinct advantages.
9.06
First of all, RISCáOS is easy to use, especially for the newcomer to
computer technology, and therefore itæs easy to sell Ö assuming you can
get customers in front of the machine in the first place!
9.06
Secondly, the machine must sell into the U.S. market for $500 or less,
so it must be very cheap to manufacture. If the Internet access software
is in ROM, there is no need for such a machine to have either a floppy
drive or a hard drive. That removes two mechanical components for a
start (the bits that tend to go wrong first) and their interfaces! This
cuts manufacturing costs and warranty repair rates, both of which are
major contributors to the cost of a consumer item.
9.06
Thirdly, the unit must have a low component count. If you compare the
sparse terrain of a RiscPC motherboard with that of a PC motherboard,
you will see quite a difference Ö another plus point for Acornæs RISC
technology.
9.06
Point four is that an ARM-based machine wouldnæt require a fan. For a
domestic appliance which is going to be used in a living room, this is
an important consideration.
9.06
If this project proves successful, there could be hundreds of thousands
of RISCáOS machines (Oracle are talking of selling a million in the US)
selling through electrical retailers, and Acorn will become a household
word again as in the days of the BBC Micro. (Not sure about that, Dave.
They may be ÉAcorn insideæ, but I doubt that will be shown outside! Ed.)
Anyway, if <[e-mail]> keeps me informed, Iæll
keep you informed...
9.06
One thing you may be wondering is, if the ÉNetSurferæ doesnæt have any
permanent storage, how are people going to keep track of their mail and
news? Well, I can only assume that the network provider will have to
allow you to store things on the local server Ö but Iæm not sure I like
the idea of someone else Élooking afteræ all my files!
9.06
Sleaze and slime
9.06
Letæs face facts, if you give people the opportunity to say what they
like without any fear of personal confrontation, some people will take
advantage. The cloak of anonymity offered by email is an opportunity for
the Ébottom feedersæ of the Internet. If you expect to find the top 1%
on the Internet, you must also expect to find the bottom 1%.
9.06
Concerned parents wishing to control their childrenæs access to this
material have a dilemma. To prevent access, they need to know the
offending addresses and use the Éfilteræ option in their networking
software. This would be easy except for one thing Ö these pages arenæt
always clearly labelled.
9.06
The counter balance to this point is that some activities on the
Internet just wouldnæt be practicable without that level and ease of
communication. A case in point is ÉJoolieæs Jointæ, a web site devoted
to people with MS. People can join a mailing list to receive news and
information about the latest research, and respond to others on the
list. The time between asking a question and getting a response may only
be a couple of hours. By mail, the facility would be slow, cumbersome,
difficult to organise and very expensive. Participants could be (and
are) located anywhere in the world. Joolieæs Joint can be found at:
http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/square/ae218/
9.06
Cybervillage
9.06
One of the best independent Acorn sites Iæve come across is
Cybervillage, run by Malibran and Quantumsoft. It is home to a number of
commercial and special interest sites, and the usual links to all the
Acorn companies are supplemented with rarer sites run by hobbyists.
9.06
Digital Databank, the popular BBS, has a site here, with lots of
software to download and a variety of special interest areas. There is a
comprehensive list of dealers and developers, by geographical area,
allowing you to find the company nearest you. ÉHeard on the Netæ is my
favourite section. The cybervillagers scour the Internet looking for
information, rumours and hard facts, and then bring you the latest
highlights.
9.06
Archiveæs new Web Site!
9.06
We now have a web site of our own! To start with, it will just contain
brief excerpts from Archive, but in the future, we hope it will grow to
be a thriving site. Presently, you can read the latest Acorn news, find
out what special offers or discounts are currently available, read what
products are available, place small ads or just admire the pretty
graphics.
9.06
There are several sites offering just one of these facilities, but it
would be nice to get it all under the one roof. The site is very much in
its formative stages, so I am looking for comments and criticisms.
9.06
Now youæve read all that, Iæll tell you where the site is! The URL is:
9.06
http://www.cybervillage.co.uk/acorn/archive/
9.06
Iæm sorry that, once again, I havenæt been able to review ANTæs Internet
Suite. It arrived shortly before the last issue went to press, which is
too short a time for me to become familiar with it. Iæll do it next
month Ö I promise!
9.06
(The only thing Dave did say in an email today was that he was
transferring to using ANT Suite for mail and news because it is öfar
superior to Voyagerò. Ed.)
9.06
You can email me, [e-mail]. Alternatively, you can write to
me care of the Editor.áuá
9.06
No Limits to Learning
9.06
Geoff Lambrechts
9.06
Confounding everyone who expected the same old Acorn but with PCs as
well, Acorn Education went into the black at the BETT Show. They
announced their MediaRange and have since followed it up with a
conference called MediaFuture æ96.
9.06
Current practice?
9.06
In order to interpret the evolution of learning technologies proposed by
Acorn, it is important to start by establishing the current situation in
schools. There is lots of good practice already in schools in this
country.
9.06
My school is fortunate in being well resourced: we have 150 Pocket Books
(70 with staff), networked CD-ROMs, plenty of processing power
available, including multimedia RiscPCs and other PCs. This gives us a
4:1 pupil-computer ratio when you include the Pocket Books. There is
also internal email available on the network, access to foreign and
home-grown teletext, and three Internet access points of differing types
and uses. This means that we already have huge amounts of information
available to students from machines at school and at home. Some schools
have more, some schools have less and some can only dream of this level
of investment. For us, this is the present, and we are now being told
that the new technologies are going to give us more access to more and
more multimedia data, and more children will own their own palm top
computers that they can carry with them all the time!
9.06
Signs of change?
9.06
In 10 years spent teaching IT to children, I have never (I hope) been
driven simply by the latest Whiz Bang Technology. I do not intend to
allow Acornæs (or anyone elseæs) marketing to determine what I buy Ö
that would be the tail wagging the dog. However, by talking about the
MediaRange, Acorn have highlighted for me that education, and learning
through IT, are changing.
9.06
We are all concerned about the management of change, and any help from
industrial companies, such as Acorn, is very welcome. The only proviso,
however, is that our aim should be to improve the quality of the
studentsæ learning experience.
9.06
Acorn describe the MediaRange as being Éaáframework for technologyæ
rather than a list of products. Some of the ideas have been around for a
while but this initiative has moved things further.
9.06
The MediaRange suggests four categories of learning styles for the
latest media and gives a name to the type of products that fall into
each one.
9.06
1) Explore: öWatch and note with a MediaSurfer.ò
9.06
The learner is mostly passive and simply receives information. This may
be watching the television or reading a Worldwide Web page. If this is
all that is needed, Acorn argue that you do not need an expensive three-
piece desktop computer Ö just some form of box with a remote control and
a TV will be quite adequate.
9.06
They had an Online Media set-top box on the BETT stand as an example of
what this kind of hardware could be. Even though the Oracle deal was
announced on the first day of the show, nobody from Acorn was committing
themselves to a price or even talking much about the alleged Netsurfer.
9.06
Will there be something soon that talks to the Internet for a few
hundred pounds? It was suggested that MediaSurfers may also be connected
to the local school network. A configuration of cheap surfers in every
classroom could be a very effective way of delivering information,
especially if large amounts of data were readily available on a local
hard disc.
9.06
2) Interact: öChoose and do with a MediaSelector.ò
9.06
Here the student can decide where to go and what to do. If the software
enables the user to adapt the service to who they are and what they
want, then this will be a big plus, but if all we get is a series of
disconnected bits of data, children will probably just become more
confused. There are plenty of so-called interactive multimedia CD-ROMs
around, though not all of them are very interactive.
9.06
Perhaps we will be seeing personalised interactive television and
software piped into every school and living room. If we do, there has to
be a great deal of thought and effort to make it really useful, and we
must help the learner make sense of this exciting new information age.
9.06
Do we really need so many PCs anymore or can we help kids achieve with a
black box at the end of a piece of cable connected to the whole world?
9.06
3) Participate: öContribute and create with a MediaProcessor.ò
9.06
Children will learn more effectively if they are involved in what they
are doing Ö ÉI do, I understandæ. To do this with IT, they will have to
be able to create interactive documents and their own multimedia
presentations. They will want something like a computer with a keyboard
and a mouse. An A7000 painted black was used as an example of this at
BETT.
9.06
4) Originate: öDevise and develop with a MediaMaker.ò
9.06
Much of what children do with IT is reassembling bits of text and
clipart, and is not really creative. Plagiarism is nothing new Ö it is
so easy to use technology to copy rather than originate that we need to
find strategies to encourage originality. Children should be given the
chance to learn to develop new skills working with video, audio,
graphics and presentation. The RiscPC with video capture and editing
facilities is just the kind of tool that will allow children to create.
9.06
The missing link?
9.06
The MediaPad (i.e. the Pocket Book Ö on which I am writing this article
and which I will use, with a modem, to send it to Paul!), is the name
given to the portable computers that can link, i.e. fetch and carry
data. The concept of one per child (OPC) is becoming cheaper all the
time and should give everyone much wider IT opportunities. I have even
seen a Pocket Book attached to a Media Selector (set-top box), being
used as both an input and an output device, and I can certainly testify
to the value of providing our pupils and staff with Pocket Books. You
can apparently even have multimedia talking stories running on them.
(Yes, I can confirm that, Geoff. I saw Sherstonæs Talking Stories
running on a Pocket Book at BETT. Ed.)
9.06
Acorn already have products in most of the slots and are saying that the
MediaSurfers and MediaSelectors, with some sort of Education Online
service, will be available by Éthe third quarteræ of this year. If that
means the start of the school year in September, we should all start now
to think how we spend our money. Instead of thinking about which
computer to buy, we will have to decide what percentage should be spent
on Pocket Books and set-top boxes as well!
9.06
MediaFuture æ96 Conference
9.06
The appalling weather and the bad road conditions meant that several
people couldnæt make it, but over 70 people gave up their Saturday to
take part in a conference in Northampton on 27th January.
9.06
The delegates were a mixture of software publishers, writers, teachers
and lecturers. There were even some school children there. You may feel
that it is a bit odd to actually ask the young people who will be using
the new technologies what they think about it but, in fact, they spoke
as well as, if not better than, many of the so-called experts! They were
very clear that they wanted real choice rather than a restricted set of
options.
9.06
The day started with three presentations: Alastair Wells of Netherhall
School explained how, for his school, IT learning is moving into the
home and is on the move with the Pocket Book. Alastair is also involved
with the Cambridge interactive TV trial, and so has a good idea of where
the new technologies might be taking us.
9.06
Geoff Vincent, of Online Media, called for the right tools for the job
and identified a need for open standards, if this is all going to work
effectively.
9.06
Tony Wheeler, from TAG Developments, outlined how children can now
access lots of new forms of media, and how we must encourage and enable
them to be creative.
9.06
In the afternoon, we split into seminar groups to discuss a range of
questions. The conclusions reached should be available from Acorn
Educationæs web pages by now. It was clear from the conference that
something exciting is happening and that Acorn seem much more relaxed
and open and willing to share their ideas. As the conference chairman,
Martyn Wilson, IT Adviser for Hampshire, put it, ÉUK IT education is re-
defining itself and developing a new central role in the IT revolutionæ.
9.06
Summary
9.06
Things are changing rapidly and radically, and there is a need for
teachers to be more involved in this process of change. Those who have
to deliver, need to feel a sense of ownership. Teachers as a whole must
learn to ÉPlay to Winæ instead of ÉPlaying Not to Loseæ all of the time.
We must try to step outside our day-to-day challenges, and start to
think laterally.
9.06
Acorn have certainly initiated a debate and thrown down a challenge to
those of us concerned with learning, and they are not just going on
about Acorn product developments to the exclusion of everything else.
Acorn Education appears to be putting education and learning before
trying to sell us the latest bit of inappropriate business technology,
as everyone else is. I donæt think that MediaRange gives all the
answers, but it is definitely worth thinking about Ö and it may arrive
sooner than we think.
9.06
If you have any ideas, comments, etc, write to Geoff at: 6 Osprey Walk,
Buckingham, MU18á7JA or <[e-mail]>áuá
9.06
Club News
9.06
Sibelius Evening Ö This isnæt a computer club meeting, but is organised
by the Norwich & Norfolk Area Royal Society of Church Music. On 27th
February, 7.30 to 9.30 p.m., at Norwich School, Cathedral Close,
Norwich, there is a meeting entitled ÉNew Possibilities: Using the
computer for producing musical scores in a local church context.æ
Details from Miles Quick, 20 Bishopgate, Norwich, NR1 4AA. (01603-
662570)
9.06
(A company called Norwich Computer Services will also be represented
there! Ed.)
9.06
Suffolk Acorn Risc Club Ö The club meets every month, usually on the
second Thursday of the month, in Ipswich Central library (use the side
entrance in Old Foundry Road). Special events include: 14th March æ96 Ö
A Musical Evening with Sibelius Software Ö Sibelius Software will be
demonstrating their highly acclaimed music package and showing how to
enter music directly onto a score from a Midi keyboard.
9.06
11th April æ96 Ö Design Your Own Newsletter Ö Hints and tips on using
Draw, Paint and Impression.
9.06
9th May æ96 Ö AGM and a Special Surprise Attraction Ö The clubæs Annual
General Meeting, featuring a special bribe for attending.áuá
9.06
Advanced RISC Machines Column
9.06
Alex Singleton
9.06
Boy, this is hot! Iæm talking about one of these old-fashioned Pentiums
which, for some reason, come with a heat sink and fan. While Intel has
to be credited with the invention of the microprocessor, Iáfind it hard
to understand why the company is still developing processors which are
based on 1970sæ technology. As a result, many people envisage a major
swing in the industry away from Intel in the next few years ù it is
expected that the next version of Windows will be compiled to run on a
variety of processors like Windows NT does already.
9.06
Strong RiscPC before RiscPC 800
9.06
I think itæs highly likely that a StrongARM-based RiscPC will be
released before a RiscPC 800. This is because the first StrongARMs will
be available from ARMæs manufacturing partners on 5th February (i.e.
before you read this). However, it will be the summer before ART can get
its hands on an ARM810.
9.06
ARM deal with Oki
9.06
January 24th saw the announcement that Oki was licensing the ARM7TDMI
processor core. According to ARM, Oki will be using the cores to create
and sell controllers for car electronics and computer peripherals
(including disc drives, CD-ROM drives and printers). Furthermore, the
company plans to use the processor as the basis of future communications
products such as mobile phones.
9.06
According to ARMæs CEO and MD, Robin Saxby, öOki brings new expertise to
the ARM partnership and opens up new markets to the ARM architecture.ò
9.06
The ARM7TDMI is an Éeasy to integrateæ 32-bit RISC processor core with
Thumb and Embedded ICE architecture. What, you may ask, are they? Thumb
is an extension to ARM processors which, to put it simply, compresses
program instructions and makes the processor work faster when placed in
a machine with an 8 or 16-bit bus (when compared to an ordinary ARM).
EmbeddedICE enables the likes of Oki to test operating software on, say,
prototype mobile phones without wasting the phoneæs small memory with
test software. Instead, the mobileæs ARM processor is attached to a
desktop computer which performs the tests.
9.06
ARM C compilers
9.06
Tony Houghton is, apparently, waiting around rather a lot. As the writer
of the C++ Column, he finds himself using Acornæs C++ compiler rather
frequently. Because this compiler converts the C++ source code into C
and then compiles it, the process is relatively slow.
9.06
ARM has, for some time, marketed a C development environment for PC, Sun
and DEC Alpha computers. This emulates an ARM processor and enables
software to be tested before the intended hardware has been completed
(the EmbeddedICE method is different as it involves the finished
product). As I write, ARM is developing a C++ compiler for the
environment and ART will be licensing this in order to produce a RISC OS
compiler. According to Peter Bondar, ART hopes to finish it by the
middle of the year ù expect to see it at Acorn World.
9.06
Processor speed increase
9.06
My A3000 used to be the fastest personal computer in the world. As you
can see from the graph, calling an ARM 2 machine Éfastæ nowadays is
quite ridiculous. ARM estimates that the StrongARM range of processors
will start at at least 160MIPS but we should expect far higher speeds.
9.06
Contacting me
9.06
Feel free to drop me a line with any processor queries, or requests for
future coverage. Iæll try to do my best to please. My address is 31
Great Woodcote Park, Purley, Surrey CR8 3QU. Next month, the column will
be significantly longer, as I will be taking a technical look at the
first StrongARM processor.áuá
9.06
Vector Clipart File Conversion
9.06
Charlie Woodbridge
9.06
If, like me, you have a lot of clipart and yet never seem to have
enough, you may also have perused the computer magazine shelves in W H
Smithæs and feel a little aggrieved that other platforms seem to
regularly give away thousands of pieces of vector and bitmap clipart.
9.06
Recently, for example, one magazine gave away the Corel Christmas
Collection of 100 PhotoCD high quality pictures. I bought the magazine
for the CD¡ROM alone and picked up the photos for ú2.50. It was very
easy to convert them using the ever improving and useful ChangeFSI. Most
bitmap images given away will convert quite happily using ChangeFSI and
some real bargains can be found.
9.06
For a few pounds one can purchase ImageFS which does the conversions
quickly and Éin the backgroundæ, i.e. you double click on the image and
it loads into Paint or another sprite editor.
9.06
I much prefer vector graphics because you can manipulate them more
easily, and they can be enlarged and reduced with no loss in quality Ö
they also tend to be more compact. Vector graphics, however, have proven
a little more tricky to convert. On Archive Utilities Disc N║2, there
are programs called WMF->Draw, CGM->Draw and AiEps->Drw, as well as
programs to convert the other way too, all written by Keith Sloan. These
allowed you to convert .WMF and .CGM files quite easily and quickly.
(These programs are also on the Archive CD costing ú12. If you have the
CD already, youæve just saved yourself ú2 on buying the Utilities Disc!
Ed.)
9.06
All I had to do was:
9.06
1.    Copy .WMF files from a CD-ROM to my hard disk,
9.06
2.    Filetype them to &412 (.WMF) or &405 (.CGM),
9.06
3.    Double click on the file or drag it to the WMF->Draw icon on the
iconbar,
9.06
4.    Drag the drawfile icon from the save dialogue box to a new
directory or into an application,
9.06
5.    Look happily at my converted graphic Ö in true vector format.
9.06
I was very happy with this new-found source of quality graphics. For
example, I bought a magazine which was giving away 3003 quality .WMF
images on its Éfreeæ CD-ROM. I paid ú1.99, glanced at the magazine and
started converting the graphics. They are, of course, a little
Americanised; some I will never use but many will be useful and the
children at school enjoy using them too! Even if I only ever use 10%,
Iáwill still have paid only ú1.99 for 300 useful images.
9.06
I did get a little fed up though with copying files to my hard disk and
filetyping them and churning through the converting process, so I
started to look for ways to speed up the process. One method
Iádiscovered was that Keith Sloanæs programs cater for batch processing
Ö drag a set of files onto the programæs icon on the iconbar, tell it
where to save the converted drawfiles, and sit back while the computer
churns away Ö great! However, the program kept halting and reporting a
strange error Ö Éunknown function 105æ Ö and I had to either press
<return> or click OK. This did not, in any way, effect the quality of
the conversion Ö it was just a nuisance. Anyway, a heavy object on the
<enter> key solved the problem, and many files were processed quickly
without the need for my presence!
9.06
One slight irritation was that the drawfiles were named in upper case
and had part or all of the /WMF extension. A very useful PD utility
called Renamer (written by Simon Baas) came to the rescue and converted
the names to lower case and removed the extension Ö all very effectively
and efficiently. (!CASE2case, from Robert Lytton, on last monthæs
Archive disc, can be used for bulk name changing, e.g. the font names on
the Artworks CD can be changed to lower case in one fell drag. Ed.)
9.06
Then I saw another useful PD utility called CD_Type. This program will
enable the computer to know automatically the filetype of files on a PC
CD¡ROM. This means that I no longer have to copy the files to hard disk
and filetype them! Bliss. My boot file automatically runs CD_Type and
so, whenever I put in a PC CD-ROM, most of the files have appropriate
icons and can be viewed much more clearly on the Acorn directory system.
9.06
So now all I do to convert a graphic is:
9.06
1.    Open the CD-ROM directory window,
9.06
2.    Ensure that the appropriate conversion program has been run
(usually WMF->Draw),
9.06
3.    Double click on the file to convert,
9.06
4.    A save box appears (generated by WMF¡>Draw),
9.06
5.    Drag the drawfile from the save box to a directory or (more
impressively) drag the file directly into Draw or another application,
9.06
6.    Sit back and look longingly at the newly converted graphic.
9.06
All very easy, quick and I havenæt yet had a graphic fail to convert!
9.06
There are just two annoyances in this process. One is that most files
generate the Éunknown function 105æ error, and the second is that
dragging a file into a graphic frame in Style does not work correctly Ö
you just end up with a tiny graphic in the bottom left¡hand corner of
the frame. If the same converted file is loaded into Draw, grouped and
resaved, it works perfectly. I guess that this is a RISCáOS 2 to RISCáOS
3 problem, and have written to the author hoping that he will be able to
solve these two Éfeaturesæ, or that he perhaps has already done so.
Converted .CGM files already work perfectly.
9.06
I recently saw MetaConv (⌐Keysoft) advertised in Archive and bought a
copy hoping that it might deal better with RISCáOS 3 drawfiles. It takes
a different approach to converting the files. A file needs to be dragged
onto the program icon on the iconbar or into an already open MetaConv
window. The file is converted and then you can drag-save it. However,
Iáhave found that quite often the choice of colours is not as good as
WMF->Draw. For example, a bear was converted and came out pink with
MetaConv but came out brown (correctly coloured) using WMF¡>Draw. Also,
if the files are dragged directly into a Style graphic frame, they only
fill the bottom quarter of the frame Ö better than the files converted
using WMF->Draw, but still not right!
9.06
Of the two, I still prefer to use WMF->Draw. There may be times when
MetaConv will convert files which WMF->Draw cannot cope with, but I
havenæt found any yet!
9.06
I have used these programs on a 9Mb RiscPC 600 with internal IDE CD-ROM
drive and on an A4000 with an external Cumana CD-ROM drive.
9.06
As for the magazines purchased to get the CD¡ROMs, well they come in
handy for collage work at school!
9.06
I hope this article will help many of the Archive readers to make use of
this resource bank of cheap but high quality graphics.áuá
9.06
Mips
9.06
MetaConvertor
9.06
Rob Ives
9.06
A quick glance through the PC magazines on the shelf in W H Smiths will
soon reveal an enormous amount of Windows clipart. Much of it is in the
Windows Meta File format (.WMF) Ö the windows equivalent of drawfiles.
There are huge PD libraries of clips, ranging from superb quality
illustrations to some which make you think öWhy did they bother?ò They
cover every possible subject from animals to outer space.
9.06
MetaConvertor
9.06
MetaConvertor is a simple utility program which effortlessly converts
these files into drawfiles. The program comes on a single 800Kb disc
with a slip of paper containing the instructions. Double clicking on the
!MetaConv icon prompts you to enter your name, which is then permanently
recorded on the disc. The file can then be dragged to your hard disc or
used direct from the floppy.
9.06
Once loaded, it is simply a matter of dragging a suitable .WMF file onto
the programæs icon and, after a short while, it is converted and
displayed in the programæs window.
9.06
Program controls
9.06
As well as converting, the program provides a number of simple controls.
9.06
Flip Y is used to turn pictures over. (Shouldnæt it be Flip X?) Other
controls are used to control bitmaps which are included within the
metafile, in the same way that sprites can be included in drawfiles.
9.06
Once converted, the image can be saved using a standard RISCáOS save
box.
9.06
MetaConvertor in use
9.06
I tried MetaConvertor on a variety of files both from PD libraries and
from cover discs of PC magazines. The file typically converted in around
ten seconds (on an A3020) and could then be saved out as a drawfile. The
results could then be loaded into Draw and edited further. I had some
problems when I loaded the files into Vector and Impression; the
bounding boxes appeared to be in the wrong place or the wrong size.
Loading the files into Draw and saving them again seemed to sort it out.
9.06
One interesting side effect. The bike file as a Windows Meta File was
only 23672 bytes but the drawfile was 65736 bytes. Almost three times as
large! The fact that the drawfile !Squashes down to 23617 bytes (36% of
the original size) but the .WMF only squashes down to 21940 bytes (93%)
implies that .WMF files are already compressed. Perhaps clip art should
be stored as WMF files!
9.06
Some of the files that I came across contained only bitmap files, and
although these displayed perfectly well and loaded into Draw, I couldnæt
find a way to load the files into Paint. Draw and Vector both displayed
the sprites with no complaints but refused to export the bitmaps as
sprites.
9.06
Conclusions
9.06
MetaConvertor does its job admirably well. It is simple to use and
effective. At ú15.99, it offers good value for anybody with a supply of
Windows Meta Files. Perhaps future versions could convert other vector
file formats such as .EPS or .CGM, and a facility to convert drawfiles
to PC format vector files would be useful. MetaConvertor is only
available directly from KeySoft in Warrington.áuá
9.06
Small Ads
9.06
(Small ads for Acorn 32¡bit computers and related products are free for
subscribers but we reserve the right to publish all, part or none of the
material you send, as we think fit. Sending small ads (especially long
ones!) on disc is helpful but not essential. Ed.)
9.06
A3000, 2Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.11, 205Mb SCSI HD, colour monitor ú325,
external SCSI CD¡ROM drive ú135, Citizen 120D+ printer ú75 or ú495 for
everything, Fireball II and SWIV ú3 each, E¡Type 2 and Chocks Away ú7.50
each. Phone Jason on 0113¡230¡4906 weekends in Flat 2.12, or
<[e-mail]>.
9.06
A3000, 4Mb RISC OS 3.1, Midi I/O card, Acorn monitor and stand, ú200.
Collect or pay delivery. Phone Stevenage 01438¡365564 eves or
<[e-mail]>.
9.06
A3000, 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, ARM3, 240Mb HD, Eizo 9060S 14ö colour
monitor, Lindis SCSI card, PRES monitor plinth, external CD¡ROM drive,
Midi interface + sound sampler, VIDC enhancer, double podule expansion,
lots of software including PC Emulator ú750 o.n.o. Phone 01454¡772159.
9.06
A310, 2Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, ARM3, 20Mb SCSI HD, Phillips CM8833 monitor,
R/O 2 PRMs, buyer collects ú250 o.n.o. Phone 01260¡274780.
9.06
A310, 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, two floppy drives, Watford external disc
drive interface, AKF11 monitor ú175 o.n.o. Phone 01494¡672221.
9.06
A410/1, 4Mb, RISC OS 3.1, ARM3, 170Mb IDE HD, VIDC enhancer, 5╝ö floppy
interface, Acorn monitor, boxed with manuals ú400. Phone 0181¡536¡1238.
9.06
A420/1, 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, ARM3, 120Mb IDE HD, AKF12 colour monitor,
lots of software inc. Learning Curve, PC Emulator v1.8 ú460 o.n.o. Phone
01803¡527701.
9.06
A5000, 33MHz ARM3, 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, 160Mb IDE HD, 105Mb internal
IDE SyQuest, AKF18 multisync monitor ú750.  Phone 01981¡550450.
9.06
A5000, 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, 40Mb HD, AKF18 monitor, Learning Curve and
other software, manuals etc. ú500. Phone Les Lewis on 01795¡873¡200.
9.06
A5000, 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, 405Mb HD, Multisync monitor, Impression
Publisher, Genesis Pro, Poster, PC Emulator, many fonts ú750. Phone
Chris on 01424¡719569 or 01271¡850355.
9.06
AKF50 14ö HiRes multiscan, ex. cond. Possibly deliver in 0161(ish) area.
ú250 o.n.o. Call Gary on 0161¡280¡1437 eves or w/e.
9.06
AKF12 RGB monitor, reasonable offers. Phone 01392¡56028.
9.06
Aleph One 386PC Podule with 4M RAM + floating point co¡processor. Fits
A400 series, A5000, etc. !PC v1.15s + Windows accelerator + MS¡DOS 6.
ú200. Phone Keith on 0141¡630¡1938.
9.06
Draw Bender ú5, Back issue magazine cover discs, 1991 onwards of
Archimedes World, Acorn User and Acorn Computing ú1 each, Back issue
Risc User discs, 1995 onwards ú2 each, Almanac 3, boxed as new, offers?
Write to Jon Aylwin, 4 St Margarets Close, Hemydock, Devon, EX15 3XJ or
<[e-mail]>.
9.06
Eagle M2 multimedia card including AudioWorks, as new ú250, Dune 2 CD
ú25, Keystroke v3 ú12, ProArt 2 ú50, Compo v1.02 with Virtualise ú80,
Acorn 210Mb IDE HD ú80, Revelation ImagePro 24 ú25, ABC Compiler ú30.
All originals. Phone Pete on 01663¡733027.
9.06
PC Emulator, v1.8 ú15, Cumana SCSI interface card ú45, GammaPlot v2 ú15,
System Delta+ v2 ú25, Genesis v2 ú20, Investigating Local Industry ú20,
Cheat It Again Archie ú3, Chocks Away ú3, Sporting Triangles ú5, The Art
Machine 1 and 2 ú20, Word Up Word Down ú3, MS¡DOS Quick Reference ú5.
Phone 01737¡832159 eves.
9.06
PinPoint 2 ú30, Revelation imagePro24 ú30, Hutchinson Electronic
Encyclopedia Edition 2 ú15, Event (diary) ú5, Populous ú10, Times
Sampler CD¡ROM (DOS only) ú15, RISC OS 3 Style Guide ú5. Offers
considered. Phone David on 01752¡840027 after 5.
9.06
ProImage / AlterImage ú20, Genesis Project ú20, Compression ú15,
Keystroke ú10, Impressive ú5, BubbleHelp ú5, Printer sharer box ú10, two
slot backplane ú10, MS¡DOS 6.2 / Windows 3.11 ú15 + ú5 for manual, A5000
mouse ú5. Phone 01827¡330118 eves or w/e.
9.06
Psion games disc one (7 games) for Pocket Book, Pocket Book II & Psion
Series 3 or 3a ú20. Phone Mark after 6 on 01905¡754277.
9.06
RiscPC, including PC card. Phone 0631¡14984 or email
<[e-mail]> (Germany).
9.06
RiscPC 600, 33MHz, 4Mb DRAM, 2Mb VRAM, 425Mb HD, quad speed CD¡ROM
drive, 16¡bit sound card, AKF85 17ö monitor, PC486 card, 4 months old Ö
broke student needs money! Cost over ú2100, accept ú1700 o.n.o. Phone
Malcolm on 0161¡224¡1177 (room 2/13).
9.06
ScanLight 256 with interface card and support software ú80. Phone Geoff
on 01925¡491962.
9.06
Software, Fireworkz v1.07 ú59, ArcTerm 7 ú45, Compression ú16, Rhapsody
v1.04 ú19, Break 147/SuperPool ú15, Pacmania ú4, Bug Hunter in Space ú5,
Haunted House ú10, Trivial Pursuit ú4, Genesis Plus ú14, RISC OS 2 PRMs
ú33. Phone Rob on 01242¡231540 evenings.
9.06
Tech documentation for PB and 3/3a. Threeávery large A4 manuals (1440
pages) covering all elements of the machine: chip set, object oriented
core, file core, interface core, shared library, etc. ú40. Phone Mark
after 6 on 01905¡754277.
9.06
VTi MIDI/Sampler, and Sonor editor, connects to Econet socket, boxed as
new ú60. 4Mb SIMM for RiscPC ú75. Phone 0181¡864¡4805.
9.06
Wanted Ö A310 computers without monitors. About 10¡20 are needed. Fax
Guido Masoero in Torino, Italy on +39¡11¡280009.
9.06
Wanted Ö PAL encoder to work with A410/1. Phone Mark after 6 on
01905¡754277.áuá
9.06
Upgrading a RiscPC
9.06
Colin Buckland
9.06
When I first bought the RiscPC, I thought that all my troubles were at
an end. I could carry on with the excellent hardware and software I had
been using for years, and bring stuff home from school which runs (if
that is the word) only on a PC. The price of the PC card clinched the
matter Ö it didnæt sound like much extra for a reasonably specified PC.
9.06
Or so I thought. And to some extent, itæs true.
9.06
The need
9.06
The problem is that weæve all been spoiled for too long. Iæm accustomed
to running Sibelius 6 and Impression together, with Draw when required,
in 4Mb of RAM, and (on my old machine) from an 80Mb hard disc. It hadnæt
occurred to me that putting in a PC doesnæt stop at the processor.
9.06
Very soon, my RiscPC, which had seemed so capacious when running only
RISC OS applications, began to feel cramped. In fact, for a minimum
performance under Windows, you need 4Mb of RAM for the PC alone, and PC
users would shake their heads in wonder at the naivety of anyone who
tried to work from 80Mb, which was all I could dedicate to a hard disc
partition. Realistically, the PC needs 8Mb of RAM, and will be squeezed
with less than 100Mb of disc space, even for basics.
9.06
After taking the memory up to a total of 14Mb, I did manage to get the
PC Internet suite working under Windows. That was a first priority. Yes,
I know it can be done Énativeæ, but RISC OS Internet software is
byzantine in its complexity, and all the versions Iácome across seem
only to want to dial Demon (which hasnæt been heard of in Luxembourg),
so Iátook the easy way... thereæs still some work waiting to be done
here.
9.06
(I havenæt used any Internet software other than the ANT Internet Suite,
but I would not have said that it was complex Ö I find it very
straightforward to use. It is certainly aware of lots of providers other
than Demon. Iæve just checked with ANT, and they say it provides dialup
access to over 150 service providers in 40 different countries,
including INnet and CompuServe who have access in Luxembourg. They also
say that if a customer would like them to support a particular provider,
they will write a support script for them. They did so for me, for
Paston. Ed.)
9.06
On top of this, I really wanted a CD-ROM drive, and 16-bit sound to go
with it, and something just had to be done about that hard disc. With no
second slice, one drive bay free, two slots, and the possibility of
adding a MIDI interface to go with Sibelius, there seemed to be only one
alternative.
9.06
The solution
9.06
So the order went to NCS for a minnie card (for 16¡bit sound), a mixer
card (so that the PC and a CD-ROM drive could both use the sound
upgrade), and a PowerTec SCSI2 card from Alsystems with a Panasonic
writeable PD drive, to give CD access and 650Mb of storage. Itæs not
cheap, but some other readers may be contemplating this solution to the
Éspace and slotsæ problem, so how hard is it all to put together, and
does it fulfil its promise?
9.06
Assembly
9.06
The sound comes first because everything else goes in on top. The design
is not ideal, and the two rather postage-stamp-sized, fragile-looking
boards should really have been combined (I guess they have been in the
new RiscPC; thatæs what you get for being a trailblazer.) Anyway, one
card has to stand on top of the other like a sort of Christmas tree
under the podule slots; but the instructions are clear enough, and my
only real worry is whether or not it will foul a podule in the lower
slot because of its height Ö a candidate for judicious use of plastic
tape along the top. So far so good. The next bit is the amazing part.
9.06
Commissioning
9.06
You plug in the card (either slot in the lower slice). You screw in the
drive. You pretty well plug all the plugs into the only sockets theyæll
fit. You remember something about termination of a SCSI system, and set
that to Éonæ, on the back of the drive. Then you hold your breath (know
that feeling?) and switch on, looking forward to the really hair-raising
part where you have to configure it all and tell RISCáOS that itæs
there.
9.06
But you find that the card and the operating system are ahead of you.
There, without your intervention, is a CD-ROM icon on your iconbar. Put
in the Brandenburg Concertos, click, and away you go. Plug and Play is
actually advertised on some platforms Ö Iádidnæt expect such an easy
ride.
9.06
The only remaining task is to put in the 650 Mb cartridge (the drive
knows itæs not a CDdisc because of the holes in the caddy, I think),
insert the floppies provided, and work through, telling the machine what
you want. In my case, this was a 300Mb RISCáOS partition and the rest
for the PC.
9.06
This operation was totally painless except for the bit where I tried to
tell it that the second partition was DOS, and it replied with a
discouraging message Ö although it is, in fact, no problem. Both
partitions must be created for RISCáOS, and the !PCConfig application is
then used to create the PC drive as a dummy file occupying the whole of
the second partition. My only worry was that creating the second
partition might stomp all over the first, which was in service (and full
already), but Alsystemsæ telephone manners are as good as their software
is well designed, and their instructions clear, so my mind was rapidly
put at rest.
9.06
The software had already asked me whether I would like it to reconfigure
the machine for me, and when Iálooked again, I had two new hard drive
icons, one for each partition, to go with the disc icon already present.
I was in business. Curiously enough, however, you have to do *configure
CDroms 1 by hand, and you only find that out from the depths of the book
when something refuses to work. Most functions donæt seem to care.
9.06
Snags?
9.06
None really, except slight uncertainties, like the one groundless
anxiety I have already mentioned. Another concerned the Eesox utilities
provided by NCS with the drive. This contains some very useful
applications and a CD-ROM driver Ö now hereæs a problem. Iáthought I had
a driver already (on the card), and if Iáinstall another, will they
fight? Empirical investigation (software errors can nearly always be
remedied by taking out the offending files) showed that they didnæt, and
the Eesox driver made it possible to use the rather nice CD volume
control application provided on the disc. I have put a Filer_run command
for it into the !run file of the cd-player application, so that it
starts automatically.
9.06
(James Taylor advises... It is better to put the Eesox driver,
!EX_SCSI2, in your PreDesk directory so that it is run on startup.)
9.06
The final stage is the installation of the sound and CD drivers for
Windows, which is nine times as complicated as getting RISCáOS to work
with them (but by Windows standards is par for the course). Get a PC-
literate friend to help, if necessary.
9.06
One final snag did, however, concern PC operation. Under DOS/Windows,
the CD-ROM drive is drive E and the cartridge partition is drive D
(automatically). I found that starting Windows and mounting a CD¡ROM,
involved a large number of accesses to the D (i.e. cartridge) drive,
which necessitated swapping the disc and the cartridge an irritating
number of times. It occurred to me that the system was perhaps still
searching for the ROM on drive D, not E, so Iálooked in
c:\install\drivers\cdrom\. Sure enough, there were several references
which looked, for all the world, as if they were telling the system that
the CD¡ROM was drive D:. I changed them (all of them) to E: and the
problem disappeared.
9.06
Then I found Jim Nottinghamæs note in Archive 9.1 p42, saying not to do
that because it wonæt work Ö interesting! No problem so far, anyway, but
note that the change was made after everything was done and working, not
before. If you try it, back up the original files first.
9.06
Performance
9.06
I havenæt done any tests, but the drive seems able to run Slideshow and
the movie application without noticeable delay, and could be mistaken
for a hard disk a lot of the time. It would, I think, be wise to leave
time-critical stuff (!Boot, containing !System and !Scrap, together with
DOS, Windows, the permanent Windows swap file and any caches, e.g. for
Netscape) on the main HD. Otherwise, the only constraints are imposed by
planning; donæt put your Impression Publisher on the cartridge if you
want to listen to a CD-ROM while you work Ö they go in the same slot,
even though you play them from different icons, remember? Under Windows,
nearly everything works fine. The only exception is in the playing of PC
movie clips, where the action is jerky and the sound sometimes
intermittent. Does anyone know why? Maybe a 25MHz 486SX just isnæt quick
enough to keep up?
9.06
(James Taylor writes... I would be extremely surprised if a 25MHz 486SX
on a real PC was fast enough to run smooth, full motion video. In any
case, the earlier release of the 486SX cards had a Gemini 1 ASIC which
had a graphics bottleneck. The new batch of SX33s uses the Gemini 2
ASIC, so they will be better, but the best bet is to take up Acornæs
generous upgrade offer and get a DX2/66 for ú175, a DX4/100 for ú234, or
a 5x86/100 for ú351.)
9.06
Conclusion
9.06
It is never the right time to buy a computer or a peripheral, because
thereæll be one out next month, which is better, faster and cheaper. But
if now is the time, and your needs are like mine, I recommend the kit
described. The Alsystems PowerTec card, software and manual, in
particular, are a model of how these things should be.
9.06
If you want to compare notes and/or ask me for help, feel free to
contact me at 19, am Gronn, Roodt-sur-Syre, Luxembourg, L Ö 6917 or,
somewhat more quickly(!), as <[e-mail]>.áuá
9.06
RiscPC Sound
9.06
James Taylor
9.06
My aim in this article is to simplify the issues surrounding the subject
of getting sound out of a RiscPC. For native RISCáOS applications, this
is not really a problem, but getting sound out of the PC card is
extremely involved. I shall deal with the two major revisions of the
RiscPC, and several bits of related hardware that can be fitted to them,
including 16-bit minnie cards and audio mixers. Then I shall look
briefly at the PC card and some of the issues surrounding Midi,
SoundBlaster and the various versions of the PC card software.
9.06
16-bit sound cards
9.06
The initial range of RiscPCs (ACB15, 25 & 45) were the first computers
to have the new VIDC20. This chip can handle 16-bit sound but,
unfortunately, by the launch date, Acorn hadnæt quite finished the
necessary support hardware to give these machines 16-bit sound as
standard. They can, of course, subsequently be fitted with a 16-bit
sound card (sometimes called the minnie card) which gives them this
ability. However, once it is fitted, you may find that the Énoiseæ in
poor quality 8-bit sound samples stands out a little more than it did
before, due to the fact that it is no longer being passed through a
filter which indiscriminately smoothed out the noise and the, otherwise
desirable, high frequency sounds.
9.06
The minnie card comes with some modules to load in your boot sequence
and there is a configuration option provided to allow you to choose
between 8-bit, 16-bit and 16-bit oversampled modes of operation.
Unfortunately, the physical connection of the card disables the 8-bit
sound hardware (unless you have a suitable audio mixer board), so if you
configure the sound system to 8-bit, this will render your machine mute.
Naturally, with the sound system set to 16-bit, 8-bit sound is converted
as it is played back, so that everything continues to work. At the
expense of a little processor time, the 16-bit oversampled mode improves
8-bit playback using Éfractional interpolationæ. The 16-bit sound card
is available from NCS for ú71 and plugs onto some links on the
motherboard (including the infamous ÉLK14æ).
9.06
Audio mixers
9.06
A seemingly independent issue is how to get the output from an audio CD
into the RiscPCæs internal sound system so that this audio can come out
of the 3.5mm socket at the back of the computer and be fed into a set of
active speakers or a hi-fi. On the first generation of RiscPCs, this
requires you to fit an audio mixing board to take the output from the
back of your CD-ROM drive and feed it into a connection on the
motherboard... LK14, in fact.
9.06
NCS sell the Eesox audio mixing board for ú44. It fits onto the same
connections as the 16-bit sound card and provides further piggyback
connections so that the 16-bit sound card can be plugged in at the same
time. One other bonus of an audio mixer is that you can arrange for both
the 8-bit and the 16-bit sound systems to be fed into it in such a way
that you can configure back and forth between them and get 8¡bit sound
out via the mixer board.
9.06
LK14 adaptors
9.06
People who have a Cumana audio mixing board with their CD drive (such as
the 300iA) will find that, when they come to fit a 16-bit sound card,
the Cumana board, unlike the Eesox one, does not provide extra
connections for the 16-bit sound card.
9.06
Fortunately, Cumana also produce an adaptor which allows up to four
different things to be connected to LK14 simultaneously. When Cumana
went into liquidation, the LK14 adaptor was bought by the Hampshire
Microtechnology Centre and is now available from them on 01705-378266
for around ú15 +VAT +p&p.
9.06
Some LK14s have five pins and some have four, but it does not matter how
many pins you have because, as I understand it, anything you connect to
it will only require the first four. (If you find that your RiscPC
doesnæt have an LK14 at all, give us a ring and we will explain what to
do.)
9.06
The new RiscPCs
9.06
The second generation RiscPCs (ACB60, ACB70, ACB75) have both 16-bit
sound and an audio mixing point as standard, which means there is no
need to add a 16-bit minnie sound card or an audio mixer. All you need
to do, in order to feed the audio output from a music CD into the
internal sound system, is to find an audio lead with which to connect
your drive to the small white socket on the motherboard marked PL6 Ö
there isnæt an LK14 in sight. So, if you have a second generation
RiscPC, all the problems and fixes mentioned up to now do not apply.
9.06
CD audio leads
9.06
Unfortunately, the above mentioned audio leads are strangely hard to
come by. The quad speed Eesox ATAPI CD drives that NCS supply, all have
an audio lead with them, but the SCSI ones do not. We have tried
different cable suppliers but, curiously, the audio leads are the one
item most frequently missing from the kit. So if you want to be able to
play audio CDs from an internal CD-ROM drive, and do not wish to use the
socket on the front of the drive, you should state clearly on your order
that you wish to have the audio lead included and add an extra ú10 to
the price.
9.06
PC cards
9.06
It doesnæt actually matter which PC card you have, because you can get
sound from them all, but you do need the following two things: Version
1.91 or later of the PC card software AND 16-bit sound hardware, i.e. a
second generation RiscPC or a 16-bit sound card fitted to a first
generation RiscPC. The latest version of the PC card software can be
downloaded free from Aleph Oneæs ftp site at ftp://ftp.ant .co.uk/com/
aleph1, but first read the ReadMe file there to find out which files you
need to download. If you do not have Internet access, you can get the
latest version from us for ú2 to cover the cost of the disc, postage and
admin Ö just ask for Utilities Disc 9.
9.06
Configuration
9.06
The PC card software and related drivers require a fair amount of
setting up. Itæs easy when you know how (honestly!), but if you donæt,
it can take quite a while to get it right. My best advice would be that
this is the one piece of software where you really need to have read,
and have understood, the installation instructions before you start.
9.06
For sound, you must install the supplied sound drivers, etc, into
Windows and, if necessary, tinker with your autoexec.bat, config.sys and
system.ini files to get it all working. A description of this would take
several more pages, so I will leave it for now. (Perhaps Mike Clarkson
might like to cover this aspect in the RiscDOS column!) If you are
feeling depressed by all this, just remember that PC users have to
struggle with all this nightmare as a matter of course. (Save a soul
from PC hell Ö convert someone to Acorn today!)
9.06
SoundBlaster compatibility
9.06
In the beginning, PCs had no way of making any sound other than a simple
beep Ö they were just dumb, ugly boxes. (I am tempted to say öSo what
has changed?ò Ö but I wonæt.) An expansion card called SoundBlaster was
produced which has quickly become a sort of standard in the PC world and
SoundBlaster-compatible cards abound, but not all of them support all
the features of the Éstandardæ.
9.06
There are two main parts to this; sound sample playback and Midi
synthesis. The ability to play back a sound sample is something the
Acorn machines have had since 1987 and so the PC card software simply
passes on the PC cardæs request to play a sample (stored as a .WAV
waveform file on the PC side) to the native 16-bit sound hardware.
Currently, the PC sound drivers are written for 16-bit hardware only, so
until ESP produce an 8-bit version, first generation RiscPCs will need
the 16-bit sound card fitted for this to work. Midi playback is also
simply passed on to whatever Midi system you might have fitted.
9.06
MIDI synthesis
9.06
The second aspect of the SoundBlaster Éstandardæ is General Midi. Midi
is a means of communicating with musical instruments, reading what is
being played and controlling automatic playback. This includes
synthesizers which, when sent a Midi command, can play back the sound of
almost any instrument you can think of (and several you canæt) from a
vast store of sampled musical instruments. The General Midi standard
defines a basic set of 128 instruments so that all synthesizers play the
same instrument when given the same Midi command.
9.06
The more expensive SoundBlaster cards have a Midi synthesizer built onto
the card. More and more PC software is taking advantage of this because
it means that it does not then need to be distributed with large sound
samples. On the RiscPC, there are several alternatives if you need Midi
playback.
9.06
You can either get a Midi interface card, such as Wild Visionæs MidiMax
for ú82, and connect it to a General Midi keyboard/synthesizer, or you
could buy an Audio Dynamics PowerWAVE 50 for ú227 which has the Midi
synthesizer hardware on the card itself so you can plug its output
straight into an amplifier. However, the cheapest alternative by far, is
not to buy any hardware at all. The ESP software Midi synthesizer is a
software-only solution that does the job for just ú45. Although the
quality is not as good as the hardware solutions, this is certainly
adequate for people who just want to get full SoundBlaster support from
their PC cards. Also, ESP say that they are going to make some much
higher quality samples available in the near future.
9.06
The boss writes: We try to make the post-sales support that NCS gives as
comprehensive as possible. However, I hope you will understand if we
donæt provide the same level of support for the installation and setting
up of PC cards as we do for the RISCáOS side of things. This is partly
because we donæt have the necessary level of PC expertise and partly
because, in a sense, we only deal with the PC side under sufferance!
Obviously, if you have bought the computer from us as well as the PC
card, we will be able offer more support than if you have just bought
the PC card. On a DX2/66 at ú175, when you take carriage and admin into
account, we barely make a profit even when there is no engineer-time
taken up, so I hope you will agree that this policy is not unreasonable.
Ed.áuá
9.06
Pocket Book Column
9.06
Audrey Laski
9.06
Geraldæs Column
9.06
I was delighted to read Geraldæs Column last month, not just because of
his kind words about the Pocket Book Column. As he rightly realised, I
am a complete duffer with the spreadsheet, and I now know that the
cavalry will ride to the rescue of users that I canæt help. Indeed, I
have found mine to be the exact reverse of Geraldæs case; he is using
Abacus to handle his address book because he finds it more practicable
than Cards, whereas I am using Cards for all sorts of purposes, such as
recording expenditure, for which Iáoriginally thought I should want to
use Abacus. I did try, but I found it uncomfortable in too many ways.
Different strokes for different folks...
9.06
Not just a Fancy Organiser
9.06
As well as being an Abacus duffer, Iæm still a non¡programming user of
the Pocket Book. I was therefore somewhat shamed, as well as charmed, by
a splendid phrase in a letter from Ken Cowap, of Letchworth, who
acquired a Psion 3a last autumn. He says: É...what Iæve got is a full-
sized computer in a micro box rather than a fancy organiser with a few
useful gadgets added.æ Of course, it is a brilliant organiser; Iæve just
been initiating a sparky elderly relative into the use of hers, and her
excitement over what she can do just with Cards and Write is enchanting.
9.06
Recommendations
9.06
Ken sends an enthusiastic recommendation of Autoroute Express, (ÉFar and
away my best Christmas present this yearæ), a piece of software which
will run on a 3A, and so presumably a Pocket Book II, with 512Kb of RAM.
Given departure and destination points, with 7000 possible locations, it
will plot a route, giving a map and a list of timed instructions: Éthere
are almost limitless options controlling detail shown, infinitely
variable zoom and scan, just about any map magicæ.
9.06
(I wrote to Ken to ask him where we could buy this wonderful program. He
kindly rang to say that it was a Microsoft product, so you can get it at
Éall good Psion dealersæ for ú70 or less. However, Kenæs initial
euphoria has been tempered by the discovery that the map information is
somewhat out-of-date. His complaints to Microsoft UK have been passed on
to the US where the program is compiled. We await developments! Ed.)
9.06
Finding oneæs way around with a palmtop seems to be the current vogue,
because John Woodthorpe of Rugby is excited by version 3.8 of Steve
Litchfieldæs Mapper, obtainable from 3-Lib, Éwhich includes GPS (Global
Positioning Satellite) capabilities. With an appropriate GPS unit
connected to the S3a / PBII, you can find out exactly where in Great
Britain you are on a moving map display. The same goes for the larger
magnification version of Mapper that deals solely with London. Steve
says he tested the London version by wandering around on foot with it.
When he got lost, he turned everything on, waited 30 secs or so for the
satellite signal to be processed, and found out where he really was.æ
9.06
John also recommends a shareware program by Richard Schmidt,
(registration fee ú10), called Calc3a. This is an enriched version of
the built-in Calc; Éfeatures include: basic, scientific, programmer and
statistics calculations; hexadecimal, binary and octal conversions/
calculations; graphical XY plots; equation database; equation evaluator;
constants list; 26 memories, statistics memory and recall buffer; solver
for single unknown variable in an equation; and support for external
maths functions in OPL.æ This is far and away more than I would ever
need in a calculator, as my most sophisticated requirement at present is
an occasional square root, but for those with such needs, this sounds an
invaluable upgrade. John adds that he knows that the author is keen to
improve his product and will welcome suggestions for additional
features.
9.06
Internetworking
9.06
Another topic on which John has written to me is the growth of palmtop-
related sites on the World Wide Web. He suggests Psion Inc. at http://
www.psioninc .com as a good starting point. He also observes that it is
possible to access the WWW from a Psion 3A or Pocket Book II by using
Compuserve and two shareware programs: ReadCIS and WebCIS. He says,
ÉReadCIS is a superb Off Line Reader for accessing Compuserve with a
Psion or PB. I rely on it for picking up my email, and accessing the
Palmtop Forum on CompuServe (the friendliest and most helpful computing
community you could imagine) when travelling. Iæd wholeheartedly
recommend CIS membership to anyone with a Psion and a modem.æ
9.06
Dealing with $
9.06
Enquiries and partial solutions from several readers, together with John
Woodthorpeæs note on this problem last month, have prompted John of the
other side of the bed to a brief summary of the issues involved. He
writes:
9.06
ÉAny filing system imposes a syntax for allowable filenames, and these
for MSDOS and ADFS are tiresomely non-overlapping. Normal ADFS allows a
maximum character length of ten characters, plus a filetype of three
hexadecimal digits, whereas MSDOS allows twelve characters including a
É.æ separator and a three character extension, but does not possess an
analogue to ADFSæs filetype. Moreover, MSDOS allows certain characters
in filenames, notably É.æ and É$æ, that ADFS excludes. !PocketFS allows
filenames to be transferred to and from the Pocket Book and
transliterates É.æ and É$æ in the Pocket Bookæs filing system
respectively to É/æ and É<æ and vice-versa. (Also É%æ to É;æ, but I
havenæt looked at the others.) Getting the right literals into the
Pocket Book filenames, then, is straightforward. However:
9.06
1) If the MSDOS filename is longer than six characters, the extension
will overflow and the two intended files abcdefgh/OPL and abcdefgh/OPO
will overwrite one another as the ADFS copying mechanisms get hold of
them. This can be confusing if you have not thought through a sensible
sequence of copying and renaming.
9.06
2) Spark unpacking filenames with É.æs in them from an MSDOS disc
substitutes É_æ rather than É/æ, so again you have to watch carefully
what you are doing.
9.06
I donæt have one of the PD applications that allows longer filenames in
ADFS, so I donæt know if they would help.
9.06
(For those who like to write scripts, the mapping is in PRM. 2-327, and
also *DOSMap 2-336 may help with the other problem; you will need to
define types corresponding to .OPL etc, and I make no guarantees that
!PocketFS wonæt screw things up.)æ
9.06
Endnote
9.06
As regular readers of the column know, I usually mention the location of
correspondents, but donæt give an address. I am stumped this month by
two correspondents who emailed Archive, and might be anywhere in the
.uk. Iæd be grateful for an indication of town in such messages; anyway,
since I am not yet on the Net, it must be quicker to snailmail me
directly at 18 Ebury Street, London, SW1W OLU, than to email Paul, who
then has to snailmail me.áuá
9.06
Puzzle Corner
9.06
Colin Singleton
9.06
I am pleased to report a recovery of interest in this column which, if
Paul can continue to find the space, should be safe for some time yet.
Just one reader Ö not on the leader board Ö has expressed Émixed
feelingsæ about the League Table Ö other comments have been neutral,
non-existent, or favourable, so Iáwill continue it for the time being.
Three new names appeared on the full list last month, and the leader
board opposite shows all with smoothed averages over 10.
9.06
The latest winners ...
9.06
(46) Prime Square
9.06
An excellent entry to E T Emmsæ puzzle, and several readers found
solutions higher than order 11. The prize goes to Lawrence Howe of
Romford, Essex.
9.06
(47Ö49) First Ö Second Ö Third
9.06
Several partially-correct entries, but only four all-correct. Most found
all six solutions to Third. Several readers mentioned the name Ramanujan
Ö you are well educated! Barry Harrison of Middlesborough wins the
prize.
9.06
... last monthæs answers ...
9.06
(50) Infinite Roots
9.06
I am sorry to disappoint those readers who were hoping for a neat
mathematical proof Ö I have only Ramanujanæs assurance (third hand) that
he proved it! Given the general formula
9.06
we are required to evaluate S2. It is clear that Siá=á┌(1á+ái╖Si+1) and
Si+1á=á(Si+1)(Siù1)/iá which eliminates the infinite series, but doesnæt
help much. We can show that if Siá=ái+1 for any given iá>á0, then it is
true for all subsequent values of i, but evaluating S1 is no easier than
evaluating S2!
9.06
We can evaluate the finite series consisting of the first 60 or so
square root terms with a wild guess as to the value of the infinite part
of the series further to the right. No matter how wild our guess, we
find that, within the calculation limits of the machine, the series
evaluates to i+1. The answer to the puzzle is 3.
9.06
If any reader discovers a watertight proof, I will publish it next
month.
9.06
(51) Interesting!
9.06
If there are some Uninteresting Numbers, then that set must include a
smallest uninteresting number. This number, for that very reason, is
interesting, and therefore does not belong to the set! A set of numbers
with no smallest member cannot exist Ö hence there are no uninteresting
numbers. That is, perhaps, a bit formal for this column, but I am sure
you get the gist of it!
9.06
(52) The Vicaræs age
9.06
The number 2450 has factors 2╫5╫5╫7╫7, hence there are (within reason)
just six possible trios for the ages of the congregation (2,á25,á49)
(5,á10,á49) (5,á7,á70) (7,á7,á50) (5,á5,á98) and (7,á10,á35). The
corresponding ages of the Verger are 38, 32, 41, 32, 54 and 26. Since
the Vicar, knowing the Vergeræs age, could not deduce the other three
ages, the Verger must be 32 and the others either (5,á10,á49) or
(7,á7,á50). Knowing that the Vicar is older than any of the others, we
can only resolve the problem if he is 50, and the congregation are
(5,á10,á49).
9.06
(53) More Pandigitals
9.06
You need to find all the solutions to the general problem with a ratio
<10. You can deduce first that the two numbers must each have five
digits. The only ratio with a unique solution is seven, giving
14076á╫á7á=á98532. On reflection, perhaps this is not quite a quickie!
9.06
... this monthæs prize puzzle ...
9.06
(54) The Battle of Hastings
9.06
Dr Riha, an old friend of this column, submitted this puzzle, which he
found in the Leeds University Reporter in 1981, but it is actually much
older. It was devised by H E Dudeney early this century, and pirated by
Sam Loyd for an American magazine. Loydæs version (abbreviated) first.
9.06
The men of Harold stood well together, as was their wont, and formed
thirteen squares, with like numbers of men in every square. When Harold
threw himself into the fray the Saxons were one mighty square of men.
[In other words, find integers A and B so that B▓á=á13╫A▓á+á1]
9.06
In Dudeneyæs version there were initially 61 squares instead of 13. This
is much more difficult, but he solved it long before the computer age!
9.06
... and this monthæs prize quickies ...
9.06
(55) More Cubes
9.06
Following the theme of puzzle (47), what is the smallest number which is
the sum of three different cubes in two different ways?
9.06
(56) Angles
9.06
This is a modification of a puzzle by Lewis Carroll. A triangle has
angles (in degrees) 360îA 360îB and 360îC where A, B and C are integers,
not necessarily different. If the smallest angle is as small as
possible, what are the angles?
9.06
(57) Children
9.06
The children in a Junior School class form a queue in single file. If
they do so in random order, the chance that the first five in the queue
will all be girls is exactly ╜. How many children are there, and how
many are girls?
9.06
And finally ...
9.06
A number of readers have sent suggestions for puzzles Ö Thank you! Most
will be used (possibly modified) in due course, so please keep them
coming. Solutions etc, to me, please, at 41 St Quentin Drive, Sheffield,
S17 4PN. Solutions by Friday 8th March.áuá
9.06
Task Windows
9.06
Robert Lytton
9.06
Event driven programming is a joy, especially when you just want to add
this or that extra feature or window to your program. Calling WimpPoll
after every action is also very convenient. However, if the action is
going to take a long time (and you donæt want to force the user to watch
the hourglass), trying to call WimpPoll plenty of times during the
action can be very difficult to achieve, even if the action is very
simple and slow.
9.06
Under the auspices of the wimp, you can set up a task window where you
can run a single-tasking program under the full control of your Wimp
program. The wonderful thing about task windows is that they do not need
to call WimpPoll, nor do they have any concerns apart from their own
task! The wimp will automatically interrupt the task periodically and
then re-engage it after doing its round of the desktop. The task will
know nothing about this interrupt, while the desktop and applications
carry on working in the multitasking environment!
9.06
So how do you use them?
9.06
First of all, you write the program that will run in a task window. You
will need INPUT statements if you need to send data to the program, and
PRINT statements if you need to send any results back. What goes on in
the rest of the program is up to you! When the TaskWindow program gets
to an INPUT statement, it will wait for an input, not from the keyboard,
but sent by your Wimp program. When TaskWindow gets to a PRINT
statement, it will not print it to the screen, but instead it will print
the message, value, etc, back to your Wimp program.
9.06
On the Wimp program side, things are a little more involved. First of
all, you must run the TaskWindow as a Échildæ. Then you can send
messages to its INPUT statement using Wimp Messages and receive messages
from its PRINT statements, also through wimp messages. Then, at the end,
you kill it(!). You can also suspend it and do other useful things.
9.06
The TaskWindow program
9.06
This may be written in any language, but attention to the INPUT part
needs to be made.
9.06
The INPUT statements should not echo to the screen, or this will be sent
to the Wimp program as a ChildAnswer$. In Basic, use GET and PRINT, and
in Assembler, use SWI öOS_ReadCò or SWI öOS_ReadUnsignedò with SWI
öOS_WriteCò and SWI öOS_NewLineò.
9.06
The Wimp program
9.06
PROCInitialVariables: This sets up a few global variables. Channel% and
MyChild% have been set up to 0, so as not to confuse PROCWimpCloseDown
in case of early errors! Files must be opened by the Wimp program and
the value sent to TaskWindow (Channel%) so that they may be closed in
the event of an error (it is far easier this way). When you close a file
channel, set Channel%=0 to nullify it again and the same with Child%.
9.06
DEFPROCWimpCloseDown: This closes any files opened and kills any
children alive! Make sure you state all channels and children ever used
(global variables). If they are already closed or killed, they should be
0 and will be ignored!
9.06
DEFFNStartChild(Child$): This will start the program name sent it as a
child and return a childhandle(!). (N.B. Add a !Run file line such as
öSet MyApp$Dir <Obey$Dir>ò so it knows where to find the program.)
9.06
PROCKillChild(RETURN Child%): This will kill the child whose handle is
given and set the handle to 0, to show it is no longer a valid
childhandle!
9.06
PROCSuspendChild(Child%): This will suspend the child given. This is
important so that the wimp does not give time to Taskwindow when it is
doing nothing.
9.06
PROCResumeChild(Child%): The opposite of the above.
9.06
PROCTaskWindowInput(string$,Child%): This will send the string given to
the child stated. The child will then have something to INPUT, if it has
been waiting. You must make sure it is what the Child is expecting!
9.06
PROCWimpPollMessages: Should be part of your WimpPoll answer to event
type 17/18 message &808C1.
9.06
PROCTaskWindowOutput(ChildAnswer$): This is the reply PRINTed from
TaskWindow and should be acted upon appropriately!
9.06
... and thatæs all you need! If you are unsure of anything, do please
drop me a line at 7 Helmsley Drive, West Park, Leeds LS16 5HY.áuá
9.06
REM An example TaskWindow program:
9.06
Channel%=VAL(FNGetInput)         :REM the channel opened by the Wimp
program
9.06
REPEAT
9.06
count%=0
9.06
áVariable1%=VAL(FNGetInput)      :REM receive INPUT from Wimp program
9.06
áVariable2%=VAL(FNGetInput)      :REM receive INPUT from Wimp program
9.06
áFOR loop1%=0 TO Variable1%
9.06
ááFOR loop2%=0 TO Variable2
9.06
ááácount%+=1
9.06
áááPRINT#Channel%,(STR$(loop1%+loop2%))
9.06
ááNEXT
9.06
áNEXT
9.06
áPRINT count%áá                  :REM send text Énumberæ
9.06
áPRINT öNext pleaseò             :REM and text Émessageæ to Wimp program
9.06
UNTIL 0áááááá                    :REM keep going until killed
9.06
ENDááááááá                       :REM The Wimp program will tidy up!
9.06
:
9.06
DEFFNGetInput
9.06
Str$=öò
9.06
REPEAT
9.06
áChar%=GETáááá                   :REM receive value sent from Wimp
program
9.06
áStr$=Str$+CHR$(Char%)           :REM as if from keyboard without screen
echo
9.06
UNTIL Char%=13
9.06
=Str$
9.06
REM TaskWindow Procedures for your Wimp program (for multiple children):
9.06
:
9.06
DEFPROCInitialVariables
9.06
DIM wimp% 255áá              :REM any block of memory will do!
9.06
Channel1%=0áá          á     :REM only if you will be opening files!
9.06
Channel2%=0áá          á     :REM Global variables!
9.06
MyChild1%=0ááá               :REM Handles for your children
9.06
MyChild2%=0ááá               :REM Global variables!
9.06
TaskNumber$=STR$~(task%)     :REM task% is the number returned by
9.06
:áááááááá                    :REM SYSöWimp_Initialiseò,200,&4B534154
9.06
ENDPROCááááá                 :REMáá,öMyAppòTO version%,task%
9.06
:
9.06
DEFPROCWimpCloseDownáá       :REM Called after an Error too!
9.06
PROCKillChild(MyChild1%)     :REM Need to include all children by handle
9.06
PROCKillChild(MyChild2%)
9.06
CLOSE#Channel1%ááá           :REM All channels by number if used
9.06
CLOSE#Channel2%
9.06
SYSöWimp_CloseDownò,task%,öTASKò
9.06
ENDPROC
9.06
:
9.06
DEFFNStartChild(Child$)
9.06
LOCAL Child%
9.06
$wimp%=ö*TaskWindow <MyApp$Dir>.ò+Child$+ö -wimpslot 16K -name
ò+Child$+ö -display -quit -task &ò+TaskNumber$
9.06
SYSöWimp_StartTaskò,wimp% TO Child%
9.06
=Child%
9.06
:
9.06
DEFPROCKillChild(RETURN Child%)
9.06
wimp%!0=20:wimp%!12=0:wimp%!16=&808C4
9.06
SYSöWimp_SendMessageò,17,wimp%,Child%
9.06
Child%=0ááááá                :REM this is to indicate the
9.06
ENDPROCáááááá                :REM child% is no longer valid
9.06
:
9.06
DEFPROCSuspendChild(Child%)
9.06
wimp%!0=20:wimp%!12=0:wimp%!16=&808C6
9.06
SYSöWimp_SendMessageò,17,wimp%,Child%
9.06
ENDPROC
9.06
:
9.06
DEFPROCResumeChild(Child%)
9.06
wimp%!0=20:wimp%!12=0:wimp%!16=&808C7
9.06
SYSöWimp_SendMessageò,17,wimp%,Child%
9.06
ENDPROC
9.06
:
9.06
DEFPROCTaskWindowInput(string$,Child%)
9.06
wimp%!0=(LEN(string$)+28) AND NOT 3
9.06
wimp%!12=0:wimp%!16=&808C0
9.06
wimp%!20=LEN(string$)+1
9.06
$(wimp%+24)=string$
9.06
SYSöWimp_SendMessageò,17,wimp%,Child%
9.06
ENDPROC
9.06
:
9.06
DEFPROCWimpPollMessagesá     :REM part of your WimpPoll loop
9.06
CASE wimp%!16 OFááá          :REM an event 17/18 PollMessages
9.06
áWHEN 0:Finish%=TRUE
9.06
    REM ...and all the others!
9.06
áWHEN &808C1
9.06
ááwimp%?((wimp%!20)+24)=13
9.06
ááPROCTaskWindowOutput($(wimp%+24))
9.06
ENDCASE
9.06
ENDPROC
9.06
:
9.06
DEFPROCTaskWindowOutput(ChildAnswer$)
9.06
REM ChildAnswer$ is the response from the child!
9.06
ENDPROC
9.06
Learn to Write with Claude and Maud
9.06
Christopher Jarman
9.06
Programs to help teachers and children in the art of good handwriting
are very rare. It is that second ÉRæ in the old three Rs which has, by
long tradition, been the neglected part of the curriculumæs secret
garden. So secret has it been, that since World War One there has been
little official help at all on the subject from successive Ministries of
Education.
9.06
In February æ94 (Archive 7.5), I had the task of evaluating Oak
Solutionæs ÉLettersæ. The letter shapes that it offered, were direct
from the 1913 LCC print script! It was as if no research had been done
into handwriting teaching since Kaiser Wilhelm wrote his orders to the
troops.
9.06
I admit that it is hard for software companies to obtain the best advice
on handwriting teaching Ö indeed it is quite hard for schools Ö but it
is not impossible. Writers such as Alfred Fairbank, Tom Barnard, Tom
Gourdie and Rosemary Sassoon have all contributed usefully to the
practical literature on the subject. I lecture to around 300 teachers
each year on the teaching of handwriting, and am constantly looking for
good up-to-date books and programs to recommend. Therefore, it was with
wild excitement that I feverishly opened Brilliant Computingæs latest
contribution to our national handwriting resources.
9.06
The package
9.06
The pack consists of a blue disc for earlier Archimedes computers, and a
black disc for the later ones and the RiscPC. This is a good idea at the
moment, when suppliers want to cover both markets, so one good mark for
that.
9.06
There is a 15-page manual, which is written as if to someone who has
arrived from another planet and seen a computer for the first time Ö
exactly how a manual should be Ö so another mark for Brilliant
Computing.
9.06
Also included are twelve black and white printed sheets of various
tracing and copying exercises. There is immediate reference to something
called a Émouse penæ on page 4 of the manual which I found intriguing,
because it looked like a very good idea for this package. However, the
pen is not included with it, although the manual did say öring for
detailsò. Iárang, and was told that there are supply problems at the
moment, but soon there may be one or two quite cheap versions available.
The program also works with the Touch Window, if you have one, and the
manual tells you about that too.
9.06
The program
9.06
Getting into the program is easy, especially if you put it onto a hard
disc first. You are warned at the start that, because of the sounds, it
takes a long time to load but I found it quite acceptable, especially
with the RiscPC. Once on the first page, you can choose the kind of
letter groups you need to practise and away you go.
9.06
A mouse called Claude runs the show, and a little owl called Maud acts
as the go-between. It is altogether very attractively presented and
highly motivating. With the mouse, or perhaps soon the mouse-pen, you
look at letters and you copy them in the way the program suggests. If
you go wrong, you are told very nicely and given endless more chances.
9.06
If you wish, you can choose from various options as to how you want to
be shown the correct movements. When you get them right, you are told
how clever you are and all kinds of lights flash. I am well past my
sell-by date but I loved that part!
9.06
My reservations
9.06
Brilliant Computing have taken some advice and have opted for Rosemary
Sassoonæs font as the basis for correct letter shapes. Now I like the
Sassoon Primary font, but it was designed, of course, for reading and
not for handwriting. Current thinking from most recognised handwriting
experts, and from OFSTED, is that handwriting should be taught joined-up
from the start. The National Curriculum itself demands a clear and
legible cursive style by level 3.
9.06
At the very least, the letter shapes need to be formed in a way which is
in preparation for joining. The design of the letters under this
heading, especially for beginners, is all important. The directions
shown as to how to construct the letters in Claude and Maude, are
generally fine but the shapes themselves are too static and print-like
to be very helpful in developing a cursive hand; this should always have
a slight forward slope.
9.06
Also, letters like coagdqs should never start with a slight upward
movement, but with a horizontal or even slight downward movement, i.e.
9.06
< correct
9.06
< incorrect
9.06
otherwise they tend to rise up above the level of the other letters.
This especially applies to c and s which is why small children often
write those two letters incorrectly larger than the rest.
9.06
On page two of the manual, it states that ÉClaude does not confine you
to a precise writing styleæ. This is not true, nor is it possible. Any
program or copybook set before the public inevitably presents one style
or another, or you would simply have a blank page. There is no such
thing as an inoffensive or neutral alphabet or font. In fact, most of
the infant script reading fonts used today, are the worst possible
models for the teaching of handwriting. So the question is, what is the
historic and fundamental style that should be shown to all our children
to start them off, in order to find a handwriting style of their own
eventually?
9.06
Brilliant Computing say that this is only version 1.0 of the program,
and that it will be possible to give teachers some choice of styles in
the future. They are working on a more cursive or pre-cursive style, and
it will be released shortly.
9.06
This is excellent news because it is a very well thought out program
indeed, easy to understand and use, very clever in its motivation, and
ingenious in the way it controls the teaching of letter shapes. With
just a tweak or two in the direction of joining from the start, and the
choice of a more cursive alphabet for beginners, and it could be a real
help to teachers in both nursery and infant classes for a long time.
Possibly until Kaiser Billæs descendants are writing cheques in our
common Euro currency!
9.06
Learn to Write with Claude and Maud is available from Brilliant
Computing and costs ú30 +VAT for a single user, and ú60 +VAT for a site
licence.áuá
9.06
Help!!!!
9.06
BiblePlan is a series of Édaily readingæ bookmarks that take you through
the Bible in one or two years. Simple but attractive. They are based on
our church reading plan and have gone down very well.
9.06
If anyone wants a copy of this, please send me an E¡formatted disc and
p&p (or ú1).
9.06
Robert Lytton, 7 Helmsley Drive, West Park, Leeds LS16 5HY.
9.06
Bridge programs Ö We are still getting requests for copies of Omar
Sharifæs Bridge. Has anyone got a copy they could donate so that we can
sell it for charity to someone who wants one? Or does someone have a
copy they want to sell? If so, send in a Small Ad and youæll find a
buyer, Iæve no doubt.
9.06
Ed.
9.06
Interview Peter Bondar Ö If you would like to interview Peter Bondar,
Head of ART, nowæs your chance. He has kindly agreed to do an ÉInternet
interviewæ. If you give us questions you would like to ask him (by
email, preferably, or on disc), we will collate them and give them to
Peter. He will send answers to me and I will then see if there are any
supplementaries I want to ask(!) and then I will publish the result on
the Archive web site, and in the magazine next month.
9.06
The Archive website can be found at http://www.cybervillage.co.uk/acorn/
archive/
9.06
If you want to take part, send in your questions immediately as I want
to do this within three or four days of the magazine dropping on your
doormats. N.B. The shorter and more succinct your question, the more
likely it is to be used. Neither of the two PBsæ has time to spend
digesting long rambling letters!
9.06
Ed.
9.06
Genealogy Ö It seems that Minerva are having one or two problems with
Ancestry II, so does anyone know of an alternative without going to PCs?
There was one I heard of once called !Family and both Paul and I think
we remember seeing it in Archive but neither of us can find it! Can
anyone help, please? Thanks.
9.06
Kate Crennell <[e-mail]>
9.06
Multifile searching Ö !LooknFind, on last monthæs Archive program disc,
is multitasking (only slows down the desktop when actually checking the
contents of a file on CD), can be given the filetypes to check, e.g.
text, CSV, Impression, etc, with ease and it can be given wildcard
strings!
9.06
I have used it to check text files inside archives found on CDs for
keywords such as ÉSerialæ with great success. Or you may like to search
your CSV files for ÉP\*Beverleyæ to find Éples,Diana Ross,The Beverleyæ
Oh well, try Éfind nextæ!
9.06
As with the ÉFind fileæ option from the directory display, you will be
informed of progress, how many files have actually been searched and
choices of ÉNextæ, ÉViewæ, ÉRunæ or ÉAbortæ. Also, Impression
directories are searched, run and viewed correctly!
9.06
Robert Lytton, 7 Helmsley Drive, West Park, Leeds LS16 5HY.
9.06
Network problems Ö I am running Acorn Access+ software on an A410/1 with
an I│ Etherlan 500 network card. This is connected to a PC network upon
which Arcshare Server 1.4-2c is running, in addition to the WFW3.11
network protocols. I am having difficulties with file corruption on my
A410/1 hard disc which look as if they are related to the network
traffic. Has anyone had any experience (good or bad) in this area?
9.06
Jack Dempsey, 16 Photinia Close, Branston, Lincoln, LN4 1QA.
<[e-mail]>
9.06
RapIDE Ö Has anyone had a chance to try out Yellowstoneæs high speed IDE
interface for RiscPC? If so, could you let us know what you think,
please?
9.06
Ed.
9.06
Rockfall Ö Has anyone come across a game called ÉRockfallæ. I have a
demo version and want to get hold of the real thing, if it exists. It
was produced, I think, by Matthias Seifert in Germany in 1991, by a
company called Soft Evolutions. Can anyone help me to trace it, please?
9.06
Lawrence Bernstone, The Firs, Brandis Corner, Holesworthy, EX22 7XZ.
(01409-221038)
9.06
Scientific software Ö Regular subscribers to Archive may recall that
some (considerable) time ago I asked readers to contribute their own
scientific software to produce a collection to be made available as
freeware discs. In the event, two discs were put together containing a
range of scientific and mathematical software. However, the
contributions dried up and I was never able to get anywhere near
producing another disc. I thought I would try to resurrect the idea, and
ask once again for anyone who has written any scientific-related
software, and would be willing for it to be put onto a disc for public
release, to contact me. In addition, if anyone has any ideas for any
sort of scientific or mathematical software, but feel they could not
write it themselves, perhaps they could also drop me a line?
9.06
I have a number of chemistry related applications of my own, although
some are admittedly rather specialised. I thought it might be an idea to
send at least some of these to Paul for inclusion on the monthly disc
when there is room. To start the ball rolling, I am sending two
applications this month, which were originally on one of the discs
mentioned above, but have been developed further, and the newer versions
are too big to fit on the original disc.
9.06
!Periodic is an application which shows (surprise, surprise) a periodic
table of the elements. Clicking on any element displays a range of
physical, electronic and thermodynamic properties for that particular
element. I would welcome feedback from users on what data could usefully
be included in such an application, and also how it could be extended to
be more functional. If users could actually supply me with data, that
would obviously save me a lot of time! I include in the archive a dummy
CSV data file with all the elements listed to enable data to be added.
Unavailable data can be left blank.
9.06
!Molweight is an application that allows you to enter a chemical
formula, in as near the normal way as is possible, using standard WIMP
writable icons, and calculates either the average or exact isotopic
molecular weight. There are a number of facilities, including user-
defined groups to simplify calculations on similar compounds, and
optional display of elemental per cent composition.
9.06
Over the next few months, I will send further physical chemistry-related
applications to Paul for inclusion on the monthly disc as space is
available. If you would like copies of the original two discs of
scientific software then either send me two discs and sufficient to
cover return postage, or simply send me ú1 to cover cost of discs and
postage.
9.06
Chris Johnson, 7 Lovedale Grove, Balerno, Edinburgh, EH14 7DR.
<[e-mail]> (note my new e-mail address)
9.06
Toggle-size trouble Ö Has anyone come across this one... ? Hold down
<shift> (on a RISCáOS 3 machine) and click the toggle-size icon on, say,
an Edit window. You should find that it only opens as far as, but not
obscuring, the iconbar. So far, no problem.
9.06
One day, on my RiscPC 600 at home, I noticed that ALL windows opened to
just over the iconbar. Pressing <shift>, however, allowed them to go to
the full window size. We looked at all the configuration settings and
boot sequences we could find, but couldnæt see what was causing it. We
therefore saved the configuration and did a <delete-poweron>. We
restored the configuration and the problem had disappeared! Any ideas
anyone?
9.06
Ed.
9.06
Wordz + HP Turbo Driver Ö Is anyone else trying to use Wordz on an A310
with RISC OS 3.1 and printing using an HP DeskJet 320 and a CC
TurboDriver? If so, have you managed to print in any font other than the
system font? Colton Software claim to have isolated a fault with Wordz
and Fireworkz when dealing with TurboDrivers but donæt seem to be doing
much about fixing it. So if anyone else out there has managed to get
different fonts running on their setup, Iæd be grateful for the tips.
9.06
Gavin Dobson, RAF Shawbury.
9.06
Windows-style saving Ö In Archive 9.1 p33, Tony Tolver described how he
used Acorns to run his business. One of the things he mentioned in the
closing paragraph is how he would like a method of saving files
something like the dialogue boxes used on Microsoft Windows. The program
called !WinSave, which I have given to Paul to put the monthly disc, is
my attempt at implementing such a system. Read the !Help file for
instructions. I thought it might be useful to someone somewhere.
9.06
(I have also included !FasterAct which adds lots of nice little buttons
to filer action windows to enable you to click and select the faster,
confirm, verbose, force and newer options.)
9.06
Ian Clark, Haxby, N. Yorks.
9.06
Elements and Nuclides
9.06
John Woodthorpe
9.06
I have a confession to make; Iæm fascinated by the Periodic Table and
all it represents, and collect software (and T-shirts!) related to it.
These two programs are superb examples of what can be done to present an
enormous amount of information on the behaviour of the elements. The
author, Roger Darlington, has spent the last seven years compiling the
data and writing these applications for his own enjoyment, and has now
decided to share them with us all at a ridiculously low cost via his
newly-named company, Atomic Software.
9.06
Each of the two applications, Elements and Nuclides, comes on an HD
floppy (but I presume 800Kb DD ones could be supplied on request) in a
plastic wallet with a few A4 pages of documentation, and costs ú9.95 for
one, or ú14.95 for both. To run them, you will need at least 2Mb of RAM
and a multisync monitor. I have tested them on suitably equipped A310,
A540 and A5000 machines, and I used a RiscPC 600 for this review.
Actually, I did discover a few problems, including one specific to the
RiscPC (the absence of mode 39 in my monitor definition file), but they
have all been resolved promptly by Roger Darlington. Indeed, he has made
substantial improvements over the weeks that we have been in contact for
this review.
9.06
In use
9.06
The most obvious thing you notice on starting either application is that
they donæt multitask. At first, I was disappointed, but there is so much
information on screen that it could become very cumbersome and crowded
in the desktop, without putting in a lot of effort to organise windows.
Some aspects would definitely benefit from multitasking; such as being
able to print the information directly via the RISC OS printer drivers
and selecting the parameters to display. Overall, though, it works well
as it is, and the author admits that he isnæt a WIMP programmer. That is
really the only criticism I can level at the programs, and itæs a rather
half-hearted complaint atáthat!
9.06
Elements
9.06
The paper documentation is minimal, but the application comes with a
comprehensive Help file, and contains Ovation and text files explaining
some of the terms used. The screen for Elements displays the
conventional Periodic Table with control knobs, a text area, a display
of the selected property and a thermometer showing important
temperatures for the selected element (see overleaf). Each display
region changes to reflect the element in question when the cursor is
moved, giving a comprehensive collection of information that can be
expanded with a mouse click.
9.06
The most useful piece of paper that was supplied lists the properties
that can be displayed, including specific heat capacity, crystal cell
sides, ionisation potentials, density, atomic mass, and many others.
Selecting these in the program is a little tricky at first, consisting
of clicking in one of the Écontrol knobæ areas to rotate a line pointer,
but this has been improved considerably recently. The great feature is
that there are two of these pointers enabling you to plot two properties
against each other (see below), and any screen can be saved as a sprite
by pressing the * key on the numeric keypad. There are some suggestions
of interesting plots to work through, which could form the basis of
classroom discussion or individual worksheets for students investigating
the behaviour of the elements.
9.06
Nuclides
9.06
Here the application splits into two parts; one a comprehensive tutorial
on several aspects of nuclear properties, and the other a Segre chart
showing all the isotopes of the elements and their decay products (see
top right). This is really detailed and an incredible piece of work that
takes some getting into.
9.06
You can display the whole chart, a magnified portion, decay products
(see below), or half-lives, and save screens by pressing the * key on
the numeric keypad as before. The radioactive isotopes are displayed in
a flashing colour, which flashes a bit too quickly for my liking, but at
least itæs distinctive. Extra information on using the software is in
the Help file, and the tutorial covers different decay processes,
fission, fusion, basic particles and much more.
9.06
Summary
9.06
I could describe all the features in these programs, but I suspect Paul
wouldnæt let me have enough space to do them justice! Suffice it to say
that this isnæt ordinary software Ö it is outstanding in its scope,
detail and originality. If you, or any of the family, have any interest
in chemistry, or youære a teacher looking for software for school, you
should buy Elements straight away. I love playing with it, looking at
different relationships and seeing if I can account for them.
9.06
Nuclides is more specialised, and ideally suited to AáLevel or
University; but when you buy Elements, you might as well get Nuclides
for the extra cost and learn about radioactive isotopes in the process.
The value for money is incredible, and the level of detail breathtaking.
9.06
The only thing Iæve seen that comes anywhere near them is a US-produced
Windows program that does less for three times the price (and they canæt
spell Éaluminiumæ!). I described some of the features of these two
programs to a PC-owning friend, and he was extremely jealous.
9.06
The enthusiasm of the author is another plus point. Having started this
for his own benefit, it has now become a labour of love. New information
and features are continually being added, and upgrades will be available
in return for the original disc and ú2: Roger suggests every six months
for this, which seems a very good idea.
9.06
At these prices, everyone should send their cheques to: Atomic Software,
1 Fells Grove, Worsley, Manchester, M28 7JN straight away, and feel
proud that we have some chemistry software that can leave other
platforms standing!áuá
9.06
The Graphics Column
9.06
David Thornton
9.06
Exciting news for vector conversion
9.06
Whilst I was writing this column an alpha version ImageFS 2.05a arrived
on my desk for examination. The major new feature is that it can now
import its first vector file format Ö WMF or Windows Metafile. Meta
Convertor from Keysoft was also recently launched and this supports WMFs
too. (See Rob Ivesæ review on page 22.) The careware WMF->Draw is
available but I have found it to be too unreliable for my own use. (See
also Charlie Woodbridgeæs experiences with converting metafiles on page
21.)
9.06
When ImageFS is loaded, dropping a WMF file into Draw produces an exact
copy of the original file. The WMF I tried came from my MS Office
clipart directory. Unfortunately, the three WMF files that Iáexported
from CorelDraw 6 refused to load into ImageFS. I must stress that all
these problems will be fixed in the future and that 2.05a is only a
preliminary alpha version. To support the WMF format, the options window
has also been enhanced. From examining the options window, it is also
apparent that Alternative Design & Publishing (notice the slight name
change) intend to implement the following additional formats in the
future: JPEG, PNG, Photoshop, ICO, Degas, MTV and also the following
vector formats: CGM, Adobe Illustrator, CMX (Corel Presentation/Metafile
Exchange), WPG, DXF, OS/2 Metafile, HPGL and LotusPIC. CDR is a very
complex format and may not be implemented. PICT2 could also be enhanced
to support the vector variants and EPS might also be implemented.
9.06
Once full support for the vector formats is included, there will be no
need to use ArtWorks as an intermediate conversion utility. I have
always been a little apprehensive about buying ImageFS, even though it
is an excellent utility, because ChangeFSI already supports many of the
formats that ImageFS also supports. Once vector format support is
established, ImageFS will be a unique product that really is an
essential graphics tool. It will enable PC clipart CD-ROMs to be
accessed by RISC OS and the clipart to be loaded into any RISC OS
application that accepts drawfiles.
9.06
Composition
9.06
Clares launched version 1.02 of Composition (a.k.a. Compo) at Acorn
World. Malcolm Banthorpe is working on a review of this product so I
will only touch on some of the new features. I highly recommend that
existing users of Composition purchase the upgrade direct from Clares.
This includes support for Virtualise Ö the virtual memory system which
is available separately from Clares. If you have a limited supply of
DRAM (i.e. 8Mb or less), Virtualise is for you. Even users of 16Mb, or
possibly 24Mb, machines will benefit from Virtualise. Improved support
for ArtWorks files has also been implemented and Photoshop files are now
supported. There are also quite a few other improvements, but Iáwill
leave Malcolm Banthorpe to cover these.
9.06
I must admit that I am a fan of Composition. As I am not an artist, I
like the program because it allows me to pretend to be one! It is
particularly easy to drop in two JPEGæs, apply a low opacity value to
one to make it transparent and to then add a colour block to the canvas.
With a little fiddling and manoeuvring, the result can look quite
spectacular.
9.06
Compo could well be a big success because it is the only RISC OS bitmap
application capable of layering. I know that Photoshop 3, Photo-Paint
and various other bitmap editors are capable of layering, but these
programs are not the same thing as Composition.
9.06
Clares have also released version 1.02 of ProArt24. Like Composition,
ProArt24 now has a direct link with Virtualise and works very well with
it. Virtual memory is one of the more important features of a competent
graphics program. It is pleasing to see Clares respond to a demand and
produce a utility which not only works with their own software but also
with products from other developers.
9.06
DTP Software
9.06
Shortly after Impression Publisher 4.07 was released, CC announced
version 4.08. This version fixes bugs which only became apparent in
4.07. If you have experienced a problem and would like to upgrade,
contact CC and quote your serial number and Impression Publisher version
number for details.
9.06
Publisher Plus 5.07 is also available. Like Publisher 4.07/8, Plus now
uses dynamic areas available with RISC OS 3.5/6 and also links in with
CCæs new TurboDrivers (see below). Both versions of Impression are worth
upgrading to, especially for the automatic smart-quote feature which I
have found to be very useful.
9.06
I am sure that many of you have read the Acorn Shopper column in the
February Computer Shopper magazine. For those of you who havenæt, it was
almost entirely devoted to the subject of future RISC OS software
development and C++. Charles Moir, the managing director of CC, wasnæt
particularly sure whether his company would develop Impression or
ArtWorks any further. Mr Moir believes that the Acorn market is too
small to justify major development and that Acorn have fallen way behind
Microsoft and the Windows market. For all we know, Impression Publisher
4.08 could be the final version of Impression. Only time will tell and
it will be interesting to see how many people adopt other packages such
as Ovation Pro.
9.06
I am looking forward to seeing Ovation Pro when it finally ships. (I am
told by Beebug it is NOT likely to be out before this edition hits the
doormats. Ed.) I gather that it will have filters to allow sprite, TIFF,
GIF, PhotoCD, JPEG, Draw and ArtWorks files to be loaded, although some
may not appear until the second or third release. EPS may not be
supported until the second release either. (Publisher Plus is supposed
to support EPS, although I cannot get any of my EPS files to display
their TIFF previews. Can anyone help me, please?) Some sort of image
processing facility is planned but I am not sure how comprehensive this
will be. I hope to bring you more news at a later date.
9.06
TurboDrivers update
9.06
The latest version of the RISC OS 3 TurboDrivers is 4.04. This version
was also launched at Acorn World and incorporates JPEG support for RISC
OS 3.60 users, improved printing of colour photographs, better support
for HP printers and a hot link with Impression. The upgrade costs ú11.75
inclusive from CC and also includes a copy of SepEd2 (as with version
4.03) which enables you to create your own colour correction tables. It
works with Impression, ArtWorks or the TurboDrivers.
9.06
One of the new features of the latest versions of Publisher (4.07/8),
Publisher Plus (5.07) and the TurboDrivers (4.04) is a special colour
correction hot link. The hot link allows Publisher to use the colour
correction tables specified by the TurboDriver in place of its own which
are specified in the Publisher preferences. Let me explain.
9.06
Connected to my RiscPC, I have a Canon BJC-600 printer which I use to
print monochrome, colour (on plain paper) and colour (on coated paper).
I have installed three copies of the BJC-600 TurboDriver into !Printers
and have named them Mono, Plain and Coated. Each of the three drivers is
configured with a different colour correction table Ö Mono TurboDriver,
Canon BJC-600 plain and Canon BJC-600 coated. I have also configured my
copies of Publisher and Publisher Plus to use their internal PostScript
imagesetter (normal) colour correction tables for when I output work to
a PostScript file. When I wish to print from Publisher or Publisher
Plus, I load !Printers and choose the type of printout Iárequire by
selecting the relevant printer icon on the iconbar. Publisher and
Publisher Plus automatically detect this and select the colour table
specified by the TurboDriver, displaying its name in the print setup
window, instead of the one specified in their preferences.
9.06
Impression will use the selected TurboDriver colour table to perform all
colour correction, when printing, unless an Acorn driver is chosen
instead. If I were to select an Acorn printer driver, Impression would
automatically select its own internal colour table Ö in my case
PostScript imagesetter Ö and would use this for colour correction when
printing.
9.06
There is one exception to this rule and it relates to monochrome
printing. Publisher and Publisher Plus do not apply any colour
correction when the TurboDrivers are set to output in monochrome. If a
TurboDriver is configured to use the öMono TurboDriverò colour table and
this driver is selected, Publisher still states that it will use its own
internal colour tables when printing. According to a CC technician öyou
may potentially be mistaken about which table is being used [when
printing in monochrome] since when a monochrome printer driver is
selected, Impression will display its own selected colour table, but
wonæt actually use it.ò
9.06
If you decide to write to me, an S.A.E. or label would be appreciated,
if you would like a reply. You can write to me at: 1 Castle Court, Lower
Burraton, Saltash, Cornwall. PL12 4SE. u
9.06
Studio24Pro
9.06
Malcolm Banthorpe
9.06
A new version of Pineappleæs Studio24 painting and image processing
package Ö which is now called Studio24Pro Ö shows a considerable
enhancement of the original program. In fact, so much has changed that
it is effectively a new application and hence deserves the new name.
9.06
Several of the features which it now incorporates are, at the time of
writing, unique among programs on the Acorn platform and are likely to
be of considerable interest to serious graphics users. New purchasers
will (at the time of writing) receive both versions and, in line with
Pineappleæs upgrade policy, existing users will receive the new version
free of charge.
9.06
The review copy was supplied with a disc-based version of the handbook
in the form of a hypertext document produced using the application
ClearView from DEC_data. When the new handbook is complete, it will be
distributed to all registered users.
9.06
So whatæs new?
9.06
As Iæve already mentioned, thereæs a great deal thatæs new about
Studio24Pro, but Iæll start by describing a couple of features that, for
me, make it stand out from other painting packages currently available
to Acorn users.
9.06
Colour channels
9.06
One of the most important ways in which Studio24Pro differs from the
earlier Studio24 and from most other image manipulation applications is
the way in which the component colour channels of an image can be
handled independently. Images can be created as, or converted to, either
RGB, CMYK or indexed formats. Most RiscPC users will probably be
familiar with the former two, as both methods of defining a colour are
offered by Paintæs colour picker.
9.06
Briefly, RGB defines a colour in terms of its red, blue and green
components, whereas CMYK defines it in terms of cyan, magenta, yellow
and black Ö which also happen to be the pigments used by most colour
printers. An indexed image has a single channel of eight bits per pixel
and would most commonly be used for grey-scale images. RGB and CMYK each
use eight bits per pixel per channel. In other words, an RGB image,
without a mask, would have 24 bits per pixel and a CMYK image would have
32 bits per pixel. The images are handled internally at these colour
depths regardless of the screen mode being used.
9.06
On-screen dithering is used to good effect so that 32 thousand colour
screen modes are very usable. Even in 256 and 16 colour screen modes,
there is still a useful colour representation of the picture being
edited. When the image is in RGB format, any combinations of the three
channels Ö red, blue and green Ö can be selected independently for
viewing and editing. Similarly, any combination of the four channels of
a CMYK image can selected.
9.06
In addition to these basic colour channels, up to 16 alpha or mask
channels Ö each of eight bits per pixel Ö can be created. When a new
alpha channel has been created, the mask can be created simply by
copying an existing channel, or it could be derived from any two, using
a variety of combining operations such as add, subtract, multiply,
minimum, etc. Any of the alpha channels, as well as the basic colour
channels themselves, can then be selected for use as variable
transparency masks. In fact for any channel, whether colour or mask, its
possible to set whether it is writable or not, whether or not it is
visible, and whether or not it is to act as a mask.
9.06
When masks are made visible, the colour and opacity in which they will
appear can be selected to minimise ambiguity with the main image
content. An alternative way to create a mask on an alpha channel is to
first of all set it to be writable and visible, and the rest of the
image channels to be simply visible. The normal painting tool can then
be used to make the mask. Yet another way would be to use the magic wand
tool to pick out a range of values on a particular channel Ö this would
then determine how the mask was generated.
9.06
Texture generation
9.06
Another important innovation Ö also, as far as I can see, currently
unique on the Acorn platform Ö is the inclusion of a texture generator.
It is capable of generating an infinite number of textures using a
random mathematical mutation technique. It is quite common for graphics
applications to offer a number of pre-set textures which can affect the
way that Épaintæ or effects are applied.
9.06
This goes a step further by allowing the textures to be generated from
scratch using fractal techniques. Where pre-set textures are applied to
a large area, there is often a danger that a repetition in the pattern
will be visible, as the texture bitmaps supplied are generally quite
small. By generating the texture from scratch, any area can be covered
without this problem occurring.
9.06
Among the textures that it is possible to generate, some have a
naturalistic appearance such as clouds, wood, metallic effects, water
and marble, while many are purely abstract. A texture is defined by a
short text file, a large number of which are supplied with Studio24Pro.
These definitions occupy a few hundred bytes each at the most.
9.06
When the texture generator has been selected, the current texture is
shown in the centre of a group of twelve variations or Émutationsæ. A
new pre-defined texture can be displayed by dragging and dropping one of
the text definitions. Clicking on the selected texture will generate a
new set of mutations; clicking on one of the surrounding textures will
select it and also generate a further twelve mutations from it. The
colours mapped onto the selected texture can be chosen from a number of
pre-set colour maps. Whenever you generate a new set of textures, the
rate of mutation of both the colour map and the texture itself is
variable.
9.06
As the changes are random and therefore unpredictable, it may take
several attempts until you see something that you like. Therefore, if
you should generate a new texture that looks as if it might be useful in
the future, itæs a good idea to save its text definition file. The
general appearance of the current texture can be maintained in a new
variation by changing the random Éseedæ. It is also possible to change
the horizontal and vertical scaling of a texture.
9.06
When these two facilities alone are added to the comprehensive painting
and filtering options to be described below, the result is an extremely
versatile graphics package which is bound to give the publishers of
other graphics packages something to think about when designing their
next software releases.
9.06
Let me now take a more general look at the application.
9.06
Brushes
9.06
The most fundamental facility that any painting application needs is
some sort of brush. A glance at the toolbar shows there are, in fact,
four brush tools immediately apparent on the top row, each represented
by variations of an airbrush icon. Their functions are airbrush Ö for
actually applying Épaintæ to the canvas, undo brush, clone brush and
effects brush. If a graphics tablet is used in place of the mouse,
stylus pressure can, optionally, be set to control either opacity, width
or both.
9.06
Twenty different sizes of both hard-edged and soft-edged circular
brushes are available. Opacity and brush spacing are adjustable. The
spacing control sets the speed at which the paint spray follows the
brush movements. Low values of spacing cause the spray to follow smooth
curves but with the penalty of the paint lagging some distance behind
the brush. Both foreground and background colours can be set using RGB,
HSV, CMYK or indexed values.
9.06
There is also the usual option to pick up a colour from the existing
canvas. The foreground colour is applied if <select> is pressed and the
background colour is used when <adjust> is pressed. Painting with a
textured brush Ö in order to give the appearance of, say, chalk Ö is
easily achieved by generating a texture on an alpha channel and then
allowing it to influence the way the Épaintæ is applied. Straight line
painting is enabled by holding down <shift>.
9.06
The undo brush is fairly self-explanatory, but it is worth pointing out
that the opacity control still works; so, in effect, a partial undo is
possible.
9.06
The clone brush allows part of an image to be copied from one area of
the canvas to another. The pointer is simply placed over the area to be
copied, then <shift> is held down, the pointer moved to the area where
the copy is to be painted and <shift> released. Again, the opacity can
be varied.
9.06
The effects brush can be used to apply any of the effects and filters Ö
to be described later Ö as an alternative to applying them globally. For
instance, if you wanted to selectively defocus part of the picture, you
could set up some Gaussian blur and paint it on as required. Among the
large number of possibilities in this area would be to paint on extra
colour saturation or to selectively lighten or darken an area.
9.06
Next to the airbrush icons are two further brushes; the wash brush,
which is useful for smoothing out colour transitions and for creating
watercolour effects, and the smudge brush which is very effective in
emulating some of the effects that you might get using oil paints.
9.06
Draw functions
9.06
Drawfiles may be imported by dragging them onto the canvas or,
alternatively, created from scratch within Studio24Pro. Many of the
features of Draw are available within the application, such as straight
lines, curves, rectangles and ellipses. Scaling and rotation, as well as
the usual line and fill styles, are also available. The only notable
omission, where you might want to create the drawfile externally in Draw
itself, is the provision of a grouping function. It is, however,
possible to have multiple Draw objects on the screen and to select one
or more of them to be active.
9.06
Once Draw objects have been created or imported, they can be rendered in
a number of ways. The most obvious way is simply to render them using
the conventional Draw line and fill styles. It is also possible to
convert them to painted or smudged lines with a selected brush using the
Stroke option. Once again, the opacity of the rendered object is
selectable. All Draw objects remain movable, scaleable, rotatable and
editable until deleted and only become part of the main canvas if
actually selected and pasted in one of the ways just described.
9.06
Drawn shapes can also be used to define an area of the canvas for use in
cut-out and paste operations. Cut-out sections of an image may also be
dragged to a new canvas. Although, as mentioned earlier, there is no
grouping command as such, it is still possible to select more than one
object by using <adjust> and then all subsequent operations, such as
pasting, will be performed on all of the selected objects.
9.06
Filters and effects
9.06
The number of facilities offered under the heading of filters and
effects is considerable and so Iæll just mention a few that I have found
particularly useful. Iæve already mentioned Gaussian blur, and this is
very effective in applying a defocussing effect. As the radius (in
pixels) over which the blur is spread can be set, quite a high degree of
defocus is possible. Then thereæs motion blur, spin blur and zoom blur
which all work very well.
9.06
Many effects will need to be applied to only part of the image. This is
easily achieved, either by setting up an alpha channel as a mask, or by
applying the effect with a brush as mentioned above. Colour balance,
contrast and saturation adjustment is comprehensively covered, as are
emboss, pointillise, bas relief, sharpness enhancement and several
varieties of edge detection. If youære really keen, it is possible to
design your own custom filters using a 5╫5 convolution matrix.
9.06
Some of the effects can take a minute or so to apply to a large canvas
and, as there are usually several parameters to try out for each one, it
could take some time to achieve just the right effect. Fortunately, any
effect can be quickly tried out on just part of the image in a small
preview window.
9.06
One of the effects which I particularly liked is called lighting. It
seems to work by treating the intensity of the chosen channel(s) as if
it were depth information and then applying a light source. The amount
of diffuse and specular reflection, and the angle of the lighting, are
among the variable parameters. The results really have to be seen to be
appreciated and can work very effectively on text.
9.06
This reminds me to mention that text can be typed directly into
Studio24Pro and that it behaves in some ways similarly to drawfiles, in
that it remains scalable, rotatable and editable until actually pasted
onto the canvas.
9.06
Files can be loaded and saved in a wide variety of graphics formats,
including Clear, PBM, JPEG, TIFF and, of course, Acorn sprites. Photo CD
files are loadable and it is also possible to scan images directly into
a Studio24Pro window provided that you have the appropriate Twain driver
software.
9.06
Virtual memory is supported and so it is possible to handle images which
occupy more than the available RAM by making use of hard disc space.
When there are multiple images being worked on, then as much as possible
of the current image is kept in RAM to make access as fast as possible.
The extent to which virtual memory is used can be controlled in three
ways.
9.06
ÉMinimise Memoryæ will use the least possible RAM required by the
application. This has the advantage that it may free enough memory to
run other applications but may also slow things down by requiring more
hard disc access. ÉMaximise memoryæ will keep as much of the image(s) as
possible in RAM and is generally preferable, in order to reduce time
taken on hard disc accesses. Finally, a compromise setting is possible
by dragging the memory usage bar associated with Studio24Pro in the Task
Manager.
9.06
Conclusions
9.06
I was very impressed with Studio24Pro. It offers an enormous range of
facilities and is likely to keep even the most avid graphics enthusiasts
satisfied for a very long time. Nevertheless, I found that it remains
easy and intuitive to use.áuá
9.06
I find this review extremely exciting and encouraging. Can you imagine
all these facilities, which work comfortably on a RiscPC 700, being run
on a Strong RiscPC?! Whilst Intel are desperately trying to get their
Series 6 processors to run as fast as Pentiums, let alone faster, and
Apple are launching multi-thousand dollar four-processor PowerPCs which
need special software to be written, Acorn software houses will be able
(says he, hopefully!) to run existing software at four or more times the
current speed within six months or so! Ed.áuá
9.06
The RISC Disc 2 CD-ROM
9.06
Jochen Konietzko & Richard Rymarz
9.06
(This is a combination of the Éofficialæ review which Richard did and a
longer, unsolicited, review sent in by Jochen. I hope that what I have
produced here is the best bits of the two reviews! Ed.)
9.06
Well, what can a reviewer make of this? It is a CD¡ROM specifically
designed for RiscPC owners. Before offering a (to be fair, very
subjective) opinion on whether it is worth buying, an exploration of the
contents might persuade you it is just what you need.
9.06
Presentation
9.06
The disc loads as would be expected, with the program icon installing
itself on the iconbar and a beautifully designed cover page popping up.
The introductions are in English, Welsh and German, each eventually
finishing up at the main title page. Here, the contents are listed with
suitable icons alongside them. Click on the words or icons and the next
page is shown. Arrows take you back to the title page and pointing
fingers lead to pages within each section. All this is very easy and is
quickly mastered but if you are still struggling, a help page is
available.
9.06
Other offerings on the title page include a simple search facility which
requests the file path to find a piece of information Ö click on the
search result and you are taken to that information. Then there are the
credits, complete with digitised pictures of the producers, and an
opportunity to win a RiscPC by searching for hidden clues. However, be
warned that there are more than 7,000 files to peruse Ö but if you are
keen, you have until 31st October 1996 to enter.
9.06
Contents
9.06
ÉCommercialæ section
9.06
Offerings in this section come from 24 firms, and even Computer Concepts
have deigned to appear Ö they offer a demo of AudioWorks and a Magpie
presentation of the Eagle card. Others on the CD are ArmTech (a demo of
a program which shows drawfiles of the worldæs flags Ö I wonder why the
programmers thought those drawfiles had to be shown in mode 15), Aspex
(demos of Architech and Spex), B&H Startup from Germany (demo of a large
German language film database), CD_Circle (FLI files, demos of a
multimedia viewer, the CD_Circle program, DarkRoom2, a Microsoft Ö
pardon the expression Ö CD viewer), Circle Software (shareware Reverse
Polish Notation Calculator; time limit for use one month), Computer
Tutorial Services (demos of Provocator, Maths Explorer, Maths Odyssey),
Digital Psychosis (demo of Oddball), iSV (demos of TableCalc, XStitch
and various programs for displaying and manipulating fonts), MEU Cymru
(applications for the Welsh version of RISC OS), MEWSoft (demos of
MenuManager and DietManagerXtra), MyndGaemz (demo of Detritus), Oregan
Software (demo of Arcturus), PMS (demo of Philipæs Music Scribe),
Praktikum (demo of Praktikum Ö German and English language program for
processing mathematical series; Praktikum is the term used for the times
when science students do experiments themselves), Sherston (demos of
Plantwise, Crystal Rain Forest 2, Rosie & Jim), plus the following:
9.06
ÉPD/Sharewareæ section
9.06
Lots of stuff here which you may know from any one of the major PD
libraries.
9.06
The programming part is very extensive, containing everything from tools
for C and Fortran77 programmers to full implementations of Common Lisp,
GNU Smalltalk and Motorola Cross Assemblers.
9.06
ÉResourcesæ section
9.06
As far as sheer volume is concerned, this section has three major parts:
music, MPEG and Replay files each occupy well over 50Mb of disc space;
the nine different music file formats can be played with one of the 14
players in the PD section.
9.06
For me (Jochen) the highlight of this section is hidden amongst the GIF
files: a directory with 66 NASA pictures of Shoemaker Levyæs collision
with Jupiter, each with an accompanying text file roughly half a page
long.
9.06
The JPEG and drawfiles are placed inside copies of ImageBank, which, it
is claimed, will only run on RISC OS 3.1, but I could find no problem
under RISC OS 3.50D. The JPEG files are an undistinguished miscellany of
pictures. Only those who, for whatever reason, like to look at military
aircraft will be pleased with the 37 or so images.
9.06
ÉThe Clanæ section
9.06
This section contains lots of text files downloaded from the Internet
and from various Bulletin Boards (dated between January and October æ95,
with an in-depth look at SCSI 2 thrown in which was written in 1990), a
directory with Acornæs press releases between November æ94 and September
æ95, and a directory with twenty old (April æ94) files in Impression
format about the RiscPC. Not all of the texts in the FAQ part concern
computers; there is one about NASAæs space program, which contains a
hint for the competition (see ÉMiscellaneousæ).
9.06
ÉThe Webæ section
9.06
I found this one quite fascinating. It gives you a dry run of the WWW,
with a Évirtual webæ, filled with about 90Mb worth of files. You can use
either of the two Web Browsers supplied to access that mass of
information (mostly carrying an August or September dateline) to see for
yourself whether the Web is for you. There are nineteen Ésitesæ present
on this disc, such as Acorn, ANT Ltd, The ARM Club, ARMLinux, etc.
9.06
Miscellaneous
9.06
The CD contains a competition, with a RiscPC as the prize! Starting from
a file called Clue1, you have to find aá number of other clues, hidden
in a variety of ways. The first to phone in with the solution (before
31.10.1996) wins the RiscPC.
9.06
There seems to be a bug in Uniquewayæs front end concerning screen modes
with rectangular pixels. On my machine, the ÉCommercialæ and ÉClanæ
windows appear distorted (see top right), but in square pixel modes,
everything works just fine.
9.06
Other problems: A double click on the Install directory provokes an
Abort on Data Transfer error. On my machine, acknowledging the error
opens the directory, and everything seems to work, until I try to load
the next Impression file and then Publisher 4.05 crashes quite
spectacularly (with a sequence of no less than nine different error
boxes). On at least one other machine, RISCáOS crashes immediately.
9.06
Richardæs conclusion
9.06
This CD-ROM costs ú25 through Archive and provides some commercial
demos, art, music and animations, useful (and not so useful) cheap
programs, a limited virtual WWW and some Clan interest items. I enjoyed
skipping through the lists of items, particularly the PD programs, but
my interest soon waned. Others may gain much more than I did, but I
really must ask the question: Why bother? If Acorn were to produce this
CD-ROM as promotional material, then I might see some real value.
However, as it stands I am uncertain whether general compilations of
this type have real lasting worth.
9.06
Jochenæs conclusion
9.06
The part that makes this disc really different from the rest is the
Virtual Web. Anyone who, after all the media hype, is debating whether
to invest in Internet access, should take a good look at this disc. The
rest Ö well, there should be something for everyone, but is it enough to
justify the price of ú25 through Archive? For me, it definitely was. áuá
9.06
C++ Column
9.06
Tony Houghton
9.06
One of the newer features of C++ is an effective solution to the age-old
problem of error handling. Itáprovides a mechanism called exceptions to
allow program flow to be diverted to error handlers when something goes
awry. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, the only RISC OS C++
compiler to support exceptions is Easy C++, which I do not have, so
Iácannot test any examples. However, the subject is quite easy to
understand, and is clearly explained by the documentation I have. If I
show you what youære missing, you might feel like me and want to make a
lot of noise to Acorn about it!
9.06
The traditional way of dealing with errors, such as lack of memory, in
large applications which cannot afford to quit abruptly, is to skip the
rest of the current function or loop and return:
9.06
int f()
9.06
{something 9.06
  if (error)
9.06
  {report error here
9.06
    return 0;
9.06
  }
9.06
  // Carry on as normal
9.06
  return (useful value);
9.06
}
9.06
A drawback of this is that f() probably has to indicate to its caller
that an error has occurred, and the caller in turn may have to indicate
to its caller, and so on. Also, the example shows using a return value
of zero to indicate an error. This is usually fine for pointers, but
zero may be a normal value for a function returning an integer. Also, it
tells the caller nothing about why f() failed.
9.06
The technique can be expanded so that all functions that may return an
error condition have a return type that can indicate an error, such as
_kernel_oserror *. The usual return value could be changed to a pointer
argument:
9.06
_kernel_oserror *f(int *result)
9.06
{{ Style öUnknown1ò Off}  // Do something
9.06
  if (error)
9.06
  {report error here
9.06
    return error;
9.06
  }
9.06
  // Carry on as normal
9.06
  result = useful value;
9.06
  return 0;
9.06
}
9.06
This is inefficient in that it adds an extra, mostly redundant, return
value or argument to the function call process. Swapping the error and
result pointers would not significantly improve this.
9.06
In fact, the whole technique suffers from the overhead of every function
in a chain having to explicitly check for errors.
9.06
Exceptions
9.06
The alternative offered by exceptions can best be shown by an example:
9.06
class Array {ints 9.06
  int size;
9.06
  int *array;
9.06
public:
9.06
  // ...
9.06
  class Range ;
9.06
  int &operator[](int subscript)
9.06
  {>= size)
9.06
      throw Range();
9.06
    return array[subscript];
9.06
  }
9.06
  // ...
9.06
};
9.06
The member class, Range, is used only to distinguish exceptions
associated with Arrays; classes need not contain any members.
9.06
The keyword throw is followed by an expression. In this case, Range()
constructs an object of type Array::Range. When an exception is thrown,
the rest of the function is abandoned and program flow is resumed at the
innermost handler for a matching type provided by the chain of callers.
This process is called stack unwinding, effectively automating the
process described in the previous section. Any automatic (local)
variables created by functions in the call chain are properly destructed
and deallocated to avoid memory being lost (ömemory leaksò).
9.06
To handle (catch) an exception, a function must enclose the block that
calls functions which might throw them in a try block followed by one or
more catch blocks (handlers):
9.06
void negate(Array &a)
9.06
{i=0 ; i<100; ++i)
9.06
    a[i] = -a[i];
9.06
  cout << öArray negated\nò;
9.06
}
9.06
void f(Array &a)
9.06
{{ negate(a);
9.06
  }
9.06
  catch (Array::Range)
9.06
  {Array subscript  9.06
            öout of range\nò;
9.06
  }
9.06
  // Subsequent code
9.06
}
9.06
negate() is bugged in that it assumes all Arrays have 100 members. If it
tries to process one with less, Array::operator[] will throw a Range
exception, skipping the rest of the operatoræs code. From here the
computer Élooks atæ the part of negate() that called the operator; as it
is not a try block, negate() is also terminated early, skipping the cout
statement, but the variable i is deallocated. negate()æs caller is a try
block, so the following handlers are examined in order. In this case,
there is only one, so the code within it is executed because its type
matches that of the thrown object. The öSubsequent codeò is executed if
an exception is caught or if there is no exception, but not if there was
an exception that was not caught before it.
9.06
Using a caught value
9.06
The bit in brackets following keyword catch is a little like a function
argument. As well as acting as a tag for matching the type, a variable
can be put here to be used within the handler. For example, we may want
to indicate the value of the subscript that caused an exception:
9.06
class Array {class Range {bad_sub ;
9.06
    Range(int s) : bad_sub(s)
9.06
  };
9.06
  // ...
9.06
};
9.06
We would then have to change the throw expression to:
9.06
      throw Range(subscript);
9.06
and the handler could become:
9.06
  catch (Array::Range r)
9.06
  {Array subscript  9.06
         << r << ö out of range\nò;
9.06
  }
9.06
Catching derived classes
9.06
Errors can usually be categorised; exceptions allow categorisation to be
modelled as base and derived classes. For example, suppose Range was
just one of a group of errors that could be thrown by an operation on an
Array:
9.06
class Array {class Error {void print_reason()
9.06
    {Array error\n ;
9.06
  };
9.06
  class Range : public Error {bad_sub ;
9.06
  public:
9.06
    Range(int s) : bad_sub(s) ;
9.06
    void print_reason()
9.06
    {Array subscript  <<
9.06
        bad_sub << ö out of range\nò;
9.06
  };
9.06
  class MisMatch : public Error {stuff to Range
9.06
  };
9.06
  // ...
9.06
};
9.06
Calling the base class Error might seem foolishly vague, but out of the
scope of Array it has to be qualified with Array:: anyway. A MisMatch
might be thrown by attempting to add the members of two arrays of
different sizes.
9.06
Then we might write:
9.06
void subtract(Array &a, Array &b)
9.06
{{ negate(b);
9.06
    add(a, b);
9.06
      // Assuming we have defined
9.06
      // void add(Array &, Array &);
9.06
  }
9.06
  catch (Array::Error &e)
9.06
  {e.print_reason() ;
9.06
  }
9.06
  // Subsequent code
9.06
}
9.06
Note the use of virtual functions to allow a specific message to be
printed without the handler knowing which of the Array::Error classes it
has caught.
9.06
To be able to do this, you must catch a reference to the exception, not
simply the exception. The latter would just cause the sub-class (e.g.
the base Error part) of a derived class (e.g. Range) to be copied to a
new base object without the information specific to the derived class.
9.06
Multiple inheritance is also often useful for exception types.
9.06
Multiple handlers
9.06
Only being able to handle one type of exception, or those derived from
it, would be a little restrictive, so you can have a chain of handlers:
9.06
{{ // ...
9.06
  }
9.06
  catch (type1)
9.06
  {... }
9.06
  catch (type2)
9.06
  {... }
9.06
  // ...
9.06
  catch (...)
9.06
  {... }
9.06
}
9.06
The final catch statement with an ellipsis (...) is not my abbreviation.
This stands for catch any type.
9.06
The syntax is reminiscent of a switch...case statement, but the
differences are:
9.06
Each handler has its own scope.
9.06
When program flow reaches the end of a handler, none of the others are
executed (whereas in a case statement youæd have to add break).
9.06
The catch-all handler, catch (...) is analogous to switch...caseæs
default.
9.06
Handlers must be in a sensible order to avoid writing ones which can
never get executed. This means that handlers for derived classes must go
before their derived classes, and a (...) handler must be the last one
for any try block.
9.06
Rethrowing an exception
9.06
A throw statement with no operand rethrows the last exception:
9.06
  throw;  // Rethrow last exception
9.06
A good use for this would be a situation like:
9.06
void g()
9.06
{up something special
9.06
  try
9.06
  {... }
9.06
  catch (...)
9.06
  {up the special something
9.06
    throw;
9.06
      // Let caller deal with
9.06
      // the exception
9.06
  }
9.06
  // Clear up the special something
9.06
}
9.06
void f()
9.06
{{ g();
9.06
  }
9.06
  // Many useful handlers
9.06
}
9.06
throw on its own can only be called from a handler or from a function
that is directly or indirectly called by a handler. Otherwise
terminate() is called (see below).
9.06
One thing to remember is that the whole exception (i.e. all of a derived
class) is rethrown even if only a base class was caught.
9.06
Uncaught exceptions
9.06
If an exception is not caught, the terminate() function is called. By
default terminate() (defined void terminate(void);) calls abort() which
abruptly terminates the program.
9.06
As with operator new, it is possible to replace terminate. The following
is provided:
9.06
typedef void (*PFV)();
9.06
PFV set_terminate(PFV);
9.06
The return value is the previously registered handler. Unfortunately, I
cannot tell you in which header the above is defined because Acorn C++
does not provide it.
9.06
By the time terminate() is called, all automatic variables should have
been destructed, but you may have some global objects which need to be
destructed. Therefore, a practical strategy might be:
9.06
// Putting it all in a class keeps
9.06
// things tidy
9.06
class MyTerminate {old_terminate ;
9.06
  static void my_terminate();
9.06
  MyTerminate()
9.06
  {old_terminate =
9.06
        set_terminate(my_terminate);
9.06
  }
9.06
} my_terminate;
9.06
PFV MyTerminate::old_terminate = 0;
9.06
void MyTerminate::my_terminate()
9.06
{set_terminate(old_terminate) ;
9.06
  exit(0);
9.06
}
9.06
The reason my_terminate() restores the original function is that,
otherwise, if a destructor called by exit() caused terminate() to be
called again, there might be an infinite loop.
9.06
Resource acquisition is initialisation
9.06
Exceptions have led to a programming style known as Éresource
acquisition is initialisationæ. Whenever a function or block acquires a
resource at its beginning, such as claiming some memory or opening a
file, and it is released at its end, care should be taken that an
exception will also cause the resource to be released. One way would be
to wrap the resource acquisition and release in the constructor and
destructor of an automatic variable, but to avoid introducing many
trivial classes, it can be preferable to write something like:
9.06
void f()
9.06
{= new char[256];
9.06
  try {workspace 9.06
  }
9.06
  catch (...)
9.06
  {workspace ;
9.06
    throw;
9.06
  }
9.06
  delete[] workspace;
9.06
}
9.06
Exceptions and constructors
9.06
Exceptions make it much easier to handle errors from constructors.
Constructors do not have a return value, so without them, a programmer
has to resort to providing error flags; the stream libraries do this.
9.06
The interaction between constructors and exceptions is potentially
fragile, but it has been carefully designed so that a little care and
application of the Éresource acquisition is initialisationæ technique
leads to reliable operation. Remember (issues 8.12 and 9.1), a
constructor does the following before executing the code provided as a
function:
9.06
Constructs base classes.
9.06
Initialises special members.
9.06
As we have seen, this process can either be automatic, controlled by the
programmer or a mixture.
9.06
As far as the exception mechanism is concerned, an object or sub-object
is not considered initialised until its constructor has completely
executed.
9.06
If an exception occurs during a constructor, all sub-objects and members
that have been constructed are destructed in reverse order. The
destructor corresponding to the constructor in which the exception
occurred, is not called; therefore constructors should be written with
Éresource acquisition is initialisationæ in mind.
9.06
If a destructor that is executed during stack unwinding caused by an
exception, throws an exception, terminate() is called. There is no
provision for nesting of exceptions in this way. Try to avoid throwing
exceptions from destructors, although it is not always practical to keep
track of every function that a destructor calls.
9.06
One form of nested exception that is allowed is for a handler to throw
another exception, or for exceptions to be nested by having a
try...catch block in a handler. The latter should be avoided if
possible.
9.06
New handlers
9.06
Providing a new handler by passing a function address to
set_new_handler() is an extremely limited solution without exceptions.
All it can do is try to create some space for new to try again and
return, at which point new is called again, or not return. If it cannot
make any memory available, all it can do without exceptions is terminate
the program, probably by calling exit(). With exceptions, the program
can be allowed its Ésecond chanceæ at claiming memory and still be able
to continue in some way (essential for an application) if this fails, by
throwing an exception from the new handler.
9.06
Interface specifications
9.06
A function may specify, in its declaration, what types of exception it
can throw. The syntax is:
9.06
void f(int a) throw (T1, T2, T3);
9.06
This means that the only types that f() can throw are T1, T2, T3, or
classes derived from them. Without any specification (conventional
declaration), a function is allowed to throw any type, and with an empty
specification (throw()), it cannot throw any exceptions at all.
9.06
If a function throws an exception that is not specified, unexpected() is
called. Its default action is to call terminate(), but it can be
replaced with set_unexpected() in the same way as terminate.
9.06
If you provide the above specification, it is equivalent to defining f()
as:
9.06
void f(int a)
9.06
{{ // f()És code
9.06
  }
9.06
  catch (T1) {throw ;
9.06
  }
9.06
  catch (T2) {throw ;
9.06
  }
9.06
  catch (T3) {throw ;
9.06
  }
9.06
  catch (...) {unexpected() ;
9.06
  }
9.06
}
9.06
This means that unexpected() is conceptually called from a handler, so
it may rethrow the exception. A typical way of exploiting this would be
to give some error message to indicate that an unexpected exception has
been thrown, before letting it be handled as normal.
9.06
Exceptions that are not errors
9.06
I will not go into details here, but consider a loop that calls a
function and completes the loop when the function returns a value to say
it has finished (e.g. reading a file). If the function is checking for
this condition, it is really a waste of time for the loop to have to
check it as well. If the loop is likely to have many iterations and is
time-critical, it may be more efficient to have the function throw an
exception when it reaches its terminal condition, even if this is not an
error.
9.06
Thatæs all folks
9.06
I have now covered virtually all of C++. There are a few other concepts,
but these are either minor or very new and not standardised; they are
not supported by any of the compilers so far available for RISC OS, to
my knowledge. Next month, I hope to start a basic guide to programming
with the Toolbox. You will really need the monthly disc to follow this,
but if you are a PD or shareware programmer, I think you will find the
application that weæll build to be genuinely useful. I have already
completed it and used it for a real job, and it seems to work!
9.06
If you want to contact me electronically, I am: Tony Houghton,
<[e-mail]>, and my URL is: http://www.tcp.co.uk/~tonyh/ u
9.06
Geraldæs Column
9.06
Gerald Fitton
9.06
First a couple of general comments, and then I shall report on the
correspondence Iæve received about the obsolescence of the electronic
calculator.
9.06
Fireworkz
9.06
I have just received a copy of Version 1.24 with issue date 17áJaná1996.
I shall report on it next month.
9.06
Z88 Spellmaster
9.06
My public thanks to Chris Walker who has sent me this Computer Concepts
package via the Archive office. It works very well Ö I will return it as
soon as Iæve put it through its paces.
9.06
Impression
9.06
Also, I have received a book for review called öImpressionò by Dr
Anthony Ward from Paragon Publishing Ö æphone 01604-832149. It costs
ú9.95 and has a lot of good stuff in it. For now, let me say that it is
full of exercises for you to work through. Iællálet you know more about
it next month.
9.06
The bi-directional parallel port
9.06
Earlier Archimedes computers, like the very early PCs, have a uni-
directional printer port. Many years ago (I think it was about the time
that the 80286 came out), PCs changed; the parallel port became bi-
directional. The A5000, along with the A4, were the first Archimedes to
have bi-directional printer ports. We all know that Archimedes computers
last much longer than PCs Ö many Archive readers will still have a
machine built six or seven years ago Ö whereas most PC users will have
consigned their 80286 machines and even 80386 machines to the scrap
heap!
9.06
One consequence of this obsolescence in the PC world is that it is
unlikely that any PC user will still have a uni-directional parallel
port whereas, as a consequence of the longevity of the Archimedes, many
users will still have a uni-directional parallel port in their machine.
9.06
Some short while ago, I reported that a few printers wouldnæt work with
the earlier Archimedes machines because those printers require a fully
operational parallel port. I have further news Ö my source is a printer
supplier who deals with both Archimedes and PC users but who wishes to
remain anonymous (Iæm not sure why but I must respect the confidence he
has requested). In the following, the words in brackets have been added
by me in order to clarify the meaning of his comments. I do not take
responsibility for the accuracy of what is said but I believe it to be
true. I say this in the hope that, if the information is incorrect, HP
wonæt sue me but will pass on to me the correct information.
9.06
The printers in question are the HPáDeskJet 660/850C about which my
source says:
9.06
öHP have adopted the use of a high speed bi¡directional interface on
most of their later printers because this is necessary for the
sophisticated Windows drivers. It is through the bi-directional
interface that the ink cartridges are aligned. Even with the (bi-
directional) A5000, there are inconsistencies with Acornæs latest
drivers which result in reduced print quality and unacceptably slow
operation. Hewlett Packard have not released the control codes which can
be used to align the print head, so it is not possible for Acorn (or
Computer Concepts or any other writer of printer driver software) to
write drivers which overcome this problem. Price pressure on the market
for printers makes it increasingly likely that they will make use of the
intelligent (bi¡directional) Windows interface and that, as a
consequence, this problem will become worse.ò
9.06
My comment is that it is becoming increasingly important that, when you
buy a new printer, you do so from an Archimedes supplier who knows and
understands the nature of this Ébi-directionalæ problem. Donæt buy a
printer from your local high street PC vendor Ö it may not work!
9.06
(A bit of an overlap with Dave Floydæs Printing Column, here. You donæt
mind, do you, Dave! Ed.)
9.06
The Heinz Beans can
9.06
In a letter I received from Colin Singleton, he expresses the wish that
he had included this as one of his now famous puzzles. As a consequence,
I have decided not to give you the solution at this point but to leave
you to discuss it with Colin for possible inclusion in his Puzzle
Corner.
9.06
If you missed the problem, it is this. Consider a circular based
cylindrical can (similar to a can of Heinz Beans). For a fixed volume,
you can have a can with a large diameter base but a small height (like a
cake tin or the traditional salmon tin) or you can have a small diameter
base but a large height (like a tube or extended telescope); or you can
have something in between! As you vary the base diameter from large to
small the amount of material used for the ends of the can gradually
reduces but the material used for the curved portion gradually
increases. There is some shape which minimises the surface area of the
can. When you find that shape, what is the ratio of the diameter to the
height? And can you prove it?
9.06
An extension of the problem is this: What shape gives the minimum
surface area for the given volume? Is it better to have a rectangular
base, a square base or a circular (or even elliptical) base for the
cylinder? Indeed, what shape (for example, a tetrahedron or even a
dodecahedron, i.e.ánot necessarily a cylinder) gives the minimum surface
area and what is the ratio of the areas for the optimum square base,
circular base and ultimate shape?
9.06
If you decide to use a numerical method for determining the optimum, and
want to fully automate the process, hereæs a hint. Choose three points
which bracket the minimum. Evaluate the function at all three points and
then evaluate the function at two more points, one half way between the
first pair taken from the three, and the other half way between the
second pair. From the ₧ve points choose the three which give the
smallest values for the function. Having done that, repeat with the
three new points. Continue until the method converges. If you create a
spreadsheet for doing this, please let me have a copy Ö my students and
I will be most interested. By the way, using the Archimedes in double
precision mode (15 significant figures) you should be able to get the
Écorrectæ answer (a linear dimension) to about 7 significant figures Ö
after which any accuracy you think youæve got will be illusory!
9.06
The professor
9.06
Now to my main theme for this month, the obsolescent calculator.
9.06
I have received so many interesting letters about the demise of the
calculator and its replacement by the spreadsheet, that I am unsure
where to begin, but Iællástart with a reminiscence from Professor John
Greening! John says that, once upon a time, he worked at the National
Physical Laboratory designing aeroplane wing sections. Spreadsheets, the
paper ones, were used to do the sums. He used, as we did at Vickers, the
Brunsviga and Marchant mechanical calculators as calculating aids. He
says that, in those days, Écomputersæ were people who did such sums and
that is how he met the lady who is his wife. Johnæs experience mirrors
my own in that Jill, my wife, was one of many computors (I thought they
were spelt with an o and not an e) who did sums for me. AtáVickers,
computors were invariably girls because they were cheaper to employ! In
his letter, John says that it was his wife who taught him how to extract
square roots on a mechanical calculator. I remember well the day I
decided to teach Jill the same operation. It was one of those ÉRed
Letter Daysæ that I shall never forget!
9.06
Whilst this reminiscence gives me much personal pleasure, you may wonder
where Iæm leading with these stories of courting over the extraction of
square roots. Bear with me; I am, in my usual digressive way,
introducing a subject which Iæm sure youæll find interesting.
9.06
The PhD
9.06
The next point in this series of digressions is best illustrated by
another letter I got from a PhD (who wishes to remain anonymous Ö I
think heæs still with the company referred to in his letter even though
it happened a long time ago). Whilst doing his PhD, he had developed
extraordinarily clever techniques for solving particular types of super-
hard partial differential equation. During an early part of his long
employment with the (unnamed) company, he had been asked to find a
solution to a similar but different set of partial differential
equations! He spent many weeks trying to find an analytical solution
(i.e. by using formula and symbols) without success. Then he went to his
immediate superior who, in a few short lines of Éheavyæ maths,
demonstrated that an analytical solution to the problem could never be
found. My PhD correspondent was dumbfounded. He has sent me the proof of
the non-existence of an analytical solution; it is valid and quite
clever. His reaction (he says) was to be asked to be put onto another
problem Éworthy of his talentsæ. He says that he was told to solve the
problem using a numerical method or find another job! He had little
experience of numerical methods but found a computor (amongst those
allocated to him) who was kind, taught him much about numerical methods,
saved his job for him (so he says) and who, after showing him how to
extract square roots, became his wife!
9.06
The point I wish to make here is that, even in those days of long ago
when computers were computors (and PhDs were pleased that they were!),
analytical methods, so beloved by Professors, PhDs, A level teachers and
even myself (yes! Iæve been there too), have their serious limitations!
Sometimes, indeed all to often, numerical methods are the only way.
9.06
The teacher
9.06
Where now in my digressions and correspondence shall we go? I have
received many letters (as I knew Iáwould) challenging my comment that
the electronic calculator was on the way out. All these letters have a
particularly interesting feature in common (which weæll come to in a
moment). Those who support the calculator, point to all the new and
advanced features of the Émodernæ version of this device. They will plot
graphs, find turning points (maxima, minima and even points of
inflexion), solve quadratics, and differentiate analytical functions.
Indeed, their only drawback is that they all have a square root key,
thus preventing the teaching of square root extraction, a proven method
of encouraging matrimony between mathematicians and computors.
9.06
I have no doubt that my correspondents are right when they say that the
Émodernæ calculator is more of a microcomputer than a plain old-
fashioned calculator. Indeed, the best of them include a Élexical
analyseræ. In case you donæt know what Iæm talking about, a lexical
analyser is a package which will disassemble text, allow the
disassembled text to be processed and then put it all back together
again. An example of text which might be processed by a lexical analyser
is the function yá=áx*sin(x). Suppose we want the formula which is the
first derivative of this function (i.e. a formula for the slope of the
original curve) then we can use the lexical analyser to split the
function into its parts, use a process known as Édifferentiating a
product of two functionsæ and finish up with the solution
yÉ=áx*cos(x)á+ásin(x). I remember that there was a package available for
the old BBC computer around 1983 which would find the derivative of a
product of two (or more) functions Ö it had a built in lexical analyser.
I feel sure that something similar must exist for the Archimedes,
although I donæt know of one and, if it doesnæt exist, then this is
indicative of something relevant to my story (so please let me know if
youæve seen a Édifferentiateæ package).
9.06
The correspondents who support these Émodernæ calculators have one thing
in common. They all teach mathematics, they teach solving equations,
they teach differential (and integral) calculus, they teach graph
plotting. Maybe some of them teach numerical methods of solving
problems, but none have said so. One thing for sure, they wonæt teach
potential computors what is, apparently, a certain method of improving
their prospects of a good marriage, namely knowing how to extract square
roots!
9.06
I have no wish to upset teachers of mathematics but Iámust make my
point. The Émodernæ features of these calculators will be of more use to
A Level students of Pure Maths than they will be to those who need to do
lots of sums.
9.06
The computor
9.06
Where now on the trail of the square root of two? Iáhave had many
letters from scientists and engineers and a few from people in business.
Apart from universally complaining about the inability of many school
leavers to perform simple arithmetic without a calculator (e.g. öThey
canæt answer the question ÉHow many pennies are there in ú2.35?æ without
a calculatorò) there is general agreement that being able to solve
analytical equations, find the turning points of continuous functions,
etc, has limited application. Some suggest that A Level Maths is useful
only for those going to university! What they want are Écomputorsæ Ö
people who can carry out computations accurately with modern tools. By
Émodernæ they definitely do not mean calculators with what I have called
Émodernæ, features Ö they mean electronic spreadsheets.
9.06
In business, in science and in engineering, the mathematical functions
involved are generally not analytical and they are often discontinuous.
There is no way in which the techniques of the Émodernæ calculator can
be used with these functions. For centuries, the tool of preference for
doing sums, particularly on Éfunnyæ functions has been the paper-based
spreadsheet (with a formula at the head of each of the columns). I
believe that the spreadsheet, brought up-to-date by using an electronic
computer, will be the tool of preference for large scale number
crunching into the foreseeable future. Many in business, science and
engineering agree with me.
9.06
Finally, of the many letters Iæve had from practising Écomputorsæ, I
must select one. A lady called Susan Jones has sent me a disc file in
PipeDream format which gives a practical algorithm based on the
(xá+áy)^2á=áx^2á+á2*x*yá+áy^2 formula I quoted for extracting square
roots using an electronic spreadsheet. She says that it was taught to
her by her grandmother (a former Royal Aeronautical Establishment
computor from Farnborough) at the tender age of eight. I must
congratulate the grandmother; it seems obvious to me that, of the many
facts of life, she was acutely aware of the one which would make her
young granddaughter eligible and at the same time enable her to indicate
that she had selected her lifetime partner. I must add that Susan Jones
signs herself as a Miss so, to quote her, she öhas not yet come across
the Mr who is worthy to receive this secret aphrodisiac algorithm
inherited from my grandmotherò. I had considered putting Susanæs
grandmotheræs algorithm on the Archive monthly disc but, after careful
consideration, Iádecided that it would be a breach of confidence!
9.06
In conclusion
9.06
A heartfelt öThank You!ò to all of you who have written to me and shared
your reminiscences with me. Many of your letters included stories which
I found nostalgic, amusing and interesting. Please write to me at the
Abacus Training address on the back cover rather than via the Archive
office. Itæs much faster.áuá
9.06
The Oxford Infant Talking Atlas
9.06
Joe Gallagher
9.06
The Oxford Infant Talking Atlas from Sherston Software is the latest
fruit of the collaboration between the two companies which began with
the Oxford Reading Tree series of talking books several years ago.
Sherston had been involved with talking books, prior to this, in the
form of its own Naughty Stories series and had already begun to explore
using sound for information books in its Look Hear topic books. If you
are familiar with these, the format of the latest offering will come as
no surprise.
9.06
As well as the discs, the program is supplied with a paperback version
of the atlas. The single user version employs Sherstonæs familiar key
disc approach and although there has been much debate about it in the
pages of this magazine, I must add my two penniesæ worth. Obviously,
software producers want to prevent unauthorised copying of programs but
I feel that, in this day and age when hard disc systems are becoming the
norm, having to use a floppy disc to start up a program is a bit
primitive. Somehow, I donæt think that programs such as this will be
pirated to the same extent as happens with games software. Sherston has
started to appreciate this with its reduced and very reasonable site
licence prices. If you have more than one computer, it is definitely
worth buying the site version for a tenner more.
9.06
As with all Sherstonæs products, navigating through the program is
simplicity itself and it certainly does seem to achieve coverage of the
Key Stage 1 requirements for map reading under the National Curriculum.
Unfortunately, thatæs about it really, as the program doesnæt actually
do much else. To be fair, this isnæt so much the fault of Sherston, as
the material they were working with (the National Curriculum) and the
limitations imposed by the floppy disc medium. I think, however, that
slightly more use could have been made of hyper-links for exploring some
features of the countries. As it is, it comes across as a fairly run-of-
the-mill presentation which could have been knocked up in a few hours
with the likes of Genesis. This is potentially such an exciting topic,
that it deserves more attention than merely reading out the names of
towns, maps and rivers. To conclude, I can do no better than quote the
two six year olds who looked at the program for me. öIs that all it
does?ò
9.06
The Oxford Talking Atlas is available from Sherston software and costs
ú20 +VAT for a single user licence (ú22 through Archive) and ú30 for a
site licence.áuá
9.06
Printers and Printing
9.06
Dave Floyd
9.06
I must start off by apologising for the lack of a printer column in the
last couple of issues. Time has been a rather precious commodity at this
end over the past few months and, unfortunately, something had to give.
I have tried to answer as many letters as possible, but if you are one
of those I never had the chance to get around to, then sorry.
9.06
Psychic printers now available?
9.06
Danny Fagandiniæs Laser Direct recently suffered a terminal failure and
he replaced it with a Brother HL660. He reports that it takes a while
between releasing the computer and printing the first page, but he is
happy with the Brother on all other counts and states that it performs
admirably.
9.06
One evening, however, he scanned in a sheet with his Scanlight
Professional, placed the scan onto an Impression page and tapped Print.
To his surprise, the Brother immediately sprang into action and produced
a perfect copy of the page while ÉPrinting page 1æ was still on screen.
In due course, the computer was released, the printer digested the data
and produced a second copy! Neither the computer nor the printer had
seen the original before so how did this happen? I throw it out to
Archive readers to suggest a reason as I am rather lost for ideas.
Remember, the truth is out there.
9.06
CC software and the PC card
9.06
Since obtaining a 486 card for my RiscPC, I have noticed a problem with
CCæs dongle, or Impression Publisher itself, and the PC software or
card. Essentially, if I have used Impression and then load the PC
software, I cannot get out again without inviting strange errors, unless
I completely reset the computer. Sometimes, the PC card hangs on loading
too. The problem does not arise if I have either not used Impression
during that session or reset before going into PC mode. I had not really
thought about it as it does not impose on me too much, although it is a
bit annoying if I forget. P Williams from Northallerton has a more
knotty problem, which was what brought it to mind.
9.06
His system comprises a RiscPC 600 with an HP 500C inkjet, Turbo Driver
and Impression Publisher. In normal Acorn mode, he suffers no problems.
Printing from IBM mode, however, is a different matter, resulting in
either no output at all or complete gobbledegook emerging from the
printer. The only way Mr Williams has managed to get around this problem
has been to remove the dongle and the Turbo Driver lead, and print from
PC mode using a standard printer cable. This is obviously not an ideal
solution.
9.06
As a dedicated Acorn user, he does not want to lose the added speed of
Turbo Driver, but his wife wishes to continue to use the IBM software at
home which she uses at University. To try to find a more convenient
solution, Mr Williams configured the IBM side to print out via the
serial port and connected a suitable cable. Unfortunately, nothing
happened. Assuming the PC card and PC software was set up correctly, I
can only suggest checking whether the printer was configured to accept
input from the serial port, normally achieved through the menu or by a
dip switch in the printer itself.
9.06
Mr Williams has not given up, however, and has applied some admirable
lateral thinking to the problem. He asks whether a set up as shown in
the diagram overleaf would work.
9.06
My initial thought is that the dongle may be too far from the parallel
port to operate without Impression hanging up, but that the problem
probably lies with the Turbo Driver cable rather than the dongle itself.
Iácertainly suffered no problems printing from the PCácard with a dongle
in place (aside from that related above) when I owned an HP compatible.
If the dongle were placed in the computeræs parallel port instead of in
the sharer box, I can see no reason why this should not work in theory.
Perhaps a reader has access to the necessary bits and pieces to confirm
this.
9.06
In the meantime, I would suggest that Mr Williams contacts his local
Acorn dealer who may stock the necessary sharer boxes and would probably
be agreeable to him taking the computer along and trying it out before
he parts with any money. If this would not be possible, then given the
friendliness of Acorn dealers in general, it may be possible to buy the
sharer boxes and extra parallel leads from one of them with an agreement
to return them for a refund if it does not work. After checking the
Archive price list, I notice that NCS do not stock sharer boxes, but
Beebug stock both auto and manual models and it may be worth bending
their ear in this direction. Iáwould be most interested to hear the
outcome of any tests.
9.06
Wither dongles? Whither CC?
9.06
A report in the February issue of Acorn User states that Computer
Concepts are to give up using dongles. This will undoubtedly result in
far fewer printing problems but I must admit that I am not entirely
satisfied. Had CC stated that they were also to abandon the non-standard
cable that accompanies Turbo Driver, I would be happier, but they have
given no indication of this. If CC are still prepared to use hardware
protection on TD, why are they not continuing with dongles? The answer
is cost and, Iábelieve, lies in the imminent release of Beebugæs Ovation
Pro. I also think it reflects badly on Computer Conceptsæ recent
attitude to the Acorn market.
9.06
Charles Moir has stated that CC are not about to abandon the Acorn
market. I believe him, but also consider his words to have been very
carefully chosen. I think that he means by this that CC will continue to
support existing products, but not, as could be construed from the
statement, that they will develop new ones. Supplying Impression
Publisher and Artworks without dongles will mean that they can meet the
new challenge from Beebug by lowering prices and instigating a price war
in the DTP software field. Cheaper prices are one thing, but I would
rather that CC took on the new challenger by improving Impression to the
levels now seen on the high end PC products, while retaining the ease of
use we take for granted in the Acorn field. This would almost certainly
require a large scale rewrite which I do not think CC have the heart to
attempt.
9.06
Their changing attitude to the Acorn market over the past couple of
years has become more obvious. When the Archimedes was first launched,
CC were so incensed by the Arthur operating system (and rightly so) that
they announced Impulse, their own operating system which was planned to
compete with the Acorn OS. After Acorn outlined plans for RISC OS, they
backed down, but the intent was there.
9.06
If the same spirit existed within the company towards the Acorn market
as it did then, I believe that rather than complain about Acorn not
providing a proper C++ implementation and supporting libraries, CC would
write it themselves. It strikes me as a rather odd complaint from a
company that has always prided itself on writing in pure ARM code,
anyway. They now blame Acorn for not being able to port over Xara Studio
from the PC, as they no doubt will for the lack of new Impression
versions.
9.06
For Computer Concepts to move over to coding in C++ has benefits for
them. It will mean that they can develop new products for both the PC
and Acorn markets almost in tandem. I do not think that this will
benefit Acorn owners to any great degree. What it would mean for us is
huge applications with large hard disk and memory requirements, as seen
on the PC nowadays.
9.06
If Ovation Pro is as good as its pre-release hype, and if Beebug do not
attach any intrusive protection to it, I can see it becoming the main
DTP package for the Acorn platform very quickly. Price cuts in the
Impression family will not stop that becoming a reality. After all, due
to functionality, speed of operation and ease of use, Impression became
the most popular DTP package on Acorn machines, in spite of the dongle
and three other cheaper DTP packages being on the market. Its success
was solely due to it being the best Ö a position that may well be lost
over the next couple of months.
9.06
It is a shame that Computer Concepts do not appear to be able to rise to
this challenge. Just as Impression has become dated when compared to
what is available on other platforms, without competition, the same fate
will be in store for its successor. This is obviously bad for Acorn
users in the long term.
9.06
The dongle may be dead but please give only a polite round of ironic
applause, and another if the non-standard cable on Turbo Driver becomes
extinct. These problematic devices were foisted on us by Computer
Concepts in the first place. Save your heartiest of cheers for Computer
Concepts announcing a completely new version of Impression (or Artworks
come to that). Sadly, I suspect that you will never have to cheer at
all.
9.06
Finally
9.06
I now have a scanner, so I hope to be able to conduct an investigation
on how best to scan for printing and photocopying in time for next
monthæs column. I will follow this by taking a close look at the Epson
GT¡9000 with its supplied Irlam software and the Calligraph direct drive
printer. Any printing related problems or suggestions for future
articles should be sent to Dave Floyd, c/o PO Box 2795, London NW10
9AY.áuá
9.06
Fly the Atlantic
9.06
Christopher Jarman
9.06
There is an old saying that used to be trotted out amongst Fleet Air Arm
observers, öI ainæt never been lost in my life, but I was uncertain of
my position for three days once!ò After playing about with Topologikaæs
Navigator program for three or four days, I would think that any pupil
should have learned enough about navigating never to be lost at any
time.
9.06
I was very pleased to review this activity pack entitled ÉFly the
Atlanticæ because it enabled me to explore the parent program,
Navigator, thoroughly as well, in order to work it. Navigator is a
content-free software pack which needs maps and instructions dropped
into it to teach mapping skills. It was reviewed very favourably by
George Barnett in Archive 7.11 p79 and won a Silver Award at the Bett
æ94 Show.
9.06
It is, in fact, a specialised authoring program something like a basic
version of Genesis, but with the dedicated tools to show compass
bearings and distances, vectors and even a simple turtle system. Maps
are entered as drawfiles and the small boats or aeroplanes, helicopters
or even feet, which are sent along the various routes, can be designed
as sprites. Of course, there are plenty of these resources provided, but
many enthusiasts prefer to design their own as soon as the process is
understood.
9.06
Navigator comes complete with a number of activities, from the simplest
Ö find your route to school, your classroom, your desk Ö through to
orienteering and sailing off Falmouth in a yacht.
9.06
ÉFly the Atlanticæ is an extra activity sold as a separate pack. It has
been written by Steve Cheesman who is both an Acorn enthusiast and a
Boeing 747 pilot. Itácomes on a single 800Kb floppy disc and is
compressed using !Spark. There is also a 15 page Flight Guide of loose
leaf notes. It is aimed at Key Stage 2 Geography and Maths.
9.06
The program is on the disc in two forms, easy and hard. This is such a
good idea that I think it should be taken up by many other educational
packages.
9.06
To begin with, you must first load Navigator. When this is on the
iconbar you can then insert the Fly Atlantic disc and open the
compressed directory FlyAtlanti (sic). If you do not have a hard disc,
you will need a complete 800Kb disc for each version. This is all simply
explained in the accompanying textfiles. The extensive explanations
provided for everything may seem tedious for the very experienced, but
it shows Topologikaæs long educational pedigree in that almost every
possible problem has been forestalled.
9.06
It is very good advice to start with the easy version. The first page
shows the side view of the front of a Boeing 747 and two footprints of
you, the pilot, which must be positioned in the cockpit. You click into
page 2, which is a plan of terminal 4 at Heathrow. Using the Tiny Turtle
method, you then tow your aircraft out to the hard standing and await
instructions. You are then told to start engines and taxi to the runway,
then you take off and climb to 2000 feet. Here the vector mapping
ability of the program is cleverly turned sideways and your pathway up
through the air to your destined height is plotted.
9.06
(I have one small gripe here which does not detract from the value of
the package, but should be mentioned. Please could educational software
houses take a lead in checking the simple grammar of presentations? The
perennial clanger here is of giving Éitsæ an apostrophe when it doesnæt
have one Ö see the Heathrow picture, top right.)
9.06
It all has a very authentic feel about it as Steve Cheesman has clearly
made sure that his drawings and charts are as close to the real thing as
possible. You follow instructions and navigate your way via the correct
waypoints across to Kennedy Airport USA. There you land on the correct
runway and taxi to the terminal.
9.06
The easy version is mostly done using the simplest rubber band technique
which is the best way of carrying the pupil painlessly through the
procedures to a successful end. By the time you come to the harder
version, you understand what is expected and can concentrate on the
various ways in which you are expected to navigate, from the simple
turtle to the more complex turtle, to entering in bearings and distances
which you have to work out from the compass. As you get more proficient,
you can begin to estimate bearings and distances, more and more like a
genuine navigator. There are, of course, ways also available to check
your guesses.
9.06
I have always believed that there is no finer way of teaching map skills
than through simple navigation, particularly if it is combined with the
kind of role playing that this package encourages. This is a first class
educational program that also has far greater possibilities in
navigational training than even the excellent activities so far
provided. I can envisage London taxi drivers doing ÉThe Knowledgeæ using
this application. It would not take much trouble to convert the London A
to Z to drawfiles for the purpose. All that is required for the job
after that, is already in the package. I would like to see a serious
package for holiday-makers helping them to find the best routes through
Europe. And what about Yachtsmen? I have already started on a Guide to
little-known harbours in the Balearics!
9.06
Top marks for originality and top marks for value, as much for
enthusiasts as for the classroom.
9.06
Navigator costs ú45 +VAT +ú2.50 p&p from Topologika (ú52 through
Archive), and Fly the Atlantic costs ú15 +VAT +ú2.50 p&p (ú19 through
Archive).áuá
9.06
Starting Basic 7 Ö Branching
9.06
Ray Favre
9.06
In our ÉLoanæ project weæve reached a point where we want the program to
carry out some calculations to find the value of the fourth (Éunknownæ)
parameter, having input the values of the other three parameters. The
trouble is, the precise calculation depends on which of the four
parameters is the Éunknownæ one. So we need a means of branching the
program under our control along one of a number of paths Ö and the CASE
... OF ... WHEN ... OTHERWISE ... ENDCASE construction fits the bill.
9.06
CASE ... OF ... WHEN ... OTHERWISE ... ENDCASE
9.06
The general form of this construction is:
9.06
CASE <expression> OF
9.06
  WHEN <expressionA>
9.06
       (do something)
9.06
  WHEN <expressionB>
9.06
       (do something)
9.06
     ............
9.06
    ............
9.06
     WHEN <expressionN>
9.06
       (do something)
9.06
     OTHERWISE
9.06
       (do something)
9.06
ENDCASE
9.06
<expression> can be any numeric or string expression (e.g. a variable).
The current value of this expression is then compared with the values of
<expressionA>, <expressionB>, etc. in turn until a match is found. If a
match is found, the Édo somethingæ corresponding to that match is
carried out. If no match is found, the program carries out the Édo
somethingæ attached to the OTHERWISE statement Ö if there is one (itæs
optional) Ö or Édrops out the bottomæ at the ENDCASE line.
9.06
However, there are several important features to note:
9.06
Å The CASE statement must be the last statement on its program line. (My
version of the BBC Basic Reference Manual is wrong about this in its
alphabetical section on Keywords Ö but correct in its descriptive
chapter on Control Statements!) The OF must be the last item on that
line. (Unlike after THEN in the IF ... THEN ... ENDIF case, it does not
seem to matter if you add spaces after the OF.)
9.06
Å WHEN must be the first statement on a line. (Anything put between the
CASE statement and the first WHEN statement appears to be ignored Ö
there must be a practical use for this feature!)
9.06
Å There can be as many WHEN statements as you like.
9.06
Å A WHEN statement can have as many <expressionX> items following it as
you like, each one separated by a comma. This permits identical actions
for different <expression> values.
9.06
Å The Édo somethingæ instructions can be on the same line as their CASE
statement, separated by a colon Ö or can be multi-line statements.
Everything up to the next WHEN (or OTHERWISE, or ENDCASE) is taken as
part of the Édo somethingæ instructions for the previous WHEN.
9.06
Å If there is more than one match, only the first one (lowest line
number) will be actioned: i.e. after a match is found and its Édo
somethingæ instructions have been executed, the program goes straight to
the ENDCASE line Ö it does not continue checking for further matches.
This is a very important point to take account of in some programs.
9.06
It is worth concentrating on the <expression> and <expressionX> items.
In any one construction, they must each be able to be evaluated to the
same type of value i.e. real or integer, numeric or string. They cannot
be mixed. Here are some examples:
9.06
CASE (Colour% MOD 7) OF
9.06
    WHEN 0: PRINTöBlackò
9.06
    WHEN 1: PRINTöRedò
9.06
    WHEN 2: PRINTöGreenò
9.06
    OTHERWISE PRINTöNot interestedò
9.06
ENDCASE
9.06
(Colour% MOD 7) will evaluate to an integer number, so putting a
selection of integers with WHEN statements will work OK.
9.06
CASE Celebration$ OF
9.06
    WHEN Birthday$, Retirement$
9.06
      PRINTöHappy ò;Celebration$:PROCgift
9.06
    WHEN Wedding$
9.06
      PRINTöGood Luck!ò
9.06
      PROCgift
9.06
ENDCASE
9.06
Celebration$ will have a certain string assigned to it at the time the
CASE construction is called. If that string is identical to the string
assigned at that time to Birthday$ or Retirement$, the message öHappy
Birthdayò or öHappy Retirementò, respectively, will be printed and
PROCgift carried out.
9.06
CASE TRUE OF
9.06
WHEN (ascii%>64 AND ascii<91):PRINTöCapital Letterò
9.06
WHEN ascii<32:PRINTöNot printableò
9.06
ENDCASE
9.06
Using TRUE in the CASE statement can offer wide flexibility, but you
have to ensure that the WHEN statements carry <expressionX> items which
will evaluate to TRUE or FALSE.
9.06
CASE GET$ OF
9.06
WHEN öAò: PRINTöAcornò
9.06
WHEN öAò, öEò, öIò, öOò, öUò :PRINTöVowelò
9.06
ENDCASE
9.06
Straightforward, but an often useful use of GET$. Note the deliberate
Émistakeæ here Ö if you press öAò you will get öAcornò and not öVowelò
because it meets that comparison first. If you reversed the line order,
öAcornò would never be printed.
9.06
Other branching constructions
9.06
BBC Basic does have another construction for branching, the ON ... GOSUB
form. However, this was a construction available in the very early
versions of Basic, before CASE ... OF was added. It has been kept for
compatibility but it is not recommended for current use.
9.06
In addition, you can often think up ways of using nested IF ... THEN ...
ENDIF constructions to get multiple branching. But why bother?!
9.06
Before updating our ÉLoanæ program we need to look at one more Basic
construction ...
9.06
FOR ... TO ... NEXT ... STEP
9.06
This is probably the simplest of the Basic loop constructions Ö and it
is the fastest. It is used whenever you want a loop process to occur a
known number of times. The general form is:
9.06
FOR Counter% = Start% TO Finish% STEP Step%
9.06
    (Do something)
9.06
NEXT Counter%
9.06
but more commonly it is seen like this:
9.06
FOR Counter% = Start% TO Finish%
9.06
    (Do something)
9.06
NEXT
9.06
The loop counter Counter% is initially set to the value in variable
Start% and letæs assume, for the moment, that Step% is positive. The
program then carries out the (do something). When NEXT is reached,
Counter% is incremented by the value held in the variable Step% and, if
the new value of Counter% is less than Finish%, the loop is re¡entered.
This continues until incrementing Counter% makes it larger than Finish%.
When that happens, the loop exits immediately.
9.06
If Step% is negative, Counter% is reduced each time round the loop Ö and
the loop then exits when Counter% becomes less than Finish%.
9.06
As already hinted, the STEP keyword is optional. Without it, the step is
+1. Also, there is no need to include the loop counter name Counter%
with the NEXT instruction Ö Basic keeps track without this and it is
more of an aid to the programmer. (Indenting helps the programmer
sufficiently usually, but if you prefer to show the counter name, then
do it!)
9.06
The construction is free of most constraints and can be made wholly or
partially part of multi-statement lines.
9.06
There are only two points to note: firstly, there is no way to avoid
going through the (doásomething) at least once Ö whatever the values of
Start%, Finish% and Step%. Secondly, read the above description of what
happens to Counter% very carefully Ö when the loop exits, it leaves
Counter% with a value different to Finish%. Most frequently, when Step%
is not used, Counter% will end up being equal from Finish% + 1. This
often doesnæt matter, but if you are subsequently going to use Counter%
for something else Ö be warned!
9.06
To ensure you are thoroughly familiar with what happens, itæs worth
playing with the following short program. Enter Basic from a Task Window
(see Partá1) and type in:
9.06
10 FOR Counter% = 1 TO 9 STEP 3
9.06
20   PRINT Counter%
9.06
30 NEXT
9.06
40 PRINT öOn exit, Counter% = ò; STR$(Counter%)
9.06
50 END
9.06
As it stands, if you run this, the result is a list of the numbers 1, 4,
7 only, with Counter% ending up with the value 10. Did you expect that?
Explore further for Éhomeworkæ by changing the values in line 10 and
noting the results.
9.06
Back to the project
9.06
In ÉLoan_7Aæ on the disc, PROCcalculations has had a straightforward
CASE ... OF construction put in it Ö using the string variable Unknown$
in the CASE expression and four WHEN statements (one for each of the
four possible letters with which Unknown$ can be assigned). The
appropriate calculation PROC is then called. In ÉLoan_7Aæ these four
different calculation PROCs have been left empty, but in ÉLoan_7Bæ three
of them have been completed and these three will produce a valid result.
Youæll see a typical FOR ... NEXT loop used in one of them.
9.06
As this series is about programming and not finance(!) I need not
discuss these three calculation PROCs in detail, although there are a
few programming points to bring out. However, to enable you to follow
the calculations, I do need to tell you the formula used. It is:
9.06
L / P = B + B2 + B3 + B4 + ........... + BN-1 + BN
9.06
where B = 100 / (100 + R), and:
9.06
L = Loan Amount (ú)
9.06
P = Amount of monthly payment (ú)
9.06
N = Number of equal monthly payments
9.06
R = Monthly interest rate (%)
9.06
(Donæt write to tell me if itæs wrong!) You will see that the completed
calculation PROCs are for those three cases where R is known. It is then
a question of manipulating the formula for the specific unknown in each
case and producing the corresponding program instructions to reflect
them. Let me know if you feel they deserve more said about these
calculations Ö Iáhave included extra information for those taking the
printed listings service.
9.06
The main programming point to bring out from these calculations is that
where a factor occurs repeatedly (like B in the above), it is always
best to calculate that factor once at the start and store the result in
a variable Ö then refer to that variable subsequently. This is
particularly important if you are using the various trigonometric and/or
logarithmic functions provided in Basic (which we will be mentioning in
due course). They consume a lot of processing power and it just doesnæt
make sense to repeat such calculations unnecessarily. So, in our case,
we start each calculation PROC with one such factor calculation.
9.06
The second point arises in FNsigma(NumOfPayments%)at line 2300. Note
that the parameter in the brackets of the DEF FN is an integer Ö yet in
lines 2220 and 2760 we call the FN passing a real number. We are
deliberately using our knowledge (see Parts 3 and 4) that if we try to
assign a non-integer number to an integer variable, it will be assigned
with only the integer part of that number Ö and without declaring an
error. By using this feature here, we effectively correct any non-
integer values entered for ÉNæ at the previous user-input stage. Note
the prominent REM at line 2310 to alert us to what weæve done.
9.06
The third point concerns the printed output when the result is a real
number. If you run ÉLoan7_Bæ and choose either ÉLæ or ÉPæ as the unknown
parameter and feed in some values for the known items, the result will
be printed to several decimal places Ö not very realistic when it
represents a sum of money. We need to convert it to just 2 decimal
places i.e. pounds and pence, whatever the result. ÉLoan_7Cæ does this
by adding FNnumberToString() but, as usual, there are other ways
available. The function uses string operators heavily, which we will
cover in more detail next time, but see if you can follow it. Note
particularly that the FN converts the number to a string Ö a very common
practice in Wimp programs.
9.06
Next time
9.06
Before we attempt to make any further major changes to our ÉLoanæ
program, I want to pick up a few topics already introduced but not yet
explained Ö and then to start introducing graphics from scratch, in
preparation for using graphics to complete the, as yet untouched, fourth
calculation item i.e. when the interest rate is the unknown parameter.
So, keep ÉLoan_7Cæ safe Ö we will start to develop it further in Part
10.
9.06
Donæt forget the feedback, queries (and A4 SAEs for printed listings)
to: 26 West Drayton Park Avenue, West Drayton, Middlesex, UB7 7QA.áuá
9.06
I just want to underline Rayæs request for feedback. He is putting a lot
of effort into this series, so he needs to know if it is hitting the
mark. Is it telling you what you want to know? If you want to respond
but prefer to use email, send your comments to me at <[e-mail]
.uk> and I will forward them. Thanks. Ed.
9.06
Artworks Video Guide
9.06
Christopher Jarman
9.06
I was one of the lucky few who managed to get a half-hour tutorial with
Walter Briggs at the Acorn Show in October. He showed me some of the
finer points of Pineappleæs Studio 24Pro. He was so frank about the fact
that he had only learnt how to do certain things with it himself that
very morning, that it greatly endeared him to me.
9.06
As winner of the first CC Artworks competition, Walter was just the
right person to make this video. The one hour guide is aimed squarely at
beginners, with the hope that more experienced users will also get
something from it. I am not a beginner, but I certainly learned several
things that repeated reading of the manuals had still not revealed to
me.
9.06
(For the first time, I found out about <ctrl-f9> for aligning objects.)
9.06
The tutorial begins with Walter introducing himself, then he goes
straight into Artworks from the point of view of the absolute beginner.
He shows you how to load the program, how to start and what the tools on
the toolbar are for. This approach is excellent in my opinion, as almost
all manuals that I see, assume too much knowledge on the part of the
reader. The video makes it clear that you should know how to work your
Acorn machine, but you need know nothing about Artworks. Slowly, and
keeping the viewer fully involved, the video reveals how to make shapes,
fill them, move them about, line them up and so on.
9.06
The techniques used are good quality shots of the screen with Walteræs
voice-over explaining what he is doing and why he is doing it. Having
gone deftly through the use of the tools, he moves into showing step-by-
step how he traces his famous picture of a tigeræs head from a
photograph and fixes the transparency to the screen. Showing the value
of the layer system in the program, he takes us through a well-prepared
sequence from the tigeræs eyes to the mouth and tongue. I cannot say he
makes it easy to achieve the same skill, but he makes it easy for you to
see how it is done.
9.06
With the video, you can replay it as many times as you wish to get the
tricks of the trade. If you have been used to using only Draw, be
prepared to be amazed, for Artworks does all that Draw can do but so
much more easily. Judging by the clips I have seen, many Artworks users
do not make full use of the graduated fill, radial fill and blend tools.
This video will help you to see how it is possible to combine all three
constantly, to produce organic forms.
9.06
The final sequence is much more easily copied. Walter shows how to make
a simple imaginative seascape in a very few strokes. If this last
painting doesnæt tempt you to have a go and start making you own clipart
collection, you donæt deserve to have a computer!
9.06
I look forward to more videos, perhaps with a CD-ROM of clips as well,
being sold with more and more advanced techniques being shared. There is
no doubt that we are now changing from a time when computer enthusiasts
tried their hands at a bit of art, to the present era where real artists
are able to use the software as a medium in its own right.
9.06
The advantage of watching a video in this way is that the information
comes up on a screen in the same visual form as your computer. It may
seem to be stating the obvious, but there are many of us out here who
were not brought up on the BBC Micro, and for whom the TV and video
screens are familiar and acceptable in the way that computers may not be
at first.
9.06
Artworks Video Guide costs ú19.99 inc VAT, carriage free from Pineapple
Software or ú19 through Archive.áuá
9.06
Dinosaurs & Musical Instruments
9.06
Andrew Rawnsley
9.06
What I am reviewing here is two CDs by Microsoft(!) but donæt turn over
yet because they are not Windows products Ö they are for RISCáOS
machines. These two new multimedia products have been converted by
Innovative Media Solutions (IMS). They provided reader software which
uses the original CD data to create a product almost identical to the
original. (What is more, IMS are working on other conversions, such as
Encarta æ96, and they run better than the original CDs did under Windows
on a pentium!)
9.06
Indeed, when you purchase a title from IMS, you receive the full
Microsoft product on CD-ROM, with a disc allowing you to drive the
software from your Acorn, under RISC OS. This software is simply a port
of what would have to be installed on your system by the Windows version
of the install program anyway, so Acorn users certainly donæt lose out!
9.06
The two products, Dinosaurs and Musical Instruments, are being reviewed
together as they are the first two titles from Microsoftæs Exploration
Series. Fundamentally, they are similar, with a consistent style and
presentation. Obviously, the information is different, and Dinosaurs is
slightly more advanced, but the feel and ease of use allows them to work
well together, particularly in a home or classroom environment Ö
although headphones are recommended!
9.06
Whatæs more, both products integrate well into the RISC OS desktop
environment, despite their Windows origins. The RISC OS window frames,
which often get in the way when viewing multimedia titles, are played
down, with the pages of information having a half-height title bar, to
avoid clutter. IMS have made sure that their software supports the
latest Acorn multimedia standards such as 16-bit stereo sound. Future
titles will support software playback of Midi files and even Indeo and
AVI video footage, without the need for specialist external software/
hardware.
9.06
Musical Instruments
9.06
The first thing that struck me about this program was its comprehensive
nature. Every instrument in the encyclopedia has a minimum of one page
of text and illustrations dedicated to it, with at least one sound
snippet so that you can hear the instrument in action. One might have
expected some of the more obscure instruments to have been glossed over,
with a bias towards orchestral/traditional instruments and video
snippets.
9.06
However, this is not the case, as my explorations of Aboriginal
Australian music unearthed! I now know what a Bullroarer looks and
sounds like, as well as the instruments to which it is related, namely
the Didjeridu and Harmonica. Clicking on the picture of the Didjeridu, I
continued my investigation. Having listened to the sample of the
instrument, and heard the correct pronunciation (very useful for some of
the more exotic types), I discovered this instrument to be a distant
member of the Trumpet family, and proceeded to click on the Serpent...
9.06
Iæll stop there as I hope this has given an insight into how the product
develops. Each page of information is connected to many others through
geographic, playing-style or music field links. All diagrams and
illustrations are annotated, and pages can be saved out for use in
project work. Printing is possible, using standard Acorn printer
drivers. Future versions may also allow the sounds to be exported for
use in music packages and Midi synthesizers.
9.06
Beginning your exploration
9.06
The contents page allows you to begin exploring from the following
angles:
9.06
    Families of Instruments
9.06
    Musical Ensembles
9.06
    Instruments of the World
9.06
    A-Z of Instruments
9.06
You can search for a particular instrument using the Index, a button
which is always available. This list is fairly comprehensive, so proves
a useful jumping-off point.
9.06
Once youæve begun, the categories become blurred, as you would expect.
It is, of course, the method by which you come to the information which
is important. Simply clicking on the saxophone or trombone from the
index isnæt as valuable as obtaining the same page of information, but
through sections on jazz and big bands. It is this linking of
information that makes multimedia titles so much more effective than a
text or reference book, certainly in the classroom, though this review
copy will be staying firmly as a home resource Ö it has proved popular
with young and old alike.
9.06
The only criticism of the product is its help system, which is really
just a text file displayed in a fixed size window. Under Windows this
would have been a hypertext file, similar to HTML web documents. The
Acorn variant doesnæt have this interactivity, making it less practical.
However, if youæve got that far, then you probably donæt need help
anyway, as everythingæs so clear and easy.
9.06
The conclusion to the overture
9.06
Overall, this title is superb. Whether used as an education tool or as a
fun reference work which shows your machine off to its true potential,
you shouldnæt miss it. The only consideration should be whether your
hardware meets the specifications Ö ARM 3, 4Mb RAM, double speed CD-ROM
drive and, preferably, a multisync monitor.
9.06
Multimedia Dinosaurs
9.06
The second title to be released by IMS, on behalf of Microsoft, is this
investigation of all things prehistoric. I feel that this title has
arrived a little late Ö the tide of Jurassic Park mania and tie-in
products has died down, but then Acorn owners rather missed out. As
another generation of children grows up, there will always be a
fascination with these huge relics of the Earthæs past.
9.06
Unfortunately, Microsoftæs offering is rather superficial, and relies
heavily on bonus items such as a dinosaur screen saver, dinosaur video
sequences (stored as AVI files which IMS hope to support by the time you
read this), and pictures which can be turned into Éwallpapersæ (a.k.a.
pinboard backdrops) for your desktop. The latter are designed for
640╫480 desktops, which are too small for practical use on an Acorn
system. Scaling the images results in them becoming fuzzy. You can
always save the images out and view them in Paint, or include them in
DTP documents.
9.06
On the plus side, this CD is very well presented, even better than
Musical Instruments. Buttons go in and out when pressed, and are stored
as illustrations rather than standard RISC OS buttons. Many of the
dialogue boxes, and related buttons, are attractively textured, using
yellows, greens and browns, to a Édinosaur colouræ.
9.06
You can explore the dinosaurs geographically, from a timeline, or by
family. As usual, the illustrations are beautiful, complete with
multimedia annotations, but sound is limited to random roars and foot
stomping. Again, pronunciation of the dinosaur names is available. There
is a voice-over commentary, but this tends to get in the way more often
than not.
9.06
To add another angle to the fairly limited material available, you can
take a guided tour. These consist of pre-select pages with different
voice-overs, which link the pages together. For example, you can look at
Éfinding dinosaur bonesæ, which covers fossils, excavation, sites of
existing finds, and also dinosaur museums (North America only,
apparently!). The commentary explains key points, and leads you through,
although the language and turn of phrase is a little juvenile, so it
wasnæt too popular with older family members.
9.06
Guided tours cover everything from spotting dinosaurs, to eggs and
dinosaur young, to the design of dinosaurs. I feel these tours are where
most of the value comes, but they are let down by a lack of
interactivity. For example, the build-your-own-dinosaur tour had lots of
potential Ö I would have liked to stick bones together and see the
result fleshed out Ö but the material was limited to showing the longest
neck, most fearsome claws, best body armour, etc. You didnæt actually
get to build anything!
9.06
To conclude, I would really only recommend this title if you have
children of the right age range (primary school, really Ö under 10).
This is not intended for serious dinosaur enthusiasts, who might find
the material limited, but for the novice, it could make for an
attractive introduction. Itæll also make friends jolly envious, because
the presentation is terrific.
9.06
Overall conclusions
9.06
Both Musical Instruments and Multimedia Dinosaurs are pleasing additions
to the Acorn software portfolio. The latter has a specific target
market, and sticks to it without deviation, whereas Musical Instruments
has appeal for everyone. Both titles should be a success, and Iæm just
looking forward to the future ports of Dangerous Creatures, Ancient
Lands and, most importantly, Encarta æ96.
9.06
IMS are also porting the Dorling Kindersley range, which should add
another string to Acornæs bow.
9.06
Finally (should you want to!), you can also run both CDs under Windows
on a PC card, if available, which adds further possibilities.áuá
9.06
Land, Sea & Air
9.06
Chris Coe
9.06
To be honest, when looking at the cover of the box, Iáwasnæt
particularly impressed. It was a black and white screenshot that
appeared to have pretty poor graphics. Well, I was right about the
graphics Ö they are pretty poor Ö but what gameplay!
9.06
Land, Sea & Air was introduced to me as a Écut-down Sim City 2000
cloneæ. In fact, it only bears a passing resemblance to SC2000, since
the objectives and gameplay are quite different. This game reminds me
more of Transport Tycoon on the PC. In both of these games, the idea is
simply to make a colossal mountain of money by transporting goods and
passengers from place to place by any means at your disposal. In Land,
Sea & Air, those means are exactly that Ö trains, boats and planes. This
game is almost pure strategy and, in keeping with games of this nature,
there are oodles of options you can tinker with, and a vast array of
decisions to be made.
9.06
The game runs in its own windows environment, a bit like Sim City 2000,
but not as slick or consistent. Nevertheless, thatæs not really a
problem because, once youæve got the screen set up the way you want it,
you wonæt need to play with the windows too much. On starting the game,
you get to set various options which will affect the level of
difficulty. These range from speed of opponent to water density! You can
also change the name of your transport company and so on.
9.06
When you get into the game proper, you are initially presented with
three windows, showing you your financial situation, your current status
and a portion of the game map. There are various buildings dotted about,
each of which supply and want various goods. Some also take one item and
turn it into another; for example, car factories turn steel into cars.
So, the first thing to do is link up two reasonably close sites where
each site supplies what the other needs.
9.06
Start with the trains
9.06
There are several steps involved in this. First of all, you need to
build two stations. Stations vary in price according to their catchment
area, but to start with, you can use the cheapest, which just capture
buildings in the immediate vicinity. Then, you link them with some train
track. Next, you build a train (you may need to order one if there
arenæt any in your storage stock).
9.06
At this point, the timetabling system comes into play. This is a very
sophisticated way of getting trains to go to various places, dropping
off and picking up cargo as they go along. You can have up to ten
carriage configurations, which you fill with the type of rolling stock
you will be needing (for passengers, iron ore, coal, farm produce and so
on).
9.06
Then, you define a timetable by clicking on a sequence of stations and
the configuration to pick up at that station. It seems overly
complicated at first Ö it took me half an hour to figure it out Ö but
eventually you realize that itæs really quite clever. Then, hey presto,
the train starts moving and the cargo is ferried around to the right
places. After that, itæs just a matter of expanding your infrastructure
ad infinitum.
9.06
Unfortunately, itæs not quite as simple as that because there can be up
to four other computer-controlled opponents also trying to get a slice
of the action, which makes for some pretty tough gameplay (unless, like
me, you make them really poor on the difficulty settings screen).
9.06
The boats and planes
9.06
Sea and air networks arenæt as complicated as the train network. This is
probably because the game is the sequel to Days of Steam, which was
concentrated solely on trains. That game had 2D graphics, but there is
now an isometric projection of the game map, which is obviously much
better. Setting up boats and planes is simply a matter of building a
seaport or airport, ordering the appropriate type of boat or plane and
setting a new timetable.
9.06
The timetabling system is different from the trains because boats and
planes go abroad to collect and deliver items, which simplifies things a
tad. When you first build a port, it has a number of items waiting to go
to a number of places. By investing in some advertising, you can get
yourself in the running for contracts to supply new places. If this
happens, you have to bid against your competitors for the deal. If you
have two or more seaports or airports, you can have routes between these
for cruise ferries and passenger planes.
9.06
Keeping control
9.06
As with any game of this nature, there are rather too many things to
keep under control, from finances to oil disasters, and it all adds to
the fun! While there are some buildings spread around the map at the
start of the game, by pouring as much money as you can into particular
buildings, whole villages and cities spring up due to their newly-found
wealth. Also, there are some buildings which you can build yourself,
from paper mills to football stadia.
9.06
Criticisms
9.06
First of all, the manual is very brief and does not, in my opinion,
cover everything in nearly enough detail for you to get the most out of
the game. It might not seem too important, but when you consider the
complexities involved, it would be nice to have a useful reference
guide. A tutorial would have been useful too. There were also several
things I found in the game which werenæt documented at all.
9.06
Secondly, the interface is inconsistent. For example, you can rename
trains but you canæt rename planes. Also, with the button icons for the
boat and plane information windows, although they both operate in
exactly the same way, they have different names and are arranged
differently. Some windows for some types of transport, work slightly
differently, and all this adds up to a fair bit of annoyance.
9.06
Thirdly, the graphics, while reasonable for a strategy game, are not
really up to much, especially when compared to games of this type on
other platforms.
9.06
By far the most serious gripe for me is that you can only play through
30 years of game time before you are forced to resign. The idea is that
you do as much as possible within the timeframe set, but it would have
been nice to include an option to allow you to play on and build a
massive empire. I have spoken to the author about this one, and he
promises a new version soon which will include this option and answer a
number of my criticisms. There were a number of other small problems,
but nothing of significance.
9.06
This is one of the most-played games I have had for several months. Once
you suss it out, itæs very addictive and itæll have you going back to
improve your score every time. You can start simple, and as you get more
confident, you can introduce new problems via the difficulty settings
window. Thereæs more than enough to keep you occupied and, overall, I
can recommend this game wholeheartedly Ö there are not many land
management simulation games for Acorn machines that are of the calibre
of the PC games (Transport Tycoon, Settlers, Theme Park, the Sim series
etc.), so if those sort of games are your cup of tea, Land, Sea & Air is
an essential purchase.
9.06
Land, Sea & Air runs on all 2Mb RISC OS machines, except the RiscPC, and
costs ú19.95 inclusive from UKáSoftware. áuá
9.06
British Isles from the Air CD
9.06
Christopher Jarman
9.06
Anglia CD-ROMs get better all the time. British Isles from the Air is
the most recent that I have seen, and it is stunning! It is Angliaæs
policy to offer CDs which, if possible, will run on Acorn, PC and Apple
Mac, and this one certainly works on all three. The photos are by
Aerofilms who are the foremost agency for aerial photography in the UK.
9.06
You need 4Mb of RAM and RISC OS 3.1 or above. The screen mode
recommended is and 640╫480 in 256 colours but, on a RiscPC, I preferred
to view it on 1024╫768 on a 17ö monitor. Either way the pictures are
exciting and many are quite superb. If only I had learnt geography this
way! Still it is not too late, and I am enjoying finding out about my
own country by means of this valuable resource.
9.06
When you load the disc at first, you soon come to the menu page.
Angliaæs current trademark for these is to use a scene which is relevant
to the environment of the program. Just as the menu for the Seashore CD
was set inside a lighthouse, so this one is in the cockpit of a
helicopter. Click on the window scenery to be taken to various groupings
of the photos. There is also an informative section on how the photos
were made.
9.06
Having made your choice, you then have a long list of photos under your
selected category. Click on a title and up comes a picture, always clear
and with a concise description and its location in latitude, longitude
and grid reference. The little 12-page booklet which comes inside the
CDæs plastic case tells you all you need to know about installing the CD
and accessing the pictures.
9.06
Cleverly, the pictures are not taken from too close in because, in this
sort of instance, it is very important to be able to view the wider
context of the subject. On TV, we are often shown Wimbledon from the air
for example. Here we can see not only the huge stadium, but also a
substantial part of the suburb and the hill which rises from the side.
The image is good enough to zoom in to a selected part of it if desired.
(There is no zoom facility by the way, which I would like to have seen,
but changing the screen to a smaller mode size can do quite a lot
towards enlarging a picture you wish to scrutinise.) Every page has the
facility to choose a desktop or a full screen view plus the marvellous
ability to save out each screen as a sprite. So all these pictures may
be used in other educational products in school by pupils or teachers.
9.06
There are more than 230 photos of Britain in this package and there is
no reason to suppose that schools or educational bodies will be the only
people to want to use it. Any adult with an interest in the country
could happily spend hours pouring over these views.
9.06
There is the usual quite forceful copyright notice included and so I
have no idea how Anglia would respond to requests for more commercial
uses of the pictures. One can see so much potential for tourist
information, the Internet, and so on, that it may be possible to obtain
permission for some usage.
9.06
Verdict Ö quite mouth-watering and very good value. Britain from the Air
CD costs ú39 +VAT from Anglia Multimedia or ú45 through Archive.áuá
9.06
Portfolio
9.06
Dave Wilcox
9.06
Portfolio is a very simple media display tool produced by WECC,
(Warwickshire Educational Computing Centre). The program lets you
display a sequence of graphic images and, if appropriate, associated
sound samples. It is a nice presentation package, suitable for home,
school or business use.
9.06
What do you get?
9.06
The software comes in a plastic fold-over wallet containing four discs
and an A5 manual. The manual consists of 36 pages, is well written and
well presented, and explains the software in a concise manner which will
have anybody making presentations in no time at all.
9.06
Disc one contains the program, !System and !Scrap, taking up a massive
160Kb. The rest of the disc and the other three discs are filled with
example presentations, used to good effect to show how simple the
software is to use.
9.06
Requirements
9.06
The minimum requirements for this package are RISC OS 3.1 or higher,
preferably a hard drive, (itáwill run from floppy, only slower) and 2Mb
of memory. Obviously, if you start using high resolution graphics and
large JPEG files or the like, a larger memory machine will be needed.
When using these files, it must also be noted that the timing will be
inconsistent with the configuration setting, due to the time these files
take to load Ö you rich people out there with RiscPCs will have little
or no trouble. (Iæveájust gone green!)
9.06
The program
9.06
There is no copy protection on the disc, so backup first or install to
hard disc. The program can be installed anywhere on the disc you wish.
The configuration window is the main item, which allows several settings
to control the manner the frames load and wipe. You can run your
presentation in a carousel fashion, i.e. when the end is reached, it
restarts and goes on ad infinitum, or you can set it for a single pass.
There are 16 fade options, such as diamonds Ö when the current screen is
due to be changed, it fades and the new screen is introduced with an
overlay diamond effect.
9.06
These effects can be selected as a single fade throughout or Éallæ,
where a different fade is used for each update. You can, of course,
switch off the fade option if desired. The time between fades can be
altered; some screens obviously take longer for the spectator to digest
than others, especially if text is used. The display can be set to
change automatically or manually. This will be a great help if your
presentation is keyed to your speech and gives time for side tracking or
dealing with questions. Using this feature, it is possible to step
forwards and backwards using the mouse or icons on screen.
9.06
A presentation
9.06
A presentation is so easy to construct Ö I did not initially believe
this was all I had to do. To construct a basic presentation, you drag
your pictures into a directory, (files do not need to be squashed but
they can be if you prefer), name your directory to fit your presentation
for future reference, and then drag it onto the iconbar icon. The frames
step through in alphanumeric order using the configurations set up as
above Ö thatæs it!!
9.06
To top this, within the presentation directory make another directory
called sounds. Put sound samples, again squashed, into this directory
and name them the same as the associated picture. When the picture
loads, so long as you have a sample player, like ÉSoundConæ by Rick
Hudson, (FreeWare), you will hear the sound as well Ö impressive or
what?
9.06
For the more adventurous, control can be via script files, which are
also saved into your root presentation directory. These files are made
up of some very simple commands and are very easy to construct using a
text editor. This enables more precise control over the presentation.
9.06
At present, Portfolio can cater for the following filetypes:
9.06
Sprites, drawfiles, JPEG files, squashed sprites, squashed drawfiles,
GIF files, PCX files, BMP files, RLE files, PhotoCD files and Armadeus
sound files. (For PhotoCD, you will need to have Photoview loaded first.
This should have been provided with your CD-ROM.)
9.06
Conclusion
9.06
Excellent, no hang ups, no crashes, easy to use, versatile and
reasonably priced. Portfolio costs ú29 single user, ú29 primary school
site licence, and ú45 secondary school site licence from WECC, but you
have to add ú1 p&p and VAT to these prices.áuá
9.06
The Worldæs Weather CD-ROM
9.06
Dave Wilcox
9.06
The Worldæs Weather CD-ROM is one of the latest offerings from Anglia
Multimedia. It is produced to run on Acorn, Multimedia PC and Apple
Macintosh machines. From enquiries made, it would seem that it is aimed
at the age group 11-14 years.
9.06
The package
9.06
The disc comes in the normal crystal pack with a little booklet
explaining the running procedure for the various machines. Forgetting
the Éotheræ machines, from here on you will require an Archimedes ÉAæ
series or RiscPC to run this disc. The machine must have RISC OS 3.1 or
better, 4Mb of RAM, at least a single speed 150kps CD-ROM drive and a
monitor which supports 640╫480 pixels.
9.06
The software
9.06
There are really only two directories which will concern the average
user, ÉAcornæ and ÉActShtsæ. Taking the simplest first Ö ÉActShtsæ, as
you may have guessed, contains Activity Sheets for students to use in
conjunction with the disc, for further study. There are sixteen of these
sheets in draw format, all nicely laid out and very eye-catching when
printed, especially in colour.
9.06
ÉAcornæ is the business end of the disc. Opening this, you will find a
cut-down version of !CDFast, !Setup, !SysAuthor and !Weather. !CDFast is
a utility by Eesox to speed up CD access, !Setup contains the likes of
!System, !ARMovie, !ARPlayer etc.... !SysAuthor is the engine for
Angliaæs Multimedia display system and !Weather is the data file. Before
starting, you should select a 640╫480 screen mode in order to use the
full screen for display. This done, click on !CDFast followed by the
!Weather file and youære off.
9.06
As with most of Angliaæs Multimedia software, the presentation is
excellent. Full use is made of the machineæs capability to display
drawfiles and sprites, video files and animated files which, in places,
are accompanied by sound files.
9.06
The first menu page gives you two options; an introduction to the CD-ROM
or the Main Menu. The main menu starts out with five choices; Processes
in the atmosphere, Changing seasons, Weather and climate, Life in
different climate zones, and Resources. Each of these areas is then
broken down into more precise topics, and you are then taken through a
carousel-type presentation, giving you a concise overview of your chosen
area.
9.06
Movement through the data is by means of pointing and clicking the
mouse. Very simply, anything which is in yellow, or surrounded by a
yellow box, is a link to further pages. Normal movement is via a
cassette player-style control panel.
9.06
The drawfiles and sprites are available for student use in project work
via the resources option on the main menu. It is also possible to run
the program on the desktop in its own window for multitasking with a DTP
package, for example, enabling project work to be completed alongside
the carousel of displayed data, for easy reference.
9.06
Conclusion
9.06
I am always impressed by Angliaæs presentation; graphically it is
excellent, and the layout is eye¡catching and clean. There is, however,
one point this particular disc falls down on Ö the proof reading is
poor. To allow a CD of this quality to be spoilt by standard or
typographical errors is such a waste. Aáreally impressive package has
been marred for the sake of someone sitting down for an hour or so
reading through the text.
9.06
Despite that drawback, the content of this disc is still good enough for
me to recommend it. The Worldæs Weather will cost you ú49 +VAT or ú56
from Archive.áuá
9.06
Pineapple AVK/3 PAL Encoder
9.06
Stuart Bell
9.06
Just as my review of two PAL encoders was published in Archive 8.10 p63,
Pineapple Software announced a new model, the AVK/3, and they kindly
loaned me a unit for review. That first article discussed the technology
and purpose of PAL encoders in some detail. I wonæt repeat that, except
to say that such devices allow the production of the video output of
computers on ordinary TVs and video recorders.
9.06
The Pineapple PLC/3 and Rombo VGA Buster (!) encoders are simple devices
which will work only with ÉTV standardæ modes ù 12, 15, 35, etc ù to
produce images on TV screens. Adjustments are limited, and the mode
limitation is an increasing nuisance as Acorn computers move towards VGA
(600╫480), SVGA (800╫600) and much higher resolution modes. However,
both provide a cost-effective solution within those constraints.
9.06
The new AVK/3 encoder is a radical departure from earlier encoders. In
reality, it is a USA-sourced AverKey3 device produced for PCs and Macs,
re-badged by Pineapple, who also add a useful page of additional
information for users of Acorn computers. It comprises three components;
the main unit which is about 8ö ╫ 3ò ╫ 1ö, a plug-in mains adapter and a
neat remote control unit by which all the signal processing options are
selected. In addition, a massive range of cables is supplied, sufficient
for all possible needs, and all of a generous length.
9.06
Making the connection
9.06
Input to the device is by a standard 15-pin VGA socket. Outputs are
provided for the computer monitor by another 15-pin VGA socket, and also
provided are a phono composite-video signal, an S-VHS mini-DIN connector
and a SCART RGB connector. The last of these optimises quality for
suitably-equipped TVs, by avoiding the need for PAL encoding of the
picture signal, providing the red, green and blue signals directly to
the TV. All cabling is provided.
9.06
Remote control
9.06
This hand-held unit allows selection of options such as Ézoomæ to give a
2:1 magnification of a quarter of the screen, Éoverscanæ to widen the
image, Ésharpnessæ, Ébrightnessæ and Éfreezeæ to hold a particular frame
even though the input to the encoder has changed, but it also has a set
of three ways of altering the image. ÉWidthæ buttons alter the width of
the displayed image; Épositionæ alters the position (in two dimensions)
of the image on the screen; and Épanningæ moves similarly the position
of the image relative to the whole of the computer display ù i.e. if a
little of the whole image is being lost, Épanningæ allows the adjustment
of the edge of the image which will not be displayed. Settings can be
saved, or else reset to factory-set positions in case oneæs
experimentation goes out of control! In short, use of the remote-control
is simple, and a tweakeræs delight.
9.06
The AVK/3 in use
9.06
The first thing to stress is that, whereas the earlier devices would
only work with ÉTV standardæ modes such as 15 and 35, these are the very
modes with which the AVK/3 will not work. Instead, the increasingly
standard VGA and SVGA modes (28 and 31 on older machines) are the ones
to use. Using an elderly A310 with a VIDC enhancer, I was limited to 256
colours with VGA and 16 colours with SVGA, but the device should work
with 32K and 16M colours without any problems.
9.06
Whilst the Pineapple-provided notes detail how to get round a problem of
the iconbar being truncated from the display on RiscPCs in VGA mode, I
actually encountered a similar problem on my A310 in SVGA mode.  In my
case, this was almost certainly caused by the VIDC-enhancer, but the
panning and position controls minimised it.
9.06
The quality of the output is certainly better than that of earlier
devices, especially when the SCART RGB signal is used. When driving a
VCR ù necessarily with a composite video signal ù the quality
improvement is not so great, but this is because of the constraints of
the PAL encoding system.
9.06
Finally, as I was completing this review, Jim Nottingham wrote to me
detailing his conclusions. He too is impressed with the quality of the
output, and says that it was noticeably better than that obtained from a
Vine VGA encoder. He had no problems using it with a RiscPC, but did
encounter difficulties with a State Machine graphics card and Eizo
monitor on an A540.
9.06
In conclusion, the great benefit of the AVK/3 over earlier (and
admittedly much less expensive) devices is its ease of use with computer
configurations which normally use VGA and SVGA displays. If you are
using ÉTV standardæ monitors, or those multisync monitors which display
modes 15 and 35 full-screen and not in letter-box format, the older PLC/
3 encoder will meet your needs economically. Also, users of older
machines canæt benefit from the SVGA capability of the new unit, unless
16 colours are enough for their particular application.
9.06
However, for users of the RiscPC, and for those willing to spend the
extra money for long-term compatibility and optimal results, the AVK/3
PAL encoder is a superb device, which ù within the inevitable quality
limits imposed by domestic TVs and VCRs ù does all that could possibly
be required of a PAL encoder.
9.06
The AVK/3 PAL encoder is available from Pineapple at ú350 + VAT =
ú411.25 or ú395 through Archive.áuá
9.06
Photobase
9.06
Gabriel Swords
9.06
Photobase is the name of a piece of software that lies at the heart of
Longman Logotronæs photographic collections. Itæs a kind of database for
pictures, combining an indexing system for the images and a descriptive
card index to provide information and searching facilities. Although the
Photobase application is used extensively by Longman to control their
own CD-ROM image banks, it can be copied onto a hard drive and used to
assemble any collection of sprite-type images.
9.06
Once a PhotoBase collection is loaded, it opens onto a scrollable
window, revealing a collection of indexed directories, inside which are
numbered or named sprites. Along the top of this window, thereæs a menu
bar with a series of buttons Ö more on these later. Double-clicking one
of the directories opens a display of numbered, thumbnail images, ten at
a time Ö double-clicking one of the thumbnails opens the picture to
nearly fill the screen. Alternatively, by clicking <menu> over a
picture, further options become available; for example, Find opens the
directory in which the image(s) are held; Launch actually launches Paint
and displays the image in paint format.
9.06
Menu bar
9.06
The menu bar at the top of each window gives you five or six options,
depending where you are in the program. Probably the most useful of
these are Search, Index and Sequence. Search opens a window which allows
you to use search criteria for particular categories of image. Searching
can be done by using keywords, text, dates or leafname. The quickest way
of finding a category is to use a keyword; e.g. click on an activity
called ÉCelebratingæ and the index will find all the images which have
something to do with celebrations. Alternatively, you can look for
particular dates, or look for words or numbers within the index. Once
found, the images are collected as a series of thumbnails for viewing.
Thereæs a whole range of keywords, each designed to give you quick
access to a general category, such as music, sport, fighting, film,
industry, dancing, keep fit, etc. There are too many to mention them
all. If you want to be more precise in your search, you can get
Photobase to look for something within a category, e.g. Category: Music
Ö Look for: ÉConcertæ. This takes a bit longer, but not much. It took me
an average of 15-20 seconds to search 2500 images looking under two
categories using a single text keyword.
9.06
The second useful option on the menu bar is Index. This opens an Éindex
cardæ relating to either a single or a stack of pictures. If none are
selected, the card will display the first picture of the sequence and
allow you to scroll through the whole stack. On the left of the card,
thereæs a thumbnail of the picture; below thereæs a brief description of
what it is, plus a date, if known. Descriptions in the Photobase
collections are usually quite short and only give the barest details.
Sequence allows you to group a number of different frames into a
Éfilmstripæ sequence, in any order. Once this has been set up, it can be
run on screen as though you were showing your holiday snaps!
9.06
Because the Photobase collections are on CD-ROM, speed of access is
going to be a factor in whether they get used or not. I first tried
Decades on a single speed, and very old, Cumana drive. This is not
recommended; it was like wading through treacle! On a quad speed Eesox
drive, itæs much more accessible, even a delight to use. The software is
simple enough to use, and gives adequate search facilities. If I had to
quibble, I might say that more information on the images would have been
nice, but then this is a collection of photos, not an encyclopaedia.
9.06
The collections
9.06
Iæve been looking at two sets of Photobase collections: Photobase
Decades and Photobase Science. Decades is a collection of some 15,000
photographs and engravings brought together from the Hulton Deutsch
picture library. The images are divided into six CD-ROMs covering the
periods 1920æs Ö 1960æs, plus the Victorians. Each CD contains about
2,500 images. The images have been put onto CD in the form of sprites
and text files, and give a pictorial view of what life was like in the
periods in question. As already mentioned, the categories of picture are
very wide and so it does actually give you a good Éfeelæ for the periods
in question.
9.06
The Science collection has over 1400 science-related pictures covering
such topics as: Living things Ö plants, animals, insects and micro-
organisms; EartháÖáhabitat, climate, geology and structures; Astronomy Ö
planetary exploration and objects in deep space; Technology Ö industry,
processes and materials. Unlike the Decades collection, each sprite has
a name rather than a number. There are pictures of bridges, rockets,
flowers, animals, bacteria, galaxies, satellite photos Ö almost anything
which could be used in a scientific context.
9.06
All of the photographs are of the highest quality and offer a wide
variety of images to choose from. The collections are aimed primarily at
education, and providing you use them for educational purposes, the
images can be printed and distributed freely within the purchasing
institution. This means they can be used in DTP documents; they can be
printed; used to illustrate lectures; they can be modified and
incorporated into creative designs; and they can be loaded onto a
network and accessed accordingly.
9.06
The main difference between Decades and other similar collections is
that Decades presents the images without much comment, relying on the
sheer number of images to provide a resource big enough to satisfy.
Other collections give more detail about the images, but provide less to
choose from. So, Éyou pays your money and takes your choiceæ.
9.06
The question is, who is going to use them?
9.06
Home users
9.06
Thirty odd years ago, everyone had to have a complete set
encyclopaediaæs in their home Ö it was felt educationally right.
Salesmen played on the fact that children would learn from them and,
consequently, would be deprived if their parents didnæt buy them. Do the
Photobase collections come into this category? It is a terrific resource
Ö where else could you find so many images in one place and with such
easy access? But, like encyclopaedias of old, the complete collection
will set you back a fair amount Ö ú330 in all. It is a collection worth
having, but you and your children can live without them.
9.06
For the home user, the collection could be viewed like one of those
coffee-table books you see lying around Ö itæs really interesting to
delve into from time to time. For nostalgiaæs sake, you could buy one of
the decades which most appeals to you and cast around for memories. For
those of us who lived through the sixties, we can ask yet again, Édid we
really dress like that?æ If I were going to buy any of the Photobase
collections for home use, I would probably buy the Science Collection
and one of the Decades.
9.06
Others
9.06
According to Longman Logotron, lots of non-educational people have been
asking for permission to use the images in a variety of publications Ö
from leisure centres and local government to libraries and graphic
designers. Clearly, the collection has an appeal which goes much further
than educational establishments. And why not? Trying to get access to
photo archives is not exactly difficult, but it is time consuming and
expensive. So, having this many images available in one place has got to
be a really useful resource. But the images are not free of copyright.
To get permission to use the Decades images, non-educational
establishments have to write to: Hulton Deutsch, Unique House, 21Ö31
Woodfield Road, London W9 2BA, to whom you will probably have to pay a
fee. To use the Science images, write to Longman Logotron. Iæll write to
both and let you know whatæs involved.
9.06
Schools
9.06
For schools, this really is a good collection of images. Printing and
photocopying sets of images for a whole year group would prove too much
for any departmentæs budget, but making the images available for pupils
to use in their own way certainly is viable. You feel that this
collection should at least find its way into the school library or
resource centre and, with the CDBrick, making the images available
across a network is easier than ever. The collection is so varied that
almost any subject area could use them. Highly recommended.
9.06
The Photobase collections cost ú49 +VAT each from Longman Logotron or
ú55 through Archive.áuá
9.06
Detritus
9.06
Andrew Rawnsley
9.06
Adventure games arenæt common on the Acorn platform, and good ones are
certainly a rarity. It says something that most fans of the genre still
regard the Magnetic Scrollsæ products of 1988-91 as some of the best
Acorn adventures.
9.06
In recent times, we have seen the emergence of the graphic adventure as
the predominant form of computer puzzling, with classics such as Simon
the Sorcerer attracting many players who would otherwise ignore such
titles.
9.06
Detritus, from a new software house called Myndgaemz, (marketed by Byte
Back Computing) follows in this style, but the stunning photographic
visuals hark back to those of Magnetic Scrolls who first proved that
adventure games really could be brightened up with beautiful images.
9.06
1991-1995
9.06
So, have the last four years produced anything new in terms of interface
and design?
9.06
At first sight, you might think not, as the main graphic for each
location takes over the top two-thirds of the screen, and the user
interface dominates the bottom. However, gone is the traditional
flashing cursor waiting for such odious input as:
9.06
    > North
9.06
    > Open gate
9.06
    Which gate? The blue gate or the big gate?
9.06
    > Open blue gate
9.06
    > Get toffee
9.06
    > Eat toffee
9.06
Ah, that brings back memories!
9.06
Detritus
9.06
Detritus avoids all this, providing a panel of verbs, allowing object
manipulation, and examination of your location.
9.06
Movement is achieved by positioning your mouse over the image of your
location (Éfilmedæ on location in Gosport living medieval village), and
either pointing to a visible exit or to the edge of the screen. The
pointer will change into an exit arrow, allowing you to click to enter
the next room.
9.06
If you locate an object or character in the image, you will be given a
little information, but the Éexamineæ verb tends to be more useful.
9.06
Storyline
9.06
The plot for Detritus comes in two halves. The first, described in the
impressive, animated introduction sequence, describes how a nuclear
incident has reduced the worldæs population to small enclaves of people
living in tiny, historical villages.
9.06
Just as in the Middle Ages, people spent their entire lives in and
around the same location, rarely travelling outside the realms of their
village, so this future society exists, with its blacksmith, tavern,
druid, monks and alchemist.
9.06
The second half of the storyline is given in the novella supplied with
the package. This tells the story of Nikki, a young woman whose husband,
Toni, has been kidnapped by the evil daemon, Arrut Loopaz. In order to
free him, Nikki must complete several tasks for the various other demons
who inhabit the land.
9.06
Presentation
9.06
The presentation of Detritus is something of a mystery to me. The main
visuals are stunning, with each location given full photo-realistic
treatment. However, the verb panel and manual are poor, to say the
least.
9.06
When youære paying ú30 for a product, you expect some kind of
professional packaging.
9.06
Puzzles
9.06
The difficulty with any graphical adventure is that you are limited to
the verbs shown on the screen. This effectively means that with a little
(?) time, you can solve the entire game by trial and error.
9.06
The second problem is that text-based adventures can provide more
information and clues in their room and object descriptions. Mazes are
also easier to implement. However, by providing a large array of
objects, strange characters and obscure locations, there are enough
puzzles in Detritus to keep most people happy.
9.06
As an experienced adventure gamer, I must say that Iáfound most of the
puzzles rather simple, and the only difficulties were caused by
illogical results from completing certain tasks, and my repeatedly
missing a pipe which was cunningly hidden in one location!
9.06
There is a substantial collection of red herrings, and this is no bad
thing, but I did end up feeling that perhaps a little more could have
been done with the items and locations available.
9.06
Final words
9.06
Itæs difficult to draw a single conclusion on Detritus. Much of it is
wonderful, with the music and graphics particularly so. The variety of
characters and puzzles should keep most players amused for some time,
but I find it hard to recommend the game to ardent adventure fans.
9.06
Itæs a shame that the graphical adventure style has brought with it an
awful lot of fairly simple adventures, but almost no really taxing
titles, like those seen on the BBC.
9.06
Anyway, if youæve completed Simon the Sorcerer (which still gets my vote
for number one), and are looking for another game of the same ilk, I
recommend purchasing Detritus. Itæs just a shame that a little more
effort wasnæt put into perfecting some of the other aspects of
presentation.
9.06
Detritus costs ú29.95 from Byte Back Computing.áuá
9.06
Theodore Fonts
9.06
Dave Wilcox
9.06
Theodore fonts is part of an Engraversæ Collection based on styles used
by engravers in the 18th and 19th centuries, and is a new package from
ÉThe Datafileæ. I think most people will already be aware of their
Medieval and Gothic Collections, and the excellent quality of these two
packages. This new set is of the same high standard and is by the same
author, Tony Nash.
9.06
The package
9.06
The software comes on two discs accompanied by a 16 page manual/index,
all presented in a plastic fold-over wallet. Disc one contains a copy of
Acornæs !NewChars2, and a fonts directory containing the Theodore font
family, which consists of Regular, Bold, Expert, Fancy, Fancy Open, Open
and Tooled. There are two text files concerning copyright notices and
information about Turbo Driver problems. There is also a sample of a
font to be included in Part II of the Engraversæ Collection called ÉR-
Classicæ.
9.06
Disc two contains !ArcFS (Read only) and two compressed directories,
Decorations and Theodore Capital letters, both containing drawfiles. In
the Capitals directory is a page for each letter of the alphabet with
each capital letter having two versions fully decorated, one of which is
modified to allow text to be correctly positioned next to the capital.
The decorations directory contains Footers, Headers, Framework and Frame
Tops. Samples of some of these can be seen in the frame below.
9.06
The manual is more of an index really, with each font style printed out
in full, with one style per page, followed by the graphics and the
decorated capitals.
9.06
Quality
9.06
As I said at the beginning, I am personally of the opinion that this is
very high quality work. An examination of the font shows that full use
has been made of scaffolding and skeleton structures in order to
maintain their definition in large or small sizes, and most of the
special characters are also included.
9.06
As regards printing, it is stated that the standard Acorn Driver has no
problems. However, with the CC Turbo Driver, you apparently get an
address exception error and need to turn off the fast text/half tone
option Ö apparently a problem CCæs end. I have not encountered this
problem with my Turbo Driver with text half tone on, so I would suggest
you try it and see. (I am using HP-LjetIII 3.05g 24/2/94, with Acornæs
Driver 1.28c 9/2/95.) Perhaps it is a fault with older versions which
has now been corrected?
9.06
Datafile warn that when printing via a dot matrix printer, some
definition may be lost and the result a bit poor. I am unable to verify
to what extent this loss of definition occurs. Laser printers have no
problems in terms of definition but, due to the half tone dot patterns,
you may get slight image breaking at small sizes.
9.06
Conclusion
9.06
This is an excellent quality package of the standard now expected from
Tony Nash. I hope he can continue to turn out work like this for the
future. One other point in favour is that the PC world are clamouring
for packages of this nature. As a result, Datafile are thinking of
converting it for use on the PC. Part I of the Engravers Set costs
ú27.50 inclusive of VAT and p&p from The Datafile (but see below).áuá
9.06
Dave was reviewing the two-disc version but it has now been extended
with more borders and more characters and is a three-disc set costing
ú30 from The Datafile, or ú28 through Archive. Part II of The Engraversæ
Set is nearing completion and is due to be available in March. Ed.áuá
9.06
Products Available
9.7
3Gb for the price of 2Gb Ö We have some 3Gb external SCSI drives on sale
for ú750, virtually the same price as the 2Gb (ú730). We have two
available, so ring if you would like one of them.
9.7
5-ARM processor boards Ö Simtec are hoping to have development versions
of their 5-ARM multiprocessor cards available by the time you read this
(the boards are due at Simtecæs on 13/3/96). For ú250 +VAT +p&p (ú290
through Archive), you get a backplane which plugs into the second
processor slot on your RiscPC, and into which you plug your main ARM
processor. It then has slots on it for up to four slave ARM processor
cards and one PC processor. Unfortunately, at this stage, the PC side of
it isnæt working properly due to timing problems. The five ARM cards
work together beautifully, but the timing on the PCs has been optimised
so acutely (well, they have to, to get the last ounce of speed out of
them!), that they arenæt very tolerant in cooperative mode. (I see a
certain parallel here!)
9.7
When production boards are available, they will cost ú150 +VAT +p&p
(ú175 through Archive) for the backplane and software. You can then
populate it with whatever processors you wish: ARM610 (ú50 through
Archive Ö while stocks last), ARM710 (ú147 through Archive), ARM810
(TBA!) and StrongARM (TBA!!). (Anyone fancy a 5-StrongARM RiscPC?!)
9.7
Anglia Multimedia have gone live on the Web! Anglia Multimedia are well
known for their CD-ROMs, and now the facilities offered by Anglia have
been extended through a new web site, offering educational materials,
on-line ordering, previews, and an opportunity to join their multimedia
club. Other products such as datafiles and maps, which can be
downloaded, will also be available from the site. The service is
designed for teachers, parents and children at school and at home.
Potential purchasers will be able to view examples of Anglia products
and access information and special offers. News and support areas will
allow users to gain upgrade information, and will also include an ideas
area in which teachers can exchange project information and tips for
using Anglia products in the classroom. The multimedia club is for
parents and children at home, offering a range of opportunities based on
themes in Angliaæs educational CD-ROMs. It is hoped that competitions
and projects will encourage childrenæs participation in the club Ö
membership is free. For further information, visit Anglia Multimedia at:
9.7
http://www.iats.norfolk.gov.uk/anglia
9.7
Cambridge Reading Ö Talking Books are disc-based versions of the six
books in the ÉBeginning to Readæ phase of Cambridge Reading, aimed
mainly at children in Reception/Primary 1. Each talking book is a
computer version of a real book and includes all the text (read aloud),
and all the pictures, each with additional animation. The pages are
presented one at a time Ö unless the illustration is a double-page
spread, in which case the spread is shown as one picture. Children can
use the mouse to turn pages on-screen, to move forward or to re-visit
previous pages. The text for each book is read by a clear-speaking
adult. If a child selects the ear icon, to hear all the text shown on
the screen, they will hear it read using appropriate speed and
intonation, with each word highlighted as it is spoken. The six titles
in this collection are: My Pet; The Picnic; Walking in the Jungle; I
went to School this Morning; A very Hot Day; and What For?
9.7
Cambridge Reading Talking Books cost ú40 +VAT +p&p for a single user, or
ú47 through Archive.
9.7
ClickART, Sports and Games, from Matt Black, is another of their
excellent clipart selections. This collection is made up of 180 colour
images on the theme of Sports & Games. There are twelve categories
spread over four discs including: borders, courts, fitness, flags,
flying, horses, gear, ice & snow, water, sports, flying and icons. The
images are in Draw format and the package includes Hugh Eagleæs PickAPic
application making the viewing and loading of saved images that much
easier. There is also a 32-page printed booklet showing the images, and
giving advice on how to use them. ClickArt Sports and Games costs ú35
+p&p. The pack includes a free school site licence. Purchasers will also
be able to obtain a free disc of clipart worth up to ú30.
9.7
Computer Concepts have reduced the cost of their Impression range of
software, and produced new versions of Édongle-lessæ Artworks, Style and
Publisher. The new prices are: Artworks ú116.32 for single user, ú517
for a site licence; Style ú92.82 for a single user, ú411.25 for a site
licence; Publisher ú151.57 for a single user, ú517 for a site licence;
Publisher Plus ú269.07. To upgrade to Publisher Plus from Publisher
costs ú116.32.
9.7
Through Archive, Artworks costs ú110 for a single user, and ú490 for a
site licence. Style costs ú85 for single user, ú390 for a site licence;
Publisher costs ú144 for a single user, and ú490 for a site licence.
Publisher Plus costs ú255 and the upgrade from Publisher is ú110.
9.7
To exchange your current versions of Artworks and Publisher for the new
dongle-less versions, you need to return your dongle, with a note of
your serial number, and a payment of ú15 to Computer Concepts. So far,
Publisher Plus is not included in the dongle-less collection so,
according to CC, if you upgrade from a non-dongled Publisher to a
dongled Plus, the upgrade price will include a dongle!
9.7
This is good news indeed as there is still no sign of Ovation Pro, but
Beebug are saying they hope it will be available öin the next couple of
months or soò.
9.7
Essential Selection CD-ROM is a free sampler CD-ROM from Yorkshire
International Thompson Multimedia showing examples from some of their
products. Included on the CD-ROM are examples from: Aspects of Religion,
British Birds, Directions 2000, En Marchai, En Route, Inventors and
Inventions, Max and the Machines, The Physical World, Scrapbook, World
War II Ö Global Conflict, and World War II Ö Sources and Analysis. From
the Environmental Series: Water, Land and Air; Climate Change;
Conservation; and Dwindling Resources. From the Science Series:
Elements; and Materials. The CD-ROM can be obtained direct from YITM.
9.7
Heavy mouse balls Ö These are now available through Archive for ú3 each.
9.7
HyperStudio is a sort of electronic scrapbook that allows text and
graphics, sound and animations, video and, in the latest versions,
material from the Internet and other online sources, to be assembled
creatively into CD style multimedia pages called stacks. It has been
designed to support the most inexperienced users, constantly relating to
the way we actually think and learn. Its uses are almost endless e.g.
lively presentation of work, records of achievement, student portfolio
work, records, exam and test results, interactive school or class
magazines, interactive revision notes, pupil and staff information lists
with pictures, etc.
9.7
Although aimed at education, it does have a place in corporate and home
environments, providing a means of collecting and displaying any kind of
information.
9.7
The educational prices from TAG Developments for HyperStudio are: ú99.95
for a single user licence; ú299.95 for a 5-pack site licence Ö
thereafter each new licence costs ú37.
9.7
For non-educational users, a single user licence is ú149.95; a 5-pack
site licence is ú499.95. All prices are +VAT +p&p. Through Archive, the
non-educational single user licence is ú168.
9.7
Loudspeakers Ö Eesox have three loudspeakers suitable for Acorn
computers. The speakers are 12W, 25W and 80Watt models (Peak Music Power
Output), and come with a cable to connect to a mini jack socket. This
means that they can be used with Walkmans etc, as well as Acorn
computers. All speakers are magnetically shielded making them suitable
for use next to a computer. Eesox have evaluated a number of different
speakers and chose these for their good all round quality.
9.7
The 25W and 80W have noticeably more bass than the 12W, but the 12W
donæt take up as much desk space and are the most popular. The sound
quality is slightly better with the 25W and 80W. All speakers have a
volume adjuster, but the 25W and 80W also include a bass and treble
adjuster. They cost ú25 for the 12W (size: 80mm wide ╫ 180mm high ╫
115mm deep); ú35 for the 25W (size: 105╫160╫130) and ú49 for 80W (size:
140╫190╫140), all +p&p +VAT; or ú32, ú43 and ú60 respectively through
Archive.
9.7
Modems Ö Because of the huge growth in interest in the Internet, the
sales of modems are increasing and so the price is dropping whilst, at
the same time, the facilities are improving. The Sportster modems we
sell now cost ú135 for the 14.4k and ú220 for the 28.8k. Not only are
these modems cheaper but they now also handle voice (for ansaphone-type
applications) as well as fax.
9.7
PD drive pricing Ö The price of the PD drive (as used in the Cumana
proTeus) has dropped to ú495 for an internal RiscPC drive and ú595 for
an external drive. We announced this as a öSpecial Purchaseò last month
but, actually, we were misled by our suppliers. This is a continuing
price because Panasonic have dropped their prices.
9.7
Praktikum Ö Since Archive went on-line on the net, we have had a lot of
useful contact with a number of companies in the UK and overseas.
Praktikum came to our attention through contact with Feldner & Braun
Software, Germany.
9.7
Praktikum is a formula-based program for processing numerical series.
Its advantages show especially when a formula is used many times with
different entries (e.g. tables of functions, processing of data series
from scientific experiments). Praktikum does not work in a matrix
representation mode as spreadsheet programs do, but all the given data
is held in named variables and referred to under these names in the
formulae. Here a variable can be a whole series of data from an
experiment or it can be defined as a formula depending on other
variables. The variables can then be presented in either tables or
graphs.
9.7
Graphs can be exported as drawfiles. Tables can be exported as CSV, TSV
or TeX files. Formulae can be exported as TeX source code. Formulae
(including automatically generated ones) can be imported as text files,
and data series as CSV files.
9.7
As yet, we do not have any pricing information on this product, but you
can find out more by browsing their web site at: http://www.acorn.co.uk/
acorn/university/praktikum
9.7
Serial switch Ö As an alternative to adding an extra serial port (ú92
and it takes up one precious podule slot), how about a serial switch box
for ú25 through Archive? This product was born out of necessity Ö having
started using a Pocket Book, the A-Link became an essential connection
to the Editoræs computer as well as the modem!
9.7
Smudge is the central character in a number of stories from Storm
Educational Software, aimed at the 5+ age group. Already in the
collection are: Smudge the Spaniel (looking at mathematics, English,
number recognition, sequencing, adding counting and multiplication);
First Words with Smudge (looking at spelling, letter shapes and
writing); and Smudge the Scientist (looking at Science). Two new titles
are now available. Smudge Discovers the World is designed to equip
children with basic geographical skills; in part one, Smudge looks at
different types of housing in villages, towns and cities Ö discovering
the UK and Europe. In part two, compass co-ordinates and mapping skills
are introduced. Smudge Punctuates deals with English punctuation. Itæs a
graded package designed for 5-9 year olds, helping to show that
punctuation makes written work interesting and enjoyable. Smudge is
suitable for school or home use.
9.7
Smudge Punctuates costs ú34.99 +p&p or ú35 through Archive. Smudge
Discovers the World costs ú45.99 +p&p or ú45 through Archive.
9.7
Speak was reviewed in the March edition of Archive (9.6 p8), where the
reviewer suggested that the only thing it lacked was a spell checker.
Well, it now has one. It even uses the pronunciation information in the
speak module to help produce a list of similar sounding words to a given
word. It seems considerably better at finding words from a Ésounds likeæ
mis-spelling than any other RISC OS product Ö confirmed by tests run by
Ted Pottage of the British Dyslexia Association computer committee. It
deals with typographical errors in the usual way. According to its
author, Jonathan Duddington, Speak is constantly under development and
he hopes to announce other improvements in the near future. Toáupgrade
from earlier versions, send the original disc with a 25p stamp for
return postage, to: JonathanáDoddington, 6a Old Mill Avenue, Coventry
CV4á7DY.
9.7
Studio24Pro is a new version of Pineapple Softwareæs much respected
bitmap program. Among the new features is the ability to move, scale,
rotate and edit Draw-type objects as though they were in a vector
graphics program Ö the same applies to text. There are more filters and
effects available, texture generation, more brush options, improved use
of colour channels, and much much more. For a full review, see last
monthæs magazine (9.6 p43). At the moment, the manuals for Studio24Pro
are not yet finished but, as a special offer, Pineapple are offering
Studio24Pro free if you buy Studio24 Ö this will only last until the new
manuals are printed. You will receive a copy of the manual once itæs
finished, and then there will be a new price for the Pro package. Until
then, the price of Studio24 (with Pro) is ú125 +VAT +p&p or ú140 through
Archive.
9.7
PC CD-ROMs Ö There should be some interesting developments with PC CD-
ROMs over the next few months! Using a PC-to-Acorn Reader, Innovative
Media Solutions have already managed to read a number of PC CD-ROMs;
some, apparently, actually work faster with the Reader than on native PC
architecture. So far, the following titles are available: from the
Dorling Kindersley range: PBáBearæs Birthday Party ú33.19 +VAT +p&p; and
The Way Things Work ú42.90 +VAT +p&p, and from the Microsoft Home
Series: Dinosaurs, and Musical Instruments, at ú39 +VAT +p&p each, or
ú46 through Archive. (These were reviewed in Archive 9.6 p67.) Other
titles will be available throughout the rest of the year. (Ancient Lands
and Dangerous Creatures, also at ú39 +VAT +p&p each, or ú46 through
Archive, should be available by the time you read this.)
9.7
Photobase Primary Images is another in the collection of Photobase
images from Longman Logotron. Images cover over 30 categories including
Environment, Entertainment, Birthplaces, Pets, History and People. Each
photograph is accompanied by a brief description, and keywords which
will enable users to retrieve images related to a specific topic. The
images have been chosen for their quality and relevance to the Primary
National Curriculum. The idea is to allow children to compare a wide
range of images with their own environment and gain experience in
searching and classifying information. The images included were
considered to be the best from entries in a photographic competition
organised by MAPE (Micro and Primary Education). All the images are
copyright free. The CD-ROM costs ú52 +VAT +p&p, or ú60 through Archive.
9.7
QuickLynk, from Desktop Projects, provides a useful way of transferring
data from one RISC OS computer to another. The package comprises one
disc of software and 5 or 10 metres of cable for linking the two
computers. Once attached to the serial port, either by the local cabling
or remotely via a modem, QuickLynk allows users to transfer files to and
fro quickly and easily. For security, there is a password system which
prohibits access by unauthorised users. The QuickLynk software on its
own costs ú28; with 5 metres of cable ú34; and with 10 metres of cable
ú39. All prices are +VAT. Through Archive, the software on its own costs
ú32; with 5 metres of cable ú38; and with 10 metres of cable ú44.
9.7
SignalBox is a computer simulation of the Kidderminster signal box, with
a selection of different timetables, fully functional interlocking on-
screen clock and a display of your score, updated at every mistake! A
cut-down version was distributed on the Archive monthly disc (9.5). The
full version costs ú25 and part of the money will be donated to the
Severn Valley Railway. Available from: C K Hall, 3áRockleaze Court,
Sneyd Park, Bristol BS9 1NN.
9.7
Simple Circuits is a combined software and hardware product designed to
teach children the basic fundamentals of electricity and simple electric
circuits, based on the requirements of Key Stage 2 (science) of the
National Curriculum. Children build circuits from the software, and
answer questions about their findings. Camboard Technology, the
designers of Simple Circuits, have now introduced a new low cost site
licence for primary schools. The new site licence costs ú49.95 +VAT and
includes one hardware pack. The single user price is still ú20.95 +VAT.
Single users can upgrade to a site licence for ú20 +VAT. More
information can be obtained by writing to Camboard Technology or
visiting their web pages at: http://ourworld.compuserve.com:80/
homepages/camboard/
9.7
Tele-card is a standard Acorn format expansion card which carries tuning
and decoding circuitry to allow the reception of television signals and
display of teletext pages. As well as delivering decoded teletext pages
directly into the computer, it can supply audio and video signals
suitable for feeding into domestic entertainment systems, video
recorders, video digitisers and many computer monitors. XOB, the company
behind Tele-Card, have added some new features to their system. The
first is an application which allows sub-titles to be grabbed in real
time and accumulated as text files. The second is an application which
shows how teletext is received in real time, line by line. This allows
users to investigate the way some of the newer teletext services are
being implemented, including Program Delivery Control.
9.7
A single user system costs ú152 +VAT +p&p or ú175 through Archive. The
network version costs ú342 +VAT +p&p. Existing users can get a free
upgrade from XOB.
9.7
Virtualise is Claresæ new virtual memory management application. It will
benefit users of ProArt 24 and Composition who have less than 16Mb of
DRAM. It will also help users of programs which utilise Dynamic Memory,
such as Publisher and ImageFS. The updated versions of ProArt 24
(version 1.02) and Composition (version 1.02) now have support for
Virtualise. Prices are: for ProArt 24 ú169.95; the upgrade from ProArt2
or ProArt2CD is ú49.95; to upgrade from any other art package is ú85.00.
All prices include VAT and p&p. Through Archive, the price for ProArt 24
is ú160.
9.7
Composition costs ú169.95; the price for ProArt 24 owners is ú85.00; the
price for owners of other art packages is ú99.95 All prices include VAT
and p&p. Through Archive, the price for Composition is ú160.
9.7
Virtualise costs ú24.95 from Clares or ú24 through Archive.
9.7
Yellowstone will be shipping some new products by the end of March.
9.7
UltraSCSI3 is a state-of-the-art SCSI controller card for the RiscPC. It
supports the latest SCSI-3 specification, using 32-bit transfers and DMA
access to give performance of up to 7Mb/s using asynchronous SCSI
transfers and 8Mb/s using synchronous ones. The UltraSCSI3 controller
can be used with up to seven SCSI devices and supports SCSI, SCSI-2,
Fast SCSI-2 and SCSI-3 standards. UltraSCSI3 costs ú165 +VAT +p&p or
ú190 through Archive.
9.7
DesktopTV is a modular audio multimedia card, incorporating a complete
television receiver and audio processor. The video digitizer has been
specifically designed to provide full motion colour desktop video at
full frame rate for smooth display of TV pictures. The latest one-chip
front end digital colour decoder from Phillips is used as the basis for
the digitizer Ö brightness, contrast, saturation and hue are controlled
in real time. DesktopTV cost ú165 +VAT +p&p or ú190 through Archive.
9.7
Already available is Mozart, a 16-bit digital sound card with a four-
channel mixer. This enables sound from two sources to be mixed with 8-
bit sound produced on the motherboard by VIDC, along with the sound
output from the 16-bit sound circuit. The 16-bit audio circuit
incorporates over-sampling techniques along with a digital tracking
filter. Mozart costs ú59.95 +VAT +p&p or ú69 through Archive.
9.7
Review software received...
9.7
We have received review copies of the following: ÅStrike (eg),
ÅEssential Selection CD (e), ÅBeginning to Read (e), ÅArcVenture IV Ö
The Anglo Saxons (e), ÅElf Tales (e), ÅESP Midi Synthesiser (m), ÅNelson
and his Navy (e), ÅSignalBox (?), QuickLynk (u).
9.7
e=Education, g=Game, u=Utility.
9.7
If you would like to review any of these products, please contact the
Archive office. Potential reviewers will need to show that they would
use the product in a professional capacity or that they have some
knowledge of the particular field.áuá
9.7
4Mation  14 Castle Park Road, Whiddon Valley, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32
8PA. (01271¡25353) [01271¡22974] <[e-mail]>
9.7
Abacus Training  29 Okus Grove, Upper Stratton, Swindon, Wilts, SN2 6QA.
(01793¡723347) [01793¡723347]
9.7
Acorn Computers Ltd  Acorn House, Vision Park, Histon, Cambridge, CB4
4AE. (01223¡254254) [01223¡254262]
9.7
Acorn-by-Post  13 Dennington Road, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 2BR.
(01933¡279300)
9.7
  Peter Goater
9.7
Acorn Risc Technologies  Cambridge Technopark, 645 Newmarket Road,
Cambridge, CB5 8PB. (01223-577800) [01223-577900] <sales@applied-risc-
tech.co.uk>
9.7
Alsystems (p7)  47 Winchester Road, Four Marks, Alton, Hampshire, GU34
5HG. (01420¡561111) <[e-mail]>
9.7
Alternative Publishing  Suite 1, Pentagon House, 38 Washington Street,
Glasgow, G3 8AZ. (0141¡248¡2322) [0141¡248¡3638]
<[e-mail]>
9.7
Anglia Multimedia  Anglia House, Norwich, NR1 3JG. (01603¡615151)
[01603¡631032]
9.7
APDL  39 Knighton Park Road, Sydenham, London, SE26 5RN.
9.7
Apricote Studios  2 Purls Bridge Farm, Manea, Cambridgeshire, PE15 0ND.
(01354¡680432)
9.7
Base5 Technical Graphics  P.O. Box 378, Woking, Surrey, GU21 4DF.
(01483¡761197)
9.7
Camboard  P.O.Box416, Cambridge, CB3 7YS. (01223¡264512) [01223¡264512]
<101320,[e-mail]>
9.7
Clares Micro Supplies  98 Middlewich Road, Rudheath, Northwich,
Cheshire, CW9 7DA. (01606¡48511) [01606¡48512]
<[e-mail]>
9.7
Computer Concepts  Gaddesden Place, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 6EX.
(01442¡351000) [01442¡351010]
9.7
Datafile  71 Anson Road, Locking, Weston¡super¡Mare, Avon, BS24 7DQ.
(01934¡823005) <[e-mail]>
9.7
Desktop Projects Ltd  Unit 2A, Heapriding Business Park, Ford Street,
Stockport, SK3 0BT. (0161¡474¡0778) [0161¡474¡0781]
9.7
Eesox  Suite 8C, Newton House, 147 St Neots Road, Hardwick, Cambridge,
CB3 7QJ. (01954¡212263) [01954¡212263]
9.7
Innovative Media Solutions  P.O.Box 332, Bristol, BS99 7XL.
(0117¡979¡9979) [0117¡979¡9979] <enquire@ims¡bristol.co.uk>
9.7
Jonathan Duddington  6a Old Mill Avenue, Coventry, CV4 7DY.
(01203¡415535)
9.7
Longman Logotron  124 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4
4ZS. (01223¡425558) [01223¡425349] <[e-mail]>
9.7
Matt Black  6 Henry Court, Henry Street, Peterborough, PE1 2QG.
(01733¡315439)
9.7
Neutron Software  Birch Tree House, The Street, Petham, Canterbury,
Kent, CT4 5QU. (01227¡700516)
9.7
Octopus Systems  9 Randwell Close, Ipswich, IP4 5ES. (01473¡728943)
[01473¡270643] <[e-mail]> <http://www.thenet.co.uk/
octopus/>
9.7
Oregan Developments  36 Grosvenor Avenue, Streetly, Sutton Coldfield,
B74 3PE. (0121¡353¡6044) [0121¡353¡6472] <[e-mail]>
<[e-mail]>
9.7
Pineapple Software  Suite13, South Park Business Centre, 310 Green Lane,
Ilford, Essex IG1 1XT. (0181¡599¡1476) [0181¡598¡2343]
<[e-mail]>
9.7
Repair Zone  421 Sprowston Road, Norwich, NR3 4EH. (01603¡400477)
9.7
SEMERC  1 Broadbent Road, Watersheddings, Oldham, OL1 4LB.
(0161¡627¡4469)
9.7
Sherston Software  Angel House, Sherston, Malmesbury, Wilts. SN16 0LH.
(01666¡840433) [01666¡840048] <[e-mail]>
9.7
Simtec Electronics  Avondale Drive, Tarleton, Preston, PR4 6AX.
(01772¡812863) [01772¡816426]
9.7
Storm Educational Software  Coachmanæs Quarters, Digby Road, Sherbourne,
Dorset, DT9 3NN. (01935¡817699) <[e-mail]>
9.7
TAG Developments Ltd  Unit 5B, Callywhite Lane Industrial Estate,
Dronfield, Sheffield, S18 6NS.
9.7
Warm Silence Software  St Catherineæs College, Manor Road, Oxford, OX1
3UJ. (0585¡487642) <[e-mail]> (Robin Watts)
9.7
Yellowstone Educational Solutions  Welbeck House, Welbeck Road, Luton,
Beds. LU2 0HD. (01582¡584828) [01582¡562255]
9.7
Yorkshire International Thompson Multimedia  Television Centre, Leeds,
LS3 1JS. (0113¡243¡8283) [0113¡243¡48840] <[e-mail]>
9.7
Archive Monthly Disc
9.7
u Utility from Ian Clark to limit access to <f12> and <ctrl-f12> Ö
useful in schools!
9.7
u CMOS utility Ö see Hints & Tips, page 18.
9.7
uáBBC & Spectrum Emulator screenshots + compatibility list Ö Alex Card Ö
page 73.
9.7
u Files from Gerald Fittonæs Column Ö page 37.
9.7
u Heard on the Net Ö A selection of information pulled off the Internet,
including: StrongARM for speech recognition, specs and views of
StrongARM, news about the NetSurfer, info on Acorn videophones,
networking products from ART, etc.
9.7
u Starting Basic programs from Ray Favre Ö see page 64.
9.7
u Current Archive web site Ö so that you can see what youære missing if
youære not on the net!
9.7
u Version 1.7 of Keith Sloanæs WMF->draw (we didnæt get it in time for
last monthæs disc) plus various other vector file conversion utilities.
9.7
Government Health Warning Ö Reading this could seriously affect your
spiritual health
9.7
You know, it must be really frustrating, sometimes, being a programmer.
You spend hours and hours working on your program and then people
complain that itæs got a bug! They donæt notice the 99 other bugs that
you sweated so hard to remove Ö they just complain about the one measly
little bug thatæs actually more of a Éfeatureæ than a bug! No wonder
programmers get defensive about their programs Ö I would!
9.7
To make matters worse, some of the Ébugsæ are not bugs at all Ö just
Éfinger troubleæ on the part of the user. They donæt use the program in
the way that you tried to tell them, and then they complain that it
doesnæt work. öManual?ò they say, öNo, I havenæt got time to read the
manual!ò The four-letter word, RTFM, springs to mind... but you resist.
9.7
You know, it must be really frustrating, sometimes, being God! You spend
all your time trying to minimise the mess that the world has got itself
into, and then people point the finger at you and say, öCall yourself a
God of love? Why do you allow all this suffering then?ò They donæt
notice all the people you inspire to work in the caring professions.
They may notice Mother Teresa, but they donæt notice all the other
unsung hero(ine)s working for peace, justice, love and freedom. And they
donæt notice your invisible messengers whom you sometimes instruct to
prevent some of the worst disasters happening. (If you donæt think
angels are at work in the 1990æs, read ÉAngelsæ by Hope Price.)
9.7
To make matters worse, they accuse you of being responsible for some of
the mess which is actually caused by human beings not doing things the
way the manual tells them. öBible? No, I havenæt got time to read the
Bible!ò, they say.
9.7
If God doesnæt exist then, fine, Iæll shut up and leave you alone, but
if he does, it might not be a very clever idea to ignore him or, worse
still, to say itæs all his fault anyway. (öHe could make it right, so
itæs his fault for not doing so.ò) All I ever ask here in my Godslot is
that you donæt assume you have all the answers and that you check out
about Jesus. Who was this guy? What did he say? Did he really die and
then come back to life, as Christians claim? Check it out Ö it canæt do
you any harm to read a Gospel or two!
9.7
P.B.
9.7
Paul Beverley
9.7
Acorn is dead! Long live Acorn!!
9.7
Acorn have just posted a 12 million pound loss for 1995 and, if the
Apple press are to be believed (I did say ÉIFæ), Apple UK has Étaken
overæ Acorn Education, and RISCáOS developers are being encouraged to
port their software to MacOS. Is this the end of RISCáOS? Is this the
end of life as we know it? Not a chance!
9.7
Things in the Acorn world have never been so full of promise. If you
donæt believe me, read this magazine and then try to tell me you think
Acorn is dead. I think that 1996 is set to be one of Acornæs most
exciting years to date Ö they might even make a profit! Certainly, the
Acorn share price (see page 9) isnæt suggesting the death of Acorn, and
a US institutional investor is reported to have just bought ú9.5 million
worth of Acorn shares reducing Olivettiæs stake to 48% Ö someone thinks
Acorn is a company worth buying into!
9.7
Or try talking to the Acorn employees and see what they think. You will
find that the atmosphere at Acorn House and Ditton House is very
bullish. They feel that Acorn has been set free by David Lee, the new
MD, to do what it is good at Ö innovating!
9.7
Northern Spring Acorn Show?
9.7
On 7th February, Chris Cox visited the Wakefield Acorn Computer Group.
They were bemoaning the demise of the Acorn User Spring Show at
Harrogate. öWhy donæt you organise one yourself?ò said Chris. By 26th
February, the venue and date had been set and 35 companies had booked up
for the Wakefield Show! Now, does that sound to you as if the Acorn
market is dying on its feet? Not to me it doesnæt!
9.7
Interesting times! Watch this space...
9.7
Fact-File
9.7
Key: (phone)áá[fax]áá<net>
9.7
Norwich Computer Services    96a Vauxhall Street, Norwich, NR2 2SD.
(01603-766592) [01603-764011]
9.7
<[e-mail]>  OR  <[e-mail]>  OR
<[e-mail]>
9.7
http://www.cybervillage.co.uk/acorn/archive/
9.7
Alsystems
9.7
From 9.6 page 11
9.7
Acorn-Apple Joint Venture
9.7
Paul Beverley
9.7
Part of an editoræs job is not just to tell the latest news, but to
comment on it. However, in the case of the Apple/Acorn Joint Venture
(JV), I find it difficult to know what to say because it is all
happening so rapidly that I am hardly able to digest it.
9.7
The basic facts are that on Tuesday 13th February, 1996, Apple and Acorn
together announced that, from 2nd April, the two companies would be
forming a 50/50 joint venture company to market Apple and Acorn kit into
schools.
9.7
The reaction from the US Mac press was nil, while the UK Mac press
rubbed its hands with glee saying that Acornæs educational market had
been Étaken overæ by Apple.
9.7
The reaction on the net, for the first 24 hours or so, was certainly
doom and gloom, but as people had a chance to think about the
implications, instead of just reacting instinctively, the mood
lightened.
9.7
Anyway, so that you can judge for yourself, the joint Acorn/Apple press
release is reproduced on page 10. But, before you read it, remember that
it is not directed primarily at Acorn people but at outsiders, many of
whom wonæt even know what RISCáOS is, let alone how good it is.
9.7
What does it mean?
9.7
Is this the end of RISCáOS as we know it? Are all Acorn developers being
asked to abandon RISCáOS and move to MacOS? In a word, the answer is NO.
What evidence do I have and why should you believe me? I have to be
careful what I say publicly, because Iámust avoid breaking confidences Ö
although I am not under any specific NDAs. So let me just give you a few
facts, most of which are in the public domain, that might help to show
why I am so confident about the future of RISCáOS.
9.7
(1) The new JV is going to be staffed by 45 people from Acorn and 5 from
Apple.
9.7
(2) The Netsurfer products demonstrated by Oracle in San Francisco at
the end of February are RISCáOS devices which ART are developing at
Oracleæs request Ö and being well paid for it! The technology thus
developed remains the property of Acorn and can be used to make Acorn
RISCáOS Netsurfer computers, if they so wish.
9.7
(3) Acorn Risc Technologiesæ publicly stated Business Mission is:  To
allow ARTæs business partners to commercially exploit RISC-based
technology by offering cost and time-to-market advantages through
technological innovation (italicsáadded). Their strength is not in
PowerPC but in Acorn RISC products.
9.7
(4) If you look at the products available from ART, as advertised on
their new web site (see page 11), they include a RISCáOS sub-notebook
and a RISCáOS portable with an A4 touchscreen. Both these are real
products which I have seen and touched in prototype form, although they
are yet to be turned into full production run devices and both require
developments of RISCáOS.
9.7
(5) ART are licensing RISCáOS software and hardware to a huge range of
different companies worldwide.
9.7
(6) Online Media has recently become Acorn Online Media, Applied Risc
Technologies has become  Acorn Risc Technologies and the newly formed
division is Acorn Network Computing.
9.7
(7) ART are advertising RiscPCs on their web site as öavailable with
610, 710, 810* and StrongARM* processorsò, where * says öin
preparationò. The 810 will give a speed increase over the 610/710 of 2
to 3 times and the StrongARM improves on the 610/710 by a factor of
between 3 and 10 times depending on configuration. (See page 25.)
9.7
(8) ART are busy developing StrongARM upgrade cards for RiscPC which
means they need an upgraded version of RISCáOS.
9.7
(9) ART are developing RISCáOS-based point-of-sale display systems:
closed boxes for displaying public multimedia information including MPEG
video at very low cost (set-top box-related products).
9.7
(10) ART are actively trying to sell RISCáOS itself, as a licensable
technology, as well as Replay, Font Manager, MPEG code, etc, etc.
9.7
No company is going to make public statements such as, öAcorn will
continue to develop RISCáOS, and products based on it, for the next 4-5
yearsò but, from what you have read so far, does it really sound as if
they are giving up on RISCáOS and moving over to MacOS?
9.7
All change to Mac OS?
9.7
People have noticed that the press release says that developers will be
given help to port their programs over to MacOS and are panicking and
saying that RISCáOS is being abandoned. First of all, it also says öto
the Mac OS platform and the emerging technologies connecting to the
information superhighwayò. That sounds like two-way traffic to me
because öthe emerging technologiesò are RISCáOS-based!
9.7
Secondly, think about the small amount of good (UK) educational material
for MacOS and compare it with the mountain of Acorn material. How many
schools are going to want to move over to MacOS for educational
material? Admin, maybe, but not education.
9.7
Thirdly, how many Acorn educational developers are really going to fight
with the wooden, pseudo-multitasking OS that is MacOS? (Read Richard
Rymarzæs review of ÉGuardians of the Greenwoodæ CD on page 19 and then
ask yourself if it is likely that top education houses, like 4Mation,
will go over to developing for MacOS Ö PC maybe, but not MacOS.)
9.7
No, this is not about Acorn selling their Éthe family silveræ to Apple
but about trying to fend off the takeover by the mindless majority who
say, in robot-like voices, öYou... have... to... be... industry...
standard.ò The JV is aiming to provide a one-stop-shop for a whole range
of educational hardware and software that will work together, even on a
network. Who else produces server technology that will handle Acorn, Mac
and PC?! OK, it runs on a PowerPC. So what? Acorn are providing the most
appropriate technology to schools Ö and thatæs what they have always
been known for doing.
9.7
We must not allow people to go for the lowest common denominator. Letæs
dare to be different! Yes, I know, I donæt have to handle a schoolæs
budget, so itæs easy for me to talk, but remember that StrongARM
processors, several times the speed of a Pentium, will cost the same as
current ARM chips, in a yearæs time, and think of the facilities that
they will give to educational programmers in the years to come Ö why be
limited by the industry standard? Why not fight to give our children the
best available software and hardware? (As an example of Éindustry
standardæ, see if you can spot the review, in this issue, of software
that was written for the PC and, grudgingly, transferred to Acorn!)
9.7
Where now?
9.7
This article has been put together very rapidly after an extremely
exciting visit to ART on 1st March, so I havenæt really had time to
digest all I have seen. People are saying (and this is even Acorn-
lovers) that Acorn is dead, that it is selling out to Apple and that, in
a couple of years time, there will be no more Acorn desktop computers
available. Donæt you believe it! Acornæs future has never been stronger
and, if we donæt desert them, they will go on from strength to strength.
9.7
As Mark Twain said, öThe reports of my death have been greatly
exaggerated!ò Watch this space...áuá
9.7

9.7
The Press Release
9.7
Acorn Group and Apple Computer to form new dedicated joint venture to
transform IT in UK Education
9.7
New company formed to drive IT solutions and policy in UK Education
market.
9.7
Acorn Group and Apple Computer UK today announce a new joint venture
company aimed at developing information technology solutions for the UK
education market and dedicated to transforming the UKæs approach to IT
in education. The agreement will result in the setting up of a new
company which will aim to provide the widest choice of educational IT
solutions for UK schools. Operational from early April, the new
companyæs name and exact structure will be announced prior to commencing
operations. The UK joint venture is part of a broader alliance between
Olivetti Telemedia and Apple Computer, with the mission to stimulate,
develop and provide comprehensive IT solutions for the current and
future requirements of the European education system. The alliance
intends to support the education recommend-ations of a report presented
by the G7 working group chaired by Olivettiæs Carlo De Benedetti and
supported by Apple Europeæs President Marco Landi.
9.7
The report states: öGovernments must give priority to education and
training as strategic vehicles to create opportunities for all citizens
and to create a critical demand level for all applicationsò. The
alliance between Olivetti Telemedia and Apple Computer expects to adopt
Mac OS as the underlying technology architecture for these solutions Ö
and as part of the agreement Olivetti has licensed Mac OS technology
from Apple Computer Inc. New Company based in Cambridge UK.
9.7
The new company will begin trading in early April and will be headed by
Brendan OæSullivan, a ten year Apple Computer veteran. Previously
Brendan OæSullivan was Managing Director of Apple Computer Ireland. The
new company will be jointly owned by Acorn Group and Apple Computer UK.
Acornæs Managing Director, David Lee, will be the Chairman of the board.
9.7
Brendan OæSullivan said, öAcorn and Apple share a similar vision and
commitment to the education market. Acorn and Appleæs heritage in
education means that our education customers, software developers and
reseller partners can expect increased investment in sales, marketing
and solutions from the new joint venture company. The political
consensus that is beginning to form around the need for integrating
technology in learning means that the new company is ideally placed to
advise, influence and deliver on government initiatives in UK
education.ò
9.7
New company commits to PowerPC platform & RISC OS products
9.7
The new company will sell Acornæs award winning Risc PC, A7000, Pocket
Book, Network Computers, school administration and SchoolServer products
Ö under the Acorn brand. In addition, it will sell Appleæs award winning
Power Macintosh, Performa, PowerBook notebooks, Workgroup Servers,
Imaging and Newton products under the Apple brand. A priority of the new
venture is to bring out products and technologies which increase the
inter-operability of RISC OS and Apple technology.
9.7
Over time the new company expects to adopt the PowerPC platform, the
agreed hardware standard between IBM, Apple Computer and Motorola, to
develop next generation personal computers Ö based on the powerful
PowerPC microprocessor architecture. (Acorn has previously announced its
intention to develop products which support the PowerPC platform
standard).
9.7
From early April, products from Acorn and Apple will be available from
the joint venture company. Acorn Educationæs customers will be able to
purchase Acorn RISC OS and other education solutions through the normal
channels until the new venture is operational. Similarly Apple Computer
UK will continue to support its education customers until the new
company is up and running. David Lee, Managing Director, Acorn Group,
said: öThis joint venture creates a major new force which will take
educational IT in the UK into a new generation of development. The new
company will provide a planned migration path, enabling users to make a
smooth and logical transition from current to future technologies.
Consequently, schools may continue to purchase Acorn or Apple systems as
best suits them, and will be able to incorporate new generation systems
alongside their existing IT provision, confident in the knowledge that
they are making a sound investment in the future of educational IT.ò
Nigel Turner, Director New Media and Education, Apple Computer Europe,
comments: öApple and Acorn customers in education have a bright future
of powerful, tailored curriculum solutions ahead of them. This agreement
with Acorn is part of Appleæs strategy to reinvent the way it does
business and focus on growing markets that can deliver customers secure
future technology investments. This is an aggressive move by the
partners to ensure that educationalists and government exploit the huge
potential of technology in learningò.
9.7
New company appoints agencies and sells direct
9.7
The new company will appoint agencies to sell its products and will
supply direct to schools. Acorn Educationæs existing agencies and Apple
Computer UK resellers, specialising in the schools market, will be
invited to apply to become agencies for the new company. Initial
examination suggests that the strengths of each companyæs sales channels
are very complementary.
9.7
New opportunities for UK software developers
9.7
Appleæs strength in education worldwide provides Acornæs UK software
developers with an expanded market for their education software
products. Acorn developers will also be encouraged to port their RISC OS
software products to Mac OS to provide a wide cross-platform software
base. The new company will help them develop their products to the Mac
OS platform and the emerging technologies connecting to the information
superhighway. Appleæs dominant position in USA K-12 (kindergarten to 12
grade) market provides UK software developers with a huge potential
market for innovative education software.
9.7
New venture caps joint history of collaboration between Apple and Acorn
9.7
Apple Computer and Acorn Group have successfully collaborated on new
technology ventures in the past. In November 1990, the advanced research
and development team of Acorn Computers Ltd was spun out to form the
independent company, Advanced RISC Machines Limited (ARM), to design,
license and market fast, inexpensive and efficient RISC processors and
other enabling technology. Acorn Group and Apple Computer Inc each
maintain a 43% shareholding in ARM. Acorn uses ARM chips in a wide range
of products including desktops and set-top boxes. Apple utilises ARM
processors in its Newton family of personal digital assistants
(PDAs).áuá
9.7
Acornæs share price over the last six months
9.7
i.e. since David Lee became MD.
9.7
A = First rumour of Oracle deal
9.7
B = NY Times article linking Acorn to Oracle
9.7
C = Oracle deal publicly announced
9.7
D = Joint Venture announced
9.7
New Products from Acorn
9.7
Paul Beverley
9.7
Acorn Risc Technologies is going full bore to sell itself, and one way
it is doing so is via the Internet. The ART web site at http://
www.art.acorn.co.uk/ contains information about a number of products
that they are trying to sell including (obviously) the A7000 and the
RiscPC.
9.7
Less obviously, they are selling a development system for the ARM7500
(as used in set-top boxes and netsurfers!), the PCMCIA controller ASIC,
an A4 touch-screen portable known as the NewsPad, and a sub-notebook
computer called ÉStorkæ. Anyone fancy buying any of those? Well, let ART
know!
9.7
In case you are thinking that these might just be vapourware, forget it.
I have seen them all up and running in ARTæs R & D lab. They are real,
working technologies. I am hoping to get hold of a Stork at some stage
that I can have on show in the NCS office for a week or so.
9.7
Times have changed
9.7
Those of you who remember the Éold Acornæ will probably have fallen off
your chairs by now. Sam Wauchope would never have allowed this kind of
openness. The new Acorn is working on the basis that they have world-
beating technology (they always have had, in fact) but instead of hiding
it until they can spring a öproductò on the waiting world, they are
telling everyone what they have available and offering to ösellò the
technology in any form that anyone will buy it.
9.7
If it moves, sell it. If it doesnæt, license it!
9.7
This means that they will sell, or rather license, pure IPR
(intellectual property rights), e.g. the RISCáOS source code (if you
have enough money!), MPEG code, circuit diagrams for hardware, etc, and
then they will also sell their expertise to help you get things working
based on their designs/software. If you want something Éin a boxæ, they
will happily design it and build it for a price. If it is something
based on an existing design, it will obviously be a lot cheaper than if
they have to do a lot of design work on it. If you just want standard
technology such as RiscPCs, A7000s, STBs, Netsurfers etc but reboxed
and/or re¡badged, they will happily sell that too. If you just want any
of the motherboards to stick in a rack system or some other box of your
own, let them know Ö they will sell it to you.
9.7
Can Archive readers help?
9.7
Too right you can Ö you are just the people to help Acorn make a go of
this. Because you know the tremendous advantages of RISCáOS and the RISC
technology at the heart of it, you can probably see ways in which the
technology can be applied, especially given the huge speed increases
forecast for StrongARM Ö up to 10 or 11 times speed increase over
existing ARM processors!
9.7
Acorn want to sell their technology into new areas, so if you have ideas
and/or potential customers, do get in touch with Chris Cox
<[e-mail]>. If you can do the pre-sales work on the
potential customer(s) and warm them up towards RISC technology, you may
well be able to earn yourself some commission from ART Ö thatæs how
flexible they are under the new regime.
9.7
Also, to promote what ART is doing, we need a few success stories. Does
anyone know of a situation where Acorn RISC technology has been put to
good use? Can you write it up for Archive and/or for ART to use?
9.7
Whatæs so good about Acorn Risc?
9.7
Å Low cost processors
9.7
Å High processing power
9.7
Å Low physical power consumption
9.7
Å Small footprint computers
9.7
Å Excellent GUI
9.7
Å Operating system in ROM
9.7
Å Good quality MPEG support
9.7
Å Excellent screen rendering of fonts
9.7
Can you add to my list? If so, let me know. This has just been knocked
together in the last few minutes before publication of the magazine. Ed.
9.7
ART 7500 Development System
9.7
Å Choice of 16 or 32-bit wide memory systems
9.7
Å 2, 4 or 8Mb of DRAM as standard
9.7
Å Choice of I/O expansion routes
9.7
Å Powerful software development system
9.7
Å 16-bit stereo sound and high quality video
9.7
The ART 7500 development system allows ARM 7500 users to design software
and hardware far quicker than using existing methods. The board contains
extensive hardware support, with two expansion connectors and all the
necessary components for sound and video including a 16-bit serial DAC.
LCD support is an optional extra.
9.7
Multiple memory configurations are supported allowing the system to
mimic the final design as closely as possible. Software development is
aided by the on board operating system, which can be either DEMON or
ARTæs powerful ARTOS which features support for many of the 7500æs
capabilities. By connecting the system to a PC, Sun workstation or HP/UX
workstation, software can be downloaded and debugged, including the
setting of breakpoints and single stepping of code.
9.7
The software includes C and C++ compilers, an ARM Assembler, Linker and
debuggers. The debuggers are also capable of emulating many ARM
processors allowing standalone development for much of the code.
9.7
ART also provides access to its highly experienced consultancy team,
enabling the system to be customised to the useræs requirements.
9.7
Possible applications
9.7
The system is delivered complete with an IDE socket, video Genlock
connector and CDáquality stereo sound system, making the development
environment ideal for CD¡based applications such as games or CD video
systems using an optional MPEG card or ARTæs proprietary video system
Replay.
9.7
The ARTá7500 Development System is also suitable as a base design for
more embedded solutions, such as high performance hand-held / LCD-based
equipment.
9.7
The 16-bit expansion bus also supports Execute in place, so that
software can be placed on a PCMCIA card and run directly from the card
without using any DRAM. This could benefit solutions where code or data
changes fairly regularly. PCMCIA is easily supported with ARTæs PCMCIA
interface chip.
9.7
Using an optional network or modem card, the system could be used as a
low cost networked entertainment device providing internet access or
services on demand.
9.7
Performance
9.7
Å Up to 48K dhrystones (32MHz FClock)
9.7
Å Video displays in excess of 100MHz pixel clock
9.7
Å DRAM access peak 64Mb/s (32 on 16-bit wide systems) with 32MHz clock
9.7
Å ROM access times down to 62.5ns (burst mode supported)
9.7
Hardware Specifications
9.7
Å 32MHz ARM 7500, site for alternative FClock.
9.7
Å 2, 4, or 8Mb 32-bit wide DRAM or, 2 or 4Mb 16-bit wide DRAM, empty
32¡bit SIMM socket.
9.7
Å Two 16¡bit wide ROM sockets, allowing 4Mb of ROM image.
9.7
Å DEMON or ARTOS supplied in ROM.
9.7
Å SMC665 ÉComboæ chip supplying floppy & hard disc interfaces along with
parallel and serial. One floppy disc supplied as standard. Serial port
used to connect with host PC for remote debugging.
9.7
Å 16¡bit stereo DAC.
9.7
Å RTC, CMOS and unique ID chip.
9.7
Å 16 and 32-bit expansion sockets.
9.7
Å 35W universal PSU (auto-ranging)
9.7
Software Specifications
9.7
Å DEMON or ARTOS remote debugging environment, including floating point
emulator
9.7
Å Optimising C/C++ compiler
9.7
Å Linker, Assembler and maintenance tools
9.7
Å Choice of debuggers, ARM chip emulation
9.7
PCMCIA Controller ASIC
9.7
Å ARM-based PCMCIA Controller Solution.
9.7
Å Implemented in a 0.8 micron, Low Power CMOS process.
9.7
Å Supports:
9.7
  Ö Dual PCMCIA slots
9.7
  Ö both memory and I/O Card
9.7
  Ö XIP for 32-bit operations
9.7
  Ö 8Mb of contiguous memory space for each PCMCIA slot
9.7
  Ö 64Mb of PCMCIA address space
9.7
  Ö Two general-purpose I/O ports, ideal for additional system control
9.7
Å Programmable:
9.7
  Ö card voltage control, for FLASH cards
9.7
  Ö buffer control to allow Éhot insertionæ of cards
9.7
  Ö address mapping
9.7
  Ö card access timing
9.7
Å RISC OS PCMCIA software modules available
9.7
Å Adheres to PCMCIA Standards Release 2.1/Jedia 4.2 (July 93)
9.7
Å Full specification data sheet available.
9.7
Å Also available as:
9.7
  Ö Single Euro Expansion Card, Ideal for development systems.
9.7
  Ö Supports PCMCIA card type 1, 2, and 3
9.7
  Ö Macro cell, Custom variants available, ideal for custom ASIC
solutions.
9.7
Details
9.7
Å Electrical Characteristics
9.7
  Ö Temperature Range Ö20 to +75░C
9.7
  Ö Voltage Range 5 Volt ▒ 10%
9.7
  Ö Current Consumption Stand-by 100╡A
9.7
  Ö Typical 110Ö160mA
9.7
  Ö Typical Clock Frequency 16MHz Mechanical Characteristics
9.7
  Ö Dimensions 31.2 ▒ 0.3mm▓╫3.56mm
9.7
  Ö Package type 136 pin QFP Programmable
9.7
Å Interrupt support via 4 registers: Request, Mask, Status and Clear
9.7
Å PCMCIA slot configuration and control via 5 registers per slot
9.7
Å Paging, status, access mode, access time and voltage control
9.7
Å 9 general-purpose I/O ports
9.7
Card accessing
9.7
Å 8, 16 and 32-bit access support using XIP access cycles
9.7
NewsPAD
9.7
Å High performance, touch screen tablet-style portable computer
9.7
Å Photo realistic colour
9.7
Å Long battery life
9.7
Å PCMCIA type 3 support
9.7
Å Microphone and camera input
9.7
Å Internet support pack
9.7
Å Ideal for vertical market applications
9.7
Å Available in
9.7
  Ö Sample format
9.7
  Ö Fully licensable design
9.7
  Ö Full-scale Production (subject to order lead time)
9.7
Technical Specification
9.7
32-bit Processor
9.7
Å 40MHz ARM 7500, 35.9 MIPS (dhrystone 2.1) peak
9.7
Å 4Kb instruction and data cache
9.7
Å Write buffer for enhanced performance
9.7
Å Fully static operation, low power consumption
9.7
Å Sub-mircosecond interrupt response
9.7
Memory
9.7
Å 2 SODIMM Memory expansion sockets each capable of holding 4Mb to 128Mb
of DRAM
9.7
Å 4Mb ROM for Operating System
9.7
Å 496 Bytes non-volatile RAM
9.7
Mass Storage
9.7
Å 2╜ö IDE Hard drive (current size 420Mbyte)
9.7
Å 1.6Mbyte Floppy disc drive connection available via docking station
9.7
Unique Reference
9.7
Å 48-bit software readable unique identifier for use by networking
software
9.7
Power Management Modes
9.7
Å Suspend Mode Ö CPU clock may be halted while video and I/O systems
continues to run, halves power consumption of ARM7500 core chip
9.7
Å Stop Mode Ö All clocks are stopped and unit remains in Éfrozenæ state
until re-activated minutes, hours or days later. DRAM in self-refresh or
slow-refresh mode System Software and Development Tools
9.7
Å Extensive graphics rendering support. Includes outline anti-aliased
fonts, Bezier curve-based graphics and bitblt operations
9.7
Å Extensive high-level language support available, including C, C++ and
debuggers
9.7
Å Run-time support for Macromedia Director
9.7
Video
9.7
Å 10.4ö 800╫600 SVGA active matrix LCD panel
9.7
Å 32k colours
9.7
Å Support for external monitor with resolution up to 1600╫600 pixels 16
colours and colour depths up to 16 million colours
9.7
Audio
9.7
Å CD quality (16¡bits per channel) stereo sound
9.7
Å 16¡bit variable rate sound capture
9.7
Å Built-in speaker
9.7
I/O Ports & Interfaces
9.7
Å 10.4ö Resistive Analogue Touch Screen with medium or high resolution
interface options
9.7
Å 2╫Type II or 1╫Type III PCMCIA socket
9.7
Å Stereo headphones output
9.7
Å AC adaptor connection
9.7
Å Docking station connector, via docking station, will reproduce
parallel port floppy disc interface, serial port, keyboard port, PS/2
mouse port, video monitor connection, AC adaptor connection
9.7
Å Bi-directional infrared link
9.7
Å Provision for CCD camera module
9.7
Physical
9.7
Å Dimensions: width 215 mm, height 300mm, depth 38mm
9.7
Å Weight: 2.0Kg
9.7
Electrical
9.7
Å External switched mode PSU / battery charger, auto-ranging from 110V
to 240VAC, 50 to 60 Hz (output 18Vdc 1.2A)
9.7
Å Battery life in continuous use: NiCd (1400mAh), up to 2 hours. NiMH
(1800mAh), up to 3 hours
9.7
Å Three stage charge control algorithm including fast charge
9.7
Å Charge remaining or ÉGas Gaugeæ monitor
9.7
Stork
9.7
Å Compact portable RISC based sub-notebook computer
9.7
Å Available with 10.4ö SVGA TFT LCD screen or 9╜ò monochrome 16
greyscale LCD
9.7
Å PCMCIA Type 1, 2 or 3 slot
9.7
Å Inbuilt Trackerball
9.7
Å Freeze Mode standby operation
9.7
Å 32MHz ARM 7500-based system
9.7
Å Low power battery system
9.7
Å External floppy drive
9.7
Å Optional docking station
9.7
Å Inbuilt 16-bit digital stereo sound
9.7
Å Comprehensive application software range available
9.7
Available:
9.7
  Ö in sample format
9.7
  Ö as licensable design
9.7
  Ö as standard product (subject to lead times)
9.7
  Ö in sub-assembly format
9.7
  Ö as customised design variant
9.7
Technical Overview
9.7
32-bit ARM RISC Processor Ö ARM7500
9.7
Å 32MHz ARM 7500 giving around 29 MIPS (Dhrystone 2.1) peak
9.7
Å 4Kbyte instruction and data cache
9.7
Å Write buffer for enhanced performance
9.7
Å Fully static operation, low power consumption
9.7
Å Integrated IO, MMU and video subsystems
9.7
Memory
9.7
Å 2 SODIMM expansion sockets supporting up to 128Mbyte per socket.
9.7
Å 4Mb page mode ROM
9.7
Å 240byte battery-backed CMOS SRAM
9.7
Å Additional memory expansion SRAM/FlashRAM up to 64Mb via PCMCIA card
socket
9.7
Unique reference
9.7
Å 48-bit software-readable unique identifier for use by networking
software
9.7
System software
9.7
Å RISC OS 3.6 ROM-based operating system capable of supporting soft-
loadable extensions
9.7
Å Freeze Mode, enabling the machine to be suspended in any mode of
operation and return to the same state instantly up to five days later
(assumes fully charged NiCd battery) without rebooting
9.7
Audio
9.7
Å CD-quality 16-bit stereo digital sound system
9.7
Å 3.5mm stereo jack socket capable of driving 32 ohm headphones or for
use as a line output, plus internal speaker
9.7
Video
9.7
Å LCD screens, all with 8-bit software controlled brightness and
contrast adjustment:
9.7
  Ö 9╜ö 16 Greyscale Monochrome 640╫480 STN LCD
9.7
  Ö 10.4ö 256K Colour VGA 640╫480 TFT LCD
9.7
  Ö 10.4ö 256K Colour SVGA 800╫600 TFT LCD
9.7
Å Wide variety of external monitor resolutions:
9.7
  Ö 1280╫1024 at 2 BPP (4 greys) 60Hz
9.7
  Ö 1024╫768 at 4 BPP (16 colours) 60Hz
9.7
  Ö 800╫600 at 8 BPP (256 colours) 56Hz
9.7
  Ö 640╫480 at 8 BPP (256 colours) 75Hz
9.7
  Ö 480 ╫352 at 16 BPP (32K colours) 70Hz
9.7
  Ö 240╫ 352 at 24 BPP (16M colours) 70Hz
9.7
Expansion
9.7
Å PCMCIA Type 1, 2, 3 slot supporting Éhot insertionæ and XIP (execute-
in-place)
9.7
Å Choice of PCMCIA cards including fax/modem, network, SCSI or memory
expansion
9.7
Å External pocket-sized 2 Mb 3╜ö floppy disc drive via parallel port
9.7
Å Option for IRDA and RC5 infra-red capability
9.7
Å Optional docking station providing parallel, serial and floppy drive
ports, plus external monitor, keyboard, mouse and power input.
9.7
Internal Mass Storage
9.7
Å 2╜ö IDE hard disc drive (425Mb standard, greater capacities available)
I/O ports and interface
9.7
Å RS 232 serial port, 9-pin D-type
9.7
Å Parallel Printer/floppy disc drive port, 25-pin D-type
9.7
Å DC in 18Vdc 2-pin concentric
9.7
Å Stereo audio output via 3.5mm stereo jack socket
9.7
Å Expansion port/docking interface via 50-way miniature connector
9.7
Physical
9.7
Å Dimensions: width 266mm, depth 192mm, height 36mm (monochrome), 42mm
(colour)
9.7
Å Weight: approx 1.8kg
9.7
Å Integral 77-key keyboard with numeric keypad overlay and integral palm
rest
9.7
Å In-built Trackerball with three buttons
9.7
Electrical
9.7
Å External switched mode PSU / battery charger, auto-ranging from 110V
to 240VAC, 50 to 60 Hz (output 18Vdc 1.2A)
9.7
Å Battery life in continuous use: NiCd (1400mAh), up to 2╜ hours; NiMH
(1800mAh), up to 3╝ hours
9.7
Now then, having seen all of these products Ö and there are more that I
saw at Acorn that are not covered here Ö do you see why Iæm excited
about Acornæs future?
9.7
Watch this space...áuá
9.7
Acorn Risc Technologiesæ Business Mission:     To allow ARTæs business
partners to commercially exploit RISC-based technology by offering cost
and time-to-market advantages through technological innovation.
9.7
Because of the power of the 7500 and its successors, this development
system (which looked remarkably like an A7000 with a few extra bits and
pieces added internally!) will be well used by potential users of 7500s
in embedded solutions Ö and this is a huge market, worldwide. Whatæs
more, think how much ART could charge for this glorified A7000 if the
company buying it to wants to use it to develop an application which,
they hope, will earn them millions of dollars, yen, dinars or whatever!
ART and ARM are work very closely in this sort of area.
9.7
There is a huge and growing range of PCMCIA devices and, in the ART lab,
they are using PCMCIA devices on all sorts of machines. It may sound
silly, but if you have an application that could use an existing PCMCIA
device on a desktop computer, talk to ART Ö they may be prepared to sell
the PCMCIA podule plus the necessary code extension to RISCáOS so that
you or your company can develop a new application.
9.7
The Acorn NewsPad A4 touchscreenáportable.
9.7
Why is the news in Spanish? There is a market outside the UK, you know,
and ART are attacking it vigorously.
9.7
Imagine an executive carrying a Newspad around a building and it being
in wireless contact with his companyæs news service. At any time, he can
find out about the latest news in multimedia form. The on-board CCD
camera plus microphone keeps him in touch with others around the
building Ö or in other parts of the world, for that matter, and all from
a handheld A4-size multimedia tablet running a slightly modified version
of RISCáOS!
9.7
ááá
9.7
Would you like one of these? If so, all that someone has to do is find a
buyer for 500+ and weære away. NCS is selling A4s at ú1350 and people
are buying them. This is the latest technology, has memory capacity of
ridiculous size, and would sell for ú1500-2000 depending on how many
Acorn could make.
9.7
These are real computers Ö I saw several around the ART lab Ö but colour
is still a different ball game and some way off. So what about it? How
many of you would send me a cheque if I could let you have one of these
at, say, ú1,900 inc VAT? Iæm serious. Let me know. If we can get enough
serious purchasers, I will go to ART and seed the production of the
Stork!
9.7
Hints and Tips
9.7
Audio balance Ö I recently bought an audio mixer card for my (early)
RiscPC 600. I have just Ö finally Ö managed to balance the output of
left and right audio channels from my CD-ROM drive through the audio
mixing card. The method given in the instructions requires repeated
dismantling of the computer. I gave up after five attempts.
9.7
I have just noticed that !SCSIMgr for the Cumana SCSI 2 cards has an
option for adjusting the audio output. It only took three attempts
(fifteen seconds in total), to get the output accurately set!
9.7
David Crossley <[e-mail]>
9.7
ANT Internet Suite Ö One or two hints, having used this a fair bit for
email and news...
9.7
Old news Ö When you subscribe to a new newsgroup, it will download news
from that group starting from the last time you downloaded any news. If
you want to pick up news from that group from some time ago, you have to
do it by fiddling with the relevant files. (Iæll tell you how to do it,
but canæt accept any responsibility if you mess it up. OK?)
9.7
Assuming you have just subscribed to the new group, go into the
!InetSuite.Internet.Spool.News directory and copy the /active file as /
activeOLD, or somesuch. Edit the original /active file and delete all
the groups you donæt want. Now go into the !InetSuite.Internet.Files
directory and copy the !InetNews file as, say, !IntNewsO. Edit !InetNews
and change the line:
9.7
Last: 960215 140659 GMT
9.7
to read whatever starting time/date you want. (As you can probably
gather, the format is yymmdd hhmmss.) Then load up !IntSuite, connect to
your provider and download mail and news. Finally, go back to the two
files you changed, delete the edited versions and restore the original
versions by renaming them as      /active and !InetNews.
9.7
To avoid duplicating news, you may want to download the news normally
before following the above procedure so that you donæt duplicate the
news from the new group when you download normally next time.
9.7
Mailshots Ö (There may be an easier way, if so, tell me, please, but...)
If you want to mail to a number of different people, you can obviously
have aliases and type, into the CC box on the öMail to fileò window:
9.7
fred, bert, harry, etc
9.7
To simplify it even more, you can set up an alias such as blokes which
is defined as:
9.7
fred, bert, harry, etc
9.7
and then just type blokes in the CC box of the Send Mail to File box.
9.7
If you want to send postings to multiple news groups, you can, again,
either use aliases to avoid all the typing, or prepare the message and
then edit the OUTNEWS file. Simply extend the line:
9.7
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn.misc[0d]
9.7
to something like:
9.7
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn.misc,comp. sys.acorn.apps,comp.sys.acorn.
advocacy[0d]
9.7
Note that there are no spaces between the newsgroup names, just a comma.
9.7
Set alias Ö I hope you have discovered this wonderful command! Click on
a window in which a posting or an email is displayed, click on <menu>
and then select ArticleÖ>Set alias or MessageÖ>Set alias and up comes
the Address Book window with the name and address neatly typed out
waiting for you to add an appropriate alias. Wonderfully simple!
9.7
Editing aliases Ö Iæm sure everyone else had sussed this except me! It
seemed that sometimes when I edited an alias, it created a second
version and so I had to delete the first, but then when I wanted to
create two different aliases, it simply edited the one! öWhatæs the
rule?ò, I asked the excellent ANT support team (always, only an email
away!). Itæs simple, and logical, and obvious Ö once you know. If you
alter the alias name, it creates a new definition, in addition to the
old one, but if you edit the definition, it has to just change it Ö it
cannot create a complete new alias, otherwise you would then have two
definitions of the same alias name.
9.7
Ed.
9.7
ScanLight 256 Ö I remember recently an article saying that version 1.15
of the ScanLight 256 software needed upgrading to 1.59 to work on the
RiscPC.
9.7
My scanner is secondhand so I cannot do that. When I tried to load the
application, it put its icon on the iconbar, but clicking on this did
not give the relevant dialogue box. However, when I got my RiscPC, I had
some funnies with Ovation, and one comment from Beebug was to use one of
the old modes. So I thought I would try this with ScanLight.
9.7
Typing in öMode 27ò (rather than 16 colours and 640╫480) allowed me to
get a dialogue box which was partly off the bottom right hand corner of
the screen but could be dragged into full view and seemed to behave
normally.
9.7
Then one day, I had been using Artworks and loaded the scanner, having
forgotten the above. After some time, I realised it was working
perfectly normally despite the fact that I was in a new mode (256
colours, 600╫800). When I loaded ScanLight and then tried to load
Artworks I got an error relating to a module called ABIMod. The version
in ScanLight was an older version than the one in Artworks, and when I
updated the one in ScanLight it worked as it did previously on my A5000.
9.7
So the new version 1.59 of ScanLight may have some tweaks to the
software, but doing the above (if you have Artworks) gets it working and
it saves you ú11.75!
9.7
Keith Baxendale <[e-mail]>
9.7
Toggle-size answer Ö (RiscPC only) Thanks to all those who sent in an
answer to Paulæs toggle-size trouble in last monthæs Help! Column. It
was, indeed, a CMOS RAM configuration setting. However, there is no
simple way of altering it without using a small Basic program of the
following form, but I must warn you that, before playing, you should
save your configuration by using !Configure, so that you can restore it
if you make a mess!
9.7
Byte%=28
9.7
Bit%=4
9.7
SYSöOS_Byteò,161,Byte% TO ,,CMOS%
9.7
IF CMOS% AND 1<<Bit% THEN
9.7
 PRINTöWas 1 now set to 0ò
9.7
 CMOS%=CMOS% AND NOT 1<<Bit%
9.7
ELSE
9.7
 PRINTöWas 0 now set to 1ò
9.7
 CMOS%=CMOS% OR 1<<Bit%
9.7
ENDIF
9.7
SYSöOS_Byteò,162,Byte%,CMOS%
9.7
This program swaps the state of bit 4 within byte 28 of the CMOS RAM
each time you run it, and has the immediate effect of making windows
that are toggle-sized, open as far as, but not obscuring, the iconbar.
Holding <shift> down reverses the behaviour.
9.7
This is by no means the only configuration setting not available by any
other method. If you alter the program so that Bit%=1, it will change
the setting for solid icon drags, so that, when you drag a file icon,
you will either get a moving icon or just a dotted box. This option also
takes immediate effect.
9.7
When Bit%=0, this tells RISC OS whether to truncate filenames that are
too long (i.e. greater than ten characters) and therefore potentially
overwrite an existing file, or to give a (rather meaningless) error
message to prevent you from saving a file unless it has ten characters
or less in the name. You need to reset the computer before this option
will take effect.
9.7
There are several others, and they are all documented on page 1-356 of
the PRMs. I will put a copy of the program on the monthly disc.
9.7
James Taylor, NCS
9.7
Impression non-smart quotes Ö Having crowed about how wonderful it was
that Impression (4.08/5.08) now produces automatic smart quotes, I am
recanting slightly. How are you supposed to get unsmart quotes, e.g. for
5╝ö and 3╜ò, without switching the smart quotes off and on again?
9.7
My partial answer is the abbreviations function. I use ö5oò as
abbreviation for 5╝ö and ö3oò for 3╜ò. But what about 14ö and 17ò
monitors, etc? Well, I tried defining öoò as a single unsmart double
quote, but if you type ö17oò, it doesnæt expand the öoò, so you have to
type 17<space>o<space><left><left><delete><right><right>! Anyway, I have
now defined ö21oò as 21ö, ö17oò as 17ò and ö14oò as 14ö, so thatæs OK
until someone wants to talk about a 19╜ò monitor!
9.7
Ed.
9.7
RiscPC hole cutting Ö I keep reading how difficult people are finding it
to cut the openings on the RiscPC for new drives etc. I must admit I
donæt agree. Forget drills/hacksaws/ordinary knives Ö the tool to use is
a laminate cutting blade in a standard Stanley knife. This is the blade
which looks like a small blade set at a angle (not the curved one). It
is used by scoring through the plastic, it is very controllable and it
doesnæt wander easily as it locates nicely in the grooves. It only takes
a few strokes along each groove to cut through. I then use a small craft
knife to trim any slightly uneven edges and into the very corners. I
have now cut two openings like this and have had no problems. The
computer is the RPC600 and is 12 months old, so I believe it is one of
the thick plastic ones.
9.7
Malcolm Sanders, [e-mail]
9.7
Guardians of the Greenwood
9.7
Richard Rymarz
9.7
Programs that are a landmark in educational computing are few and far
between. ÉGrannyæs Gardenæ must still be remembered by many as the
program that opened up computer awareness in their classroom. Others
such as ÉFolioæ, ÉPendownæ, ÉOurselvesæ and ÉAll About Meæ may be
remembered with affection and may still be used. Few programs since,
have emerged as classics, maybe because there is now such a huge choice
of quality software. However, now and again, something comes along which
is just a little bit special which makes a hardened Key Stage 2 teacher
stand up and take notice.
9.7
A special CD-ROM
9.7
As soon as I opened the video style box of ÉGuardians of the Greenwoodæ,
I felt this was a little bit different. Produced solely by Mike Matson
(yes, of Grannyæs Garden fame), the story encapsulates much of his
philosophy towards education, organisation and the present difficulty
that teachers find in managing a restrictive and narrow curriculum.
9.7
The box contains the CD, installation instructions for Acorn and PC
platforms (sigh...... a sign of the times), an adult guide for Ébusyæ
adults, a location map, an introduction and a brief set of curriculum
notes. There is no mention of the National Curriculum since the ethos of
the program is one of fantasy and imagination unhindered by reference to
a set of guidelines. However, this must not put off parents or teachers.
Surely, everything should not be bound by formal National Curriculum
constraints.
9.7
The story
9.7
Greenwood is an ancient forest where people, plants and animals have
achieved a rarity: perfect harmony where each respects the place of
others in the greater order of things. No evil concept such as
exploitation exists until the villainous Hawk Enterprises comes along
and changes the face of the forest. Huge swathes of trees are cleared to
make room for industrial development, factories are built, water is
pumped from the rivers and logs are used to fuel power stations. People
are forced to leave their homes, and important wildlife and plant
habitats are destroyed. All opposition is suppressed by the robotic
ÉClunkersæ who have implanted in their brains a piece of mindstone which
allows them to be controlled by the all-powerful conglomerate.
9.7
There are two main characters: Crinkle, a little girl who sets out to
try and stop Hawk Enterprises; and Wibble, a strange creature who only
exists for those who believe in him. He is really the spirit of the
forest: half human, half tree.
9.7
Guardians of the Greenwood
9.7
After placing the CD-ROM into the CD drive, the program loads easily and
a digitised picture of woodland is displayed. The title credits roll in,
and three options present themselves. Clicking on Preview shows twelve
sample screens designed to demonstrate some of the programæs features.
The clear digitised speech explains what the screens are: a taster of
what is to come. I clicked on one and was immediately impressed with the
way digitised photographs are immaculately blended with cartoon style
characters, animations and interactive sequences. At this moment, I am
watching the water mill turning gently as bags of flour are hoisted out
of the mill roof. In the background is a picture of a waterfall and the
gentle plops of gurgling water enhances an already superb scene. Of
course, everything is fully multitasking.
9.7
There is quite a long introductory sequence where Crinkleæs grandfather
sets the scene. This takes a while, but it is important that the
children listen to the story because there are numerous characters that
Crinkle will meet on her journey, and each one has a specific part to
play in the success of the quest.
9.7
Following Grandfatheræs words of wisdom and, armed with an old, torn map
that he just happens to have, Crinkle sets forth into the Greenwood. The
screen is divided into two main areas: woodland views and animations
displayed on the left, and the words and possessions that Crinkle picks
up and a simple compass, on the right. Click on the compass and Crinkle
moves through the forest. Clicking on the map reveals Crinkleæs location
and where she has already been. Clicking on various parts of the main
screen often elicits more general information about the forest.
9.7
And so the quest begins. This is no mean feat and should not be taken
lightly. The adventure lasts some hours, providing a whole kaleidoscope
of discussion and interest for the child, and a wealth of curriculum-
related ideas for the parent and teacher. (There is a Ésaveæ facility,
thank goodness.) There are clues, puzzles, Énastiesæ, heavies and lots
of cuddly, cute Égoodiesæ who are all out to help Crinkle overcome the
dreaded Hawk Enterprises. All in all, there are thirty characters to
find and talk to, each with a different voice. A map is provided in the
documentation but it is valuable if the children can map and annotate
their travels themselves.
9.7
In Part 2 of the story, there is a section on areas of particular
environmental interest. Items such as coppicing, depletion of natural
resources, derelict sites, erosion, etc, are emphasised.
9.7
Anyway, a brief exploration soon reveals a piece of paper with what
appears to be a code written on it. Further investigation shows pylons,
overhead conveyors and, eventually, Hawkæs head office. Entering this
office provides the first puzzle which involves cracking a code. The
adventure continues in similar fashion until Crinkle eventually manages
to sail to the Greenwood North and on to a final solution.
9.7
The screens
9.7
For the technically minded, Mike and his team at 4Mation used an Acorn
RiscPC, and Dave Caughleyæs very successful authoring system. Most of
the photographs were taken in Sussex using Kodak Photo CD. The images
were edited using Clareæs Pro Artisan 24 and 4Mationæs Chameleon. The
speech was sampled and edited using Computer Conceptæs Lark and
AudioWorks. The end result is an amazing mix of real photographs and
drawn animations that blend seamlessly. Objects appear to flow around,
between and through others as if it were natural. Shadowing and the use
of lighting enhances these effects. The quality of the images, and the
imagination used to draw the characters, is exemplary. The overall
presentation cannot be faulted and is an impressive combination of
hardware, appropriate software and of course, imagination. In true Mike
Matson style, Guardians offers a complete multimedia adventure that
entertains, educates and lets the imagination flow.
9.7
(Note which platform is used to create the package that is then
presented as a dual-platform program! I wonder why?! Ed.)
9.7
But...
9.7
1. Be warned, there is an awful lot here to get through, and children
will need to persevere, especially after the initial delight is over.
Careful planning Ö as always Ö is needed to ensure that children have
the stamina to complete the quest.
9.7
2. The language is acknowledged to be a Échallengeæ for the 9-13 age
group for which it is designed. Fortunately, there is an electronic,
talking dictionary which can be loaded and run alongside the main
program. Click on any letter, and a glossary of words springs to life.
Choose a word, and an explanation is offered, as well as the context
within in the story Ö very neat.
9.7
3. Mikeæs voice could be said to be a little low key, although I
recognise that this is matter of personal taste.
9.7
4. There are some (minor) grammatical errors, although I believe Mike
argues that this reflects how people actually speak rather than
following strict grammatical convention.
9.7
5. Who wrote the introductory music?
9.7
Conclusions
9.7
Guardians of the Greenwood costs ú49.50 +VAT (p&p is free) from 4Mation,
ú56 through Archive and is well worth the money, bearing in mind the
average cost of CD-ROMs today. Parents and teachers can be assured that
they are receiving an ÉEnglishæ product that has the backing of an
experienced software educational house. For teachers, it offers plenty
of ideas for children to work on away from the computer, as well as
accommodating the Modelling strand of the National Curriculum. Just one
thing stops me from recommending Guardians unreservedly: will an idea
with fairy story style creatures appeal to its targeted audience? As a
practising teacher, I hope that Ébiff bangæ violent games and todayæs
television exploitation, has not deadened the imagination and creativity
of this age group.áuá
9.7
Internet Column
9.7
Dave Pantling
9.7
I apologise for the brief nature of the column this month. I have been
developing the Archive web site, and this has taken up a lot of my time.
Iæve learned a lot about running a web site, and will pass on this
knowledge in next monthæs column. Iáhave put a copy of the web site on
the Archive disc so that anyone who wants to can have a look at it even
if you arenæt yet on the Net.
9.7
First of all, the promised review...
9.7
ANTæs Internet Suite
9.7
This suite arrived in a slim, grey, plastic wallet, containing one high
density floppy disc and an 80-page comb-bound manual.
9.7
Installation is carried out by an installer application, which asks you
for registration details, including your serial number which is a
combination of upper and lower case letter and numbers. I found that the
mix of l,1, and I in the serial number was a bit of a nuisance.
9.7
You are then prompted for details of your Service Provider. If your SP
is known to the software, (more than likely, even if you are outside the
U.K.), most of the tricky stuff is done for you.
9.7
As I have a dial-up connection, I will not be covering the network
options in the suite, other than to say they are present and extensive.
9.7
The !InetSuite application is the centrepiece of this suite Ö all the
other clients are accessed from here. It installs on the filing system
(left) end of the iconbar which, on reflection, is a very logical
decision. Its menu gives access to the usual connect and hang up
options, status windows, and an Apps directory.
9.7
The Apps directory contains the tools for setting up and using the
suite. The Configuration utility offers you the opportunity to alter the
default settings for your account, and to set up your modem driver. The
suite can auto-detect whether you have an Acorn or PC serial lead, which
is a thoughtful addition, as taking one apart isnæt for the faint-
hearted!
9.7
The ÉE-mail and Newsæ client, Marcel, offers the usual facilities of
reading and replying to messages. It also offers options like Ébounceæ,
ÉForwardæ, and the option to reply by email to the poster of a news item
instead of posting a (public) reply. Marcel automatically quotes the
message you are replying to, in line with what happens on other
platforms. It doesnæt yet have the facility to delete old news items,
but this is a minor quibble and will be addressed in the next version
which is due quite soon.
9.7
To avoid remembering and/or typing peopleæs email addresses, there is an
address book system. You can either click on an entry in the list or use
an easy-to-remember alias. For example, to mail Paul, I type öpaulò and
press <return> and öPaul Beverley <[e-mail]>ò appears. What
is more, if you have an email or a news posting in front of you, click
on the menu item ÉSet aliasæ and the senderæs name and email address
appear in the address book, just waiting for you to add a suitable
alias.
9.7
Fresco, the Web browser, offers precisely the facilities youæd expect.
It displays the text first, (when people have written their HTML
properly!), and fills in the images later. Interlaced images are slowly
built up, making navigation quick and easy.
9.7
Frescoæs ÉChoicesæ menu option gives you a great deal of control over
the browser, from setting the size of the cache, to removing the button
bar if you donæt use it, and choosing to keep the pages in the cache
after you come off line to that you can deal with the pages at leisure.
The information on each page you receive can be saved as text or as an
HTML file, and the individual pictures can be saved as sprites. This can
all be done off-line, if you prefer, so long as you set a big enough
cache to hold all the pages you want to save. (Thatæs how I got the
picture of the Newspad colour touchscreen portable off the ART web site.
Ed)
9.7
The file transfer and terminal clients work well, giving rise to no
problems and little comment.
9.7
Other tools provided include Ping, (which wins the award for funniest
icon Ö two computers playing table tennis!), network time, to fetch and
set time over a network, and an Éidiot-resistant upgraderæ. Upgrades are
fetched from the ANT web site Ö only Fresco can fetch upgrades, so it is
easy for ANT to keep track of copies!
9.7
Comparison
9.7
I have all three packages installed in my machine and no individual
package meets all of my requirements. The ANT Internet Suite compares
well against Voyager and Termite, though all have their strong points.
Voyager is very easy to use. Termite Internet provides an input buffer
on its Telnet client, but the ANT Suite is perfect for mail and news.
9.7
I do find, however, that the ANT suite is permanently installed on my
iconbar.
9.7
Down time...
9.7
I have, in my previous columns, talked about the Internet as a powerful
communications medium, with near limitless information available. I now
want to introduce a note of caution.
9.7
The demands of the rapidly growing number of users have placed
tremendous strains on the networks that make up Éthe Internetæ. In some
respects, it is a victim of its own success. It is expanding as quickly
as the rising demand, so should be thought of as Éhighly strungæ.
9.7
One company recently started Édumpingæ mail because it couldnæt cope
with the load. Other companies are hit by servers failing, and downtime
while they upgrade their networks always causes a backlog.
9.7
These problems affect a far wider range of users than those just using
the server in question, as there are knock-on effects. Email can be
unreliable, WWW access is often very slow, news service can be patchy...
9.7
When you consider that the Internet is trying to be all things to all
people, with different hardware, operating systems and requirements, I
think we are lucky that it works at all!
9.7
Discount schemes
9.7
Time spent on Internet access often makes up the largest component of
peoplesæ phone bills. If BT provide your phone service, there are a
number of options which can reduce these charges.
9.7
ÉFriends and Familyæ requires a one-off payment of ú4.99. You give BT
five numbers of your friends and family (or Internet service provider!)
and those five numbers attract a 5% discount.
9.7
ÉOption 15æ has a quarterly charge of ú4.00, but gives you a 10%
discount on all calls. This is cost-effective when your quarterly call
charges reach ú40.
9.7
ÉOption 15æ and ÉFriends and Familyæ discounts can be combined, giving
you 15% off those five numbers.
9.7
ÉPremierLineæ is for people with bigger bills, over ú60 call charges per
quarter. It attracts a 15% discount, for an annual charge of ú24. This
discount can be combined with ÉFriends and Familyæ, but not with ÉOption
15æ.
9.7
All prices are inclusive, and donæt give you any discount on the line
rental.
9.7
Get in touch!
9.7
Please feel free to email me, [e-mail], or by mail to the NCS
address.
9.7
The Archive web site can be found at: http://www.cybervillage.co.uk/
acorn/archive/
9.7
If you have a web presence, please send me your URL, and Iæll put it on
the hot links page.áuá
9.7
Datafileæs PDCD-3
9.7
John Woodthorpe
9.7
There are a good number of these Public Domain and Shareware software
collections emerging on CD, and The Datafile has reached its third such
disc, imaginatively called PDCD-3. I have mixed feelings about CD as a
medium for issuing PD software, which tends to change fairly regularly
as more is written and existing stuff modified. Inevitably, that means
that, by the time a collection is put together, mastered and pressed, it
is already out of date. On the other hand, it is an incredibly cheap way
of getting hold of a wide range of software, and if only a small
proportion of the contents is useful to you, that can easily justify the
cost. (This CD contains the equivalent of ú750 spent on ordering the
same software on HD floppies from The Datafile.)
9.7
Personally, I think that a collection needs something extra to justify
its existence and make you come back to it again and again; such as a
wide range of clipart (as on two of the APDL offerings), or the WWW
pages on Uniquewayæs excellent Risc Disc 2. I bought The Datafileæs
PDCD-1 because of the Project Gutenburg collection of electronic texts
and the Pocket Book software that it contains, so what special
attractions are there on this CD?
9.7
The answer to that is some 250Mb of Red Dwarf Replay films, which are
not Public Domain but are distributed by permission of the production
company. A further attraction for me is a large collection of 535 Pocket
Book/Psion files (mostly for the PBII/S3a, but some for the older
machines), and an assortment of 600 music files (Tracker, Digital
Symphony, etc) with a variety of players for them. One of these players
(!RTracker) has now become my preferred one because of the range of
different files it handles.
9.7
What do you get?
9.7
Unlike the PDCD-1, opening the root directory is very quick thanks to
the absence of lots of application files loading their sprites to be
displayed. Instead, we have !ArcFS, !Database (a version of Datafileæs
searchable index describing the files on the CD), and 27 directories
containing the main software (in excess of 640Mb, most of it archived).
9.7
As well as the expected games, utilities, sillies and demos, there are
comms, morphs, graphics (GIF, TIFF and JPEG) and clipart directories.
Some more unusual items are a collection of electronic magazines, some
German software (e.g. a Star Trek database, Hangman etc, all in German),
assorted programming languages, ArmTeX 3.141 Ö Release 2.03 (a multi-
platform text processor), and some specialist databases.
9.7
Other directories contain educational files (including a molecular model
editor, physics applications, Magpie folders on the Stuarts and the
Tudors etc), Internet access software, a collection of file archivers,
FLI and !Projector animations, and some Star Trek JPEGs and morphs. When
you add in the Red Dwarf, music and Pocket Book stuff, that gives some
idea of the breadth of software contained.
9.7
An important part of the CD is the accompanying 64-page A5 booklet,
which complements the !Database application, to help you work through
the vast amount of software. Inevitably, there is some duplication: I
found two versions of Rick Hudsonæs wonderful !SoundCon program, both
newer than the one I had, and at least one other cropped up twice, but
that seems perfectly understandable given the quantity of PD software
that a library such as The Datafile collects.
9.7
Incidentally, the first two PDCDs used standard Acorn filenames for many
of the archives, including the ö!ò character. This caused problems for
people wanting to access them on a PC (either because they were
unfortunate enough not to own an Acorn but wanted the Pocket Book
software, or because they didnæt have a CD drive and wanted to transfer
some of the files onto floppy on a friendæs PC) as these directories
were not recognised. PDCD-3 is now readable on a PC, so if you donæt
have a CD drive and have been disappointed that you have no access to PD
and Shareware software in bulk, The Datafile have a solution for you.
9.7
Added to that, the Pocket Book software is ZIPped, allowing the archives
to be opened by a PC owner wanting to transfer them to a Psion.
Considering that some of the Psion PD/Shareware CD collections are
significantly more expensive than PDCD-3, but contain less than the 21Mb
here, this could be an attractive proposition.
9.7
Red Dwarf
9.7
These Replay films are a major selling point of the CD, and range from
15 secs to a minute in length. Instead of paying a royalty, The Datafile
have agreed with Grant Naylor Productions to make a donation to a
childrenæs hospice for each copy sold. There are two directories, one
with nine clips from the broadcast programmes (two different intros, and
some of the best clips Ö including the dog food bit!) and one with
eleven of the Smegups (out-takes). Some of them are very good Ö
especially the ones where the Starbug models crash into Red Dwarf on
take-off.
9.7
They play well on my quad speed CD drive, but there is a suggestion that
if you have a slower drive, you should copy them onto a hard disc first
to avoid any jerkiness that might be observed. My only real complaint is
the sound quality, which seems a bit Éwoollyæ and indistinct, but that
could just be the fact that lots of 8-bit material sounds like that
since I got a 16-bit soundcard! Suffice it to say, my kids head straight
for these films whenever they get the chance! There are also some
sillies, a collection of quotes from the series and an adventure game
where you play Kryten, but the Replay films are the main event.
9.7
Pocket Book software
9.7
Thereæs a great mix here, culled from the normal Psion PD sources,
including quite a bit that Iæd not seen before. These include some good
sound samples in Psionæs WVE format (also playable on 32-bit Acorns with
the aforementioned SoundCon) and a number of programming-related files.
Anyone wanting to learn to program in OPL should get hold of some of
these, especially the OPL examples and programming manual in DBF (Psion
database) format. Some kind authors have provided the source code of
their work for you to examine, translate and learn from Ö most useful.
9.7
Other highlights are an interpreter to play Infocom games on the Psion,
Procyon (a graphical Astronomical almanac), Mapper and John Boyceæs
freeware programs (such as JBDATA, the replacement for the built-in
database).
9.7
Overall
9.7
As youæd expect, this is a mixed bag of applications, data and pictures.
Some of the Artworks files refuse to load into !AWViewer, which claims
that they are too old, and some of the clipart mentioned in the booklet
had to be removed because the files became corrupted when the master
image was made, but thereæs still enormous value for money here.
9.7
Even if youæve got either of the first two Datafile CDs, this one is
worth getting hold of, especially if you have a Pocket Book II or Psion
Series 3a. The standard Datafile price is ú32, but Registered Users can
get it for ú25 (both prices inclusive of VAT and postage). Itæs
particularly good to see Dave McCartney of The Datafile responding
positively to requests to change the presentation of the CDs so that
they are more widely usable, and also that he tries to avoid duplicating
the contents of previous discs. Inevitably, if you buy CDs from other
libraries, you will have duplicates of some of the software, but there
should still be enough here to justify the purchase.
9.7
Dave tells me that he is already working on PDCD-4 (how does he think up
these names?!), which will contain some more very large Replay films. I
look forward to that appearing.áuá
9.7
Dave McCartney of Datafile says... We have recently reviewed our CD
prices and have reduced them to ú25 each fully inclusive, with a
discount for multi-purchases:  ú5 off for two and ú10 off for a triple
purchase. (Each disc is ú25 through Archive.)áuá
9.7
Comment Column
9.7
Claude and Maude Ö The Claude and Maude review was written about six
months ago and, since then, Brilliant Computing has inserted Christopher
Jarmanæs own handwriting font as an option in the program in response to
his suggestions about a more cursive style.
9.7
Also, Brilliant Computing has now been acquired by SEMERC, so the
program is now available from their catalogue and not directly from
Brilliant Computing.
9.7
Ed.
9.7
Email art Ö Chris Walker <[e-mail]> spotted this one and
sent it in. I asked Nigel if I could use it and he replied, öIt isnæt
original, but youære welcome to use it. There are lots of good ideas to
be found on ascii-art newsgroups (e.g. alt.ascii-art) Ö thatæs where
mine came from. You could suggest this to your non-artistic readers
(like me).ò
9.7
           . ÿ .                Nigel Parker Ö [e-mail]
9.7
          (      )
9.7
         ( (/oo\) )              and friends
9.7
          ( \Éæ/ )                               WW
9.7
           ( \/ )      wwwwww                   /__\
9.7
          (      )   wöww  wwòw                | oo |   _WWWWW_
9.7
         (        ) W   oöòo   W    (o)(o)    (|_()_|) /  o o  \
(+)(+)
9.7
   oo   (          )W  ______  W  wö      òw    \__/ (|  __O__  |)/
\
9.7
 wö()òw  (        ) öw \_\/_/ wò W  -====-  W  /|\/|\  \ \___/ /  \ -==-
/
9.7
W -==- W   É ÿ æ  wwöòwwwwwwöòww öw      wò  |||||||| /ÿÿÿ-\   \    /
9.7
 öwwwwò     =  =    |||||||||||| wöòöòöòöòöòw |||||||||=========| <\/\/
\/>
9.7
wö    òw    =  =    ||||||||||||W            W|||||||||=========| /
\
9.7
  Elmo    Big Bird     Oscar    Cookie Monster  Bert     Ernie
Kermit
9.7
Ed.
9.7
Fancy a StrongARM card for your RiscPC? Ö (A conversation overheard on
the net...)
9.7
Andy Southgate <[e-mail]> wrote in the the newsgroup
Éacorn.hardwareæ about the StrongARM:
9.7
Through the mysterious and chaotic workings of fate, Acorn have been
landed with the most cost-effective desktop processor in the world, BUT
what are they going to do with it? Why not just bung it on a card, clock
it at 200MHz, and stuff it in a RiscPC? No cache, no new memory
structure, low development costs, and a label with 200MHz in big letters
on the front. The thing would be choked by the bus, but the beauty of
this plan is that nobody would notice as RISC OS is so responsive with
low processor speed. The one thing it could do very quickly would be
looped code that fits in the StrongARMæs cache and does no memory
access, i.e. floating point emulation!
9.7
Somebody called ÉPeter Bondaræ from a company called ÉARTæ replied:
9.7
You might say that, I might think that, but I couldnæt possibly comment.
9.7
What does everyone think about this? How about 200MHz StrongARM uncached
for August at, say, ú200 and/or 200MHz StrongARM Cached for November at,
say, ú350?
9.7
The relative performance factors compared with ARM710@40MHz =1, would be
SA uncached ╫3, SAácached ╫5!
9.7
Be warned that what you might say could result in a product! All dates/
prices are for illustration only, no commitment made/implied etc.
9.7
Well, what do Archive subscribers think? How many of you would send me a
cheque for ú200 to put in the pile ready for the uncached card, and how
many would send ú350 for a cached card? I know that ART are working
their socks off trying to get this StrongARM card out so they can shove
it up (non-pro-Acorn) peopleæs noses and ask them öWhat do you think of
the RiscPC now? Eh?!ò
9.7
Apparently, if you were to put a large cache controller on the card as
well, you could get speeds of between 5 and 10 times the ARM710 Ö and
this is with the first Érelatively slowæ StrongARM chips at (only!)
200MHz. These chips will be rolling off the chip foundry production
lines in the next few weeks.
9.7
Do let me know what you think, because the Archive readership represents
(forgive me saying this!) the hardcore of Acorn support. If you donæt
think itæs worth doing, it ptobably wonæt be done. If you are going to
write or email me (use öSA voteò as the subject line) about this, please
make it short and to the point!
9.7
Watch this space...
9.7
Ed.
9.7
Floating Point Support for RiscPC????? Ö Acorn are now accepting orders
for the RiscPC ARM700/FPA upgrade card. However, it is unlikely that the
product will become available(!), since the currently indicated demand
does not justify the costs involved in setting up a production line.
However, should demand be substantial, a one-off production run will be
initiated to fulfil all orders received. The order code is ACA51, and
the price will be ú299 +VAT.
9.7
The following information provides some background to this desision.
9.7
At the launch of the RiscPC, Acorn announced that an ARM700 with FPA
upgrade would be available in the future. Prototypes of such a device
were even demonstrated although, at the time, only first generation
(25MHz) FPAs were available and the ARM700 prototype would not execute
reliably at speeds greater than 30MHz.
9.7
Whilst awaiting the delivery of the second generation FPAs, it was
decided to modify the ARM700 design in order to develop a device which
offered greater performance and could exploit the greater capability of
the second generation FPA.
9.7
Unfortunately, the newer design proved problematic and, after over a
year of attempting to obtain a reliable high performance part, it was
decided to abandon the new design.
9.7
Consequently, there is currently no hardware floating point solution for
the RiscPC, and little chance of an alternative hardware solution being
developed in the short term. However, one option is to revert to the
original design in order to deliver enhanced floating point performance
for those users for whom such improved performance is essential. In
order to achieve this, Acorn will have to commission the production of a
limited number of the original ARM 700 design. For economic reasons,
this has to be performed as a single production run, with a minimum
quantity of 1,000 units.
9.7
Acorn therefore invite customers to place firm, non-cancellable orders
for a limited run ARM700/FPA combination card. This product will operate
at approximately 30MHz, and offer performance similar to that of its
predecessor, the 33MHz A5000 with FPA. The price is ú299 +VAT, and Acorn
will not be able to commence production until 1,000 firm orders are
received. Orders will not be invoiced until the product is delivered.
9.7
In the longer term, Acorn are investigating alternative ways of
providing high performance floating point capability for existing and
future RiscPCs. Information relating to this will be released as and
when there is progress to report.
9.7
Dick Wallin, Marketing Manager, Acorn Education.<[e-mail]>
9.7
This, to me, is an example of the new Éflexibleæ Acorn. Can you imagine,
a few years ago, Acorn making a public statement like this? Itæs honest,
it says clearly what the position is, and it gives people an option.
Anyway, no-one could expect Acorn to build something just because a few
people Éwant oneæ Ö they are a commercial company, not a charitable
trust! Ed.
9.7
How secure is your data? Ö If you are thinking that this issue shows
signs of being a bit cobbled together at the last minute, let me tell
you a salutary tale.
9.7
Last week, James popped into my office and asked me to format a new
cartridge for him. I tried to spin mine down to take it out but Marcel
(the ANT Suite mailer) complained so I span it up again and shut it down
properly. Now, when I tried to initialise a cartridge once before, I
initialised one of my fixed hard discs instead, so I asked James to
follow what I was doing carefully and make sure it really was the
removable drive I was initialising. It was, but I handæt changed
cartidges!
9.7
öJames, what is this cartridge you have given me? It seems to have some
writing on the front of it Ö it says ÉPaulæs discæ Ö Aarrgh!!! That is
(was) my main data disc with... oh no!... absolutely everything on it.ò
9.7
When was it last backed up? Well, the Archive magazine info was backed
up three days earlier Ö not too bad, and very fortunate, because it can
be 2-3 weeks before I remember to back it up sometimes. What about the
rest of the disc? That was November! That included all my Internet
stuff, all my church and private correspondence, home accounts, etc,
etc, etc.
9.7
What an idiot! How could I be so stupid? (Very easily, actually!) But
when did you last back up all your data? You see, I was thinking that
the important stuff was backed up fairly regularly and the rest of it
reasonably often Ö but it wasnæt. You never back up as often as you
think you are doing.
9.7
One other thing that has occurred to me as I have thought about this
tragic incident. My philosophy with the removable has been that the
sensitive data gets backed up every few days, so if a file or two gets
corrupted Ö which can happen on a removable Ö no great loss. What I
hadnæt really thought about was that I carry that disc around with me
all the time, so if someone stole my briefcase, the whole lot would be
gone, just like that. At least, I have the initialised disc and can use
Disc Rescue to scrape off any important files that I need, but what
would happen if someone stole your removable, or your computer.
9.7
I will be more careful to back up regularly from now on, and I suggest
you do too!
9.7
Ed.
9.7
Internet: Message style Ö Iæd like to make a plea about the style people
use in sending emails. Some days, I reply to about 30/40 messages and so
anything I can do to speed it up would make my life much easier. All I
ask is this...
9.7
Use lots of short, double spaced paragraphs, please!
9.7
The reason for this is that, in formulating a reply, if the information
is in short paragraphs, you can quote the original message and simply
add a comment or two between each paragraph. If, instead, you write in
big paragraphs, I either have to split it up into separate sentences by
manual editing, or write giving much fuller details, e.g. öWhen you say
that, blah, blah, you need to take into account this and that. As
regards what you say about something or other, I should point out blah,
blah, blah.ò This all takes time and lessens the chance of you getting
the quick response you may be wanting.
9.7
Am I being unreasonable?!
9.7
Ed.
9.7
Internet: Which modem? Ö A lot of folk who are starting up on the
Internet ask whether it is worth getting a 28.8K modem instead of a
14.4K. The first point to make is that if you are downloading direct
from a BBS using a 28.8K modem, you might well get twice the data rate
compared with a 14.4K modem. However, on the Internet, in most
circumstance, you will certainly not get double the speed. The point is
that, often, your modem is not the limiting factor determining the
overall speed of the data communication channel. Let me give some
examples from my own experience.
9.7
I have a 28.8K in the office (because daytime phone calls are more
expensive) but only a 14.4K at home. The ANT Suite, in its Connection
Status window, gives a continuous readout of average data rates in cps
(characters per second). This is very useful because it alerts you to
occasions where the speed of the communication is poor so that, to save
money, you can log off and try again when there is less traffic on the
part of the Internet that you are using.
9.7
I have checked the average data rates when downloading newsgroup
messages, for example. It is not easy to say what öthe speedò is because
it varies such a lot, partly depending on the length of the message.
Lots of small messages show a slower overall speed, presumably because
of the time taken at the beginning and end of each message. Anyway, when
using the 28.8K modem, I have seen it get up to around 5,000 cps
although it often spends more of its time around the 3,000 mark. With
the 14.4K modem, the best I have seen is 4,100 cps but with an average,
similarly around the 3,000 mark or just under.
9.7
When browsing the net, especially if you have your software set to
download graphics as well as text, you would think that the 28.8K modem
really would come into its own, but my experience is, again, that the
speed is much more limited by the net than the modem.
9.7
You may be wondering, as I was, how a 14.4Kbaud modem can be capable of
transmitting 4,100 characters/sec, because thatæs 4,100 ╫ 8 bits-per-
character which makes 32.8Kbits/sec. The reason is that the modem
transmits down the phone line at 14.4Kbaud maximum, but it can
communicate with the computer even faster and uses compression
techniques which, depending on the type of data, can be as much as 4:1.
This means that it could, theoretically receive data from the computer
at 4╫14.4 = 57.6Kbits/sec.
9.7
(This may also mean that it is better not to compress data before trying
to send it down the phone lines Ö let the modem do the compression. Has
anyone done any tests on this? Would anyone be prepared to do such tests
and report back, please? It could save lots of Archive readers a fair
bit of phone time = money!)
9.7
So, is it worth paying the extra for a 28.8K modem over a 14.4K modem?
Well, some things will be faster, so maybe it is, but if you are
thinking in terms of saving the extra cost by having smaller phone
bills, I think you will be disappointed!
9.7
Ed.
9.7
Personal Accounts Ö We called for comments from users of Personal
Accounts in the light of comments about it in a review of Finance
Manager in Archive 9.4 p59. We only had a small response, but having
said last month that we hadnæt had much response, this month I was
deluged with comments. These were, almost without exception, extremely
positive saying, for example, öQuentinæs support is excellentò, and öhe
responds to suggestions for improvements to the programò, and that the
program is öa delight to useò, and öthe reports it generates are very
varied... they are invaluable and much more flexible than I had
realisedò.
9.7
I think we can say that they like it!
9.7
Ed.
9.7
Promoting Acorn (you can help) Ö Like many other Acorn enthusiasts, I
feel a strong moral obligation to try to awaken unenlightened PC users
to the benefits of RISC OS Ö both the Acorn machine architecture, and
the Acorn market spirit in general. It never ceases to amaze me that
intelligent people will discount the facts presented to them in favour
of that false grail they call öIndustry Standardò.
9.7
However, even if Acorn were to spend ill-affordable amounts of money on
advertising, it would make but a very small dent in the mass hypnotic
delusion created by the likes of Microsoft and Intel.
9.7
The only thing that will win people over is if they hear about Acorn
being used in serious applications in their own particular field. When
they hear of such examples, they tend to at least take a closer look,
rather than just dismissing the Acorn solution out of hand. Sibelius is,
of course, a brilliant example of this.
9.7
I have, for some time now, been trying to get Acorn to provide case
studies which could be made available to the Acorn faithful (perhaps by
going out to the Clan members as a regular part of the mailing) but it
seems that this requires too much of Acornæs resources to be
practicable.
9.7
It therefore falls to us to research and write up case studies about
Acorn computers being used in serious applications, and preferably,
illustrating how their use (rather than a PC or Mac) benefits the
particular application.
9.7
Please send your articles to the Archive office, and we will do our best
to publish them in some form or other. If you are not a writer, but have
heard of an outstanding use for Acorn computers, you can send us the
necessary details, and we will pass them on to those who can write, but
do not have the contact details.
9.7
James Taylor, NCS
9.7
James writes from the heart, and I support him 100% and would add one or
two other suggestions. When the new Oracle netsurfer computers are
mentioned in ANY publication and the name ÉAcornæ is not mentioned,
every one of us should write a very polite letter to the editor asking
whether he/she is aware that Oracle are using world-beating chips
designed by a UK company (ARM Ltd) and designed for this massive US
giant by a (relatively) minute UK company (Acorn Computers).
9.7
I suggested something similar to this in the Comment Column in Archive
8.6 when Apple was shooting off its mouth about having the Éfirst
commercial RISC-based computersæ. I suggested writing to magazine
editors, using the awareness of ÉRISCæ that Apple were generating, and
telling them about Acorn. Quite a lot of subscribers did so then, and so
now letæs do it again because we have much more to shout about now than
we did at that stage: Netsurfers, the StrongARM, multi-ARM processing,
A4 touchscreen portables, and more to come.
9.7
Acorn, in its new Éopenæ mode will be showing more and more of its
developing technology to the outside world, way before it is marketable
as finished products. This is because they have realised that they can
make a lot more money by selling the raw technology, than by keeping the
technology secret and suddenly announcing a (nearly!) finished product.
9.7
My guess is that we will see Clan members, interested in particular
areas of the technology, being allowed to have a look at it before it is
officially released. Then we can get out there and sell the ideas into
the companies and organisations where we have influence. (More details
about this in the ÉART on the Netæ article on page 11.)
9.7
If you are worried, from what I have just said, that Acorn may stop
producing desktop computers, donæt! Peter Bondar and Chris Cox know full
well that what makes Acorn such a success is not just the bodies inside
the walls of Acorn House and Ditton House but the rest of the Acorn
Éfamilyæ Ö you and me. Many of us (but not me!) are generating world-
beating ideas using Acornæs leading edge technology.
9.7
No, what Peter and Chris are set to do is to find big people like Oracle
(although that is rather a staggeringly large example!) to fund the
development of the new technology, and then they will feed the spin-off
to us. I guess they will argue at Board-level that they ought to do so,
even if they donæt make a lot of money out of selling desktop, laptop
and palmtop computers, because it feeds the family and the family will
look out for them!
9.7
Ed.
9.7
SCSI compatibility Ö On behalf of a number of readers, my very grateful
thanks go to the many people who responded to my recent request for
user-reports on the Alsystems and Cumana SCSI II interfaces. Letters
came from as far away as Singapore and the USA, and the reports were
invaluable. In one particularly happy case, I received a plea for help
from one reader and the definitive answer from another Ö both in the
same post!
9.7
Jim Nottingham, York.
9.7
StrongARM statistics Ö (A message from one of the Acorn newsgroups,
reproduced here with permission...) There have been some exciting
announcements on the net about the SA-110. I wonæt summarize them here.
(See the monthly program disc. Ed.) Instead, Iæve looked around the web
to make a short, and probably bent, comparison of the Dhrystone MIPS
rating for the 200MHz part:
9.7
Processor  MHz  Dhrystone 2.1 MIPS
9.7
SA-110  200  230
9.7
Pentium  133  125
9.7
PowerPC 604  125  167
9.7
Draw your own conclusions from this, but bear in mind that the Pentium
and PowerPC tests were run in a Érealæ system, while the SA-110 was
probably run in a lab. On the other hand, donæt forget that the
StrongARM only draws 1 Watt running at 200MHz, which makes it quite
exceptional in its own right, whether or not it beats the Pentium (Pro)
or PowerPC.
9.7
The only chip listed to beat the StrongArm was, not surprisingly,
Digitalæs own 275MHz Alpha.
9.7
Steven Kramer , University of Amsterdam <[e-mail]>
9.7
StrongARM tactics Ö The following items appeared in PC Week dated 13
February:
9.7
Specialised low-voltage microprocessors from Digital Equipment and Sun
Microsystems will power new generations of PDAs and Internet terminals
made by Oracle, Sun and Apple.
9.7
Digital will begin volume shipments of its StrongARM chip in spring.
Oracle plans to use the processor in its second-generation Internet
terminal, sources said. Apple later this year will also introduce a
version of the Newton PDA based on StrongARM that will be five to eight
times faster than Appleæs current model, they said.
9.7
The StrongARM, also known as the SA-110, will be available in 100MHz,
160MHz and 200MHz clock speeds at prices ranging from $25 (ú17) to $50
per chip.
9.7
How is it that Digital get all the credit in a British paper for the
work of Advanced RISC Machines? Probably Digital wrote and sent the
press releases. When will Acorn wake up and grab the headlines?
9.7
Anthony Hilton, Leeds <[e-mail]>
9.7
See my comments above, and letæs educate the Editors of such ill-
informed publications. Get your pens, WPs    and/or email software
working! Ed.
9.7
WMF files for Vector Ö In Rob Ivesæ MetaConvertor review (9.6 p22), he
noted that there was a problem using the files output from the converter
with Vector and Impression. There is a explanation and solution for the
former.
9.7
Vector does not check, or adjust, the bounding boxes of objects when
loading a file, as Draw and DrawPlus do. This is deliberately not done
because the checking takes a long time, especially for large files, or
if many text fonts are in use. I suspect that the files output from
MetaConvertor may not have the bounding boxes set correctly. If this is
the case, there is a öCheck boxesò option on the menu which will go
through all of the objects and make any adjustments necessary.
Alternatively, saving the file in Vector format and then loading it
again will regenerate all of the bounding boxes and have the same
effect.
9.7
Jonathan Marten, [e-mail]
9.7
Help!!!!
9.7
DTP Column Ö Mark Howe, who has been doing our DTP Column for some time,
is finding it difficult to fit in with work commitments. Keith Parker
was beginning to move into Markæs shoes but was whisked away to become
DTP Column editor for another Acorn subscription magazine! (Actually,
the new Editor of the self-same magazine, Richard Hallas, is a former
DTP Column editor of Archive!)
9.7
Would anyone be interested in coordinating and collating DTP info for
Archive, please? Experience of using DTP in a professional or semi-
professional capacity is a must, and email access would be very helpful.
9.7
Ed.
9.7
Free ink cartridges!!! Ö Once upon a time, NCS ordered some inkjet
cartridges, supposedly for the Acorn Inkjet printer. They do not fit! We
have never managed to find any that do, and we have half a dozen
cartridges gathering dust. If anyone has any of the following printers
and would like a few free cartridges, do let us know. (JP150WS, JP250,
JP350S/WS or JP450.)
9.7
Ed.
9.7
Free software Ö Some new versions of existing software, and a new
module, are now available from my local ftp server. For full details,
see my web pages at: http://www.tcp.co.uk/~tonyh/ or email to
[e-mail].
9.7
The software is all provided as ArcFSArc (&3FB) archive files:
9.7
WinEd Ö New version 2.30 An award-winning shareware template editor.
ftp.tcp.co.uk/pub/acorn/WinEd.arc (193Kb)
9.7
FormText Ö New version 1.03. A freeware utility to format text files for
printing as manuals. ftp.tcp.co.uk/pub/acorn/FormText.arc (22Kb)
9.7
Users without RISC OS 3.6 may also require the Toolbox modules:
ftp.tcp.co.uk/pub/acorn/System.arc (247Kb)
9.7
Bombz Ö New version 1.10 (now with sound) Aáfreeware arcade puzzle game.
Push the bombs to strategic positions and detonate them to make your
escape. ftp.tcp.co.uk/pub/acorn/Bombz.arc (68Kb)
9.7
BombzDes Ö A desktop level designer for Bombz. ftp.tcp.co.uk/pub/acorn/
BombzDes.arc (32Kb)
9.7
THHeap Ö A freeware module to provide OS_Heap memory management within
Dynamic Areas. An RMA version is provided for backwards compatibility.
ftp.tcp.co.uk/pub/acorn/THHeap.arc (4Kb)
9.7
THSound Ö A module to provide voice generator code for sound samples
which have been placed as raw data in memory, eliminating the need to
make each sample into a module. ftp.tcp.co.uk/pub/acorn/THSound.arc
(3Kb)
9.7
Tony Houghton, [e-mail]
9.7
International Golf by Q-Soft. I have been very impressed by the demo for
this game but have been unable to get a reply from the author or obtain
the full game. Can anyone help, please, as I would love to explore its
full potential?
9.7
Phone Geoff on 01277-352036.áuá
9.7
RiscDOS Column
9.7
Mike Clarkson
9.7
I must begin by apologising for the lack of a RiscDOS Column in the last
few issues, and thank those who have, nonetheless, kept the letters
flowing in to me. During this time, much has happened, and still is
happening, and I shall therefore first outline where things stand (as
far as I know) at the time of writing.
9.7
The most recent version of !PCx86 is 1.993 (02¡Feb¡96). !PCx86 is the
new name for the !PC486 RISCáOS application which runs the PC card. This
new software drives all versions of the card Ö 486 and 586, Acorn and
Aleph One. This version is still at beta-test level, and includes
support for Windows 95 for the first time. For those on the Internet,
the latest version of the software is always available by ftp from the
Aleph One site (ftp://ftp.ant.co.uk), and also from the Acorn site,
though sometimes this is not as up¡to¡date; The latest non-beta version
(1.92) is available from NCS as Utilities Disc N║ 9 (ú2).
9.7
Much has improved over earlier versions, including Soundblaster sound
support (if you have 16-bit sound, for which original RiscPC600s require
an upgrade), and better Win95 support, including correct colours,
multitasking and the elimination of the junk encountered on start-up.
!PCConfig (now at version 0.57) has also been re-written and given a new
interface, similar to the RISC OS !Boot configuration utility.
Certainly, in my opinion, it is worth upgrading, whichever PC operating
system you are running. However, if you are running Win95, you will
probably need to upgrade further to obtain the full, bug-free, version.
9.7
As well as new versions of the software, new hardware is now available,
as has been mentioned in recent editions of Archive. David Coronel
kindly sent me a set of test results based on Windows User benchmarks,
which came out as follows:
9.7
Benchmark   Acorn  Aleph1  Acorn  Aleph1
9.7
  SX/33  DX2/80  DX4/100  586/100
9.7
Processor  4.6  15.5  21.5  36.5
9.7
Memory  4.1  8.2  9.3  12.2
9.7
Graphics  4.3  6.2  6.4  6.5
9.7
Disk  5.9  12.4  13.0  18.3
9.7
Windows  1.7  3.6  4.0  5.9
9.7
OVERALL  3.8  8.1  9.2  12.5
9.7
Expressed in percentage terms, the increases look as follows:
9.7
áááááááááááááááTo:  DX2/80  DX4/100  586/100
9.7
From
9.7
SX/33  113%  142%  229%
9.7
DX2/80    14%  54%
9.7
DX4/100      36%
9.7
(David carried out the tests using a machine with two SCSI PC
partitions, 16Mb RAM allocated to the PC card, running Windows 95. These
figures are an average of five runs).
9.7
Clearly, significant improvements in performance can be achieved (at a
price), although more RAM will also yield speed improvements, and lack
of RAM will make even a 586 run slowly. Upgrades from the original Acorn
card are available at a discount, as are cards purchased with new
machines. (See Archive 9.5 p3 for details.)
9.7
PC users
9.7
Having set out where things stand, perhaps I should summarise the way I
see the PC card being used? One type of user runs the PC side to their
machine as a full blown PC, running major PC applications (Word for
Windows, Excel etc), and dedicating a lot of resources (RAM, hard disc
and  cash!) to this side of the machine. The other type of user has a
fairly basic configuration which enables them to run specialist PC
applications which are not available for RISC OS, quite probably
including multimedia CD¡ROMs.
9.7
Both types of user meet their own problems, some of which I will outline
below Ö with a few solutions! Certainly, moving from being one type of
user to another is an expensive exercise, since it may involve upgrading
the PC chip/card, RAM, hard disc and buying PC software. Of these, the
last is the one at which I balk most: buying another 8Mb RAM improves
both my RISCáOS and PC systems, and buying a faster PC card seems to
offer a reasonable return for my money, but PC software can be very
expensive. What makes this worse is that most PC owners donæt buy PC
software, since it almost always comes pre-installed on a new PC. If
anyone knows a (reputable) PC dealer  that sells applications (by which
I fear I mean Microsoft Office, or its constituent parts) at a discount,
please let me know. It is also worth adding that, in general, the price
of PC software does vary enormously, so itæs always worth shopping
around.
9.7
A few problems (and solutions)
9.7
Acorn and Aleph One have done a terrific job at integrating the PC card
into a RISCáOS machine Ö perhaps the ultimate plug-and-play? However,
there are still plenty of problems out there (most of which would occur
on a conventional PC). Perhaps it is worth saying, at the start, that
!PCx86 is optimised for running Windows 3.1/3.11 (and soon for Win95),
not for running DOS, and certainly not for DOS games. It is also worth
saying that there are plenty of programs which refuse to work on
conventional PCs Ö DOS games again are frequent culprits. As Windows 95
(and its successors) takes over the PC world (slowly...), some of these
problems should diminish, though, by then, hardware developments may
have taken us rather further Ö CHRP, etc.
9.7
Hardware problems
9.7
The most common hardware problem has been persuading CD drives (and,
less frequently, other disc drives) to work, and configuring them for
use in the PC partition. Running such a peripheral is, in fact, highly
complex Ö itæs nearly a miracle that it can be made to work at all Ö but
it can. Before giving a solution, let me outline the problem.
9.7
When running a CD-ROM, for example, under RISCáOS, you usually install a
module or two (CDFS and one specific to the drive) to control the device
(plug and play, as it should be). When you run such a device under DOS,
you also install two modules (called drivers under DOS), one called
MSCDEX (MicroSoft CD EXtensions), and one specific for the drive. If you
are also running Windows, you also load extra Windows drivers for the
device you have attached. If you are running Windows 95, you will
probably need a further/different set of drivers.
9.7
You might imagine that persuading all these drivers to talk to each
other is the source of the majority of problems, but Aleph One have
worked minor miracles, such that this nearly always happens Ö but only
if all the drivers are present. With such a long list of drivers, it is
understandable how one can be left out, and doing so, of course, causes
problems Ö though not necessarily all the time.
9.7
Under RISCáOS, typing *MODULES at the command line, lists all the
modules installed, making it easy to check that all is as it should be.
Unfortunately, under DOS/Windows there is no direct equivalent, since
the Drivers option, via the Control Panel, tells you which device-
specific driver is installed, but not whether MSCDEX is installed. To be
sure of this, check that you have a line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file
(which can be loaded into Edit if !PCx86 is not running) containing
something along the lines of C:\WINDOWS \MSCDEX.EXE (with various
letters after it). Also, as Jim Nottingham points out in his article on
page 34, errors encountered during start-up (i.e. in loading the
drivers) are easily missed. Jimæs article also contains details of how
to modify/determine which driver letter the CD is allocated under DOS.
9.7
Given the complexity of the issue, Iæm most grateful to Sean White who
sent me a clear installation method for getting Windows 95 running. It
seems the extra layer of drivers here has often been the final straw,
and perhaps it is also the case that the !PCx86 application does not yet
support Win95 drivers directly, without DOS/Windows 3 drivers
underneath. Certainly, there seems to be a problem running DOS programs
from Win95 if DOS drivers have not been installed. Anyway, here is one
solution you can try. (You will need about two hours, 70Mb hard disc
space, about 8Mb free RAM, !PCx86 and a PC card currently running
Windows 3.1.)
9.7
1. You must upgrade from Windows 3.1, not from DOS or 3.0, or the
various drivers you need might not be installed. In my case, I had
dreadful problems with running DOS programs from Windows 95 because of a
missing VGA grabber.
9.7
2. Before upgrading, install all hardware drivers you might need
(ARMDRV.DRV, sound drivers, CD-ROM drivers, printer drivers etc) into
Windows 3.1. Make sure that Windows 3.1 is using the right drivers, and
that sound, CD-ROMs, printers etc, work properly. Ensure that you can
run DOS tasks from the Windows 3.1 desktop.
9.7
3. Make a new partition for Windows 95, using !PCConfig. Windows 95
itself will take around 40-50Mb of disc, so youæll need at least 70Mb.
Call the partition Win95, and configure it as Drive D.
9.7
4. Run the PC card, enter DOS and format D as a system disc (FORMAT D: /
S).
9.7
5. Quit the PC card. Ensure that Truncate is off (*Configure Truncate
Off), then, using the RISC OS filer, copy across all the files (except
the system files already installed on Drive D) from your original
partition to the new partition.
9.7
6. To hide the old partition, rename it Win31. Use !PCConfig to make
Win95 Drive C and have no Drive D. The original Windows 3.1 partition is
now preserved in case of disaster.
9.7
7. Turn off your RISC OS screen saver. I got a horrible crash when the
screen saver kicked in during the Windows setup.
9.7
8. Use !PCConfig to give your PC Card at least 4Mb RAM, and an 800╫600
256 (with palette) or 32,000 colour display mode. Accept the suggested
memory allocation for the screen display. Set direct access to printer
port, ignore RISC OS printer stream, and donæt allow the PC card to boot
from floppy.
9.7
9. Run the PC card in single-tasking mode, then run Windows 3.1. Use
File Manager to find and launch the Windows 95 setup program Ö run the
program called SETUP.EXE. During setup, do not be tempted to go into
multitasking mode with RISC OS. I did and, at certain times, this
provokes a PC crash.
9.7
10. Select CUSTOM INSTALLATION. When prompted, choose to overwrite the
previous DOS and Windows installation, as you have got it all on Win31.
9.7
11. About 97% of the way through the hardware detection, part of the
Windows 95 Setup, the PC card will crash. Do not worry. Restart the
setup procedure Ö even switching off the Risc PC if necessary Ö and next
time around, Windows will skip the problematical bit. Accept SAFE
RECOVERY when prompted.
9.7
12. All being well, in about an houræs time, youæll have a working
Windows 95 system. In case of disaster, you can delete the new Win95
partition, re-create and continue from Step 4. During the Windows boot
up, youæll get some odd screen displays Ö just ignore them. Windows 95
takes 1-2 minutes to boot.
9.7
13. You now have two operating systems for your PC card. When you are
happy with Win95, you could delete Win31 Ö but Iæm keeping mine, as it
makes re-installation, in case of disaster, much easier. It is possible
to make two different Config files, and make a couple of short pseudo-
applications which run the PC Card with one partition or the other, as
required.
9.7
14. One tip I learned from Computer Shopper, is very useful for those
who want both Windows 95 and DOS applications to run on the same
partition. You can force Windows 95 to boot up with a menu; from RISC
OS, find the file C:\MSDOS.SYS and, using Edit, add the following lines
to the [Options] section (the carriage returns are best obtained by
copying from within the file) and re-save it (it is locked, so unlock,
save and re-lock):
9.7
  BootMenu=1[0d]
9.7
  BootMenuDefault=1[0d]
9.7
  BootMenuDelay=5[0d]
9.7
The second line means that Windows 95 will be the default, and the third
line gives the delay in seconds before the default is selected. The menu
appears almost instantly, and selecting option 5, before it times out,
gives you an old-fashioned DOS-based PC. However, Windows 95 will have
modified AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS, removing mouse and other drivers,
and you shouldnæt change them back. You may, therefore, need to create a
batch file to load the necessary drivers then run your application.
9.7
Another hardware problem has been trying to get printing out of Win95,
but this is not something Iáhave experienced. My setup is as follows:
Printers 1.22 and Turbodrivers 4.40, with the Printing option of
!PCConfig set to ÉUse RISCáOS printer streamæ for LPT1. My printer is an
Epson Stylus Color, and Iáhave the Epson Windows driver installed. This
seems to work fine, although I have done little printing from the card.
Possibly, those who are running into problems have not installed a
Windows driver for their printer? I realise there is now a newer version
of !Printers, and possibly of Turbodrivers as well, so any info on
setups that work, as well as those which donæt, would be useful.
9.7
Software
9.7
The most common software problems are with PC games. Unfortunately, in
many cases, there are few answers, since as on any computer, PC games
writers achieve maximum speed by using Éillegalæ methods. Some will
remember the problems getting BBC games to run under the emulators
(!Beebterm and/or !65Tube) supplied with original Archimedes machines.
As I said above, some games refuse to work on conventional PCs, indeed
the head of IT at the school where I work (who is something of a Windows
wizard) has found one game he cannot get running on any of the variety
of PCs we have. (Ofácourse, it only took one of the 15 year old pupils
15¡20 minutes to get it sorted!)
9.7
Despite this pessimism, and a lack of solutions for specific games (does
anyone have any?), I can offer some help to those running games off CD.
Almost certainly, these games run under DOS, and it may be that you can
access the CD drive from Windows, but that your DOS driver is not the
correct one, or is not installed. Getting hold of DOS drivers for Acorn-
oriented CD-ROM drives, may be a problem. Iásuggest that, initially, you
try your supplier, or support at Aleph One. Can I also make it clear
that this is a tentative solution, but it may help some.
9.7
That, Iæm afraid, is all I have time and room for this month. Do see Jim
Nottinghamæs excellent article below, and drop me any hints, tips,
problems etc, that you have.áuá
9.7
PCx86 Cards Ö Hints & Tips
9.7
Jim Nottingham
9.7
The article in Archive 9.1 p41 led to a fair amount of correspondence
with readers continuing to have problems in setting up their PC cards
and others coming up with excellent advice, so this is a follow-on
article to bring everyone up to date.
9.7
One thing I hadnæt made clear in the original article was that the hints
and tips were aimed at configuring the Acorn PC card for the RiscPC.
However, a reader pointed out that the majority apply equally well to
Alephæs range of standard-size expansion cards.
9.7
Erratum
9.7
Thanks to Mike Clarkson for correcting my careless error in linking
Microsoft with the DOS software issued with the PC cards. In practice,
we get PC DOS which is produced by IBM Ö sorry about that.
9.7
Software and documentation
9.7
There are reports of Acorn cards being sent out with two versions of
support software and user-guides, marked öPC 486ò and öPC x86ò
respectively. Not unreasonably, some PC486 card buyers have used the
former to set up their card. This is a bit naughty of the suppliers as
it should be noted that the PCx86 software (v1.91 or later) and user-
guide supersede those marked PC486 and are applicable to all Acorn PC
card variants.
9.7
Drive formatting
9.7
A number of people responded to my request for a reason for the
formatting funny described in the original article and elsewhere.
Especial thanks go to John Woodgate whose technical explanation not only
fitted the numbers perfectly but was sufficiently clear even for a
simple chap like me to understand! As John points out, there are two
definitions for a megabyte in general use:
9.7
Å The first (which Iæll call Defn 1 for reference) is the simple one
which is that a Mb is a million bytes. Seems reasonable... In decimal
terms, this could be expressed as 106 bytes. So, for example, a 270Mb
SyQuest cartridge would cater for 270 ╫ 106 bytes, or 270,000,000 bytes.
9.7
Å The second definition (Defn 2) is that, in computer terms (i.e.
binary), a megabyte is 220 bytes or 1,048,576 bytes. I hadnæt met this
one before, but we may be more familiar with the equivalent figure for a
Kb which is 210, or 1,024 bytes.
9.7
From these numbers, we see that, numerically, there seems to be roughly
a 5% difference between the two definitions used for a Mb, and this is
what we get in practice. So, for the nominally 270Mb SyQuest cartridge,
we may see either of the following:
9.7
Å Defn 1: 270,000,000 bytes ≈ 106 = 270Mb
9.7
Å Defn 2: 270,000,000 bytes ≈ 220 = 257Mb
9.7
In practice, we see both definitions being used and this has led to the
confusion about drive formatting. For example, if I stick a 270Mb
cartridge (using Defná1) into my SyQuest drive and click on Free on the
drive icon, Size will return only 256Mb. So this appears to be using the
Defn 2 method. However, it seems that, when we come to use !PCConfig to
set up a disc partition, this uses Defn 1 for the partition size. Very
confusing for the punters!
9.7
So Johnæs explanation clarifies why, if the SyQuest cartridge returns
only 256Mb free (using Defn 2), it is possible Ö and indeed sensible Ö
to use !PCConfig to set up a full 270Mb PC partition (using Defn 1). As
proof of the pudding, once the partition has been set up on the drive,
we can perform Count on the partition icon (drive_x) and get ö270xxxxxx
bytes totalò.
9.7
I think itæs worth noting that, although the two definitions apparently
give different capacities, we arenæt actually losing out if we use Defn
2; in principle, we will still be able to squeeze the full 270 million
bytes onto the drive, even though Size suggests only 256Mb are
available. In practice, however, there will always be the additional
overheads for directories and file block size to contend with, reducing
the space actually available for data.
9.7
Configuring for Windows
9.7
The Éfeatureæ of DOS which has caused readers most problems is how to
finish up with the desired Windows desktop display following boot-up
(using Windows v3.xx). As described in the original article, this is
achieved by adding the C:WIN command at the end of the DOS main ÉBootæ
file (AUTOEXEC.BAT). In the event, all the reported problems proved to
have only two root causes, so Iæll look at these in some detail:
9.7
Line terminator
9.7
The first one is my fault (sorreeeee...). Iæd said to add C:WIN to the
end of the AUTOEXEC.BAT file but omitted to say that, if you are using
!Edit to do this, you should end the line with the [0d] line terminator.
Until you do, the WIN command will have no effect. Unfortunately, some
readers had added the [0d] by typing it in as a 4-character string. The
[0d] is in fact Editæs way of displaying the Carriage Return code in
hexadecimal (described in the Text Import article in Archive 8.3 p65). I
should have suggested the complete procedure:
9.7
Å Load the AUTOEXEC.BAT file into !Edit.
9.7
Å With the mouse, <select-drag> to mark a [0d] character present on any
line (any one will do Ö note that it is a single character; not a 4-
character string).
9.7
Å Type in C:WIN at the bottom but, before pressing <return>, press
<ctrl-C>. This will copy the marked [0d] command and add it to the end
of the C:WIN command.
9.7
Å Press <ctrl-Z> to deselect the marked [0d].
9.7
Å Press <return> to terminate the C:WIN[0d] command line.
9.7
Å If present, delete the DOSSHELL command by deleting the line (probably
immediately preceding the C:WIN[0d] command) reading something like
C:\DOS\DOSSHELL.EXE[0d].
9.7
Å Save the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
9.7
Some other text editors (e.g. StrongEd) automatically sort out correct
line terminators so, if you modify your AUTOEXEC or SYS files etc using
an alternative to !Edit, you may find you donæt need to follow the above
procedure for entering the [0d] command.
9.7
Errors in AUTOEXEC.BAT
9.7
This is one of the areas where DOS is not very friendly. If there is an
error in our main RISC OS !Boot file, for instance, this will be
detected during boot-up, RISC OS will bring up an explanatory error
message box and politely wait for us to click on OK.
9.7
Not so with DOS! Any problems in AUTOEXEC.BAT will be detected, and DOS
will throw up an error message (e.g. öInvalid commandò) Ö but will keep
on going. So it is very easy to miss an error message in the fog of the
numerous copyright messages etc and, when everything stops, wonder why
we havenæt finished up with the Windows desktop.
9.7
The only thing I can suggest here, if you hit problems, is to keep a
very beady eye on all the messages that scroll up the screen while DOS
is booting up Ö the cause of the problem may well be embedded somewhere
in there. Indeed, as boot-up progresses, it might help to either click
on Freeze or take one or more screenshots of the DOS window, using
!Paintæs snapshot feature (I find !Snippet ideal for this purpose). Then
you can read the start-up script at leisure and, hopefully, spot any
problems.
9.7
CD-ROM drive
9.7
Configuring a CD-ROM drive so that it has a unique drive letter, and
doesnæt clash with other drives, is another area which seems to have
caused readers no end of problems. My recommendation to leave it until
last and follow the procedure on p24 of the original Acorn PC486 user-
guide to the letter didnæt work for everyone. Colin Bucklandæs method
described in Archive 9.6 p26 worked for him, but didnæt work for me or
others who tried it!
9.7
So where does that leave us? Acorn seem to have picked up the problem by
modifying the procedures as given in the current user guide (PCx86), and
also adding further advice in the Read_Me file included with the CD-ROM
installation files that come with the card.
9.7
Should you continue to have clashing drive problems of the type
described by Colin Buckland, it seems the definitive answer is to add an
extension to the relevant command line in AUTOEXEC.BAT to specify the
CD-ROM drive letter. Thus, for example, if you already have two PC
partitions set up as drive_c and drive_d respectively, and therefore
wish to configure the CD-ROM drive as drive_e, you would add the
extension so that the command line reads:
9.7
C:\DOS\MSCDEX /D:MSCD000 /L:E
9.7
The final letter E specifies the drive identifier. This is a handy
option because one reader mentioned that some early CDs for PCs assume
the CD-ROM drive is identified as drive_f. So you could cause your drive
to be correctly identified by giving the command line the extension /
L:F. However, in that event, there will be a Égapæ in the drive
lettering and, for this to work (as described in the Read_Me file), you
also have to add the cryptic command LASTDRIVE=Z to your CONFIG.SYS
file. Isnæt DOS friendly...?
9.7
Boot-up time
9.7
There were various rather uncomplimentary comments about the sheer time
taken for DOS and Windows to boot up. Welcome to the wonderful world of
PCs, say I! Iæm afraid this is an inevitable result of using a complex,
inelegant, disc-based operating system and GUI. So, to a large extent,
we are stuck with it.
9.7
However, there are a number of things we might do to prune at least some
of the excess, and here are a few suggestions:
9.7
Memory allocation Ö During DOS boot-up, much of the time is taken up by
HIMEM testing the extended memory. This appears to be almost directly
proportional to the amount of RAM allocated for use by the PC card. This
is adjusted using the Memory section in !PCConfig, so it is easily
reduced or, if you then find yourself short of memory, just as easy to
restore.
9.7
Single user Ö If you are running the network version of Windows (v3.11)
on a stand-alone machine, you can trim a few seconds by adding an
extension to the C:WIN command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file so that it
reads C:WIN /n[0d]. A by-product of this, is that the pretty Microsoft
logo welcome display is omitted Ö but I think we can live with that...
9.7
Start-up configuration Ö Acorn have given us an extremely flexible set
of options for initiating and modifying the PC card start-up routine.
These have major effects on the time taken, so having got used to how we
wish to use the card, we can configure the start-up to give us the
preferred optimum. This is easily achieved using the three options in
the Start-up section of !PCConfig.
9.7
Start up on iconbar Ö This option is probably best for those users who
wish to go straight into using RISC OS with minimum delay, but who may
wish to use the PC card at some later stage in the session. It is near-
instantaneous in that it simply loads !PCx86 onto the iconbar without
starting up DOS/Windows. When you eventually wish to use the PC card,
clicking on the PC icon as normal initiates DOS/Windows start-up, but
the downside is that it will then take some time to complete the start-
up routine.
9.7
Full screen Ö This option is probably best for those users who wish to
go straight into using the PC card from switch-on. The full screen is
taken over by DOS/Windows but the time taken to complete the start-up
routine is minimised. If, during this process, you wish to revert to
RISC OS, this is achieved simply by clicking <menu> which transfers the
DOS/Windows display into a RISC OS window. Start-up will continue albeit
at a slower rate but, in the meantime, you can use the RISC OS desktop.
9.7
RISC OS window Ö This option is perhaps the most convenient compromise
for general use as DOS/Windows will start up from switch-on and in the
background, albeit at a snailæs pace (time for a cuppa?). But if you
then want to use the PC card straight away, and wish to speed things up,
simply double-clicking in the window converts it to a full-screen
display and minimises the time taken to complete the remainder of the
start-up. However, if you want to use the RISC OS desktop instead, and
the PC window intrudes, simply click on the latteræs close icon to
remove it. This freezes the DOS/windows start-up but, next time you
click on the PC icon to re-open the PC window, start-up resumes from
where it left off.
9.7
Altogether a very flexible and user-friendly set of options; thanks
Acorn.
9.7
Windows 95
9.7
I havenæt yet installed or used Windows 95 on an Acorn machine, so
cannot comment on compatibility etc. However, Mike Buckingham has
written a very helpful article which is published in the February 1996
issue of Acorn User (pp54/55).
9.7
The end bit
9.7
Please keep further queries and ideas coming, either to me at 16
Westfield Close, Pocklington, York, YO4 2EY or to Michael Clarkson at
Riggæs Hall, The Schools, Shrewsbury, SY3 7AZ.áuá
9.7
Geraldæs Column
9.7
Gerald Fitton
9.7
This month, my column starts with a few requests for help; I continue by
describing a serious bug in Fireworkz which PipeDream doesnæt have.
After risking a couple of comments contrasting the way in which Psion
and Acorn currently market their products, it is with a measure of fear
for the consequences of speaking out, that I analyse Colton Softwareæs
future prospects, and I then complete my column with an offer from
Australia.
9.7
Printer port SCSI interface
9.7
Barry Allen writes to ask: öDo you have any thoughts on getting an Epson
GT 6500 scanner working using the Printer port SCSI interface from
Atomwide? With the interface plugged into my A4 and a SyQuest removable
attached and terminated, everything works perfectly. With the SyQuest
and the scanner on the bus, the scanner terminated this time, the
SyQuest works perfectly but typing *devices, only finds the SyQuest.
With only the scanner on the bus terminated, typing *devices only finds
the PrinterPort SCSI. All the devices have different device numbers.ò
9.7
If you can help, please write to me (Iæve got an A4 and a SCSI SyQuest,
so I might buy a parallel port SCSI interface) and directly to: Barry
Allen, 1áDeanbank Avenue, Manchester, M19 2EZ
9.7
Epson printer problem
9.7
Mike Beardshaw writes: öAfter using an Epson LX86 with no problems, I
recently bought an Epson Stylus 800+ inkjet printer, connected it to my
RISCáOSá2 Archimedes and soon came across a problem. When the amount of
text or graphics sent to the printer filled its buffer, 32Kb in normal
mode, the printer sends the signal ÉStop sendingæ, as usual. However,
when the printer emptied its buffer (by printing), the Archimedes would
not send any more text to the printer.
9.7
öThe computer shop tested the printer and could not fault it, but they
did test it on an IBM and, with usual IBM blindness to any other
computer, they didnæt want to know! Acornæs Helpline said it was a well
known problem and really, öTough luck pal!ò Epsonæs helpline said it
should work and were puzzled, but did confess that Acorn had had
problems in the past, and if I got anywhere to please let them know.ò
9.7
After much testing and hair pulling, Mike reports that öI have in fact
solved the problem, without any modification to the printer, or to the
computer or its configuration. The printer lead connections have
remained the same also.ò
9.7
Currently Epson are doing some tests, and so, although Mikeæs solution
works very well for him, it is possible that Epson may have produced
another method of overcoming the problem. If anyone wants to know Mikeæs
solution (he hasnæt told me what it is), please get in touch with him at
the address or æphone number below.
9.7
Mr M Beardshaw, 30 Penshurst Avenue, Hessle, HU13 9EL. Phone 0585-
632391.
9.7
For my part, I wonder if this is related to a fact Iæve reported before,
namely that some recently produced printers will work only with a bi-
directional parallel port (i.e. data flow in both directions to and from
the printer). The printer ports of IBM type PCs have been bi-directional
for some years now, but Acorn introduced the bi-directional printer port
with A5000 and A4. Earlier Archimedes, including my A540, have a uni-
directional port, and Acornæs printer drivers will not drive some of the
more modern printers.
9.7
Wordwise to PipeDream
9.7
Peter Clarke asks for help with such conversions. Heásays:
9.7
öI think I remember reading that you used to use WW+. I transferred some
40 heavily formatted WW+ files containing my table tennis clubæs history
from my old BBC computer; each file includes a table. I can probably
remove the embedded codes in !Edit, perhaps after identifying their hex
codes with *Dump, but if there are ways of directly replacing those
codes with PipeDreamá4 highlights (or Fireworkz styles and tables), it
could save some time.ò
9.7
It is such a long time ago that I ported my Wordwise files to PipeDream,
that Iæve forgotten exactly how Iádid it! My recollection is that I
printed from Wordwise to a file and then imported the ASCII file into
PipeDream Ö but I canæt remember. If you know how to do what Peter
wants, please write directly to:
9.7
Peter D Clarke, 24 Redwood Glade, Leighton Buzzard, Beds, LU7 7JT. Phone
01525-371254
9.7
A serious bug
9.7
About a year ago now, I received the file [Bug] (on the Archive disc),
from Jonathan Puttock. He complained that Fireworkz Versioná1.07 had a
bug in the set_value(,) function. I brought this to the attention of
Colton Software who said that they would fix it in the next version!
Because they were going to fix it, and because I was assured that the
new version was not far away, I decided that I wouldnæt publish
Jonathanæs bug in Archive. Well, a year later, Iæve got version 1.24 and
itæs still there!
9.7
Jonathan wrote:
9.7
öI have found a bug in Fireworkz which is associated with recalculation
when set_value(,) is used in a spreadsheet. Since this gives incorrect
answers when the program is apparently working perfectly, it is
potentially very serious. The problem is illustrated on the accompanying
file [Bug].ò
9.7
In case the screen shot (below) is unclear, let me explain what goes
wrong. The Fireworkz function set_value(to,from) pushes a value from the
slot Éfromæ to the slot Étoæ. It also works with arrays and
calculations. An example is the slot b12 which contains the formula
set_value(d5d8,b5b8*c5c8). Three such set_value(,) functions are used in
b12b14 to arrive at the Étotal with VATæ in column f. These totals are
summed into the grand total which youæll find in slot f9. I am sure
that, however non-numerate you are, youæll see that the value in f9
canæt be right! If you have the Archive disc, youæll be able to confirm
the bug exists. If you donæt have it, youæll just have to believe me
when I say that there is nothing wrong with the design of the
spreadsheet. What has happened is that the spreadsheet has made a
miscalculation! What is even more worrying to me is that Fireworkz sends
no error message!
9.7
I agree with Jonathan that this is serious and I have had many other
complaints about set_value(,) not working properly and giving no error
message. My own research into the occasions when this problem arises is
that, to experience the unreported error, you must use set_value(,) in
such a way that the Éfromæ in one set_value(,) has been derived from the
Étoæ in another, and that the Édepthæ of this Éfromæ Étoæ sequence is at
least three.
9.7
Some time last year, I wrote that I wouldnæt trust Fireworkz with
anything important because of this particular bug. Mark Colton
telephoned me and expressed his annoyance that Iæd openly criticised
Fireworkz this way Ö he assured me that this bug would be fixed.
Consequently, I toned down my criticism and, as an alternative, I gave
positive advice about using cross checks in all calculations. Anáexample
of such articles is in the directory ErrorChk on the Archive disc,
together with a [ReadMe] file explaining how to use the error check
custom function contained therein.
9.7
Although many found my cross check articles interesting, only a few
people went to the trouble of including such cross checks in their
Fireworkz spreadsheets. Those who did not include cross checks as a
matter of routine, found this set_value(,) bug manifesting itself all
too often Ö or worse still, they didnæt find it until it caused a
disaster, such as sending out an incorrect invoice. One of my
correspondents got into an argument with the Tax Man! Letters of
puzzlement, amazement and complaint continue to arrive to this day.
9.7
Advantages of a mature package
9.7
Have a look at the screenshot below. PipeDream does not have this bug!
The grand total in slot F9 shows the correct value of 44.
9.7
Often I am asked to compare one package with another. Usually, my
correspondent wants to know which package to buy. Of course, I tailor my
advice to the requirements of the writer (as far as I am aware of them)
but here are a couple of my now famous rules. One is öDonæt buy a new
piece of hardware or a software package just to keep up to date Ö if you
donæt need the facilities of a more expensive package then stick with
the cheaper one with fewer facilities!ò To that rule, I often add (but
sotto voce) öIf you have the choice between an older and a newer package
then choose the older because it probably has fewer bugs!ò.
9.7
Regular readers will know that, for many of the real jobs I do (as
opposed to playing with the software), Iáprefer PipeDream to Fireworkz.
The fact that PipeDream is old troubles me not at all! Let me refer you
to the mathematical formulation of a well known proverb which states
that the correlation coefficient between the quality of a wine and the
age of the bottle from which it is poured, is positive and not negative!
(viz öMany a good wine is poured from an old bottle!ò) There is no doubt
that PipeDreamá4 may show its age in some respects, such as öWhere is
the edge of the page?ò, varying fonts (styles) and line heights but,
when it comes to doing sums in the background without error, displaying
and fine tuning charts, creating and executing command files, character
based (quick) printing and keyboard shortcuts, it is the PipeDream wine
that has the fine bouquet and no bitter after taste.
9.7
One of the reasons why I have not yet bought a RiscáPC is that PipeDream
doesnæt work as well on it as it does on earlier machines. Today, I
finally decided not to buy a RiscáPC and bought one of Paulæs reduced
price A4 lap top machines instead. The A4 will not replace my primary
machine, an A540; I shall pension off my aging A440 Ö it is an original
A440 and not one of the later A440/1 models.
9.7
The Pocket Book Column
9.7
Many of you have written to say that youære pleased Iámentioned Audrey
Laskiæs Pocket Book Column in glowing terms. You agree with me that
Audreyæs column deserves praise. Indeed, long before I bought a Pocket
Book, it was one of my regular reads! Even if you donæt have a Pocket
Book, I recommend her column to you not only for the wide variety of
interesting technical content, but for the winsome way in which Audrey
writes. In Archive 9.6 (last monthæs) she comments that she uses Cards
for recording expenditure rather than the spreadsheet Abacus, and
confesses to being an öAbacus dufferò, leaving me with two spreadsheet
areas to cover in the near future, namely Geraldæs Address Book and
Audreyæs Expenditures! I shall do so soon, but not in this issue.
9.7
Already, I have received letters (with disc files) asking how to use the
Pocket Bookæs spreadsheet to deal with a variety of problems. The ones
Iæve had have been relatively straightforward, so my response has been
almost by return. I am pleased to have Audreyæs permission to say öKeep
them comingò.
9.7
Rather like Audrey, I have taken to using my Pocket Book in bed (to
prepare spreadsheets for the following dayæs lessons at college) and,
like Audrey, the other side of my bed is occupied by my helpmate, Jill,
who makes highly intellectual comments about the spreadsheets I prepare,
but gets particularly interested in the Pocket Book when she wants me to
check a synonym or spelling for her crossword puzzle. Because the Pocket
Book is multitasking, she can use Spell without affecting my spreadsheet
in any way Ö when I switch back to Abacus, the cursor is in exactly the
same place as I left it!
9.7
Acornæs marketing
9.7
Which? is a magazine. It often gets things wrong but most people, when
asked, would reckon that it champions consumersæ rights and exposes
weaknesses in consumer products. Their word goes a long way! Alan
Williams has sent me a photocopy of part of their Étestsæ on computers
in which, to quote Alan, öIáwas puzzled to see the Acorn RiscáPC rated
the slowest! ... This article must have done no end of damage to Acornæs
marketing.ò
9.7
Alan explains why he has written to me. It is partly because Iæve been
writing about marketing in Archive but he also flatters me by saying ö
...but also because you write so clearly!ò I may be able to write
clearly but, regrettably, my letters to Acorn only rarely receive an
answer!
9.7
Those of us who use both Acorn and other types of machine know that the
Acorn is faster. The mistake that Which? made was to look only at the
processor clock speed which, at 40áMHz (in the model they chose), does
have a smaller number of ticks per second than a Pentium running at
90áMHz. One of the many things of which Which? took no account was how
much work is done each time the the clock ticks Ö another is the
superior Acorn architecture.
9.7
In the normal course of events, I would not bother commenting on such an
article. I certainly would not try to educate the author of the Which?
article about Dhrystones and the like Ö I would leave that to someone
else, such as the Acorn Marketing Department. I mention the Which?
article only because I see that the date of the article is Octoberá1995
and because Alan says öWhy hasnæt Which? been challenged?ò The
implication is that not only have I not bothered to reply but that Acorn
have not bothered either!
9.7
I believe that under their new management this apathetic attitude will
soon change.
9.7
Psionæs marketing
9.7
Psionæs name and product are popping up in the media all over the place.
Apparently Psion are selling to the Russians. They are hooked into
publicity about the digital portable phone networkæs Short Message
Service (SMS); you can link a Psion to a digital portable phone and send
(and receive) messages or even files over the portable phone! They get
free publicity because pictures of ÉFamous Peopleæ using a Psion appear
(together with backup articles) in newspapers and magazines. I see other
examples too numerous to mention.
9.7
About four weeks ago, I wrote to both Psion and Acorn advising them of
my Archive column (sending them a copy of one particular page) and
asking for information which it might be useful to publish. Psion
replied by return; I am on their mailing list and will receive lots of
literature. I have yet to hear from Acorn Ö but I expect to do so
eventually!
9.7
Portable spreadsheets
9.7
As I have said in previous issues of Archive, in schools, at college, in
business, and in engineering and scientific establishments, the use of
spreadsheets is showing a surprisingly high rate of growth. It used to
be said that the word processor was the biggest single use of the
personal computers, but WP usage, whilst still holding its own, is being
caught up by the spreadsheet. In contrast, or perhaps because they are
inversely correlated, the use of the electronic calculator is declining.
9.7
For some time now Sharp have had on the market a lightweight semi-
portable (but not battery operated) combined word processor and printer.
The development I want to bring to your attention is that now they are
including a Lotus-clone spreadsheet as part of their ú400 Font Writer
machine. The company from whom I obtain my office supplies is
advertising a similar machine, a Brother LW700i, for ú300á+áVAT. Both
have full size keyboards and fold down liquid crystal monochrome
screens. These machines (and others which are similar) are rivals to the
Psion. I mention these rival and non-Acorn machines because I have been
asked, in correspondence, direct questions which I answer by saying, öIf
you must have a full size keyboard (because of the amount of typing), if
you need a spreadsheet, if you canæt afford a lap top and need to be
able to print, you need a portable such as .á.á.áò and I include a
photocopy of the Font Writer or Brother.
9.7
Acornæs awareness of the market has improved so much recently that Iæm
sure they must be considering a downgraded (and reduced price) version
of the A4 with software in ROM and a specification similar to the Sharp
Font Writer and Brother LW700i. I hope that they will include a
spreadsheet which is more like PipeDreamá4 than the Lotus clones of the
Sharp and Brother. I hope that Acorn approaches Colton Software (or that
Colton Software approach Acorn) and that we donæt get offered a
spreadsheet with all the limitations of Lotus.
9.7
Let me go on record as saying that I think Colton Software are making a
serious mistake in not marketing PipeDreamá4 for these portable
machines. Sometimes I wonder just how much Protechnic would sell
PipeDream for? If so, just how much it would cost for the code to be
Étweakedæ to make it more compatible with the RiscáPC? A gamble for the
entrepreneur who buys PipeDream is that it might be financially possible
to develop it for use on the up and coming portable spreadsheets!
9.7
Fireworkz and Fireworkz Pro
9.7
I have hesitated for many months over writing on this next topic. It is
only because I have been besieged by so many requests that I have
decided that the time has come to be brave and get on with it.
9.7
Letæs start with something that is simple and straightforward;
information about the latest version. The versions which I have of both
Fireworkz and FireworkzáPro are labelled Version 1.24/01 dated
17tháJaná1996. I have been told that 1.24/02 exists and a few have been
distributed but I donæt have a copy.
9.7
It is becoming more and more difficult to pin down Colton Software about
their upgrade policy; indeed, over the last few months, their policy (as
expressed to me) has gradually changed. I believe that these changes in
policy are not the outward manifestation of any long term consciously
thought through pro-active strategy, but that they are the varying
reactions of their new masters, Protechnic, to information received
through the monthly Sales revenues and Costs of running Colton Software!
It is my guess that, at the moment, costs exceed revenues and, rather
than investing in operations which might increase revenues, Protechnic
have embarked on a series of cost-cutting operations. For example, you
may have noticed that the number of advertisements has gradually waned
(I donæt think there are any running at the moment) and that their
appearance at Shows is being curtailed. Back in October, Colton Software
openly expressed their intention of running a mailshot to everyone who
had ever bought PipeDream or Fireworkz, advising them of the various
options they had for upgrading. That mailshot has not happened.
9.7
Under these circumstances, you will appreciate that the information I
have from Colton Software is fluid and liable to change! Nevertheless,
let me tell you what I can about the upgrade policy. So far as I can
determine, there will be no more upgrades of Wordz and Resultz after
Version 1.07 and no more upgrades to Recordz after Version 1.23! It
would seem to me that, when stocks of manuals, brochures, discs, etc,
run out, there will be no more sales of Wordz, Resultz and Recordz,
indeed, no more Wordz, Resultz or Recordz, except for second hand
copies! I do not mourn the passing of Wordz, Resultz and Recordz as
entities separate from Fireworkz. I always felt that selling Fireworkz
piecemeal served only to dilute the marketing effort and increase
disproportionately the expenditure on programming and administration.
Iábelieve that abandoning them can only focus attention on the major
products, FireworkzáPro and non¡Pro.
9.7
The situation with regard to Fireworkz and FireworkzáPro is different
and more difficult to rationalise. Let me digress slightly. On the
1stáDecemberá1995 Colton Software confirmed to me (for publication) that
further development of FireworkzáPro for Windows (i.e. for the PC) had
been abandoned. This is still the case. However, Fireworkz for Windows
(i.e. the non¡Pro version Ö without the Recordz database) is still being
progressed in parallel with the RISCáOS variant of Fireworkz (i.e. the
version without the Recordz database). Those of you who have
FireworkzáPro, even the latest 1.24 version, will know that the Recordz
(database) section of it still suffers from many problems. In
combination, these facts make the future of the Pro variant of Fireworkz
(for the Archimedes) more tenuous than the future of the non¡Pro
variant.
9.7
Some of you have noticed (and commented to me) how few applications of
the FireworkzáPro database Iáhave included in Archive. This has not been
accidental. Until the future of FireworkzáPro becomes clearer, such
applications will appear only rarely Ö if at all. Nevertheless, I do
thank those of you who have sent in such applications for inclusion in
Archive Ö Iáhave found them interesting, but I donæt want to use them at
the moment.
9.7
The Protechnic masters of Colton Software have a management problem. Let
me do my best to explain it to you. There is no doubt in my mind that
Protechnic want Colton Software to Érationaliseæ their product range,
selling either Fireworkz non¡Pro or FireworkzáPro, but not both! At this
stage, they feel that they cannot abandon FireworkzáPro. Why? One reason
is that selling FireworkzáPro brings in more revenue than selling
Fireworkz non¡Pro! However, as a company familiar with commercial
practices in the mainframe (and PC) business, they are afraid that this
would lead to an outcry for compensation from many purchasers of Pro. In
the meantime, every sale of FireworkzáPro (rather than the non¡Pro
variant) increases the size of this potential compensation. Compensation
to FireworkzáPro users is a contingent liability inherited by
Protechnic.
9.7
The serious management problem they have is whether they should spend
what is necessary in order to get the bugs out of the database section
of Pro or whether it would be better to ride out the storm of protest
which would result from abandoning it. You all know what happens with
computer software and programmers. It always seems to be harder (takes
longer and cost more) to remove bugs than the programmers realise. I
think that, initially, Protechnic either didnæt know of (or they
underestimated) the problems which Stuart Swales would have, and is
still having with the database section. I believe that their realisation
that there is no Équick fixæ for getting the Pro section working, has
been gradual, and with it has come a gradual disillusionment with
FireworkzáPro.
9.7
Now let me express the views of many of my correspondents rather than
rely on my own. Their perception is that the database of FireworkzáPro
is not as integrated as they would like. What is more, by its very
nature (it is bolted on), the degree of integration cannot be increased.
Feedback to me from users of Pro is that they are very disappointed with
the database section, and not only because of the bugs. Many say that,
even if it were working properly, it would not do what they had hoped it
would. I donæt believe Protechnic are aware of this storm; it is beyond
their horizon. In my personal view, this fundamental shortcoming of Pro
augurs badly for its future.
9.7
It is my personal view that Protechnic would do better to concentrate
their efforts on the non¡Pro version of Fireworkz, even though this
means that there will be decisions to make which will be hard and
(maybe) expensive to implement. My guess is that, sooner or later, as
they look for the silver lining beyond the inexorably approaching storm
of protest, Protechnic will come to the same conclusion as Iáhave, and
they will dump the database and cease to promote the Pro variant of
Fireworkz. If abandoning the database section results in focussing more
attention on improving the spreadsheet/wordáprocessor package then, in
my view, this would be a good thing and the sooner the better. By
improvement, I mean, for example, that they should include more of the
features of PipeDream to which Iáhave referred earlier in this article.
9.7
There are markets, such as the Acorn Pocket Book and the Sharp Font
Writer, which could do with an integrated word processor/spreadsheet
package of PipeDreamá4 quality. ÉFocusæ is one of the management jargon
words which is Éinæ at the moment. Would that the expertise of Stuart
Swales (of Colton Software) were directed at such growth markets!
9.7
Cricket
9.7
Over the last few years, I have received about a couple of dozen
requests for the results of various local and international cricket
matches in either PipeDream or Fireworkz format. There have been some
requests for an application which will automatically calculate batting
and bowling averages from such a database. Well, after much asking, we
now have a result! If you have an interest in cricket, you can obtain
various interesting database files and spreadsheets which analyse
performance by contacting: Ric Finlay, 214 Warwick Street, West Hobart,
Tasmania 7000, Australia.
9.7
IRCs
9.7
You will note that Ricæs address is in Australia. Please send Ric not
only a disc on which to copy the files, but also sufficient return
postage. If you donæt live in Australia, the best way of doing this is
to buy, from a Post Office, what are called International Reply Coupons
(IRC for short). To Ric, each IRC will be worth only the minimum postage
of a letter from Australia, so be sure to send him at least two (better
send him three) IRCs to cover the extra weight of a disc. Generally, the
cost of you sending Ric a blank disc is more than the cost to Ric of
buying a disc, so you might consider sending Ric three IRCs instead of a
disc (in addition to the three he needs for the return postage)!
9.7
Whilst on the subject of IRCs, we get them sent to us here at Abacus
Training. Rather too often we receive only one IRC when it costs us the
equivalent of three to send a disc half way across the world! One IRC
wonæt cover the return postage of a bag with one disc in it. If you
donæt live in the UK, and want your disc returned, please send us two or
three IRCs if you can Ö of course, if you canæt send us return postage
for any reason, weæll still send you your disc back but remember that it
is at our expense and we donæt get paid for writing for Archive! If you
live overseas and do want something from us on disc, consider whether
youæd rather pay the extra cost of sending us the blank disc or whether
three IRCs instead of the blank disc will be cheaper.
9.7
Overseas correspondents
9.7
Whilst on the subject of overseas Archive readers, Iáhave to say we do
try to give as rapid a service as we can. It is Jill, my wife, who keeps
reminding me that Iámust reply promptly to overseas correspondents, so
you will appreciate that it gave her real pleasure when we received a
letter from the Antipodes expressing pleasure and surprise at the speed
of our response to a difficult problem.
9.7
Hey, guys! I have to say this... Get on the Net!! No discs buzzing
around the world, no IRCs needed, no trips to the PO, and very fast
turnaround, even from the Antipodes. Ed.
9.7
To all of you
9.7
Thank you for all your letters. Please write to me (with a disc showing
examples if appropriate) at the Abacus Training address given at the
back of Archive.áuá
9.7
Club News
9.7
Derbyshire Acorn Risc Club Ö The inaugural meeting will take place on
Monday 15th April 1996, 7.30-9.30 p.m. at the Church Hall of St
Augustine in Duffield. This lies East of the A6, on the Little Eaton
Road.
9.7
The Guest Speaker will be Chris Cox of ART.
9.7
There will also be discussion on the type and structure of future
meetings.
9.7
Subsequent meetings will be on the second Monday of each month.
9.7
The acting chairman is Mike Smith who can be contacted on 01629-540281.
9.7
Suffolk Acorn Risc Club Ö The club meets every month, usually on the
second Thursday of the month, in Ipswich Central library (use the side
entrance in Old Foundry Road). Special events include:
9.7
11th April æ96 Ö Design Your Own Newsletter Ö Hints and tips on using
Draw, Paint and Impression.
9.7
9th May æ96 Ö AGM and a Special Surprise Attraction Ö The clubæs Annual
General Meeting, featuring a special bribe for attending.
9.7
Wakefield Acorn Computer Group have meetings on:
9.7
Wed, 3rd April Ö Visit by Marshal Anderson showing Topologika products.
9.7
Wed, 1st May Ö Visit by Softease to demonstrate Textease and latest
developments.
9.7
Wed, 5th June Ö Visit by Mike Cook.
9.7
All the meetings take place at 7.30pm at the West Yorkshire Sports &
Social Club, Sandal Hall Close, off A61 Barnsley Road and Walton Lane,
Wakefield.
9.7
Further information from Chris Hughes: phone: [phone], or
<[e-mail]>.
9.7
Wakefield Acorn Spring Show
9.7
Sunday 19th May 1996
9.7
at The Cedar Court Hotel, Wakefield, WF4 3QZ.
9.7
Exhibitors signed up so far: 4Mation, Acorn Cybervillage, Acorn Risc
Technology, Acorn User, AJS Computers, Akalat Publishing, Aleph One,
Alternative Publishing, ANT Ltd, APDL, Argonet, Atomwide, Clares,
Computer Concepts, Cambridgeshire Software House, Castle Technology,
Dalriada Data Technology, Datafile, Davyn Computer Services, Desktop
Projects, Eclipse Software, Eesox, FabisáComputing, FirstáComputer
Centre, Icon Technology, NorwicháComputer Services, Irlam Instruments,
Quantum Software, Resource, Serious Statistical Software, Sherston
Software, SimtecáElectronics, Softease, Stuart Tyrell Developments,
Vertical Twist.áuá
9.7
Landmarks Ö The War Years
9.7
Rocky Grove
9.7
In The War Years, to quote Longman, öpupils can explore a graphically
based virtual world, lifting the roof off a building to see inside,
examining objects more closely and even asking the inhabitants of the
small village of Westerleigh simple questions. Pupils can visit
Westerleigh at various times between 1938 and 1945, sharing the lives of
its inhabitants for a while. They are able to experience all aspects of
living throughout the war, from the peaceful rural life of 1938 to the
dark years of 1940 and 1942, rumours of invasion in 1944 to the
happiness and joy of it all being over in 1945ò. This is a fairly
accurate description of the program, although I would argue with
statements like öexperience all aspects of livingò, for this it
certainly does not do.
9.7
The problem with the War Years is that all you can do is to explore.
There is no interaction, an ingredient which greatly helps to maintain
childrenæs interest. Two programs with similar aims, which I have used
recently, are Sherstonæs Victorians Time Detectives and 4Mationæs Betsi.
Both of these programs provide a similar exploration of a period of time
as does War Years, but the children also have a quest to complete. In
War Years, the aim for the children is to produce a fact file about the
war years in Westerleigh. Only the more motivated children will find
this sufficient stimulation to explore the program enough to find out
everything that is provided. A further way in which War Years suffers in
comparison with these two programs, is in the quality of the graphics,
which are rather basic.
9.7
The program
9.7
The program is supplied on two discs. It can be run directly from floppy
disc, or very simply transferred to hard disc. I have used it on an
A4000 and a RiscPC, and the notes state that it can be used on a 1Mb
machine. It takes over the whole screen and, after a short introductory
screen, the clouds clear to provide an aerial view of part of
Westerleigh. The graphics are fairly basic Ö I have seen similar on a
BBC Master. The mouse pointer can be used to choose various options, as
shown in this picture:
9.7
The questions are very basic: for example, you can choose things like
describe or comment; and the answers are only slightly fuller Ö e.g. off
for my flying lessons. Iæm hoping for the R.A.F. if anything happens.
9.7
Use in school
9.7
I teach a class of 25 Year 5/6 children on a socially deprived
Birmingham overspill estate. I obtained the review copy towards the end
of the term in which we had been studying Britain since 1930. The
children were initially very interested in the program, but after a
couple of visits, interest wained. One comment was öthereæs nothing to
doò. They had no problems in loading and using the program. We had used
Victorians Time Detectives, the previous term, and the children were not
very flattering in their comparisons. However, the program was, of
necessity, introduced towards the end of a twelve week study, during
which the children had built a fair knowledge of the war. I feel their
reaction would not have been the same if I had introduced the program
earlier.
9.7
Conclusions
9.7
Taking into account all my reservations, The War Years is a vast
improvement on previous Landmarks programs, and it does help children to
obtain information about the Second World War in a different way. The
War is one of the central features of the Key Stage 2 topic, Britain
since 1930, and until Sherston, 4Mation, or the like, produce a much
better offering, it will help children to increase their understanding
of this important period of our history. It is available for ú25 +VAT,
or ú28 inclusive from Archive Ö a site licence is available for (a
steep) ú75á+VAT.áuá
9.7
Printers and Printing
9.7
Dave Floyd
9.7
Psychic printers?
9.7
Anthony Hilton from Leeds writes with a possible answer to last monthæs
enigma. He suggests that perhaps the scanner software picked up the
print command as well as Impression, thus directly sending the bitmap
image while Impression was still sending its page to the printer. While
I have not managed to emulate this, it is the only suggestion so far.
9.7
Turbo Driver & PC card
9.7
Mr Williamsæ problem from last month has prompted a few replies. Anthony
Hilton says that the setup indicated in last monthæs column should work
as he has a manual sharer box before his Artworks dongle and Turbo
Driver cable, to allow the use of a Powerpad, which will not work
through the dongle. He goes on to say that the only caveat is that the
switch must be the right way round before Turbo Driver is loaded,
otherwise the computer will need to be reset before any printing can be
done.
9.7
Anthony also states that the Deskjet 500C does not require to be
configured to receive serial data as it automatically senses which port
the data is coming from. Mr Williamsæ original plan to redirect IBM
printing through the serial port should therefore have worked. There are
at least three possible reasons why it may not have done.
9.7
Firstly, the configuration may have been incorrectly carried out.
Details of the settings required at both ends are in Appendix C of the
Deskjet Useræs Guide.
9.7
Secondly, the serial cable may be wired differently from what is
required. Having worked with PCs before, I can confirm that the only
thing Éstandardæ about serial cables appears to be the spelling.
9.7
A third possibility, suggested by Brian Baker of Peterhead, is that
Turbo Driver could be disrupting the output through the serial port. He
had problems regarding this back in 1993, and although Computer Concepts
isolated the problem and promised to upgrade Turbo Driver to rectify the
bug, it is possible that Mr Williams has an unupgraded copy of Turbo
Driver dating back to before 1994.
9.7
Brian warns that if you are plugging the dongle directly into a manual
sharer box, it is possible to damage the dongle itself when switching.
While this appears to be at odds with the advice stated above, Iáfelt it
was worth mentioning along with a reminder that, while efforts are made
to ensure that advice given is correct, neither myself, NCS nor any
other contributors can be held responsible for loss or damage caused by
following our advice.
9.7
Brian also gave me a description of how the Turbo Driver works. I seem
to remember that this was covered in another column fairly recently, so
will not repeat it here, but this, combined with another comment he
made, started me thinking. It now occurs to me that Mr Williams may have
set up the PC card to access the parallel port directly. If so, then by
changing that option to force the PC card to use the RISC OS printer
stream, and loading !Printers, and (possibly) Turbo Driver prior to
!PCx86, the PC card should then print happily using the Turbo Driver
cable anyway. If not, a phone call to Computer Concepts may provide an
answer, asásomebody else surely must have come across a similar problem.
9.7
Impression and the PC card
9.7
My mentioning of errors that occurred when loading the PC card after
using Impression, prompted the memory of A Taylor from Poole. Although
he has notáexperienced any problems recently, when he was using
Impression Publisher v4.01, he also suffered errors. The answer is to
upgrade from version 4.01, which I am still using.
9.7
Dongles
9.7
Itæs official, the dongle is dead. Computer Concepts are now advertising
dongle-free versions of Impression Publisher and Artworks. In order to
upgrade to a new copy, you have to send CC your dongle, registration
number and ú15. As I was intending to upgrade anyway (see above), the
cost is not so bad for me, but those who have recently paid ú10 for
their last upgrade, may be rather less than pleased. For those who use
either Impression or Artworks daily, this will be very inconvenient as
their software will be unusable for three or four days until the upgrade
arrives. Bearing in mind that we were all charged extra for the dubious
pleasure of having a dongle in the first place, should they not be
sending us money to get the dongles back? Apparently not!
9.7
Canon BJC600
9.7
Brian Baker has a Canon BJC600 which he does not use often. Recently,
when needing to use it, he discovered that two of the four ink
cartridges were empty. He had not used the ink, it had just vanished.
Investigation showed that the pad at the bottom of the printer was
soaked with the missing ink. These were the original cartridges and head
that were supplied with the printer. He has also come across someone
else who has the same printer and has had the same problem. What he
would like to know is, is this a Éfeatureæ of the printer, or have he
and his friend just been unlucky?
9.7
HP Laserjet 5L
9.7
A. Taylor has recently invested in an HP Laserjet 5L. He reports that it
gives excellent print quality both from !Printers v1.52, and from
Windows using the driver supplied with the printer. He has a problem,
however, that stems from an omission in !Printers.
9.7
Mr Taylor uses A5 paper for some of his letters. When the guides are
moved for the printer to line up the A5 paper, they both move in towards
the middle. Quite a few printers use this system as it means that you
can use the full width of the page rather than have a relatively large
margin along one edge. When printing from Windows, using the HP driver,
this does not pose a problem as the printer driver centres his A5 page
nicely. The Acorn driver prints as if it were an A4 sheet, however,
there being no preset option for A5 centred. This obviously has the
effect of moving the printed image 30-40mm to the left, as the driver
thinks the left edge is where an A4 sheet would line up. Although Mr
Taylor has temporarily fudged around the problem by using an A4
Impression page with a centred A5 frame, he wondered if there was a more
elegant way around the problem. He has tried editing the printer
definition file but has had no luck.
9.7
I have suggested to him that it may be (technically) more elegant to
create a master page in Impression, A4 in height but A5 in width, with
an A5 frame at the top. If he then selects Centre pages in Impressionæs
print setup this should have the desired effect. This is little
different from what he has already done, however, and is obviously not
ideal. I also suggested that he should write to Acorn about the problem
because, once they are aware of it, they may update their printer
drivers to accommodate A5. If anyone else has any other ideas or a
solution, I would be pleased to pass it on through the column,
especially if you have managed to glean any sensible results from
playing around with the graphics margin settings in !Printers ÉEdit
paper sizesæ.
9.7
Scanning for printing
9.7
I have selected two pieces of artwork for the tests. Aácolour photograph
and a litho printed monochrome CD cover. I am using a Risc PC 600 at
800╫600 resolution (therefore allowing up to 16 million colours with 2Mb
of VRAM) and an Epson GT-9000 scanner. The only software I will be using
is the Irlam ProImage package, supplied with the scanner, although
better results could be obtained in some instances by using David
Pillingæs ImageMaster or Photodesk, to further manipulate the images.
Printing of the captured images will be done using a Calligraph A4
printer at 600╫600dpi.
9.7
These articles are not intended to be a detailed look at image
manipulation. While a series such as that would interest me, I have
neither the time nor the technical expertise to attempt it myself. All I
intend to do is scan in the images, using a variety of different
resolutions and settings, drop the resulting graphics into frames on an
Impression page and report on the outcome. Hopefully, this will mean
that readers can avoid much of the trial and error stage when attempting
to scan in similar graphic images for themselves. Memory constraints
will also limit the extent of the testing. The colour photograph I am
using is 128╫86mm. A full colour scan of the photo takes approximately
the following amounts of memory.
9.7
  Dpi  Memory  (Mb)
9.7
  100  0.5
9.7
  200  2
9.7
  300  4.5
9.7
  400  8
9.7
  500  12.5
9.7
  600  18
9.7
  1200  72
9.7
  2400  288
9.7
I will, for obvious reasons, limit myself to the lower end of the
resolution scale when dealing with colour!
9.7
Monochrome
9.7
I will begin with the monochrome image, as it is the easiest. I disabled
dithering and scanned the image in six times from 100dpi to 600dpi, at
100dpi increments. That done, I dropped the graphics into an Impression
page containing six 85╫85mm frames and printed the page. Much of what I
have read about scanning, states that using higher resolutions merely
wastes memory and disc space for little return. This is not true when
you are dealing with monochrome lineart or text. Although scanning at a
resolution higher than your printer is capable of can be wasteful, up to
that level, the higher the better. In this example, the frames are
smaller than the original image so I had no real need to scan at 600dpi,
as the effective resolution is raised as the image is reduced. Iácould
therefore detect no real difference between the 500 and 600dpi prints.
The 400dpi image would also have been perfectly acceptable, but below
that, the text on the page began to show signs of jaggedness. Printed at
full size, there is a noticeable difference between 400 and 600dpi,
mainly on the scanned-in text.
9.7
Colour
9.7
The colour photograph I scanned forty-two times in all, in 4, 16 and 256
greys, in 16, 256, 32 thousand and 16 million colours, and each of them
dithered and undithered, and at resolutions of 100dpi, 200dpi and
400dpi.
9.7
The four grey scans can be effectively discounted. The native scan
looked almost Warholesque when printed, and the dithered version was
very dotty as would be expected, although things had improved slightly
in this area when I reached 400dpi. The sixteen grey and colour scans
were also less than perfect, although the dithered versions looked
better than I had expected.
9.7
More surprisingly, perhaps, was how the 32,000 and 16M colour scans
printed. I assume this is due to the laser printer only being able to
handle 256 grey shades itself, but once they had been printed, they
looked awful at each of the three resolutions. On screen they looked
good, though.
9.7
We are left, then, with the 256 grey and 256 colour scans. At this level
of shading, I found that dithering detracted from the picture quality by
fuzzying the edges without really adding anything to the image. However,
the photo I am using consists mainly of sizeable areas of white, red and
black, so things may be different with a more subtle original, such as a
landscape. If I get time, I will check before next month.
9.7
There was little difference between the grey and coloured versions when
printed. On balance, Iápreferred the grey scale copies as I felt they
provided slightly better contrast, although this could have very easily
been rectified by using a manipulation program.
9.7
As for resolution, I could detect a slight improvement between 100 and
200dpi, but effectively none between 200 and 400dpi. Assuming,
therefore, that you are requiring a scan of a colour picture to print
out at actual size or smaller, from these tests it would seem that you
will obtain the best results by scanning 256 grey or 256 colour shades
at 200dpi with dithering turned off. Higher resolutions will do little
other than waste time and disc space if all you are planning to do is
print them out on your laser printer. I have to admit that I am a little
disappointed with this outcome. I could have simply quoted from the
Irlam manual and saved myself the best part of six hours work!
9.7
Scanning for photocopying
9.7
On running the printed sheets through the photocopier, there were no
surprises at first. The monochrome images scanned at the high
resolutions came out better than the lower resolution originals. Iáhad a
slight preference for the copy of the 600dpi original, although
differences were very slight between all the copies between 300 and
600dpi. Bearing in mind that most office copiers only copy at 300dpi,
this is not really surprising and any improvements at the high end are
largely because the original was slightly better in the first place.
9.7
I did not expect any real difference in the copies of the colour
original, but here I was to be surprised. The 256 grey scale scan
photocopied slightly better than the 256 colour scan, the shades being
better pronounced. What did take me by surprise was that the best
photocopies were obtained from the dithered scans, even though I was not
particularly happy with them when just laser printing. I also had a
preference for the 400dpi version, even though the laser copy did not
appear to be any different from 200dpi.
9.7
It would seem then that when laser printing for photocopying, higher
resolution scans are of use, as is dithering. As I said earlier, I will
try a colour picture with a more varied range of colours before next
month. It will be interesting to see whether the same results emerge. I
have enclosed a copy of the laser sheets and photocopies for Paul to
look at in case his eyes disagree with mine (after all, the air is
probably clearer in Norwich). To summarise then:
9.7
Monochrome line art: Scan in to as high a resolution as possible, up to,
or perhaps just over, the resolution of your printer.
9.7
Colour photographs: For laser printing, scan in to 200dpi and 256 greys
with dithering turned off. If you will be photocopying the printouts,
scan to as high a resolution as memory will allow, using 256 greys and
dithering turned on.
9.7
Finally
9.7
Any printing-related problems or suggestions for future articles should
be sent to Dave Floyd,             c/oáPOáBox 2795, London NW10 9AY.áuá
9.7
EZ135 SCSI SyQuest Drive
9.7
Mark Desborough
9.7
I have a RiscPC fitted with a 40MHz ARM710 card, 33MHz 486 SX card,
Cumana 16-bit SCSI card, NEC 3-speed CD-ROM and a Mustek Paragon
scanner. I had already replaced the 210Mb hard drive with a 400Mb, but
found that I was still running out of storage space. I also have some
200 floppy discs backing up essential applications and data. The SyQuest
removable drive looked like an excellent way of both backing up the hard
drive and extending the storage capabilities.
9.7
Iæm lucky in that I work for an Acorn developer/dealer, so was able to
get the drive from our supplier at a discounted price. I understand that
the recommended retail price of the drives is around ú290 but you can
buy them for as little as ú199 +VAT.
9.7
Shortly after placing my order, a very swish-looking box arrived
containing the drive, one cartridge, formatted for the Macintosh, a 25-
way ÉDæ to 50-way Centronics SCSI cable, a power supply and power cord
and some very minimal instructions.
9.7
The cable was a bit of a problem as I wanted to attach the drive to my
scanner and so required a 50-way Centronics to 50-way Centronics cable.
The cheapest supplier I found was Technology Matrix who charged ú10 plus
shipping for the cable.
9.7
The drive had been set as SCSI device 4 which was fine by me as it was
an unused device number on my system. If you need to change the device
number, it is very simple as it is set externally on the back of the
drive.
9.7
Everything connected up easily, I powered up the drive, powered up the
computer and ran !SCSIMgr, the SCSI manager program that comes with the
Cumana card. I mapped the drive to SCSI drive four and initialised the
supplied disc. (I was told that there is no need to actually format it,
even though it is Mac formatted, and it does seem to work OK!)
9.7
Clicking on Éreadæ created a partition of 128Mb. Apparently, SyQuest
talk in terms of 1Mb being 1,000,000 bytes per instead of 1024╫1024 and
this accounts for the discrepancy. I named the disc ÉSyQuestæ to avoid
confusion.
9.7
Quitting !SCSIMngr results in a dialogue box asking if you want the
changes to be implemented immediately. I said yes and there it was!! A
new drive icon with Syquest underneath it. A check of Éfreeæ revealed
128Mb free. Clicking on the drive icon opened up the filer window.
9.7
It is a fraction slower than my IDE hard drive, but there really isnæt
that much in it. The discs cost around ú13 +VAT each. They are
reasonably robust, thicker versions of normal 3╜ö  floppy discs.
9.7
I have also tried the drive with the printer port SCSI adaptor from
Atomwide. This was even easier to use because the !PrintSCSI software
automatically detected the drive and put up the drive icon. !SCSIForm,
which comes with the adaptor, formats the disc correctly. Access speed
is only slightly slower than when using the Cumana card.
9.7
In my opinion, the EZ135 is an excellent product and very good value for
money. Now, every time I run out of storage space, I cough up another
ú16 and add 128Mb.áuá
9.7
Pocket Book Column
9.7
Audrey Laski
9.7
Transferring applications
9.7
Michael Clark writes from Christchurch, New Zealand Ö how the Pocket
Book travels! Ö to ask about transferring applications from SSD to flash
disc. He has Schedule, OPL and Plotter all on SSDs, and now that he has
a 2Mb flash disc naturally wants to transfer these, but has found the
manuals give no instructions for this.
9.7
We have found that the following works well. Itæs necessary first to
build a directory tree on the flash disc to correspond to the relevant
parts of the internal disc, using MakeDirectory in the disc submenu or
Acorn-+. Then Copyfile in the file section of the desktop menu, or
clicking Acorn-C, will open a copyfile window. The disc reference must
be changed to that of the drive in which the flash disc lives, while the
Tofile name is retained. The application will go across quite meekly.
Alternatively, you can do it on the Acorn desktop using PocketFS.
9.7
Recommendations
9.7
Steve Hutchinson, of Gloucester, strongly recommends Palmtop magazine as
a forum for palmtop users. It is produced by Steve Clack, 25 Avocet Way,
Bicester, Oxon., OX6 0YN and costs ú24 for a yearæs subscription (6
issues). In it, he found the answer to his own question in an earlier
column about alternatives to Data(Cards): a freeware program by John
Boyce called JBData, which is available on the Internet. He has found it
excellent, apart from a certain slowness in loading large files; he
says, ÉI love the list view and the search that produces a subset. It
also has a Quicksearch facility that searches as you type, and is about
three times faster than Data.æ Unfortunately, this will run only on the
3a/PocketBook II; and it needs about 88Kb free to run. He also
recommends JBFind, a Énatty utilityæ which will search all oneæs files
for a given phrase.
9.7
Dealing with $
9.7
Correspondence continues about this maddening topic. Peter Stephens,
another correspondent with only an e-mail address, suggests the
following, which he has been using to deal with filenames in
applications he has downloaded from the Internet:
9.7
1. Ensure that !SparkFS/!SparkPlug etc are not installed.
9.7
2. Drag the archived file into !Edit and do a ösearch and replaceò for
the offending filename Ö e.g.  replace SYS$HELP.OPO with SYSXHELP.OPO,
making sure the number of characters remains the same and that you are
not duplicating a filename used elsewhere in the application.
9.7
3. Save the edited archive (under an alternative name so that you retain
the original!).
9.7
4. Install !SparkFS or similar and decompress the new archive.
9.7
5. After installing the files in the Pocket Book via the A-Link, use the
Pocket Book to rename the files to their original names.æ
9.7
John of the other side of the bed responds...
9.7
öI have been exploring the PD module application !Longfiles, and it is
very helpful if somewhat obscurely documented for PocketFS needs. First
of all, do not do *addlongfs pocketfs. Instead, do *addlongfs adfs, or
any other filesystem you want to use, e.g. SCSI. Then you can drag files
between directories on the Pocket Book and elongated ADFS directories
etc on ADFS without losing information. É.æ will show as É/æ and $ as <.
You can also name your own files as f/e, and they will drag to pocketfs,
which will Érenameæ them f.e.
9.7
öIt seems that Spark, which was designed before this problem was
recognised, deals differently with É.æ, and, itself, truncates filenames
and substitutes É_æ for É.æ. Therefore, you have to do it the old way by
hand from Spark. I shall ask David Pilling whether he will consider
changing, and to find out about SparkFS.
9.7
öJim OæNeill, of Bourne End, Bucks, has written to Audrey to suggest
working with the PC Emulator or, presumably, the PC second processor
board, and using the standard MSDOS PKUnzip. For backup, he proposes
simply dragging files in PocketFS to an MSDOS formatted disc; most
ingenious, but can one do this with 11 character files? The
disadvantage, of course is that PKUnzip is a command line program, and
does not, I think, handle directories in archives properly.
9.7
öIf people want more about how !Longfiles works in relation to the
Pocket Book, please ask and I will explain it to her beside me, so she
can write something.
9.7
öSpeaking as a lonely dunce, I said last month that ADFS displayed
filenames containing É.æ and É$æ as though they were the characters É/æ
and É<æ. I now deduce, using thimbles, care, forks and hope, that this
is not so, and that only DosFS and PocketFS so display and transliterate
the awkward characters on output and input. Clearly this is less
powerful than Iáhad originally believed, in that files containing
characters such as É/æ and É<æ, cannot be transferred, without
transliteration, to these file systems.ò
9.7
Thanks, John, but I canæt help hoping this correspondence is now closed.
I will, of course, carry it further if anyone has a new thought.
9.7
Endnote
9.7
Iæve had Power Pack blues again: sudden loss of my little green light.
Paul Pinnock, whose Pinnock Organiser Services Iæve already praised in
this column, rapidly diagnosed, demonstrated and dealt with damage
inside the Pack and to the lead. Iæm not conscious of treating the poor
thing roughly, but evidently I do. I shall try to be more tender with
it. The new lead has a 90 degree socket rather than a straight one, so
it might allow less tenderness.áuá
9.7
Small Ads
9.7
(Small ads for Acorn 32¡bit computers and related products are free for
subscribers but we reserve the right to publish all, part or none of the
material you send, as we think fit. i.e. some people donæt know what
Ésmallæ means and there are certain things, as you can imagine, that we
would not be prepared to advertise as a matter of principle. Sending
small ads (especially long ones!) on disc is helpful but not essential.
Ed.)
9.7
2¡4Mb RAM upgrade, Risc Developments board for A5000 ú60 ovno. Phone
Brian on 0181¡951¡1503.
9.7
A3000, ARM3, RISC OS 3.1, serial upgrade, VIDC enhancer, double podule
expansion ú200, PRES housing and monitor plinth ú30, 2nd floppy
interface ú15, 4Mb RAM ú100, Eizo 9060S monitor ú150, SCSI interface
ú50, 240Mb SCSI HD ú110, external CD¡ROM drive ú140, EcoSampler and MIDI
interface ú55, or ú700 for the lot. Phone 01454¡772159.
9.7
A3000, 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, internal Midi  I/O card, Acorn monitor and
stand ú200. Buyer collects or pays delivery. Phone Clive on 01438¡365564
eves or email [e-mail].
9.7
A3000, 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, ARM3, Taxan 775 14ö multisync, serial
upgrade, Wild Vision expansion box, Risc HD floppy disc controller,
PCáemulator 1.8, lots of software ú425. Phone 01734¡571883.
9.7
A3000, 4Mb RAM, 60Mb HD, RISC OS 3.1, Acorn monitor, PipeDream 4, PD and
games ú400 or offers. Phone Devon on 01548¡843852 eves.
9.7
A3000, 4Mb RAM, serial upgrade ú150, Advance ú20, collect or carriage
extra. Phone Geoff on 01277¡352036.
9.7
A410/1, 4Mb RAM, 20Mb HD, RISC OS 3.1, Acorn colour monitor, v.g.c.
documentation, NewLook, lots of PD software, fonts, games, clipart, etc.
May deliver within the 0161(ish) area and, if required, provide help
setting up ú450. Phone Gary on 0161¡280¡1437 eves.
9.7
A440/1, ARM3, 4Mb RAM, 47Mb HD, RISCáOS 3.1, VIDC enhancer, Eizo 9060S,
PCáEmulator 1.83, PipeDream 4, Compression, games ú495. Phone Gordon on
01257¡424113.
9.7
A5000, 4Mb RAM, 40Mb HD, RISC OS 3.1 ú600, Pineapple Video Digitiser
(dual slot) ú100, Star LC24 200 dot matrix printer ú100. Phone
01255¡436494.
9.7
A5000, 4Mb RAM, 405Mb HD, RISC OS 3.1, multisync monitor, Impression
Publisher, Genesis Pro, Poster, PC Emulator, 600 fonts ú695. Phone Chris
on 01424¡719569 or 01271¡850355.
9.7
A5000, LC, 8Mb RAM, 425Mb HD, RISC OS 3.1, socket for external floppy.
Boxed, with manuals, support discs etc, immac. condition, Taxan 770+ LR
monitor, external 40/80 5╝ö disc drive. ú750 o.n.o. Phone 01924¡255515,
Fax: 01924¡257445, <[e-mail]>.
9.7
Acorn bits Ö Back issue magazines/cover discs (AU, AW, AC, MU) æ91
onwards ú1 each; Risc User discs (July æ95 onwards) ú3 each; Almanac 3
offers?; Mousemats ú1 each. Contact Jon on 01823¡680111 or email
[e-mail].
9.7
Acorn MIDI card (AKA16) ú40 o.n.o., EMR Sampler 8 card ú35 o.n.o. Phone
Dominic on 0117¡9422¡663.
9.7
AKF50, 14ö high res colour multisync, as new ú250. Local delivery may be
possible. Phone Gary on 0161¡280¡1437 eves.
9.7
Aleph One PC card, 486, 4Mb RAM, fast pals, software version 1.71,
offers over ú100. Phone Dave Leckie on 01397¡704361 eves.
9.7
A¡Link for Acorn Pocket Book (AHA30) RS232 interface & PocketFS2 for
Pocket Book or Psion3a ú30. Phone 01606¡834745 or
[e-mail].
9.7
CD¡ROM drive, Morley Revolution ú50. Phone 01483¡455564.
9.7
Clares Compo (latest version 1.02) inc Virtualise ú70, Revelation
ImagePro24 ú20, Clares ProArt 2 ú25, Oak Archimedes Basic Compiler ú25.
Contact Pete on 01663¡733027.
9.7
!PCx86 package for Risc PC card ú5, ImageFS 2 (as new) ú35. Phone
01342¡714905.
9.7
RISC OS 3 Style Guide and RISC OS 2 PRMs, upgradable ú40, Acorn Desktop
C ú40, or both for ú70 ono. Phone 01454¡772159.
9.7
Software, Photodesk 1.22 ú100, ImageFS2 ú20, Revelation ImagePro24 ú30,
CC Graphics Loaders ú20, CC RTF/WP Loaders & Savers ú20, ArtWorks
Clipart CD 2 ú10, Hutchinson Encyclopedia Edition 2 ú15, Event (diary)
ú5, Populous ú10, The Times Sampler CD¡ROM (DOS only) ú15, RISC OS 3
Style Guide ú5. Offers considered for multiple purchases. Phone
01752¡840027 after 5pm.
9.7
Star LC¡10, colour dot matrix with box, stand and manuals ú85 ono. Phone
01752¡840027 after 5pm.
9.7
Wanted Ö A4 at a reasonable price. Phone 0117¡973¡6237 or email
[e-mail] with details.
9.7
Wanted Ö ArtWorks, preferably CD¡ROM version. Phone 0181¡349¡4877.
9.7
Wanted Ö One or two ARM3s for A310, any type acceptable, but prefer
4¡layer board and optionally FPA socket. Please contact Kjetil
Thomassen: phone: [phone], fax: [phone] or
<[e-mail]¡prakla.slb.com>.
9.7
Wanted Ö PhotoCD player. The same charity that was setting up a FaxPack
network in November æ94 needs a PhotoCD player, but Philips and Kodak
have stopped making them! If you can help, phone Steve on 01483¡502146.
9.7
Wanted Ö Retired engineer and computer enthusiast seeks project or
charitable work. Remuneration is not necessary but a task of some
interest is. Live Watford area but this is not a limitation. Phone Stan
Haselton on 01923¡445149.
9.7
Wanted Ö ST506 3╜ö hard drive in working order; around ú30 for 20¡40Mb,
or make me an offer! Can collect St. Neots/Royston/Cambridge area. Email
100746,[e-mail] or phone 01480¡470804.
9.7
Z88, 128k RAM, 128k EPROM, case, mains adapter, Arc Link software/
cables, manuals, magazines, printer interface ú80, collect or carriage
extra. Phone Geoff on 01277¡352036.áuá
9.7
The Graphics Column
9.7
David Thornton
9.7
Vector file format overview
9.7
It has been obvious for some time that many people have a requirement to
convert graphic files from one format to another and between different
platforms. Bitmap conversion has largely been covered over the past few
years with programs such as ChangeFSI, ImageFS, ImageMaster and many
others, supporting the various bitmap formats. Vector file converters
have remained largely absent. This has frustrated many people who need
an easy way of accessing cheap, but high quality, PC clipart CD-ROMs.
Many PC clipart CD-ROMs are available for DOS and Windows platforms,
containing high quality illustrations and drawings. Most of these
graphics are stored in one of the following formats:
9.7
  Å WMF Ö Windows Metafile
9.7
  Å CGM Ö Computer Graphics Metafile
9.7
  Å CDR Ö CorelDraw
9.7
  Å CMX Ö Corel Presentation Exchange
9.7
  Å AI Ö Adobe Illustrator
9.7
  Å EPS Ö Encapsulated PostScript
9.7
A few programs exist which can read these formats, including ArtWorks,
which can import and export AI and some EPS files, and a few non-
commercial utilities that arenæt as reliable as they might be, but most
of the formats are regarded as alien to RISC OS machines. Thankfully,
some commercial software has begun to fill the gap in the market. Meta
Converter by KeySoft was recently launched, which allows WMF files to be
exchanged between PCs and Acorns (See the review last month on page 22.)
Alternative Design & Publishing are updating ImageFS to support WMF,
CGM, AI, CMX and also DXF (Data Exchange Format), WPG (WordPerfect
Graphics), OS/2 Metafile, HPGL and Lotus PIC. Iáhave researched various
vector formats and have provided a summary of some of the formats below.
9.7
Windows Metafile
9.7
This format, as its name may suggest, is designed for storage and
interchange under Microsoft Windows. Itáis device-independent, and files
are usually well structured, although relatively complex. The format
stores a list of Windows graphical functions which are replicated
internally by Windows. The format is therefore very similar to the
internal graphic calls of Windows. The format is also used when graphic
images are cut or copied to the Windows clipboard, and most Windows
illustration and drawing programs support the format.
9.7
Computer Graphics Metafile
9.7
This format is similar to the WMF format but is not so platform-specific
as WMF is considered to be. The format is defined and controlled by the
American National Standards Institute and so is officially recognised.
It is supported by PCs, Macs and other workstations, and is often used
by CAD programs as well as most of the popular PC drawing and
illustration programs.
9.7
Data Exchange Format
9.7
This format is most commonly used in conjunction with CAD software,
especially AutoCAD. The official Acorn filetype is &DEA. Draw supports a
limited range of DXF commands and can import DXF files with a varying
degree of success. The popular RISC OS CAD programs also support the DXF
format, again with varying degrees of compatibility.
9.7
WordPerfect Graphics
9.7
This format is a metafile designed for use in conjunction with
DrawPerfect and WordPerfect 5.x. However, many other programs support
the format, although often half-heartedly, so it can be classed as a
general purpose graphic format. A WPG file can contain either a single
bitmap or a sequence of drawing routines. Different versions of the
format exist in relation to the different versions of WordPerfect.
WordPerfect 6.0 includes an implementation of WPG 2.0. DeskTop
Laminations (a.k.a. the CD Circle) developed a WPG filter for use with
any application that supports CCæs graphic filter system. This only
really includes Impression and ArtWorks, although Digital Darkroom 2
also supports the filters. Currently, only bitmap WPGs are supported up
to versions compatible with WordPerfect 5.5.
9.7
OS/2 Metafile
9.7
This format is IBMæs metafile implementation and is primarily used by
OS/2 applications. A careware utility called Draw-Met, by Keith Sloan,
allows RISC OS to convert these files to and from the Acorn Draw format.
Not all OS/2 metafile elements are supported and the program has one or
two bugs.
9.7
Corel Presentation Exchange
9.7
The CMX format is used by Corel for storing all of the clipart provided
with the most recent versions of CorelDraw. It has become a popular
format for clipart, and Corel have kindly allowed non-Corel applications
to support the format. The native CorelDraw format, CDR, is not easy to
implement and it is unlikely that it will be implemented under RISC OS
because of the sheer effort that would be required. Also, there isnæt a
corresponding RISC OS file format that could hold all of the contents of
a CDR file.
9.7
These are just a few of the industry-standard vector file formats.
Others could be implemented, and I am pleased to see that, at long last,
someone is doing something about this important niche in the RISC OS
graphics market.
9.7
Please contact me...
9.7
I am very interested to hear your comments about this column and
graphics in general. I have just joined the Internet and you can email
me at <david@modcon. demon.co.uk>. Please do so. You can also write to
me at: David Thornton, 1 Castle Court, Lower Burraton, Saltash,
Cornwall. PL12 4SE.áuá
9.7
Cine Clips
9.7
Andy Jeffery
9.7
Cine Clips is a CD from Oregan Software Developments that has been
produced to provide the users of CineWorks, Oreganæs movie editor
application, with a collection of video and audio clips. It also
contains some example replay movie files created in CineWorks and some
especially interesting animation files. However, it is not necessary to
own a copy of CineWorks because all the files on the CD can be accessed
by the included applications, namely !Armovie to view all the video and
audio clips and !FliPlay, by KáFáQuinn, which plays the Autodesk
Animator FLI and Animator Pro animation files.
9.7
Video
9.7
All of the movies are Replay files of 160╫128 pixel size and cover
subjects including animals, birds and outdoor scenes, such as London
Bridge and motorways. Included is a particularly exciting shot of a
police car overtaking on the wrong side of the traffic!
9.7
The necessity of using a CD to provide a library of replay files is
obvious when the size of these files is examined Ö some clips are over
3Mb in size and, in all, there are 140 video files. However, I would
question the usefulness of many of the shots. A much wider range of
shots, not so easily obtained by the amateur, would prove more useful.
However, the idea behind this CD is not to provide you with a whole
library of movie clips to add to your own productions (you would need at
least one CD on every subject to be of real value as a resource), but to
provide a collection of videos to allow you to experiment and explore
the facilities of CineWorks, without first having to capture your own
clips. There is a selection of example edited clips revealing some of
the potential of CineWorks to fade from one video sequence to another
and apply text over film.
9.7
Audio
9.7
The audio samples, also in Replay format, consist of five groups,
providing some very useful sound clips to use in your experimental cine
editing. The samples offer a wide range covering atmospheric sounds such
as haunting music, general sounds such as a train and applause, and a
good selection of melodies. 16-bit and 8-bit qualities are provided, and
this selection should provide a good start for adding sound to movies.
9.7
Fli animations
9.7
This directory contains 66 AutoDesk Animator files which can be viewed
in the !FliPlay application which is also supplied, or they may be
imported into CineWorks. Unfortunately, my favourite animation program,
The Complete Animator by Iota, does not accept these files. These
animations are particularly worth viewing and, presumably, when combined
with CineWorksæ capability of adding such files to ordinary video clips
and sounds, should produce some very impressive presentations.
9.7
Conclusion
9.7
If the intention of this CD is to provide a selection of movie,
animation and sound clips as a convenient resource to start
experimenting with the wonders of CineWorks, I am surprised that this CD
is not supplied as part of the CineWorks package, especially when
CineWorks is advertised at ú150. However, there are not many CDs
available for under ú6 and, at this price, even if you do not own
CineWorks, the audio and animation files make it well worth adding this
CD to your collection.áuá
9.7
Genealogy is Free on Acorns!
9.7
Kate Crennell
9.7
This is an article along the lines of ÉMe and My Acornæ, but the main
focus is on programs for genealogy.
9.7
Unlike PCs and Macs, all Acorn computers come with useful software:
Basic, Edit, Draw and Paint. Iáhave an A4000 Home Office system which
came with a simple database and EasiWriter. These were enough for me to
make a transcription of the memorials on the tombstones in our local
village church, All Saintsæ, Chilton.
9.7
I was fascinated to discover that, in certain lighting conditions, the
stones that I had long thought of as shapeless lumps had originally been
beautifully carved, and that there were only a limited number of shapes.
(I would be interested to hear from anyone who knows of a definitive
list of standard tombstone shapes, especially if they had a drawfile of
the shapes, so that I could assign standard shape numbers to the stones
in our churchyard.) I did a map of the graveyard using Draw, the
inscriptions were entered into EasiWriter, but then I began to wonder
about using a family history program to store the relationships between
those whose names were carved on the tombstones.
9.7
Ancestry
9.7
The only program I knew of was Ancestry, but it costs far too much for
me to consider buying it for a hobby package. However, at Acorn World
last October, they had it on special offer for ú30 since they had just
launched Ancestry II (list price ú99), so although the salesman could
not tell me much about Ancestry and was unable to demonstrate it for me,
Iábought a copy.
9.7
Ancestry I is not a desktop program, and when I got it home, I found
that on my A4000, the multi-sync monitor emitted a revolting squeal of
protest when forced to run in mode 12 Ö which is all that Ancestry has
available. Luckily, the Basic source was supplied, so I fixed most of it
up well enough to run in mode 27, but still I find it frustrating not to
be able to Éexitæ without loading another long chain and waiting to read
an image off disc, which may look pretty but does not actually do
anything useful for me.
9.7
Small images of individuals can be stored in special files, as can extra
notes about the person, but this needs extra files to be set up and I
did not find it worth the effort. I found that although you can see a
family tree on the screen, you can only print it if you have an Epson-
compatible printer. It does not use !Printers. I asked for advice on
converting it for other printers, but have yet to receive a reply.
9.7
Help came through Archive
9.7
At this point, I decided to look for an alternative. Hence my recent
request for help on finding out about !Family, which resulted in lots of
helpful information which I can now pass on to other Archive readers who
are interested in their family history. Many thanks to all those who
replied!
9.7
!Family
9.7
There are two PD applications, both named !Family. One by David
Breakwell, available from APDL (B207), was also published on the
Archimedes World cover disc for September 1991, with an article on page
33. It lets you input the data for each family member in a standard
database type format and it can then produce a drawfile of the whole or
part of the tree, and will export the data as a CSV file.
9.7
It comes with two examples, one of which is a family tree of the various
Acorn computers. However, it is not as useful as the other one and, as
far as I know, has not been updated since 1991. The authoræs address is
not given.
9.7
Another !Family!
9.7
The other !Family is the one I was looking for, by Denis Howe. !Family
version 2.11 was on Archive Disc 8.8 (ú2 from NCS) and on the Archive
CD¡ROM (ú12 from NCS). It is also on the PDCD¡1 from The Data File (ú29
from NCS), fromáAPDL (B324), from Hensa (b010) and from the Demon Mirror
of Hensa. It is a RISC OS application for editing and printing family
trees, with a sophisticated algorithm for laying out a graphical
representation of all the descendants of a given person on the screen or
a printer. A simple system of menus and dialogue boxes allow you to move
around the tree and modify it. You can store collections of related
people in files.
9.7
!Family stores the data in GEDCOM format. This is the standard format
normally used to transfer data from one genealogy program to another.
All GEDCOM fields are read and copied out by !Family, but only a
personæs name, sex, birth and death dates, mother, father, spouses and
notes can be edited on the desktop at the moment. However, I understand
that Denis is working on accessing more fields. Personally, I would like
to be able to edit marriage dates and places.
9.7
The latest version of !Family, 2.12, allows the tree to be saved as a
drawfile, as shown below.
9.7
Another correspondent remarked that !Family output, sent direct to the
printer, makes a widely spaced out tree, so that a lot of cut and paste
is needed to get a more compact version to fit onto an A4 sheet. !Family
output sent to a drawfile may also need some later editing in Draw to
get it into a more compact format. It has the pleasing feature, for
those with colour printers, that male names have blue text colour and
female names red.
9.7
!Family also has some utilities for converting from other formats, such
as that of Ancestry. This too is written in Basic, so that if you find a
problem, you may well be able to fix it for yourself. For example,
Iáchanged it so that it did not complain when it found an Ancestry entry
which had nothing in the field for Ésexæ.
9.7
Denis encourages users to make changes and send them back to him for
incorporation into the distribution version. I am working on an
alternative type of Étreeæ which makes a PostScript file containing a
circular family tree. If you do not have a PostScript printer, you can
view the file using !GhostScript (APDL disc B161). This PostScript
Circle tree was first described in ÉFamily Tree Computing magazineæ No
7, November 1993 by Gordon Adshead. Most of the plotting work is done in
the PostScript printer, leaving you merely the work of making the lines
of text, one per person, where the details are separated by a comma.
This means they can probably be produced as CSV files from most database
systems. For example, here are the first few lines for the people in the
TreeWoods file:
9.7
(7,Lucy,Katharine,WOODS,b 17 Aug 1973,Chilton)pp
9.7
(2,Jennifer,Jane,PLATT,Didcot,Oxon,b 4 Apr 1947)p
9.7
(3,Keith,Joseph,WOODS,Salford,Lancs,b 25 Mar 1947,m 5 Nov 1969)p
9.7
(4,James,Osborne,PLATT,b 1 Jul 1917,West Ilsley)p
9.7
(5,Joan,Kathleen,MISSENDEN,b 8 Oct 1916,m1941)p
9.7
The central person is listed first, with a reference number specifying
the number of generations (number of concentric circles) to plot. The
first number of the other lines is the reference number of the person,
followed by the information to be printed, one on each line, within
their sector in the tree. The reference number for a personæs father is
twice that for their own reference number, their motheræs number is
twice their number plus 1. If any Archive readers are interested in this
type of tree, perhaps they can let me know, otherwise I may never get
around to sending Denis Howe my new routine.
9.7
Thereæs more than one way...
9.7
Another suggestion was to use the older program, Family History System
(FHS) which used to be sold by Micro-Aid for the BBC-B, and I believe is
also available for the Archimedes. It is not a desktop program, and
originally ran from a floppy disc. Peter Brunning has converted his
version to run on a hard disc and was persevering with it because he had
found that !Familyæs GEDCOM transfer is incompatible with the Family
History System.
9.7
He also said he had thought of switching to a PC package, of which there
are many, if/when he gets a RiscPC. He also reads Computers in Genealogy
which has lots about software, almost all for PC these days. It is
published by the Society of Genealogists, 14áCharterhouse Buildings,
Goswell Road, London EC1Má7BA (0171-251-8799).
9.7
Dave Willington reports that he uses !Family as well as a PC program,
Pedigree, which runs on the DOS Emulator as well as the 486 card.
9.7

9.7
A really novel way
9.7
The most interesting suggestion came from Brian Wichman who said that he
did not bother with a special family history program; he just used the
PD Web browsers and HTML, the language of the World Wide Web (WWW).
These allow hyperlinks and storage of images, and even video and sound,
if you have plenty of disc space. He wrote:
9.7
öThe language behind WWW is HTML (Hypertext Mark Up Language) which is
actually a variant of the Standardized General Mark-up Language (SGML).
The basic idea will be familiar to those who have used the WWW Ö text is
displayed on the screen, and some of the key words are highlighted and
underlined. Clicking on this text leads to the display of another
screen. Putting family tree information into HTML format is
straightforward in principle, since the links to father, mother, son and
daughter cause the display of their data.
9.7
The clerical job of forming the links requires care, but nothing more
than the Edit text editor is required. Aámajor advantage of using WWW
for family tree information is that the data is completely portable,
since when WWW is used over the Internet, the data has to be transmitted
from computer to computer. Moreover, free WWW Browsers are available for
most other computers too.
9.7
A few negative points should be mentioned: a full Internet WWW consists
of some communications software which is not needed for Genealogy data
that is handled on one machine. Hence, if you want to run the Archimedes
WWW software, you need to delete this communication software to run
effectively on a machine without a hard disc. Obviously, the WWW
browsers provide no software specially for family trees, such as drawing
conventional trees. However, pictures can be displayed, including a
sprite of a tree.ò
9.7
I decided to try this, since I already had a copy of the PD !Webster for
viewing HTML files, and I find it works reasonably well. Here is an
example page in the Webster viewer showing the portrait of Gertrude
Platt. You can click over the underlined names to see details of her
parents, and can include drawings or photographs.
9.7
If you have access to the Internet, you may like to know of the United
Kingdom & Ireland Genealogy Information Service on the World Wide Web,
which is at URL http://midas.ac.uk/genuki/. GenUKinfo is the
introduction, GenUKi/HTM is the index page which lists sources of
genealogical information by county and includes addresses of local
family history societies, and the texts of publications describing the
service. There is also a newsgroup where you can leave messages for
others who may be searching for relatives of the same name.áuá
9.7
Teletext Plus
9.7
John Woodthorpe
9.7
Back in the old days of home computers, I started off with a BBC Model
B, tape recorder, dot matrix printer, and portable TV. The next hardware
add-on I bought was the Acorn Teletext Adaptor. This was a large beige
box that plugged into the Beeb, the mains, and a TV aerial socket. It
was controlled by a series of little tuning wheels (that always seemed
to drift when you werenæt looking) and the Advanced Teletext System
software. The BBC were also broadcasting a range of Telesoftware for
downloading, in those days.
9.7
As well as games, teachersæ notes for schoolsæ programmes, and weather
satellite pictures, there were programming courses and extra software to
let your adaptor do other things. Eventually, I had a system that would
search through all the pages transmitted, looking for keywords (e.g.
Cricket, Acorn, etc) and store the first ten pages on which the keyword
appeared.
9.7
Eventually, the day came to upgrade to an A3000 and, despite the death
of the Telesoftware service, my main concern was to keep the Teletext
access. Consequently, I bought a Ground Control Teletext Adaptor with
their software. In some ways this was better, in that it multitasked and
I could watch the Test Match scores updating in a small window while
doing something else. Unfortunately, it wasnæt possible to search for
keywords or do anything fancy except click on a keypad or on a number
embedded in a page, to change the displayed pages Ö you couldnæt even
use the keys to control it.
9.7
Sadly, Ground Control closed down some time ago, and I thought I was
stuck with their software. I was aware of other Teletext systems, and
that Paul Skirrow, of the strangely-named Octopus Systems, was selling
updated software, but the price put me off. His Teletext+ software
upgrade was mentioned in the January issue of Archive, and I decided to
treat myself to a copy for Christmas.
9.7
Ground Control
9.7
For those who havenæt seen one, the Ground Control adaptor is quite
small (20╫13╫6cm) with no controls or displays apart from a mains switch
and power LED. Mine sits on the floor covered in dust and hidden in the
general ratæs nest of wiring behind the desk. It has given sterling
service since purchased, and stays powered up whenever the computer is
on. Iácurrently use it with a RiscPC, but have previously had it working
with an A5000 as well as the A3000, as it plugs into any podule
expansion card connector (or you can solder the three wires directly
onto another expansion card).
9.7
A good TV signal is needed to connect to the adaptoræs co-ax socket, but
as long as you get a decent TV picture, you should be OK (only donæt
bother with those little set-top aerials because the signal will be too
weak). I have a splitter to feed both the computer and the TV, and get
good reception on both. As well as the socket to connect to the
computer, the adaptor has a DIN socket with composite video and audio
output, giving access to the television picture and sound being
broadcast on the selected channel. This can be connected to an RGB
colour monitor, to a video digitising card, or even used for grabbing
moving video directly with the Computer Concepts Eagle card. When Ground
Control went out of business, Octopus Software bought up all their
remaining stock.
9.7
The TTX+ software
9.7
On upgrading, you get a floppy in a slim wallet folder and an excellent
A5 spiral-bound manual. Installation over the Ground Control software is
remarkably simple, and it even uses the same tuning information,
avoiding the need to re-enter anything. The list of features is
considerable, ranging from simple improvements such as displaying
flashing text and allowing keyboard as well as mouse control, to a
sophisticated predictive page cacheing system.
9.7
Cacheing
9.7
Teletext systems transmit one page at a time, with as much as 25 seconds
passing before the page youæve asked for being broadcast. The Octopus
software tries to avoid this problem by storing pages in a memory cache,
ready for future use. A simple text file is used to tell it which pages
to collect, and a scoring system adds other pages that you regularly
access to the cache. If a page is not currently being transmitted (e.g.
company news pages on a weekend), then the search is abandoned after a
few minutes to avoid öhangingò the system. You can specify the size of
the cache depending on your page list (I have set a WimpSlot of 1Mb,
which can hold 797 pages, but it can run in as little as 350Kb with a
smaller page cache), and if you manually select a page, it will be
retrieved from the cache when possible, or the adapter will grab it for
you.
9.7
Sub-pages are dealt with in the same way, and the display stays on the
one you select until you press a cursor key to move backwards and
forwards through the list. All this happens in the background while you
get on with other things (itæs running while Iæm typing this, with a
barely perceptible delay when a page is saved to the cache).
9.7
The predictive cacheing is really cunning. The system keeps a list of
the pages you actually look at, and gives them a score to reflect how
often you check them. It then grabs pages in that order, so the chances
are that it will have picked your favourite pages in a fairly short
time. These can be on any channel, as it hops around following the score
list, grabbing them at 3-6 pages per minute.
9.7
If you give it a while to stock the cache, you wonæt need to wait long
for the information you want. Twenty minutes or so is a good length of
time, although my full set of 500 pages takes two hours to complete
(although thatæs because I collect the Channel Four Share pages (p532
and 533, with their 80 or so sub-pages). I also tend to ödisturbò the
system by asking for pages out of sequence, which slows the cacheing
down a bit. There are some sample lists provided for you to play with,
so getting the hang of the principle, and then defining your own, is
very straightforward.
9.7
Of course, it can get caught out from time to time, especially with news
stories changing during the day. However, there is a double check, as a
page is first pulled out of the cache and then grabbed direct, to deal
with this situation. You might get a few seconds of the wrong story
before the real one is displayed, but the system works very well indeed.
9.7
One request Iæve made to Paul Skirrow is to be able to disable all the
sophistication to get, for example, the cricket scores continually
updated, as I used to do. At the moment, I revert to the Ground Control
software for that, but it may be remedied in a future release (although
seeing Englandæs recent performance in South Africa, perhaps the urgency
has reduced!).
9.7
Keyword searching
9.7
Now this is something that really makes teletext on a computer very
useful. You can set up another list to tell the software which groups of
pages to search for what keywords. If I want to see references to
Hampshire (the cricket team), then I want to look in the sports pages
only, so as to avoid references to Hampshire (the county). Iæve got page
groups for Sport, TV, Radio, News, Weather, Shares, Cinema etc, and they
are searched on receipt and stored in a separate window. Clicking on the
reference, brings up the page for you to read, and allows you to build
up a personal öelectronic newspaperò.
9.7
The (rather full) screenshot shows this in action, but it is possible to
tidy things up considerably, arranging for only the windows you want, to
be displayed where you want them. Some suggestions are provided to allow
you to build up your own selection, and ensure that you never miss an
episode of your favourite TV or radio programme, or a particular film
coming to a local cinema.
9.7
What else can it do?
9.7
It can do lots of other things too. It can set the computeræs clock very
accurately from the Ceefax time packet; pass email or WWW page links
onto ANTæs Internet software when clicked on; save share prices in a
format suitable for Apricoteæs Shares package; and automatically log
numerical values (e.g. currency rates, share prices, weather
information) to ASCII files on disc.
9.7
It can also save pages (complete with all sub-pages if desired) in its
own videotext format, as sprites, plain text or Impression DDF files,
and even save subtitles to a text file. This last one is brilliant! You
could create your own collection of scripts from Horizon, The Natural
World, or any other subtitled programme, including song lyrics from Top
of The Pops if you feel so inclined!
9.7
Why bother with Teletext?
9.7
In these days of modems and WWW access, itæs easy to overlook Teletext
as a source of information, but there are no subscription or on-line
charges (assuming you already have a TV licence), it is updated more
regularly than any other information service Iæve found, and it has a
wide variety of general news and information. OK, it doesnæt have any
significant computing content, but the news, sports, business and shares
information is excellent. In fact, Iæve seen postings on the Motor
Sports Forum on CompuServe quoting Ceefax reports as their source!
9.7
Just make sure that you have a valid TV licence to cover the reception Ö
a colour licence is needed for viewing Teletext on a colour monitor
regardless of whether you have a colour TV! If, as I was, youære stuck
with old, rather primitive Teletext software, Iæd strongly recommend
upgrading to Teletext+. If youæve never really thought of Teletext as an
asset to your Acorn, Octopus have a few complete systems left at a very
reasonable price.
9.7
Availability and prices
9.7
The Teletext+ V5.7 software for an existing adaptor costs ú39, and is
suitable for Ground Control, Morley, Computer Concepts, Design IT, Irlam
and Solidisk teletext units. A hard disc is not necessary to run it.
Upgrades from earlier versions of Teletext+ are available free by email,
and you should contact Paul Skirrow for further information.
9.7
A complete kit of adaptor with software costs ú169 while stocks last.
The package includes: Ground Control adaptor with built-in power supply,
Teletext+ software, podule lead with blanking plate (i.e. a large podule
plug to plug into an expansion slot with the wire going through a
grommet set into a blanking plate). These prices all include UK delivery
and VAT, and the adaptors are supplied with a one year guarantee. Full
technical support is available by phone, fax, post or email, and I must
say that Iæve found Paul very responsive and helpful, even before
Iástarted work on this review!
9.7
Octopus Systems now have a WWW site with a page covering their Teletext
software and hardware, available at http://www.thenet.co.uk/octopus/ and
they can be contacted at the address at the back of the magazine.áuá
9.7
Does anyone know how this compares with software available for other
platforms? Could it be another case of Éthe best software available on
any platformæ, like Sibelius and Holy Bible? Ed.
9.7
Communications Column
9.7
Chris Claydon
9.7
Sorry, again only a short column, but for a different reason this month
Ö nobody has sent me any questions! If you have any questions or topics
youæd like me to cover, please write, phone or email!
9.7
The Archinet BBS
9.7
The Archinet BBS, located in Ashford, Kent has been available for some
time now, and has some very useful features not available elsewhere. The
most interesting of these is the full screen message editor ÉArmMailæ Ö
something which has been in great demand on Acorn bulletin boards for a
long while. This is still under development, but looks extremely
promising.
9.7
The ArchiNet provides a good range of FidoNet, RiscNet and Internet
mail, as well as providing users with free email addresses. It is
available 24 hours a day on 01233-665918, and is run using ArmBBS on a
RiscPC with 1.6Gb of storage and a 33600bps modem Ö quite a set up!
There are currently 260Mb of files available in over sixty categories.
9.7
The SysOp, Ben Brown, has developed many doors (software to extend the
BBS) himself, including ArmMail, a well-presented Élast twenty usersæ
display and notice board. He also developed the FidoArm software which
allows ArmBBS systems to access FidoNet and RiscNet mail.
9.7
The ArchiNet is one of the first Acorn BBSs to have its own WWW Home
Page, located at http://oeonline.com/~nelson95. It is a well-designed
BBS with many features still not available on the bigger boards, a
helpful SysOp and plenty to do. It has the potential to become very
popular!
9.7
Renegade BBS
9.7
Renegade is a long running and popular Acorn board. Since the closure of
ArcForum BBS, it has been the only Acorn board in Scotland. SysOp Robin
Abecasis runs on an even more over-powered machine than the ArchiNet Ö
the specifications speak for themselves!
9.7
RiscPC 610, 10Mb DRAM, 2Mb VRAM, USR 33600bps modem, PowerTec SCSI-II
card, RapIDE32 card, Intelligent Interfaces dual high speed serial card,
HiVision (24-bit) digitiser, internal 210Mb IDE, internal 1.2Gb EIDE,
internal Panasonic PD drive, internal quad speed CD-ROM, internal ╜Gb
SCSI-II. Outside the machine, there is a stack of four SCSI II hard
discs, all internals, but out on the desk, powered by a separate PC PSU
Ö 116Mb, 340Mb, ╜Gb and 1.2 Gb. I make that well over 4Gb of storage!
9.7
Renegade also runs on ArmBBS, and runs more doors than any other Acorn
board. Renegade has 2,200 files, totalling over 200Mb in the main
filebase. Also, it provides mirrors of the Acorn FTP site, Artworks
clipart and the filebase of Rich in Paradise BBS which sadly closed down
recently. There are also two CDs online at any one time from the 19
discs available.
9.7
Renegade provides FidoNet access, but not Internet or RiscNet. It also
provides information and files from the CAUG (C Acorn Users Group). (Not
to be confused with CAUG Ö Christian Acorn Users Group run by another of
our subscribers. Ed.) Renegade is available 24 hours on 01224-621956.
9.7
There are plenty of good ANSI graphics when you log on and off, and
there are some excellent ANSI menus which display the menus in Éwindowsæ
on the ANSI screen Ö very neat! As default, however, the standard ArmBBS
menus are used Ö you need to select the ÉANSI menusæ option from the
further configuration screen.
9.7
Overall, an excellent board with a friendly sysop, but still lacking a
few important features, such as Internet access. Give it a call!
9.7
News
9.7
Wire BBS in Warrington, run by Andy Simm, will be re-opening soon on a
dedicated line, after a few months absence due to a faulty modem.
9.7
Contact details
9.7
Voice phone: [phone], ARMed Forces Multimedia BBS: 01962-880003.
Internet email: [e-mail], FidoNet: 2:252/501, RiscNet:
7:44/212, Post: Chris Claydon, 38 Main Road, Littleton, Winchester,
Hampshire, SO22á6QQ.áuá
9.7
Using the Acorn Toolbox Ö 1
9.7
Tony Houghton
9.7
A number of people have asked for a tutorial on programming with the
Toolbox supplied with Acorn C/C++. I will be aiming this at programmers
who are competent in C but have never used it to write a RISC OS
application. Experience of programming the Wimp in Basic or Assembler
will help, because to write your own applications, you will probably
need to know many essential aspects of Wimp programming that I cannot
cover here.
9.7
I would guess that anyone serious enough about their programming to buy
Acorn C++ will also have the PRM, so I will assume that, at the very
least, you are familiar with RISC OS and know what files should be
inside an application directory and how they work; also you should have
played around with ResEd and got the hang of it.
9.7
I have used C rather than C++ for the tutorial. This may seem a strange
decision after my last series of articles, but there are good reasons.
It means those of you new to C++ will not have to struggle with language
issues as well as the Toolbox; and there are currently no C++ class
libraries suitable for Toolbox programming.
9.7
The example application
9.7
I decided not to simply write a program that would open a few windows
and do nothing; I wanted to write a small, but real, application to do a
real job. It is called FormText and formats plain text files ready for
printing. It adds margins, headers and footers, and even a contents
page. The complete application is provided on the monthly disc so that
you can examine what it does. I have not provided the Toolbox modules,
because you should have them already if youære reading this. However,
you may need some newer modules than were originally provided with Acorn
C/C++, so you should get the C/C++ Update Disc 1 from Acorn-by-Post for
ú5.00. The upgrade is also available from Acornæs FTP site
(ftp.acorn.co.uk) as archive cupdate1 in directory riscos/releases. The
FTP site is reproduced on the Archimedes World and second Acorn User
cover CD-ROMs. You will also need the upgrade for flexlib which weæll
come to next month.
9.7
The directories Step1, etc, on the monthly disc show different stages of
FormTextæs development to accompany this article.
9.7
Getting started
9.7
You really need to have a good idea of exactly what your program will do
before you start writing it. However, the advent of the Toolbox at last
means that you can design the whole interface of a program interactively
if you wish, provided you are clear about what will go where.
9.7
If you want to provide interactive help, give all your objects help text
as you go along Ö it is probably quicker in the long run, and certainly
less tedious than leaving it as a final chore.
9.7
Event reason codes
9.7
For most events generated by the Toolbox, you have a choice between
using the default reason codes allocated by Acorn or supplying your own.
For this, Acorn have allocated numbers in the range 1-&FFFF. I prefer to
supply my own for menu selection, and button icon click events in
particular. This makes it much easier to make abstractions between a
program and its user interface, and also makes it unnecessary to
explicitly read which menu entry or button has been clicked. Thus, menus
can be completely rearranged and common functions can be duplicated with
keyboard shortcuts without changing any code. If you do use your own
reason codes, you will obviously have to keep track of them in a text
file or on paper. It is a good idea to allocate your own chunks, say 1-
255 for a particular window, 256-512 for a menu tree, etc.
9.7
Step 1
9.7
I like to have something pretty to look at as early as possible when
writing an application, so the first thing I did was create the
application sprite files, !Sprites and !Sprites22.
9.7
I decided to make FormText use an iconbar icon with the most basic of
menus, just containing Info and Quit entries. Dragging a text file to
FormTextæs icon will pop up a window, allowing the user to choose how
the file should be formatted. When formatting is complete, the window
will be replaced by a ÉSave asæ dialogue box to save the processed file.
9.7
I created a new file in ResEd and opened the Prototypes window. From
there I selected Iconbar, Menu, ProgInfo, SaveAs and Window and dragged
them to my file. I didnæt bother to rename them because Iæm only using
one of each.
9.7
I then edited the Iconbar object to use the sprite name !formtext with
no text. We donæt need it to do anything in response to Adjust or
Select, but it does have a menu, so I selected the relevant options and
dragged the Menu object to the ÉShow menuæ writable icon; many of
ResEdæs writable icons allow you to drag objects to them instead of
typing. No help text is necessary for the iconbar because the Wimp
provides its own messages here if you donæt.
9.7
For the menu, I set the title to ÉFormTextæ and stopped it from
generating show and hide events. No help text is necessary if all the
entries have help. Iáchanged the existing entry to öQuitò and made it
generate event 1. I then opened the Menu entries dialogue and dragged an
entry with a submenu to above my Quit entry. I set the text to öInfoò
and dragged the ProgInfo object to the Submenu action ÉShow objectæ
field.
9.7
In the ProgInfo object, I left the title as default to be given the task
name and filled in the main fields. I use version numbers of 0.xx for
software I am developing and update it to 1.00 for the first release.
9.7
In the SaveAs dialogue box, the default title will do; we want a
filetype of text, and no selection will be available. The client (our
program) does not need to participate, but it needs to know when the
dialogue box is closing to clear the file from memory when it has
finished with it.
9.7
For the main dialogue box, ÉWindowæ, I changed the title and added all
the gadgets required. The top group is for all the page dimensions Ö I
used writable number ranges and linked them together and later with the
other writable icons in the window.
9.7
The header and footer fields are for entering text to add at the top and
bottom of every page respectively. %p and |M are special sequences to
allow newlines and the current line number to be inserted. There are no
buttons to enable/disable generation of headers and footers, because
this stage of processing is required to get the page dimensions right.
If a user doesnæt want headers and footers, the fields can be left
blank.
9.7
Any line beginning with a top-bit-set character corresponding to the
character entered in the Heading flag field is treated as a heading. It
will be underlined with as many Underline chars as necessary and appear
in the contents if enabled.
9.7
Contents generation can be switched on and off, and the title to use on
the contents page will behave like a header. The leadering character is
used to pad the gap between a contents entry and its page number to
guide the readeræs eye.
9.7
I gave the action buttons appropriate event numbers from the Échunkæ
&100-&1FF that I allocated for the main window.
9.7
The file must be saved as öResò (with optional territory suffix) to be
automatically loaded by the Toolbox.
9.7
All Toolbox applications require a Messages or Messagesn file where n is
the territory number; 1 is the UKæs territory number. The file must
contain at least one entry that has a token _TaskName. This is read by
the Toolbox when the task starts up and used as the taskæs name.
9.7
Step2
9.7
Time to start writing code. Have a look in the h directory. err.h
contains declarations for error handling functions, using
Wimp_ReportError to report messages in a Wimp error box.
err_set_taskname() sets the string to use in the error boxæs title Ö I
have simplified things by just using the task name instead of öMessage
from task nameò, when reporting messages that arenæt program errors. The
err_check() functions check the result of functions that return an OS
error block pointer (_kernel_oserror *), zero meaning no error. If there
is no error, the function returns (with a value of zero for the non-
fatal version), but if there is an error, it reports it and returns with
1 for the non-fatal version or exits for the fatal version. err_report()
is for reporting messages that arenæt really errors, err_complain() and
err_complain_fatal() are for things that should be considered user
errors and might (or when forced by the fatal version) lead to the
program being abandoned. E and EF are handy short-cuts to save typing
when checking countless SWI veneer calls.
9.7
msgtrans.h contains functions for MessageTrans handling. It supports one
file and relies on this being opened by another function, because the
Toolbox opens the default file for us. msgs_get_ descriptor() returns a
pointer to its descriptor for us to give the Toolbox to initialise.
msgs_lookup() returns a pointer to the string corresponding to the
supplied token. The string is not copied out of the original file, so it
may not be relied on to be zero-terminated.
9.7
tbchunks.h shows which groups of Toolbox reason codes I have allocated
to which objects.
9.7
After writing err.c and msgtrans.c, I started building the skeleton of
the program in main.c. The first thing main() does is call
initialise_task() to set up the program as a Toolbox task. Have a look
at the entry for toolbox_initialise() in the User Interface Toolbox
manual (currently pp33-34) and compare it with the call in function
initialise_ task(). Throughout the manual, any flags not specifically
mentioned should be left as zero. We should pass 310 as the Wimp version
if we want the program to run on all versions of RISC OS from 3.1
onwards.
9.7
Next is a list of Wimp messages we want to receive Ö weære only
interested in the ones concerned with transferring data and the Task
manager signalling our program to quit. Next we need a list of Toolbox
events we want to receive. A Toolbox application is likely to want to
receive so many different Toolbox event codes that we might as well
accept them all. It doesnæt make it less efficient, because the Toolbox
will only try to send us events that weæve enabled in the Res file apart
from a few that we want anyway.
9.7
FormText$Dir will be set up by the !Run file to point to FormTextæs
application directory which the Toolbox needs to load its resource
files. Then we pass it the MessageTrans descriptor used by the msgs
functions and a block to use for Toolbox IDs. This block must stay
available for as long as the task is running, but it does not need
global access, so Iáhave used a static local variable. We donæt need to
know the return values from toolbox_ initialise(), so the rest of the
parameters are zero. The manual doesnæt say that it is safe to do this,
but the example sources provided by Acorn do so, so I have assumed it is
safe.
9.7
The event library (event.h and eventlib.o) is provided to deal with
polling the Wimp and passing events to client functions; you should read
the chapter describing it in the Acorn C/C++ manual. After initialising,
a program should register any handlers it needs with event and then keep
calling event_ poll() in an infinite loop to sustain multitasking until
it receives an event telling it to quit. Each call to event_poll()
allows other applications to have a share of processor time, and the
Wimp will respond with an event. event_poll() then tries to find a
handler for that event, and when the handler has finished, event_poll()
returns. Thus, it must be in an infinite loop to allow more events to be
received.
9.7
Certain events can be masked out so that they will not be sent to our
application. In particular, it is important to mask out null events to
save our application being continually activated for no reason.
event_set_mask() sets the mask for us. event_initialise() needs to be
called so that event can pass a pointer to the same Toolbox ID block
that we provided for the Toolbox to any handlers. Finally,
initialise_task() looks up the task name in the Messages file and passes
it to the error handling code.
9.7
Back in main(), it registers some handlers for general events. The first
two are to deal with the two types of quit event we can receive; one is
a message from the Task manager and one is the toolbox event that we
told the menu to send us. It is also possible for the Toolbox to
generate errors some time after we have called one of its SWIs, e.g. if
we tell it to open a menu and, later on, the user attempts to open a
submenu with an invalid ID. The Toolbox tells us about these errors with
a Toolbox_Error event, so I have claimed this. Now all thatæs left to
add to main.c, for now, is the main loop of calling event_poll, and we
can produce a working task.
9.7
The interactive Make tool is fine for simple applications like this, so
I loaded it and created a new file to build a !RunImage file with the
Link tool. Iádragged all the local c files to it as well as the clib
Stubs, and from tboxlibs, eventlib, toolboxlib and wimplib. After
clicking the Make button, I had a !RunImage file. To tell the truth, I
had to do a little debugging most times I compiled something, but
Iáwonæt clutter up the article with any of those details.
9.7
We now need a !Run file to ensure all the Toolbox modules are loaded (it
checks for the versions as supplied with RISC OS 3.6; some of them have
been updated, but the bugs donæt seem to affect FormText and it would be
too inconvenient to load the replacements). Set the FormText$Dir
variable, allocate a small memory slot and run !RunImage. We now have an
application that will put itself on the iconbar, show its menu and Info
dialogue box and quit when asked, but thatæs all for now. Next month
weæll make it start doing some real work. u
9.7
Starting Basic Ö 8
9.7
Ray Favre
9.7
Weæve already had to use examples of string manipulation and arithmetic
operators in our ÉLoanæ program but I donæt want to run too far ahead
before introducing them in more detail.
9.7
String manipulation
9.7
BBC Basic provides a number of keywords, and other facilities,
specifically for handling strings. They are used in virtually all
programs and they are of particular importance for Wimp programming,
which tends to use strings for all screen printing of numbers as well as
words.
9.7
Weæve already introduced string variables (Part 2) and how to print them
(Part 3) Ö as well as the keywords CHR$, GET$ and INSTR (Part 5). Weæve
also used a couple of facilities without explanation: STR$ and the É+æ
sign to join two strings. Letæs start with these last two...
9.7
Keyword STR$()
9.7
This keyword is a function which converts a number into a string. The
conversion can be into either a decimal or hexadecimal number. I havenæt
covered Éhexæ numbers, because it is standard textbook stuff. Acornæs
BBC Basic Reference Manual carries a chapter on it also. However, I have
prepared a separate sheet on Hex, Binary (and the AND, OR, EOR, NOT
operators) for those who are already taking the printed listing service.
It is on the monthly disc in Impression Publisher format. If anyone else
wants a printed copy, just send an A4 SAE to my home address below.
9.7
Examples of the format of the keyword STR$ are:
9.7
STR$ (23.45)
9.7
STR$ (RealNumber)
9.7
STR$ (PI * Circumference)
9.7
STR$ ~ 75
9.7
As shown, it can operate on anything that evaluates to a number. The
last example shows how to produce a hex result Ö use of the É~æ
character here will produce the string ö4Bò, the hex equivalent of
decimal 75. The character É~æ is called a tilde. If you put the tilde in
front of a real number, only the integer part of it will be converted to
hex.
9.7
Incidentally, just in case you are ever asked in Trivial Pursuits, the
tilde has the highest value of printed character in the standard ASCII
set Ö 126 (see the Chart from Part 5) Ö and is therefore sometimes seen
in programs which need to set a variable to the highest ASCII value for
some reason, e.g. alphabetical sorting.
9.7
The brackets around the number/variable are not needed Ö indeed the
latest Acorn Basic Reference Manual doesnæt show them in the formal
syntax Ö but old habits die hard and I find myself always using them. If
you do use brackets, the tilde must be before the opening bracket.
Formatting is not strict and therefore you can use spaces between the
different elements, as in some of the above examples.
9.7
One of the main advantages of using STR$ is that it is much easier to
format and position a number on the screen if it is, in fact, a string
i.e. ö123.45ò instead of 123.45. FNnumberToString in our ÉLoanæ program
demonstrates this very clearly and could easily be modified to include a
third parameter which would allow us to specify the number of decimal
places in the returned value.
9.7
STR$ is not always without its complications. The particular format of
the Énumberæ returned is controlled by a device which controls the
printed format of all numbers, namely the value of the rather special
Resident Integer Variable @% (remember them from Part 2?). I havenæt yet
made up my mind whether to include a description of @% in this series.
(This was covered in a very helpful article by Francis Crossley in
Archive 7.3 p60, Formatting the Basic PRINT Statement. Ed.) In the early
days of BBC Basic, it would have been essential, but nowadays, string
manipulation seems to be preferred Ö and is admittedly less awkward,
albeit needing more programming lines.
9.7
ÉAddingæ strings
9.7
The Basic statement:
9.7
NewString$ = öThe cat sat ò + öon the
9.7
 matö
9.7
will assign to NewString$ the value öThe cat sat on the matò. The É+æ
sign simply joins the two strings together, in the order written, to
produce one string. Any number of strings and/or string variables Ö
anything that evaluates to a string, in fact Ö can be (wait for it!)
Éconcatenatedæ in this way. Have a look at lines 3300 and 3310 of
ÉLoan_7Cæ to see some examples of joining string variables and direct
strings. A very common sight is:
9.7
PRINT ö&ò+STR$ ~(Number%)
9.7
which puts the hex sign in front of the number-in-hex just to ensure
there is no confusion.
9.7
By the way, you cannot use the minus sign to Ésubtractæ strings!
9.7
Keywords LEFT$(), RIGHT$() and MID$()
9.7
These are probably the main string manipulators and they act as
functions, in similar ways. The normal format of LEFT$() is:
9.7
LeftPortion$ = LEFT$(öABCDEFGHIJKLò,6)
9.7
which assigns öABCDEFò to LeftPortion$ i.e. it returns the first 6
characters from the left of the subject string. The number in the
bracket is, in fact, optional: if it is omitted all but the last
character (öLò here) is returned. Similarly,
9.7
RightPortion$ = RIGHT$(öABCDEFGHIJKLò
9.7
,6)
9.7
would assign öGHIJKLò to RightPortion$. In this case, if the number is
omitted only the last character is returned.
9.7
MID$() is a bit more complicated. The general form is:
9.7
MiddlePortion$ = MID$(öABCDEFGHIJKLò
9.7
,4,3)
9.7
which assigns öDEFò to MiddlePortion$ i.e. it returns the three
characters which start at the 4th character from the left. A number in
the É4æ position is essential, but the second number is optional. If it
is omitted, the function returns the starting point character plus the
whole of the string to its right. Thus MID$(N$,N%) returns the righthand
end of N$, but specified as östarting from character N%ò, whereas
RIGHT$(N$,N%) says, ötake the last N% charactersò.
9.7
Note that the opening bracket is part of the keyword in each case, so
there must not be a space between, for example, ÉLEFT$æ and É(æ. (The
same applies to TAB() and INSTR(), although I did not mention that when
we introduced them in Parts 3 and 5, sorry.)
9.7
All of these keywords are more normally seen with string variables
(rather than direct strings as used in the examples). As usual, the best
way to get familiar with them is to Éplayæ in a Task Window.
9.7
There is a second way in which these three keywords can be used, to
substitute part of one string into another, but we have no need to look
at that at the moment.
9.7
Keyword LEN()
9.7
This is almost self-explanatory Ö it is a function which returns the
number of characters in the subject string. So,
9.7
LEN (öABCDEFGHIJKLò)
9.7
would return the integer number 12. It is widely used to help with print
formatting when we are dealing with strings of different length.
PROCcentrePrint() in our ÉLoanæ program does this, for instance. The
brackets are again optional, and the addition of spaces is not
important.
9.7
Short demonstration
9.7
As a demonstration, the following short program uses several of the
above keywords to take an entered string and print it vertically on
screen. Use it as a Éplaygroundæ.
9.7
 10 REM Horizontal to Vertical
9.7
 20 ON ERROR REPORT:PRINT ö at Line ò;
9.7
ERL:END
9.7
 30 REPEAT
9.7
 40   CLS
9.7
 50   Prompt$ = öType in a string... ò
9.7
 60   PRINT TAB((30 Ö LEN(Prompt$))
9.7
,10) Prompt$
9.7
 70   INPUT TAB(30) HorString$
9.7
 80   FOR Letter% = 2 TO LEN
9.7
(HorString$)
9.7
 90     PRINT TAB(30) MID$(HorString$,
9.7
Letter%,1)
9.7
100   NEXT
9.7
110   PRINT : PRINT öMore? (Y/N)ò
9.7
120   REPEAT
9.7
130     YesNo$ = GET$
9.7
140   UNTIL INSTR(öYyNnò,YesNo$) > 0
9.7
150 UNTIL INSTR(öYyNnò,YesNo$) > 2
9.7
160 END
9.7
Keyword STRING$()
9.7
This saves a lot of typing and/or listing space. The typical format is:
9.7
NewString$ = STRING$(6,öABCò)
9.7
which would assign to NewString$ a single string comprising six Écopiesæ
of the string öABCò joined together i.e. öABCABCABCABCABCABCò. A common
use for it is to draw patterns on the screen e.g.
9.7
PRINT STRING$(20,ö<ÿ>ò)
9.7
will print a Éprettyæ separator line across an 80¡character screen.
9.7
You do need to watch the total length of the result Ö the Error Message
östring too longò will occur if the result exceeds 255 characters (see
Part 2). Note also that the opening bracket is part of the keyword and
must not be separated by a space.
9.7
That completes the introduction of the string manipulators Ö but I do
suggest some Éhomeworkæ later.
9.7
Arithmetic operators
9.7
As weæve recently introduced several calculations into our ÉLoanæ
program, it is a good time to comment on Basicæs arithmetic operators
i.e. the arithmetic signs/symbols used in calculations. Believe it or
not, Acornæs BBC Basic Reference Manual lists 28 different operators,
but we do not need to concern ourselves with all of them at this point.
9.7
The key thing to note is that operators are acted on by the Basic
processor in accordance with a set of priority rules. For instance, what
would you say is the answer to the following calculation:
9.7
12 + 3 * 4 Ö 6 = ?
9.7
BBC Basic says it is 18 Ö but if you did not know the rules you might
have got Ö30, or 6 for instance, depending on which order you worked
things out. What this tells us is that BBC Basic evaluates the
calculation as:
9.7
12 + (3 * 4) Ö 6
9.7
i.e. it has a set of rules which effectively inserts brackets before
starting the calculation and then does the calculation in a certain
order Ö a priority or precedence order. In this case, it works out the
multiplication item in brackets before doing the adding/subtracting.
Much of this is identical to the order in which we were/are taught
arithmetic in schools, so there shouldnæt be too many nasty surprises.
9.7
Table 1 is a list of the few most common operators and their priorities.
You can deduce from this list that one certain way to prevent problems
is to be liberal in your use of brackets. You can freely insert and
Énestæ more pairs of brackets than you are ever likely to need Ö and,
because they take Priority 1, you effectively dictate the calculation
order you want. This is particularly useful and important when you have
a fairly long equation, but it is sound practice at any time (c.f. the
earlier comment about using brackets around the number in the STR$
keyword.). Look at line 2590 in ÉLoan_7Bæ for instance.
9.7
So, if you really wanted the answer of Ö30 in the earlier example, you
would have written:
9.7
(12 + 3) * (4 Ö 6) = ?
9.7
and Basic would have obliged. Therefore, the rule is: öIf you are not
sure which way Basic is going to work it out Ö insert pairs of brackets
to force your wishes.ò It canæt do any harm, but do remember to insert
in pairs.
9.7
Built-in maths functions
9.7
It also seems a good place to mention Basicæs built-in mathematical
functions, provided by keywords such as SIN, COS, TAN, PI, LOG, DEG,
RAD, SQR, INT etc, many of which need a parameter/argument added when
called. There are over 20 of them (see Part 3 for how to get a list of
all keywords and what they do). They are used exactly as functions Ö
that is, you substitute the keyword into a program statement structure
exactly as if it were a FN. Thus:
9.7
Circumference = Diameter * PI
9.7
Base = Hypotenuse * COS(IncludedAngle)
9.7
Integer% = INT(Real)
9.7
The last two examples carry parameters/arguments, which are needed to
tell the function on what value to operate. (Weæve already used INT() in
our ÉLoanæ project.)
9.7
The main point to watch is that all the trigonometric functions use
radians as the units for their parameters. So, it is quite common to see
expressions such as:
9.7
Base = Hypotenuse * COS(RAD(
9.7
IncludedAngle))
9.7
in order to express the angle in degrees. (RAD converts degrees to
radians, and DEG the reverse.)
9.7
Review ÉLoanæ program
9.7
With the new items introduced this time, it would be a good idea to
examine the last listing of our ÉLoanæ program Ö ÉLoan_7Cæ Ö to ensure
that you are comfortable with how the above items have been used. Donæt
forget, they were introduced into the program in several small ways
without much explanation at the time, but with a promise to Élook at it
again lateræ. So itæs as well to take stock at this point.
9.7
Finally, because it can cause confusion if you donæt know, deliberately
put a space before the opening bracket of a TAB and MID$ in the earlier
demonstration program Ö and re-run it. What Error Message do you get?
Why? Answer next time.
9.7
Next time
9.7
I will be completing this temporary diversion from our main flow in
order to pick up a few more isolated but important topics. Keep the
comments, queries etc (and SAEs for printed listings) coming to:
26áWestáDrayton Park Avenue, West Drayton, Middlesex, UB7 7QA.áuá
9.7
Puzzle Corner
9.7
Colin Singleton
9.7
Two more new names appeared on the full list last month Ö one of them
has gone straight onto the leader board, which shows all contestants
with smoothed averages over 10. Perhaps I should remind you that each
monthæs smoothed average is 85% of that for the previous month plus 15%
of the current monthæs score. You score 50 for a correct answer to the
main puzzle, plus a maximum of 50 in total for the three quickies. The
average score for submitted entries has been 60, and this has shown no
upward or downward trend. The averages shown in the table are lower,
because they include scores of zero where no entry is submitted.
9.7
The latest winners ...
9.7
(50) Infinite Roots
9.7
An excellent entry for this puzzle Ö several readers found not only the
answer (3) but also the proof, which I had not previously discovered. It
goes like this:
9.7
substituting specific values
9.7

9.7
substituting each of these expressions for the appropriate value in the
previous equation
9.7

9.7
... and so on ...
9.7
One reader chastised me, quite reasonably, for not specifying positive
square roots, but I donæt think he realised that including a negative
root would produce a complex answer, and I wouldnæt inflict that on
Archive readers! A few readers found the incomplete proof by induction
which I mentioned last month, but none completed this proof with a
proven starting value. Mick Abrahams of Elstree, Herts, wins the prize.
9.7
(51Ö53) Interesting! Ö The Vicaræs Age Ö More Pandigitals
9.7
Several partially-correct answers, but again only four totally correct.
The prize goes to Geoffrey Brown of Hermitage (Nr Newbury), Berks.
9.7
... last monthæs answers ...
9.7
(54) The Battle of Hastings
9.7
The answer to Sam Loydæs version is 13á╫á180▓á+á1á=á649▓. The smallest
answer to Dudeneyæs version is 61á╫á226153980▓á+á1á=á1766319049▓. How he
found that without a computer, I do not know! The general form of this
problem is known as the Pellian Equation, rather unfairly, since it was
first proposed by Fermat (famous for his marginal notes).
9.7
(55) More Cubes
9.7
Recalling the original puzzle, you could have added 2│ to each side
giving 12│á+á2│á+á1│á=á10│á+á9│á+á2│á =á1737. This is a valid answer,
but not the smallest, which is 10│á+á2│á+á1│á= 9│á+á6│á+á4│á =á1009. If
I had not specified three different cubes in each sum you could have had
6│á+á3│á+á2│á=á5│á+á5│á+á1│á=á251.
9.7
(56) Angles
9.7
There are ten different triangles whose angles (in degrees) are 360îA
360îB 360îC, where A, B and C are integers, not necessarily different.
The smallest of the three angles is minimised by taking (A, B, C) = (3,
7, 42). The angles are 120░, 513î7░ and 84î7░. This is the only one of
the ten solutions in which the angles are not integral numbers of
degrees.
9.7
(57) Children
9.7
If t is the total number of children and g is the number of girls, the
probability that the first five are all girls is given by
ágîtá╫ágù1îtù1á╫ágù2îtù2á╫ágù3îtù3á ╫ágù4îtù4. This =á╜ only if tá=á10
and gá=á9.
9.7
... this monthæs prize puzzle ...
9.7
(58) Prime sequences
9.7
This puzzle was inspired by one published recently in New Scientist, but
I rather think I have seen it before, somewhere. Consider the
consecutive integers 13, 14, 15. The first is prime, the second is twice
a prime, the third is three times a prime. The next number is not four
times a prime. Can you find the smallest such sequence which does extend
to a fourth term? Or a fifth, sixth or seventh term?
9.7
... and this monthæs prize quickies ...
9.7
(59) Ship in a Bottle
9.7
My thanks to Mick Abrahams for this one. A small model boat floats in
water in a large bottle partly filled with water. The bottle is corked
and air is pumped in through a hole in the cork, so as to increase the
air pressure inside the bottle. Will the boat rise or fall in the water,
or neither?
9.7
(60) Heinz Beanz Canz ...
9.7
If you have read Geraldæs Column recently, you will have been forewarned
of this puzzle and given helpful advice on how to solve it. A beans can
is made from a cylinder of metal plus two circular ends. For a given
volume, what ratio of height to diameter gives the smallest possible
surface area?
9.7
(61) ... continued
9.7
For unit volume, what is the surface area of the optimum (minimum area)
cylindrical can? If an upright can has a rectangular, rather than
circular base, what is the minimum surface area for a can of unit
volume? Finally, what is the minimum surface area for a unit-volume can
of any shape?
9.7
And finally ...
9.7
Referring back to (46) Prime Square, Richard Lyszkowski has sent me a
3╫3 Magic Square using nine consecutive prime numbers, which was
apparently discovered in 1988 by Harry Nelson using a Cray computer, and
won Martin Gardneræs prize.  It looks as shown opposite.
9.7
My thanks to readers who have sent contributions, but I would like the
answers as well, if you know them! Solutions (by Friday 5th April,
please), contributions and comments to me, please, at 41 St Quentin
Drive, Sheffield, S17á4PN.áuá
9.7
APDL CD Collection
9.7
Dave Wilcox
9.7
APDL (The Archimedes Public Domain Library) currently have four CD-ROMs
on the market. These are PD-1, PD-2, and Clipart/DTP 1 and 2. The first
two are collections of public domain and shareware covering a range of
topics, the other two are DTP Graphics collections, in the three main
formats, Artworks, drawfile and sprite. All four discs come in the now
expected crystal CD case, much nicer for storage. I look here at PD-1
and 2 and DTP-2.
9.7
APDL PD-1
9.7
To quote APDL, this disc contains over 1,600 programs and utilities from
small enhancements to major works like TeX and the Gnu C++ compiler.
There are over 100 text files consisting of novels, classics, the King
James Bible, most of the works of Shakespeare, Sherlock Holmes novels,
129 Hans Christian Anderson stories and technical and historical
documents. The disc is broken down into the following groups, and sub-
group classifications:
9.7
A4, Am_Radio, Apps, Art_Draw, Clock_Time, Comms, Compress, Customise
(inc. Backdrops, Hourglass, IconSprite, Pointers, Tool, ToolSprite),
Database, Deskutils (inc. Keyboard, Mouse), DiscUtils (inc. Backup,
Bins, Bootup, Catalogue, Foreign, Menus, Protection), Educate (inc.
Admin, Bible, Games, Language, Maths, Network, Text), Emulation,
FileUtils, File_Trans, FLIC (Movies), FontUtils (inc. SystemFont),
Fractals, Graphchart, Graphics (inc. Conversion, Display), Life,
Magazines, Music (inc. Midi, Coconiser), Printing (inc. Labels), Program
(inc. Animation, Assembler, Basic, C, DDE, Debug, Hacking, Language),
Raytrace, Screen (inc. Blankers, NewModes), Sound (inc. Samples),
Technical, TextUtils, Utilities and  Books.
9.7
When you load the disc and bring up the root catalogue, there are no
menus to take you through the disc. In the root directory is a copy of
the read-only ArcFS, an Impression document named ÉBookletæ and a text
file named ÉCatalogueæ. The rest of the root directory consists of
directories as listed above. The layout is logical and easy to navigate.
As you may have gathered, the two documents are catalogues of the disc
contents, and the Impression document prints out to approximately 60
pages, which is not too bad if printed as an A5 booklet. If you wish to
search for a specific program or topic, the text or Impression file can
be searched with almost guaranteed success. There are three additional
directories on this disc which are not catalogued: these are Earthmap, a
program by John Kortink; MPeg, a player and a couple of example files;
and Virus, a selection of virus check utilities.
9.7
As you can see, there are no games, novelties, music files or graphic
images on this disc Ö these are saved for Disc 2, leaving this disc to
contain the majority of the more serious type of application. In all,
this disc contains 446Mb of mostly compressed data.
9.7
APDL PD-2
9.7
Again to quote APDL on their product description, you have on this disc
more than 500 games and novelties, over 250 game cheats and over 200
demos. There are most of the popular music players and tools that I know
of, accompanied by over 400 Maestro tunes, 840 Tracker tunes, 1000
Digital Symphony tunes, and over 550 digitised sound samples in assorted
formats. You also have a selection of the popular disc magazines along
with a few graphics utilities and some high quality images. The disc is
broken down into the following groups, and sub-group classifications:
9.7
Games (inc. Adventure, Board/Dice, Card, Education, General, Kids, Misc,
Puzzle, Shootup, Tetris), Graphics (inc. Display), Life, Magazines,
Music (inc. Coconiser), Novelty, Sillies, Sound (inc. Samples, Maestro
Tunes, Tracker/SoundTracker, Digital Symphony).
9.7
The structure and layout of this disc is identical to the first; ArcFS,
ÉBookletæ, ÉContentsæ and the above listed directory structure. The
Impression booklet from this disc will print out to about 30 pages.
Again, when printed under the pamphlet settings, it is quite acceptable.
There are also three more directories unlisted on this disc: Cheats,
Game Cheats and Modifications; Demos which are the PD scrolly type, not
commercial product demos; and Images which are saved in sprite format.
In all, this disc contains about 461Mb of mostly compressed data.
9.7
APDL CD-3 (DTP 2)
9.7
This is one of the best compilations of clipart I have seen from the PD
scene. There is no catalogue with this disc, but itæs very much a Ésuck
it and seeæ approach. As a consolation, you have two viewers in the root
directory, the AWViewer and a new one to me Ö CDView written by David
Holden of APDL. This is the better viewer to use with this collection as
it will handle all three formats on the disc.
9.7
Before getting into the piccies, the root directory contains a few bits
and pieces. Besides the viewers, there is an application called
!Undgrnd, written by Alex Hopkins in 1990. No prizes Ö itæs a map of the
London underground system. It single tasks but scrolls quite nicely.
This really shows what can be done with a little thought and
application, as it consists simply of a couple of sprites and a loader
written in Basic. Also included are the usual disclaimer files and
licence instructions, mainly for network users.
9.7
The main part of this disc is split into four directories; Artworks,
Colour, DTP and Shareware. I will not list the subdirectories of each
group Ö suffice to say there are several in each area, going to varying
depths. The vast majority of the pictures on this disc are excellent. I
would dearly love to have the ability to draw like this, especially with
a computer, let alone a pen. On the other hand, I would also like the
gaul of some who submit their drawings for inclusion on such a disc.
There are a small number of drawings that leave one wondering!
9.7
Most of the Artworks directory is, in my opinion, of the same quality as
Computer Conceptsæ own discs. Aávery large proportion of the sprite work
is scanned images, and some of the drawfiles are obviously traced, but
most are of good quality. The three directories, colour, DTP and
shareware, are all mixed sprites and drawfiles. If any items are subject
to restrictions, a text file is included in the directory stating the
restriction. I have not found one yet that you cannot use freely, with
restrictions only applying to distribution.
9.7
Altogether, you have at your disposal 250 Artworks files totalling
approximately 40Mb, 5,800 DTP files totalling 385Mb and 143 colour
sprites totalling 75Mb. I make that 500Mb in all. OK, itæs uncompressed,
but itæs still good value, and according to the advertising put about by
APDL, none of the files on DTP 2 are repeated from DTP 1.
9.7
Gripes
9.7
The last line leads me nicely into the one gripe with the first two
discs. I noticed a couple of duplicate files on Disc 1, in different
directories. A closer examination followed with a surprising result.
Disc 1 had 47 occurrences of files repeated elsewhere on the disc, and
three occasions where they were repeated twice elsewhere. OK, all the
files fell into the category headings under which they were placed, but
this seemed a little excessive to me.
9.7
I then compared Disc 1 with Disc 2 for repetition. There was 50Mb of
data off Disc 1 repeated on Disc 2, mostly directory for directory, file
by file. On talking to APDL about this, I was told that this was a
deliberate move, not just a ploy to fill the disc. Disc 1 was aimed at
the more serious topics and, as such, it would be the one most likely to
be purchased by educational establishments. Disc 2 was aimed more at the
home user, with samples and demos and the like. The common topics from
both discs fall into categories useful for both sets of users. There was
no other software in APDLæs collection which could have been included on
these discs when they were produced.
9.7
Conclusion
9.7
APDL do not plan to churn out CD-ROM after CD¡ROM, rather, they intend
to update their PD ROMs at regular intervals. When updating, all newer
versions will be re-mastered onto the discs and new software included
where appropriate. An upgrade policy is to be adopted where existing
owners can replace with the new ROM at a reduced price.
9.7
Even given the repetition, there is still 400Mb plus of data on each
disc, the layout is simple and easy to follow, and all the files I have
been through to date are complete, no bits missing or corrupt files. If
DTP 1 is as good as 2, this set will be worth having in your collection,
and if, like me, you tend to save everything you come across, you will
be surprised at the number of floppy discs you can reclaim, and hard
disc space for that matter.
9.7
The Clipart CDs cost ú22.50 each from APDL, or ú23 through Archive. The
PD CDs are ú17.50 each from APDL or ú18 each through Archive.áuá
9.7
Optical Professional OCR
9.7
Peter Jennings
9.7
Early versions of Neurotron Softwareæs Optical Professional optical
character recognition (OCR) program first appeared more than three years
ago and the first one to be Écompleteæ with all its intended features
was reviewed in Archive 7.10 p71. The program was very fast but was
obviously going to benefit from its continuing development as far as
accuracy was concerned. It has now reached version 4.22, with a manual
which has doubled in size, and it has advanced enough to be well worth
another look. The price is now ú149 with no VAT to pay.
9.7
Briefly, for those not familiar with OCR, it is best explained as
converting a scanned image of text back into individual characters which
can be edited.
9.7
Programs of this type always come with some sample scans which are, of
course, usually chosen to show it at its best. One of the sprites
supplied with the first version I reviewed, produced 26 mistakes in 573
characters after it had been converted and spell checked by the program.
So there was a very obvious improvement when text from the same scan
appeared in the new version error free in just over half a minute. Three
of the words were coloured orange, indicating that an error in
conversion had been corrected by the spelling checker, and a two digit
figure was in green as a warning that figures and words of less than
three characters are not checked in this way. There is an accuracy/speed
option with a scale of one to four, with the higher numbers giving the
highest accuracy but lowest speed. This test had been carried out at the
default setting of three.
9.7
The result was very impressive so it was a little disappointing when I
then tried one of my own test sprites, from an Archive back page scanned
for the original review. I tried this first at accuracy level three then
again at accuracy four. Both were markedly better than the results from
the earlier versions of Optical Professional, but they were still
sprinkled with misinterpreted characters with, for example, the well-
printed capital öMò in öMagazineò being read as the five letters
ölilllò.
9.7
Font teaching
9.7
However, Optical Professional has a font teaching capability which
allows the program to learn as you type in corrections. To do this, I
defined a new font which I called öArchiveCoverò. I restored the ölilllò
to a single character by repeatedly clicking <select> and <adjust> to
join the letters, a pair at a time. This resulted in it becoming
interpreted as an öNò, so Iáfinally typed in the correction. Characters
which have been merged can be separated and single wrong letters just
need overtyping.
9.7
One problem remained after type-teaching. Dashes had all been
interpreted as bullets and I could not change them with <alt-153> or
even by using a keyboard hyphen as a near alternative. Then I clicked on
the reOCR option. This time, öMagazineò had become öMagazirleò but,
apart from the dashes, there was only one other wrong word. I made these
corrections, again using the type-teach facility, and this time managed
to get one of the dashes accepted. Then a further reOCR gave a
completely correct text except for the uncorrected bullet.
9.7
Part of the OCRed text of a newly-taught font. The Ébubbleæ shows the
original text where the caret has been placed to make further
corrections.
9.7
Repeating this test with other typefaces confirmed that more than one
teaching session usually seems to be necessary before the program learns
a new font to a reasonably satisfactory standard. However, this
criticism is outweighed by the fact that user training is actually
possible, as Optical Professional is, at present, the only program to
offer this facility on Acorn computers.
9.7
Spelling checker
9.7
A number of other improvements have been made during Optical
Professionalæs succession of upgrades. The spelling checker now allows
Impression SpellMaster, and user dictionaries, and plain text lists of
words to be used instead of the supplied lexicon, although they cannot
be combined with it. The spelling checker makes a significant difference
to the accuracy of the text output but it could still be improved. It
misses many words which are almost correct and which are immediately
recognised when the text file is spell-checked in a word processor.
9.7
Direct scanning can now be carried out using David Pillingæs Twain as
well as from Computer Concepts Scanlight and Watford scanners as before.
Text can be rotated and a succession of scans can be appended. This is
useful if you are using a hand scanner with a limited four-inch width as
it allows you to cover a wider block of text with a series of scans
across instead of down the page.
9.7
A feature new to Acorn computers, Menu Linked Embedding (MLE), allows
text to be transferred directly into another application. The MLE window
contains a list of recognised applications, including Edit, and others
can be added by simply dragging an Acorn icon from the MLE window into
the applicationæs main editing window. The listed applications all have
an öOCRò option added to their menus. Selecting this option opens the
Optical Professional scanner window (or the Acquire window if Twain is
being used) and the OCRed text then appears at the caret in the chosen
applicationæs window, either immediately the conversion has been
completed or after editing, if preferred.
9.7
Text can be saved in a choice of four file formats: plain text, Rich
Text Format (RTF), Document Description Format (DDF) as used by
Impression, and Comma Separated Values (CSV) which is used by many
databases, spreadsheets and some document processors to transfer data.
9.7
Worthwhile results
9.7
When writing about OCR, it must always be emphasised that you cannot
expect to get the best results from anything much less than a perfect
scan from a well-printed text. My tests have all been made with a hand
scanner (using repeated scans to get the best possible quality) and,
although this shows that Optical Professional is good enough to be used
with direct scans or sprites made this way, better results could be
expected from a flatbed scanner.
9.7
Optical Professional has developed to the stage where worthwhile results
can be obtained with the right conditions and some care. However, for
most jobs, making corrections by hand is still a necessary part of the
process. This is easily done within the program and/or with a spelling
checker in a word processor or DTP program. If there are not too many
errors to correct, using OCR can be quicker and less tedious than
retyping a document, but the decision on which is better will probably
still depend on how fast and how accurate your typing is. Also, ú149 is
an investment that can probably only be justified if you are going to
make regular use of the program.áuá
9.7
Among the choices offered is a trade off between accuracyáandáspeed.
9.7
After OCRing an unknown font, the program can beátaughtáÇtoárecognise
it.
9.7
BBC & Spectrum Emulators
9.7
Alex Card
9.7
I guess that many, if not most, people reading this article will, like
myself, have had their first experience of computers by using or owning
a BBC B or Electron micro. When Iáswitched over to the Archimedes, it
was not only with joy but also with some regret, because Iáwas leaving
behind programs that Iæd become accustomed to, like losing old friends.
This was compounded by the inadequacies of !65Host, the so-called BBC
emulator which merely seemed to run Basic programs.
9.7
After all these years, it was with great surprise that Iáchanced upon
the Warm Silence Software stand at the Acorn World show to find Zalaga
being played on a Risc PC. The memories flooded back and Iáknew Iáhad to
have the emulator. WSS also released a Spectrum emulator (!Z80Em) and
whilst this wasnæt such an exciting prospect, Iábought this too and will
be covering it here as well.
9.7
These days, it seems as though games players fall into one of two camps;
they either hate old games with a passion or they miss their simplicity,
addictiveness and, above all, playability. Iádefinitely consider myself
amongst the latter group and still feel that nothing has surpassed
Exile, despite time and technology.
9.7
!6502Em
9.7
Loading the emulator is a little tricky at first. An application called
!Rip65Host has to be run which actually cannibalises Acornæs !65Host
program and uses modules within it to provide full emulation. Double-
clicking on !6502Em will then install the BBC icon onto the iconbar. If
you get a ÉSnapperæ icon, youære using an older version and are advised
to send a formatted disc and an SAE to WSS for the latest version. On
entering the emulator, youære greeted by the familiar black screen of
the BBC, a reassuring beep, and you are ready to type away in glorious
BBC Basic or use *¡commands. This is a pretty pointless exercise though
Ö what we need is games!
9.7
Up in the attic?
9.7
This could prove to be a stumbling block Ö have you still got your old
Beeb games? Are they on tape or disc? Are they on 5╝ö or 3╜ò discs? As
there are no games supplied with the emulator, make sure you still have
access to some before buying the program otherwise youæll be in for a
big disappointment. Another consideration, even if you do still have
them, is how to get them ported over to your Archimedes or Risc PC. To
this, there are three solutions:
9.7
1) Tape method (Printer port adapter ú15, !Tapes software ú10)
9.7
WSS can supply an adapter which connects to the printer port, plus
software to convert all those screeches of data and interblock gaps into
files, which can then be saved to disc and used by the emulator. Iáhad
limited success with this method, mainly due to how much my tapes had
deteriorated over the years, although occasionally everything seemed to
be going well up to the point of saving to disc, when Iágot an Éerror
writing fileæ message.
9.7
The tape software and adapter can be used for both BBC and Spectrum
programs and, potentially, data from other computers, such as Amstrads
and Commodore 64s, should emulators appear for these.
9.7
Iáwould have preferred to have had the software save each file
individually, but instead it continues reading files until the tape runs
out or it is stopped by the user. However, by subsequently dropping the
saved file back on the !Tapes icon, it can be split up into its
component files. The !Tapes Manual (supplied as pages of drawfiles)
contains an illustration as to how to build your own Printer port
adapter, but itæs sure to be fiddly, and unless youære an adept
tinkerer, is to be avoided Ö buy a ready-made one!
9.7
2) Serial transfer from BBC discs
9.7
As most of my software was on 5╝ö discs, this was my preferred method of
transfer and involved linking a cable from my Risc PCæs serial port to a
BBC B with a disc drive. Iáused a lead and software from Beebug which
Iábought in 1988, and this worked fine but may be difficult to obtain
now. Iæm sure there must be others on the market, which will work just
as well.
9.7
The only problems Iáencountered using this method were illegal
filenames, and remembering to create BBC style directories, i.e. single
character ones, to transfer files to, such as X.Elite. Most forms of
disc protection scuppered my attempts at transferring files but the vast
proportion were trouble-free. Programs can be run in the usual way by
CHAINing or *RUNning the initial file, or by being built into a RISC OS
application.
9.7
3) Possibility of a CD-ROM or discs being released
9.7
This would be by far the simplest method (especially a CD-ROM) and is
one that WSS are looking into. The obvious difficulty is one of
copyright. Superior Software hold the rights to many games and, indeed,
still sell BBC games, but whether theyæd be prepared to release them
cheaply enough is doubtful. However, all is not lost, as is demonstrated
by the fact that Iábought a compilation CD of 3,000(!) Spectrum games
from WSS for ú15, so a BBC one shouldnæt be out of the question. If
anyone with influence is reading, Iáfor one would buy a BBC CD-ROM!
9.7
In action
9.7
!6502Em is extremely comprehensive. It not only supports the model ÉBæ
but also Master 128 and Compact (with the appropriate ROM images). Sound
emulation is nothing short of amazing. Itæs not always spot on to the
original, but a very good approximation and even managed speech
comfortably. Keyboard layouts have changed over the years, but all keys
are completely redefinable and the program even supports the use of
joysticks.
9.7
There is quite a lot of variation in how well games play under the
emulator, if at all. Many play perfectly, and at the correct speed,
whereas others are too fast, despite setting the ÉExact Speedæ option.
To use !6502Em effectively, an ARM 3 at least is required. Iátried an
A3010 but found it to run painfully slowly and canæt recommend running
the emulator on A3010/3020/4000 unless youære desperate to re-live those
moments again regardless.
9.7
Some games run with minor glitches but most can be corrected by setting
various options from the menu. These include: ÉPaletteæ on/off, ÉExact
Speedæ of emulation, ÉPass on OSCLIæ, whereby *¡commands that arenæt
recognised by the emulator are passed to RISC OS, ÉMachineæ, which
selects which model of BBC to emulate, and ÉPatchæ, which enables
specific built-in patches for awkward games like Revs and Elite. In most
cases, itæs best to try the default options first on each game as there
seems to be approximately 80% success rate on these settings.
9.7
Beeb games
9.7
A while back, Iáwas asked to list my Top 10 Beeb games of all time and,
after racking my brains, Iácame up with these. Iáhave indicated how well
they fare under emulation.
9.7
Exile Ö Awesome graphic adventure that Iáhave yet to finish. Plays like
a dream with no modifications. The closest alternatives are ÉCastle
Questæ and ÉDr.Whoæ, the latter of which is abysmal but both performed
well under emulation.
9.7
Firetrack Ö Ultimate space shoot æem up by Orlando Ö remember him?
Unfortunately, due to its complex scrolling, it refuses to run. If
anyone manages to get it working, please let me know. Iácanæt recommend
a replacement but ÉWaræ is probably the nearest, although only
remembered for its minuscule playing area Ö it does at least run under
emulation.
9.7
Joust Ö One of the best two-player games ever Ö battle on the backs of
ostriches for domination of the skies. Again, this wouldnæt work. It was
also released as ÉSkirmishæ, so maybe someone has this. Joust is long
overdue for a modern re-write!
9.7
Planetoid Ö The first game Iáever bought, no introduction needed surely
... OK, itæs a superb version of ÉDefenderæ. This works but is
unpleasantly jerky, the sideways scrolling seems to be a bit of a
problem to !6502Em and recurs with a few games of its ilk. Strangely
ÉGuardianæ from Alligata is almost identical yet plays perfectly. Other
similar games worth digging out are ÉPsycastriaæ and ÉMoon Raideræ.
9.7
Mr.Ee Ö AKA ÉMr.Dooæ. This puts the recent Archimedes version to shame.
Dig around a maze, drop apples on monsters and go for bonuses. Plays
perfectly except for running slightly too quick for the first couple of
seconds, so make sure youære quick off the mark. You could always try
ÉPengoæ or ÉRubble Troubleæ!
9.7
Zalaga Ö Based on the swirling, bomb-dropping, alien invading game of a
similar name, Zalaga plays really well, as do other similar games such
as ÉGalaforceæ, ÉArcadiansæ, ÉEagle Empireæ and ÉAlpha Centauriæ.
9.7
Killer Gorilla Ö ÉDonkey Kongæ clone Ö avoid barrels and fireballs and
save the damsel in distress in this platform classic. The trouble is,
Iácanæt seem to get the game to slow down enough!
9.7
Fortress Ö Diagonally scrolling shoot æem up based on Zaxxon, runs well
and is as addictive as ever.
9.7
Frak! Ö If Iásay itæs a caveman-with-a-yoyo platform romp, it sounds
stupid, so Iáwonæt Ö but it is great fun. It runs brilliantly, and you
even get to hear the ÉCaptain Pugwashæ theme before loading. Not as
pretty but still enjoyable is ÉBlaggeræ which is worth digging up.
9.7
Snapper Ö Yes itæs Pacman, but what a great version Ö bonus fruit,
secret passages and blue wobbly ghosts all included. As with most of the
maze games Iæve tried, it works well, although itæs a bit fast Ö unless
Iæve simply lost the knack! XOR pushed Snapper close, with its twin-
shield action, hidden maps and groovy music, and Android Attack is also
fun.
9.7
OK, Iáknow itæs heresy to miss out Elite but, to be honest, Iánever
really liked it. Donæt fret, it works via a patch or you could just run
the Archimedes version!
9.7
Is that all?
9.7
Actually, no! The ability to play most BBC games was obviously not all
the programmers wanted Ö theyæve pretty well recreated a full BBC B
inside your Risc PC or Archimedes. No need for a sideways RAM/ROM board
either, because the emulator can have up to 16 ROM images loaded into it
at once. There is also a save option which allows the user to take a
snapshot of the state of the emulator for reloading at a later date so
you can save your position on any game. It is also possible to set up
games as RISC OS applications by creating script files that contain
information on running the game and setting suitable options for it.
Screenshots may be taken and saved as sprites or incorporated into BBC
applications as icons for individual games.
9.7
Iáwas disappointed to find that the Master 128 and Compact ROMs werenæt
included with !6502Em and was told by WSS that the reason for this was
that theyæd asked Acorn for permission to supply the necessary files,
but were refused on the grounds that they considered that there was
still some value in the ROMs and that to license them would cost in the
region of ú5000. This would have added an extra ú5 to the cost of the
emulator. This is a real shame Ö surely Acorn canæt be this protective
of such old information, can they? Hopefully, under the new regime, they
will have a change of heart and allow their release.
9.7
Z80 Spectrum Emulator
9.7
Iámust confess that Iáonly bought this because it was cheap at the Show.
After all, there are already two or three PD Spectrum Emulators, so why
bother with this one? Well, unlike the others Iæve seen, it works
extremely well, is completely glitch-free and runs at the correct speed.
You can adjust the speed too, so if you find a game too easy, simply
enter a new value in the menu. Iácouldnæt understand why the default
speed had a setting of &11000. It wouldæve been far better to have set
it to 100% and provide up and down arrows to alter the value.
9.7
As with !6502Em, the Spectrum emulator single-tasks rather than
multitasking within a RISC OS window. This to me is preferable, as it
gives a greater sense of Ébeing thereæ. Exiting is instantaneous on
pressing <f12>, in both cases.
9.7
Sound is coped with admirably, and again the entire keyboard can be
reconfigured; this is definitely most welcome as Iástill have vivid
memories of early Spectrum games using QWERT for Up, Down, Left, Right
and Fire .... Why did they do that ? Iáwas impressed to find that Acorn
joysticks are supported within the program too.
9.7
Itæs a pity that 128k games canæt be emulated, but maybe this will be
added in later versions. Still, there are plenty of other games to play,
especially if you purchase the 3000 game CD compilation. Many of the
best Spectrum games, such as classics like ÉKnightloreæ and ÉAlien 8æ,
were ported to the BBC very successfully, but hereæs your chance to
enjoy the delights of those that werenæt, such as ÉStop the Expressæ,
ÉSchool Dazeæ and ÉHorace Goes Skiingæ.
9.7
!Z80Em certainly has the edge over previous Spectrum emulators. Itæs
incredibly easy to use and appears to run all software without problems,
so Iácan strongly recommend it. The fly in the ointment is that the
other Spectrum emulators are PD and contain most of the features of
!Z80Em.
9.7
See you later emulator
9.7
Iáhave compiled a list of BBC games that do and donæt work with !6502Em.
Out of 350 tested, over 90% worked and the rate has improved
significantly with each update to !6502Em. If you would like a copy of
the list, please drop me a line and Iæll happily send a copy. Iæd also
like to hear from anyone who has succeeded in persuading games to run
that Iáhave been unable to, such as Firetrack, Joust, Death Star, Raid
Over Moscow and Jet Set Willy 2. It would be a shame to lose these in
the depths of time, not just for sentimental reasons, but also to
demonstrate that the best games arenæt necessarily the ones with the
best graphics. Both emulators are excellent value if you have a fast
processor, some top old games and are a diehard nostalgic.
9.7
BBC & Spectrum Emulators, from Warm Silence Software, cost ú15 each,
inclusive, or ú25 the pair.
9.7
You can contact me at: 97 Heath View, Leiston, Suffolk, IP16 4JN.áuá
9.7
Padlock
9.7
Dave Wilcox
9.7
Padlock is the latest program to come from Base 5 Technical Graphics.
Their last offering was Hermes (reviewed in 8.10 p59), which came out
favourably, so letæs see how Padlock stands up to the test...
9.7
The aim
9.7
Padlock is a desktop security program and, as such, is aimed mainly at
education and small businesses. It is designed to allow the system
supervisor to control who has access to the machine and, once in, what
they can or cannot access. It is also possible for any user to leave the
machine in a ÉDesk Offæ state whilst unattended. This renders the
machine nearly unusable until a valid user password is entered.
9.7
The package
9.7
There are two versions of this software, Padlock and Padlock Junior.
Each comes on a single disc; Junior has its manual as text files on the
disc, while Padlock is accompanied by two plastic spiral bound A5
manuals. The main one of these is the User Manual, the other is the
Secure Module Programmersæ Reference Manual. The package is presented in
a cardboard box with an A5 flyer pasted to the top.
9.7
The manuals
9.7
The Secure Module Programmers Reference Manual has been included so that
programmers can incorporate the Secure Module into their own
applications. It contains 27 pages showing the main SWIs and ends with a
couple of examples of how to use them in basic programming. The 53 page
User Manual is well written and easy to follow, with plenty of
screenshots showing the new user the way through the maze.
9.7
The software
9.7
Read the manual before playing Ö well, at least  the first couple of
chapters anyway. Once installed, the program is configured with a couple
of groups and several users from these groups and, of course, the
supervisor user.
9.7
My first object was to go in as supervisor and remove all demo users and
groups. I hit a problem here, trying to delete the last user, apart from
Supervisor, and it crashed, Iæm not sure why. For the second attempt, I
first created one of my own user groups and entered the names of all
users for this group, then deleted all demo users with no problems.
9.7
Setting up the groups
9.7
So your first task is to decide on the group headings for the people who
will be using the machine. The demo is of a school setup giving groups
for Juniors, Seniors, Staff and Heads. From the group definition window,
you first of all configure the group name, and then you have to decide
whether this group should have access to the filer window commands, the
task window and É*æ commands. Each of these choices is made by selecting
a radio icon on/off.
9.7
Group Definition/Edit Window
9.7
The next choice is for the files, directories or applications that you
will either permit or exclude the group from using. It is simplicity
itself to set up, once you have decided which is the smaller list, for
the sake of speed. For example, if you wish to exclude the group from
using configure from the Apps directory, drag !Configure to the exclude
window. The same can be done for !System, !Boot, !Scrap and so on.
9.7
Next you can choose to exclude or permit certain filetypes. The school
example permits the juniors to use Paint and Edit files and the
applications !Paint and !Edit. This gives the supervisor a very fine
degree of control over who is to use what, from full use to almost no
use, dependent upon the useræs current working knowledge or
requirements.
9.7
The final choice from the group edit window allows you to control the
time that the group may have access. The option is again selected via a
radio button on/off. If on, access is then given to two time-panels
allowing you to set the earliest time the group can access the machine
and the latest time they can have access. If a group member tries to
gain access outside of this time zone, no chance! These settings need to
be done for each group you require, and each group definition has then
to be saved.
9.7
From the menu over this window, it is possible to obtain two reports.
The first output shows a full group report, which shows the named group
with exclusions and permits as a list. The second option is a group
summary giving the group names and all members of these groups again as
a list.
9.7
Setting up the users
9.7
Next we need to enter the names of all users allowed into the system.
The user definition window is again simplicity itself. First enter the
useræs identification, i.e. their Name, then enter the group they fall
into as defined above Ö this is selected from a submenu so is even
easier. The final requirement is to set their password.
9.7
User Definition/Edit Window
9.7
On initial setup, I have found the easiest way is to set the password as
the useræs first name or surname dependent upon the size of the user
list. After their first logon they can change their password to whatever
they like. As with the group window, selecting <menu> over the user edit
window gives you access to a summary report of all users.
9.7
Setting the system options
9.7
Thatæs the groups and users set, so the next choice is the system
options. You donæt really need to change any of these initially, as the
defaults are set reasonably. You have a choice of the date format for
the Report and User Log outputs Ö these are set in the same manner as
!Alarm. As it is good practice to change user passwords regularly, you
can configure a recommended password lifetime, after which warning is
given to the user to change their password on accessing.
9.7
Silent Operation gives you the ability, especially useful in classroom
or office environments, to turn off warning beeps except when an error
occurs.
9.7
Impression Format allows report output to have style information
included for use by Impression, the only exception to this being the
User Log report.
9.7
The next three buttons control the User Report ordering and is again
selected by radio buttons. Owner display enables your machine to be
tagged with your School, Company or Personal details. To do this, you
create an Edit file containing name, address and or phone number, then
drag the save window icon to the owner display icon, ensure the option
is selected and your name and address will be displayed in the bottom
left hand corner.
9.7
The user log
9.7
The last facility available to the Supervisor is the User Log. Whenever
the machine is switched on, accessed by a user, a user logs off or the
machine is shutdown, the log is updated with date, time and user or
status, giving a full overview of the machine use. This log can be
cleared by the Supervisor to save on storage space.
9.7
Extra security
9.7
There is an additional protection utility provided with both versions of
Padlock called !Bolt. This allows you to attach ÉHaspæ, a transient
utility, to protect software or machine areas. The first use would be to
set the mouse selection, so if Padlock is not running, neither will the
machine Ö not properly anyway. This means that when someone comes along
and says ÉWell, I can get around the !Boot file by Shift-Reset-ing the
machineæ, he still cannot get access Ö clever stuff this! Also, by
attaching Hasp to your original software, you can prevent it being used
on a machine not running Padlock, so if someone copies your program to
their machine, it will fail to run.
9.7
Padlock Junior
9.7
Junior runs in a similar manner to the full Padlock but has none of the
extras, like Groups or Users, and is basically a one-user machine
protection. You have the Log In and Out options, Password Change and
Owner Display, but once into the machine you have full access. You also
have !Bolt as mentioned above.
9.7
Problems?
9.7
Apart from the initial hiccup mentioned above, I have come across a
couple of other problems. Firstly, a kind person with some knowledge of
the machines workings managed to gain access and rename the !Padlock
utility. When the machine rebooted, Padlock was not loaded, the Hasp
prevented mouse access and the keyboard was locked out Ö a fair bit of
sweat and memory racking was called for to regain control.
9.7
On the positive side, Padlock was only doing its job. Iácontacted Base 5
about this problem because, obviously, the manual cannot give too much
detail on how to bypass the security system, or it would be rendered
useless. Consideration is now being given to registering users, and once
registered, supplying rescue instructions separately.
9.7
The second problem seems to arise whilst using my modem. It seems that
Padlockæs logfile records all communication activity, so another call to
Base 5 is due I feel. I should add that good discipline should be
instilled into all users, at all levels, to ensure that they log off
correctly when leaving the machine Ö not a lot to ask really!
9.7
Conclusion
9.7
This is a deterrent and, as such, it works well. I would think it will
be a boon to schools and small business users worried about unauthorised
access.
9.7
Overall, a nice piece of software which fulfils its desired aim. There
are a couple of faults but Iæm sure Base 5 will have overcome them by
the time you read this review. Considering the targeted user groups,
Iáthink the pricing is reasonable. Padlock costs ú49 inclusive, and
Junior costs ú15 inclusive from Base 5 Technical Graphics.áuá
9.7
Plantwise
9.7
Richard Rymarz
9.7
Some time ago, Sherston Software released a very popular and successful
piece of software called Bodywise. It was a dedicated database that
explored the human body through a series of pictures, texts and
animations. Plantwise follows the same format, only this time, as the
title suggests, the data concerns plants. Designed for 9 to 14 year
olds, the software explores all aspects of plant life, allowing the
children to delve deeper and deeper into the database in a simple way.
Elements covered are: the structure of plants, reproduction, survival
and growth, Élifeæs trialsæ (daily cycles, seasons, protections and
competition) and classification. There is also an experiment section
that takes the child through a series of simple experiments designed to
encourage further scientific investigation.
9.7
The package and installation
9.7
As we have come to expect from this leading educational software house,
the package is quite exhaustive. Three discs containing the application
(one being the now obligatory startup disc), eight experiment cards, six
search cards, a fast find sheet, aáuser guide, a booklet full of
educational ideas and an A3 poster Ö more on the quality and usefulness
of these later. Everything is neatly packed into a clear plastic wallet
Ö no unnecessary extra packaging here.
9.7
Plantwise can run on any RISC OS machine with 1áMbyte or more. A hard
disc is not needed, but everything is quicker and slicker if one is
used. Installation is very straightforward but the key disc is needed to
run the program.
9.7
The program
9.7
Once it is installed, clicking <menu> on the Plantwise icon brings forth
a comprehensive setup window. Users of other Sherston products will be
familiar with the layout which, in this case, allows two levels of
difficulty, sound control, text control and parts of the program which
can be user-defined. It also controls whether the database or the
experiment section is used. There is a word search facility.
9.7
Define your options, click ÉSetæ, the window disappears and the program
is set to go. Nothing could be easier.
9.7
Away we go
9.7
Clicking <select> on the plantwise icon displays an introductory screen
and the main window. The latter is divided into the five sections
mentioned earlier. Clicking on any one takes the user into the database.
For example, clicking on ÉReproductionæ results in a labelled window
showing four areas of plant reproduction: pollination, fertilisation,
seed dispersal and seed germination. Click on one and further
exploration is encouraged. I clicked on seed dispersal which opened
another window. Along the top were seven icons. The first three take the
user back to the main menu, show the written descriptions for each
section and allow a sequence to be animated. The next four relate to
four methods of seed dispersal: explode, wind, animals and water. Each
of these can be animated and their descriptions can be viewed. Further
explorations are possible as the user delves deeper into the database.
At any time a screen can be saved or printed. Accompanying these screens
is a series of bird calls and animal sounds that add some flavour to the
proceedings. (I wondered how they were going to bring sound into a
multimedia package about plants! Ed.)
9.7
Other areas of plant life are similarly explored, providing a very
comprehensive set of data that would be difficult to find your way
around. However, the authors have thought of this, and on the main
screen is a Éfast findæ method of selecting topics. Click once and a
series of flow diagrams is presented. Select your topic and immediately
you are into that section of the database Ö I love it because it is so
easy to use.
9.7
Since some of the terminology is difficult, an on-screen glossary of
words is available. Click on the ÉWhat Word?æ icon and an alphabetically
listed set of terms is presented. Click on a word and the explanation is
presented Ö another excellent idea.
9.7
Experiments
9.7
Choosing Plantwise experiments from the Setup option again allows a
degree of customisation: level of difficulty and teacher options. Eight
experiments are provided, ranging from conditions for successful seed
germination to photosynthesis and chlorophyll. Animations take the user
through the sequence of reactions, according to the set criteria.
9.7
I have my doubts about this section of the program. Certainly, it
provides a set of experiments that a teacher could use, but the point
about children and experimentation is that they do it themselves,
establishing their own parameters, judging whether a fair test has been
created, and coming to their own conclusions based on their own
findings. I can see value in Plantwise pointing children in the right
direction but, as a teacher, I would use this section cautiously. This,
of course, does not detract from the well thought out way in which the
program presents the information.
9.7
Niggles
9.7
Very few. I do wish that when a window was closed, the main menu window
stayed on screen Ö I found it irritating to have to go back to the
iconbar to reopen the main menu.
9.7
Supporting materials
9.7
One of Sherstonæs strengths has always been the high level of supporting
materials. Plantwise is no exception. The excellent user guide explains
the technical side of the program in a clear, easy going style. Another
booklet entitled ÉUsing Plantwise in the Classroomæ is full of cross
curricular ideas linking all areas of the National Curriculum. It also
contains a useful booklist and a list of countrywide places to visit.
Each experiment has its own card which helps children to set up the
experiments without providing the answers Ö much more useful. Finally,
there are six assessment cards linked to the two levels of difficulty.
These are basically questions which the children can either use to check
their knowledge after using the program, or can use as a task to find
from the program.
9.7
Conclusions
9.7
This is another brilliant program. It is easy to use, informative,
clearly defined aims which are well executed Ö I would recommend this
program to all schools. If teachers are impressed then look for Bodywise
which is just as good. Plantwise costs ú44.95 for a single user or ú50
through Archive. (Site licences are available from Sherston.)áuá
9.7
áááOptions Window
9.7
Products Available
9.8
Archive monthly program disc Ö We have been getting more material sent
to us for the disc, and so we decided to see if we could go over to
using 1.6Mb discs. Only two people said they were still using 800Kb
discs and so weæll just send out 2╫800Kb discs where necessary Ö and
hope they both buy RiscPCs from us soon! (Iæm sure we could arrange a
special discount!) The price of the discs remains at ú2 a disc or ú20
for a year Ö overseas rates are shown on the back cover of the magazine.
9.8
The content of the discs is, as always, completely unguaranteed. We put
on the disc whatever comes to hand that relates to the articles in the
magazine, plus any utilities and/or information that is sent in by
subscribers or dragged off the Net.
9.8
Christian Acorn Users Group Ö The library of PD software available to
members of the CAUG (not to be confused with the C (language) Acorn
Users Group!) is growing steadily and the latest catalogue has just been
issued. The latest CAUG newsletter has also just been issued but (Colin
tells me) will only be sent to those who have renewed their
subscriptions! This issue includes articles on keeping church records,
Christians on the Internet and the latest news about ExpLANæs Holy
Bible. Details from Rev. Colin Randall, The Rectory, Swan Lane, Long
Hanborough, Witney, Oxon, OX8 8BT. (01993-881270)
9.8
ClassNet upgrade Ö A new AUN (Acorn Universal Networking) DC14 upgrade
EPROM is now available for Oak Solutionsæ ClassNet cards. This makes
them compatible with Ethernet cards from other manufacturers and also
enables them to run the latest network products such as School Server,
InterTalk and OmniClient. Future networking developments will also
require this upgrade to AUN DC14. Included in the upgrade is CMOS RAM
protection which prevents unauthorised re¡configuration and protects the
setup of the machine. System Manageræs software is provided and is
password protected. It is fully compatible with existing ClassShare
Application Server and ClassRom hard disc protection products. The
upgrade is supplied as an EPROM exchange and includes a new manual and
management disc. The price is ú15 +VAT from Oak Solutions.
9.8
DTP design book Ö (With apologies to all those who already own a
copy...) This is just a reminder about the Non-Designeræs Design book
(below). This is the most helpful book about DTP layout and typography
that I (and many other people) have ever seen, and it is now owned by
almost 25% of Archive subscribers! We offered it (and still do so) on a
guaranteed full refund if not 100% satisfied. On this basis, only two
books have ever been returned from the hundreds and hundreds of copies
we have sold. i.e it is your recommendation, as the buyers, not just
mine as a salesman!
9.8
Non-Designeræs Design Book Ö This book by Robin Williams has absolutely
nothing to do with Acorn computers! However, it is a really excellent
guide showing how to make the best use of those DTP facilities that most
of us possess, yet few of us have ever been trained to use properly. It
explains the basic principles of page layout, using fonts, etc, in such
a way that (a) it is easy to understand and (b)áit is memorable. This
means that you actually put into practice the things that you have read.
(See Mark Howeæs review, 8.6 p23.) The price is ú13 inc p&p.
9.8
High speed serial card from Intelligent Interfaces provides two
additional RS232 compatible serial interfaces, with standard 9-pin
D¡type connectors, capable of communicating at baud rates from 50 to
230400 including 9,600, 19,200, 38,400, 57,600 and 115,200 baud. The
software supplied now includes Block Drivers for Hearsay II, ArcFax,
ARCterm 7, Termite, Voyager, the Internet Starter Pack, ANT Suite (users
require a PPP module, obtainable from: [e-mail] Ö they also
need version 3.47 of the Dual Card module) and the new version of
Acornæs InterTalk. The card can be used in any computer with a backplane
but requires RISC OS 3.1 or later. The dual high speed serial interface
card is available from Intelligent Interfaces for ú149 +VAT +p&p or ú175
through Archive.
9.8
Eesox have reduced the price of some of their CD-ROM drives. Included in
the reductions are: the Quad-speed IDE Gold series drive, now ú99 + ú8
p&p +VAT or ú120 through Archive; and the Six-speed IDE Platinum series,
now ú149 + ú8 p&p +VAT or ú180 through Archive. As always, the drives
are supplied with an IDE cable, an audio cable, driver software,
installation guide and fixing screws. The drives work on all RiscPC 600/
700æs and the A7000 range, using the CDFS driver supplied. The audio
cable is only suitable for machines with an audio mixer board, i.e. any
machine apart from the old RiscPC 600æs.
9.8
New from Eesox is the CD-ROM Recorder which allows you to write your own
CD-ROMs. Included in the package is the CD-ROM recorder, writer
software, and driver software to use the writer as a reader. As a
writer, the CD-ROM Recorder works as a dual-speed device, taking about
35 minutes to write 650Mb of information. As a reader it works at quad-
speed. Itæs a SCSI based device and so a SCSI card is required Ö Eesox
recommend a fairly fast one Ö and you will also need the hard disc
capacity to hold the data you wish to write to a CD-ROM. The internal
CD-ROM writer package costs ú799 +p&p +VAT or ú895 through Archive. The
external package costs ú859 +p&p +VAT or ú965 through Archive.
9.8
Elements and Nuclides Ö Atomic Software say that, following customer
feedback, both Elements and Nuclides have undergone major improvements.
They can now save text as RTF files and data as CSV files, as well as
many other significant additions. This has necessitated a price increase
from ú9.95 each to ú14.95 each, or ú19.95 for both, effective from 1
July 1996. (Update prices and policy remain the same at ú2 each, upon
receipt of original disc.) The earlier version of the software was
reviewed in Archive 9.6 p39.
9.8
Encode is a file protection utility which provides complete security of
data and applications where they are in danger from illegal access or
copying, while at the same time maintaining a friendly and intuitive
feel to the user. A further feature of Encode is automatic 12-bit LZW
file compression as used by Acorn. Possible environments where this
application will be valuable include computer shows, schools and
businesses. The software is completely transparent to the authorised
users, encrypting both files and applications. Applications and data can
be easily secured and may be accessed without decoding. Alternatively,
they can be decoded easily without risk to the data itself. A full range
of password systems is implemented and the application can be customised
to meet the needs of individual users.
9.8
Encode requires a 1Mb RISCáOS 3 machine and is available at ú19.50
(inclusive) from Grasshopper.
9.8
Essential Steps to Swimming has got to be the definitive CD-ROM on
swimming. Designed with the help of leading youth coaches, this CD¡ROM
is aimed both at teachers and students. There is something for everyone
Ö absolute beginners can learn how to get into a pool safely, while
experienced swimmers and coaches are able to analyse in detail every
aspect of a stroke. Water safety is constantly emphasised, with sections
on potential risks, survival techniques and a game to reinforce the
Water Safety Code.
9.8
Information is presented as spoken and written text, based on poolside
instruction. Clear and colourful animations show complicated movements,
and videos show each stroke in action. Interactive word games and
quizzes not only test knowledge but also encourage close observation and
independent thought. The CD-ROM provides the stroke analysis, and water
safety aspects of external PE examinations, and provides hints for keep-
fit swimming for those preparing for the sport and leisure industry. It
can be used by individuals, class groups and both specialist and non-
specialist teachers.
9.8
Essential Steps to Swimming is available from Yorkshire International
Thomson Multimedia and costs ú53.58 +VAT or ú60 through Archive.
9.8
Iota Software are now on the Net! They can be found at http://
www.iota.co.uk Ö youæll find information about their latest product
releases as well as hints and tips on using existing software, including
an FAQ page on DataPower. You can also pick up some free screen-saver
programs which use animations from their Complete Animator.
9.8
Learning Through Computing have launched a new range of primary
education programs. The Doorway Classroom Pack introduces children to a
wide range of topics covering time, numeracy and early literacy. In many
of the programs, the curriculum level can be set allowing the program to
be used throughout primary and into secondary education. The programs in
the pack include: AboutTime, WeighOut, Simple Spreadsheet, two Turtle
control programs, Number Table, Pelmanism, Texttype, FirstWord,
FirstLetter, SameAgain, Cashing In and Upto Ten. Teachersæ notes for
each of the programs on the pack are supplied in a robust ring binder,
along with a number of worksheets. In addition, a selection of Design
Conceptæs outline fonts, including the Foundation handwriting font, come
with the pack. The Classroom programs are run using Doorway, LTCæs
Hypermedia system Ö a Doorway browser program is supplied with the pack.
9.8
The Foreign Language Packs are a selection of programs available in
French, German, Spanish and Italian, covering Food and Drink, Clothing,
Body Parts and Animals. Students can use the programs to look up various
words in their singular and plural forms. They can be tested in a number
of ways, including having to match words with pictures, typing in names
of objects, and typing the singular and plural words. The programs will
mark and keep a score of correct answers. When a test is completed, the
student is presented with a list of words that he/she has had difficulty
with. To use the programs, LTCæs Doorway Browser is required, available
with the Classroom pack above, or separately.
9.8
Doorway Classroom Pack costs ú35 +VAT. The normal price for the Foreign
Language Packs is ú20 +VAT but for a limited period you can buy them for
ú16 +VAT. Doorway Browser costs ú35 +VAT. Site licences are available
from LTC.
9.8
Logic Gates and Counters is a software package for learning about logic
gates and digital counters. The package, from Camboard Technology,
includes three applications: Logic Gates introduces the main logic gate,
with on-screen user-enabled simulations of each gate. The simulations
mimic actual hardware by using switches and LEDs. The Camboard approach
enhances this by including dynamic binary logic status values, so the
user can see a representation of the logic level by way of a simulated
LED and its boolean property. Each logic gate has a dedicated text
screen with questions to answer. Counters is the main 4-bit counter
system and is described incorporating a
9.8
 similar approach to Logic Gates. The application starts with the 4-bit
counter and leads on to hexadecimal counters. Simulate combines solely
logic gates and three digital counters from the main applications. This
allows all logic gates and counters to be used together on screen.
9.8
Logic Gates and Counters costs ú16.95 +VAT from Camboard Technology.
9.8
Merlin Raytracer price reduction Ö Merlin Raytracer is a program which
allows you to create images using a technique called ray-tracing, where
each pixel is affected by light sources, shadows, reflection, refraction
etc. Merlin offers an excellent 3D editor (until now Acorn machines have
only had textual script files with which you are meant to Édescribeæ
your scene), a texture/material editor and, of course, a ray-tracer. Its
features include texture-mapping, Phong and Gouraud shading, anti-
aliasing, polygons-into-lines, transparency, mist/fog, different classes
of light-sources, various cameras and the ability to import Draw and DXF
(professional CAD) files, and it is designed with ease-of-use in mind.
Merlin costs ú80 p&p +VAT available from the Datafile or ú90 inclusive
through Archive. Upgrades are available from Datafile for ú2. (Merlin
was reviewed in Archive 8.11 p9)á
9.8
Number Time 2 is what you might call a compilation album plus. Hazelnut
Software have put together, on CD-ROM, some of their best known maths
programs and, in so doing, have re-vamped them and reduced the price of
the whole collection. In past reviews, the collection has received some
very encouraging comments (8.5 p51 and 9.1 p79). Now the collection
comes with 15 worksheets for teachers to print, covering tables, time
and number bonds. The original programs have been added to and include:
Number Bonds, covering simple addition and subtraction bonds, Tell Time,
covering hours, half past, quarters and the 24 hour clock Ö each has a
clock to make and print, and Times Table which covers two to twelve
times tables with over 130 animations, text and sound, and certificates
to print out. All of the programs come in six versions for 2Mb and 4Mb
machines and RiscPC, with an older or younger voice-over. (There is also
a PC version on the CD-ROM.) For educational establishments, there is a
28 day Étry before you buyæ offer. The collection is aimed at Primary
and Special Needs.
9.8
The CD-ROM costs ú29 +p&p from Hazelnut. The education price is ú26.50
+p&p. All programs have a free site licence. Times Tables, Tell Time and
Number Bonds are also available on floppy discs.
9.8
PC CD-ROMs Ö We announced last month the interesting developments coming
from Innovative Media Solutions, using their PC to Acorn Reader. The
Readers have been designed to read PC CD-ROMs and display the
information on the Acorn platform Ö this includes data, photos, video
and speech. Each month they hope to release a new title from the PC
world and are already busy on such titles as Microsoftæs Encarta and Art
Gallery. Ancient Lands and Dangerous Creatures will be the next two
titles available from the Microsoft HOME Series and will cost ú39 +VAT
+p&p or ú46 through Archive. From the Dorling Kindersley collection,
TheáWay Things Work is ready to ship and will be followed closely by My
First Incredible Amazing Dictionary, each at ú42.90 +VAT +p&p. The
Dorling Kindersley titles are only available from the DK Family Library,
IMS or CD Circle for the first six months of their release; thereafter
they will be obtainable from other Acorn outlets. The Microsoft series
CD-ROMs are available through Archive.
9.8
PenDown DTP is a new development of the ever popular writing and
publishing tool for children of all ages and abilities. PenDown DTP now
has three configurable levels and HTML capability. Level 1 features the
familiar PenDown style click and type approach, with full text editing,
speech capability and interactive spell-checking. Level 2 adds the
sophistication of a frame-based DTP environment. Level 3 features
multiple floating toolbars, hypertext documents and easy-to-use
mailmerge and label printing. Educational extensions, such as assessment
of reading difficulty and the generation of cloze procedures, are also
available at this level.
9.8
Still under development is a partner product which can be used to
convert PenDown DTP pages into HTML pages suitable for uploading to
Internet Web servers. It builds upon the Hypertext capabilities already
in place in PenDown DTP. The software is currently in its early testing
stages, and can be downloaded free by all PenDown DTP users from the
Logotron Web Server http://www/logo.com/pendtp/index.html Ö the complete
product will be available for release later in the year. In the
meantime, Longman would welcome any feedback from users, and those
downloading are asked to register their name and contact details.
9.8
PenDown DTP costs ú59 +VAT +p&p, or ú68 through Archive. A 5, 10, 20 and
40-user licence costs ú67, ú118, ú207 and ú354 respectively, or ú77,
ú132, ú232 and ú395 through Archive. Existing users of PenDown, PenDown
Plus, Talking PenDown and First Page may upgrade to PenDown DTP Ö
contact Longman Logotron for details.
9.8
PocketMedia Ltd is a new company set up to exploit the emerging market
for palmtop computers. Headed by Mike Collett, and with a team of
educationalists, graphic designers, programmers and teachers,
PocketMedia intends to become the leading developer of educational
software for hand-held devices. Initial development will be for Acornæs
PocketBook II and the Psion 3a organiser. Among their first products are
Pond Life, the first in a series called PocketExplorer, and a version of
the Three Little Pigs. Pond Life allows children to explore a pond
environment using scrolling pictures, sound and animation. They can also
learn about the different creatures which are found in the pond. Pond
Life will be followed by a number of other PocketExplorer products,
including Farm Life and City Life. TheáThree Little Pigs is a version of
the CD-ROM talking story and includes graphics, sounds and animations.
Also included are some educational games and activities based around the
story. The software is aimed at Key Stage 1 for use in school and at
home. Both products will cost under ú30.
9.8
Really Good Software Ö from the Really Good Software Company. Montage is
a program for creating and exploring the world of fractals. It enables
the complexities of fractal geometry to be explored easily as an art
form, by the creation of simple or complex pictures, and be fully
understood as a mathematical process. Pictures of objects or scenes can
be created by users with little or no knowledge of mathematics. The
program comes with a seventy page manual, a twenty page tutorial and an
on-disc guide. It requires at least 2Mb of memory for most applications,
and 4Mb for hi-res colour work. Montage costs ú45 for a single user and
ú180 for a site licence from RGSC.
9.8
Two programs for transferring information from older machines to newer
ones are MultiLink and Z¡Link. MultiLink allows users to transfer data
between 8-bit BBCæs and Acorn 32-bit machines, including the RiscPC Ö
you simply use the mouse to drag information between windows. Z-Link
does the same for the Z88 portable Ö it comes complete with special
serial cable and instructions. MultiLink costs ú24.94 or ú29.95 with
cable to link serial ports from RGSC.
9.8
SIMM prices drop Ö There have been some sudden and dramatic drops in the
price of SIMM memory just lately. Currently, the 4Mb is ú90 through
Archive, 8Mb is ú160, 16Mb is ú280 and 32Mb is ú650.
9.8

9.8
Table Aliens, from Sherston Software, is a new maths adventure designed
to put the fun back into learning tables. Earth is in grave danger from
an invasion of the Table Aliens Ö primary school pupils must sharpen up
their number skills to help save the planet. First, each pupil will have
to qualify to join the special task force which has been set up to
combat the alien invaders; then, they are faced with a series of
exciting adventures as they bravely do battle with these number-obsessed
creatures from outer-space.
9.8
Table Aliens includes full teacher control and can be set to teach,
practice and test any combination of tables up to twelve. The program
features ten different table activities which can be accessed directly
or through the four adventures. In addition to the program, the package
contains photocopiable worksheets to promote work away from the
computer. Table Aliens will be available after 15th April and will cost
ú24.95 +VAT +p&p or ú30 through Archive.
9.8
TopModel is now distributed directly from Sincronia and will soon be
sold in the UK and in the rest of the world by local distributors.
Sincronia is also developing a VRML browser based on the new Gemini MPGE
(Multi-Processor Graphic Engine), that will be the core of the next
release of TopModel. TopModel is now shipped with filters for importing
Imagine, DXF, Envisage, 3D Studio, Sculpt3D, Illusionist, RenderBender
II, Fems, TPoly and GEO ASCII file and for exporting in DXF, POVRay and
GEO ASCII formats. Z-Buffer management has been added for perfect image
management.
9.8
WatchDog/Padlock Ö The desktop security manager from Base5 Technical
Graphics was reviewed last month, p76. Unfortunately, we forgot that the
name had been changed from Padlock to WatchDog because ICS have an
application by the name of Padlock. WatchDog costs ú49 inclusive from
Base5 (no VAT) and WatchPup (i.e. Padlock Junior!) costs ú15 inclusive.
(Acorn User have also just published a review... under the name
Padlock!)
9.8
Xword is a powerful and sophisticated, multitasking crossword setting
and solving application capable of producing any size of crossword grid.
It was last reviewed by Roger King (7.5 p59) who gave it an unreserved
recommendation. Now Panda Discs have reduced the price to ú29.95.áuá
9.8
Abacus Training  (Gerald Fitton) 29 Okus Grove, Upper Stratton, Swindon,
Wilts, SN2 6QA. (01793¡723347) [01793¡723347]
9.8
Acorn¡by¡Post  13 Dennington Road, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 2BR.
(01933¡279300)
9.8
Acorn Computer Group  Acorn House, Vision Park, Histon, Cambridge, CB4
4AE. (01223¡254254) [01223¡254262]
9.8
Acorn Risc Technologies  Cambridge Technopark, 645 Newmarket Road,
Cambridge, CB5 8PB. (01223¡577800) [01223¡577900]
<[e-mail]>
9.8
Alsystems (p8)  47 Winchester Road, Four Marks, Alton, Hampshire, GU34
5HG. (01420¡561111) <[e-mail]>
9.8
Anglia Multimedia  Anglia House, Norwich, NR1 3JG. (01603¡615151)
[01603¡631032]
9.8
APDL  39 Knighton Park Road, Sydenham, London, SE26 5RN.
9.8
Atomic Software  1 Fells Grove, Worsley, Manchester, M28 7JN
9.8
Avie Electronics (p13)  Freepost, 7 Overbury Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6
5BR. (0800¡614339) [01603¡788640] <[e-mail]>
9.8
Base5 Technical Graphics  P.O. Box 378, Woking, Surrey, GU21 4DF.
(01483¡761197)
9.8
Beebug Ltd  117 Hatfield Road, St Albans, Herts, AL1 4JS. (01727¡840303)
[01727¡860263]
9.8
Camboard  P.O.Box 416, Cambridge, CB3 7YS. (01223¡264512) [01223¡264512]
<101320,[e-mail]>
9.8
Clares Micro Supplies  98 Middlewich Road, Rudheath, Northwich,
Cheshire, CW9 7DA. (01606¡48511) [01606¡48512]
<[e-mail]>
9.8
Colton Software  2 Signet Court, Swanns Road, Cambridge, CB5 8LA.
(01223¡311881) [01223¡312010] <[e-mail]>
9.8
Computer Concepts  Gaddesden Place, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 6EX.
(01442¡351000) [01442¡351010]
9.8
Cumana Ltd  Boundary House, The Pines, Broad Street, Guildford, GU3 3BH.
(01483¡570295) [01483¡451371] <[e-mail]>
9.8
Datafile  71 Anson Road, Locking, Weston¡super¡Mare, Avon, BS24 7DQ.
(01934¡823005) <[e-mail]>
9.8
Eesox  Suite 8C, Newton House, 147 St Neots Road, Hardwick, Cambridge,
CB3 7QJ. (01954¡212263) [01954¡212263] <[e-mail]>
9.8
Generation Design  2 Whitecliff Gardens, Blandord Forum, Dorset DT11
7BU. (01258¡452507)
9.8
Grasshopper Software  6 Truro Close, East Leake, Loughborough, LE12 6HB.
9.8
Hazelnut Software  197 Blackshots Lane, Grays, Essex, RM16 2LL.
(01375¡375514)
9.8
Icon Technology  9 Jarrom Street, Leicester, LE2 7DH. (0116¡254¡6225)
9.8
Innovative Media Solutions  P.O.Box 332, Bristol, BS99 7XL.
(0117¡979¡9979) [0117¡979¡9979] <[e-mail]>
9.8
Intelligent Interfaces Ltd  P.O.Box 80, Eastleigh, Hants, SO53 2YX.
(01703¡261514) [01703¡267904] <[e-mail]>
9.8
Iota Software Ltd  Iota House, Wellington Court, Cambridge, CB1 1HZ.
(01223¡566789) [01223¡566788] <[e-mail]>
9.8
iSV Products  86, Turnberry, Home Farm, Bracknell, Berks, RG12 8ZH.
(01344¡55769)
9.8
Kudos Computing  PO Box 193, Gloucester, GL3 2YG. (01452¡712600)
9.8
Learning Through Computing  3 Relugas Road, Edinburgh EH9 2NE. (0131-
662-1881) [0131-662-1881] <[e-mail]>
9.8
Longman Logotron  124 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4
4ZS. (01223¡425558) [01223¡425349] <[e-mail]>
9.8
LOOKsystems  Unit 1, The Gables Yard, Pulham Market, Diss, IP21 4SY.
(01379¡608585) [01379¡608575]
9.8
Mijas Software  Winchester Road, Micheldever, Winchester, SO21 3DG.
(01962¡774352)
9.8
Oak Solutions  Dial House, 12 Chapel Street, Halton, Leeds, LS15 7RN
(0113¡232¡6992) [0113¡232¡6993] <[e-mail]>
9.8
Panda Discs  Four Seasons, Tinkers Lane, Brewood, Staffs, ST19 9DE.
9.8
Pocket Media  Mike Collett, PocketMedia Ltd (01234-349261) [01234-
349261] <[e-mail]>
9.8
Primrose Publishing  Vicarage Long Barn, Denham, Bury St Edmunds,
Suffolk, IP29 5EF.
9.8
Purple Software  59 Shakespeare Road, Walthamstow, London E17 6AS.
(0181¡531¡8384) [0181¡531¡8384]
9.8
Really Good Software Co. (p21)  39 Carisbrooke Road, Harpenden, Herts.,
AL5 5QS.
9.8
Repair Zone  421 Sprowston Road, Norwich, NR3 4EH. (01603¡400477)
9.8
Sherston Software  Angel House, Sherston, Malmesbury, Wilts. SN16 0LH.
(01666¡840433) [01666¡840048] <[e-mail]>
9.8
Sincronia  Via Bastone, 35, 10090 Rosta (TO), Italy. (0039-11-9540540)
[0039-11-9540540] <[e-mail]>
9.8
Softease  The Old Courthouse, St Peters Churchyard, Derby, DE1 1NN.
(01332¡204911) or (01684¡773173) [01684¡772922]
9.8
W. C. Smith & Associates (p12)  40 Royal Oak, Alnwick, Northumberland,
NE66 2DA., (01665¡510682) [01665¡510692]
9.8
Yorks Intæl Thompson Mæmedia    Television Centre, Leeds, LS3 1JS.
(0113¡243¡8283) [0113¡243¡48840] <[e-mail]>
9.8
Zenta Multimedia  10 Ravenhurst Drive, Birmingham, B43 7RS.
(0121¡358¡3054) [0121¡358¡5969]
9.8
Archive Monthly Disc Ö ú2
9.8
(The Archive monthly disc is now 1.6Mb. If you need 800Kb, please send
two blank discs with your order.)
9.8
u Arcscan data files Ö Updates for volume 8 and part of 9.
9.8
u Beginneræs Column files from John Temple Ö page 53.
9.8
u !Redraw Utility from David Breakwell Ö converts WMF, HPGL, CGM and EPS
to Draw.
9.8
u Comms Column information from Chris Claydon Ö see page 25
9.8
u Files from Gerald Fittonæs Column Ö page 41.
9.8
uáTablemate keystrokes (doesnæt need Keystroke) from Roger King Ö Help
Column, page 29.
9.8
uáUpdates of Robert Lyttonæs utilities, Case2Case and !LooknFind.
9.8
u !PtrCopy utility from Ran Mokady Ö page 23 öEmail Accessoryò.
9.8
u PD password program for Pocket Book sent in by Peter Stephens
<[e-mail]>.
9.8
u Scientific software from Chris Johnson Ö see Help Column, page 29.
9.8
u Toolbox example programs from Tony Houghton Ö page 61.
9.8
The following information is about the Christian faith, not specifically
about computing.
9.8
About a month ago, on the Acorn Usenet newsgroups, someone asked öWhich
is the best Acorn magazine?ò All was going well until someone said that
Archive was a good magazine but that it was spoilt by the presence of
the Godslot. A huge Éflame waræ ensued occupying several hundred
messages!
9.8
One thing that struck me was that many people seemed to think that
öChristianity all depends on one bookò and that öit isnæt very reliable
anywayò. Now, I am not a historian but, as I understand it, the events
that are centred around Jesus of Nazareth, his death and his (claimed)
resurrection, are some of the best attested historical events of
anything like that antiquity. The evidence includes, as well as a wide
range of Christian sources (i.e. not just the Bible), the writings of
Jewish and Roman historians, plus the archaeological evidence which all
broadly supports the biblical accounts of events. (Iæm sure that someone
will have at least one piece of evidence to Éproveæ that itæs Énot
trueæ, but no sane historian, having that amount of positive evidence is
going to throw out the whole thing because of a small amount of
apparently negative evidence.)
9.8
And what of the Bible itself? Surely that is of dubious pedigree? Hasnæt
it all been changed as the years have gone by? Well, letæs see how much
evidence there is for that view. Letæs compare the New Testament with
the best attested texts of comparable antiquity. For Caesaræs Gallic
War, we have 9 or 10 copies, the oldest of which dates from over 900
years after it was written. Slightly better attested is Livyæs Roman
History of which there are around 20 copies, but the oldest is again
from about 900 years after it was written.
9.8
Contrast that with the New Testament, which was probably written between
AD40 and AD100. We have excellent full manuscripts of the whole New
Testament from as early as AD350, papyri containing most of the New
Testament writings dating from the third century, and even a fragment of
Johnæs Gospel dating from about AD130. There are over 5,000 Greek
manuscripts, over 10,000 Latin manuscripts and 9,300 other manuscripts.
The N.T. scholar F.J.A.Hort said, öIn the variety and fullness of the
evidence on which it rests, the text of the New Testament stands
absolutely and unapproachably alone among ancient prose writings.ò
9.8
You may not believe the claims that Jesus of Nazareth made for himself,
or the claims that his first followers made, namely that he had risen
from death, but to deny that those claims were actually made is to fly,
irrationally, in the face of very strong historical evidence. Please
donæt waste your time trying to rubbish the evidence Ö many have tried
over 2,000 years and failed. Instead, read it and have the courage to
face up to the claims of this man of history Ö this man who changed the
course of human history.
9.8
P.B.
9.8
Acorn Group Ö Change is here to stay!
9.8
I am finding it hard to keep up with all the changes, and Iæm not the
only one. Colin Singleton wrote a long article about the changes of the
last few months, but Iæve had to ask him to update it in the light of
events reported in this issue (see pages 9 and 15). Hopefully, weæll
print it next month!
9.8
Thankfully, all of this monthæs changes seem to be positive Ö and there
are now rumours that the StrongARM is becoming a reality Ö first test
samples are running at 147kDhrystones, I hear. (cf the Aleph One 100MHz
586 at which runs 64kDhrystones.) For the very latest news, see the
Price List Supplement.
9.8
Acorn companies Ö Change for them too?
9.8
ANT Ltd are providing the browser for the Oracle NC, and Icon Technology
the WP Ö so they arenæt complaining about the changes! Longman, despite
being Ébroadly-basedæ, i.e. also doing PC software, are putting out new
Acorn software on a regular basis. However, other companies such as
Colton, CC and Minerva, traditional Acorn supporters, seem to have gone
rather quiet, and there is still no sign of Ovation Pro. We do need
replacements for these companies, otherwise the exciting new hardware is
going to be let down by lack of good software Ö a great opportunity for
some of the up-and-coming Acorn companies!
9.8
Happy reading!
9.8
Fact-File
9.8
Key: (phone)áá[fax]áá<net>
9.8
Norwich Computer Services    96a Vauxhall Street, Norwich, NR2 2SD.
(01603-766592) [01603-764011]
9.8
<[e-mail]>  OR  <[e-mail]>  OR
<[e-mail]>
9.8
http://www.cybervillage.co.uk/acorn/archive/
9.8
Wakefield Show
9.8
Alsystems
9.8
From 9.7 page 7
9.8
Peter Bondar Interview
9.8
Peter Bondar, the Director of Acorn Risc Technologies kindly allowed us
to put to him a number of burning questions about the future of Acorn.
He has answered them very frankly, and Iáthink you will find the news
somewhat reassuring.
9.8
ARM-based computers
9.8
Q1. In Power PC News, David Lee is reported as hinting at the immediate
demise of ARM-based desktops. This contradicts what you said earlier.
What is the true situation?
9.8
A1. I was present at the press conference at which this question was
asked. I can confirm that David was caught off guard by the phrasing of
the question. Because he had been talking about Mac OS in some detail,
he did not respond to the journalist as quickly as she expected. She,
therefore, took his lack of response as an implication of the negative.
9.8
I can confirm that the StrongARM development for the RiscPC is well
advanced. The layout of the new StrongARM card was previewed to a number
of dealers (including Paul Beverley) in February and we have a group
actively working on the CHRP situation.
9.8
Q2. If UK Education increasingly adopts other computers, will there be
enough demand from elsewhere to fund the development of ARM-based
desktop computers?
9.8
A2. If the volume of our sales were to drop, clearly this would be a
problem. However, it is clear that from our new, much more aggressive
licensing and sales environment, we are attracting an awful lot of
attention from a number of different parts of the world. For that
reason, it seems unlikely that we will halt development. (Peter himself
has been to Germany and Japan recently, and a team from ART had a trip
to Korea. Ed.)
9.8
In addition, it is very different from Acornæs Group perspective. We are
developing new applications for our new and emerging markets and,
without suitable desktop computers that come close to the state of the
art for ARM chips, we cannot provide state of the art technology.
9.8
Apple/MacOS/PowerPC
9.8
Q3. What is Acorn going to get out of Apple by using the PowerPC
processor and Mac OS?
9.8
A3. From a Joint Venture viewpoint, the use of MacOS will provide access
to a broader range of multimedia östandardò titles that otherwise
wouldnæt be expected, and the CHRP platform will provide a common focus
for one hardware platform, capable of running both Mac applications and
RISC OS applications at higher speeds than either would have experienced
on their traditional hardware.
9.8
ART is in discussion with Apple about licensing a number of its
technologies including its PC Card technology and its Skynet technology.
Given the undoubted price performance that the Acorn Computers enjoy
over any of our competitors (when looking at the cost and the end user
performance), it is simply inconceivable that Acorn would stop selling
and manufacturing computers for UK education market in the foreseeable
future.
9.8
Portables
9.8
Q4. Can you give us any indication, please, when or if a new Acorn
portable is likely to be released and what specification it is likely to
have?
9.8
A4. We have two portables in an advanced stage of completion, the first
being Stork, which is a traditional (!?) RISC OS portable, ARM 7500
powered, A5 format with a 16-level greyscale screen, housed in a
physical chassis from the Olivetti Group.
9.8
We have another portable, Newspad, which was developed as part of an
E.U. funded project. It is a tablet-based computer running a 32,000
colour SVGA touch colour screen, capable of running most RISC OS
applications.
9.8
As part of ARTæs new business strategy, we are actively marketing these
two product designs, and seeking partners who wish to put them into
production at a volume level much greater than any that Acorn could have
justified on its own.
9.8
From a business strategy viewpoint, we are very keen to put these into
production. The cost of the products to our traditional markets would be
quite high in the volumes at which we have been able to sell these
historically Ö that is why we are aggressively marketing the designs to
a number of organisations around the world, with a view to securing
larger orders which will justify a greater economy of scale.
9.8
The Newspad, especially, has had a very positive reaction from a wide
variety of sources, and we are hoping this will go into production some
time in early 1997. Both these technologies were previewed to dealers
from the Acorn Centres of Technology.
9.8
Developer support
9.8
Q5. Can you assure us that you are working with all the major software
houses to ensure that existing software will be upgraded to run on
StrongARM?
9.8
A5. ART has a checkout program and emulator to allow any organisation to
check its software compatibility with the StrongARM. We plan to release
this to software houses in the next few weeks, and we will be
encouraging all of them to try out their software on the StrongARM card.
9.8
Q6. How do you think software developers can be stimulated to continue
with Acorn in order to allow RISC OS to survive for the next few years?
9.8
A6. As we rapidly evolve and Échange Acornæ with the arrival of the
Network computer, and with aggressive licensing of our technologies
throughout the world, we believe that we can take a significant
proportion of our existing developers with us to the Énew worldæ to
which we are moving.
9.8
It is important to understand that it is paramount to Acorn that it
makes sure it has substantial software developing communities around it.
From an ART perspective, it is vitally important that, as well as the
exciting hardware, we have a whole range of software to run on it. So we
will be making sure that those developers that are close to Acorn will
be looked after Ö as well as those producing educational titles.
9.8
Platforms
9.8
Q7. When can we expect to buy an Acorn badge PowerPC platform computer?
Will it be possible to have both an ARM processor and an Intel Chip
alongside the PowerPC?
9.8
A7. We do not yet have a date for the sale of a PowerPC machine with a
StrongARM Processor. Because of the physical nature of the requirement
to plug processors, typically on processor cards, into a motherboard, it
is too early to say what the final packaging will have. It is certainly
technically feasible to have a machine with a StrongARM, PowerPC and an
Intel alongside it. The software issues are fairly significant!
9.8
Q8. Will it be possible to have both CHRP and RISCáOS alongside the
Apple Machine?
9.8
A8. CHRP supports the PS2 mouse interface and therefore one, two or
three button mice can be connected into it.
9.8
Operating systems
9.8
Q9. Which operating system will be used by the JV?
9.8
A9. As far as we are aware, the JV will be using Mac system 7, RISC OS
3.6 and Microsoft Windows for the respective platforms and/or Windows NT
for its servers.
9.8
Q10. Will the Mac Operating System ever support some of the concepts of
RISC OS?
9.8
A10. From our discussions with Apple engineers, it is clear that there
are many aspects of their future operating system, Copeland, that
overlap with the original plans for the RiscPC and RISC OS. It is also
clear that the technologies in Skynet further close the gap between the
two operating systems. All operating systems evolve over time,
especially as new paradigms and applications come to the fore. How, why
and where these things will change we do not know.
9.8
Q11. When do you think a Java compiler will be available for RISC OS?
9.8
A11. The Network Computer Division is working on supporting a wide range
of different technologies including Java. Since the network computer
runs a version of RISC OS, we would hope that it would not be too long.
For commercial and contractual reasons, I cannot give a date.
9.8
Q12. When do you expect the new version of RISCáOS to be generally
available for existing RiscPCs?
9.8
A12. We plan to produce a major new version of RISC OS to support the
StrongARM card, and it is likely that, when the StrongARM card is
released, hopefully by Q3 of this year, the supporting operating system
update will be released as well.
9.8
Q13. Will there be a RISC OS 4?
9.8
A13. As already stated, there will be a new version of RISC OS to
support the StrongARM. Further development continues on SkyNet, which
adds a number of major new features such as time code support.
9.8
(That prompted the following supplementary question.)
9.8
Q13a. What is Skynet?
9.8
A13a. Skynet is the codename for a number of technologies that sit Éon
top ofæ RISC OS. Currently Skynet deliverables include PC Exchange, Time
code object support, Multiple codec/multitasking replay.
9.8
Research projects within Skynet include Video conferencing and
whiteboarding, 3D object handling and rendering.
9.8
Currently, we have several projects looking at the Ékernalæ aspects of
RISC OS but, for commercial reasons, I cannot describe, in detail, the
nature of these!
9.8
It would be therefore premature to suggest that RISCáOS is dead or
deprived of R&D. Given that RISC OS is at the heart of the STB, NC,
Kiosk Box, Newspad, A7000, RiscPC, CHRP card and we have sold it to
major organisations in source code format, and guaranteed support for
several years, as Mark Twain said, öThe rumours of the death of RISC OS
are somewhat overstated.ò
9.8
(Anticipating the öWhat is a kiosk box?ò question, we saw them when we
went round ART. The idea is a multimedia point-of-sale terminal in a
sealed box so that customers can, interactively, find information about
products or services on offer.
9.8
Itæs basically an A7000 providing a high power, low maintenance,
multimedia setup. RISC OS running on an ARM7000, of course, provides an
excellent cost-effective system. We saw one running at ART where they
had an MPEG video onto which they had superimposed a sprite moving
around the screen, being modified as it went, without a touch of
flicker. I suspect these will go down a bomb in places like Japan.
9.8
The nearest competitor is somewhat more expensive, less versatile and
needs more maintenance. RISCáOS, starting up from ROM, can even cope
with a hard drive failure Ö just use the spare drive and tell the system
operator to come and fix the machine when he has a spare five minutes!)
9.8
Voice recognition
9.8
Q14. Voice recognition Ö How long away do you think voice recognition
is?
9.8
A14. Command-and-control voice recognition, controlling 2-300 words is
available today. Free ranging speech input is probably about 2 or 3
years away. It is therefore highly likely that, before the end of the
decade, we will be experiencing voice input computers.
9.8
Whatæs in a name?
9.8
Q15. Why has ART changed its name from ÉApplied Risc Technologiesæ to
ÉAcorn Risc Technologiesæ?
9.8
A15. This has happened as a result of the very substantial relationship
created by Oracleæs decision to commission Acorn to produce reference
designs for network computers. We felt that we had a rare opportunity to
reassert the Acorn name on the Worldástage.
9.8
Our strategy up to that point in time, of moving Online Media and ART
away from the Acorn Education name, seemed appropriate in the absence of
the Oracle agreement and the absence of the Joint Venture. However,
given the very large amount, and substantial level, of marketing that we
expect Oracle to do in relationship to Network Computers, and the need
to give the JV a new name, we decided to re-emphasise the Acorn name for
the group and hence obtain maximum benefit for all of the divisions.
9.8
Effects of the Oracle project
9.8
Q16. How much, if any, of the Oracle related software development are we
likely to see fed back to current RISC OS users?
9.8
A16. It is hoped that a very significant proportion of the technology
that appears in the Oracle Network Computer will be available to RISC OS
users. Because of the engineering and commercial issues, we cannot,
today, specify what and when, but it is the belief of all people within
Acorn that this will undoubtedly provide a major assistance to the
traditional RISC OS user base.
9.8
Q17. Are we ever likely to see an Oracle box compatibility which will
allow Oracleæs Set Top Box applications to run on a RISC OS Computer?
9.8
A17. It is too early to say, but given the fact that the first release
of a Network Computer will be running a version of RISC OS, there seems
to be no fundamental engineering reasons why that would not be possible.
However, there may be licensing and marketing issues which could
prohibit such a situation.
9.8
Q18. As an academic in a university that uses the Web extensively, when
will I be able to have a Network Computer from Acorn?
9.8
A18. It is inappropriate for Acorn to comment as to the release of
Network Computer products from Oracle, as it is their decision as to the
launch programme. However, given Acornæs role, clearly we have a
potential time-to-market advantage in producing such a product, and
Larry Ellison of Oracle Corporation is quoted as saying that he plans to
put these products on sale by the third quarter of 1996. We cannot
possibly comment!
9.8
Publishing
9.8
Q19. Do you plan to major in the publishing arena?
9.8
A19. ART has decided not to major on the professional publishing arena.
We will, of course, support all users that we have within this domain,
but it is clear that the effort involved in this niche market, and the
rewards gained, are insufficient, relative to the opportunities that are
now presented to us because of our new, more aggressive licensing
strategy.
9.8
Floating point
9.8
Q20. There is an alleged new floating point emulator Ö will it be
available to RISC OS users?
9.8
A20. There is no fundamentally new floating point emulator. However, a
lot of discussions have taken place within Acorn and ARM, especially in
the context of StrongARM, as to how to improve floating point capability
in the absence of a hardware floating point unit. We are actively
looking at this situation at the moment, but do not have a specific
strategy for external discussion.
9.8
Availability of C++
9.8
Q21. As a result of Acorn Educationæs partnership with Apple, and the
requirement for multi-platform development, it is assumed that C++ will
be used. Will Acorn/ART be more committed to C++ as a result of this?
9.8
A21. We have always planned to use C++ wherever practical and on the
arrival of the C++ compiler from ARM, it will be moved to RISC OS as
quickly as we can achieve it. We are currently dependent upon ARM for
the release of the compiler.
9.8
The Class Libraries debate is an interesting one. The size of code
created by some of the class library systems is at odds with the
performance that we wish to achieve in a number of different application
areas. Because of its emotive nature, several pages could be dedicated
to the discussion of C++ Class Libraries.
9.8
It is sufficient to say that there are different protagonists with
different views on this. We will, undoubtedly, support a C++ compiler
and some class libraries, but a strategy of blindly following
Microsoftæs lead, does not seem logical to us, especially within the
wider views of licensing our technology to a variety of people, and
Oracleæs intended strategy.áuá
9.8
Avie Electronics
9.8
(Coming in the morning - phone 416863)
9.8
Small Ads
9.8
A3000, 2Mb RAM, colour monitor, mouse etc. Genesis, 1st Word Plus, PC
Emulator, Chocks Away, Cyber Chess, Lemmings, PacMania and others.
Panasonic KXP-1092 printer with extras, ú399. Phone Paul on 01502-
565833.
9.8
A3000, 2Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, 40Mb HD, 14ö AlphaScan high-res colour
monitor, all boxed with manuals. Style, Easyfont, PipeDream and some
games, ú300. Phone [phone] or e-mail <[e-mail]>.
9.8
A310, 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, ARM3, 270Mb and 40Mb SCSI external HDs, 2
floppy drives, Taxan 775 multisync monitor, VIDC enhancer, CCæs
Interword and Spellmaster ROMs on podule, 256 Scalight Plus, PC
emulator, Acornæs plus Castleæs PC look alike keyboards, ú350 o.n.o.
Phone Elwyn 01255-506303.
9.8
A4 concept keyboard and cable for user port ú35, User/analogue port for
A3000/A4000 ú25, Hard Disc Companion ú15, PCEmulator 1.82 ú15, BBC Basic
Guide ú8, OS3 Style Guide + New Looks disc ú4. Or offers on any of it!
Phone [phone] after 7.
9.8
A410, 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, ARM3, 40Mb HD, Taxan 770+ LR monitor, VIDC
enhancer, RISC OS 2 PRMs, lots of software, ú400, Canon BJ-10ex with
TurboDrivers, ú100, Pace 14k4 modem, ú80, Cumana 16-bit SCSI card, ú90,
Vision-24 508 line digitser, ú80, or the lot for ú700. 01273-453148.
9.8
A410/1, 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, ARM3, 170Mb HD, VIDC enhancer, 5╝ö floppy
interface, Acorn monitor, boxed with manuals, any reasonable offer
considered. 0181-536-1238, [e-mail].
9.8
A540, 8Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.11, 120Mb SCSI HD, Beebug HD floppy drive,
AlphaScan+ Monitor, lots of software, ú600. Phone Ray on 01793-695296.
9.8
Acorn bits Ö Back issue magazines/coverdiscs (AU, AW, AC, MU) æ91
onwards ú1 each, Risc User discs (Jul æ95 onwards) ú3 each, Almanac 3
úoffers?, Mousemats ú1 each. Phone Jon on 01823-680111 or email
[e-mail].
9.8
Acorn C/C++ with Acorn Assembler Guide and RISC OS 3 Style Guide, ú190.
Phone James on 01484-513569.
9.8
Architech, Illusionist and Render Bender ú140. Phone Eric on +32 (0)3-
237-5612 after 16.00 or email [e-mail].
9.8
CC Turbo-driver version 4.02 for HP Deskjet or Laserjet. ú25. Phone
01235-834357, or [e-mail].
9.8
DeskEdit 3, ú10, Arctist, ú5, Flashback, ú15, Enter the Realm, ú13,
Swiv, ú5, Blowpipe, ú5, Style Guide, unopened, ú6. Phone Dave or Jon on
01267-236499.
9.8
Eizo 20ö monitor, multisync, ú350, Morley 16-bit SCSI podule, ú50,
Cumana external CD-ROM, single speed, ú35, Wizzo5, ú15, RISC User
volumes 1 to 8 with disks volumes 2 to 8, ú35, S-Base 2 Developer, ú35.
Phone [phone].
9.8
Morley Electronics Cached SCSI card ú100 Ö [e-mail].
9.8
ProLink fax/data modem, ú35, Junior PinPoint, ú15, Almanac 3, ú29,
Chocks Away + extra missions, ú9. Phone [phone].
9.8
RiscPC 600, 2 slices, 8Mb DRAM, 2Mb VRAM, 420Mb HD, 2 CD-ROM drives,
light use only, manuals, boxed. ú975. Phone [phone] eves.
9.8
RiscPC 600, 12Mb DRAM, 1Mb VRAM, 425Mb HD, Eizo 9060S monitor, Canon
LBP4 Laser Direct, Star DM printer, software inc Publisher, Fireworkz
Pro, Squirrel, Eureka, úoffers. Phone Mrs Storker on 0181¡856¡3851.
9.8
Software, PipeDream 3, Hard Disc Companion, ArcScan 3, Dune 2,
WorldScape, Black Angel, plus others, all ú10 each. Phone Malcolm
Robertson on 01296-23124.
9.8
Wanted, ADFS and View ROMs, for BBC Model B. Phone Gary on 01782-633553
(office) or 01782-662252 (home).
9.8
Wanted, The Flight Sim Toolkit. Phone Dave or Jon on 01267-236499.áuá
9.8
Whatæs Cooking at Acorn?
9.8
Paul Beverley
9.8
When Acorn and Apple made their announcement about the Apple/Acorn Joint
Venture, many people read it as if Acorn were selling out RISCáOS to
MacáOS. Since then, Acorn have tried to explain that this is most
definitely not the case and, in last monthæs Archive, I tried to show
all the reasons why Iáthought the RISCáOS still had a reasonable life
expectancy. This present article consists of a number of announcements
Acorn have made over the past month which help to clarify the situation.
It is also worth reading the interview with Peter Bondar on page 9 which
I think you will find very encouraging.
9.8
Acorn / Apple initiative
9.8
First of all, we have a question and answer session about the
implications of the Acorn/Apple initiative. In particular, it looks at
the product and marketing directions for the Acorn Group in the light of
the Joint Venture.
9.8
Acorn, the educational computer company with the largest installed base
of computers in UK schools, and Apple, the worldæs leading supplier of
computers to education, are delighted to announce the formation of a
joint venture company, based in Cambridge and dedicated to providing
schools with the widest possible choice of IT solutions from any single
source.
9.8
The implications for Education?
9.8
The new company will be offering RISC OS, Mac OS, and Windows systems
where appropriate, giving schools real choice in deciding which
solutions are best for their individual IT needs. The two companies have
shown, in their respective markets, a heritage of empowering teachers
and pupils. The joint venture will use this unrivalled education
expertise to develop the most appropriate solutions for classroom
requirements.
9.8
Schools can therefore be safe in the knowledge that their existing
investments are protected.
9.8
What about Acornæs heritage?
9.8
Acorn and Apple have unrivalled educational experience which they will
use to ensure educational values are maintained. Unlike many PC
manufacturers, selling anything that Microsoft and Intel provide, Acorn
has already announced future technology directions and its vision for
the future of educational IT (Bett 96).
9.8
The new organisation will be an effective and efficient company based in
Cambridge. It will utilise the resources and expertise of both the Acorn
Group and Apple. It will not adopt a business model based on a strategy
of overcharging schools for support and services. We anticipate that the
new joint venture will dramatically reduce the cost of this aspect of IT
provision and drive prices down, putting the competitors under severe
pressure.
9.8
What guarantees are you giving educational users?
9.8
This exciting new company provides a guaranteed future for all RISC OS
and Mac OS users in education, giving absolute confidence that choosing
either of these technologies now gives you the best route to the future.
9.8
The joint venture plans to do the following:
9.8
ÅáContinue selling, enhancing and supporting the current range of
machines from both companies.
9.8
ÅáDevelop and market innovative solutions which meet the needs of
children and teachers, incorporating the latest multimedia technology.
9.8
ÅáDevelop and market a series of products which make it easier for Acorn
and Apple products to sit on the same network, exchange files and share
peripherals.
9.8
ÅáOffer developer opportunities to integrate the latest technology into
their products and offer them the widest possible market opportunities.
9.8
ÅáProvide a clear future direction through the adoption of the Power PC
Reference platform, a RISC-based platform under development by Apple,
IBM and Motorola. This new platform will offer hardware from many
suppliers and a choice of operating systems.
9.8
What does this mean for non-educational customers?
9.8
The Acorn Group is pleased to announce that the marketing of RISC OS
desktop products to customers outside the educational market, both in
the UK and overseas, has been transferred to the Product Sales Team at
Acorn Risc Technologies. This is headed up by Chris Cox, who joins the
organisation from Acorn Education, where he was responsible for the
Sales and Marketing to the enthusiast sector. Chris has twelve years
experience in the electronics industry and has spent time in Cupertino,
California where he successfully headed-up the US sales and marketing
operation for one of the UKæs leading electronic equipment suppliers.
9.8
Acorn Online Media will continue to focus on the sales and marketing of
products, services and licences which exploit emerging world standards
in interactive multimedia, from Internet to broadband digital
interactive television.
9.8
How will this impact on the Clan?
9.8
The responsibility for the Acorn enthusiast club, Clan Acorn, remains
with Chris Cox and has moved to ART. It will now have even better access
to the latest developments from a position within the technological
powerhouse of the Acorn Group. The Clan will continue to be involved in
discussions about the future directions of RISC OS and will continue to
have access to beta level hardware and software products that are
currently being developed by ART.
9.8
What about VARs?
9.8
(To explain the jargon, a VAR is a Value Added Reseller, i.e. someone
who uses Acorn computers along with their own software and/or hardware
to put together a package which they sell for some specific application,
e.g. Sibelius sell a Émusic printing systemæ and Eidos sell a Évideo-
editing systemæ, each of which has an Acorn computer at its heart. Ed.)
9.8
The product group will also have responsibility for VAR  sales. ART will
be working closely with its VAR partners to ensure that they have the
support and back-up that they need to make the most of the unique
strengths of the ARM processor and RISC OS platform.
9.8
Will Acorn continue supporting non-educational sales? In the UK, the
Acorn Centres of Technology scheme is being expanded to include more
dealers. These meet the criteria for successfully marketing and
supporting the Acorn RISC OS products to non-educational end users. The
selection is based on a voting process conducted electronically via the
Clan Private area on the Acorn web site. Further votes for new Acorn
Centres of Technology will be carried out later in the year.
9.8
In addition to the nine Acorn Centres of Technology already announced,
the new centres are:
9.8
Castle Technology, Lindis UK, Microbits, Moray Micro Computing,
Pineapple Software, Selective Computer Services, Senlac Computing and
The Data Store.áuá
9.8
Acorn Group Product Announcements
9.8
What product developments are planned?
9.8
Planned RISC OS developments will continue to be made by Acorn Risc
Technologies, including two new enhanced versions of the A7000 and two
new versions of the Risc PC. There will also be a new version of RISC OS
to support ARM810 and StrongARM. The new Internet terminals and set top
boxes developed by Acorn Online Media will be brought into the range of
the educational joint venture during the first year of operation of the
new company.
9.8
What other developments are taking place?
9.8
Acornæs RISC technology is also being taken into new areas:
9.8
ÅáAcorn continues to develop RISC OS and will be using this in the set-
top and internet terminal markets. Acorn has also been able to announce
recently an agreement with Oracle, the worldæs second largest software
company, through which Acorn will be responsible for the development of
reference designs for Network Computers.
9.8
ÅáART (Acorn Risc Technologies) is developing RISC OS-based applications
for many confidential partners.
9.8
ÅáAcorn Online Media is selling RISC OS based products to leading
telecommunication companies.
9.8
What developments are being planned to incorporate Macintosh technology?
9.8
Apple Macintosh developments will include the introduction of new
Macintosh computers and, in the future, support for Power PC Reference
Machines. A new software release, codenamed Copeland which incorporates
advanced virtual reality, 3D, multimedia and user interface
technologies, will provide a new generation user experience and one that
is particularly suited to education.
9.8
The Power PC Reference Platform will provide a choice of operating
environments, including Mac OS, OS/2 and Windows NT.
9.8
ART announces StrongARM and CHRP platform strategy for use in high end
Risc PCs
9.8
ART announced 14/2/96 that it would use the Common Hardware Reference
Platform technology (CHRP) to produce a high-end successor to the Risc
PC. This product will also be used by Acorn Education as part of its
strategy in partnership with Apple. This innovative design follows on
from the Risc PCæs multi-processor hetero / mono-geneous processor
system.
9.8
More information on the CHRP design can be obtained from IBM, Apple and
Motorola.áuá
9.8
Acorn Online Media
9.8
1996 has started promisingly, with the dramatic rise in interest in the
Internet being translated into the agreement with Oracle. The advent of
a low cost Internet Browser considerably enhances the Online Media
product portfolio. AOM will now be able to offer customers a way of
progressing from low speed interactive TV (Internet Browsing) through to
high speed interactive TV. This we expect will make the initial sales
decision easier, as the network operators can initially utilise their
existing networks, thereby learning how to manage interactive services
prior to making the significant investments required for broadband
interactive TV.
9.8
1996 promises to be another year of market development, but with the
expectation that the increasing confidence in the technology and
customer demand for iTV, will lead to increased sales as the year
progresses.
9.8
Full information is available about AOM, The Cambridge interactive TV
Trial, products and designs by emailing: [e-mail]
9.8
More information about Online Media will follow over the next weeks and
months.áuá
9.8
Power-tec SCSI II Card
9.8
Brian Cusick
9.8
This review came about because of a decision to upgrade my current SCSI
interface to one of the new breed of SCSI II cards in an effort to
increase performance. I considered the Cumana SCSI II interface and the
new Power-tec card from Alsystems. Both of these offered similar
performance (DMA available on RiscPCs) and were similarly priced. A
decision was made based on the manufacturersæ data sheets and a few
snippets of information taken from some of the magazines, and an order
placed with Alsystems for the Power-tec card.
9.8
A few days later, the interface arrived complete with a Product Guide
and two discs: a CDFS support disc and a utilities disc containing a
transfer speed application, tape streamer backup software and the main
!PowerMgr configuration program.
9.8
Installation
9.8
The product guide gives adequate instructions on fitting the card,
describing the necessary steps required to open the computer casing, and
suggesting which slot is most suitable for optimum performance. When
fitted to a RiscPC, the interface needs to be fitted to slot 0 or 1 to
make use of the DMA feature. This does make it a little difficult to
route the internal 50-way ribbon cable, especially to any device mounted
in one of the 3╜ö bays, and care must be taken when inserting additional
interface cards to prevent damage to the cable. This will not affect
anybody owning a single slice machine since it can be fitted in the top
slot in this case, or for external devices plugged into the 50-way SCSI
II connector.
9.8
Further advice is given on fitting internal devices, although a little
more explanation may have been useful about ID numbers of SCSI devices
(the book simply refers you to the manufacturers device manual) and no
explanation at all was given regarding multiple SCSI devices and
terminators!! In my case, Iáwas fully aware of what was required but for
those who are unsure. (Read the article by Dave Webb in Archive 8.3 p67
which explains it all.)
9.8
Configuration
9.8
My current setup is as follows:
9.8
  Risc PC600, 24Mb/2Mb VRAM
9.8
  Seagate ST3620 (540Mb) hard disc
9.8
  Seagate ST32340 (2162Mb) hard disc
9.8
  Syquest 270Mb SCSI removable
9.8
  Tandberg 525Mb QIC tape streamer
9.8
  Pioneer DRU104X SCSI CD-ROM
9.8
  Canon IX-4015 colour scanner
9.8
I should point out that my own situation is slightly different from most
due to the lack of IDE hard disc within my machine. This meant that the
!Boot application already existed on the SCSI hard disc which had not
been configured as yet.
9.8
Configuration of the interface was easily achieved using the Express
Install option within !PowerMgr. This allows automatic mapping of
devices/partitions to logical drive numbers, thus removing the need to
manually enter device numbers against logical drives. One of the useful
facilities of the Power-tec card is its ability to have eight devices on
the icon bar instead of the usual four to which most other cards are
limited. This means that large hard discs with multiple partitions can
be used without having to waste some of that precious space. This
facility will be of less use to those fortunate enough to own one of the
new RISC OS 3.6 machines, although the rest of us should be able to
upgrade in due course.
9.8
For those with a little more knowledge of SCSI systems, there is an
advanced install option. This allows for the creation, initialisation
and conversion of partitions (or logical drives) as well as giving
control over the mapping of devices/partitions to logical drives. I
refer to these partitions as logical drives since there can be several
of them on one physical hard disc, each of which will result in a new
hard disc icon appearing on the iconbar (providing you donæt exceed the
eight allowed). One of the nice features of this utility is that it
allows conversion of other manufacturersæ partitions for use with the
Power-tec card without having to re-format the hard disc or losing the
existing data. This facility was tested using the Morley-formatted 540Mb
drive and it worked perfectly. Unfortunately, this was not the case with
the larger 2.1Gb drive (using the new filecore) where it only found the
first partition and then three other incorrect ones.
9.8
Hard discs can be low-level formatted by this utility, with
configuration options for sector size and LFAU (Large file allocation
unit). This allows for a certain amount of fine tuning of your system to
get the most space from your hard discs. With mine, I found the optimum
sector size was 1024 bytes but left the LFAU at the default (2048/4096
bytes for the         540/2162Mb drives). This left the maximum space
free after storing the same data on the drives using different
combinations of the above.
9.8
Additional control over the behaviour of the card can be gained from the
advanced install option, namely the size of the directory cache, setting
SCSIFS as the current filing system, the default drive number (or the
logical drive the computer will boot from if SCSI is set as the current
filing system), and the number of Read-Ahead/Write-After buffers. This
last item directly influences the maximum read speed of the card. The
higher the number of blocks allocated, the faster the data can be read
from the hard disc but the slower the data can be written. The book
suggests a certain amount of fine-tuning of this parameter for optimum
performance Ö but more of this later. The active termination of the card
can be set from this point, and it is possible to prevent removable
media drives such as Syquests from ejecting their cartridges when a
dismount is carried out.
9.8
The access rights of each logical drive can be set to Read protect,
Write protect, or both, and each drive can have an automatic spin-down
set where the drive will be dismounted/ejected after a pre-determined
time. The drive can be woken again by simply clicking on its icon.
Another nice feature of this card is that, when a drive is dismounted or
unavailable, its icon is minimised. There is one slightly unusual
feature of the card in that it accesses each drive once every 10 seconds
to check on its availability. This feature works well for removable
media, automatically displaying the disc name when the drive is ready.
9.8
To prevent tiny fingers playing havoc with your configuration, the
!PowerMgr application can be password protected.
9.8
The iconbar display utilises different sprites depending on the nature
of the device it represents. Hard discs, removable discs and tape
streamers all have there own sprites which avoids any confusion.
9.8
CD-ROM support
9.8
The Power-tec card comes with CDFS 2.21 and has the usual drivers for
the standard range of CD drives. However, it goes one stage further by
providing a combined driver for the NEC and Pioneer range of CD players.
This was quite useful to me having a Pioneer CD-ROM, and meant there was
no longer any need to use the SCSI II CD-ROM driver from EESOX. The card
also provides ATAPI support which means you can attach an IDE (ATAPI)
device to the RiscPCæs IDE interface and it will be treated as if it
were a SCSI device!
9.8
One thing to be aware of is that the CD icon appears on the iconbar even
if ÉCDROMDrivesæ is configured to zero. This causes problems for certain
applications (such as the 486PC card) which are unable to find or make
use of the drive. To remedy this, simply configure the number of CD-ROM
drives and buffers using <menu> over the CD icon, and all will be OK.
9.8
Tape Streamers
9.8
The supplied tape streamer support was tried on my Tandberg streamer,
but always gave an error message suggesting the tape to be Évoidæ. A
spare unit was supplied to Alsystems who resolved the problems on their
system but I was still unable to get it to function on my own system.
For the benefit of those who need this facility, I obtained the
following information from the programmer who created this utility:
9.8
Devices allowed include SCSI tape streamers or DATs, along with QIC80
devices which work on the floppy drive bus.
9.8
Tapes are formatted using the !PowerMgr application. This is carried out
by stepping through the entire tape to work out its capacity then
writing a header onto the beginning of the tape. Once this is done, the
tape can be used by the !Backup program. Configuration options are
available for the backup device, whether compression is required, and
whether the backup should multitask. There is also a scheduling system
so that a backup can take place at a particular time, although the
!Backup application must be left running to allow this to work.
9.8
Source files are selected using the usual drag-and-drop method.
Initially, a scan of all the files selected is made which is used to
check for changes to files made since the start of the backup, assuming
the system is multitasking. It is also used to work out a Ébest-fitæ
system, so if there is only 10Mb remaining and the next file is 12Mb,
the tape will be filled using smaller files if available. Multiple tapes
are supported but file splitting across tapes is not. This is a minor
limitation unless you are trying to backup that 500Mb PC partition!!
9.8
Restores are again carried out using a drag-and-drop method, but this
time selections can be made based on a single file, directory, or all-
files.
9.8
Scanners
9.8
The card performed without problem while attached to my Canon flatbed
colour scanner but gave no increase in scan speed over the original
Morley uncached card. Presumably, this is a limitation of the scanner
itself.
9.8
Performance
9.8
Since the card was to replace an existing SCSI card, the performance
issue was one of great concern. Tests had already been carried out on
Morleyæs cached SCSI card, and while the results had shown a significant
improvement over the uncached card, they were still a long way short of
the rated performance of the devices tested.
9.8
Performance tests were carried out using Alsystems own !Speed
application, !HDSpeed from David Holden, and a stopwatch for a general
feel of the card. The raw speed tests were extremely fast compared to
the Morley card both on block operations and random access filing, but
the general feel of the card in normal use was no better than that of
the original SCSI card!
9.8
Timings were taken for normal everyday operations on both the Morley
card and the Power-tec card with exactly the same applications running
at the time and with no additional data stored on the hard disc being
tested (this can lead to dramatic differences in performance on all SCSI
cards and all hard discs due to the relative position the data is
stored). The following table shows the results of the general feel
tests:
9.8
As can be seen, the Power-tec card is very similar in performance to
that of the uncached Morley card except when copying very large files.
There is a significant difference between the two cards when it came to
shutting-down or re-booting the computer. The Power-tec card was more
intelligent in that it made no attempt to spin down an empty Syquest
drive and it only spun down each drive once (unlike the Morley card
which insisted on mounting then spinning down each partition on each
drive).
9.8
Table 2 shows the performance results from the !HDSpeed by David Holden.
This showed a dramatic speed improvement with the Power-tec card
compared to the Morley with the Read-Ahead/Write After buffers set at
255 (Maximum read speed) and a slight improvement with the buffers set
to 0.
9.8
The final table shows the results of the application !Speed supplied by
Alsystems.
9.8
The results for the Cumana card were included for completeness since I
managed to get hold of one of their SCSI2 cards with the latest V2.00
firmware.
9.8
Problems
9.8
There were some problems during the period which Iáhad the Alsystems
SCSI card, mostly to do with data integrity, although the performance
issue was also considered to be important. Most of these were ironed out
with firmware changes, some of them beta-release, obtained directly
through Alsystems and their programmer. During the five months the card
had been in the computer, I had tried seven different versions of
firmware, some of them giving additional functionality, other fixing
bugs. All errors that were discovered were fed back to Alsystems and new
versions of firmware were received within a reasonable time. The card
appeared to work quite well by the end of the test period although it
never quite reached the speed of the Cumana card in general use. There
is a problem with lock-ups which affects all SCSI2 cards using DMA
performance, but this is said to be a bug in Acornæs DMAmanager module
which is currently undergoing changes. There appeared to be little
difference between the two SCSI2 cards as regards this problem.
9.8
The future
9.8
There will be a new hardware revision of the card released by Alsystems
soon which has a few improvements worth mentioning. First of all, it is
faster, with a stated performance of 8Mb/sec compared to the old card at
6Mb/sec. It also works in non-RiscPCs, although it will not give any
faster performance than that of a 16-bit SCSI card (about 2Mb/sec). It
is also fully CE compliant.
9.8
The software has also been updated since this review was carried out.
New facilities exist for full DOS formatting of hard discs, and support
for up to four separate SCSI cards in the computer at the same time. The
card is also Acorn Access (and Access+) compatible so would be suitable
for network use. Finally, full multi-lingual support is provided, both
in the applications and in the cardæs flash ROM.
9.8
Conclusion
9.8
The current manual supplied with the card is lacking in certain
information and no longer matches the current firmware supplied with the
cards. A re-write was supposed to be under consideration but, as yet,
this has not taken place. Apart from that, this SCSI card has some very
nice features which some people may find useful, especially the CD-ROM
support and eight partitions. I would not recommend this product as an
upgrade from an earlier 16-bit SCSI card, but if you require a new SCSI
card, or carry out a lot of work using large files such as graphics,
then this card may be just what you are looking for.áuá
9.8
Brian asked Alsystems what they could tell us about the new version of
the Power-tec card and what new facilities it has. Keith replied:
9.8
It is now fully CE compliant (EMC tested) Ö it works fast in non-DMA
slots and non-RiscPCs, and has overall faster DMA operations!
9.8
Non-DMA speed is about 1700Kb/s to 2100Kb/s (about that of a Morley
uncached card). The DMA performance should now sustain around 8Mb/s Ö
providing a fast drive is connected! Bar performance issues, it is
effectively identical. The software has been updated with a few new
features:
9.8
* Backup software questions the user before overwriting a previous
backup (as you suggested).
9.8
* Full DOS formatting.
9.8
* fully multi-lingual (both applications and firmware in ROM).
9.8
* Supports upto 4 SCSI cards Ö of differing origins (Morley etc).
9.8
* Menu option on Filer to remove icons as well as command line options.
9.8
* Acorn Access compatable (and Access Plus).
9.8
* Plus other cosmetic changes.áuá
9.8
RGSC
9.8
New artwork
9.8
Needs photo-reducing
9.8
Hints and Tips
9.8
ArcFax <Ö> Met Office Ö Users of David Pillingæs ArcFax system may be
finding it impossible to access the Met. Officeæs suite of MetFax
transmissions. These cover a vast number of products including satellite
pictures and plotted weather charts. The problem is that most automatic
Édial and receiveæ attempts are foxed by the first few seconds of the
MetFax broadcast which is a voice message saying öPlease press startò
(or something to that effect).
9.8
The solution is simple Ö dial the number (say 0336-400-400 for the index
page) from the handset, listen to the connection, and click on ÉReceiveæ
when instructed. David says that a string of commas after the dialling
code should work, as each comma introduces a short pause between the
Édialæ and the Éreceiveæ. However, I have not experimented enough yet to
know how many commas are needed.
9.8
Rodney Blackall, Battersea.
9.8
Artworks centring Ö In using ArtWorks to create a mini poster for a
friend of mine, I needed to centre several objects on the page. I used
the align command, but found that the objects were aligned around their
centres while still not being centred on the page.
9.8
I solved the problem by drawing a rectangle round the print margin
outline and then selecting all the objects and aligning them. The outer
rectangle could then be deleted, leaving the remainder correctly
positioned on the paper.
9.8
David Wild, Hemel Hempstead.
9.8
CD-ROMs Ö Now that CD-ROMs have become very cheap I have wandered round
such shops as GAME looking for sources of clipart and photographs for
use in DTP work. There is quite a lot of clipart available and, although
it does tend to have an American bias, much of it is quite usable in
Britain. Although you may need a Windows program on the PC card to use
the browse facilities, such programs as WMF->Draw will allow the files
to be transferred without difficulty.
9.8
For photographs, ChangeFSI will work on almost all of them. There are
many interesting photographs available but I donæt feel that they are,
generally, as useful as the clipart. This is, perhaps, because a
photograph is too realistic. A drawing of a shop assistant will
illustrate almost any article about shops, but a photograph tends to
attract questions about the particular subject.
9.8
Whilst looking at various collections of photographs in GAME, I bought a
cheap disc called ÉPhoto Gallery #2æ from Expert Systems. This claimed
to have ömore than 3,000 photographs... in full colourò and
öprofessional qualityò. According to Count, there were exactly 3,000,
but many of them were in black and white, and any professional producing
work like that would soon find himself looking for another job. The
quality of them was Évariableæ!
9.8
I wrote to the importers, with a detailed list of comments, and they
promised to pass on my comments to the firm in the United States. This
was well before Christmas but I have heard no more, and donæt suppose
that I will.
9.8
Clipart and photographs from Keysoft seem quite good and I have used a
number from the Corel Draw! 3 disc. I then bought Corelæs ÉGallery IIæ
clipart disc which has some useful pictures on it. Unfortunately, the
files on this disc are stored in ÉCMXæ format which, until the updated
version of ImageFS appears, needs the Windows program to get at it. On
just two occasions, I managed to get files out of it, but every other
time it has collapsed with a ÉStack faultæ when Iáhave tried to extract
any data although it displays the Éthumbnailsæ without any difficulty. I
wrote to Corel about the problem but have had no reply.
9.8
An interesting point about ÉClipartæ is that the phrase is often used
about work to which it doesnæt apply. The work of Christopher Jarman is
often given away by the magazines under this heading, but I feel that it
is misclassified. I have no complaints about the pictures, except that
they make me very envious, but to my mind, clipart is something that you
use for incidental illustration, while these are pictures to look at and
admire.
9.8
David Wild, Hemel Hempstead.
9.8
Email accessory Ö An essential (for me!) email accessory is a little
program called !PtrCopy, written by Ran Mokady in about 1991. What it
does is, when you press <alt> and <ctrl> at the same time, it looks at
the bit of screen under the mouse pointer and if it finds a letter in
system font, it puts that letter into the keyboard buffer. If the
pointer then slides over some more system font letters, it adds those
into the keyboard buffer too. Can you see the application?
9.8
Suppose I have an email on screen and someone says, öI suggest you email
Fred Czyzechoski <Czyzechoski @Pzyzorkzy.noyta.cccp>ò and you want to
type the email address into a ÉSend Emailæ window, youæll be jolly glad
you donæt have to type it!
9.8
Seriously, any time I have one bit of text in an email and I need to
type it somewhere else, <ctrl-alt> and slide the pointer does it
quickly, easily and accurately!
9.8
I managed to track Ran down and he kindly agreed that we could put the
application on the Archive monthly program disc.
9.8
Ed.
9.8
Email English Ö I take what Paul says about the standard of English in
emails and, in particular, correct spelling. One way is to use a word
processor of some description and then drop a text file into the email
window of the Internet application.
9.8
This is OK, but it is more effort Ö itæs much easier just to type a
reply using the text editor which the Internet software pulls up. I have
found something better Ö ÉSpellæ from David Pilling (ú10 through
Archive). When running, as it is now, it is clever enough to
continuously check anything typed into an icon or window and beep on
wrong words. It even has a Éforesightæ window to guess what I am about
to type.
9.8
Itæs just what I needed. I would recommend it to anyone. I will be
setting it up to load automatically when I run my Voyager internet
application.
9.8
(Great idea, Clive, thanks! Iæve tried it myself and find it works very
well indeed. Ed.)
9.8
Clive R Bell <[e-mail]>
9.8
Formatting v initialising Ö With any new hard disc (or removable
cartridge), you will first need to Éprepare it for useæ. This is
variously termed formatting, initialising, partitioning, and many other
things besides. Unfortunately, the terminology is used in contradictory
ways depending on who you talk to, and this causes a great deal of
confusion. Most manufacturers refer to the time-consuming low-level
process of marking the disc surface with tracks and sectors as
formatting. This is what you do with new floppy discs (which come
unformatted). However, the difference is that all hard discs and
removable cartridges are formatted in the factory, and do not need to be
formatted again, ever! It may even be a rather bad idea to reformat a
disc Ö I have had people claim that since they did this, their disc has
become very unreliable.
9.8
All that needs to be done to a new hard disc is to write onto it the map
and catalogue information which tell the RISC OS filing system what is
stored on the disc and where it is. To start with, there is no data on
the disc, of course, but that fact still has to be recorded in a form
that the filing system understands. This process of initialising the
disc to indicate that there is nothing on it, is most often called
initialising but, unfortunately, not everyone calls it that.
9.8
Unlike formatting, initialising is a more or less instantaneous process,
and that can be quite an alarming thing as Paul found out last month
when he initialised his main data disc! Fortunately for him,
initialising a disc does not actually remove data from the disc surface,
it merely tells the disc to forget that there is anything on it.
(öMerelyò, he says! Huh! Ed.) It is therefore possible to recover many
files from an accidentally blanked disc using a utility such as Disc
Rescue (ú33 through Archive).
9.8
Partitioning is a term used in association with SCSI discs, and is
closely related to initialising. You can designate different parts of a
SCSI disc to behave as if they were discs in their own right and, under
RISCáOS, they actually appear as separate drive icons. The process of
partitioning is the initialisation of each of these parts of the disc
and, theoretically, each partition can be initialised for use under a
different system (such as RISC OS, UNIX, DOS, etc). So, to initialise a
SCSI disc so that it shows as a single drive icon, you would still
partition it, but with only one RISC OS partition and no others.
9.8
The software that you use to do all this for IDE discs is !HForm. SCSI
interface cards, however, each come with their own very individual disc
management software Ö and this is where much of the confusion lies. Some
use the terms Éformatæ and Éinitialiseæ in completely the opposite
sense, or they mix and match other terms with these in such a random way
that they cease to have any meaning at all. The important thing, when
you attempt to Éprepare a disc for useæ, is that you read the SCSI
management instructions analytically to work out just how confused the
author was before you attempt to follow them.
9.8
(James has had to Éinterpretæ the makersæ instructions to confused
customers on a number of occasions Ö I think you can detect the note of
exasperation! Ed.)
9.8
James Taylor <[e-mail]>
9.8
Impression problems Ö If you have upgraded Publisher beyond 4.05
recently (or 5.05 if you have Plus) and started getting errors about
missing fonts, and such-like, at fairly regular intervals, youære not
alone! CC changed the software because of problems with RiscPCs of more
than 20Mb (or some such) but it seems to have introduced problems for
those of us with more modest amounts of memory!
9.8
The solution is to stop it using the dynamic memory areas. This will
slow it down a bit, I was told Ö although I havenæt really noticed any
speed decrease. Load the !Run file and add the following as the very
first instruction in the file:
9.8
Set Impression$NoDynamicAreas 1
9.8
Ed.
9.8
Printers 1.52 and Paint Ö If people are complaining that Printers 1.52
will not print sprites in colour from Paint (as I found on my A5000/
HP500C), there are two workarounds:
9.8
a) Drop the sprite in Draw and print it from there.
9.8
b) Put the following into an Obey file and run it before starting
Printers:
9.8
  Set Printers$DPLJfullQ Full
9.8
This gives you back the 256 colour option in the Printers control panel,
as well as the three dithering options, which was available in previous
releases of Printers. As Paint is not as clever as Draw about rendering
colour information (so I have read), it can only handle 256 colour
modes. If you now set Paint to a 256-colour mode, it will print in
colour.
9.8
John Jervis <[e-mail]>
9.8
Programming Errors Ö This is something Iáuse for programming, to help
with sorting out Basic programming errors. I put the following two
lines:
9.8
OSCLI öSet Alias$? Show Program_errorò
9.8
ON ERROR OSCLI(öSet Program_error ò+
9.8
REPORT$+ö at line ò+STR$(ERL)):END
9.8
at the start of my Basic Wimp program, and add:
9.8
OSCLI(öSet Program_error ò+REPORT$+
9.8
ö in line ò+STR$(ERL))
9.8
to my Basic error handling PROC.
9.8
If the program encounters an error, it stores the error report and line
number in a system variable. The variable has a nice meaningful name,
but typing all that out is too much bother, so a question mark is
defined as a system alias. All you need to do is to press <f12>, type a
<?> and <return>, and your error info is presented. I use Edit, by the
way. Of course, you could open a task window and enter ? there instead
of via <f12>.
9.8
This little tip saves me a lot of trouble, as I keep forgetting what
error occurred, or at which line.
9.8
Anton Mans <[e-mail]>
9.8
Pure printing colours Ö With a colour printer, colour can often be used
to enhance text, for example by emphasising headings. In these
conditions, the precise hue is usually not important, but arbitrary
choice of hues often results in disappointing results. The appearance
tends to be Édottyæ or muddy, because the hue is approximated by using a
mixture of different colours, and does not match the resolution and
crispness of black text.
9.8
To avoid this, use the CMYK palette option in your word processor, etc,
and select only saturated C, M or Y by dragging the colour sliders to
100% for the chosen hue and 0% for the others. The print will then
consist of dots all the same hue and will appear bright and crisp. You
are, of course, limited to four colours (including black).
9.8
Eric Ayers <[e-mail]>
9.8
Reading DOS format hard discs Ö An undocumented bonus feature of the
Alsystems Powertec SCSIá2 card is that, if you present it with a hard
disc in DOS format, it will recognise this and access it through DOSFS.
I only noticed this recently while setting up an internal 270Mb SyQuest
in a RiscPC due to go out to a customer. I like to make sure that all
the configuration, SCSI device settings, termination links etc are set
up correctly, and also that all the cartridges are initialised for use
under RISCáOS. At one stage, I put a cartridge in that was Épreformatted
for DOSæ and, to my surprise, a directory display appeared with several
SyQuest ReadMe files in it! It was possible to read and write to the
disc, but a phone call to Alsystems revealed that they are still working
on being able to initialise discs to DOS format.
9.8
James Taylor <[e-mail]>
9.8
Communications Column
9.8
Chris Claydon
9.8
Launch of a new Acorn BBS!
9.8
Andy Simm has just launched a new Acorn BBS, after a few false starts.
Wire BBS in Warrington uses a cable line, which means free calls for
local users!
9.8
Wire BBS runs on my own Immediate/RSDFS BBS host, and I was surprised to
see that Andy has done a much better job with it than I did! The BBS is
well set out and well presented. There are already a good range of files
available, plus a variety of CD-ROMs. The only major problem is the
absence of an online message reader, but this is my fault not Andyæs!
Mail can still be downloaded and read offline, as is the case on my own
board, and this saves on the phone bill too. Wire runs on a RiscPC 600
with an SP_Dual high-speed serial card, 28k8 modem and a CD drive.
9.8
The BBS is networked using RSDFS to an A3000 nearby. This provides scope
for three way chats Ö one user on the modem, one on the RiscPC and one
on the A3000 Ö usually Andyæs sister Lisa.
9.8
All in all, an excellent board, well worth a call, especially if you
have free local access via the cable network. Wire BBS is on 01925-
482459, supporting modem speeds from 9600 to 28800, 24 hours.
9.8
Internet access
9.8
Finally, I have sorted out all my email address problems Ö AF Software
now have a full dial-up demon internet account and, as a result, I have
been able to set up my own Web site!
9.8
In fact, anyone with their own internet account name (i.e.
[e-mail] rather than [e-mail]) can set
up their own web pages at no extra cost, with no size limits. The one
limitation is that they will only be available while youære connected to
the internet, as they will have to be fetched directly from your
computer whenever they are accessed.
9.8
If youæd like to try out our new Web pages, they can be reached on
http://afsoft.demon.co.uk/ while Iæm online. The afternoon at the
weekend is the best time to try. There is a ÉComms Columnæ section on
the site, which includes a complete listing of Acorn BBSs.
9.8
Letters
9.8
I have an email from John Birchenough, who says:
9.8
ÉI read your column with interest, but I am a little frightened about
accessing a BBS because I do not know how to correct my mistakes, and
there is no means of using a word-processor to enter informationæ
9.8
There is no need to worry about making mistakes Ö everyone makes
mistakes when they are first starting in comms. Other users will
understand Ö weæve all been there Ö and if you ask them, or the sysop,
they will usually be only too happy to give you help and advice.
Usually, you can correct your mistakes Ö it is very unusual for a
mistake to be totally irretrievable. For example, even if an email has
already been sent incorrectly, you can still send a follow up message
explaining the mistake. As for using word-processors, most systems have
a built in text editing system Ö word processors cannot handle quoting
and message headers properly. Special message editors called OLRs (Off-
line readers) are used to read and edit messages, and are the nearest
equivalent to a wordprocessor for comms. These are available from most
BBSæs.
9.8
Hopefully, this will clear up your fears about comms. In short, just go
for it Ö youæll soon get the hang of it and wonæt make mistakes so often
anymore!
9.8
Freedom of speech
9.8
If you do access the AF Software web site, you will probably notice the
Blue Ribbon symbol at the top of the index page. This is something which
everyone who runs a Web page is encouraged to display by the ÉCampaign
for Free Speech on the Netæ, to show your opposition to the new
regulations which the US government is attempting to apply to the
Internet.
9.8
This has suddenly become a very important issue, not only for the
Internet but for all international computer networks, FidoNet included.
The US government is attempting to impose censorship and restrictions on
what the internet can be used for. Things which would be perfectly legal
if written in a letter will be illegal in Email, and things which you
could legally buy from any newsagent or book shop would be banned from
the Internet.
9.8
The issue which concerns many people is not whether the availability of
such things is good or not, the important point is that adults should be
able to make their own choices about what they do and donæt want to
read. Using special software, it is already possible for parents and
teachers to control what children can access through the internet. This
is a good thing, and should render any government restrictions
unnecessary.
9.8
Due to the world-wide nature of the Internet, and the fact that much of
the traffic passes through America, Britain would also be affected by
these new laws. The British government itself has also talked of
imposing restrictions on the comms community, but has not attempted to
do so. Currently, the only British Political Party to actively show
understanding and support of the comms community are the Liberal
Democrats.
9.8
The new legislation is being challenged in court on the grounds that ÉIt
is unconstitutional and does not recognise the unique nature of the
Internetæ. The list of companies backing the legal action is very
impressive Ö it includes Apple, Microsoft, Wired magazine and many more.
Acorn however, are conspicuous by their absence, especially considering
their new NetSurfer system.
9.8
This issue may not be directly related to the Acorn market, but the
implications are very far reaching and will affect the entire computer
industry, so I thought it important to bring up the topic. If you want
to know more, I have placed the complete text from some of the Web pages
listed below on the monthly program disc.
9.8
If you want to show your support for the legal challenge, there are two
ways to do it:
9.8
Show the Blue Ribbon symbol on your Home page, Email footer, BBS etc.
9.8
Add your name to the petition being run by the citizens court challenge,
already containing over 31,000 names.
9.8
Useful Web addresses concerning the subject are:
9.8
Citizens Internet Empowerment Court Challenge: http://www.cdt.org/ciec/
9.8
The Blue Ribbon Campaign for Online Free Speech: http://www.eff.org/
blueribbon.html
9.8
The Liberal Democrats: http://www.libdems.org.uk/
9.8
The White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov/
9.8
US government information agency: http://www.usia.gov/current.html
9.8
Contact details
9.8
Post: Chris Claydon, 38 Main Road, Littleton, Winchester, SO22 6QQ.
Email: [e-mail] .co.uk  FidoNet: 2:252/501.
9.8
Web: http://afsoft.demon.co.uk/ (when online)áuá
9.8
I would like to point out that the views expressed in this, or any other
article within Archive, do not necessarily reflect the views of Norwich
Computer Services, or of the Editor of Archive magazine.  Ed.
9.8
Advanced RISC Machines Column
9.8
Alex Singleton
9.8
As mentioned in the Comment pages last month, Acornæs Peter Bondar has
announced that the first StrongARM processor upgrades for Risc PCs may
be available in August. However, while some people think Époweræ, far
more is on offer.
9.8
RISC OS 4?
9.8
RISC OS is why I use an Acorn. I used to be a PC user at the end of the
1980s, running Windows 2, which was pretty unreliable. The PC
downstairs, used by my father, runs Windows 95, which contains so many
bugs that it is not worth bothering with. In fact, despite him refusing
to buy an Acorn on the grounds that it is not öindustry standardò and
has no software for it, he uses my Risc PC for everything save simple
word processing!
9.8
Far be it from me to speculate and to work on rumour, but I think I
shall make an exception. According to Peter Bondar, ösure, weæll add
things to RISC OS... Weære a humble little company: we prefer to produce
something and then announce it.ò The PC card has, obviously, taught
Acorn a lesson or two. Peter has also said that RISC OS will definitely
be developed for at least the next few years, and it will require major
enhancements in order for it to be compatible with the StrongARM.
Furthermore, one major Acorn developer overheard someone at Acorn House
screaming the words öRISC OS 4.ò Is it possible that RISC OS 4 will be
released in August? (I wish! Ed.)
9.8
Psion 4 speculation
9.8
Evidence extracted from Computer Shopper, and a number of other reliable
sources, does seem to suggest that the Psion 4 will have some form of
speech recognition. Apparently, the new machine will be fitted with a
digital signal processor alongside an öordinaryò ARM, or simply fitted
with a StrongARM. However, when asked whether the rumours were true,
Psion said that öit is ridiculous to speculate on a computer that will
not be available until 1997.ò
9.8
Digital says, öPerformance estimates to recognize 5,000 words and
phrases indicate the need for more than 100 Dhrystone 2.1 MIPS. This
type of performance has traditionally been added through the use of
digital signal processors (DSP) and associated controller circuitry,
which add to board space and total system cost. Software-based systems,
such as Dragon Dictate, address manufacturing cost considerations but
require that the processor assume more DSP functions, raising again the
need for increased performance. Since speech recognition has been
identified as a key requirement for mobile workers, being tied to the
desktop represents a significant inhibitor to mainstream adoption.ò
9.8
Why is the StrongARM so fast?
9.8
The combination of high performance and low power is achieved through
several techniques. The processoræs underlying architecture has been
altered. The StrongARM has a Harvard-style architecture (unlike previous
ARMs), with separate instruction and data caches which improves
processor performance. The pipeline has also been upgraded to five
stages (from the current ARMæs three) and thereæs a high speed
multiplier to boot.
9.8
StrongARM and CHRP
9.8
I learned from the 19th Februaryæs Independent, that Acorn is to produce
a version of RISC OS which runs natively on Apple Macintosh machines by
the end of the year. Does this mean Apple CHRP computers or existing
Macs? Moreover, a major rewrite of the OS will be required to allow the
new StrongARM processors to run. Taking into account that Acorn RISC
Technologies says that it will continue to develop RISC OS for at least
the next four years, we could well see RISC OS 4 this year.
9.8
Having seen some of the negative untruths printed in the newspapers of
late, e.g. Apple UK has taken over Acorn, I think we have to be a little
careful Ö use a goodly dose of salt.
9.8
Recommended uses of StrongARM
9.8
The StrongARM is not intended to be the most powerful processor and is
definitely aimed at non-desktop machines. Says ARMæs Trent Poltronetti,
most of the companyæs customers have the speeds of (ordinary) ARMs
clocked down to about 2MHz. But, for Acorn, it has clear-cut advantages
over the competition. Firstly, it has excellent code density Ö in other
words, programs written for the StrongARM are very small. Secondly, they
are many times cheaper than Intel Pentiums. Finally, Acorn couldnæt
really change because RISC OS is tied to the ARM (although the noises
from Peter Bondar in the section on CHRP seems ambiguous). This is a
list of ARMæs wanted markets.
9.8
Å  Smart hand-held devices
9.8
Å  Personal digital assistant (PDA)
9.8
Å  Next-generation cellular telephone
9.8
Å  Organizer
9.8
Å  Pager
9.8
Å  Video conference equipment
9.8
Å  High-performance real-time systems
9.8
Å  Disc drives
9.8
Å  Data communications equipment
9.8
Å  Interactive digital video
9.8
Å  Video games
9.8
Å  Internet browsers
9.8
Å  Set-top boxes (i.e. Online Media)
9.8
Online Media wins all
9.8
One of Online Mediaæs rivals will, ironically, make money for the
company. Teknema has announced a network computer to be available during
the second quarter of 1996. Known as Easy Rider, it is fundamentally a
web browsing computer based around the ARM7500 öhigh integration
multimedia system on a chip.ò
9.8
öMany designs in consumer electronics prove that ARM is the best
solution for high performance personal electronics,ò ARMæs Robin Saxby
told the press. öTeknemaæs Easy Rider is a superb example of the
capabilities of the ARM architecture and of the compact software.ò
9.8
True, the device is only a web browser, but it does show how financially
sound the Acorn Group is because even Acornæs Écompetitorsæ have to
licence technology from what is, essentially, a subsidiary.
9.8
And finally
9.8
Both Aaron Timbrell and Quentin Pain would like to know the number of
MIPS of an ARM 3, which was missing from the graph in last monthæs
column (an old issue of Acorn Computing told me that the ARM250 ran a 6
MIPS). I looked for it on someone elseæs internet-ed computer and asked
around at ARM but to no avail. Can anyone help?
9.8
If you have any questions and/or comments about ARM processors, please
write to me at 31 Great Woodcote Park, Purley, Surrey CR8 3QU, or email
Paul and heæll post it on to me.áuá
9.8
Help!!!!
9.8
ARM3 Ö Has anyone got an old ARM3 upgrade they donæt want? If so, I can
put you in touch with a buyer. I donæt want to get involved as we would
have to add VAT to the reselling amount. (Or just email direct to Kjetil
Bernhard Thomassen <[e-mail]>.)
9.8
Ed.
9.8
BBC games discs Ö Has anyone got any old BBC games on floppy disc that
they donæt want, please? If so, could you send them in to us as we have
a charitable use for them? Thanks.
9.8
Ed.
9.8
CD-ROMs for grown ups? Ö Almost all the reviews seem to be for discs
designed for school use (the one about musical instruments reviewed in
9.6 looks to be a rare exception). It would be nice if someone could
hunt down some CD-ROMs for grown ups and review them from time to time.
9.8
Philip Draper <[e-mail]>
9.8
Digitiser comparison Ö Quite a few people have been asking about the
relative merits of the various digitiser cards available. As we do not
use them in the office, we have to rely on feedback from you, the
readers. So does anyone have experience of these cards (particularly if
used in conjunction with other multimedia related hardware such as TV
tuner cards)? Would anyone be prepared to collate the information for
us? If you wanted to write a comparative review, we could perhaps borrow
any cards that you didnæt have access to. It would be useful to have any
feedback at all, so please send your letters/emails to the Archive
office. Thanks.
9.8
Ed.
9.8
FPA11 Ö Does anyone have a floating point chip they would be willing to
sell? Or, better still, could you donate it(!) so that we could sell it
on for charity? People are still wanting to use A5000s with FPAs because
they are faster than a RiscPC! Eric Willemen in Belgium is one such. Can
anyone help him, please?
9.8
We have also been approached by an instrumentation company wanting
second hand A5000s with 4Mb, FPA, RISCáOS 3.11 and minimum 80Mb hard
drive Ö for the same reason as Eric. Anyone interested in upgrading to a
RiscPC?
9.8
Ed.
9.8
Hardware articles Ö Two types of articles that people are asking for:
(1) With the proliferation of add-ons for the RiscPC, any information
about what works (or doesnæt work!) with what, is very useful. Also, it
is a help to know what extra software is or isnæt needed in order to use
(cheap) PC add-ons in an Acorn environment. Any information on this
would be much appreciated. Even more appreciated would be someone to
offer to act as Hardware Column Editor to collate all the information!
9.8
(2) (I ask this one periodically) Does anyone have any hardware projects
they could write up for Archive? One magazine had an article describing
a PCB you could make up, then link it to the computer to make a digital
voltmeter. Thatæs the sort of thing Iáam often asked for and can only
rarely deliver.
9.8
Here is one idea Ö is it silly? This was prompted by the thought that
the BBC Micro range were so superbly easy to interface and that the
Acorn Risc machines are very hard work, by comparison. OK then, there
are lots and lots of old Beebs floating around, so why not do some
projects where the Beeb does the interfacing and then you link it to the
Risc computer to do the number-crunching and/or screen display? Any
ideas, suggestions, offers of help, gratefully received.
9.8
Ed.
9.8
KeyPlus and KeyCalc Ö Do we have any educational users who could help
us, please? First of all, is anyone using the KeyPlus mapping facility?
If so, would you like to have a copy of Angliaæs OS Map Converter and
the Map Editor for review? The person who initially took this software
for review found that it really needed someone familiar with the use of
KeyPlus, and especially its mapping facility, in an educational setting.
Any offers?
9.8
Secondly, Anglia are just about to launch öSpreadsheets Across the
Curriculumò and we really need someone familiar with using KeyCalc to
review it. This package consists of a photocopiable book and discs of
sample data. The ideas can be translated onto other spreadsheets but, to
do justice to the review, it really needs a KeyCalc user, or someone who
has access to KeyCalc and has used it at some stage.
9.8
Ed.
9.8
Keystrokes Ö If anyone has written comprehensive Keystroke files for any
application, do send them in to Paul in Executor format (which is freely
distributable) for the monthly program disc. Iáhave done one for
Tablemate together with a keystrip, which is on this monthæs disc.
9.8
Roger King, Guernsey.
9.8
Scientific software (again!) Ö As promised, I have sent Paul another two
applications for this monthæs disc.
9.8
!IsoMass is an application that calculates the isotopic (natural)
abundance for a compound or fragment. The results are shown both as a
table of data and as a simple bargraph. This is of direct relevance in,
for example, mass spectrometry, where the isotopic abundances for each
ion are normally observed. This allows the predicted abundances to be
compared with the observed abundances and, where necessary, peak
intensities can be corrected for isotopic contributions.
9.8
!A>B>C is a simple demonstration of the kinetics of sequential or series
reactions. This demonstration uses the simplest case of sequential first
order reactions. It allows the entry of rate constants, and the time to
run the reaction, and displays the result graphically as a plot of
concentration against time.
9.8
Although A>B>C has its own simple plotting routines, it also allows the
export of data to !MultiPlot. Users of my suite of plotting applications
will know that the latest version of MultiPlot can be used as a
Ébackendæ for the plotting and display of many types of data. If you are
writing your own applications, and feel that you would like an easy way
to graph data, you might find MultiPlot of use. Not only does it have
very flexible display options, but it also deals with printing the
graph, or converting it to a drawfile for use in e.g. DTP applications.
9.8
There are several ways of getting data into MultiPlot. Fully fledged
Wimp applications can communicate directly via the Wimp messaging
protocol, or at a slightly lower level, by the normal Wimp datasave and
RAM transfer. However, any simple program can produce a file on disc
suitable for loading into MultiPlot. I often write very simple ten or
twenty line programs in Basic to output data files for MultiPlot and
produce quite complex graphs in just a few minutes. If anyone is
interested, contact me for data formats and example programs.
9.8
Over the next few months, I will send further physical chemistry-related
applications to Paul for inclusion on the monthly disc as space is
available. I can be contacted as Chris Johnson, 7 Lovedale Grove,
Balerno, Edinburgh, EH14 7DR, or by email (please note my new email
address below). If you would like copies of the original two discs of
scientific software, either send me two discs and sufficient to cover
return postage, or simply send me ú1 to cover cost of discs and postage.
9.8
Also, for an experimental period, I am setting up an ftp server with
some downloadable software on it. Currently, it contains material from
the first two discs of scientific software that I issued, together with
the latest versions of my own graphing and charting applications, and
some of my chemistry related software. I hope to increase the content of
the technical and scientific software as material becomes available. To
this end, I am also implementing a facility for uploading material. (It
will not be possible for users to see what has been uploaded, so it is
quite safe to send me preview material by this route.) It will be
possible to download a text file containing instructions on how to
upload software.
9.8
Since I anticipate the loading on the server will be quite low, I am
implementing it on a RISC OS machine (what else?). It will be
interesting to see how it copes with the traffic.
9.8
To access the site, ftp to avogadro.che.hw.ac.uk (login as anonymous
with your e-mail address as password) and change directory to pub, or
use a Web browser pointed at ftp://avogadro.che.hw.ac.uk/pub/ and follow
the directory structure down.
9.8
The material will, of course, remain available on disc for those who are
not yet connected to the infamous Internet!
9.8
Chris Johnson, <[e-mail]>
9.8
StrongEd manual Ö Please has anyone got a printed manual for StrongEd
that was issued by Stallion Software?
9.8
Roger King, MalgrΘ-Tout, La Ruette des Corneilles, Cobo, CΓtel,
Guernsey, GY5 7HG.
9.8
System variables article Ö Please could we have a Ébeginnersæ article
explaining all these öFish$Fowlò variables that appear in !Boot and !Run
files. I expect they were all explained in the early days of the
Archimedes, but I was still using a Master then and lots of your readers
did not have computers at all.
9.8
Philip Draper <[e-mail]>
9.8
Timing program Ö I notice that there has been no published reply to
Roger Kingæs request (Help!!!! column, Archive 8.6) for a timing
program. What he requires, can be done using a spreadsheet, separating
h, m and s into separate columns (this can be done automatically from a
time such as 14:02:34 by utilising INTEGER and FRACTION), converting all
to a common term, e.g. seconds, for any calculations and then back to
h:m:s. I would be interested if anyone could write a race results
program which could record several massed starts by a key press and each
competitoræs finish time and race time. There could be some funding for
this from a sports governing body, if anyone can help.
9.8
Allan Bennett, Romford.áuá
9.8
Internet Column
9.8
Dave Pantling
9.8
Down time... continued!
9.8
Iæve received a number of emails about my comments in last monthæs
column. It seems Iæve struck a chord with the majority of seasoned
users. I found it interesting that not one person Iæve spoken to can say
that theyæve never had a problem. It appears that the norm is to have
service interruptions, days without news and 5p added to your phone bill
each time the phone connects and then inexplicably drops the line Ö par
for the course, apparently.
9.8
Software update
9.8
There have been a number of developments on the software front.
9.8
Argonet have now provided two newsgroups for Voyager users. They have
also made available for download an application called WebPack. This
utility allows customers to prepare their own web sites and upload them
to Argonetæs web server. All customers should soon be using their 500Kb
free web space.
9.8
A week earlier, Argonet released a new version of Voyager Ö v1.04. The
new package is substantially the same in appearance, but has improved
mail and news handling, with new mail features more akin to those
provided in the ANT suite. Version 1.05 will probably be released
shortly after you read this, and will be a substantially bug-fixed
version. An all-new news program is currently being developed, with the
aim of improving the speed of news processing.
9.8
ANT intend to release a new version of their Internet Suite. Fresco is
being further developed by ANT and Acorn Network Computers, for use in
ÉNetwork Computer productsæ. I asked Carol Atack of ANT if developments
for Oracleæs Network Computer would have benefits for ANT suite users.
9.8
öYes, indeed, developments in the Browser (Fresco) will be included in
an upgrade to the suite scheduled for launch by the end of the second
quarter this year.ò
9.8
öMajor improvements to news handling, including a range of expiry
options, are features of this new versionò, she added.
9.8
PD corner
9.8
A couple of helpful public domain utilities have made my job of running
the Archive web site much easier.
9.8
HTMacroL is a handy utility which presents a window containing many of
the commonest HTML tags. Tags are the markers that tell a browser how to
display a piece of text. For example:
9.8
<strong>Hello</strong> <em>there</em>
9.8
would result in a display of:
9.8
  Hello there
9.8
HTMacroL will work with any text editor, sending the macro to the
application that has the input focus. It is easily customised, and
instructions are provided to help you do this.
9.8
Richard Goodwin, the author, plans to release a new version allowing
colour tags to be used more easily.
9.8
This package has much of the functionality of RCompæs HTMLEdit, but is
free. It can be found at ftp.argonet.co.uk, in the PD directory.
9.8
Another utility I really appreciate is WebGIFá2 by Ian Jeffray. It
converts sprites to GIFs, allowing easy selection of a mask
(transparency) colour and interlace. It works well, but doesnæt handle
sprites with custom palettes. Ian tells me a major re-write is on the
cards, so Iæll look forward to it.
9.8
The one facility absent from the Acorn platform is an ISMAP utility. Are
any PD authors out there working on something I should know about?
9.8
BT discount schemes revisited
9.8
There were two inaccuracies in last monthæs column. The information was
supplied by their PR department, so I was inclined to trust it!
9.8
Firstly, the break even point for PremierLine and Option 15 are the
same, but PremierLine must be paid annually.
9.8
Secondly, BT decided to change the discount offered by Friends and
Family. It is now free, and offers 10% off five selected numbers. The
best combination is now Friends and Family combined with PremierLine,
which attracts 15% off all calls, or 25% off the five numbers you gave
BT.
9.8
Thanks to all the people who emailed or wrote to me. Keep it coming, as
it really helps me keep the column interesting every month.
9.8
You can email me, [e-mail]. Alternatively, you can write to
me, care of the Editor.áuá
9.8
Pocket Book Column
9.8
Audrey Laski
9.8
Sort it yourself
9.8
Ken Cowap wrote enthusiastically, a couple of months ago, about his
epiphanic realisation that the Psion/Pocketbook was a real computer in
the hand. He now reports progress on his programming activities Ö a
short program to sort Cards. Heæs now moved on to translating Basic
routines from Peter Duffet-Smithæs book ÉAstronomy with your Personal
Computeræ. This sounds like a mammoth task, but he remarks that öitæs
organised in sections which are, to some degree, stand-alone, so there
are intermediate rewards.ò I imagine there must be a number of palmtop
users out there who are interested in astronomy; they will be cheering
him on, delighted at the thought of being able to take Duffet-Smithæs
formulae out under the night sky with them.
9.8
Autoroute Express revisited
9.8
He was also very enthusiastic, at the time he last wrote, about
Autoroute Express. However, he has become somewhat disillusioned, as
some other correspondents have been, by out-of-date map data Ö
öAutoroute Express... is currently in the dog-house.ò
9.8
However, Peter Young, of Cheltenham, suspects that the real problem is
not the actual data. He suggests that the difficulty öseems to be
persuading the application to use a particular piece of road, which can
give the impression that, for instance, a new by-pass isnæt known by the
application. This seems to be a side-effect of the well-known habit of a
computer doing exactly what you tell it to. If you tell it to give you
the shortest route it does just that...ò
9.8
He finds more potentially troublesome the fact that öthe application
doesnæt seem to have accurate information about restricted motorway
junctions or urban one-way systemsò and he describes some horrendous
attempts by his Pocket Book to take him öhalf a mile the wrong way down
a one-way part of the inner ring roadò at Haverfordwest and to get him
onto the M5 southwards öat Junction 10, which is impossible.ò
9.8
However, his final judgement is: öWith this reservation, it is an
excellent program, even at its stiff price, but I wonder if Microsoft
will issue upgrades at a reasonable cost? Maybe they would be encouraged
to do so if enough people wrote pointing out these mistakes? The manual
says ÉSupport issues should be directed to Psion Technical Support...æ,
so presumably this includes Éwish-listsæ too.ò
9.8
Recommendations
9.8
I am quite excited about a batch of materials from Purple Software, some
of which Iæve been trying out. DataView (ú59.95 inc. VAT on SSD, ú44.95
on PC floppy) is an application which Éallows you to view and edit your
database files, sort the database entries, print entries to mailing
labels and create personalised letters.æ I havenæt tried the two latter
facilities, but I have found very useful simply the fact that DataView
presents the material in my various Cards files Ö and regular readers
will remember that I use Cards for a lot of odd purposes Ö neatly laid
out in rows, each Écardæ below the one before it. It enables much
quicker checking for various purposes than the separate data Écardsæ can
do, and of course has a normal ÉFindæ facility.
9.8
Iæve also been having fun with DrawIt (ú49.95 on SSD, ú34.95 on floppy),
an application which, while not permitting freehand drawing, or even the
free use of lines and curves, still enables you to create many
interesting designs by the manipulation of the library of 21 shapes it
provides Ö additional shapes are apparently available. It is very easy
to get into, with an excellent little manual. Some other items of
software from Purple, which evidently derive from DrawIt, are FloChart
and OrgChart, whose names speak for themselves. I havenæt tried these
yet, as all these applications take up a good deal of memory. They can
be bought on separate SSDs, but I have them on a floppy, and will need
to take everything off my flashdisc and reformat it to make room for
more experiment.
9.8
John of the other side of the bed says öHowever, it seems to me that the
actual drawing routines are held separately in DrawIt, FlowChart and
OrgChart, so that if you try to put them on the same flashdisc, quite a
lot of space is wasted by triplication. Another instance, it seems,
where marketing and economy conflict.ò
9.8
Power Pack Blues revisited
9.8
Ken, in his letter, also follows up the information from Steve
Hutchinson, in an earlier column. His lead, made in China for Psion, and
labelled öthe Psion Series 3 UK mains adaptor 230Vò, has the same öextra
groove near the tipò as Steveæs 9v Maplin regulated power supply, and
Ken, who bought it last October from Watford Electronics for ú10 +VAT,
reckons it is an upgraded version. He notes that it is a öregulated
power supply delivering 9.8 volts rated at 70 milliampsò, and wants to
stress to readers öthinking of using a PSU other than Psionæs, that itæs
essential to use a regulated supply such as that which Steve
recommends.ò At ú7.99 (inc. VAT) the Maplin one is cheaper than Psionæs
own and öwith a generous rating of 500mAò could be used for many jobs
needing 9 or 10 volts.
9.8
Editoræs hangup!
9.8
Paul has started using a Pocket Book II, and says he has a problem with
hang ups! öTwice now, I have been in the middle of typing, in Write, and
the computer has simply locked up Ö no keypresses would free the locked
display, and I simply had to pull out the batteries. I was pleased to
discover that I hadnæt lost any of the files on the RAM disc, but the
file I had been working on was gone. The first time it happened, I had
been typing for an hour and hadnæt saved it, but the second time,
learning from my mistake of being too trusting, I had been saving the
file every few minutes, so didnæt lose much.ò
9.8
Has anyone else had similar problems to Paul? Should I just tell him
take it back to his dealer(!) and complain?
9.8
Endnote
9.8
Iæm enchanted by the implication in Geraldæs Column that I have a fan
club! Having recently reached full Élittle old ladyæ status by passing
my 65th, I collect compliments the way some people collect stamps.áuá
9.8
Puzzle Corner
9.8
Colin Singleton
9.8
Thanks again for the many contributions. Richard Lyszkowski of Bridge of
Allan, Stirlingshire, informs me that secondary schools in Scotland
organise a Mathematical Challenge several times a year, for modest
prizes and the good name of the School. This seems an excellent way of
making an often boring academic subject interesting, even fun, although
some of the questions are far from trivial.
9.8
The latest winners...
9.8
(54) Battle of Hastings
9.8
Sam Loydæs version was, perhaps, too simple for the Émainæ monthly
puzzle, and H E Dudeneyæs almost too difficult Ö just three readers
solved the latter. Confusingly, several readers submitted smaller
Ésolutionsæ which did not, in fact, satisfy the required equation
B▓á=á61A▓á+á1. Clive Semmens of Ely, who wins the prize, demonstrated
that it can be solved without multi-length arithmetic. He discovered
that if we can find integers C and D such that 61C▓á+áKá=áD▓, where
Ká=á▒1 or ▒2, then we can calculate values Aá=á2╫C╫D/Abs(K) and
Bá=122╫C▓/Abs(K)á+áSgn(K) which will satisfy the equation B▓á=á61A▓á+á1.
Single-length integers suffice to find 61á╫á3805▓áÖá1á=á29718▓, giving
values of C, D and K from which Dudeneyæs solution is derived. The
values of A and B for any solution can be substituted as C and D (with
K=1) in Semmensæ formulµ to produce another solution Ö the number of
solutions is therefore infinite.
9.8
(55Ö57) More Cubes Ö Angles Ö Children
9.8
Several partially-correct answers, and quite a few totally correct.
Several readers failed to recognise that the angles are not necessarily
integral numbers of degrees. The prize goes to Rosemary Miskin of
Loughborough.
9.8
... last monthæs answers...
9.8
(58) Prime Sequences
9.8
Your computer search will be accelerated if you recognise that the first
in a sequence of N such numbers must be one more than twice the lowest
common multiple of the numbers 2 to N. For Ná=á4, 12721 is prime, as are
12722î2á=á6361 á12723î3á=á4241 and 12724î4á=á3181. The first number in
the first sequence of five is 19441, of seven is 5516281 and of eight is
7321991041. There is no sequence of six before the first sequence of
seven. I gave up my search for a sequence of nine when single-length
arithmetic crashed, and concluded that the first solution must be
greater than 35╫1010.
9.8
(59) Ship in a Bottle
9.8
Water does not compress, but air does, and becomes more dense. The ship
becomes more buoyant in air, and since its level depends on its relative
buoyancy in water and air, the ship rises.
9.8
(60Ö61) Heinz Beanz Canz
9.8
You can use calculus, or the progressive approximation technique
explained in Geraldæs Column. The smallest surface area for a cylinder
with two ends is obtained by making the height equal to the diameter. If
the base is rectangular, the optimum shape is a cube, and if there is no
restriction, the optimum shape is a sphere. The areas of cube, cylinder
and sphere of unit volume are 6, │┌(54p) «5╖536 and │┌(36p) «4╖836.
9.8
... this monthæs prize puzzle...
9.8
(62) Athletics and Football
9.8
This puzzle can be solved using Gerald Fittonæs five-point approximation
technique, explained in his column in Issue 9╖6 Ö but it needs some
ingenuity! You have to find the area of the largest possible Football
pitch which can be contained within an Athletics track.
9.8
For the purpose of this puzzle assume only that the track comprises two
parallel straights and two semi¡circles with a total perimeter of 400
metres, and that the Football pitch is rectangular. In real life there
are other constraints, so donæt worry if your solution to the puzzle
looks a little odd!
9.8
... and this monthæs prize quickies...
9.8
(63) 1000000!
9.8
The exclamation mark indicates factorial, i.e. N!á=á1á╫á2á╫á3á╫á...á╫áN.
Hence 1000000! (the factorial of one million) is a very large number,
but I only want to know how many zeros it has on the end.
9.8
(64) Ever Decreasing Angles
9.8
The diagram shows a sequence of squares and the diagonals of various
rectangles. Clearly the angle B╣á=áA╣. Can you prove that B▓á=áA│ ? And
can you find an angle in the A series which equals B│ ? Given the right
insight, this should be reasonably quick!
9.8
(65) Powerul
9.8
A puzzle from the Scottish Mathematical Challenge Ö without using a
calculator or computer, determine which is greater, 651662 or 331995.
9.8
And Finally...
9.8
Puzzle (50) Infinite Roots generated quite some correspondence. I must
explain that the Éproof by inductionæ fails because the only expressions
of this type which can be evaluated easily contain a zero embedded in
the square root sequence, which invalidates the inference for higher
orders. The correct solution, given last month, enables us to devise
more similar puzzles Ö so watch out!
9.8
The League Table shows a steady improvement in the response Ö though a
few readers have suggested Iámay have lowered the standard of puzzles!
The top 18 names (of 46) are shown above. The Éaverageæ month brings 2╖7
Énewæ entrants, plus entries from 25% of the Éoldæ ones. What does this
prove, I ask myself?
9.8
Please send solutions (by Friday 10th May), contributions and comments
to me, at 41 St Quentin Drive, Sheffield, S17á4PN.áuá
9.8
Comment Column
9.8
Acorn advertising Ö Reaction to changes at Acorn is often accompanied by
complaints that Acorn doesnæt advertise enough in the computer press
generally. Whilst I would be pleased to see more Acorn advertising, I
very much doubt whether it would be cost-effective. IBM must have spent
millions of pounds on advertising OS/2 with very little to show for it,
even though many reports suggest that it is better than the
corresponding Microsoft system, and there is no way that Acorn could
match that spending.
9.8
A large part of the problem is that the intended targets of the
advertising would ignore it as Éirrelevantæ because it was not PC-
related. In the photographic magazines, I tend to ignore the advertising
from Nikon, Pentax and Minolta, apart from looking at the pictures,
because their equipment is not compatible with my Canon outfit.
9.8
I suspect that the most effective advertising, from the point of view of
the advertiser, is that of dealers like Ian Copestake and his
counterparts in the photographic press. These advertisements do not try
to persuade you to buy anything, but simply give a list of what is
available and the price. If you donæt know what is meant by ÉImpressionæ
or a ÉCanon FD 100mm 2.8æ, the advertisement isnæt going to tell you.
These advertisements work because readers are looking for them because
they already know what they want.
9.8
I once asked someone on the staff of the ÉRailway Gazetteæ why the
manufacturers of main-line locomotives should advertise when they would
already have all the details of their potential customers, including
their probable requirements over the next five years, and no-one would
spend a million pounds on a locomotive because of a magazine
advertisement. His reply was that the advertisements were there to
ensure that the magazine remained viable, as it was a useful forum for
discussion of their products.
9.8
On this basis, it would seem to be in Acornæs interest that Acorn User
and Archimedes World should be kept going, and probably be useful for
them to advertise in Computer Shopper, in the hope that some Acorn
developments would be discussed in the main part of the magazine. There
doesnæt seem to be any other place where regular advertising would bring
adequate returns. Archive and Risc User donæt work in the same way,
because they are not available in the shops.
9.8
What might be more useful is for enthusiasts in non-computer activities
to mention the use of Acorn machines in the creation of such things as
special illustrations or family trees.
9.8
A much bigger influence is the enthusiasm of end-users, especially those
who have also worked with other machines. A recent issue of Computer
Shopper describes the effect on the staff of Dorling Kindersley when
they saw one of their CD-ROMs running on a RiscPC in native mode. If
they can be persuaded to tell other people, it can be very influential
because they will not be written off as biased in the way that an Acorn
dealer might be.
9.8
David Wild, Hemel Hempstead.
9.8
Acorn-Apple JV Ö (Archive 9.7, p8) I have demonstrated my confidence in
RISC OS by purchasing a RiscPC for delivery tomorrow. And, yes, my
dealer knows where he would be able to place at least one StrongARM
whatever the cache.
9.8
But the very fact that you felt you had to say what you did on page 25
about people sending in cheques in advance is at the heart of the Acorn
problem: the difficulty of fledgling companies in raising risk capital
in the UK. Now that Olivetti calls the shots Ö no UK firm having come
forward in the early crisis days Ö we can see the consequences of the
deep-rooted, and always denied, short termism of the City institutions
that dictate how capital resources (i.e. yours and my savings) are
allocated to the various economic activities. Manufacturing, in Britain,
is always at the bottom of the heap.
9.8
Whenever I argue this way Ö it being sheer heresy here in London Ö I am
wont to quote the case of clocks and watches. There was a time some 10,
or maybe a dozen, years ago when the Japanese digital watch was reported
in London financial circles as being about to sweep all analogues before
it. Consigned to the dustbin. End of story. Bye bye. But the major watch
suppliers to the world were Swiss and we know what happened to Japanese
digitals.
9.8
The question I put to my interlocutors is very simple: had that industry
been British what would have happened? Answer: it would have vanished.
No ifs and buts. Even without factual evidence (because we never had a
watch industry of any significance) there is no doubt what would have
happened: share values would have collapsed, loan capital would have
been withdrawn, skilled work forces dispersed and the proceeds would
have gone elsewhere, maybe even to assisting the Japanese to take their
digitals to market. (Donæt smile: major City traders assisted, nay
financed, the Japanese sales drives of motor cars into Australia in the
1960æs destroying what was then a major export market for UK vehicles.
OK, our cars werenæt anything like as good, but thatæs not the point.
Senior members of the British Export Houses Association didnæt care a
fig for our own export markets when better money could be made by
helping kick us out. Believe you me, that still is the case.)
9.8
So, although I have bought a RiscPC because I know it is unbeatable as a
home computer for ageing gentlemen, I do not have Paulæs confidence in
the longer term. Olivetti and Apple have their own agendas, and ART will
have to manage as best it can. Acornæs early foresight in the matter of
the reduced instruction set may well stand the new team in good stead,
but whether the profits will be ploughed back into a UK business,
producing desktop computers, is doubtful. Manufacturing is essentially
for others to undertake; we deal in invisibles. And donæt laugh again: I
heard Nigel Lawson say as much when he was Chancellor. He likely saw
himself as some sort of Emperor but they only made him into a Lord.
9.8
But, basically, I agree with Paul: there is absolutely no point in
downing tools. So let us cast all doubts aside!
9.8
Danny Fagandini, [e-mail]
9.8
Backing up Ö I was interested to see the request for help with the
backing-up of discs in a recent issue of Archive. There is no doubt that
this has been a problem for many computer users, whatever machine they
use, and many of us have been caught out by not having back-up files
when they were needed.
9.8
As discs get bigger the problem gets worse Ö the thought of copying even
200Mb onto floppy discs would give anybody nightmares, both for the
amount of work needed and the time taken. In my current machine, I have
nearly 2Gb, and a complete backup is just about impossible without
buying a tape streamer, the cost of which would be very difficult to
justify.
9.8
What I would suggest is that we change our approach from backing-up
discs to backing-up jobs. Much of the disc doesnæt need to be copied. In
the event of a major crash, almost all of the software can be re-
installed from the original discs. There is also a limit to the amount
of work that can be done in a day, so if that is backed up, either to
floppies or removable discs, it will not take long and the copies can be
filed with other records of the job. If these copies are kept with the
job records, it also means that the job directory can be deleted when
the work is complete without needing to search several directories to
see if any files are relevant.
9.8
This approach does mean that we need to organise our discs by job rather
than program. I have separate directories, which often have their own
sub-directories, for my letters, work done for Archive, each of several
DTP projects, our family tree and a newsletter which I edit for the
Railway Esperanto Association. Almost every one of these directories
will fit quite happily on a high density disc and can be backed-up by
straightforward copying from the hard disc to the floppy. An additional
advantage of organising files in this way is that you tend to need far
less ingenuity in inventing file names; a separate directory for each
job means that each of them can contain a file called Équoteæ and
another called Éinvoiceæ, without any ambiguity.
9.8
Many businesses will have tape streamers, but even then it will probably
be useful to let individual users keep copies of their own files, as it
is much quicker to restore a single file from a floppy than to restore
from a tape of the whole disc.
9.8
David Wild, Hemel Hempstead.
9.8
CurrDirRM Évirusæ Ö I have had one or two people tell me, with a mixture
of panic and outrage in their voices, that the Archive CD has a virus on
it! Pineappleæs Killer reports that a module by the name of CurrDirRM
(program disc 2.4) is infected with the SystemUtils virus. I would like
to assure you that this is not the case. Killer has been over-zealous,
and if you attempt to disinfect this perfectly innocent little module,
it will be rendered useless. Pineapple have now corrected Killer to take
this into account, and an update to version 2.208 or later will avoid
the problem.
9.8
James Taylor <[e-mail]>
9.8
Error detection Ö I have been interested to read the articles about C++
in recent issues of Archive. One of the themes has been that of
Éexception handlingæ, with the comment that it is missing from the Acorn
offering.
9.8
I am not sure that the exception handling is really worth the bother, as
most of the examples of use that I have seen, not just in Archive, have
been trapping things which should not have been allowed to happen
anyway.
9.8
A classic example is out of range subscripts. The most common cause of
this is a search routine which Éruns off the endæ of a table, but the
programmer should be aware of this when the routine is being written.
Although the program user may supply data for a table, the subscripts
are created by the programmer, and if it is calculating incorrect
values, this is much more worrying than the search problem because
values may be incorrect but still within the table, and no standard
error detection routine can possibly detect this.
9.8
Similarly, the program should never attempt a division by zero, or take
the square root of a negative number. The question which the programmer
must ask is öWhere does the program get the data for this calculation?ò
and check the data as it is entered, not when the calculation is done.
9.8
This is not just my preference for a particular language Ö similar
problems crop up in any language which offers error handling. Pascal
generates code to check for out of range subscripts but, while it may be
useful while a program is being developed, it should never be possible
for a Éliveæ program to invoke that code.
9.8
Data validation, tedious though it may be, is the key to avoiding these
errors, together with those things that are incorrect for the
application while being mathematically acceptable. For example, trying
to calculate the miles-per-gallon is mathematically wrong if the gallons
value is zero, but from the program useræs point of view, it is just as
silly to do the calculation if the miles value is zero. In either case,
there is insufficient data.
9.8
The use of exception handling routines can help by closing the program
with a suitable message but, for the user, it is just as wrong as if the
program had crashed.
9.8
David Wild, Hemel Hempstead.
9.8
Gosh! Acorn is electronic! Ö ART have changed to Acorn Risc
Technologies, so Anglo-centric heroics are a thing of the past because
they have got the right Oracle concession and itæs no longer a case of
Oracle choosing cretins. But they are not choice carol-singers, so I
must congratulate them on choosing correct aliens like Oracle!
9.8
(The best thing is that nice Oracleæs choosing ART Ö or so I thought Ö
then I realised I had got two aæs! Drat!)
9.8
Ed. <[e-mail]>
9.8
Modem speeds Ö Referring to your comments about modem speed (9.7 p27), I
reckon that if you find there is little difference in performance
between a 14k4 modem and a 28k8 modem for most activities, then youæve
probably chosen an ISP with inadequate links. They may have other
benefits that make them worth using, but their links could be somewhat
faster.
9.8
Some FTP and web sites seem to have some sort of time limit, and if you
havenæt completed a download in a certain time, they either drop the
link or, worse, quietly stop sending you any more packets. A 28k8 modem
can make the difference. There have been many complaints from people
unable to download the latest Clan Édiscæ because of such a problem, and
Acorn have had to split the package into two parts.
9.8
My ISP, TCP, provides two types of dial-in service, one for Southampton
users with a cable phone PoP (ÉFreestyleæ), and one using the Pipex vPoP
network for the rest of the country. I use the former and noticed a
definite increase in performance after upgrading to a 28k8 modem,
especially for sites on TCPæs local network and those in the proxy
(cache). Users of their Pipex-based service say FTP and WWW is
considerably faster than using the Freestyle service, suggesting that a
28k8 modem is well worth having if you use an ISP which resells Pipex
access, such as Argonet. However, some Pipex resellers may have the same
problem as TCP in that there is a slight bottleneck between Pipex and
the reselleræs news and mail servers, so if you only use news and mail,
a 14k4 modem may well be adequate.
9.8
You canæt really test all the options before buying a modem, so my
advice would be to buy a 28k8 if you can afford the lump sum, but donæt
lose sleep if you have to make do with a 14k4.
9.8
Tony Houghton <[e-mail]>
9.8
Portables for sale? Ö öWhen will Stork be launched?ò I am asked, and
öWhen can I buy a Newspad?ò. I think it is important to make clear that
Stork and Newspad are in prototype only at the moment. ART will not be
putting them into production unless they can find a buyer who will
guarantee sales of 500 minimum. The joint venture is obviously not going
to be that customer otherwise ART would be moving towards production
already.
9.8
I suspect that Newspad, because it is so innovative, is the more likely
of the the two to Étake offæ. Stork, by contrast, is just another
portable. OK, itæs a RISCáOS portable which makes it very attractive to
the existing Acorn community, but most people will only move into the
RISCáOS community if it provides something that others cannot, e.g. top
class music printing, network computing, set top box, etc.
9.8
I suggested last month that we might be able to help seed the Stork
project, and asked how many people would, at ú1900, buy a greyscale-
screen Stork. So far, I only know of 20 individuals plus a school that
says it would buy 10-12. If thatæs all there is, Stork will never be
born. If you would seriously consider buying a Stork at, say, ú1,900 inc
VAT then please let me know as soon as possible.
9.8
It may be that I didnæt get much response because people thought, from
the initial response to the JV, that RISCáOS was dead. Now that you can
see that that is most certainly not the case, perhaps more people would
consider buying a Stork.
9.8
(Acorn Dealers Ö Would you tell me too, please, how many Storks you
realistically think you could sell? Thanks.)
9.8
Ed.
9.8
Third world links Ö I am an academic, a mathematician, who has long had
close contact with friends and colleagues in universities in third world
countries Ö Bangladesh in particular. I have long wanted for them, the
ease of communication that I enjoy, and I have dreamed about the
possibility of a satellite channel dedicated to ending the isolation
that most academics outside the West suffer, by provision of Internet
access.
9.8
At first I thought this was a job for the UN or similar international
agency. Now it occurs to me that the Acorn/Oracle/OM consortium would be
a far more dynamic provider for this. I know they have interests in
developing the Far East market.
9.8
An educational channel would provide the consortium with good PR and a
useful testbed for sorting out the ticklish problems of coping with
local laws that may be unsympathetic to the ideals of open
communication. I envisage some kind of charter to ease such matters.
9.8
ICTP, the International Centre for Theoretical Physics, set up in
Trieste by Abdus Salam to help physicists on an international basis,
thinks my idea is a good one. Does anyone in Acorn think so?
9.8
Gavin Wraith <[e-mail]>
9.8
Z88 link Ö Ever since the introduction of the RISC OS 3.1 upgrade, I
have been having problems with the transfer of larger files from the Z88
to the Archimedes. The trouble would manifest itself as dropped letters,
randomly spaced. Sometimes, the Archimedes PipeDream spelling checker
would pick up the problem, but sometimes the sense of the piece would
change totally while remaining correctly spelt!! (I would rather retype
a piece than have my work changed by a machine!)
9.8
The writers of the various bits of transfer software that I tried, e.g.
Beebug and PD authors, were unable to help; then I found John Allenæs
useful software, called !Z88Link. This allows the Z88 to send files with
the []X command, (File Export), and the Acorn to receive them and
perform the required storage functions. This does not need the (now rare
and expensive) PC/Mac link ROM to be fitted to the Z88.
9.8
From John Allenæs comprehensive help file, the following useful info is
gleaned Ö öAcornæs replacement Serial Device Driver module 0.22 is
included in the application and loaded with !Z88Link. Without it, random
chunks of files transferred will disappear on older machines running
RISC OS 3.10. This problem can still occur at higher speeds on these
machines when transferring to floppy discs. For safety, you should
transfer to a hard disc or a RAM disc and then copy the file to a
floppy. If you donæt need the module, it can be deleted in the !Run
file.ò (My italics Ö many commercial authors would have left that bit
out?!)
9.8
I acquired the PD program from the PDCD series from the Datafile. As
suggested, I registered with the author John Allen. He gave me a few
extra operational hints, and now I use the program every day to transfer
successfully.
9.8
Bob Ames, City University
9.8
PD Column
9.8
David Holden
9.8
My thanks to all the people who have written to ask if I was going to
continue to write this column. Domestic circumstances in recent months
have left me very little spare time, but hopefully I shall now be able
to continue to write regular articles.
9.8
Why write PD?
9.8
I get quite a few letters and phone calls from people who have seen PD
or Shareware mentioned in magazines and donæt know what it is. When I
try to explain, they often ask, öWhy do they write programs and then
give them away?ò
9.8
To answer that question, you have to realise that there are really as
many explanations as there are programmers, but the essence is that the
majority of the people who write PD are doing so because they are
computer enthusiasts who enjoy programming as a leisure activity. As
with a lot of other hobbies, as well as being enjoyable, it also creates
a end product. This could be a fireside rug or a wooden teapot stand,
but if your hobby is computer programming, the result will be a program.
9.8
Having written the program, what do you do with it? Unlike most other
hobbies, the results of the programmeræs labours can be quickly copied
and given to friends who also have computers. As most programs will have
been written to perform some useful function (even if that is just to
while away a few hours zapping aliens), it could be useful to other
people. If it is a seriously useful program for which the recipient
might be prepared to pay, then the program may be distributed as
Shareware, but even if this is not the case, the appreciation and
recognition given to the author still makes it worthwhile.
9.8
A few years ago, it would have been possible to sell a program for
publication in a magazine, but the prices paid by most Acorn magazines
are now so pitifully low, in relation to the effort required to write a
program, that I cannot recommend this.
9.8
Most programs which eventually become PD are written without
distribution in mind. This is one of the reasons why there are so many
programming tools available. Programmers naturally write things that
they need for themselves and, having written them, they make them
available to other programmers.
9.8
Practically everything that I have written as PD (and most Shareware)
was originally written for my own use. However, prospective PD
programmers should beware. Once distributed, the program is outside your
control and takes on a life of its own. You will get phone calls and
letters from people who tell you how wonderful your program is, but
(there is often a Ébutæ) could you just make it do X, or work with Y as
well?  The praise always gets you hooked, and you go back to work.
9.8
Now this is the point where non-programmers come into the picture. If
you are a consumer of PD programs, you are not just a passive end-user
but a vital part of the machinery. The thing that keeps the whole thing
moving, that provides the motivation for the PD programmer to keep
working to improve and develop programs, is feedback from the user.
9.8
If you obtain a program that you like or use regularly, take the trouble
to contact the author and tell him or her. Most PD programmers are happy
to receive suggestions for improvements or reports of any problems, but
even if you donæt have any of these to offer, it will be worth your
while to spend a few minutes, and perhaps a stamp, to compose a short
note of thanks. The most frustrating thing for a programmer is to
distribute a program and then not to receive any feedback. Without some
form of communication from users, you wonder if it has been worth the
trouble, and so perhaps you donæt bother in future.
9.8
Please donæt forget this. Those who give away their work as PD obviously
donæt expect financial reward, but if you want them to continue to write
new programs, and support existing ones, it is up to you, as a
beneficiary of their work, to give them some encouragement. It doesnæt
take much effort on your part and it might make all the difference to
them.
9.8
There is one type of PD author with whom I do not feel so much sympathy.
I sometimes see a comment in a program that says that the program may be
freely distributed provided that absolutely no charge is made for
distribution, which means that it cannot be distributed by any PD
Library or BBS which charges for downloads. For all practical purposes,
this means that it will be unobtainable by the majority of computer
users. I have to presume that the author has no objection to BT making a
charge for the required telephone connection, although I donæt think
that they do very much to support Acorn computer enthusiasts.
9.8
This type of distribution licence is often augmented by a comment which
gives the key to the authoræs state of mind, and this invariably says,
öIæm not making any money out of this so I donæt see why anyone else
should.ò When I see this, I tend to lose all sympathy with the author.
My own feelings are that anyone who performs a service for others is
entitled to ask a reward for their labours, including programmers, PD
Libraries, and Bulletin Boards. Weáshould all be grateful when a
programmer waives this right, but itæs rather selfish of him or her to
then impose this same restriction upon everyone else in such a way as to
make it extremely difficult for the average user to benefit from his
work at all.
9.8
The strange thing is that this caveat probably negates the restriction
on distribution and renders it unenforceable. I recently raised this
subject with a friend who is a solicitor, and he pointed out that anyone
distributing such a program and charging a fee would technically be
breaking the Licence, and so in breach of copyright. The author could
force this distribution to cease but, in order to do so formally, he
would have to obtain an injunction, which is not cheap. However, what he
would probably not be able to do is to claim damages for breach of
copyright. In order to do this, he would have to show that he had
suffered a loss, and by declaring that the reason he is not allowing
anyone to charge a distribution fee is because he is making no money
himself for the program, he is impairing his own case.
9.8
PD for Acorn
9.8
Paul passed on to me, for comment, an email message from Michael Nolan
which suggests that Acorn should organise PD authors to write software
for them (for little or no reward) to be distributed by them. Now this
is a terrifying idea. The best thing about the whole PD/Shareware scene
is that it is not a product which is controlled or organised by large
companies. Anyone who wants a catalogue from just about any library can
obtain one for, at most, ú1. Administration costs are very low, which is
why many software houses are happy for PD libraries to distribute their
demonstration discs Ö it is simply not economically viable for them to
do so themselves.
9.8
Trying to collate and distribute any collection of programs is
incredibly labour intensive Ö this is why itæs invariably done by
enthusiasts. There is simply no way that Acorn could begin to compete
with the service already offered. In fact, as someone who has spent a
great deal of time and effort trying to raise the standards and
awareness of PD and Shareware, Iáwould anticipate that any direct
involvement by Acorn would probably be detrimental. This would also make
the mainstream suppliers of commercial software extremely unhappy. At
present, they can largely ignore its influence, but if Acorn were to
become directly involved, they might be thought to be endorsing the
Éoppositionæ. If Acorn want to support PD and Shareware, the best way
for them to do so is via the existing libraries and, so far, they have
shown little real interest in doing so.áuá
9.8
Geraldæs Column
9.8
Gerald Fitton
9.8
In my column this month, Iábriefly (and inadequately) respond to the
huge quantity of correspondence Iæve received concerning Colton
Software. Do you have Eureka? If so then Iæd like to hear about it from
you. The rest of this monthæs column deals with some mathematical
topicsáÖábut you donæt need to be a mathematician to follow them.
Iádiscuss the nature of mathematical induction and how it relates to
recursively defined functions. Then Iámove onto an example of a
recursively defined function; Iáconsider it to be an interesting example
because its exit condition is at an infinite number of recursions.
9.8
Iácomplete my column with a quick look at the cube root function. A
small handful of you working on the extended Heinz beans can problem
have pointed out to me that this function is needed when you want to
find the radius of a sphere of a given volumeáÖábut it doesnæt appear in
the PipeDream or Fireworkz manuals!
9.8
Colton Software
9.8
Iámust thank all those who have written to me making reference to my
remarks about Fireworkz (& Pro) in the last edition of Archive. Iáshall
include only two quotes but these are typical of the many.
9.8
The first is öIáendorse everything you say Ö and more!ò Iádo thank all
of you for your support and Iáam touched by those letters Iáhave
received which acknowledge that it must have been difficult for me to
write what Iádid.
9.8
The second quote is longer and has wider implications. Iáhave added the
words in brackets to make the meaning clearer. öCertainly Pro is not fit
for the purpose intended and, as such, they (Colton Software) are in
breach of the Sale of Goods legislation. If they do not agree (to a
refund of the cost of upgrading from Fireworkz to FireworkzáPro) Iáshall
have no hesitation in issuing a Court Writ... It is about time that we
(users of FireworkzáPro and users of other software which does not live
up to its specification)... raised our voices... taking the matter to
Court if necessary... Perhaps then we will begin to get what we paid
for.ò
9.8
In response to this second quote, Iáhave to say that, in spite of the
accolades and persuasive remarks Iáhave received (such as those of my
first quote), Iádo not wish to co-ordinate such a protest to Colton
Software. You must find another champion of your rights.
9.8
Longman Logotronæs Eureka
9.8
Iáwas interested to receive a copy of a letter sent to Alan Williams by
Which? magazine. It would seem that Iáwas wrong to assume that Which?
simply looked at clock speeds when comparing the PC with the Archimedes.
Indeed Which? asked Acorn for the names of packages similar to the PCæs
Word, Excel and Aldus Pagemaker. Acorn chose Style (as a word
processor), Eureka (as a spreadsheet) and Publisher (as the DTP
package).
9.8
Iádonæt wish to comment further at this stage since Alan will be writing
directly to Paul about the Which? tests, but Acornæs choice of
spreadsheet has caused me to give some consideration to Eureka. From
time to time, Iæve been asked to comment on the relative merits of
Eureka when compared with the spreadsheet packages which Iáknow better.
Iáhave asked Paul if he can let me have a copy of Eureka for evaluation
and, if he does so, then Iæll report more fully in a future article.
9.8
(Longman have very kindly agreed to supply Gerald with a copy of Eureka,
so that he can speak from his own experience. Ed.)
9.8
Inductive logic
9.8
Iáthink that, even before my interest in mathematics, Iáwas attracted to
study logic Ö Iáregarded it as a branch of natural philosophy!
Iáremember the syllogism which starts with the major premise öAll cows
eat grassò. What struck me at a very early age was that deductive logic
never increases the extent of human knowledge. Indeed, in order to make
the statement öAll cows eat grassò with certainty, we must have studied
every cow already! So we already know that they all eat grass before
concluding the syllogism with the eating habits of the individual cow
introduced into the minor premise.
9.8
Inductive logic is a different matter. You can get somewhere new if you
start with a set of particular examples and then work towards a general
principle. Mathematical induction is a most useful tool which depends on
the same principles as inductive logic (it is slightly different but
Iáwonæt go into the differences right now). In its most general form,
mathematical induction is a process where you start with something
complicated which you wish to prove and you show that this complicated
thing is true if something a bit simpler is true. In turn, the simpler
thing is reduced to something even simpler...áand so on Ö but not
(usually) forever. An inductive chain of reasoning (like so many things
in life) is easier to start than to stop. My four year old grandson has
just discovered that asking öWhy?ò generates such a chain. One of my
early Managing Directors used to classify his technical staff as
É2áWhy?æ or É3áWhy?æ people Ö he always stopped with his fourth (usually
unanswered question). Indeed, as we shall see, it is by studying
anomalies at the end of an inductive sequence, that we gain even greater
understanding!
9.8
The uncaused cause
9.8
Iáhave no wish to encroach on Paulæs ÉGod slotæ, neither do Iáwish to
offend those whose beliefs are atheist or religious. Nevertheless, Iádo
feel compelled to use, as one of my two simple examples of inductive
logic, something which does encroach into that field. Many people
believe that they are being logical when they claim that the recursive
nature of the classic series of questions about causes (which eventually
leads to the question öWho created the creator of the universe?ò)
negates the claim that a creator must exist.
9.8
Iásuggest that this logic is flawed and that you must look to the basic
premise of inductive logic which, in this case, is interpreted as öYou
must know when to stop asking for a cause!ò See if you can follow my
next statement: öIt is the recursive nature of Écauseæ which forces you
to accept that (if causality exists at all) then there has to be a first
cause (an exit condition from the causal chain) which is often referred
to as the uncaused causeò.
9.8
The recurrence relationship
9.8
Enough for now of religious philosophy Ö Iáshall return to my ÉGod slotæ
example later! One manifestation of inductive logic used in mathematics
is the recurrence relationship. An example which Iáuse a lot at college
is the factorial function. The definition of factorial x (written as x!)
is best demonstrated with an example, factorial seven.
9.8
 7!á=á7á╫á6á╫á5á╫á4á╫á3á╫á2á╫á1.
9.8
Now let me write 7! as a recurrence relationship. 7!á=á7á╫á6!
9.8
In more general terms x!á=áxá╫á(xáÖá1)!
9.8
If you accept that (xáÖá1)! is simpler than x! then you will agree that
Iáhave defined the factorial function in terms of a simpler version of
itself. It is knowing when to stop using the recursive definition that
is all important. If you go one step too far then youæll finish up with
nothing.
9.8
Have a go at using the recurrence relationship (not the original
definition) to find 1! and youæll find that youære multiplying by zero Ö
and anything multiplied by zero is the nothing you finish up with. Let
me repeat that knowing when and how to stop defining the function as a
recurrence relationship is all important. You have to accept that the
recurrence relationship x!á=áxá╫á(xáÖá1)! is not and cannot be true for
every value of x (and, going back to my ÉGodáslotæ example, not every
effect Éneedsæ a cause).
9.8
Those of you still in possession of that obsolescent tool, a calculator
with a factorial function, will be able to discover for yourselves thatá
0!=á1 is built into the software. This is the exception; factorial 0 is
not 0 times something (and therefore nothing) but just a plain and
simple (but illogical!) 1.
9.8
The gamma function
9.8
Study the graph of the function yá=áx! which is shown below. In
particular, Iáwant you to notice that it consists of a set of points
with nothing in between. The reason there is nothing in between is
because the factorial function exists only for positive integers.
9.8
In a situation like this, mathematicians are always anxious to find out
what goes on between the plotted points. You might think that there
ought to be nothing there and, in terms of the simple factorial
function, youære right. However, in the wider scheme of things
(functions of a complex variable as opposed to functions, such as
factorial, which only work with positive integers) there is a property
that well behaved functions have called Éregularityæ.
9.8
Loosely translated, a regular function through a few given points is the
function giving the smoothest possible curve drawn through those points.
It is relatively easy to prove that the points youæve got for the
factorial function (even excluding the factorial zero) are points on a
regular (smooth) curve. What is rather harder (but well within the Pure
Maths syllabus of most universities and a few good sixth forms) is
finding the function. The function which gives the smoothest curve
through all the factorial points is called the Gamma Function.
9.8
If you look carefully at this curve, you might guess that it can be
extended to negative numbers and that a smooth curve through the plotted
points will be symmetrical about the vertical line at xá=á0.5.
Mathematicians have discovered the Gamma Function by looking at the
information available (the factorial function) from a new and more
enlightened perspective (regularity or smoothness). Lesser
mathematicians have difficulty in accepting the inelegance of 0!á=á1 as
an exception to the recursive rule x!á=áxá╫á(xáÖá1)! It is the
enlightened and broader perspective of regular functions of a complex
variable which allows us to make sense of the exception to the recursive
definition of the function.
9.8
So that you may follow my philosophical point, allow me some repetition.
If you define a function recursively, you must have an exit condition.
From a narrow and limited point of view, it may seem as though the exit
condition is chosen arbitrarily. Indeed, as we have seen for the
factorial function, the exit condition may be an exception to the
recursive rule which defines the function. My philosophical and
mathematical point is that there is always a more enlightened and
broader viewpoint (in the case of the factorial function this is the
desire for smoothness) which places the exit condition as the natural
exception to the recursive rule.
9.8
The uncaused cause
9.8
Back to my ÉGod slotæ example. What is needed to overcome the logical
inelegance of having to accept the existence if an uncaused cause is a
new and wider perspective within which the uncaused cause takes its
natural place in the scheme of things, just as the 0! takes its proper
and natural place as a point on the smooth Gamma Function curve.
Remember that it is the more enlightened and more elegant concept of
regularity (smoothness) which allows us to extend the factorial function
to include fractions and negative numbers.
9.8
To repeat myself, as soon as you begin to believe in cause and effect
(causality) then, because of the very nature of causes, you have to
accept the existence of an uncaused cause (so youæll know when to stop
looking for causes). In the wider scheme of things Écauseæ implies a
time dependence and, speaking personally, Iáreckon that Iæll have to
understand a lot more about the nature of Eternity before Iácan see how
the uncaused cause breaks the causal chain in a natural way.
9.8
Defining functions recursively has its place in the mathematical and
philosophical scheme of things but (for this thesis at least) Iáwant you
to accept that, although it might be difficult to decide when and how to
stop Ö in nearly all cases we must stop somewhere. Furthermore, before
we start, we must have a good idea where we want to stop and how to do
it. Later, when we cease to ösee through the glass darklyò we can put
aside our imperfect recursive techniques. When Iáunderstand more about
the nature of Eternity, Iáshall be able to put aside my need for the
childish concept of causality Ö until then causality has its place in my
working model of the universe and (call it faith) Iáaccept the exception
and logical inelegance of the uncaused cause.
9.8
The infinite sequence
9.8
Iámust acknowledge that the inspiration for the next section of my
monthly column is Colin Singletonæs puzzle number 50, an infinite
sequence of square roots. Although, on the surface, much of what Iáwrite
will appear to be strikingly similar, there is a difference; Colinæs
problem was about series of numbers, whereas my article is about a
series of functions defined recursively.
9.8
Infinite recursion
9.8
In its most general form, the problem which Iáshall set you is to
evaluate a function which Iáshall call f(x) such that:
f(x)á=ásqr(1+f(xá+á1)). Please note that f(xá+á1) means öevaluate the
function f using, as its argument, (xá+á1)ò; unlike Colinæs problem, it
does not mean öthe (xá+á1)th value of fò. The function sqr() is the
(aphrodisiac) square root function which featured in my column a couple
of months ago. Those of you who have followed the earlier part of this
monthæs column will recognise that, given a value for x, then
f(x)á=ásqr(1+f(xá+á1)) can be evaluated recursively.
9.8
Hereæs a feature of this problem which interests me; how do we determine
the exit condition for this recursion? There is no natural exit point
such as xá=á0 or xá=á1 because, at each recursion, x increases! What we
have here is a recursive process which goes on forever (a bit like the
Eternity to which Iáreferred earlier)! So how do we get out of the
recursive process? When do we stop? To our rescue comes a mathematical
concept which it took me over 30áyears to understand (as opposed to
being able to do all the well known tricks with it). To our rescue comes
Infinity!
9.8
Now there is no way Iæm going to explain Infinity to you today but
Iácanæt resist saying that it is not just a big number, nor is it a
number bigger than you can think of, indeed itæs not a Énumberæ as you
understand the concept of Énumberæ and the usual rules of number
manipulation donæt apply to Infinity. Please allow me the licence to add
that, in a similar way, Eternity is not just a long time, nor is it a
length of time longer than any you can imagine; Eternity is not a length
of time in the way we understand time and the usual rules of time and
time dependence (causality) donæt apply to those things which are truly
Eternal.
9.8
The exit point for this recursive process (and many like it) is the
mystical Infinity!
9.8
There are many tricks which mathematicians can do with Infinity. Amongst
other things, we can find out what happens when we get there; we can
find out what happens beyond it Ö but thatæs another story. Also, we can
find out what happens on the wayáÖáand this is the clue to determining a
more practical exit condition for the recursive process than the vain
attempt to capture the mystic Infinity.
9.8
Convergence
9.8
Although f(xá+á1) increases linearly as we progress through the
recursion, this recursion is a process which converges (and does so
fairly rapidly) because the square root in the function sqr(1+f(xá+á1))
causes a reduction in value faster than the f(xá+á1) pushes it up. In
other words, we can find an approximate value for the function by
cutting off the recursion arbitrarily when weæve had enough!
9.8
What happens on the way to this Infinity is that you find two things,
(a)áyouære never going to get there using a step by step recursive
process and (b)áafter a short while youære nearly there anyway! The
conclusion is that the practical exit condition for an infinite
recursion which is convergent is that you should proceed until you think
youære near enough to the same answer as youæd get if you could repeat
the process an infinity of times (which you canæt) Ö and then stop!
9.8
Iáam not asking you to prove the convergence (though itæs not too hard
to do so); what Iáwould like you to do is to write a custom function in
PipeDream or Fireworkz or a procedure in Basic which evaluates the
function recursively. You can terminate the recursion after some
reasonably large number of recursions (thirty or so) Ö so to determine
your exit from the recursive process, just count the number of
recursions and stop when you feel youæve done enougháÖáget off the
treadmill and do something more interesting instead!
9.8
Colinæs problem, and mine, have the same answer. He reckons that, for
xá>á0, his infinite series evaluates to (xá+á1). In my version of the
problem, this translates to f(x)á=á(xá+á1). Both Colin and Iáagree on
this but Iáadd that, provided you choose your square root so that the
recursion converges, the recursive function evaluates to (xá+á1) even
when x is not a positive integer. Like most mathematicians, Iáam
compelled to try to fill in the gaps between the points on the graph of
the function. Indeed, Iábelieve that Iáhave proved analytically that the
function evaluates to (xá+á1) for any number, including negative
numbers, fractions, irrational numbers (such as the aphrodisiac square
root of 2), transcendental numbers (such as pi and e) and even complex
numbers (such as the mystical and imaginary square root of minus 1). In
case thereæs a flaw in my analysis, let me call it a conjecture. My
conjecture is that f(x)á=á(xá+á1) for all sorts of numbers. Finally, let
me repeat the proviso. Unless the number for which you are trying to
find the square root is the number zero, there are always two square
roots. You must choose your square root in such a way that the recursive
process converges. Iádonæt regard being fussy about which square root to
choose as cheating. Iáregard it as a way around an inevitable
imperfection of the recursive method of defining a function.
9.8
Using a recursive procedure which handles the so-called Real numbers,
you should be able to discover fairly easily whether what Iásay is true
for negative numbers and fractions. A screenshot of my non-recursive
numerical method for negative decimal fractions, using PipeDream, is
shown below.
9.8
Iáhave included the file which produces this screenshot on the monthly
disc. The recursive sequence is evaluated to about 30 terms, starting
with Ö6.0001 as the value for x. You will see that f(x) evaluates to
Ö5.0001 (to four decimal places), which is (xá+á1). Mind you, as Iásaid
earlier, Iáhave been a bit selective about whether to use the positive
or negative square root and, in order to guarantee convergence, the
definition changes (automatically) to the other square root around row
12 or 13 (you guess which) of this sheet!
9.8
In order to study my conjecture that f(z)á=á(zá+á1) numerically, when
the variable is a complex number, you will have to use the complex
function feature of PipeDream or Fireworkz to evaluate f(z) for a
complex number such as zá=á{5 ,Ö6}. (Iáam using the usual convention
which, in the example, means that the real part of z is 5 and the
imaginary part is Ö6.)
9.8
My helpful advice is that the complex function Ésquare rootæ in
PipeDream and Fireworkz is written as c_power(complex_no,{0 .5,0}) where
complex_no is typed into a slot as an array such as {5 ,Ö6} and the
second argument, {0 .5,0} is the power (the square root) to which the
complex number complex_no is raised. If my conjecture is right then,
when zá=á{5 ,Ö6}, the infinite sequence of square roots sums to the
complex number {6 ,Ö6}.
9.8
Can you prove it numerically (with a recursive spreadsheet custom
function or recursive Basic procedure) rather than analytically (as
Iábelieve have)? My helpful hint is that PipeDream and Fireworkz both
calculate only one of the square roots, usually the principal square
root (e.g. it calculates the square root of +4 as +2 and never as Ö2)
and this is not always the Écorrectæ root to choose!
9.8
Iáwill have more to say on this topic of recursive functions in a future
article but, for now, if you feel like sending me your attempts, Iæll be
pleased to correspond with you.
9.8
The cube root function
9.8
Although Iáhavenæt been employed as a full time lecturer all my life,
Iáhave been doing a bit of part time teaching for a very long time. Even
when Iáworked at Vickers, nearly forty years ago, Iáwas commandeered to
do about eight hours a week teaching in the apprentice training school
(augmenting what our day release apprentices were taught at the local
college) and Iátaught A level Maths at the college one evening a week.
So, really, Iáought to know that it is sometimes the simplest things
which people find the most difficult. Finding the cube root of a number
using either PipeDream or Fireworkz is one of those things which is so
simple to those in the know that even the writers of the PipeDream and
Fireworkz manuals didnæt include it!
9.8
Iáreceived an interesting letter from a correspondent who shall remain
nameless to protect his embarrassment. He had done much accurate and
intelligent work on the Heinz beans can but, when trying to calculate
the radius of a sphere of a given volume, he needed to find, not the
square root but the cube root of a number. Well, being a bit smarter
than the usual computer user, he had a look in the PipeDream manual for
the cube root function. He found the square root function, sqr(), but
couldnæt find a corresponding cur()! He didnæt give up but decided to
use logarithms to find the cube root (using logarithms this way is now a
lost art) but ran into a similar problem Ö no antilogs! At the end of a
very long tether he wrote to me. He is not alone. As a result of the
Heinz beans can problem, Iáhave had a small handful of letters (one from
a chartered accountant trying to get to grips with Excel) asking me how
to include a cube root in a spreadsheet.
9.8
The power function
9.8
Iáguess that all of you know that Éa to the power threeæ really means
(aá╫áaá╫áa) and can be written that way in a spreadsheet slot. In the
same way, you can find (aá╫áaá╫áaá╫áa), (aá╫áaá╫áaá╫áaá╫áa), etc.
Indeed, if you followed the earlier parts of this monthæs column, youæll
recognise that we can write the power function of the number a in a
recursive way as pwr(a,x)á=áaá╫ápwr(a,(xáÖá1)) with an exit condition
that Iæll leave you to determine.
9.8
Here is a graph of the power function using aá=á4 for a few integer
values of x:
9.8
This method of multiplying together x lots of 4 gives values for the
power function only when x is an integer. What about the values of x in
between the integers? This problem is similar to the problem we had with
the factorial function and the answer is the same, namely that we find a
way of drawing the smoothest possible curve through the existing points.
This smooth curve technique can be applied not only to fractions such as
xá=á1/3 but also to negative values of x such as xá=áÖ3.
9.8
Allow me to cut the discussion short and say that the cube root function
has to be a version of the power function Ö in particular it is:
9.8
cube_root(b)á=ápwr(b,(1/3)). In a spreadsheet, this power function is
written as yá=á(a^x) so that if you want to find the cube root of 64,
you would enter 64^(1/3) into the slot; the answer is 4. To find the nth
root of a you enter a^(1/n) into the spreadsheet. Using this power
function technique, you can find square roots as: sqr(a)á=ááa^(1/
2)á=áa^(0.5). Negative values of x in the power function imply division,
e.g. 4^(Ö3)á=á1/(4^3)á=á1/64á=á0.015625. An interesting result is the
evaluation of (a^0); all values of a give the same answer! Try it and
see what you get.
9.8
Perhaps another time, Iæll explain how to use the fact that
cube_root(aá╫áaá╫áa)á=áa together with something called the
multiplication rule of indices to prove that this method is a natural
extension of the power function to powers which are not positive
integers.
9.8
Inverse functions
9.8
The graph below shows that the cube and cube root functions are
reflections of each other in the line yá=áx. Iáhave created this graph
as a live graph in PipeDream. Iáthink that this graph is an excellent
example of the power of PipeDreamæs charting package. It demonstrates a
graph which contains (a)átwo lines which use different ranges for their
x values and (b)ámany pieces of text placed anywhere on the graph whilst
(c)áthe graph remains live. On the Archive monthly disc, youæll find the
PipeDream spreadsheet and the live graph which it generates. At college,
Iáuse Excel and Iáhave yet to discover how to produce such a graph with
that package.
9.8
The antilogarithm function
9.8
This function also perplexed my reader. The antilog function is the
inverse of the logarithmic function. By this, Iámean that if yá=álog(x)
then xá=áantilog(y). A consequence of this is that antilog(log(x))á=áx;
applying the antilog function to a logarithm gets you back to the value
from which you started. Again try that in a spreadsheet when you know
how to find an antilog and youæll see that itæs true.
9.8
Both PipeDream and Fireworkz include the log() function Ö but no
antilogs! Was this a serious omission? Once again the answer is öNo!ò
and once again the power function comes to our rescue. The logarithmic
function log() is more properly called the Élog to the base 10æ. The 10
comes into it when we consider the antilog. The antilog function can be
expressed as antilog(y)á=á10^y. Colton Software (and Iáguess all other
spreadsheet writers) havenæt mentioned this anywhere in their manuals
because to them itæs all too obvious. Well, to at least one of my
correspondents, it wasnæt.
9.8
So what is that other logarithmic function, ln()? Itæs an even more
tricky job to find its antilogarithm, but there is a clue in the name.
This logarithmic function is called Élogarithm to the base eæ. Iáwonder
if you know how to find e^x. Hereæs the answer. If yá=áln(x) then
xá=áexp(y) and so exp(ln(x))á=áx.
9.8
The graph above shows two functions (the logarithm and exponential
functions) which are reflections of each other in the line yá=áx. Once
again, the spreadsheet and its live chart are on the Archive monthly
disc. Iáhave yet to find a way of generating such a graph in Excel.
9.8
Let me stop there and await your comments. If, from your correspondence,
it seems that youære interested in some of the topics Iæve raised, Iæll
continue or expand on them.
9.8
To all of you
9.8
Thank you for all your letters. Please write to me (with a disc showing
examples, if appropriate) at the Abacus Training address given at the
back of Archive. If you use Eureka, Iæll be specially interested to hear
your comments about it.áuá
9.8
ACross
9.8
Dave Wilcox
9.8
ACross is a new release from Kudos Computing and is designed to generate
random crossword puzzles. The review version is 1.02, September 1995.
According to a representative of Kudos Computing, there is extensive
ongoing work being carried out on this package to increase the
facilities available and the overall functionality. Donæt let this put
you off, because the package provided has worked well and, to date, has
not hung up or crashed out once.
9.8
The review on this occasion was run on a RiscPC 700 machine, but the
program will apparently run on any Acorn machine running RISCáOS 3.1 or
higher, and with ╜Mb or more of memory. For speed reasons, it is best
run from hard disc but the copy supplied for review ran perfectly well
from floppy. The disc is not copy-protected, so installation or the
making of a working copy, presents no problems.
9.8
The package
9.8
The program comes on one disc and occupies about 530Kb. It is supplied
as standard on a high density disc but obviously could be supplied on a
DD disc if required. The disc is packaged in a double audio cassette
type case with a cardboard insert carrying the instructions and
registration card.
9.8
The program
9.8
The program at present is supplied with one dictionary of clues and
answers; this dictionary contains over 5,000 answers and 16,000 clues,
and uses grid sizes from 3╫3 to 11╫11.
9.8
The program is loaded to the iconbar by double clicking. Once it is
installed, the iconbar menu gives you several choices to make before
design begins. First off, you need to select the dictionary to use.
Currently, only the one mentioned above is available, named ÉQuick1æ.
The next setting is the grid size, which is set by using bump arrows.
The next option, Auto evaluate, is selected on or off by a radio button.
If the selection is on, and you complete the crossword on screen, the
program will congratulate you on completion.
9.8
Next there are three level settings Ö easy, medium, and hard, again
selected by radio buttons. The final choice is a timeout option, which
enables you to select the time the program is given to work out a
crossword for you. The default is 60 seconds and, to date, I have come
nowhere near this, usually waiting a maximum of 20 secs on my machine.
If more time is needed, the value can be changed by bump arrows. Once
the options are set, click on the icon and wait for your crossword to be
constructed (Example below).
9.8
When the crossword is constructed, two windows open, one showing the
grid, and the other, the clues. If you wish to solve the crossword on
screen, you can move the cursor around the grid using the mouse or the
keyboard, and the cursor will show whether you are entering across or
down clues by its orientation in the chosen square. Using dictionary
Quick1, all answers range from 3 to 6 letters. Again, donæt be fooled Ö
the setting is hard Ö believe me! If you get to the point of despair,
you can ask to have the answers inserted for you, and it doesnæt call
you a cheat either.
9.8
If you wish, you can print out the crossword and clues using the
standard printer drivers. On my laser printer, the grid is printed top
centre page with the clues in two columns below. The hard copy can also
be made with the answers inserted for reference at a later date.
9.8
Once generated, the puzzle can also be saved to disc. Currently, the
program can only have one saved puzzle at a time. If you generate a new
one and save it, the old one is overwritten.
9.8
Future versions
9.8
Kudos are currently working on a new dictionary, which is very near to
completion, and should be available by the time you read this. It is
also planned that future dictionaries will also be available under
different topic headings. There are plans to increase the grid size
although, obviously, speed will be sacrificed by larger grid sizes.
Currently, a trial has been made with a 16╫16 grid without problem.
9.8
On the save side, it is planned to introduce different export options,
the basic two obviously needed being drawfiles and text format. Also to
be included in later releases will be the ability to save as many
generated puzzles as you like, using a standard save window.
9.8
Conclusion
9.8
This is a nice, easy-to-use package which achieves its stated goal with
the minimum of fuss. When the future enhancements are made, it will be a
must for anyone who has the need to make crosswords quickly and easily.
I only have one moan about the program, a minor moan, but one that, in
my opinion, takes polish away from an otherwise good product. On several
occasions, I have had several clues in the same puzzle such as öWomanæs
Nameò or öAmerican Stateò. This can be seen in the enclosed sample,
although this is not the worst example. Only one occurrence of each,
please, Kudos.
9.8
It is important to note that Kudos say that any crosswords generated
using this program are freely distributable and free from copyright.
ACross costs ú24.99 inc. VAT + ú1.50 p&p from Kudos.áuá
9.8
Font Directory 2
9.8
Richard Rymarz
9.8
One of my birthday presents two years ago was the original Font
Directory. I asked for it because the number of fonts available on my
then A5000 was getting out of control. I am sure that many users have
similar problems: open up a font viewer in Impression, Ovation etc, and
the fonts spill off the bottom of the screen forcing you to use the
vertical scroll bar Ö a real pain at times. Font Directory has genuinely
helped to solve those problems, allowing me to partition my fonts in
folders that I define and understand, and install/ uninstall the fonts,
as and when I want.
9.8
The other most useful feature of Font Directory was the ability to scan
a document and have the used fonts automatically installed. Font
Directory was useful, productive and efficient. The only real criticism
I had was the rather convoluted way that the program had to be
installed. However, once it is done, little maintenance on it is needed.
9.8
Now, the producers, Look Systems, have published Font Directory2.
9.8
Why the upgrade?
9.8
If Font Directory was so good, why bother to upgrade? Well, for a number
of reasons. Firstly, FontáDirectory2 (FD2 for short) is a complete
rewrite, much of it in ARM code which has made it much faster and more
compact. FD2 requires only 76Kb of memory. Install 100 fonts and this
rises to only 80Kb. Displaying 400 fonts only uses 128Kb Ö about what
was used by the original FD but, of course, so much more is packed into
it. Given such meagre memory requirements, FD2 can be used from the most
humble 1Mb A310 to the most powerful RiscPC although a hard disc, and
RISCáOS 3.1 or greater, are necessary.
9.8
There are quite a number of new features:
9.8
1. ÉCollapsibleæ font list Ö The original FD still had the problem of
displaying long font lists. This has been solved by the creation of
user-defined directories. These open or close with a single click,
allowing an easy selection of available fonts. Large lists within
directories can be shortened by forcing font families to be grouped.
9.8
2. Improved interface Ö FD2æs main display offers a number of additional
features. As well as tick, cross and eye icons that FD users will be
familiar with, there are now options to examine the font in detail, use
the WYSIWYG display and use the new Font Viewer.
9.8
3. There are key shortcuts and a drag-selection feature.
9.8
4. The WYSIWYG display is brilliant. Click on the ÉAaæ icon, and a full
display of all the fonts is immediately available. Entire font lists are
displayed in real time up to 32pt if desired. Thus, an immediate visual
guide is available on all fonts making the choice of font completely
effortless.
9.8
5. Search for fonts Ö Click on the Éeye glassæ icon and a ÉFind Fontæ
dialogue box opens. Type in the name of your font and it is brought to
the top of the list, highlighted ready for use.
9.8
6. Automatic document scanning Ö Simply hold down <alt> while double-
clicking on a file and the document will be scanned and loaded in one go
Ö no dragging of a document is now needed.
9.8
There are a number of other features including user-definable memory/
performance specifications, password protection, which is particularly
useful in schools, and a selection of network preferences. Finally,
there is one more that merits more detailed attention: the Font Viewer.
9.8
Font viewer
9.8
The Font Viewer is a new application that can display any section of
text, from a single letter to a whole paragraph. To begin with, using
the button bar means that experimentation with fonts is easy. Text size,
leading, x/y ratio, justification, kerning, text and background colours
can all be changed and experimented with. Any styles can be saved and
quickly installed.
9.8
Secondly, character maps can be fully displayed, i.e.áASCII codes 0 to
255 (assuming all the characters exist in the font). Characters can be
entered either through the keyboard or by positioning the pointer over
the chosen character and pressing <alt>. It is then entered into the
keyboard buffer where it is available when the document is being edited.
9.8
Thirdly, an unlimited number of fonts can be viewed (memory permitting),
allowing easy comparison between fonts Ö a valuable aid when choosing
the correct font for a specific purpose.
9.8
Fourthly, several copies of the same piece of text, but using different
fonts, can have styles applied globally, allowing quick and easy
comparison. Finally, all views containing the same font can be updated
automatically. Altogether, this is an impressive, if slightly daunting,
addition to the software suite.
9.8
Installation
9.8
Installation is easy and is backed by a good manual which leads the user
gently through the process of using Font Directory 2. The software is
registered to the machine on which the software is to be installed.
Extra discs can be obtained from Look Systems. An application Ö !Install
Ö takes care of all the housework and, after a while, a window opens
offering options to control and examine fonts, set access to the font
partition, manage the fonts to be installed, and an option to change
parts of the partition (such as altering the partition size as your font
selection grows). All this is very straightforward, and the only area
where confusion could arise is when !Boot files may have to be manually
altered. However, this should not put off the nervous because the user
is gently led through the process by the manual.
9.8
Conclusions
9.8
FD2 costs ú45 including VAT, postage and packing (ú43 through Archive).
Network versions cost ú150, and upgrades from FD for single user and
network versions cost ú30. There will also be a FD2 Light, which will
cost ú25, but will not include the full WYSIWYG display and will look
more like the original FD. Extra discs, for second or third computers,
following the purchase of FD2 can be negotiated with Look Systems. All
in all, the pricing structure seems to represent good value for money,
since FD2 must be the ultimate font manager, offering facilities to a
high degree of sophistication.
9.8
Competition comes from EasyFont3, but I am unable to offer an objective
comparison without using both pieces of software. However, FD2 is now as
much an essential part of my desktop as FD used to be. If you are
seriously considering a font manager, I have no hesitation in
recommending Font Directory 2 to new users. As for existing users, ú30
is an expensive upgrade, but the extra functionality, features and
general ease of use are well worth considering.áuá
9.8
Graphics Column
9.8
David Thornton
9.8
Clares Micro Supplies have been developing RISC OS graphics software for
a number of years. This month, I shall look at Pro Artisan 24 and
Virtualise. Composition will be reviewed by Malcolm Banthorpe in a
separate article.
9.8
Pro Artisan 24
9.8
Pro Artisan 24 (or ProArt24 from now on) can be described as a 24-bit
painting program. It is a development of the famous Artisan series of
graphics software which has existed on the RISC OS platform for many
years. It is a RiscPC-only product Ö indeed, it would be pointless to
try to use a program of this calibre on anything other than a Risc PC.
It is just too graphics intensive and would be very limited on other
machines.
9.8
ProArt24 costs ú169.00 inclusive from Clares or ú160 through Archive.
However, substantial discounts are available for users of other RISC OS
graphics programs, especially the Artisan range, so do give Clares a
call to check the latest prices. Included in the package is a well-
presented and easy-to-follow manual with very few pages. Three floppy
discs are included containing the ProArt24 program and some excellent
exemplar material. A PhotoCD is also included, produced in association
with Cumana.
9.8
Installation onto a hard disc (or equivalent media) is required but is
very easy to do. Clares suggest that your Risc PC has 4-8Mb of main
memory and 2Mb of VRAM. The latter will enable the more suitable
desktops of 800╫600 in 16 million colours or 1024╫768 in 32 thousand
colours to be displayed. There is simply no point using a program of
this quality on machines equipped with less because the display would be
poor and the features of the program would be limited. More main memory
is also always nice but the 2Mb of VRAM is the priority. If you really
cannot afford the VRAM upgrade, 1Mb of VRAM will allow you to utilise
800╫600 in 32 thousand colours which should be quite acceptable.
9.8
The first thing that I noticed about ProArt24, after Iáhad loaded a
bitmap, was its unintrusive toolbar positioned at the top left of the
canvas. All of the features of ProArt24 have been categorised under just
ten logical icons, representing painting, drawing, sprite manipulation,
input and output, processing, colour, masking (a.k.a. frisket), zoom,
scale and undo. It is very obvious from most of the icons what each one
is for, so there is nothing difficult to learn here. To perform a task,
simply select the relevant icon and click <menu> to choose from the
toolæs range of features.
9.8
I am impressed by the painting options available in ProArt24. I believe
it to be the most comprehensive range of painting options in any RISC OS
bitmap program. I counted no less than sixteen different painting styles
and brushes under the painting menu, as well as options to fill areas of
the canvas in different ways and an option to edit aspects of each
brush. Some of the painting styles seemed very similar to each other,
but there are certain situations where the differences become more
apparent. ProArt24 pays attention to detail in this respect.
9.8
The drawing tool allows lines and geometric shapes to be added to the
canvas, and the text style window is very RISC OS compliant. There is a
useful try-out field in the text window which previews the text before
it is added to the canvas but, unfortunately, the text is not anti-
aliased. As with TheáBig Picture, from Longman Logotron, the text can be
anti-aliased afterwards using a separate tool giving very acceptable
results, although true anti-aliasing of text would have been preferable,
as in Photodesk.
9.8
The mask in ProArt24 is actually called the frisket and has 256 levels
of transparency, i.e. 8-bit. The frisket is easy to understand and has
been enhanced since the days of ProArt2. I found the new implementation
easier to work with. When the Create Frisket mode is selected, the
painting menu changes to reflect the features available, including
options to turn one or more of the RGB colour channels into the frisket.
For example, it is possible to make all red elements of a bitmap the
frisket, giving some interesting and unusual effects.
9.8
The colour palette can store up to 32 palettes, each containing 256
colour swatches. The Acorn colour picker is available for use and
individual palettes can be named. Hopefully, this will be extended to
individual colours in the future. Individual palettes can be saved and
imported as required.
9.8
ProArt24 has a suitable range of effects and filters, although I would
have liked to have seen a few more. It is possible to design your own
using 3╫3 matrices, as in most other high-end bitmap programs. Many of
the effects can either be applied to the entire image or just to certain
areas, using the frisket to protect parts of the bitmap, or by using a
brush to paint the effect on. The sprite manipulation tool also allows a
section of the bitmap which has been copied, to be manipulated in many
ways.
9.8
ProArt24 doesnæt have as many filters as Studio24Pro, or as many special
effects as PhotoTouch. The Big Picture also has the better colour
separation and modelling facilities. This is in no way a criticism of
ProArt24. If I specifically wanted filters, special effects or colour
management, Iáwould probably choose the other three respective packages
anyway, above all others. What ProArt24 does well is to provide a
comprehensive range of features that most users will be very happy with.
It all depends on how specialised you want to go.
9.8
ProArt24 includes excellent support for PhotoCD system. It displays
thumbnail previews of the images as groups of ten and can import images
using all but the smallest resolution. It is important to bear in mind
that the highest resolution will create a file of at least 24Mb!
ProArt24 also allows an area of a PhotoCD to be clipped and imported so
you can import a small section of the largest resolution image, for
example, if you have a limited supply of main memory.
9.8
As far as printing goes, ProArt24 displays a thumbnail preview of how
the bitmap will fit on the page. The printout can be scaled and centred
both horizontally and vertically. No colour correction is available, but
Computer Concepts latest TurboDriver software will provide for this if
you really need it.
9.8
ProArt24 relies on ChangeFSI, included in the Utilities directory of
every Risc PC and A7000, for importing bitmaps. It can import all
bitmaps supported by this software, as well as drawfiles and sprites
compressed using Squash. It can only import sprites into the sprite pool
and can only save bitmaps in either sprite or JPEG format. This is an
obvious limitation and should hopefully be addressed by Clares but, for
any serious bitmap manipulation using any bitmap editor, the purchase of
a copy of ImageFS2 would greatly increase anyoneæs productivity.
ImageFS2 also allows any supported bitmap file format, not just sprites,
to be dropped into the ProArt24 sprite pool.
9.8
ProArt24 does not support any kind of pressure-sensitive graphics
tablet, an omission which I also hope will be quickly addressed by
Clares. Some of the dialogue boxes and windows could also benefit from
being a little more RISC OS style guide compliant.
9.8
Conclusion
9.8
In my opinion ProArt24 is the best 24-bit graphics program for art and
painting, available for RISC OS. It does have some limitations, as I
have mentioned, but the tools available for creating original artwork
outshine those in alternative RISC OS programs, including Studio24Pro
and Photodesk. I wouldnæt choose it for photo-retouching or special
effects, but for painting, this is definitely the program for me.
9.8
Virtualise
9.8
Virtualise costs ú24.95 inclusive and requires a machine fitted with
RISC OS 3.50 or later because it makes of use of dynamic memory areas.
Virtualise is a utility designed to provide a virtual memory system for
any RISC OS application which supports dynamic memory areas. This not
only includes versions 1.02 of both ProArt24 and Compo, but also
versions 4.07 and 5.07 of both Impression Publisher and Impression
Publisher Plus.
9.8
ArtWorks currently does not support dynamic memory areas and neither
does The Big Picture (I am not a great fan of The Big Pictureæs virtual
memory system and had hoped that I could use Virtualise as an
alternative). Check the RISC OS tasks window to see if any of your
applications support dynamic memory areas. If they do, they will work
with Virtualise.
9.8
Virtualise is simple to use Ö which is just as well, as there is no
printed manual. All the instructions are in text format on the master
disc.
9.8
When Virtualise is loaded, selecting its icon reveals the dynamic areas
window, which lists all the applications on the computer which are
currently using dynamic memory areas. Various details about memory are
listed, and any application can be övirtualisedò by simply selecting it
on the list, clicking <menu> and selecting the virtualise option. Any
program can also be configured to automatically support virtualise, and
various information windows can be displayed, giving information about
memory page status, page faults and configuration. Instructions are
included about how to incorporate elements of the Virtualise module into
your own applications.
9.8
Conclusion
9.8
Virtualise is a useful complementary application for to ProArt24 and
Compo. These two applications have been optimised for use with it and
they all work particularly well together. If you are also running out of
memory when using Impression Publisher or Publisher Plus, but donæt want
to use the directory file format to minimise memory, then Virtualise
could well be for you. It is well priced and easy to use.
9.8
End note
9.8
In the Printers and Printing Column in Archive 9.6, Dave Floyd mentioned
a conflict between his PC card software and CCæs Impression Publisher. I
had the same problem back in August and eventually found the solution.
The problem, for me, was also in conjunction with the TurboDrivers. I
was using one of the 1.8x versions of the PC card software from Aleph
One. The solution was to upgrade to the latest version of Publisher, the
TurboDriver software and the PC card software. The problem then
disappeared. I believe the problem to have been with the PC card
software after spending ages testing different scenarios and removing
things from my boot sequence.
9.8
I am now having problems with DOSFS. It seems that when I open a PC disc
containing files, my DOS maps donæt work and all the files map to file
types such as &E00, &100, &200, &300, &900 etc. The files also have
white icons. Could anyone help me with this problem please?
9.8
Contact me
9.8
You can contact me at 1 Castle Court, Lower Burraton, Saltash, Cornwall,
PL12 4SE or as <[e-mail]>.
9.8
The next issue will have to be my last as Graphics Column editor as I am
going to have to spend a bit more time on my A Level studies! If anyone
would be interested in taking over this column, please get in touch with
Paul.áuá
9.8
Beginnersæ Column Ö Draw
9.8
John Temple
9.8
First of all, may I apologise for missing three issues and thank those
of you who wrote to me either with suggestions or with good wishes. Your
letters were very much appreciated and if I havenæt already, I will
reply soon.
9.8
Last time we looked at Draw, and I hope I managed to convey to you what
a powerful application it is. We examined the toolbox and some of the
menus, and I said I would give you a summary of all of them. Paul
published my diagram in the February edition and this article is my
commentary on it. It seemed appropriate for me to use Draw itself to
produce the diagram. If you want an A4 printout, look in the Beginnersæ
directory on the monthly disc.
9.8
To bring up the main Draw menu, click <menu> on a Draw window. (See
Archive 9.4 p68 right hand column, under the trees.) What is available
in the menu depends upon which version of Draw you use. The whole of
this article refers to version 0.88. The top menu is just a list of
submenus, except for the last item which is Toolbox. Clicking on the
word Toolbox simply turns the toolbox on and off. Try it.
9.8
It is useful to be able to do this if the toolbox gets in the way of
what you are doing. You can always turn it back on again, or you can
simply select tools via the Enter submenu.
9.8
To bring up a submenu, move the cursor onto the appropriate name in the
main menu. It will become highlighted. Move the cursor to the right,
over the arrow, and the submenu will appear. Repeat the process if you
want a further submenu, wherever there is a right pointing arrow.
9.8
Misc
9.8
The first submenu contains a mixture of facilities which do not belong
in any of the others. Info tells you about the version of Draw you are
using, including the version number. New view creates a second window
onto the drawing you are working on. Whatever you do in one is copied in
the other. This is useful if you want to work on more than one part of a
drawing at the same time or if you want different magnifications of the
same part of a drawing.
9.8
Paper limits brings up a submenu. Click on Show to reveal the limits of
the area which will be printed when you ask for a printout. (This only
works if you have a printer driver loaded into the computer, normally
indicated by a printer icon on the iconbar.) Anything in the grey area
round the edge of the drawing will not be printed.
9.8
You can change the area to be printed by pressing either <ctrl-select>
at the point which you wish to be at the bottom left or <ctrl-adjust> at
the point at the top right. The area defined is the same size and scale
as the original printer area. The facility is useful if you want to
print a drawfile which is larger than A4 but your printer only goes up
to A4 size.
9.8
An alternative way of redefining the print area is to use <select> to
drag a rectangle whilst holding <ctrl>. This is more difficult because
both the x- and y-axes are rescaled to fit the defined area to the
printer paper, so you can inadvertently introduce distortion. To reset
the printer area to its default size and position, click on Reset, in
the Paper limits submenu.
9.8
Portrait and Landscape set the orientation of the page, and you can
choose the paper size from A0 to A5. Be careful here, because the print
area is not defined by the paper size. If you select an A5 page, itáwill
print out on half an A4 sheet. If you select A3, you will only get the
A4 part enclosed by the grey printer limits.
9.8
Save
9.8
The first time you save a drawfile, you need to have the directory
visible where you are going to put the file. Choosing one of the Save
options brings up the Save dialogue box, enabling you to give the file a
title, and then you must drag the icon into the chosen directory. After
the first time, you can choose Save and then press <Return> and the file
will be saved under the same name in the same directory, overwriting the
previous version.
9.8
Selecting File will save the whole drawfile. The other options will save
only selected objects, or all the sprites and nothing else, or just the
text. If there are no selected objects, or no sprites, or no text, these
options will be greyed out and not available. Notice the shortcuts to
these options using <f3> with (or without) <shift> and/or <ctrl>.
<shift> is indicated by an up arrow, <ctrl> by a symbol like a
circumflex accent (^).
9.8
It is a good idea to save your work regularly as you go along, perhaps
using two filenames alternately. I once lost three hours hard work by
failing to keep saving, because somebody accidentally turned my computer
off. Aaarrggghh! Never again.
9.8
Style
9.8
Line width can be anything from Éthinæ to 4, or you can type in your own
value, between 0.01 and 999, though these extremes are rather absurd and
may be modified automatically. If you magnify or diminish an object, the
line width is automatically rescaled in proportion, unless it is Éthinæ.
9.8
Line colour, Fill colour, Text colour and Background all bring up a
window like this:
9.8
(RiscPC users will have a more comprehensive colour picker but with some
similar elements to this. Ed.)
9.8
The boxes are shades of grey from white to black (top row) and a
selection of colours (bottom row). Clicking on a box selects that
particular shade or colour. Alternatively, colours can be set by
dragging or clicking in the long boxes labelled R, G and B to adjust the
proportions of red, green and blue, or you can adjust them using the
arrows on the left. <None> means transparent. You have to click <OK> to
confirm your choice, otherwise nothing happens.
9.8
Line pattern givesáyou solid lines or a choice of dotted lines. Join
refers to the nature of the corners between lines (mitred, round, or
bevelled). The easiest way to find out exactly what these terms mean is
to try them out with some nice thick lines.
9.8
The differences between Mitred, Round and Bevelled joins are more
apparent in acute angles than in obtuse angles.
9.8
Start cap and End cap do something similar with the ends of lines (Butt,
Round, Square or Triangle). Triangle puts an arrowhead at the start or
end of a line Ö ideal for drawing Neptuneæs trident. The submenu allows
you to define the width and height of the arrowhead. Dotted lines have
the chosen start and/or end on each dot. Here are a solid line and a
dotted line, each with a triangle start cap and a round end cap.
9.8
If a line crosses over itself, creating an inner closed area within a
figure which is to be filled, there has to be a rule to decide whether
or not the inner area is filled. The rule is called the Winding rule,
and Draw has two to choose from. To decide whether or not an area is
filled, start inside the area and count how many times you have to cross
the line to get right outside the whole figure. With the Even-odd rule,
if the answer is an odd number, the area is filled and if it is an even
number, it is not filled. With the Non¡zero rule, you must also take
into account the direction of the line when you cross it. If it goes
left to right across your path you count it as plus one, if it goes
right to left you count minus one. If the answer is non-zero, the area
is filled; if it is zero, the area is not filled. Look at these two
single line objects which are identical in every respect except the
winding rule.
9.8
It makes you realise how amazing your computer is, does it not?
9.8
To put text into a drawfile, you must click on the text icon, T, on the
toolbox. Fontáname will then lead to a list of fonts that are available.
The submenu under the list selects the typefaces within the chosen font.
9.8
There are two ways of measuring the size of letters. Typists use (or
used to use) a scale based on characters per inch (cpi); printers use a
scale base on ems, an em being the size of the letter, m, measured,
Iábelieve, in hundredths of an inch. In the first scale, the numbers get
bigger as the letters get smaller (because there are more letters to the
inch). In the second, larger numbers indicate larger letters. The scales
cross over at about eleven. 10 cpi is roughly size 12 and 12 cpi is
roughly size 10. The typistsæ scale assumes that letters all have the
same width whereas the printersæ scale uses proportional spacing, which
is why the scales do not cross at ten.
9.8
Font size gives you a range of sizes to choose from by clicking. The
last number in the list can be changed using the keyboard. Move to it
with the mouse and change the value using <Delete> and typing in the
size you want in the range 1 to 999. Sizeá1 is really too small to be
resolved properly but size 2 is just about printable. A size 999 letter
fills an A4 page and, in some cases, is a little too big (m, w and most
capital letters), even to fit on A4.
9.8
Font height allows you to change the height of letters without altering
their width.
9.8
Text colour should be obvious, but Background is not quite what you
might think. It actually sets the colour of the anti-aliasing. Dave
Pantling has written about that in Archive 9.1 p61, so I shanæt go into
that.
9.8
Enter
9.8
The Enter submenu duplicates the toolbox with some subtle differences.
Text needs no explanation, but it is useful to note the alternative key
press of <ctrl-f7>. Line and Curve have their equivalents on the
toolbox, but you must also select or deselect Autoclose, further down
the menu, if you want or do not want a closed figure.
9.8
Move behaves precisely in the same way as its toolbox counterpart.
Complete and Abandon do not have equivalents; they complete an object
being constructed or abandon it. They have keystroke equivalents,
<return> and <esc> respectively. I had not realised this until playing
around with these tools in preparation for writing this article. Many a
time, Iáhave accidentally started an object and wondered how to abandon
it. And, occasionally, I have not been able to complete satisfactorily.
<Return> and <esc> are certainly joining my repertoire of skills.
9.8
The last two items in the Enter submenu, Rectangle and Ellipse should
need no extra word from me.
9.8
Select (f6)
9.8
Pressing <f6> has the same effect as clicking on the Select pointer on
the toolbox. This is not the same as using <menu> and then <select> to
select Select.
9.8
(You had better read the last two sentences again, or try this
translation: Pressing <f6> has the same effect as clicking on the lowest
icon on the toolbox. This is not the same as using the middle mouse
button and then the left mouse button to choose the submenu Select.)
9.8
If you do enter the Select(ion) submenu without first having selected
any objects in the drawing, you will find all but one of the options
greyed out. The only one that is always available is Select all. If you
click on that (and assuming there is something to select), most of the
other items will become available (and black) and every object in the
drawing will be selected. Of course, you do not have to select
everything. You can select just a few objects by clicking on them Ö
click the first object using <select> and subsequent objects using
<adjust>.
9.8
You can then Copy, Delete or Group the selection. Copy makes a straight
copy of everything selected Ö the copies end up as the selection, and
the originals are deselected. Delete leaves you with nothing selected.
Group puts all the objects together and treats them as a single object.
Grouped objects behave differently from ungrouped objects when they are
magnified or rotated.
9.8
The group of three objects (above right), a rectangle, a triangle and a
circle, was copied four times. The first two copies were rotated either
as separate objects or as a single (grouped) object. The other two
copies were treated similarly and then magnified. Compare the rotated
objects and then compare the magnified objects.
9.8
Clear means deselect everything. Ungroup reverses what Group does.
Grouping can be nested. That is, groups may be grouped. Ungrouping
leaves the previous layer of grouping intact.
9.8
Edit only works if the selection is a single, ungrouped text object. It
is a useful extra brought by RISC OS 3 and I have found it valuable for
correcting my many mistakes. For example, it saves having to redo a
whole text entry just for one letter.
9.8
Snap to grid works if the grid is visible or locked or both. Personally,
I am a bit wary of using it because it sometimes distorts a drawing and
it can be difficult to put back. But you can Undo and Redo in the Misc
submenu or simply by using <f8> and <f9>.
9.8
Justify works on a selection of objects which have been grouped. Look
carefully at the examples below.
9.8
Interpolate is fun. You need two objects with the same number and type
of points and lines. Each point moves to its corresponding point, in a
straight line, using however many steps (graduations) you specify. The
figure opposite shows what happens, but if you want to see some more
spectacular effects, look in the User Guide.
9.8
Grade is almost the same but not quite. The difference is in what
happens with the fill colour(s). Try it.
9.8
Convert to path applies only to outline fonts. Try this:
9.8
Type in some text, for example the word öTextò, using System font,
StyleÖsize 72. You can see how the system font is designed, in terms of
pixels. Now <select> the text and notice that you can use the handles on
the selection boxes to enlarge or diminish the words but not to rotate
them. Have a look, too, inside the Style menu and inside the Select menu
to see which items are available and which are greyed out.
9.8
With the word(s) still selected, click on StyleÖFont nameÖTrinity.
Notice how the outlines of the letters change.
9.8
Enter first the Select menu and then the Style menu and note which items
are available now. What has changed?
9.8
Yes, Convert to path has become available. You may also have noticed
that you can now rotate the text, but if you do, you will not be able to
convert it back into System font. Click on SelectÖConvert to path and
see what changes this time in the Select and Style menus.
9.8
Click on SelectÖUngroup and you will find it becomes possible to alter
the spacing between the letters. Unselect everything except the capital
T in öTextò. You can improve the appearance of the word by moving the T
in slightly closer to the e. This is known in the printing industry as
kerning.
9.8
Transform
9.8
This menu needs little explanation. Rotate rotates selected objects by
however many degrees you specify (but not text in System font, of
course). Plus or unsigned numbers produce anticlockwise rotation;
negative numbers result in clockwise rotation.
9.8
X scale magnifies selected object(s) in the horizontal direction only.
Fractional numbers produce diminution Ö for example .5 halves the size.
Y scale does the same in the vertical direction and Magnify does both
together. Line scale operates on the thickness of lines (unless they are
designated as thin).
9.8
As its name suggests, Zoom allows you to change the magnification of
your view of an area of your drawing, without changing the drawing
itself. (If you print it, it will not have changed.) You can use the up
and down arrows or alter the numbers in the magnifier by typing them. If
you use the arrows, the drawing is redone on every click. This can take
time if your drawing is complicated. If you type in a new value, you
have to change both numbers before the change takes effect (or change
one and press <return> twice). A useful shortcut to zoom is to use
<shift> and <adjust> to drag a box over the area you want to zoom in on.
<ctrl-R> will zoom you out again. Once you have defined a zoom, you can
use <ctrl-R> to toggle between zoom in and zoom out. You cannot undo a
zoom with <f8> or with the Misc menu.
9.8
Grid
9.8
Click on Grid to turn the grid on or off. Enter the menu to alter the
grid. Everything is self-explanatory, except perhaps Auto adjust. If you
zoom out with the grid on, you may find that the grid becomes so dense
that you canæt see your drawing. And it may take a long time to draw,
too. Turn on Auto adjust to avoid this.
9.8
We have already looked at the Toolbox, so you might think that is the
end. Not so Ö thereæs still a lot more to reveal about Draw. See you
next time.áuá
9.8
Multiple Minipodules on A4000
9.8
John Hughes
9.8
The A4000 was designed to take a single minipodule, so if you wanted to
run more than one, it would be necessary to plug and unplug the
different minipodules into the computer motherboard. The sockets are not
really designed for such treatment!
9.8
I had three minipodule cards: Midi, Scanlight256 and PC cards.
Simultaneous use of any two of these was considered to be highly
unlikely so, instead, a solution which allowed any one of the three to
be presented to the A4000 was devised. Fortunately, Acorn has the
helpful idea (missing from industry standard Prattsæ Calculators) that
podules should be self-initialising. The solution does involve soldering
skill, and is not for the feeble of sight, or the short-tempered.
9.8
To avoid problems with data skew and interference, short lengths of 50-
way ribbon cable are used for all connections. At the rear of the
computer motherboard are four sockets, with 17, 5, 5, and 17 female
socket holes (17A, 5B, 5C, and 17D respectively from left to right) into
which the minipodule pins fit. These are wirewrap sockets, and gold-
plated wirewrap plugs to fit (Part no.P5372) can be obtained from
Greenweld Electronic Components on 01703-236363. The 24-pin variety is
most suitable, since it can be carefully cut to the required number of
pins. To these sockets, an eight inch length of 50-way ribbon cable
(also from Greenweld, Part No. Y1500) can be carefully soldered, being
sure to preserve the numerical order of each strand of the ribbon cable.
9.8
On the other end of the ribbon a 50-way D socket is soldered. The
section of ribbon cable soldered to the 17A wirewrap plug can be
soldered to the top row of pins on the D socket, the 17D wires to the
lower row of pins, and the 5B and 5C plugs soldered to the middle row.
This configuration is most convenient for checking purposes, and is also
helpful because the Midi board does not use the 5B and 5C pins.
9.8
A similar process is performed on the actual minipodules. Antistatic
precaution must be taken throughout this part of the process to avoid
fatal damage to the minipodules.
9.8
The first step is to obtain and cut a metal box of suitable proportions
to mount the minipodules, stacked one above the other, with sufficient
clearance to avoid any possibility of electrical short between them.
Cutouts must be made in one side of the box to mount the minipodules,
using the screw holes provided in the minipodule backplates Ö the PC
card is best mounted on top so that the occasional edible chip can be
warmed up on top of the box!
9.8
It may be found helpful to shorten the legs of each minipodule with
sidecutters to make room! (I see what you mean that itæs not for the
faint-hearted Ö once the legs are clipped short, thereæs no turning
back! Ed.) On the opposite side of the box, cut an aperture just wide
enough to hold three 50-way D sockets, and to get your fingers past them
to allow for bolting them to the box. (50-way D sockets, D plugs and
hoods are available from Maplin Electronics).
9.8
A three inch length of 50-way ribbon cable should now be soldered from
each D socket to each minipodule, observing the same wiring conventions
as on the connecting cable to the computer motherboard. At this point, a
careful visual check should be made to ensure that every wire is
correctly soldered, that no solder splashes have found their way onto
the minipodules, and that everything is sound. Do not use a multimeter
to check for continuity, since this might send a lethal current through
the minipodule. Each podule and its assembled leads can then be
carefully tested on the computer before final assembly.
9.8
The final assembly of the three minipodules into the box is fiddly and
needs to be done with care. When the job is finished, the connecting
cable can be inserted into the computer and then into one of the
D¡sockets on the box. The actual box is situated at the rear of the
computer.
9.8
The system allows any one podule to be available to the A4000 at any one
time. What cannot, and must not, be done is to attempt to change modules
while the computer is running. The shutdown procedure must be followed
first, and power removed from the computer altogether. If this is
followed, the A4000 will now demonstrate the ability to access more than
one minipodule.áuá
9.8
Digital Symphony Masterpieces CD
9.8
Chris Coe
9.8
This CD-ROM effectively puts an end to the need to ever buy any Symphony
tracks from a PD library. It is a large collection of tracks for use
with the Digital Symphony application or any of the many PD music
players out there Ö a filer count reveals 3134 Symphonies in all.
9.8
As well as this, the CD-ROM includes a small application called
!SymphPlay, for those who have no other way of hearing the tracks, and a
demo of Digital Symphony itself which has save and print disabled, and
quits after 15 minutes use. This demo includes the !Symphony
application, tutorial program and a large number of samples, plus a few
example tunes for you to experiment with.
9.8
What do you get?
9.8
The main purpose of the CD-ROM though, is the large library of music. In
fact, the CD-ROM is less than half full, but there is such a vast
quantity of files that you are bound to find what you are looking for,
be it a piece for inclusion in a game or a demo (in which case the
latest DSymphonyPlayer module is included), for a multimedia
presentation, or just to listen to while you are working away in the
desktop, as I am doing now.
9.8
If you want to include music in your own commercial products, you have
to contact Oregan for permission, something which I did some time ago
and had no trouble whatsoever in obtaining. Whether the music supplied
on this CD-ROM is actually PD or not, Iáam unsure, but I would assume it
is.
9.8
How is it stored?
9.8
The tracks have not been stored in archives, so everything is in ugly
capitals, and finding songs isnæt exactly easy unless you know what it
is called (so you can do a filer find). The main problem is that the
categories are strange. There is no annoying interface such as those you
sometimes have to use on other CD-ROMs to access files, just an ordinary
filer window with directories and sub-directories, but they are not
arranged too well.
9.8
The main directories at the root level are Dance, Demo, Fun, Misc,
Quick, Rock, Sample, Soft and Voyages. Dance is OK, since itæs pretty
descriptive and contains the directories Acid_Tekno, Dance1, Dance2,
Hardcore, Rave and Rave_Plus, but Demo contains 01, 02, 03, 04 and 05.
What kind of category is Demo anyway? Similarly, Voyages contains
Environment, EpicScores and Scores. Also, some of the tracks werenæt in
the right categories anyway. Some of the tunes in Dance.Rave were
definitely not, and then I heard others that I thought would have been
better placed there. Perhaps it depends upon your idea of music, but I
found it fairly confusing, overall.
9.8
...feel the quality!
9.8
However, on a much happier (and I think more important) note, the
quality of most of the tunes was excellent, in both composition and
sample quality. The latter may have been helped by the fact that I am
using 16-bit sound connected to hi-fi speakers. Symphonies are an 8-bit
format similar to STModules and STrackers, but on RiscPCs with 16¡bit
sound, the 8-bit samples have their sample rate doubled and intermediate
amplitude levels added between each byte by RISC OS to make them 16-bit.
This gives the illusion of improved sampling quality and really does
sound impressive through a good pair of speakers. Of course, in such an
enormous selection, you are bound to find some dross, but overall I
found them to be quite pleasing to the ear, especially the Soft.Mellow
tracks which go nicely in the background while I am working. Again, you
have to have something of a taste for Écomputer musicæ to appreciate
this.
9.8
A note of caution
9.8
With 16-bit sound, oscilloscopes donæt work Ö well, not on any of the
programs that I have, and that includes the Symphony programs on this
CD-ROM. Also, !SymphPlay sometimes gives sound out of only one speaker.
Other programs, such as my own !MultiPlay PD player, donæt suffer from
this problem. Switching to 8-bit sound makes the oscilloscopes work
again, but you donæt hear any sound at all! This isnæt the fault of
Oregan or Zenta Multimedia though.
9.8
Conclusion
9.8
Despite my gripes, this is a CD-ROM that remains in my CD drive for the
majority of the time I spend using my Acorn. I donæt suppose I have
listened to even an eighth of the tunes, but I would be astonished if
someone looking for Éthat particular songæ to add to their world-beating
new program couldnæt find what theyære looking for here. Symphony is
also the best track format available on the Acorn, offering the widest
range of effects and using the least disc space, so the tunes are likely
to be of higher quality and, for ú29.95, youære paying less than a penny
per tune.
9.8
Digital Symphony Masterpieces CD is ú29.95 from Zenta MultiMedia, or ú29
through Archive.áuá
9.8
Textease 2
9.8
Christopher Murray
9.8
Textease 2 and Talking Textease were released at Acorn World 95. They
are, as you may guess from their names, a new version of Textease and a
talking version of it. Textease version 1 was reviewed in Archive 8.8
p43, so this article deals with the changes only.
9.8
I have been using Textease since the beginning of 1995, and have watched
as the number of features incorporated has increased. Now, with the
release of version 2, a number of customersæ suggestions have been
included, along with additional features that were previously only
available on Impression and Mac/PC.
9.8
The package now contains two discs, a completely rewritten guide book
(size A5 landscape), all in a proper box. Disc 1 holds the main
application, clipart and a selection of default setups, and Disc 2 holds
tutorials, examples of text flows, a 1996 calendar, example borders, two
fonts, a pronunciation editor for the !speak module and some label
templates.
9.8
Whatæs new?
9.8
The first thing I noticed with version 2 was the snazzy new sprite
sitting on the iconbar. With the spell checker switched on, it still
only takes up 608Kb of memory.
9.8
There are now more buttons across the button bar but, of course, the
button bar automatically scrolls sideways. A new feature incorporated is
the ability to rearrange, or remove altogether, buttons on the bar just
by drag and drop. Brilliant! The new buttons are for spelling, drawing
circles or ellipses, a word bank, a picture bank and a zoom tool.
9.8
If an Edit file is dropped onto the word bank window, whole lines of
text can be transferred from the word bank into your document. This is
useful if you frequently use standard phrases or complicated technical
names. Teachers may find it useful for writing pupil reports, building
up the report from a range of standard phrases. The word bank can have
its own styles set and be saved separately. The picture bank button
gives easy access to a directory of clipart and pictures
9.8
There are other new features, such as drag and drop editing, OLE, auto
save, simple save to specified path, grading of text, colours and lines,
the rotation and scaling of graphics and, oh yes, rotated text that is
editable! There is an improved search and replace facility which can
either take the usual entered replace string or the contents from the
clipboard.
9.8
Then there is a revised layout tool for centring objects on the page.
Objects can now be locked to the page, which is handy for creating forms
that need to be filled in on screen. Also, the options menu from the
icon bar allows many features to be set as the default.
9.8
Talking version
9.8
The Talking version of Textease2 was a novelty at first, but proved very
useful as time went on. I found after a long dayæs work and an evening
spent typing my OU assignment, it was very nice to sit back and have the
Stephen Hawkinsæ voice read my work back to me. There is plenty of
control over the speaking part of the software. This is, in fact, the
öSpeakò module from Jon Duddington incorporated into the software. My
children love using it and I find I have my work read back to me always
now.
9.8
The help information line can also speak to you.
9.8
Conclusions
9.8
Softease have deliberately aimed at the education market with this,
their first product. It is, in fact, featured in Acornæs own publicity
material for the A7000. I believe schools wishing to allow children to
express themselves on paper, with text and graphics, will find this
product more than satisfactory. It is very easy to use, just click and
go. My three children aged 13, 11 and 7 all use it. Having said that, it
would be a shame if this product were labelled with the öeducationò
sticker Ö it is more than adequate for most usersæ needs. The price has
gone up from last year because there are now more features and Softease
are now VAT registered. I like it and use it nearly every day. I
thoroughly recommend it.
9.8
Textease version 2 costs ú49 +VAT from Softease and Talking Textease is
ú65 +VAT, or ú55 and ú73 through Archive.áuá
9.8
Using the Acorn Toolbox ù 2
9.8
Tony Houghton
9.8
Step 3
9.8
Now we need some way of getting a file into the program. The Toolbox
makes it easy to export or save a file, but not to import or load one.
Iæve written a general purpose Écomponentæ (in the sense of a set of C
functions and structures or C++ classes, rather than a Toolbox
component) for loading and importing files; have a look at import.h. You
will be able to use this in other programs you write.
9.8
It starts off with three types of functions that its Éclientæ (in this
case other functions in FormText) should provide for handling the
importing of files. An ImportLoader should load a file from a filing
system (usually a disc); an ImportBufferHandler should handle memory
allocation for a file being transferred in memory. An ImportComplete
will be called when a data transfer has been completed. Ináeach case,
the handle argument is provided as a pointer to some data that the
client can specify to keep track of what itæs loading.
9.8
In case you have little RISC OS Wimp programming experience before
learning the Toolbox, I had better digress slightly to explain data
transfer from the receiving taskæs point of view. I should point out
that the PRM has a more complete description than mine on pages 3¡249 to
3-256. A task can be asked to load something with one of three Wimp
messages; Iæll use the names as defined in wimp.h supplied with Acorn C/
C++.
9.8
Wimp_MDataOpen means a file has been double-clicked. FormText wonæt be
responding to this Ö it should only be claimed by editors that Éownæ a
particular filetype.
9.8
Wimp_MDataLoad means the program should load a file from disc. It is
usually sent if a file is dragged from a filer window to an application.
9.8
Wimp_MDataSave means a file has been dragged from the Save as dialogue
box of another application to our application. This can be dealt with in
one of two ways. The simpler way is to reply to the sending task with
Wimp_MDataSaveAck, asking it to save the file as <Wimp$Scrap> and then
send us Wimp_MDataLoad. Or we can reply with Wimp_MRAMFetch, asking for
the file to be sent by RAM transfer. Not all applications will be able
to do this, so if we donæt receive a Wimp_MRAMTransmit reply from it, we
should then resort to scrap file transfer.
9.8
RAM transfer consists of a series of Wimp_MRAMTransmit and
Wimp_MRAMFetch messages until the sending task sends a block of data
that doesnæt fill the receiving taskæs buffer; then the receiving task
knows the transfer is complete. Data is not actually sent with the
Transmit messages, but by the sending task calling
wimp_transfer_block(). The message is needed to tell the receiving task
that this has been done.
9.8
Most of the above work is done by import; all the client has to do is
wait for one of the three initiating messages, and call import_start,
supplying pointers to its three functions. importæs client is textfile Ö
have a look at textfile.c to see how it works. The textfile variable is
used to point to a file in memory, but the value of the pointer may
change as memory is moved around by flex; a pointer to textfile is used
as the handle for the import functions. Using a pointer to a pointer is
confusing, but necessary because of the way flexlib works.
9.8
It is a shifting heap manager, meaning that it shifts blocks of memory
around to make sure there are never any unused areas in the middle of
the heap. Therefore, pointers to flex blocks do not have fixed values;
they may be changed at any time by another call to flex. This means that
there must only ever be one copy of the pointer, or the master copy
could change without updating its copies.
9.8
So, for flex block pointers to be passed around safely, we are forced to
use a pointer to the master pointer. flex uses the area of memory
immediately above what was available to the task before calling
flex_init(), and calls wimp_slot_size() during each operation to make
sure it has just enough memory. You can get flexlib as part of the C/C++
Upgrade described in my previous article.
9.8
textfile_initialise() is called once at the beginning of main(). It
initialises the flex memory manager, and registers an event handler for
the two messages that it will receive when a file is dragged to
FormText; textfile_importer() can be used for both because import does
so much of the work. The former just checks that the file is text and
calls import_start().
9.8
textfile_loader() allocates memory for the file and loads it. Although
it knows at this point whether it has loaded a file, it is best to wait
until textfile_complete() is called before taking any further action Ö
thatæs its purpose.
9.8
textfile_bufferer() checks whether any memory has been allocated yet,
and allocates a new flex block if not, otherwise it extends the block.
It then updates importæs pointer to point to the empty part of the block
just made available, and returns with its size.
9.8
textfile_complete() at the moment just shows a message saying what file
it has loaded and how big it is, then clears the memory ready to receive
another file.
9.8
To add new files to a Makefile, Make should be loaded with the Auto run
option off, then the Makefile loaded. The new files (in this case
textfile.c, import.c and flexlib) should then be dragged to Makeæs
Insert field and OK clicked. This adds the files to the list of those to
be compiled and linked to form the RunImage.
9.8
Step 4
9.8
The first thing we want to happen when a file is dragged to FormText is
for the main window to open. There are two new files, settings.h and
settings.c to deal with the window. settings.h just contains a struct
definition for how the settings are stored internally and in the
preferences file, and function declarations for initialising and showing
the window. All other functions concerned with the window are called
from these two, or by event handlers.
9.8
Open settings.c and look at the function settings_initialise(). This is
called once at the beginning of main() to prepare the settings windowæs
handlers. Most of the operations on the window will need to know its
ObjectId, but how do we find this out? We set the windowæs auto-create
flag for convenience when testing the interface with ResTest, so we
canæt simply call toolbox_create_ object() and get the id that way.
9.8
In this situation, it might be more sensible to clear the auto-create
flag and create it Éby handæ, but it is important to know how to deal
with auto-created objects, because more sophisticated applications will
make heavy use of objects that are automatically created by virtue of
their being attached to other objects.
9.8
One strategy is to ensure that all events generated by an object have
reason codes unique to that object and only refer to the objectæs id in
its handlers, where the id is available as the self_id field of the
IdBlock£ passed to event_initialise(). This may not always be possible.
9.8
To allow an auto-created objectæs id to be found as soon as possible and
used globally (the strategy used by FormText for Window), we use the
Toolbox_ObjectAutoCreated event. When objects are auto-created, these
events are queued up until they can be returned by event_poll() (or
simply Wimp_Poll if not using eventlib). As far as Iáknow,
Toolbox_ObjectAutoCreated event data is generated after the object, and
all its attached objects have been created, so you can find out the ids
of attached objects when handling the event.
9.8
settings_initialise() registers a handler called settings_created to
detect when the main (settings) window has been created. The other three
handlers registered by settings_initialise() are for events connected
with the window, but they have unique event numbers so can be registered
before knowing the id.
9.8
Now have a look at settings_created(). First of all, it casts the event
to the right type of struct Ö in this case,
ToolboxObjectAutoCreatedEvent *toace. This sort of casting is a frequent
chore when using the Toolbox. Then it checks that the name of the object
that has just been created is öWindowò. If not, it returns zero to
indicate it has not handled the event, and some other handler might want
to do so.
9.8
If it is öWindowò, it reads its id from the self_id field of the
IdBlock, and stores it in the variable settings_window. Then it checks
for a settings preferences file that may have been created by a user
saving the settings, and loads the settings from it. If no file is
present, it reads the current settings from the window. In this way, the
default settings can be edited by editing the Res file. The handler also
politely deregisters itself, because it is only needed once.
9.8
The functions write_window() and read_window() are for writing the
settings to the window and reading them from the window, respectively. I
havenæt room in this article to explain all the gadget-handling methods,
but they should be fairly easy to understand from the manual; I suggest
you look at how FormText uses them. set_fades() reads the current state
of the Contents option button and fades, or unfades, other connected
gadgets accordingly. There is no SWI to do this explicitly, so it has to
rather inelegantly manipulate each gadgetæs flag word.
9.8
Letæs consider the other event handlers registered by
settings_initialise(). cancel_clicked() clears the text file from
memory. It doesnæt need to close the window, because unlike with Wimp
applications, an action button closes a window unless the buttonæs Local
option is set. An action buttonæs Cancel option doesnæt currently seem
to do anything, but I suspect itæs supposed to force <adjust> to close a
window as well as <select>.
9.8
save_clicked() reads the settings from the window and saves them in a
preferences file (see above).
9.8
contents_click() responds to changes in state of the Contents option
button and calls set_fades().
9.8
At this stage, I have modified textfile_complete() to call
settings_show() instead of showing a message about the file that has
been loaded then clearing it. settings_show() uses toolbox_show_object()
to show the settings window as a static window/dialogue box, opening it
at the position defined in the Res file.
9.8
A static window/dialogue box remains open until explicitly closed,
whereas a transient dialogue box behaves like a menu and closes when the
user presses <escape> or clicks outside it. Those familiar with Wimp
programming will know that the former is opened by Wimp_OpenWindow and
the latter by Wimp_CreateMenu.
9.8
Step 5
9.8
We now need to consider that the file will have to be saved once
processed, using the SaveAs object. In settings.c, I have added a
Toolbox_ObjectAutoCreated handler for öSaveAsò, similar to the one for
öWindowò. It stores the id in the variable saveas_id.
9.8
There is also a handler for a click on the Format button,
format_clicked(). This handler reads the settings from the window, then
calls textfile_process, passing saveas_id so the function can set the
SaveAs pointers to the file. If the processing is successful, the main
window is hidden and SaveAs is opened. I have chosen to make it a static
dialogue box, because itæs a nuisance if it vanishes while you hunt down
that directory you forgot to open beforehand. Once SaveAs is open, the
Toolbox handles all its functionality for us, because its Client
participates option isnæt ticked.
9.8
There is just one final handler registered by settings_initialise(). The
saveas_done() clears the file from memory when it has been saved.
9.8
The main work of the program is done by textfile_process() in
textfile.c. It returns 1 if successful, or 0 if not. It works with a
simple multi-pass technique, applying one sub-process to the whole file
at each stage. This can take a while, so Iæve added some simple
Hourglass macros in hourglass.h.
9.8
I wonæt describe how the file is processed because it is irrelevant to
the Toolbox, but feel free to examine the code if youære interested.
Once the file has been processed, saveas_set_data_address() is called to
inform SaveAs of the fileæs address and size before returning control to
the function that opens SaveAs.
9.8
Conclusion
9.8
I hope you now know enough to write your own, larger, Toolbox
applications. Obviously, I havenæt been able to cover the whole Toolbox,
but I have tried to describe its most important concepts. Please donæt
consider FormText to be a well-designed and well-coded application. In
fact, its user interface is quite weak. It was just something I cooked
up in a hurry to demonstrate some of the more important parts of the
Toolbox, but it happens to do a useful job, albeit no more than
adequately.
9.8
Keep your fingers crossed for a better C++ compiler and decent class
libraries, and if any of you happen to meet someone from ART in the
meantime, ask awkward questions! u
9.8
£ There is a mistake on page 13 of Issue 1 of the User Interface Toolbox
manual. In the table showing the layout of the id block, the ancestor
fields should be at the top and the self fields at the bottom.
9.8
Starting Basic Ö 9
9.8
Ray Favre
9.8
Before starting this monthæs topics, WHILE... ENDWHILE and TRUE/FALSE, I
need to give you the answer to the homework question left from last
time. You will (yet again!) get the Error message öunknown or missing
variableò, because the keyword is MID$( and not MID$. Putting a space
between öMID$ò and ö(ò will stop it being recognised as a keyword.
However, MID$ on its own is a perfectly valid string variable name (see
later this article), but one which the program hasnæt yet seen Ö hence
the error message. TAB( is the same.
9.8
The WHILE ... ENDWHILE loop
9.8
This control loop complements the REPEATá... UNTIL loop. The crucial
difference is that  WHILE... ENDWHILE has an entry condition at the
start of its loop, whereas REPEATá...áUNTIL has an exit condition at the
end of its loop. The general form is:
9.8
WHILE <Entry Condition>
9.8
  <instructions>
9.8
ENDWHILE
9.8
As with all Basic condition statements, the entry condition must be able
to be evaluated to TRUE/FALSE. If, and only if, it is TRUE, the
instructions within the loop (up to the ENDWHILE) will be carried out.
The program then returns to the WHILE line again, and the entry
condition is re-tested. If and when the entry condition evaluates to
FALSE, the program skips directly to the line after the ENDWHILE line.
Therefore, if the entry condition is FALSE when the program first
arrives at the WHILE line, the loop is never entered.
9.8
Here is an example:
9.8
Word$ = öabcdefò
9.8
NewWord$ = öò : REM null string assigned at the start.
9.8
Position% = 1
9.8
WHILE Position% <= LEN(Word$)
9.8
  NewWord$ = MID$(Word$,Position%,1)
9.8
+ NewWord$
9.8
  Position% += 1
9.8
ENDWHILE
9.8
IF NewWord$ = öò THEN PRINT öDidnæt
9.8
 Enter Loop!ö ELSE PRINT NewWord$
9.8
Run as shown, this will print the contents of Word$ backwards. But if
you change the third line to Position% = 7, you will get the message
öDidnæt Enter Loop!ò. Compare this with the REPEAT ... UNTIL loop which
always carries out its loop instructions at least once.
9.8
The different elements of WHILE ... ENDWHILE loops need not be on
separate program lines Ö and that is all we need to say: it is a
straightforward construction.
9.8
TRUE and FALSE
9.8
Iæve been a little lax in using these terms in the series so far, and it
is as well to tie them down a bit more precisely. Letæs take it in easy
steps. Type the following, as a short Basic program, and run it:
9.8
Marker% = TRUE
9.8
Flag% = FALSE
9.8
PRINT Marker%
9.8
PRINT Flag%
9.8
you will get Ö1 and 0 as the results. This tells us that BBC Basic uses
the numbers Ö1 and 0 to represent TRUE and FALSE respectively. This is
an important piece of knowledge, so embed it in your memory!
9.8
Now letæs go a little further by typing and running the following new
program. (Iæve put the condition statements in brackets to emphasize
them. Remember, from Part 6, that everything between the IF and the THEN
counts as the condition statement and will be evaluated to find out
whether it is TRUE or FALSE. Also remember that most other constructions
and loops have condition statements and these same TRUE/FALSE rules will
apply.)
9.8
Marker% = 6 Ö 7
9.8
Flag% = 8 Ö 8
9.8
IF (Marker% = Ö1) PRINT ö1st Condition
9.8
 is Trueö
9.8
IF (Flag%  = 0) THEN PRINT ö2nd
9.8
 Condition is Trueö
9.8
When run, this will print both messages; showing, as you would expect
here, that the 1st and 2nd condition statements both evaluate to TRUE,
because we have deliberately made the numbers accord with the required
condition.
9.8
Now add the following two lines and run the program again:
9.8
IF (Marker%) THEN PRINT ö3rd Condition
9.8
 is True alsoö
9.8
IF (Flag%) THEN PRINT ö4th Condition
9.8
 is True alsoö
9.8
This will print 1st, 2nd and 3rd messages Ö but not the 4th. So, the
evaluations of (Marker%á=áÖ1) and (Marker%) are both TRUE, because
Marker% holds the value Ö1. However, whereas the evaluation of
(Flag%á=á0) is TRUE (because Flag% does equal zero!), the evaluation of
(Flag%), on its own, is FALSE, because Flag% holds the value 0.
9.8
It makes sense, but you might have to go through it a couple of times to
ensure you follow it properly.
9.8
Now, change the last line to:
9.8
IF (NOT Flag%) THEN PRINT ö4th
9.8
Condition is True alsoö
9.8
and re-run. This time the 4th message is added to the output, because
NOT changes TRUE into FALSE and vice versa. (NOT is one of the operators
covered in the supplementary sheet referred to in Part 8.)
9.8
So far so good. But now, with all the above changes still in place,
change the first line to:
9.8
Marker% = 9 Ö 6    (or any sum that does not give 0 as a result)
9.8
and you will now get 2nd, 3rd, and 4th messages.  The surprise result (I
hope!) is that the 3rd message still appears. What does this tell us? It
indicates that Basic regards any non-zero value, on its own (i.e. as the
complete condition statement), to be TRUE.
9.8
Check this out by adding the lines:
9.8
Number% = 77
9.8
IF (Number%) THEN PRINT ö5th Condition
9.8
 is True too!ö
9.8
and the 5th message will be added to the output. Try it with Ö77, 0 and
Ö1 just to convince yourself thoroughly. Only when the value is 0 will
the 5th message not appear.
9.8
Because the above points can be a little difficult to absorb straight
away, I would advise that beginners:
9.8
(a) try to use full condition statements wherever you can. It is easier
to understand and less likely to produce surprises; e.g. use:
9.8
         IF (Marker% = TRUE) THEN ....
9.8
  rather than:
9.8
         IF (Marker%) THEN .....
9.8
(b) always put the brackets round the condition statement to help you
remember what is happening.
9.8
(I know I have not followed these points in some of the instances in the
ÉLoanæ programs so far! It is a case of familiarity obscuring a point,
until a beginneræs question revealed the need to explain it. Touch wood,
there havenæt been too many. It also goes to show the importance of your
feedback.)
9.8
Points from Readersæ feedback
9.8
Error trap Ö Youæll recall that I introduced a simple error trap very
early in the series to assist if (when!) you made typing errors in
programs. The single-line error trap was:
9.8
ON ERROR REPORT:PRINTö at Line ò ; ERL :END
9.8
I simply want to mention here that you should keep a note of this,
because it is a good standby to plug into a program temporarily to find
out öWIHIH?ò (öWhat In H*** Is Happening?ò!). A reader was in difficulty
after updating one of the ÉLoanæ listings at a point which is reached by
the program before the normal error trap comes into play. He was getting
an error message, but without a line number to help. Adding the above
line at the very start solved the problem quickly. Interestingly, it
pointed to a line which was correct and the problem lay elsewhere Ö
which is not uncommon, but thatæs another story!
9.8
Printer/Screen characters Ö A potential problem for beginners is that
different computers, different keyboards and different printers can
produce different characters from the same keyboard press and/or ascii
code. Different characters on the screen, compared with the printer
output, can also occur. The notorious example is the ú sign. There are
rarely problems with normal letter characters, but some of the less-used
characters often exhibit differences.
9.8
Printer drivers and the Wimp environment have eliminated most (but not
all) of the problems when we use commercial applications (because part
of their job is to match the keyboard output to the printed output). But
in the non-Wimp environment and in a series such as this, the
difficulties can still occur Ö mainly because it is simplest to
introduce the subject of printing by demonstrating how to make direct
commands from Basic to the printer i.e. not using a printer driver.
9.8
My attempt in Part 5 to provide an Ascii chart in Basic form (to provide
a hard copy for those who do not have Impression) raised the matter
earlier than I intended. Character 124 gives öªò as a printer output (at
least on my Epson printer) but probably gives ö|ò on the screen.
9.8
(öHow did he get both symbols printed in the above sentence then?ò Ö I
hear you ask! Because my keyboard has both symbols shown Ö albeit that
one of them is obtained by pressing <Alt> with the key. Interestingly,
the on-screen symbols in Impression Publisher are the reverse of these
two keyboard symbols. Directly from Basic, my printer prints ª as per
the keyboard symbol, but then  produces a  for | on the keyboard! See
what I mean about confusion for beginners!)
9.8
I will not be tackling the subject of printing in this series for a
while yet (I need to build up energy for it!) Ö but at least be aware
for now that you can run into a few odd problems when/if you use direct
printing from Basic, and that some symbols may appear on screen
differently from the keyboard, even with commercial programs.
9.8
Other points
9.8
Variable names Ö We have been using and naming variables without much
comment since they were introduced in Part 2. There are, however, some
restrictions on what can be used for variable names Ö and you have
possibly already deduced some of the rules from our comments on error
messages and keywords:
9.8
Ö no spaces allowed within the name (which is why many people use the
underscore character Ascii Code 95 (&5F) to separate words within a
variable name, e.g. variable_name).
9.8
Ö no punctuation marks or arithmetic operator signs allowed. In fact,
any symbol which is used in Basic for some special purpose must not
appear in a variable name, e.g. # or ! (N.B. When we use % and $ at the
end of a variable name to designate its type, they are not regarded as
part of the name Ö but they must not be used elsewhere in the name.)
9.8
Ö must not start with a numerical digit Ö but digits can be used after
the start.
9.8
Ö must not start with any Basic keyword Ö for obvious reasons. But donæt
forget that all keywords are in upper case, so their lower case
counterparts (or a mixture) are OK.
9.8
If you compare these rules with those for PROC/FN names, you will find
that the latter are less restrictive because they can start with a digit
or a keyword Ö and the symbol @ can also be used. (Filenames have their
own separate rules Ö see Use Guide. They are not controlled by Basic.)
9.8
Declaring string variables Ö In program listings (a prime source of
information for beginners) you may see a sequence like this:
9.8
String$ = STRING$(20,ö ò)
9.8
String$ = öò
9.8
and wonder why the programmer has declared the string to be 20
characters long and then changed it to a shorter string, or even a null
string (as shown).
9.8
If you are using a string variable whose contents are going to vary
through the course of the program run, it is good practice to make the
initial declaration of that variable with a string of the maximum length
that the variable is likely to need. The reason, oddly enough, is to
economise on the use of the memory space needed to run the program.
9.8
If a Basic variable is storing a string of a certain length and it then
is called upon to assign a shorter string, there is no problem Ö the new
string is stored within the same space as the original string. However,
if the new string is longer, the Basic interpreter will allocate a
completely new storage space for the longer string Ö retaining, but not
using, the previous space occupied. So, for example, if the previous
string was 6 characters long and the new string is 7, then a total of 13
spaces (plus two lots of Éstorage overheadæ) will now be taken up. Do
this a few times and a lot of waste space will be generated.
9.8
You can now see the reason for the opening sequence: the programmer
wants String$ to start as a null string, but knows it is going to meet
other values, up to 20 characters long, during the run. The sequence
ensures that only 20 spaces (plus one Éoverheadæ) are used. If he is
wrong, and a string of length greater than 20 arises, then the program
will start to waste space Ö but almost certainly not as much as would
have occurred without the opening sequence.
9.8
This practice is particularly important when string arrays are declared
Ö which is a later topic.
9.8
(For the first time since the printed listings service started, there is
nothing to send out this time. But donæt worry, Énormal service will be
resumedæ next time!)
9.8
Next time
9.8
We have now finished our temporary diversions. Next time we start
looking at graphics from scratch, leading to developing our ÉLoanæ
program further. Donæt forget the feedback, queries (and A4 SAEs for
printed listings) to: 26 West Drayton Park Avenue, West Drayton, UB7
7QA.áuá
9.8
Outline Fonts from iSV
9.8
Ted Lacey
9.8
Having reviewed Zenta Multimediaæs Font Emporium CD-ROM (8.10 p45), my
first thoughts on reading about these fonts was simply that, if they
were converted PD versions from the USA, the price seemed rather high. I
am now given to understand that the term Public Domain is a bit of a red
herring in that, for some of the fonts, iSV use American PD PostScript
fonts as an inspiration, and the results have very little, if anything,
left of the original font after it has been re-designed.
9.8
Having obtained Packs 277 (2╫800Kb discs) and 298 (3╫800Kb discs) from
Paul, I set about having a good look at them. Pack 277 contains 36
families with a total of 276 fonts, and Pack 298 has 39 families with a
total of 282 fonts.
9.8
All fonts contain the styles or faces of Regular, Condensed and
Extended, all with corresponding oblique styles. In addition, ten
families on Pack 277 and eight families on Pack 298 contain Bold styles.
The Bold styles again contain a further six faces of Regular, Condensed
and Extended, again with oblique styles. In plain language, 20 font
families have a total of twelve styles each, the remaining 55 having six
styles.
9.8
Unlike a lot of PD fonts, they really are complete, containing all the
characters in the Latin 1 set. They have been well converted from the
original source, with scaffold lines, and kerning data has been added. I
understand that, where necessary, some fonts have been redrawn. The end
result is very good and the fonts contain all those foreign characters
with accents, as well as fractions and most of the other Éoddæ
characters associated with a good quality font.
9.8
The data on the discs comes in a compressed form, apparently using !CFS,
and needs to be installed. Read the !iSVManual first, which gives clear
instructions about doing this, and the amount of free hard disc memory
required. Clicking on the !iSVFonts application brings up a menu which
gives you a choice of whether to install to an Acorn !Fonts folder,
EasyFont or FontDirectory. I tested the installation using all three
methods and I am happy to report that there were no problems.
9.8
The on-screen menu tells you what to do and when to change floppy discs.
In addition, you get a warning that it will take about 5 minutes. After
using ArcFS as my compression system for several years, I found this
time delay a little irksome Ö I have got used to almost instant access.
9.8
Having installed the fonts, I then set about producing a document with
Impression Publisher using all the fonts, although only one style per
font. In order to be able to see results clearly, I used 24point
characters. The end result is extremely good, all printing well, with no
rough edges, and my initial reservations about the price were soon
dispelled.
9.8
It is obvious that a lot of work has gone into producing these fonts,
and the selection on both packs is well varied. Compared to other PD
fonts on the market, they are far superior and are obviously suited to
the professional DTP user as well as the home user. Naturally, cost
comes into the argument and, in the end, it boils down to what you can
afford. Pricewise, iSV fonts appear to fall nicely between the
inexpensive, but often incomplete, PD fonts, and those produced on a
more professional basis.
9.8
As regards memory, you will need about 5Mb of hard disc space in order
to install both packs. For anybody with a shortage of memory, I would
recommend installing to an Acorn !Fonts folder first and then perhaps
sorting the fonts into various directories which best describe the font,
such as Script, Serif, SansSerif, Heavy etc. They could then be saved
back to floppy discs and used when required. It is important to note
that, at the moment, installation directly to floppy discs cannot be
done. However, if you have a machine without a hard disc, but with extra
memory, you could install the fonts by creating a RAM disc of around
4Mb. It might be possible to do this on a 4Mb computer by making as much
memory as possible available and doing one pack at a time. The de-
compressed fonts could then be copied to floppy discs of a size suitable
for your setup.
9.8
This memory restriction is my only real criticism of these otherwise
excellent packages. It seems to me that, by making the packs so large,
the author is not catering for the needs of Acorn users with machines
which do not have a hard disc. Perhaps consideration might be given to
producing a smaller öBest ofò pack to tap into this market.
9.8
The price is ú25 per pack or ú35 for the two, plus ú1.50 post and
packing, direct from iSV Products.
9.8
All testing was done on a 26Mb RiscPC with a 410Mb hard disc.áu
9.8
Postscript
9.8
The publication of the above review was delayed because of lack of space
in the magazine and since then there have been some developments on
these products by iSV. In the words of Aaron Timbrell, they have
introduced a new font installer that allows you to drag a font folder
out rather than in. It displays the names of the fonts as they are
installed to either Acorn, Easy Font or Font Directory. There is a new
on-screen manual with pictures that can be printed out. All the fonts
have been remade using a later copy of !Fontfiend (an iSV product) and,
in particular, the hinting has been improved dramatically. Some of the
fonts on the older packs had a few characters missing and these have now
been added. Some families have extra weights, particularly Pack 277,
which now has over 300 fonts and occupies 3 ╫ 800Kb floppies. The width
of all the extended and condensed fonts have been modified, as some of
them were too condensed or too extended. These weights now have a
different kerning from regular and bold weights.
9.8
I have successfully installed the fonts to hard disc and a Proteus CD-
ROM drive optical disc (added since the original review), using the
Acorn folders and EasyFont version 3.17. I have not tried installation
with Font Directory, but have no doubt that this will work as well. Due
to the upgrading of these fonts they now require more memory than
before. The manual still quotes 5Mb of hard disc space as a minimum
requirement, whereas now one needs about 7.5 Mb for Pack 277 and about
6.5 Mb for Pack 298. The time to install is longer and a more realistic
time is 10 minutes for the larger pack.
9.8
I was also sent a copy of their Black Letter Font Pack (2 ╫ 800Kb
discs). This is a rather specialised pack, as it consists mainly of
Gothic and Old English styles of fonts. It should be noted that some of
the fonts on this pack are also on the other two packs Ö 4 on 277 and 6
on 298. They installed without any problems.
9.8
Further to my previous comments about users without a hard disc, iSV
inform me that they have now dropped plans to provide installation to
floppy disc, as enquiries made by customers at the recent Acorn World,
produced only one without a hard disc.
9.8
It is obvious that a lot of hard work has gone into improving these
products, and they now represent even better value for money and are
strongly recommended.
9.8
Prices for the products have been revised as follows:
9.8
Packs 277 and 298 Ö ú25 per pack. Both packs ordered together are now
ú35.
9.8
Black Letter pack Ö ú20.
9.8
In all cases, add post and packing of ú1.50 in the UK and ú3.50 abroad
per order.
9.8
For existing users of Packs 277 and 298, upgrades are ú10 per single
pack and ú15 for the two Ö send your original discs back to iSV.
9.8
Site licences for primary and secondary schools have also been revised
and are now 50% of the purchase price, which allows the product to be
used on any number of machines at the school. For example, a school
ordering Packs 277 and 298 at the same time, would need to include an
extra ú17.50 with their order.áuá
9.8
Tick-Tack: Travel and Tourism
9.8
Neil Hutchinson
9.8
The Tick-Tack/Penfriend range of language teaching software is not a new
product. For a number of years, Primrose Publishing has produced this
type of software for the full range of platforms. (I understand that
versions of the program were produced for the original BBC.) However,
the öAcorn Archimedesò program takes full advantage of the multitasking
desktop and is fully RISC OS compliant.
9.8
Contents
9.8
The program comes on a single 800Kb floppy disc (which may be backed
up). There are instruction manuals in English (or whichever language is
acting as the ömother tongueò) and the chosen target language;
accompanying these are helpful notes on teaching strategies as well as
RISC OS specific notes on use of the program. In the review copy,
English, French and German were available as both ömother tongueò and
target languages; and this particular program deals with the topic of
Travel and Tourism. This is one area of many for which the Tick-Tack
range caters. A greater breadth of commercial material is available for
the PC versions, but such material may well be made available to the
Acorn world in due course.
9.8
Installation and use
9.8
The program may be installed on hard disc simply by copying from the
floppy. Clearly, the trust of the author should not be abused. When
loaded, according to the Task Manager, the program occupies 464Kb,
enabling it to be used alongside word processors on all but 1Mb
machines. The program was, in fact, tested on my own RiscáPC (with
substantial memory) and on an A3010 with 2Mb RAM.
9.8
When loaded (on the iconbar), a single click will open two windows. The
first allows the user to select the ömother tongueò and target
languages, and whether the programæs output should be directed to an
external application or not. This window is also the öworking
environmentò where you select the topic for the next sentence, and then
the sentence itself. The second window is an Edit-style text window
where the output will appear if the user so chooses.
9.8
The program may be used in an almost casual manner to explore the range
of sentences provided, but the manuals have a printed list of all the
sentences. With a specific letter-writing task in mind, you point to a
topic area (Opening Sentences, Hotel Bookings, Accidents and Medical,
Conferences and Functions, to name but a few) and then to the sentence
which most closely matches what you want to communicate. The whole
sentence is not visible in the window, due to its size being
deliberately restricted. However, by loading Acornæs !Help application,
you can view the full sentence in the help window which you can place
wherever you like. Clicking <select> will then send the sentence to the
output document.
9.8
Clearly, in order to edit the sentences provided (regarding dates,
times, places. etc), the user must be aware of the target languageæs
basic structure and vocabulary. Within a few minutes, by repeating the
procedure several times, a letter can be produced that would have taken
a considerable amount of time and effort without the aid of a bilingual
colleague or, indeed, professional help. Once you become familiar with
the program, each sentence may be selected by entering its brief
alphanumeric code (e.g. B13), saving further time.
9.8
You can use the program with its second window and save the output in
text file format for later editing and incorporating into a word
processed document. However, the program is at its best when working in
conjunction with an established word processing program. Provided that
the window of your WP program has the input focus (the title bar is
yellow), then the output appears in the current style as defined by the
user. This method speeds things up tremendously. I have tested it with
Fireworkz, Style and PipeDreamá4. The text does not appear
instantaneously but as if you were typing very quickly. It generally
worked sucsessfully, but with PipeDream, an occasional letter
disappeared from the output, requiring manual insertion later.
9.8
The educational context
9.8
As a modern language teacher, I am only too aware of the pressures that
can exist to use Information Technology for its own sake, instead of
supporting the primary aim of modern language lessons, the acquisition
of foreign language skills. This Tick-Tack product sets out to provide a
functional and educational tool öfor the hotel, travel and tourist
industries and for students planning a career in themò to quote the
manual. Travel and Transport, Holidays, Accommodation, Geographical
Surroundings, Health and Welfare, Free Time and Entertainment, are all
modern language GCSE topics for which material is provided by this
program.
9.8
Although the software caters for a high standard of language competence,
there is no reason why it should not be used for the letters needed to
practise this level of work. However, lower ability students might find
the breadth of material overwhelming, and all students would need clear
and specific guidance as to the task to be completed when using
Tick¡Tack.
9.8
The success engendered by using this program to produce output of a
öprofessionalò quality will lead to a greater degree of student
satisfaction with the subject. In my opinion, those school students who
would make the most specific and regular use of the program as reviewed
are those studying the GNVQ Leisure and Tourism option, with a modern
language element in their studies. For these clients, this software is
ideal. Students studying on traditional A¡level courses would also
benefit greatly from the practical and useful nature of the material.
9.8
Product support
9.8
I have spoken to the author, David Sephton, and was impressed with both
his attention to detail and his willingness to spend time with
purchasers, both actual and potential. Presentations and training may be
offered, by arrangement, to educational professionals considering the
adoption of the software for an institution. To reduce the costs (e.g.
supply cover) to potential clients, such sessions may even be held at
weekends. Clearly, this facility is offered not to the casual and
curious, but to those in education who are seriously considering using
the product. Nevertheless, it demonstrates the authoræs confidence in
his software.
9.8
Costs
9.8
Tick-Tack products are not cheap, but their cost reflects the
professional nature of the product, and of its author. Prices start at
ú75 +VAT for Junior Pen¡Friend in a single language plus English, to
ú401 +VAT for Travel/Tourism Tick-Tack in a combined pack with English/
French/German/Spanish and Italian. Site licences are double the single-
user prices and the author is happy to negotiate licence arrangements
for groups of institutions and local authorities. Potential users will
need to decide whether their use of the product justifies the
expenditure.
9.8
Conclusions
9.8
This is an excellent product which does exactly what it sets out to do.
Anyone with a smattering of the target language can produce letters of
very high quality and fluency, that communicate clearly and accurately.
Whether a typical secondary school modern languages department could
justify the expense of the software will depend very much on the use
that might be made of it.
9.8
The post-16 education market is where this program will come into its
own, especially given the growth of courses that incorporate foreign
language study into a wider commercial syllabus. In this area, I would
consider such a piece of software essential. Adult learners, whether at
home or in a commercial setting, will find that confidence and
competence are increased by the use of Tick-Tack.
9.8
Furthermore, any small travel company or indeed anyone who corresponds
on this topic for commercial gain, ought to have this program Ö
translation fees could be sharply reduced. In addition, those who
regularly organise their own independent travel to the countries
concerned, will find the program of great interest.áu
9.8
PIMS
9.8
Mike Tomkinson
9.8
The problems of administering a School, even a small school, have not
been well addressed by writers of software in the Acorn world. Even
those of us teaching in Acorn schools are often forced to use PC
packages. At last this situation has a remedy, even if only for Primary/
Junior Schools.
9.8
PIMS or Primary Information Management System from Longman Logotron is
the first management system available for the Acorn range of computers
for use in schools.
9.8
PIMS is actually a difficult package to review in the normal sense. One
usually gains a good impression of a package at an early stage of using
it Ö often by comparison with another package. In this case, there is no
other similar package on the Acorn platform. Comparisons with DOS/
Windows packages are fruitless Ö if you are using them you are probably
stuck with them.
9.8
Any administration package has a steep curve of usability. This is only
partially related to its ease of use. Any changeover will tend to be
gradual, and there will be certain aspects of any package, for example
Inventory, that you may decide not to use immediately, if at all.
9.8
One area by which any administration software will tend to stand or
fall, will be in relation to pupil and staff records. Other aspects,
such as accounts, are more problematic.
9.8
Data input
9.8
As you would expect, the pupil/staff aspects are dealt with via a
database-like function. This is written in Longman Logotronæs S-Base.
Pupil and staff records are at the heart of PRIME (PIMS Rapid
Information Management Environment).
9.8
The pupil data contains all that one would expect and require in a
Primary/Junior school. This is entered into a card for each pupil and a
number of fields have the fast entry method, whereby a menu appears and
the user makes an appropriate choice.
9.8
An example is the Doctor field Ö most pupils would live locally and have
a Doctor from a Group Practice. You simply enter the names of the
doctors and, by using <menu>, their names appear. One single click and
their names are entered on the individualæs card.
9.8
Data output
9.8
This certainly eases data entry, but it is data output, not entry, which
is critical in any such software. After all, you may initially only be
using the software to produce better looking lists. Anything else you
can do may be a nice spin-off, but is not as crucial as a well
presented, up-to-date class list.
9.8
Here PIMS really comes into its own. There are four pre-defined methods
of displaying the data on screen and these, combined with careful
searching and sorting, give access to a wide variety of paper outputs.
As with any such software, the ability to customise is useful Ö but you
probably wonæt need to change it immediately. Only when you realise the
true potential of the package as it stands, does this ability become
useful. The Report Designer enables a whole range of different reports
to be designed, and should certainly assist on Form 7 Day.
9.8
One PIMS trainer I spoke to said that, depending on the school, this
level of true functionality only becomes apparent to some schools a year
after installation of the software.
9.8
Documentation and support
9.8
This brings us to another very important point about PIMS. The software
is well supported by a very good manual Ö but a manual is often a last
resort. After all, the whole point of PIMS is that it is being presented
on a RISCáOS desktop Ö it should therefore be naturally easy to use.
9.8
In the case of PIMS, however, the manual is not the last resort. PIMS is
not sold as just a package, but as part of a bundle, which includes
training and support. Without these it is useless. The training and
support exist not because PIMS is difficult to use Ö it is not Ö but
because, without these, productivity will not increase. If productivity
did not increase, you would have to ask questions as to why you were
computerising the administration in the first place. In fact,
productivity would plummet, simply because you were running two systems
in parallel.
9.8
Some might consider that talk of productivity was out of place in a
primary school context. If so, they are probably well out of touch with
modern educational developments. Resource management becomes more
critical in smaller organisations, not less.
9.8
Accounts
9.8
The accounting part of PIMS consists of an Accounts module, a Budgeting
module, a Purchasing module, an Inventory module and a Petty Cash
module.
9.8
I was reviewing the PIMS Evaluation Pack consisting of the full manual
and disks which only contain a subset of the full package. None of the
accounting modules were available, and I am always reluctant to pass
comment or judgment on any software based only on what the manual says
it should do.
9.8
Perhaps, to be fair to PIMS, it would be best to say that if the
accounting software performs only half as well as the pupil/staff
modules, it is an excellent overall package.
9.8
Try before you buy?
9.8
As PIMS does consist of a total solution to Primary/Junior school
management, Longman provide alternative methods of ÉTry before you buyæ.
I have already mentioned the PIMS Evaluation Package, and another
solution is the Dealer Demonstration Package. Obviously, this involves
an Acorn Dealer who is accredited by Longman who will demonstrate the
entire package before a school commits itself.
9.8
In fact, I would advise against the Evaluation Pack Ö its scope is too
limited to give a fair idea of what the total package is likely to be
capable of achieving.
9.8
Equipment
9.8
PIMS will run on any RISCáOS computer equipped with a hard disc, but I
would always recommend using the most powerful machine available. For
most primary schools, an A5000 or A4000 would suffice, if it has at
least 4Mb of RAM, but a RiscáPC would be a more sensible option for new
users.
9.8
Overall
9.8
I have very few reservations about this major package. One slight gripe
is that, although the manual is excellent and the package relatively
straightforward, Iálike on-line help. Perhaps I have been spoilt by the
excellent on-line help which accompanies most Windows programs, but I
really prefer it to manuals.
9.8
The purchase of PIMS should not be considered as a one-time purchase.
Indeed, there would be major disadvantages if this were the case. To be
of any use, an administration package must be able to respond to change
Ö both from the user, and changes caused by external agencies, such as
the Department for Education or the Local Education Authority.
9.8
Longman are constantly updating PIMS in response to both factors for
change. Any school which had particular requirements could probably be
accommodated, owing to the inherent flexibility of PIMS and the S-Base
language in which it is written.
9.8
Indeed, there are already major changes underway. For this reason, any
purchaser would wish to always have the latest version and, for this
reason, is really purchasing a rolling licence which entitles them to
this level of user support.
9.8
Conclusion
9.8
Any Primary/Junior School even considering the introduction of computers
into its administration should consider this package. This advice
applies whatever other systems are currently in use Ö it costs nothing
to look and evaluate. Data can be imported and exported, and the data is
not locked into one platform.
9.8
Talk to your local Acorn Education Dealer before committing yourself to
any other administration system Ö PIMS will offer you an Acorn
alternative.áuá
9.8
MenuBar
9.8
John Laski
9.8
One of the (few) good ideas in Windows 3 was the notion that you could
minimise a file, a directory or an application, and pin it to the window
in which it normally ran. At about the same time, RISCáOS 3 incorporated
the idea of the pinboard, which had been available for a long time as PD
utilities. This allows files, directories and applications to be stuck
to the desktop backdrop. Then, clicking on the pinned file relaunches
it.
9.8
This was a very useful idea which enables a file to be accessible
without the whole of its directory window cluttering up the screen.
However, there remains a tedious problem. How can you remember
whereabouts you have pinned the file underneath the pile of windows on
the screen?
9.8
Unlike other designers of G(raphical) U(ser) I(nterface)s, Acorn do not
insist that you do things their way, but provide hooks for programmers
to try out alternatives. In this case, it is the Éiconiseæ protocol and
its associated messages. I have been looking at the three programmersæ
attempts at such an improvement. MenuBar, subject to minor criticisms,
is by far the best.
9.8
Earlier attempts
9.8
I shall describe and criticise the earlier two first, in order to convey
the kind of difficulties the problem raises, so that, when I describe
MenuBaræs story, you will see why it is such a good one.
9.8
!Larger, from Warm Silence Software, conceives the desktop as a large
virtual space, with the display viewing a movable window within it.
Thus, for example, you could pin your files on the left, and put your
windows on the right; you would swap views according to what you wanted
to see. In theory, this solves the problem but, in practice, I could
still never remember where I had put things.
9.8
!Judith provides a window covering the complete desktop in which files
can be pinned. This window can be sent to the top and bottom of the
open-window stack so that it alternately is hidden by, or hides, the
desktop. This works well for simple use within a session but,
unfortunately, there seems no way of making a !boot file iconise to the
window, since *PIN only pins to the desktop, and the new Judith Iconiser
does not intercept it. I think it would be easy to make a module for
!Judith and have it recognise, say, *PINJ. Were this done, !Judith would
be quite effective, and it has the advantage of being freeware.
9.8
(In what follows, ÉMenuæ with an upper case M will refer to one of
MenuBaræs windows, not to the middle mouse button or to wimp menus, so
please watch carefully because Émenuæ and ÉMenuæ are used frequently.)
9.8
MenuBar description
9.8
MenuBar, designed and programmed by Graham Crow, provides up to ten
pull-down menus across the top of the screen, which you can name, and in
which you can put the files to which you want access. Rolled up, a Menu
leaves just its title on the top of the screen. Mouse clicks on a file
in a Menu act, substantially, as they would on an iconised file.
9.8
Dragging the title down and up, opens and closes the Menu so that you
can see what is pinned in it. Each pinned file occupies about the same
depth as an item in a wimp menu. The metaphor of window-blinds in a
physical window, that can be rolled down and up, may give you a feeling
for their use Ö but they roll smoothly and never need oiling!
9.8
This arrangement provides an excellent and flexible trade-off between
the amount of a screen used for pinned files, the number of files you
can pin, and how much you have to remember about the whereabouts of a
pinned file. Moreover, in the all Menus, a submenu, ÉFind <leaf>æ, will
open the Menu containing <leaf> with <leaf> selected. This is very
useful if you forget where you have put a file. ÉFind <path>æ is also
available, which allows you to find files containing a certain string,
although wild cards are available.
9.8
If you click on <menu> over any MenuBar window, you get a menu with
submenus: All Menus, Menu <thismenu>, File/Directory/Application <this
item>. Also, the usual items, Info/Choices/Help/Quit, appear below a
dotted line. I shall suggest below that Allmenus should be moved
elsewhere and Menu <thisMenu> promoted. I shall talk about öFile <this
item>ò, meaning File, Directory or Application, as appropriate.
9.8
Managing Menus
9.8
In the ÉAll Menusæ submenu is ÉAdd Menuæ which creates, to the right of
all existing Menus, a new Menu with a standard name <Menu#>. You can
then drag with <alt> to reposition this Menu where you want it and, in
the submenu Menu <Menu#>, click on the item Name to rename it to
something that makes better sense to you. Below this is ÉRemove Menuæ
for if you have finished with a Menu and want to delete it.
9.8
Both All Menus and Menu <Menuname> contain items Open/Close/Front/Back,
Sort by Name/Sort by Type and *Iconsprite. The first two groups have
obvious meanings, but I would like to see selections ticked or clear so
that I can see what the current state is Ö this would also shorten the
menus.
9.8
If *Iconsprite is set, the boot file of any application in Menu/all
Menus is run when MenuBar is first loaded. This will, usually, provide
icons for items in the Menus. I like this very much.
9.8
There is a maximum of thirty files per Menu and ten Menus allowed. If
the full width of Menus would overflow the width of the screen, they
overlap neatly. I think these limits are generous but, in principle,
Iáam against limits, and I would prefer to see the MenuBar slide left or
right as the iconbar does, though perhaps by clicking arrow buttons
rather than automatically. This would allow a button to access the All
Menus submenu, and get it out of the way. The All Menus submenu also has
items Save as data and Save as text, the first of which saves the Menu
states for automatic restart, and the second as readable text in a file.
9.8
Not documented, however, is a Save/Cancel/Ignore window shown, when
quitting after modifying the Menus. This effects Save data if Save is
clicked, and also is shown if you exit the desktop or shutdown. Iáfind
this very useful indeed.
9.8
Managing items in Menus
9.8
Dragging a (selection of) file icon(s) to a Menu inserts these in that
Menu. If sort by type/name is set, they will be appropriately
positioned, or you can drag them within the menu. Within the File <this
item> submenu are items Pathname and Info, which give you further
information about the file, plus Filer and Remove. Clicking on Remove
takes the file out of the Menu, and Filer opens the filer window which
holds the file. This last is most ingenious, effectively halving, for
me, the number of entries I need to put in my Menus.
9.8
If a file is in a Menu, you can click, double-click or drag it, and the
effect is as if you did so on the file in its home window. N.B. for
safety reasons, pressing <shift> will not remove files from the
underlying directory, but only from the Menus.
9.8
A particularly interesting feature is that if you press <alt> while
dragging a file that is in a Menu to an application in another Menu
then, rather than putting the file into the second Menu, the application
will be applied to the file. This saves cluttering the iconbar, a very
useful capability.
9.8
One or two niggles
9.8
There are one or two problems which, for the user, can be a bit
tiresome. Firstly, whenever MenuBar is loaded, or the mode is changed,
MenuBar is set to Front. There should be a button in the choices window
that sets/saves this. It does not really belong in the AllMenus submenu.
9.8
Also, the default setting for most users, should, Iásuspect, be Back.
Moreover, the keys to change this should be hotkeys, not restricted to
when the pointer is over a MenuBar window; you usually want the MenuBar
to come up front when you are in the window of another application, and
MenuBar is totally hidden by other windows. The use of <ctrl-select> and
<ctrl-adjust> as shortcuts to send the bar to the front or back is
unusual, but harmless. I donæt think it is worth having the facility to
front or back individual Menus, and I would take these out of the Menu
<this menu> submenu.
9.8
Conclusion
9.8
MenuBar, version 1, is a first class program and I shall keep it and use
it on my desktop. It provides the best solution I have seen yet to the
pinning access problem, and I doubt I shall see a better one.
9.8
However, there are some rough edges that I have mentioned above. I look
forward to version 2 in which these have been rubbed away. When this has
been done, I would recommend everyone to buy this as an essential
extension to the desktop. Maybe, even RISCáOS4 would accept it as the
standard pinning arrangement!
9.8
Menubar costs ú11.95 +VAT +p&p from Beebug or ú15 through Archive.áuá
9.8
Picture Point
9.8
Richard Rymarz
9.8
Now here is something a little different. Longman Logotron produce a
number of excellent educational programs as well as Éseriousæ packages
such as Eureka and Pinpoint. One of their newest is Picture Point Ö a
database designed for young children. The uninformed may ask why should
children aged 5, 6 and 7 involve themselves in such an apparently
austere exercise? Well part of the requirements of the National
Curriculum states that, by the age of 7, children should be able to
ÉEnter and store informationæ and that they should ÉRetrieve, process
and display information that has been stored.æ (Key Stage 1 Ö National
Curriculum Ö Programmes of Study)
9.8
More importantly, my experience as a primary school teacher for many
years, tells me that using a computer to do all these things is fun, and
children derive great pleasure from seeing their work displayed so
easily and tidily, and they enjoy being able to draw simple conclusions
from the data they have collected.
9.8
The package
9.8
This particular database comes in the usual Longmanæs style Ö a user
guide wrapped up in a classy A4 booklet and a sealed envelope containing
the two discs Ö one application disc and one set of topic files Ö and
the now familiar copyright and licensing conditions. A slight irritation
here Ö I do wish Longman would provide a pouch in the manual to hold the
discs. Not everyone has hard discs, and it would be nice to keep the
floppy discs with the manual. Installation to hard disc is simple, with
clear instructions, and is accomplished in seconds. There is no
protection, and floppy disc users are urged to make a set of backups.
Alternatively, the program is available on CD-ROM and costs exactly the
same.
9.8
The programs
9.8
There are two programs: !Collector which allows the actual data to be
collected; and !Designer where new database topics are designed.
9.8
!Collector
9.8
Clicking on !Collector installs it on the iconbar. Topics already
created are embedded within the program and an arrowed window allows the
user to scroll through them. By default, they include a variety of
subjects commonly covered in the the early years in school: throwing a
die (probability and chance), footwear, favourite fruits, different ways
to make a journey, pets, rubbish, school dinners, sports and weather.
The window also contains a short description of the topic and an
appropriate picture.
9.8
Having chosen the topic, a click on Create File and the database entry
screen is displayed. This is very attractively laid out in a grid with
appropriate sprites and words enhancing the simplicity of the design.
Clicking on a picture (which is effectively the field) increases the
total by one and a very clear sound effect is heard.
9.8
In fact, clicking on any part of the screen elicits a sound or a spoken
word. And herein lies one of the major attractions of Picture Point Ö
digitised speech. It really is quite exciting for young children to hear
as well as see what is shown on screen. Furthermore, for the teacher,
there is the obvious appeal of allowing those with limited reading
skills to use a database with ease.
9.8
Alongside is a simple toolbox allowing the child to add or subtract
data, create a graph, save and print. Data is entered by clicking on the
picture in the correct box (hence the name of the program, Picture
Point). Clicking on the graph toolbox icon brings up a graph choice box
(as well as the word, öGraphingò) which includes pictographs, bar charts
and pie charts Ö easy enough for younger children.
9.8
Picture Point even counts the totals in the columns and Ésaysæ them. Up
to 99 can be entered in each field. The graphs are very attractive,
automatically adjust to fit the page as the numbers increase, and are
hot linked to the data entry form so that the graph can be seen to
change as the data is entered. Printing of the data or graph, in
portrait or landscape mode, is done from the print icon on the toolbox.
9.8
Another nice refinement is an ÉOptionsæ choice, found by clicking <menu>
on !Collector on the icon bar. This allows the user to alter the sound
options, change the default font, adjust the layout of the data entry
grid, disable the number entry and print graphs either in solid colour
or in skeleton form, allowing the children to do the colouring (as well
as saving valuable coloured ink if a coloured printer is available).
9.8
!Designer
9.8
Some teachers will soon want to create their own topics, and this is
where !Designer comes in. This also installs on the iconbar with a
öWelcome to Picture Pointò. Clicking <menu> prompts the creation of a
new topics folder Ö otherwise the default one is used. Clicking on
Create Topic opens a box where the topic name, description, sprite and
number of boxes on the data entry grid are entered. This is
automatically added to the topic folder.
9.8
With the empty boxes displayed, any sprite or drawfile can be dragged
into them. The box name can also be entered, edited or deleted, and the
order of boxes within the grid can be changed by simply dragging and
dropping. Sounds are dragged into the picture and/or text box, layout,
and font printing options defined, and more boxes can be added (up to 99
if required). Saving the topic adds it to the topic pool.
9.8
Sound samples in Armadaeus, DataVox and Windows WAV can all be used.
Some form of sampler is, of course, needed if personal words or sound
effects are to be used.
9.8
One further point: an ideal opportunity presents itself for the more
ambitious Key Stage 2 teacher. Older children, given the appropriate
materials, can design topics for younger children. This combines the use
of pictures, words and sound in a multimedia way which corresponds to
part of the programs of study at Key Stage 2. Brilliant!
9.8
Conclusions
9.8
This program is excellent. It does much of what is required by the
National Curriculum for early years and provides an environment that is
easy to understand and use. (Being ultra critical, I would like to see
some form of sorting and searching of information included in a Key
Stage 1 database Ö Picture Point does not allow this but, to be fair, it
is not intended to.) The use of speech and sound adds an extra
dimension, and the resultant graphs are easy to produce and print.
Designing is straightforward and the manual is easy to read and follow.
It is an excellent Key Stage 1 program and delighted my colleague who
was desperately trying to find some way of using a database in her
classroom. At ú29 +VAT for the single user version (ú32 through
Archive), this is great value for money. Highly recommended.áuá
9.8
Anglia CD-ROM Decades Collection
9.8
Gabriel Swords
9.8
In March, we looked at the Longman Logotron Photobase Ö Decades
collection. This month we are going to look at another collection of
photographs, this time from the Anglia CD-ROM collection. As we saw last
time, the Longman approach to photo collections is to provide the user
with 2,500 images on each CD-ROM, a small amount of information on each
photo, a simple-to-use engine for viewing the pictures... then leave the
rest to the individual.
9.8
Under review this month are the Anglia CD-ROMs, ÉWorld War II Ö On the
Home Frontæ and ÉBritain Since 1930æ.
9.8
In contrast to Longman Logotronæs 2,500 photos, there are only between
two and three hundred photographs in each of the Anglia collections. The
photographs have been incorporated into the Key data handling system.
Itæs much more complex than the Photobase application used by Longman,
giving not only search facilities and text, but also map references,
statistical information about the photos, and various charting options.
There is also printing and a number of export facilities. In this
respect, it is very much like a conventional database, and so, to make
the most of it, the user will need to know more about the program than
with Photobase. Although Key Plus is sophisticated, access to the
pictures and text is quite straightforward. However, if you want to
chart or analyse the data, you will need to spend time with the manual!
9.8
Key Plus in action
9.8
When you load a Key Plus file, you get an open window on the top left of
the screen, displaying information about the records in the datafile.
This includes information about the number of fields in a record, how
many records are in use, and in what order they have been sorted. This
window stays on the screen all the time, and is your access point to the
data and the associated sorting, searching and manipulation facilities.
Each of the fields can be used to search or sort, and each record has
its own unique number, so if you do sort them, they still retain that
number.
9.8
Data from any of the fields can be used for statistical analysis, to
plot bar, pie and line charts, as well as Scattergraphs and Venn
diagrams. Data can be saved as Key documents, ASCII, SID and CSV files,
or printed in a number of forms.
9.8
What most users will want though, is to get into the collection and view
the photos and text. This is simple enough. Click <menu> over the main
display, and decide on the two display options Ö display record and
display graphics.
9.8
Choosing both of these, opens a further three windows: the text window,
the photograph itself, and a Égo toæ window, with arrows for forward and
backward movement through the collection. As you click on the forward
arrow, the other two windows change their contents to display the
current photo and its attendant text.
9.8
Most of the text supplied on the two CDæs was taken, largely, from the
back of the photographs, and would originally have been put there by the
photographer or by a magazine or newspaper sub-editor. In the two
collections, there are seven or eight fields attached to each file:
9.8
Headline caption Ö Usually just a title or newspaper headline.
9.8
Main caption and Secondary caption Ö These are sometimes
interchangeable. The main caption usually gives a fuller description of
what the photo is about. The details have been copied exactly as they
appear on the original photograph, including spelling Ö some information
may need further explanation, especially for pupils unfamiliar with the
Éold days,æ e.g. feet and inches, and ú s d.
9.8
Todayæs comment Ö This caption comes from the current day, and gives
some background information to the photograph. It also asks questions on
what the photograph might tell us about attitudes of the time and how
they compare with today.
9.8
Date Ö Where one is available, this is given either as the day, month or
year in which it was taken.
9.8
Censored? Ö This only applies to the Home Front CD. During the war, a
lot of photographs were held back for a period of time before they could
be published. Where they are clearly marked as censored, or were held
back for more than four weeks, they are regarded as having been
censored.
9.8
Photograph Ö This provides a reference number linking to that photo.
9.8
Lat/Long Ö Where this is included, it gives a location for the picture
which can be plotted to other Key maps.
9.8
Comments about Key Plus
9.8
Firstly, the screen can get a bit cluttered when you have open, a photo
window, a text window, the main Key Plus display window, and the Go To
buttons. If youære working on a small screen at 800╫600, it can be a bit
taxing!
9.8
Secondly, it does take some getting used to, and to make full use of the
program, the user really needs to know how it works. Arguably, this
could be a distraction Ö after all, most pupils want the information,
not a seminar on how to use a database!
9.8
Next, the interface looks a bit dated, especially when you compare it
with some of the more Éexcitingæ photo collections on the market Ö it
could do with a bit of development to make it look less austere.
9.8
Also, some of the facilities of Key Plus seem to be lost on these
collections; e.g. the statistical analysis doesnæt really help much.
Does it really say anything that 90% of the 207 photos in the Home Front
collection were not censored? It doesnæt say anything about censoring
during the war, only that of these 207, 10% were censored! The same can
be argued about charting on the other fields.
9.8
On the positive side, once you have a copy of Key Plus, the actual cost
of the data files is relatively small compared to some of the other
collections on the market. Compare the cost of this collection at ú29,
with Longmanæs collection at ú60, and Yorkshire Televisionæs collection
at ú117. (Yorkshireæs approach is different from either Anglia or
Longman, and we shall be reviewing them later.) It is actually a good
idea to design a data-handling system, and then provide integrated
datafiles to use on it.
9.8
Secondly, there is a wide range of other datafiles available from
Anglia, including a lot of Key maps. This makes the system worth having.
9.8
Lastly, if you take the time to understand fully how the database works,
you can collect and display more information than with the Photobase
collection, including plotting to other Key Plus maps. Comments and
captions are also more detailed. So, although my earlier comments may
seem negative, there is a lot going for the Key Plus collections.
9.8
About the collections
9.8
Although there are only 207 photographs in the Home Front datafile, they
do cover a reasonable range of subjects, showing different aspects of
life at home, up to and during the war. But itæs a very specific
collection Ö itæs really a social history about life and attitudes on
the home front during the war, not a reference guide to the Second World
War as a whole. That doesnæt mean that itæs not useful though. It does
say something about the times and attitudes of the people, and
newspapers of the time. There is a lot of information about social
history contained in the collection Ö a lot to compare and contrast with
today.
9.8
One frustrating thing is that there are some captions that demand more
explanation Ö you feel like asking, Éyes, but what happened next?æ
Record 183, for example Ö Why was that woman giving away her tea
rations? Was it a publicity stunt or did she do it every day? Maybe
these are the questions we are meant to ask, but there are times when a
bit more information would have helped.
9.8
Although you can do searches on any of the fields, you really need to
know what you are searching for. Without some teacher participation, the
only really effective way to get information is to browse through the
collection first. As long as you donæt read everything in detail, this
doesnæt take too long, and it does give you a good overview.
9.8
The Britain Since 1930 has just over 300 photographs, and the same
comments apply to this collection as to the Home Front. It is a
good(ish) social commentary on British life. You constantly find
yourself asking, ÉDid we really live like that?æ Ö it also supports my
assertion that Étimes was hard in them old daysæ, something I tell my
children on a regular basis!
9.8
The collection covers life from 1930 to the 1970æs, looking at such
things as health, transport, leisure, family life, news and major
events, and technological innovations. There are some good, and at
times, fairly lengthy comments on some of the photos. My only question
is, are there enough photographs to adequately cover five decades?
Probably not. Coverage of the 70æs is quite sparse.
9.8
Conclusions
9.8
These are two good collections certainly worth considering. For the home
user, the Britain Since 1930 provides a good, cheap abridged version of
what Longman cover in four CD-ROMs.
9.8
World War II Ö On the Home Front and Britain Since 1930 each cost ú25
+VAT +p&p, or ú29 through Archive.
9.8
Key Plus costs ú60 +VAT +p&p, or ú68 through Archive.áuá
9.8
Generation Design
9.8
Dave Floyd
9.8
Generation Design is a new company who specialise in budget-priced Acorn
games. They have just released their first two offerings, Robocatch and
Caves of Confusion. The games are priced at ú7.99 and ú6.99
respectively, or ú13.98 for both, direct from Generation Design. Also
included for the price is an application entitled !RpcMode, which gives
Risc PC owners a full size mode 13 screen rather than the usual letter
box format.
9.8
Robocatch
9.8
Describing Robocatch as Éa Space Invader clone with a differenceæ, as
the accompanying letter does, is not one of the best methods of building
my anticipation. The format has been done to death over the years and a
game has to be very good indeed to compete with the better
implementations, such as Galaforce on the BBC and YAIG, the public
domain offering along these lines on the Archimedes. On paper, however,
it seems that Robocatch may have what it takes.
9.8
The program automatically detects which computer you are using, from a
humble ARM 2 to a Risc PC, and increases the effects accordingly.
Soundtrack tunes are available to those who have 2Mb or more memory. The
game contains 101Kb of sampled sound effects and over 925Kb of 256
colour sprite data. The high score table can be saved to disc, the game
is easily transferred to hard disc or a high density floppy to avoid
disc swapping and, if you have an A3010, you can use a joystick instead
of the keyboard.
9.8
On loading the game, one of the first things that you notice is the
graphics. The sprites are large and brightly coloured and, obviously, a
good deal of trouble has been taken in their construction. The
Édifferenceæ, referred to earlier, which differentiates Robocatch from
most Space Invader clones is that, when you shoot an alien, they drop a
gold football which you can then catch to provide you with power¡ups.
Amongst other things, the power-ups can increase/decrease your score or
provide you with more missiles to launch at the enemy.
9.8
One of the most annoying features of this game is the fanfare which
accompanies the catching of these balls. I reached the point where I
seriously considered avoiding them, as the sound effect was driving me
up the wall. It is also very difficult to work out whether catching a
ball will result in a positive or negative effect. They are all the same
colour, and the only way of telling is to note which alien dropped it.
With bombs raining down and sprites hurtling around the screen at a rate
of knots, I am still none the wiser.
9.8
However, it has to be said, neither did I care. Robocatch boasts nine
levels of gradually increasing difficulty, built around a game scenario
that makes watching paint dry seem interesting. The longevity of the
challenge has to be questioned too, as I completed all nine levels at my
first attempt. This is a game that will appeal strictly to Space Invader
aficionados only.
9.8
Caves of Confusion
9.8
The first time I loaded Caves of Confusion, I forgot to run !RpcMode
beforehand. My three lives lasted approximately twenty seconds. The
utility supplied with both these games would seem to be essential when
playing CoC on a Risc PC. Having exited the game and loaded the utility,
it became possible for me to progress further.
9.8
Caves of Confusion is a horizontally scrolling shoot-æem-up in which you
attempt to blast away everything that moves, while avoiding asteroids
and, on later levels, invincible space craft and what can only be
described as planets, which appear at ever more regular intervals. Once
again, there is a plethora of sprites, sound effects and atmospheric
music, while the action is fast and furious. Sadly, it is also mind-
numbingly repetitive.
9.8
Scrolling shoot-æem-up games had a renaissance a couple of years back,
due to the addition of power-ups which enabled you to upgrade your ship,
and huge end-of-level guardians which took not a little strategy and
thought to destroy. In Caves of Confusion, the guardians are larger than
the standard ships but not overly impressive. The asteroids always
appear on screen at the same level as your ship and so are relatively
easy to avoid, even on level three, where they appear from behind, as
well as in front of you. The invincible ships which appear from the
bottom left corner (and the top left in level four) are annoyingly
difficult to avoid and I felt it was rather unfair that it was not
possible to shoot them.
9.8
With four levels, from hard to nearly impossible, Caves of Confusion
certainly provides a challenge. The programmer has thoughtfully provided
a password system so that you can avoid starting from the beginning
every time you bite the dust, having managed to blast your way past
level one.
9.8
Conclusions
9.8
These two games share much the same highs and lows. They are both
written in Basic, then compiled using Silicon Visionæs RiscBasic
compiler. As such, they are a testimony to what is achievable on the
Archimedes without resorting to ARM code. The sprite routines are very
fast and completely flicker free. The sprites themselves are reasonably
well drawn and, apart from the fanfare in RoboCatch, the sound effects
all add to the atmosphere. With more imagination and ambition in the
design stage, they could have been very entertaining games. Sadly,
however, they merely serve to whet the appetite for what Generation
Design may be capable of in the future and should act as inspiration for
Basic programmers who yearn to write games. Demo versions are available
and I would advise anybody considering spending their money to try them
first.áuá
9.8
Paul Beverley
9.8
Products Available
9.9
APDL price reductions Ö APDLæs PDCD¡1 contains most of the useful
programs and utilities from the APDL library, including a lot of
material useful in education. There are also many classic novels
(properly converted to Acorn format plain textfiles), plus the works of
Shakespeare. PDCD¡2 has over 500 games and novelties, more than 200
demos, and hundreds of cheats for commercial games. There are also more
than 2000 Maestro, Tracker and Digital Symphony tunes, and a selection
of popular music players. The PDCDs now only cost ú15 each through
Archive.
9.9
Clipart CDs DTP¡l and DTP¡2 were reviewed in 9.7 p69. They now only cost
ú20 each through Archive.
9.9
Archive subscription Ö The best way to get new Archive subscribers is by
personal recommendation, so we are prepared to encourage you to
encourage your friends to subscribe. We are always happy to send anyone
who wants one, a free sample magazine Ö just give us a name and address,
and weæll pop a copy in the post, but we are going to try out a new
scheme...
9.9
Free 12 month subscription Ö We will extend your existing subscription
by 12 months, free of charge, for every brand new subscriber you can
bring to us. (Itæs up to you what deal you work out with your friend!)
Just fill in the enclosed form and send it in with a cheque or the
credit card details, and weæll do the rest.
9.9
(Overseas subscribers, this applies to you too Ö just change the amount
on the form from ú25 to ú32 if you are in Europe, ú43 for Australia/NZ
or ú40 elsewhere.)
9.9
Atomwide keyboard encoder allows a wide range of PC compatible keyboards
to be used with pre-RiscPC Acorn computers. This means that users of old
worn-out Archimedes keyboards are no longer restricted to the standard,
expensive Acorn replacement, but can, instead, choose from almost any
type on the market. The encoder is housed inside a case little bigger
than a matchbox. The reset switch that used to be found on Acorn
keyboards is replaced by a small, recessed button on the encoder that
can be gently pushed using a pointed object such as a pen¡tip or paper
clip. All other keys are correctly mapped between Acorn and PC layouts.
Absolutely no configuration is required to install the encoder Ö just
plug in three cables.
9.9
The encoder will come as a great relief to people who regularly use
Acorns and PCs and bemoan the different key layouts. The keyboard
encoder plugs into Acorn A300, A400, A400/1, A540, A4000 and A5000
series machines accepting almost any IBM  PS/2 or Cherry-compatible
keyboard. This includes special types, such as those incorporating card
swipes and barcode readers.
9.9
The Keyboard Encoder costs ú39 +VAT +ú3.50 p&p from Atomwide or ú47
through Archive. The Ecoder, complete with a good, basic PC keyboard, it
costs ú79 through Archive. With a really top quality Cherry keyboard, it
still only costs ú120 through Archive (cf an Acorn old-style keyboard at
ú125!)
9.9
BitFolio 7 CD-ROM Ö After our special offer, we have had a lot of very
positive feedback and have managed to sell enough to extend the special
offer: Full price ú95 Ö offer price ú75 through Archive. This collection
of 10,000+ vector graphics images has attracted unsolicited comments
from readers such as: öquite brilliant, knocking spots off other so-
called upmarket offeringsò, and öif you havenæt got a CD-ROM drive, it
would be worth buying one just for this collection.ò
9.9
CD drive prices down Ö The prices of IDE CD-ROMs are falling and there
is now an eight-speed device available (and dual speed drives seem to
have disappeared altogether). New Archive prices are as follows:
9.9
  Quad speed Ö ú90
9.9
  Six speed Ö ú120
9.9
  Eight speed Ö ú160
9.9
However, the price of SCSI CD-ROM drives has hardly fallen because the
mass market is for IDE devices. This is a shame because SCSI devices do
seem to perform better. (This is another example of Éindustry standardæ
= lowest common denominator.)
9.9
  Quad speed tray-loading Ö ú175
9.9
  Quad speed caddy-loading Ö ú290
9.9
  Six speed caddy-loading Ö ú355
9.9
  6.7 speed tray-loading Ö ú385
9.9
For external versions of these SCSI drives, add ú70.
9.9
CDtracker Plus is an enhanced version of CDtracker with dozens of extra
features Ö see 9.3 p77 for review of the original version. CDs can be
played in Single, Continuous, Programmed, Shuffled, Favourite, Repeat,
Intro scan and Point to point modes and, where appropriate, can combine
any of these facilities Ö e.g. Repeat/Shuffled/Favourites. Other
facilities include a four-format elapsed time clock, select Next/
Previous track, Pause and variable speed Fast Forward and Rewind. The
player interface is both Style Guide compliant and a close emulation of
a real CD player, complete with a keypad just as one might find on an
expensive hifi. Two player interfaces are provided and the user can
toggle between them. Click on a single file icon to play any pre-defined
selection of tracks on any CD that is in the drive.
9.9
The CD database stores seven items of data including: Track title,
Artistæs name, CD title and label and five more of the useræs own
choosing. Export any chosen data in Text or CSV file format or Import in
CSV or SmartCD+ format. Find and Select facilities to pinpoint any track
anywhere in the database. Dynamic linking between player and database so
that a CD in the drive can be located instantly within the database.
9.9
From Werewolf Software, CDtracker costs ú14.95 and CDtracker Plus costs
ú24.95 (add ú1 p&p) or they will do a low cost upgrade.
9.9
Cumana are still very much alive and active in the Acorn market. They
have just produced a new catalogue Ö see the Factfile for contact
details.
9.9
DEC_dATA are in the process of putting together a CD-ROM of clipart,
aimed at Key Stage 2 and 3. It should be ready in a few weeks and will
cost around ú40 Ö more details to come.
9.9
Also new from DEC_dATA is a collection of clipart on disc for Key Stage
2. Each collection consists of full colour drawfiles and is accessed via
a Clearview file that shows a small thumbnail of each image, with a
hotlink to load the file into Draw. In addition, there are a few lines
of information on each picture to help pupils and teachers put the image
in context. Each disc includes maps, diagrams, people of the time,
transport, artifacts, tools, art and music. The collection is made up
of: Anglo Saxons and Vikings; 19th Century Britain; The Greeks and
Romans; The Egyptians; and Earth and the Solar System. They cost ú10 per
set +VAT +p&p from DEC_dATA. Site licences are available at ú15 for up
to 30 machines, and ú20 for more than 30 machines.
9.9
A Textease resource disc, which is also compatible with SEMERCæs Pages
wordprocessor, containing a range of borders, backgrounds, masks and
decorative designs, is now available from DEC_dATA for ú12.95 +p&p.
9.9
Dis-le, the computerised speaking French tutor, has just had a complete
rewrite. The major changes are: 2200+ lower and higher level GCSE
recordings of human words and short phrases; words can be sorted and
quizzed by topic; Jean-Franτois now replaces Catherine as the speaker;
the program is now released on twelve 800Kb discs; it has the old
multi¡choice game, Word Search and Mix æn Match; a computerised
Étraining modeæ now exists; on-line database and speaking dictionary
(8086 words, 2200 speaking); The Face Behind the Voice is included in
the program; spelling quiz now implemented; requires 10Mb of hard disc
space, 4Mb RAM, stand¡alone or very high speed network.
9.9
For an upgrade from either of the earlier versions to Dis-le v3.0, with
the new 2,200 word recordings and resource pack, send ú27.50 (no VAT) to
Mike Smith (address in Factfile).
9.9
EADFS Module Ö The Power-tec EADFS (Extended ADFS) module is a system
extension that allows you to use large hard drives on your existing IDE
bus, but allows partitioning as well. The module integrates fully and
transparently with ADFS, and can handle up to 4Gb (512Kb partitions on
pre RISC OS 3.6 machines, 1Gb partitions on RISC OS 3.6 machines). It
costs ú39.95 +VAT +p&p from Alsystems.
9.9
Fast IDE Interface Ö RapIDE from Yellowstone Educational Solutions is a
32-bit DMA¡based interface for the RiscPC. The interface provides vastly
increased throughput. Using alternative drives, it is possible to
achieve reading speeds in excess of 8Mb/s with 32-bit direct memory
access. It provides two IDE ports, allowing up to four devices to be
connected, including IDE CD-ROMs. The RapIDE interface costs ú119 +VAT
+ú5 p&p from Yellowstone, or ú142 inclusive through Archive.
9.9
FontDirectory 2 is the long-awaited upgradeáto the font management
system from LOOKsystems (see 9.8 p49). Itæs extremely fast and comes
with a whole host of really useful features to make font management more
productive. Font names can be viewed in a number of formats, including
full WYSIWYG display. Speed has been a major consideration in this
latest version, so loading fonts happens extremely quickly. The whole
user interface has been simplified to make using the program much
easier. Bundled with FontDirectory is a utility called FontViewer, which
gives the user the ability to view complete blocks of text in multiple
windows, at varying sizes. Each new window can work independently of the
others and contain a different font, so it makes comparing fonts very
easy. Text can be written straight to a window or imported as a text
file.
9.9
The full version of FontDirectory 2 costs ú45 inclusive from
LOOKsystems, or ú43 through Archive. A light version will also be
available for ú25, or ú24 through Archive. Upgrades for existing users
are ú18.50 from LOOKsystems. Coming later will be a network version made
up of the full version plus the lite version, and more manuals, costing
ú150.
9.9
HP printers Ö Two new HP colour printers are now available. The HP
DeskJet 660C is an A4 colour printer giving up to 600╫600dpi in mono and
600╫300dpi in colour. It does öup to 4 ppmò (pages per minute) in mono
and öup to 1 ppmò in colour. Itáhas a 32Kb buffer (expandable to 512Kb)
and takes about 100 sheets of paper in its input bin. The 660C costs
ú340 through Archive.
9.9
The HP DeskJet 850C is an A4 colour printer giving up to 600╫600dpi in
mono and 300╫300dpi in colour. It does öup to 6 ppmò in mono and öup to
3áppmò in colour. It has a 32Kb buffer (expandable to 512Kb) and takes
over 150 sheets of paper in its input bin. The 850C costs ú440 through
Archive.
9.9
Lark Ö Computer Concepts/Wild Visionæs 16-bit audio sampling and play-
back card for all the Acorn machines is now down in price. It can sample
and playback in stereo and sample up to 48kHz, and features Midi
connection and on-board filtering. The Lark A16 is ú149 +VAT + carriage
from CC or ú172 through Archive.
9.9
N-Connect is an Amstrad NC100 to RISC OS Link. According to the makers,
ÉN-Connect is the most comprehensive system for transferring data
between Acorn RISCáOS machines and the Amstrad NC100 Notepad computer.æ
It makes the NC100 an integral part of your RISC OS desktop. Documents
can be processed on the NC100 under ProText and be dropped into
Impression with styles preserved, and similarly text can be dragged to
the N-Connect icon to send to the NC100. For the programmer, Basic
programs can be ported to and from the NC100 with the minimum of user
intervention, and full diagnostics are provided via the DDE throwback
system if it is present. N-Connect can also detokenise both forms of
Basic into text.
9.9
N-Connect, previously distributed by Senlac Computers, is now available
direct from the author (Tony Howat) at a reduced price of ú14.95. There
is a suitable cable available, costing ú7, or wiring details can be
provided on request if you want to make up your own cable. Prices
include p&p, no VAT to pay. Site licences are negotiable. Official
orders are welcome. Cheques payable to ÉA. Howatæ at 20¡20áSoftware,
12áDover Road, Birkdale, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 4SY. Tonyæs email
address is <[e-mail]>.
9.9
Pocket Book holsters Ö You can now carry your Pocket Book around with
you on a belt or shoulder holster. Meant for intensive use, the cases
are manufactured in a foam Cordura and re-enforced with composite
material on the front and back. What makes them special is the patented
pivoting hinge attached to the back of the case. This fits into a quick
release holder, originally intended for a gun, which you can attach
either to a belt or to the optional shoulder holster. Squeezing the
spring loaded arms on the side of the holster releases the case quickly
and easily.
9.9
Also available are a number of black leather zip cases. These include
velcro fasteners which allow you to use the computer while it is still
in the case. The Junior version has space for cards (though not credit
cards Ö the magnetic stripe can cause the computer problems); and
Executive and Zip & Flip cases also have space for SSDs.
9.9
The holster costs ú21, the cases which attach to it cost ú38.95 for the
open top and ú39.95 for the closed top. The junior case costs ú29.95;
the Executive costs ú24.95 and the Zip & Flip costs ú49.95. All prices
include VAT, but p&p is extra. Available from Widget Software Ltd.
9.9
PortFolio from Kudlian Soft is a multimedia application which has been
developed to allow children, or adults, to display a carousel of images,
either vector graphics or bitmaps, including JPEG images. Each picture
can have a sound file or music or a voice recording associated with it Ö
itæs an ideal tool for displaying childrenæs work using a variety of
styles and media.
9.9
This got a good review (9.6 p72) and weæve also had an unsolicited
comment from Jim Nottingham (see page 43), so we decided we should stock
it. Portfolio costs ú29 +VAT +p&p from Kudlian Soft or ú35 through
Archive.
9.9
Nelson is a hit! Ö Angliaæs multimedia CD-ROM of Nelson has won the gold
award for best multimedia program at the 1996 International Visual
Communication Association Awards. The IVCA judges said ÉNelson and his
Navy combines excellent production values and strong educational content
to produce an engaging and impressive multimedia program.æ
9.9
The CD-ROM was produced in association with the National Maritime
Museum, and brings alive the life and times of Nelson, by using a
combination of animation, photography, illustration, video and sound
clips. It contains a wealth of historical information and allows users
to sail with Nelson to the battles of Trafalgar, the Nile and Cape St
Vincent, as well as go on a 3D tour of his flagship. Nelson and His Navy
costs ú50 +VAT +p&p from Anglia Multimedia, or ú58 through Archive.
9.9
Power-tec Tape Streamers Ö The Power-tec tape streamer option is a low
cost solution to your data protection needs. It mounts internally in a
RiscPC, connecting to your floppy drive cable, or externally, connecting
to your parallel port. It uses 120Mb and 175Mb QIC 80 tapes, which, with
compression, can store up to 250Mb and 350Mb respectively. The software
used to run this drive is fully multitasking, runs over any network and
can also do a timed or selective backup. It comes with a manual for easy
installation and running instructions, and with the software for you to
manage your backups easily. It costs ú175 +VAT +p&p from Alsystems.
9.9
ReTreeval from Kudlian Soft is an application that combines a database
with a sophisticated decision tree program. To create and search the
database, all you have to do is answer questions in natural English. The
amount of information stored about each item grows with your needs.
ReTreeval learns with you so that it always asks questions in an easily
understood language. Behind the scenes, it uses a sophisticated object-
oriented database to handle the decisions and questions required to
structure the data. Full reporting facilities are available, allowing
data to be exported as ASCII, CSV or TSV; a tree can be exported as a
drawfile, and data can have a picture associated with it. ReTreeval
costs ú40 +VAT +p&p from Kudlian Soft or ú47 through Archive.
9.9
Ridiculous Rhymes Ö This new package from Sherston, which should be
ready for the Acorn platform by the time we go to press, is set of
talking rhymesáfor children, written and illustrated by Tony DeáSaulles,
and narrated by Tony Robinson. Designed for 7Ö11 year olds, itæs full of
wacky humour and comical animations. The price will be ú40 +VAT +p&p for
a single copy, or ú47 through Archive. A primary site licence costs ú60,
a secondary site licence costs ú80, both +VAT +p&p.
9.9
Splosh+, from Kudlian Soft, is the sequel to Splosh, the painting
program for young children and those with special needs. Splosh+ allows
access to a far wider range of facilities which will enable children to
exploit the features of the latest hardware, including the RiscPC. It
provides users with, amongst other things, a wider range of brushes and
brush shapes, additional geometric shapes and fills, multiple undo,
imports for JPEG and deep sprites, plus 16, 32, 256 and thousands and
millions of colour modes. Splosh will still be on sale, providing a
introduction to painting programs. Splosh+ costs ú39 +VAT +p&p from
Kudlian Soft or ú46 through Archive.
9.9
Sibelius Junior is a new music program from the developers of the world
famous Sibelius programs, aimed at primary schools. Junior Sibelius has
been designed to allow beginners to take their first steps in music in a
creative and interesting way. The program includes a series of
interactive lessons to develop and reinforce the music skills gained in
Key Stage 1, and introduce some basics of music theory for Key Stage 2.
Topics covered include pitch and note-names, rhythm and time signatures,
keyboard basics, different instruments, accidentals and key signatures,
scales and chords, plus much more.
9.9
Music can be entered straight into the computer via a Midi keyboard, or
with the mouse and keyboard. Once entered, it can then be played back or
printed. Junior Sibelius makes it quick and easy to arrange and print
music for, say, recorder groups or choir. It can even write out separate
parts for different instruments, and transpose music.
9.9
Junior Sibelius works on any Acorn computer with RISC OS 2 or higher Ö
even A310s and A3000s. You donæt need more than 1Mb of RAM, and you
donæt need a hard disc. It costs ú49 for a single copy +VAT +p&p, or ú57
through Archive. A primary school site licence costs ú89 +VAT or ú102
through Archive.
9.9
Talking Wrens Ö Sherston Software, in collaboration with Oxford
University Press, have just launched the latest in the Oxford Reading
Tree Series. The Stage 2 Wrens Talking Stories are narrated by TV
personality, Tony Robinson, well known for his appearances as Baldrick
in the BBCæs Black Adder series, and as the Sheriff in the childrenæs
series, Maid Marion and her Merry Men. The Wrensæ story books have been
designed for children who need support and extra reinforcement of key
verbs and charactersæ names at Stage 2 Ö each story focuses on one key
verb.
9.9
The new set of talking stories includes six stories and accompanying
teacheræs guide. They are: The Headache, At the Park, Fancy Dress,
Push!, Good Old Mum, and The Pet Shop. Each story contains humorous
animations and sound effects to support the text, as well as an
additional interactive extension activity at the end. Talking Wrens is
available on three platforms for ú40 +VAT +p&p from Sherston or ú47
through Archive. A primary site licence costs ú60 +VAT +p&p from
Sherston.
9.9
Teletext+ Ö Your computer can now remind you when your favourite TV or
radio programme is about to start, thanks to the latest version of
Teletext+ from Octopus Systems. Teletext+ software could always search
TV and radio listings for keywords, but now version 6 can extract the
time and set an audible alarm (with a 5 minute warning) to remind you.
Teletext+ also makes teletext fast and convenient Ö the advanced
cacheing algorithms will soon learn which pages you read, and fetch them
for you every day so you will rarely have to wait for a teletext page,
and even sub-pages are cached so you donæt have to wait half an hour to
find the latest Acorn share price!
9.9
The advanced keyword searching can search hundreds of pages for items of
interest which might otherwise be missed. Matches are displayed in a
separate window which effectively gives a personalised magazine of
interesting news, events and programmes. Pages can be saved as Viewdata,
sprite or text files, either manually or under the control of a script
file, and there is an option to allow all sub-pages to be saved in a
single text file. Teletext+ software will work with teletext adaptors
and cards from Morley, Computer Concepts, Ground Control, Design IT,
Irlam, Solidisk and Octopus Systems. It will be particularly attractive
to Morley users as the Morley software doesnæt work in the desktop. It
can also log share prices in a CSV file or in a special format for the
Apricote Studiosæ Shares program, and it provides a set of standard SWI
calls for use by other programs.
9.9
Teletext+ is available for ú39 as a software upgrade for existing
teletext adaptors, or Octopus Systems can supply it with an external
teletext adaptor for ú169 while stocks last.
9.9
Existing users can obtain a new disc and manual for ú12 if they return
their master disc (prices include VAT and carriage). Free upgrades are
also available to registered users, by email. The adaptor connects to a
podule expansion socket via a lead and podule plug, so you should
specify whether you require a full size or a mini podule connector when
ordering. Aátelevision aerial feed is also required.
9.9
(See 9.7 p57 for a review.)
9.9
Tick-Tack CV is intended both as a stand-alone program and as a
supplement to the Tick-Tack Business Pack and the Travel and Tourism
Pack (9.8áp69). Its main purpose is to help young people improve their
chances of finding a job. It provides a framework for analysing their
skills and experience, and it gives them practice in describing
themselves and their background, their aims and ambitions, in a positive
and effective way. The program gives guidance on writing a good CV and
helps in the preparation of letters and telephone calls Ö both in
response to job adverts and for speculative approaches that are made
cold.
9.9
It also provides help in preparing convincing answers to questions
commonly asked on job-application forms and during interviews, and
suggests key questions that candidates themselves should put to
prospective employers. The program can be equally useful whether
students are looking for a job in this country, or seeking work abroad.
Like all the programs in the Tick-Tack range, the pack includes computer
software and a comprehensive manual containing a library of relevant
building-block sentences and other texts that can be selected and edited
to create a rich palette of impressive documents.
9.9
Tick-Tack CV is available from Primrose Publishing initially in English,
but versions in French, German, Spanish and Italian are planned. The
English version costs ú150 +VAT +p&p for colleges and universities, and
ú75 +VAT +p&p for schools.
9.9
Review software received...
9.9
We have received review copies of the following: ÅCDtracker Plus (udm),
ÅDEC_dATA clipart (ec), ÅEncode (u), ÅTextease Resources (c), ÅThe Way
Things Work CD (e).
9.9
d=Database, c=clipart, e=Education, m=music, u=Utility.
9.9
If you would like to review any of these products, please contact the
Archive office. Potential reviewers will need to show that they would
use the product in a professional capacity or that they have some
knowledge of the particular field.áuá
9.9
4Mation  14 Castle Park Road, Whiddon Valley, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32
8PA. (01271¡25353) [01271¡22974] <[e-mail]>
9.9
4th Dimension  1 Percy Street, Sheffield, S3 8AU. (0114¡276¡9950)
[0114¡278¡1091]
9.9
Abacus Training  (Gerald Fitton) 29 Okus Grove, Upper Stratton, Swindon,
Wilts, SN2 6QA. (01793¡723347) [01793¡723347]
9.9
Acorn¡by¡Post  13 Dennington Road, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 2BR.
(01933¡279300)
9.9
Acorn Computer Group  Acorn House, Vision Park, Histon, Cambridge, CB4
4AE. (01223¡254254) [01223¡254262]
9.9
Acorn Risc Technologies  Cambridge Technopark, 645 Newmarket Road,
Cambridge, CB5 8PB. (01223¡577800) [01223¡577900]
<[e-mail]>
9.9
Alsystems  47 Winchester Road, Four Marks, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 5HG.
(01420¡561111) <[e-mail]>
9.9
Anglia Multimedia  Anglia House, Norwich, NR1 3JG. (01603¡615151)
[01603¡631032]
9.9
ANT Ltd  P.O.Box 300, Cambridge, CB1 2EG. (01223¡567808) [01223¡567801]
<[e-mail]>
9.9
APDL  39 Knighton Park Road, Sydenham, London, SE26 5RN. (0181¡778¡2659)
[0181¡488¡0487] <[e-mail]>
9.9
Atomwide Ltd  7 The Metro Centre, Bridge Road, Orpington, Kent, BR5 2BE.
(01689¡814500) [01689¡814501] <[e-mail]>
9.9
Beebug Ltd  117 Hatfield Road, St Albans, Herts, AL1 4JS. (01727¡840303)
[01727¡860263]
9.9
Clares Micro Supplies  98 Middlewich Road, Rudheath, Northwich,
Cheshire, CW9 7DA. (01606¡48511) [01606¡48512]
<[e-mail]>
9.9
Colton Software  2 Signet Court, Swanns Road, Cambridge, CB5 8LA.
(01223¡311881) [01223¡312010] <[e-mail]>
9.9
Computer Concepts  Gaddesden Place, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 6EX.
(01442¡351000) [01442¡351010]
9.9
Cumana  Boundary House, The Pines, Broad Street, Guildford, GU3 3BH.
(01483¡503121) [01483¡451371] <[e-mail]>
9.9
David Pilling  P.O.Box 22, Thornton Cleveleys, Blackpool, FY5 1LR.
(01253¡852806) <[e-mail]>
9.9
DEC_dATA  P.O.Box 97, Exeter, EX4 4YA. (01392¡221702)
<[e-mail]>
9.9
Fabis Computing  48 Charles Street, Church Gresley, Swadlincote,
Derbyshire, DE11 9QD. (01283¡552761) [01283¡552761]
<[e-mail]>
9.9
Iota Software Ltd  Iota House, Wellington Court, Cambridge, CB1 1HZ.
(01223¡566789) [01223¡566788] <[e-mail]>
9.9
iSV Products  86, Turnberry, Home Farm, Bracknell, Berks, RG12 8ZH.
(01344¡55769)
9.9
Kudlian Soft  8 Barrow Road, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8á1EH.
(01926¡851147) <[e-mail]>
9.9
Longman Logotron  124 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4
4ZS. (01223¡425558) [01223¡425349] <[e-mail]>
9.9
LOOKsystems  Unit 1, The Gables Yard, Pulham Market, Diss, IP21 4SY.
(01379¡608585) [01379¡608575]
9.9
Mike Smith Software  26 Grenville Road, Saint Judes, Plymouth, PL4 9PY.
(01752¡667599) <[e-mail]>
9.9
Nash Pollock Publishing  32 Warwick Street, Oxford, OX4 1SX (01865
247885) [01865 247885]
9.9
NetDirect Internet  FREEPOST LON7572, London, SE14 5BR. (0171¡732¡3000)
[0171¡732¡2000] <[e-mail]>
9.9
Octopus Systems  9 Randwell Close, Ipswich, IP4 5ES. (01473¡728943)
[01473¡270643] <[e-mail]> <http://www.thenet.co.uk/octopus/>
9.9
Oregan Developments  36 Grosvenor Avenue, Streetly, Sutton Coldfield,
B74 3PE. (0121¡353¡6044) [0121¡353¡6472] <[e-mail]>
9.9
Primrose Publishing  Vicarage Long Barn, Denham, Bury St Edmunds,
Suffolk, IP29 5EF.
9.9
Repair Zone  421 Sprowston Road, Norwich, NR3 4EH. (01603¡400477)
9.9
Rooksoft  8 Park Avenue, Wokingham, Berks, RG40 2AJ. (01734¡781150)
9.9
SEMERC  1 Broadbent Road, Watersheddings, Oldham, OL1 4LB.
(0161¡627¡4469)
9.9
Sherston Software  Angel House, Sherston, Malmesbury, Wilts. SN16 0LH.
(01666¡840433) [01666¡840048] <[e-mail]>
9.9
Sibelius Software  75 Burleigh Street, Cambridge, CB1 1DJ.
(01223¡302765) [01223¡351947]
9.9
Simtec Electronics  Avondale Drive, Tarleton, Preston, PR4 6AX.
(01772¡812863) [01772¡816426]
9.9
Spacetech  21 West Wools, Portland, Dorset, DT5 2EA. (01305¡822753)
[01305¡860483] <[e-mail]>
9.9
VTi (Vertical Twist)  Unit 1, The Shopwhyke Centre, Shopwhyke Road,
Chichester, PO20 6GD. (01243¡531194) [01243¡531196] <[e-mail]>
9.9
W. C. Smith & Associates  40 Royal Oak, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66
2DA., (01665¡510682) [01665¡510692]
9.9
Werewolf Software  23 The Spinneys, Bromley, Kent, BR1 2NT.
(0181¡467¡1138) [0181¡464¡7510]
9.9
Widget Software  121 London Road, Knebworth, Herts, SG3 6EX.
(01438¡815444) [01438¡815222]
9.9
Yellowstone Educational Solutions     Welbeck House, Welbeck Road,
Luton, Beds. LU2 0HD. (01582¡584828) [01582¡562255]
9.9
Archive Monthly Disc Ö ú2
9.9
(Now on 1.6Mb discs, but available as two 800Kb discs if you ask
specially.)
9.9
u Up-to-date Archive Factfile.
9.9
u Electronic clipping Ö Acorn news items of interest from the Net.
9.9
u Simple HTML program from Graham Campbell.
9.9
u Files from Gerald Fittonæs Column Ö page 23.
9.9
u Starting Basic programs from Ray Favre Ö see page 72.
9.9
u VerbMaster demo program from Nigel Caplan Ö see page 78.
9.9
u Colour charts from Jim Nottingham Ö see page 46.
9.9
u File for PortFolio from Jim Nottingham Ö see page 43.
9.9
u AAA calculation Ö Eureka spreadsheet for (running) race points on AAA
scheme, Dave Walsh.
9.9
u WebCIS program for Pocket Book from John Woodthorpe Ö see Help!!!,
page 55.
9.9
u !Xchars program (improvement on !Chars) from Martin Wⁿrthner.
9.9
The following information is about the Christian faith, not specifically
about computing.
9.9
I seem to have been in contact with a lot of convinced atheists just
recently and have been trying to see things from their standpoint. They
cannot prove that God does not exist, any more than we can prove he
does! All that any of us can really do is to look at the evidence, see
which way we think the weight of that evidence points, and act on the
implications of that decision. But what if we get it wrong?
9.9
If Christians have got it wrong and God does not exist, we are making
fools of ourselves (and some of us do it in public!) and wasting other
peopleæs time. (Sorry about that!!) If the atheist is wrong, and God
does exist, the consequences could be rather more serious. You canæt
just hedge your bets by doing lots of good works and hoping that, if God
does exist after all, he will accept you because your good works
outweigh your failings. Ifáwhat Jesus said is true, we will be judged on
very different criteria. (See the Bible for details!!)
9.9
öOK, Paul, you say you canæt prove God exists. So how come youære so
darned confident that he does?!ò
9.9
Well, what would you think if a man came to you and said öHello, I have
come from God and I am here to tell you what God is like. What is more,
I am the Son of God. I can forgive your sins. You are going to kill me,
but three days later, Iæmágoing to come back to life.ò? (If that
happened today, heæd be in a Secure Unit as quick as a flash!)
9.9
What would you think of that man if he not only said those things but
did, actually, physically, come back to life after he had been killed? I
think you might be forgiven for thinking that maybe God does exist, and
you might even get a bit excited about it, and you might even want to
start telling other people about this Égood newsæ.
9.9
öYes, but hang on! Youære talking about something that, so you claim,
happened 2,000 years ago. How do you expect me to risk making a fool of
myself, like you, on such flimsy evidence?ò
9.9
Well, as I said last month, the evidence is not flimsy Ö the historical
evidence for the resurrection of Jesus is stronger than any other event
of comparable antiquity. What is more, people have tried for almost
2,000 years to disprove it, and no-one has yet come up with a convincing
explanation for that empty tomb. If they could, Christianity would be
dead overnight because the Bible itself clearly states that öif Christ
has not been raised, your faith is futileò. (Thatæs from 1 Corinthians
15 where Paul sets out a list of all those who saw him alive again.)
9.9
This man Jesus claimed that we could know Godæs love. That love is
transforming the lives of millions throughout the world today, and even
in sophisticated, scientifically aware UK, thousands of people each
month are becoming Christians. If you are a convinced atheist, do you
dare to face up to the evidence for the resurrection? If you are an
honest atheist, can you ignore a man who claims such convincing proofs?
9.9
Donæt forget the Alpha courses that take place in thousands of churches
round Britain (and in other countries). There are lots of atheists on
them, so you wonæt be alone! (Ring me or 0171-581-8255 for details.)
9.9
P.B.
9.9
Paul Beverley
9.9
A week is a long time in politics...
9.9
...and a month is a long time in the life of Acorn! Their share price
shot up another 30% to an all-time high of 273 (from 94p just 9 months
ago). There have been plenty of rumours, such as the next Gameboy using
an ARM processor, but I have been unable to discover exactly what caused
the rise Ö see page 41.
9.9
We have done a very quick survey of Acorn developers, and found that no
less than 195 companies are definitely committed to the Acorn market Ö
thereæs a full list, and a supporting article, on page 15.
9.9
The StrongARM is going faster and faster Ö now 330 kDhrystones Ö see
page 21.
9.9
You can now get a top-end RiscPC with an even higher specification for
ú100 less than before (page 9).
9.9
Colin Singleton has tried again to write an article summing up what has
happened to Acorn over this last year or so (last month he was overtaken
by events). Please read it now (page 49) before itæs out-of-date!
9.9
Happy reading!
9.9
Fact-File
9.9
Key: (phone)áá[fax]áá<net>
9.9
Norwich Computer Services    96a Vauxhall Street, Norwich, NR2 2SD.
(01603-766592) [01603-764011]
9.9
<[e-mail]>  OR  <[e-mail]>  OR
<[e-mail]>
9.9
http://www.cybervillage.co.uk/acorn/archive/
9.9
Archive Conversion Bonuses
9.9
One of the best ways of convincing people that it is worth being
different is to show them what the Acorn computers can actually do. No-
one believes adverts but, time and again, people have been Éconvertedæ
by seeing the systems in action. (Sibelius users are at an advantage
here! I reckon that more systems have been bought just to use Sibelius
than any other single package.)
9.9
This is where you can help, especially if you have a RiscPC. Show your
friend your computer, give them a brochure (copies available from NCS),
tell them about the exciting developments (e.g. StrongARM and Net
Computers) and see if you can convince them to buy Acorn computer.
9.9
Two free Archive subscriptions!
9.9
As an incentive, if you can convince someone who has never owned a RISC
OS computer to purchase an A7000 or a RiscPC (from NCS, of course!), we
will extend your subscription by a further twelve months, free of
charge, and weæll also give your friend a free subscription to Volume 9,
i.e. ending September 1996. What is more, if the system they buy
includes a CD drive, weæll give them a free copy of the Archive CD.
9.9
Stolen Risc PCs Ö Reward ú500!!!
9.9
We have still not had any joy in finding any of these computers, nor yet
managed to persuade the insurance company to accept the liability!
9.9
We got one of the serial numbers wrong last month Ö when things go
wrong, they really go wrong Ö so profuse apologies to the owner of
ACB75-1011195 who is one of our customers!
9.9
The computers listed below were stolen from Norwich Computer Services on
13th February 1996.
9.9
    4Mb RiscPC600 Ö ACB60 Ö 1011100
9.9
    5Mb RiscPC700 Ö ACB70 Ö 1010908
9.9
    10Mb RiscPC700 Ö ACB75 Ö 1011205
9.9
If you come across any of them, please inform us immediately, or ring
the police.
9.9
Even if you have bought your RiscPC through a reputable dealer, please
check your serial number because it is possible that they may have got
back into the normal retail channel.
9.9
We are offering a reward of ú500 for information leading to the return
of these computers. So please check the serial numbers of any RiscPC
computers bought after 13th February. Thank you.
9.9
Wakefield Acorn Spring Show
9.9
This Sunday (19th May)
9.9
Full details on page 7 last month. See the StrongARM Card in action.
9.9
Please bring your old Acorn software and
9.9
hardware for the Charity Stall
9.9
(If you could help, for a while, to run the charity stall, PLEASE ring
Mike Wilson on 0113-253-3722.)
9.9
DIY RiscPC
9.9
Paul Beverley
9.9
There are some good things that come from the dominance of PCs and
Windows 95. Iæm thinking of cheap RAM, cheap hard drives and cheap CD-
ROM drives. In view of the latest dramatic falls in the prices of CDs
and RAM particularly, we suddenly thought that it would be worth looking
at the idea of upgrading a bottom-of-the-range RiscPC. The ACB64 has, as
standard, 4Mb RAM, no VRAM, Éonlyæ a 540Mb hard drive, and has an ARM610
processor, not an ARM710. However, as the StrongARM is not far away, we
thought people might be happier to save money now, go for a slightly
slower machine, and upgrade the processor later.
9.9
We were amazed at the results! Consider the price-and-features
comparison table. (All prices are inclusive of VAT.)
9.9
It shows that you can get more memory, a slightly bigger hard drive, a
CD drive thatæs half as fast again and, if you are prepared to save on
the processor speed (about 15% slower), it will cost you ú124 less than
you would otherwise have paid!
9.9
If you want to go for a really Ébudgetæ top-of-the-range upgraded ACB64,
you can get: 10Mb, 540Mb, ARM610, quad speed CD for ú1811, over ú300
cheaper than the ACB76 just for accepting a slower speed processor and a
smaller hard drive (Éonlyæ 540Mb).
9.9
DIY upgrading
9.9
So what is involved in upgrading an ACB64? If I explain all the issues,
you can work out for yourself how best to upgrade a RiscPC to the
specification that you want.
9.9
VRAM Ö The ACB64 has no VRAM. A 1Mb VRAM costs ú130 and a 2Mb costs
ú200. But do you really need 2Mb VRAM? I donæt do any colour work, so I
only use 1Mb in my machine and can do all the magazine preparation very
effectively in a 1280╫1024, 16 colour mode. If I do want 32,000 colours,
I have to go down to Éonlyæ 800╫600, and for 16 million colour, 480╫352.
So you might save ú70 there, but remember that upgrading later costs
ú110 (=ú240 total) and you have to work without any VRAM while your card
goes away to be upgraded Ö which can take a couple of weeks.
9.9
Main memory Ö Remember that the RiscPC only has two SIMM slots, so if
you save money initially by adding 4Mb to the ACB64æs 4Mb, you come
unstuck later if you want more memory Ö you have to try and sell one of
the 4Mb SIMMs in order to put another bigger one in place of it. I feel
this is a case where spending a bit more money now would save a lot more
money later. My advice would be to swap out the 4Mb for an 8Mb or a
16Mb, leaving one SIMM slot free for later upgrading. (Currently, we
will allow ú35 for swapping out a 4Mb SIMM, so a 4Ö8Mb swap would be
ú110 Ö ú35 = ú75 compared with ú55 for just adding a 4Mb to the existing
one.)
9.9
CD-ROM drives Ö The only thing to say here is that the price of IDE
drives has gone down and down, whereas the SCSI drive prices have
remained more or less stable. So, if you want a CD, it makes sense to
buy IDE. However, it depends what you want to do about hard drives.
9.9
Hard drives Ö The IDE interface in the RiscPC will only take two
devices, so if you have put in an IDE CD-ROM drive, and then want more
hard drive capacity, you will then have to go for SCSI drives. These
again tend to be more expensive than their IDE equivalents, and you also
have to buy a SCSI interface adding another ú200 to the price. Mind you,
(a) SCSI devices tend to be faster, although less so these days, and (b)
IDE drives have to be internal devices because of the limited cable
lengths, and (c)áonce you have a SCSI interface, there are a lot of
different devices (up to seven) that you could attach to it.
9.9
The other alternative is to buy a RapIDE interface (ú142) which allows
you to have two lots of two IDE devices Ö which should be enough for
most people! Remember though that, if you want a scanner at some stage,
you will need to buy a SCSI interface, unless you are prepared to go for
one of the slower parallel interface scanners and arenæt using the
parallel port for your printer.
9.9
Monitors Ö All these prices quoted are for a computer with an Acorn 14ö
monitor. If you donæt want a monitor at all, subtract ú264, and if you
want a better monitor, the prices to add to the above prices are given
at the beginning of the Archive Price List. The most popular 17ò monitor
by far, is the Iiyama Pro 17. For that, you add ú480.
9.9
Price changes
9.9
The prices of memory and hard drives tend to be rather volatile. If you
start by looking at the prices in the Archive Price List, they will
enable you to work out roughly what you might be able to fit into your
budget. Then, if you give us a ring, or drop us an email, weæll give you
the very latest pricing so that you can fine-tune your purchase.
9.9
Buy now... and regret it later?
9.9
Is it the right time to buy a RiscPC? No, itæs never the right time to
buy a computer. You will always find that, just after you have bought
it, the prices of some parts of it have dropped and/or the specification
has been improved.
9.9
Most people could cope with the idea of missing out on a larger hard
drive or a memory increase, and itæs clear that there will, in a few
months time, be a RiscPC with an ARM810. However, with all of these, all
you would be doing by waiting is saving yourself a bit of money Ö youære
not driving into a blind alley.
9.9
VRAM could be a different matter. The present RiscPCs have a limit of
2Mb VRAM and there is no way of going beyond that without replacing the
whole of the main pcb. So, it is important to know whether Acorn are
likely to come up with a RiscPC capable of taking, say, 4Mb VRAM. The
answer, quite categorically, is NO. The next major change will be the
PowerPC machine which wonæt be around until 1997 some time.
9.9
Buy now, please?!
9.9
This is an honest and unashamed plea that if you are thinking of buying
a RiscPC some time in æ96, you buy it sooner rather than later. If
everyone waits until the autumn for an ARM810 machine, the sales then
will be great, but we need to survive until then!!! So, to encourage you
not to wait, if you spend over ú1,900 on your new machine, weæll give
you ú100 off the price of an ARM810 or a StrongARM processor upgrade.
This offer will last until either the RiscPC 800 or the StrongARM card
becomes available.
9.9
Interest free credit
9.9
Acorn are still running their interest free credit scheme. This means
that you pay a minimum of 10% deposit and the rest over 20 months, the
maximum loan being ú1485. If youære upgrading an ACB64, however, you
have to be aware that the loan is for Acorn products only. So, for an
ACB64, it would be ú1349 minus a deposit of ú135 giving a loan amount of
ú1215 which, divided by 20 makes ú60.75 per month. The prices of any
memory or CD upgrades would simply have to be added to the deposit, as
they are not Acorn products.
9.9
To actually set up a 20/20 agreement, you decide what you want to buy,
ring us and weæll take down all the details we need for the finance
form, including your bank a/c details. We then ring that information
through to the credit company. If they OK it, we fill in the form and
send it to you for signing. You return it to us with a cheque for the
deposit, and we send you the computer Ö simple! The credit company then
checks with you that you have received the computer and that all is
well, and then they give you a start date for the first direct debit
from your bank account.
9.9
If you need any further information about upgrading a RiscPC, do get in
touch Ö weæll be only too pleased to help.áuá
9.9
SIMM prices are now: 4Mb ú55, 8Mb ú110, 16Mb ú240 and 32Mb ú520. Subject
to availability, we now do secondhand SIMMs: 4Mb ú45 and 8Mb ú100. If
you want to upgrade a 4Mb or 8Mb SIMM, we will give ú35 and ú85
respectively.áuá
9.9
  ACB76  ACB64+  Improvement
9.9
Memory  10Mb (8+2)  14Mb (8+4+2)  + 4Mb
9.9
Hard Drive  850Mb  1Gb  + 150Mb
9.9
CD  quad speed  six speed  + 50%
9.9
Price  ú2120  ú1996  Save ú124
9.9
Hydra Multiprocessor System
9.9
Andy Armstrong & Gareth Simpson
9.9
Hydra is a hardware add-on for the RiscPC which will convert it into an
affordable asymmetric parallel processing system. This article will
cover the basic idea of the Hydra card, for those who are potential
users, and also go into some of the technical detail for those who may
be interested in the doing development work using Hydra.
9.9
RiscPC machines have the ability to support more than one processor Ö as
standard they have two processor slots. One slot is normally occupied by
an ARM processor card (the primary processor), and the other is free,
allowing the addition of a second ARM, Intel, Motorola or other
secondary processor.
9.9
While the design of the primary processor card may be relatively simple,
the second processor card must incorporate a certain amount of
arbitration logic, to enable it to share the bus with the primary
processor. Although there are different design requirements for primary
and secondary processor cards, the two processor slots on a standard
RiscPC are electrically identical.
9.9
The Hydra card interfaces with the RiscPC via one of the processor
slots. It duplicates both of the original slots and combines additional
slots with the necessary arbitration logic to support a further four ARM
processor cards. Because the Hydra design integrates the arbitration
logic with the base board, ordinary ARM610 and 710 processor cards can
be used. This makes it possible to add up to four, off-the-shelf ARM
processor cards to any RiscPC system.
9.9
Indeed, the Hydra card is not limited to just ARM processor cards Ö
anything which appears to the system to be an ARM card can be attached
to the bus, i.e. anything that has compatible signals and timing. In
effect you can take anything which outputs addresses and data to the
bus, as a processor would, and get free access to any part of the memory
map without disturbing any of the other processors. Alien processors,
such as 68040, DSPs, etc are good candidates for this.
9.9
Such unrestricted access would make an ideal DMA engine, which could
access any part of memory, RAM, VRAM and expansion cards Ö which the
current Acorn DMA system canæt. By accessing memory sequentially, the
full 64Mb/s data rate can be achieved, which is significantly better
than the standard 24Mb/s from the built-in DMA. Possible uses for this
would be fast I/O, SCSI, networking or video-in-a-window. (Further ideas
would be welcome!)
9.9
Hydra API
9.9
(Application program interface)
9.9
With four slave processor cards fitted, a RiscPC with Hydra has, in
theory, five times the processing power of a standard RiscPC.
Unfortunately, the RISC OS operating system is not a multiprocessor OS
and has no way of taking advantage of this increased processing power.
9.9
One way to make effective use of Hydra is to switch to an operating
system which does support multiprocessing, such as RiscBSD, Helios or
Taos. This has the advantage that any applications software which can
multithread£ will automatically take advantage of any available
processors.
9.9
(£For background information, an article about multi¡threading, by
Richard Simpson, appeared in Archive 6.10 p65.)
9.9
However, for the ordinary RISC OS user, the easiest way to harness the
power of Hydra is to use application software written to enhance parts
of RISCáOS which uses the Hydra API. As the API exists independently on
RISC OS, any MP-aware applications will make use of the new resources,
and ordinary applications will run unaffected.
9.9
Design philosophy
9.9
RISC OS is a robust, compact, efficient, ROM-based operating system with
support for installable file systems, fast bitmap and graphics
operations, and anti-aliased font rendering. It has a desktop
environment (the Wimp) which allows multiple co¡operating tasks to share
the machine. However, RISC OS was designed to run on a single processor.
As such, there is no interface to support the creation of threads, or to
manage their execution. The Hydra API is designed to provide some of the
benefits of multithreading with as little as possible of the overhead.
After all, the main reason for using Hydra is to enhance the computeræs
performance, so it is not helpful if the software imposes a heavy
performance burden.
9.9
The Hydra API provides calls to:
9.9
Ö set up the areas of memory containing code and data which a thread
will use,
9.9
Ö move additional areas of memory in and out of the address space of the
slave processors,
9.9
Ö schedule the thread for execution,
9.9
Ö monitor the progress of a scheduled thread.
9.9
Threads are written in ARM assembler 32-bit mode, and they see an
operating system interface, which is a subset of RISC OS, supporting
screen and keyboard I/O, file operations and certain utility functions.
In addition, there is a generic interface which allows a thread to issue
a call to any RISC OS SWI. SWIs generated on a slave processor are
either performed locally, or passed to the Master processor for
execution. In this way, filing operations are performed by only one
processor, so filing system consistency is guaranteed.
9.9
Architecture
9.9
The Hydra API is implemented by a relocatable module which runs on the
RISC OS host, and a small kernel which is run by each slave. Code
(kernel and user) is shared between slaves. Data areas can be shared or
be unique. When Hydra starts, the kernel code is loaded into shared
memory, and the slave processors are reset under control of the host.
Memory is then allocated to hold level 1 & 2 page tables for each
installed slave. At the end of the boot sequence, the kernel enters a
command processing loop.
9.9
As an aid to software development, each slave processor can receive
keyboard input and can send character-based output to a virtual terminal
which is provided by the HydraTerm application. This allows trace
information, and notifications of exceptions, to be displayed. The
kernel also supports a limited command line interface (CLI) allowing
memory and registers to be dumped and disassembled, and code to be
executed. Each slave inputs and processes commands until a thread is
scheduled for it, whereupon it abandons whatever command it was
executing, and enters the thread code at the specified address.
9.9
Any calls which the thread makes to the standard character I/O SWIs
(OSReadC, OSReadLine, OSWriteC, etc) are routed to the virtual terminal.
It is not anticipated that end users will interact with Hydra via this
interface. When a thread signifies that it has terminated (by calling
OSExit), the next pending thread is executed. If no thread is waiting,
control returns to the interactive command line.
9.9
Scheduling threads
9.9
As described above, threads are allocated to processors on a first-come
first-served basis. The simple queuing mechanism allows Hydra to be
shared between a number of client applications, and allows for solutions
which scale well, whatever number of slave processors are fitted.
9.9
Letæs assume that a hypothetical application has a time-consuming task
which can be split to run in parallel on a number of processors. A naive
approach might be to split the task into four threads, each of which
would take N seconds to execute. On a system with one slave, the four
threads would execute sequentially taking a total of 4N seconds. On a
four slave system, the threads would execute concurrently, taking N
seconds. However, on a three processor system, the first three threads
would execute immediately, leaving the fourth thread to execute on its
own after the first three had completed, taking a total of 2N seconds.
9.9
A better approach would be to split the task into twelve threads. On a
four processor system, each processor would execute three of the
threads; on a three processor system, each processor would handle four
of the threads, and so on. This approach also scales better to future
systems which may support more than four slave processors.
9.9
Memory map
9.9
The memory map for a slave processor (shown opposite) looks a little
like the memory map of a RISC OS machine.
9.9
How it works
9.9
The Hydra arbitration logic is used to multiplex processors to the
memory bus, and ensures that only one processor talks to the memory bus
at any one time. Any processor requiring a memory cycle is guaranteed
access to the bus by using a last-used-least-priority rotational
priority encoder which gives the bus to each processor in turn, if they
need it, otherwise it stays with the current owner.
9.9
When reset, an external memory modifier unit is enabled to force the
processor to execute its reset code from a fixed area of memory,
otherwise it would execute the RISC OS reset code and crash the already
running RISC OS. Once the processor is initialised, and running useful
code, the modifier unit is disabled, and the processor addresses are
output normally.
9.9
There is also logic to halt a processor so that, when a task is
complete, a processor can shut itself down, and wait in suspended
animation, until unhalted or reset by the Master processor.
9.9
There is an extensive interrupt structure which allows slaves to send
IRQs, or FIQs, to each other and to signal the Master processor through
the interrupt structure of the podule bus.
9.9
Wherever possible, registers have hardware interlocks which prevent one
processor from interfering with bits that control the others. In some
cases, registers are context-sensitive, and will only set or enable
particular bits of a register, dependent on which processor is accessing
them. A processor can be identified by reading the ID_Status register,
whose contents reflect the physical socket number to which the processor
is connected. This enables the controlling software to compute which
register bits belong to that processor.
9.9
Floating point support
9.9
Niel Carson, of the Risc BSD programming group, has ported a version of
their floating point support code for use with Hydra. This is equivalent
to the ordinary ROM version of the floating point emulator but it is
compiled in 32-bit code. The add-on application installs a copy of the
emulator/FPA support code onto the processors when required and removes
it again afterwards. Only one copy of the code is resident in memory so
it is as easy to install it on all processors as it is on one.
9.9
So, in simple terms, this means that programmers can use floating point
instructions in their code as normal.
9.9
The future?
9.9
Hopefully, this has given you an idea of what the Hydra Multiprocessing
System is capable of doing. However, as developers start to use it, we
will see more and more ways in which it can enhance the power of the
RiscPC.
9.9
The Hydra Multiprocessing System is still being improved and is
currently only available as a Developer Version at ú249 +VAT (ú290
through Archive), but anyone buying at this price receives free upgrades
and unlimited help. The re-worked board, which will be aimed at the
users, rather than developers, will be ú149 +VAT (ú170 through Archive)
with support then being given by the software companies providing the
multi-processor applications. áuá
9.9
Address  Allocation
9.9
00000000 Ö 00007FFF  Kernel internal use, vector tables, communication
queues and stacks (unique to each slave)
9.9
00008000 Ö 037FFFFF  Available to user programs Ö memory in this region
is allocated by the client application
9.9
03800000 Ö 0380FFFF  Kernel code (read only, shared between all slaves,
may be less than 64Kb in practice)
9.9
03810000 Ö 03FFFFFF  One-to-one mapping with I/O space in hostæs address
space
9.9
04000000 +  Level 1 and level 2 page tables, and other memory management
workspace Ö the size of this area depends on the amount of physical RAM
in the system
9.9
80000000 Ö FFFFFFFF  One-to-one mapping with physical memory which, by
default, is not accessible to prevent a   rogue slave from corrupting
RISC OS or other processoræs workspace.
9.9
Help needed Ö Would anyone be interested to do some work on Hydra for
Archive magazine? We would lend you a multi-processor card for a couple
of weeks. You try it out, develop something for your own use, and then
write about it for the Archive magazine. If you want to keep the Hydra
at the end of the time, weæll öcome to some arrangementò.
9.9
If you are interested, please let me know what project you want to do,
and send me a few details about yourself: things like technical skills
and qualifications, writing skills and experience, and anything else you
think relevant to helping me decide who to allow to do the job. Ed.
9.9
Club News
9.9
Botisham Acorn User Group Ö This is Cambridgeshireæs premier meeting
place for everyone interested in Acorn computers. The club meets twice
every month during term time on the 2nd and last Tuesday of every month
at Botisham Village College between 7.30 and 9.30p.m.
9.9
The club enjoys good facilities and is currently welcoming new members.
Subscription rates are very reasonable at ú10 per annum for adults and
ú5 for under 14æs, or ú1 per night for adults and 50p for under 14æs.
9.9
We have an extensive collection of public domain and demonstration
software, as well as the opportunity of discussing your thoughts with
some of our experts. Why not come along for a free introductory
evening?! Please email me for further information.
9.9
Bryan Jenkinson-Dix, Events Secretary <[e-mail]> (01954-
781484)
9.9
Saturday 22th June 1996, Mercury Hotel, Buizerdlaan 10, Nieuwegein
(Utrecht), The Netherlands.
9.9
This is a National Day for Acorn Computer Users, featuring exhibitions/
promotions by various companies, including Dutch, German and British
Acorn dealers, demonstrations by club members, etc.
9.9
The venue is within easy reach: by public transport Ö bus stop close to
the door of the hotel (busline 116, from Central Station NS Utrecht), by
motor vehicle Ö direct to the motorway A2, 800 free parking-places in a
multi-storey car park.
9.9
For more information please visit the following page: http://
www.wi.LeidenUniv.nl/~rdevreug/bbc_expoe. html or contact Herman Corijn,
public relations, POáBox 1189, 6801 BD Arnhem. Telephone (answering
machine) and fax: [phone].
9.9
The Dutch Acorn Usersæ Club
9.9
ÉThe Big Ben Clubæ proudly presents:
9.9
Acorn Developer Survey
9.9
Paul Beverley
9.9
If you believed everything you read in the press (ha!), you could be
forgiven for thinking that Acorn had sold out to Apple and that RISCáOS
was dead. Even if you have been watching the Acorn-related newsgroups,
where people ought to know better, you might still get a negative
feeling about Acornæs future because of all the doom and gloom
merchants.
9.9
Through this magazine, I have been endeavouring to give you the real
facts of the matter, as soon as possible, so that you can make informed
decisions about your possible future involvement with Acorn products.
This has been difficult of late, because the changes have been coming so
thick and fast, but I hope that the Peter Bondar interview last month
(p9) plus other news of Acornæs commitment to RISCáOS (p15) helped to
counteract the negative comments of other journals.
9.9
Having said that, the simple fact that there is some press coverage,
even if it is somewhat ill-informed at times, is very encouraging.
Subscribers keep sending me press cuttings from all sorts of journals
and local newspapers that refer to Acorn. (Thanks very much to all of
you Ö please keep them coming as they are very useful. Iæd rather get
the same cutting twice than miss out on seeing something.)
9.9
This tide of press coverage is continuing, indeed itæs increasing, if
anything. I see that even Micro Mart has started a series of articles
about RISCáOS Ö öprobably one of the least talked about, yet technically
brilliant operating systems aroundò!
9.9
Oracle connections
9.9
When Acorn made the joint-venture statement encouraging developers to
port their software over to MacOS, some developers panicked and thought
RISCáOS was dead. At that stage, I said in the Acorn newsgroups that not
all the developers were shouting doom and gloom. Some, I said, were
probably too busy developing things for the Oracle tie-up even to have
time to read the newsgroups, and theyæd be laughing all the way to the
bank.
9.9
Since then, we have found out who some of the fortunate companies are.
The net software for the Oracle Éreference designæ computers is being
developed by ANT Ltd (which should provide some useful spin-off for
those of us using the ANT Internet Suite!), Icon Technology have been
chosen to provide the word-processor, and Eidos are sorting out the
video codecs needed Ö so thatæs three companies that donæt think RISCáOS
is dead!
9.9
RISCáOS software development
9.9
I said in my editorial comment last month that although some companies
were putting out new RISCáOS software on a regular basis, other
traditional Acorn supporters, seemed to have gone rather quiet of late.
The following day, I got a call from Ian Goodall, of Creative Curriculum
Software, saying that they too were pushing out new Acorn software on a
regular basis and were fully intending  to continue doing so. This set
me thinking.
9.9
I then decided that it would be helpful to find out just how many
companies were still committed to developing RISCáOS software. I spoke
to Dave Walker who organises the developer support at ART and he was in
the middle of re-vamping the whole support system for RISCáOS
developers. He had asked developers to (pay money to) resubscribe for
support and was encouraged at the swift response he was getting.
9.9
My next move was to write to all the Acorn-related companies on my
Factfile list to ask them whether they were still developing new
products for Acorn computers. I deliberately broadened it to include
hardware as well as software. The response I got was also very
encouraging:
9.9
  YES, we are continuing to develop: 195
9.9
  NO, we are not continuing: 18
9.9
  NOT SURE yet whether to continue: 11
9.9
So thatæs almost two hundred companies who have said that they are
committed to developing software and/or hardware for Acorn (and
related!) computers. What is more, we havenæt been able to contact some
companies that we think probably are continuing although they havenæt
given us an answer yet.
9.9
You will notice that certain companies who have been Ébigæ in the Acorn
world in the past, have either not replied, or are in the Émaybeæ list.
Personally, I donæt think that it is necessarily a bad thing if one or
two of the Ébig boysæ drop out, as it gives much more scope for the up-
and-coming companies. For example, if you were thinking of developing a
vector art package, and Artworks were continuing to be actively
developed, you would think twice, but now that CC are only on the
Émaybeæ list, it could be worth having a go Ö remember that Computer
Concepts was a one-man company once!
9.9
Software conversions
9.9
Whilst conducting the survey, I discovered something rather interesting.
Although a number of companies are developing for the PC (and some for
the Mac) as well as Acorn, they all, without exception, said they
developed initially on Acorns, and then transferred the resultant
software over to PC and/or Mac.
9.9
Now why is that, do you think? Well, itæs probably partly that they are
more familiar with Acorns than with the other platforms, but those I
asked specifically about this, e.g. 4Mation and Anglia Multimedia were
quite definite about their motivation for using Acorns. They all said
something like, öWe use Acorns to do the authoring because they are much
better as multimedia machines. Itæs much easier and quicker to do the
development work on Acorn machines and then transfer it across.ò
9.9
RISCáOS Ö an emphatic YES!
9.9
Many of the companies that confirmed they were sticking with Acorn were
very emphatic about it.
9.9
Neil Souch, 4Mationæs MD:
9.9
4Mation decided a few years ago to extend the capability of their
already successful Acorn authoring software to enable them to create PC
Windows titles, and we also hope to have the same software on Macs later
this year. However, we have no plans to abandon the development of
software for the Acorn platform. Acorn users can be assured that 4Mation
will be continuing to support all the Acorn platforms, all their
existing Acorn software, and to further develop new Acorn software.
Several new Acorn programs are already in the pipeline for release later
this year; these include a wonderful new fully interactive talking CD
for early years use (3 to 6), entitled ÉPatch the Puppyæ. Then thereæs a
classic recent history program entitled ÉEvacueeæ, which is an
interesting adventure, in true 4Mation style, for 8 to 10 year olds, set
in the period of the First Evacuation (1939), and for those who have
trouble with their spelling, we shall be publishing SuperSpell which is
suitable for use by all ages!
9.9
Andrew Reeves, Fabis Computing:
9.9
We would like to assure you and all our many thousands of customers that
we will most definitely be continuing to support the Acorn market. We
have several new projects planned, including an update to the immensely
popular EasyFont3.
9.9
Neale Smith of W.C Smith & Associates:
9.9
We have been developing structural analysis software for RISC OS for
over 6 years, despite the fact that the potential market is tiny
compared to that available in the PC and Macintosh worlds. This is
because we believe that RISC OS provides easily the best user
environment as well as being exceptionally pleasant to program. This is
especially true in respect to writing in assembly language, where the
simplicity and elegance of the ARM processor, and associated hardware,
makes it easy to optimise the code for speed.áuá
9.9
Definite
9.9
4Mation
9.9
4th Dimension
9.9
AFE Computer Services Ltd
9.9
Aleph One Ltd
9.9
Alsystems
9.9
Alternative Publishing
9.9
Angelsoft Educational
9.9
Anglia Multimedia
9.9
ANT Ltd
9.9
APA Multimedia
9.9
Appian Way Software Ltd
9.9
Apricote Studios
9.9
Arachne Software
9.9
Argonet
9.9
ARMage Software
9.9
ARMed Forces
9.9
ARM Club
9.9
Aspex Software
9.9
Atomic Software
9.9
Atomwide Ltd
9.9
Avie Electronics
9.9
Baildon Electronics
9.9
Base5 Technical Graphics
9.9
Brain Games
9.9
Brilliant Computing
9.9
Cadsoft Graphic Systems Ltd
9.9
Calligraph Ltd
9.9
Camboard
9.9
Cambridge Occupational Analysts
9.9
Cambridge Systems Design
9.9
Cambridgeshire Software House
9.9
Camsoft
9.9
Capricorn Consulting
9.9
Carvic Manufacturing
9.9
Castle Technology
9.9
CD Circle
9.9
CD Computing
9.9
Chalksoft Ltd
9.9
Cherisha Software
9.9
Christian Computer Art
9.9
Circle Software
9.9
Clares Micro Supplies
9.9
Clips Round the Year
9.9
Codemist Ltd
9.9
Cogent Software
9.9
Colton Software
9.9
Craddock Computer Hardware
9.9
Creative Curriculum Software
9.9
Crick Computing
9.9
Cumana
9.9
Dalmation Publications
9.9
Dalriada Data Technology
9.9
Datafile
9.9
Datawave Technology
9.9
David Pilling
9.9
Davyn Software
9.9
DCP Microdevelopments
9.9
DEC_dATA
9.9
Design Concept
9.9
Design IT
9.9
Desktop Projects Ltd
9.9
Dexedream
9.9
Dial Solutions
9.9
Digital Darkroom
9.9
Digital Phenomena
9.9
Dixon & Dixon
9.9
Doggysoft
9.9
Eclipse
9.9
Eesox
9.9
Electronic Font Foundry
9.9
ERIC International
9.9
ESP
9.9
Evolution Computer
9.9
ExpLAN
9.9
Fabis Computing
9.9
Font Company Ltd
9.9
G.A.Herdman Educational
9.9
GamesWare
9.9
Generation Design
9.9
Gnome Computers Ltd
9.9
Greygum Software
9.9
Hampshire Microtechnology Centre
9.9
Hazelnut Software
9.9
HCCS Ltd
9.9
HEC
9.9
Holdfast Computing
9.9
HS Software
9.9
i¡cubed Ltd
9.9
Icon Technology
9.9
ICS
9.9
IFEL
9.9
Integrex Systems Ltd
9.9
Intelligent Interfaces Ltd
9.9
Iota Software Ltd
9.9
Irlam Instruments
9.9
iSV Products
9.9
ITAL
9.9
Jonathan Duddington
9.9
KAS Software
9.9
KBA Service Centre
9.9
KITT Engineering
9.9
Koeksuster Publications
9.9
Kudlian Soft
9.9
Kudos Computing
9.9
Lambda Publications
9.9
Learning Through Computing
9.9
LEGO Dacta
9.9
Lindis
9.9
Liquid Silicon
9.9
Logan Interactive Ltd
9.9
Longman Logotron
9.9
LOOKsystems
9.9
LæEnsouleiado Software
9.9
Magnetic Image
9.9
Matt Black
9.9
MEU Cymru
9.9
Micro Librarian Systems
9.9
Mijas Software
9.9
Mike Smith Software
9.9
Millipede Electronic Graphics
9.9
Minerva Systems
9.9
Musbury Consultants
9.9
Network Solutions
9.9
Neutron Software
9.9
Oak Consultants
9.9
Octopus Systems
9.9
Oregan Developments
9.9
Panda Discs
9.9
Papersoft Ltd
9.9
Paradise
9.9
Partis Logistics
9.9
Paul Fray Ltd
9.9
Periscope Software Ltd
9.9
Pineapple Software
9.9
Pocket Media
9.9
Porters Primary Software
9.9
Primrose Publishing
9.9
Prodigy Systems
9.9
PTW Software
9.9
Pulse Computer
9.9
Purple Software
9.9
Quantum Software
9.9
Rapport Limited
9.9
Rcomp
9.9
Really Good Software Company
9.9
Rheingold Enterprises
9.9
Rooksoft
9.9
S&S Computer Advice
9.9
SCA (Anglia Television)
9.9
Schwalm Forthware
9.9
SEMERC
9.9
Serious Statistical Software
9.9
Shell Centre for Mathematical Education
9.9
Sherston Software
9.9
Sibelius Software
9.9
Silica Software Systems
9.9
Silicon Vision Ltd
9.9
Simtec Electronics
9.9
SJ Research
9.9
Smart DTP
9.9
Soft Rock Software
9.9
Softease
9.9
Solloway Software
9.9
Spacetech
9.9
Special Access Systems
9.9
SSERC
9.9
Stuart Tyrrell Developments
9.9
Squeaky Software
9.9
Success Express Ltd.
9.9
SYRASoft
9.9
TAG Developments Ltd
9.9
TBA Software
9.9
Techsoft UK Ltd
9.9
The Data Group
9.9
The Event Horizon
9.9
The Shadow Project
9.9
Topologika
9.9
Unilab Ltd
9.9
Uniqueway
9.9
University of Malta
9.9
VTi (Vertical Twist)
9.9
W. C. Smith & Associates
9.9
Wardlaw Surveys
9.9
Warm Silence Software
9.9
Werewolf Software
9.9
Widget Software
9.9
Worldaware Software
9.9
Wyddfa Software
9.9
Wynded Software
9.9
Xavier Educational Software Ltd
9.9
XenoPhilia Fonts
9.9
XOB
9.9
Yellowstone Educational Solutions
9.9
Zenta Multimedia
9.9
Maybe
9.9
Beebug Ltd
9.9
Computer Concepts
9.9
Electric Scribe Co Ltd
9.9
Emerald Publishing
9.9
Fisher¡Marriott Software
9.9
Kang Software
9.9
LCL
9.9
Le Computer
9.9
Periscope Software Ltd
9.9
Solent Computer Products Ltd
9.9
Southern Printersáuá
9.9
Hints and Tips
9.9
Impression shortcuts Ö I used to find it difficult in Impression to
remember which was which of the two key shortcuts for super- and
subscripts, <shift-ctrl-J> and <shift-ctrl-K>, until I decided to let
<J> stand for ÉJumpæ and <K> for ÉKneelæ. Now I have no problems anymore
with that!
9.9
(Similarly, for kerning, thereæs <shift-U> and <shift-J>, so I think of
<U> for ÉUpæ and then as <J> is below <U> on the keyboard, thatæs easy
to remember. Then there is <shift-E> which Expands the gap between
letters and <shift-R> which Reduces it. Ed.)
9.9
Christian Puritz <[e-mail]>
9.9
Marcel help Ö Because I send and receive so many emails, Marcel soon
begins to slow down due to the huge mail files created. (I checked my
ÉSentæ file today and it had 190 messages in it, covering the last two
weeks.) I therefore have to Éemptyæ it reasonably regularly. Also, I was
rather exercised by the fact that I wasnæt archiving my in-coming emails
Ö just replying to them and deleting them. What happens if I want to
refer to them again later? I would be interested to hear other peopleæs
solutions, but mine is as follows...
9.9
On a separate hard disc, in a ÉBackupæ directory, Iáhave two text files;
SentEmails and Received. All Iádo is double-click the SentEmails file
which loads into Edit and then drop the Marcel Sent file into it, press
<f3> and save it again. This works because, although Marcel mail files
have a different filetype, they are basically just textfiles. Finally, I
delete the Marcel Sent file. Next time I send an email, Marcel notices
there is no Sent file and prompts me, and I let it create a new one. I
do a similar thing to archive the incoming email by dropping Marcelæs
INBOX file into a textfile called Received in the same backup directory.
9.9
I suppose you could do a similar sort of backup system within Marcel,
but the files would have to be kept within the Marcel directory. So, you
could put a backup Marcel file called, say, S, in a sub-directory of the
Mail directory called, say, Z. You would then open the Sent file in
Marcel, Select All and then Move To Z.S and then click on the Ébinæ in
the Sent file display.
9.9
The drawbacks with this are (a) it only works if using a subdirectory,
i.e. you canæt put it on a different hard drive and (b) you have to
actually open your Sent file in Marcel (rather than in Edit) which, with
190 messages, can take quite a few seconds. Also, if you ever tried to
open the Z.S file with hundreds of messages in it, youæd need to go for
a long tea-break. You can, of course, open a Marcel file in Edit by
holding down <shift> and double-clicking, but if your finger slips off
the shift key or if you forget to press it, the resultant hold-up can be
very frustrating!
9.9
Ed.
9.9
Sibelius lyrics Ö In Sibelius, lyrics below a stave can be deleted by
clicking on a word until it goes red ... then pressing Édeleteæ. When
the word extends over more than one note, it is followed by a Élyric
lineæ (word_______,). Usually, clicking turns the word and the lyric
line red at the same time.
9.9
I deleted a word... but the lyric line remained black. Clicking on this
lyric line did not turn it red for deleting, and the more I clicked, the
longer the lyric line extended! It reached the end of the piece, and I
thought I was stuck with it and would have to type the piece again.
9.9
Then, by chance, I clicked on the extreme righthand end of the lyric
line... Four pages of lyric line turned red... and I deleted it. Phew!
9.9
John VEG Mitchell, Wishaw
9.9
Charm Compiler
9.9
Robert Chrismas
9.9
Charm is a high level compiled language, and it is only implemented on
Acorn computers. So far as Iácan tell, it was created by Peter Nowosad,
the authoráof the Charm compiler. Charm is like a cut down version of C
Ö certainly, the structure of programs and the syntax of statements are
very similar to C.
9.9
The complete package costs ú25 (from David Pilling or through Archive),
and an upgrade from the original Charm is just ú18 (from David Pilling
only). For this, you get a fully operational high level language
compiler, which comes with a manual and an extra disc of examples, in a
smart plastic folder.
9.9
New version
9.9
I first saw Charm four years ago. I thought it would be useful for
teaching A-level computing students about compiled languages. My review
in Archive 5.10 p61 records the responses of my students.
9.9
Charm was a great success. It gave students practical experience with
another language. They had read about compilers, linking and include
files, but it was not until they had to sort out a few compilation
errors, and saw the resulting machine code, that they really started to
understand what was going on. The price was astonishingly low Ö then
just ú10.
9.9
The version of Charm which has been released recently is still very
competitively priced. It now comes with a printed manual and there are
some new facilities to support more serious program development.
9.9
Features
9.9
This latest version of Charm supports integer, real, character and
boolean variables, arrays, pointers and records. The control structures
allow sequential, looping and conditional execution. Modular structure,
with common rules about scope, encourages the development of large
programs.
9.9
Compilation is very fast. The compiler itself is written in Charm and
the manual claims that on an ARM 3 processor, the entire 7500 lines of
code compile in under 40 seconds from a hard disc.
9.9
There is a Profiler which can be used to discover how much time is spent
on each part of a Charm program. This would normally be used to identify
parts of the code which have a significant effect on the speed of the
program.
9.9
It is possible to call SWIs from Charm. This could be used to write a
multitasking desktop program in Charm. There are example files, showing
how this is done, on one of the discs.
9.9
This version of Charm also supports Acornæs Toolbox which should make
the development of desktop programs very much easier. I could not check
this properly because I do not have any documentation for the Toolbox
modules and none is provided with Charm. (Toolbox manuals are available
for ú29 through Archive). Although some of the modules are provided with
Charm, my version did not have the ÉPickeræ module, which prevented me
from trying out the demonstration file.
9.9
Serious programs
9.9
You can write serious programs in almost any language. We know this
because of a fascinating insight by Alan Turing. Turing described a very
simple machine which, he showed, could perform any possible calculation.
Any computer language which can perform a few very simple operations,
equivalent to the operations of a Turing machine, can perform any
calculation. Turingæs machine is fascinating to mathematicians but
computer programmers find it perfectly useless. Itæs not just the
problem of fitting the infinite memory; the important question for
computer programmers is not öIs it possible?ò, since the answer is
almost always öYes but ...ò Ö the real question is öIs it easy?ò.
9.9
It is easy to write some types of programs in Charm. For short, time
critical, programs which have simple input/output requirements, it is
ideal.
9.9
For major programming projects, the limitations of the Charm
documentation would encourage me to find the price of a C compiler. I
spent too much time trying to find the answer to questions like öIs
there anything like a cast operator?ò A good manual (the manual of my
dreams!) would answer that sort of question quickly.
9.9
The Charm libraries are spartan. There are some input and output
routines, memory management, string handling and five miscellaneous
routines.
9.9
Charm was fine for teaching, but I did notice the limitations of the
libraries here. I would have welcomed a function to collect an integer
from the keyboard. Writing this sort of thing is a good exercise, but
when students start, they need to write the find the sum of two numbers
sort of program without having to collect the digits one at a time.
9.9
The manual
9.9
The manual shows some signs of being written by someone who is much more
interested in writing programs than writing manuals. It starts with a
couple of encouragingly clear pages explaining what a compiled language
is. In the next section on installation, the honeymoon is over. There is
a description of the function of each directory, using terms which have
not been introduced at that point. You do not need to know all this to
install the software. Installation is quite easy, but inexperienced
users would not find the manual very helpful.
9.9
The same is true of the rest of the manual; if you know what you are
doing, you will recognise the essential information, but a new user
would probably find the learning curve a bit steep. However, the manual
does make sensible use of plentiful examples.
9.9
The table of contents is fairly comprehensive but an index would still
have been helpful.
9.9
On the disc is a text tutorial file. This starts with a step-by-step
guide to creating a öHello Worldò program. It goes on to give examples
and explanations of more ambitious programs. It would have been a good
idea to have included a printed copy of this file, or at least a
reference to it, in the printed documentation.
9.9
Conclusion
9.9
I could not find any bugs in Charm. Although this review has drawn
attention to some limitations of Charm, it is still very good value for
money.
9.9
I enjoy writing programs in Charm, and found it useful for teaching A-
level students about compilers.áuá
9.9
ARTæs StrongARM Card
9.9
The StrongARM card for RiscPC is born. Here is a report from the ART
laboratories that first appeared as a stop press sheet last month Ö but
with one or two updates Ö in italics.
9.9
Peter Bondar reports: Acorn Risc Technologies is pleased to announce
that at 11:12 a.m. on Tuesday 26th March 1996, the first prototype
RiscPC StrongARM Processor Card was powered up.
9.9
This experimental StrongARM card, using a first release of prototype
silicon, produced a benchmark of 147,000 Dhrystones. Following testing
and modification to the system software, ARTæs engineers managed to
achieve an internal clock speed of 228MHz, and produced a bench mark
reading of 290,000 Dhrystones whilst running RISC OS. These figures
should improve again upon receipt of production silicon from DEC.
9.9
(Even with the pre-production silicon, ART have pushed the speed up even
further now, to 330,000 Dhrystones. Ed.)
9.9
The prototype card came up far quicker than anticipated, due to the
large amount of design work that had already taken place. At the time of
writing, the StrongARM card is running RISC OS and supporting a number
of applications such as Draw and ChangeFSI, Artworks viewer, Network
stack and Intertalk web browser.
9.9
Based on the experience gained with the PC cards, and the multiprocessor
cards, ART are now confident that a cacheless StrongARM processor card
will offer dramatic and significant performance improvements. Asáa
result of this, ART confirm that they will be producing a cacheless
StrongARM upgrade card for the RiscPC, for sale when large quantities of
silicon are available. It is hoped that it will be on sale during
Quarter 3 1996.
9.9
So whatæs it like to use?
9.9
Quick Ö and seriously responsive, despite some known inefficiencies in
the prototype system. While testing in the ART lab, setting up the
picture opposite and dragging the Mona Lisa JPEG around in Draw, there
was no waiting for it to redraw and resize.
9.9
Applications timings given below are approx.
9.9
                        Test:  A  B  C  D
9.9
ARM 710 (40MHz)  2.98  1.78  12.1  13.7
9.9
SA110 (228MHz)  0.72  0.60  4.2  5.3
9.9
  ╫4.1  ╫3.0  ╫2.9  ╫2.6
9.9
Test A Ö Mona Lisa JPEG processed by !ChangeFSI into 256 colour sprite.
Timings obtained from !ChangeFSI.
9.9
Test B Ö As test A, but into 32,000 colour sprite. Timings obtained from
!ChangeFSI.
9.9
Test C Ö Screen redraw including !AWRender (Artworks renderer) ÉAppleæ
file in 256 colours. Timings obtained manually.
9.9
Test D Ö As test C but in 32,000 colours. Timings obtained manually.
9.9
I said last time... Please let NCS know if you would prefer to have a
cacheless StrongARM costing about ú200 in Q3 æ96, or to wait until Q4
æ96 for a cached StrongARM costing about ú350.
9.9
However, reading between the lines, I am beginning to suspect that the
cached version may never get beyond the prototype stage. The reasoning
for this is that the cost of putting it into full production may not be
justified by the limited return on selling, say, a thousand or so cards.
This is especially so because many people will have bought the uncached
version and then be hoping for a trade-in when they buy the cached card.
Also, by the time they get it into production, ARTæs newer desktop
computer offerings may well be nearing production, and a 6-fold speed
increase in a RiscPC may well be enough to dissuade people from
upgrading to the new computer.
9.9
(When I say önew computerò, by the way, I donæt mean a StrongARM RiscPC
because Acorn arenæt intending to produce one. The next machine will be
the new generation PowerPC/StrongARM/RISC OS/MacOS/goodness-knows-what-
else machine.)
9.9
No, my guess is that ART will sell as many cacheless upgrades as
possible and then concentrate on the RiscPC replacement. Still, I have
to say that öonlyò a three-fold speed increase on my current RiscPC
would be very acceptable. (Try asking a PC-dealer öI heard a rumour that
there is a plug-in processor replacement for ú200 that will increase the
speed of my computer by three times. Is that for the Pentium?ò)áuá
9.9
Graphics Column
9.9
David Thornton
9.9
Photodesk 2
9.9
I have recently received what is reported to be the final beta (2.00e)
of Spacetechæs Photodesk 2. The program should be released shortly, and
upgrades will be available for existing users of Photodesk. From what
Iácan see, Photodesk 2 is a major enhancement over the original
Photodesk. I am hoping that Malcolm Banthorpe will be reviewing
Photodesk 2, so I have simply compiled a list of the major new features,
although further enhancements are planned for version 2.10 and beyond!
9.9
Å Colour calibration now allows sophisticated colour correction. The
system will correct the screen display according to your preferences of
ink and paper, when converting an RGB bitmap to a CMYK bitmap and when
displaying an imported CMYK bitmap. It will also colour-match the output
parameters according to your ink definitions, when generating a CMYK
bitmap. All ink information is specified using the international CIE
coordinate standard.
9.9
Å The clipboard behaves as a normal RISC OS filer window. Selections
from the thumbnail bitmaps may be made for copying, deleting and so on.
The scanner dialogue is also available from here.
9.9
Å The magnify option has been enhanced.
9.9
Å A new resize window allows a much more comprehensive range of
interpolation options to be made available The size of the bitmap can be
altered here, as well as the resolution.
9.9
Å The offset and rotate facilities have been greatly enhanced.
9.9
Å A calculate image option has been included, where a source image, or
channel, may be combined with another source image using a number of
mathematical functions.
9.9
Å A new information button and palette, which present colour, angle and
coordinate information, are directly available from the enhanced tool
box.
9.9
Å A channel tool exists for creating alpha channels and manipulating the
entire bitmap.
9.9
Å The effect gradient can now import palettes to produce a Érainbowæ
effect.
9.9
Å The three Épaint potæ tools are now available from just the one icon,
and a menu button allows the user to choose between colour, tone and
filter.
9.9
Å Image processing has been greatly enhanced with many new filters, and
all processes can be previewed, either in a preview field or on the
entire canvas, depending on the filter.
9.9
Å New special effects have been added, including new blur, displacement
and unsharp mask options.
9.9
Å A very fast texture facility has been added.
9.9
Å Most of the other tools have also been enhanced.
9.9
Oregan news
9.9
According to Mark Perry of Oregan Software, new versions of PhotoTouch
and AppleFS will be released sometime after Easter. Both these packages
have taken a lower priority due to the other (unspecified!) projects
that Oregan are also undertaking.
9.9
RISC OS fill bug
9.9
There is an annoying bug in RISC OS 3.50, and earlier versions, where
attempting to fill any area of a sprite will fail if it is more than
1024 pixels from the bottom. If the fill starts below 1024 pixels, it
will stop at 1024 pixels from the bottom. If the fill starts above 1024
pixels, it will fill one horizontal line only. The bug affects the
entire Pro-Artisan family of graphics software, including ProArt24, as
well as the Revelation family, PhotoTouch and Paint. It does not seem to
affect The Big Picture, Photodesk or Studio24Pro, although this is
probably because their developers have internally patched over the bug.
9.9
To see the bug in action, load Paint and create a 16ácolour sprite of 50
pixels by 1280 pixels. Scroll to the bottom of the spriteæs window and
select the red colour from the palette. Select the flood fill (a.k.a.
replace colour) tool in Paint and ensure that Ésetæ and Églobalæ are
also selected. Click <select> on the spriteæs canvas, and the sprite
should fill red. Start to scroll up the spriteæs windows and you will
see that the fill has stopped 1024 pixels from the bottom of the canvas,
leaving the remainder 256 pixels white. Clicking on this area will fill
one horizontal line only. This bug is extremely annoying for people who
want to manipulate large bitmaps such as PhotoCD images. It is
impossible to create a background with a single colour on a large canvas
in many bitmap programs. The bug has been fixed in RISC OS 3.60.
9.9
Goodbye
9.9
This monthæs column marks my departure as the Archive Graphics
Columnist. I have had to give other aspects of my life, particularly my
work, priority over Archive.
9.9
I would like to thank everyone, including the Acorn developers, for
supporting me over the last ten months. I hope you have found the
Graphics Column useful.
9.9
If you would like to contact me, you can either email me at
<[e-mail]> or write to me at 1 Castle Court, Lower
Burraton, Saltash, Cornwall PL12 4SE.áuá
9.9
Geraldæs Column
9.9
Gerald Fitton
9.9
I had expected some interesting letters as a result of my excursions
into mathematical, and other, philosophical matters last month. I found
them all most interesting. However, the range of subjects included in
your correspondence to me far exceeds what can be included in a computer
magazine, even with the licence which Paul allows me. What Iæve done
with the majority of this correspondence is to answer each of you
individually ù at least I think I have.
9.9
This month, I shall correct a mistake from last month; I shall indulge
myself with a digression or two, including a brief introduction to a
calculus you may not have heard of: and I start on the marathon task of
making a comparison between the spreadsheet packages PipeDream, Eureka
and Fireworkz. I hope that Paul will be able to arrange for me to
receive a copy of Schema in the near future so that I can add that
package to the range considered.
9.9
The Gamma function
9.9
Your remarks to me on this topic divide into two classes. The first
class contains questions such as: öHow did you produce those graphs
using PipeDream?ò Although I shall deal with that in detail another day,
in this monthæs column, I make some comparisons between line graphs
drawn in PipeDream, Eureka and Fireworkz. The second class relates to
three mistakes you reckon I made. By the way, I donæt count Paulæs
mistake, not mine, of using a lower case g in öThe gamma functionò
heading! Nevertheless, I suppose I should take some of the blame since I
invariably use too many capitals in my headings whereas I know that
Paulæs house style for headings excludes all but the essential ones.
9.9
Last month I suggested that the Gamma function was symmetrical. I made a
mistake! Even before the first letter came in, I (somewhat belatedly)
rediscovered my university notes (which I havenæt looked at for a few
decades) and, sure enough, I had got confused between the shape of the
Gamma function and something else! Thatæs what comes of relying too much
on memories from long ago.
9.9
I would like your permission to count the two other Émistakesæ to which
you drew my attention as over simplifications (which I knew about when I
did them) rather than errors. I now regret that I didnæt take account of
the mathematical sophistication of some of my readers. Let me correct
those two mistakes as well!
9.9
Let me remind you that I defined the factorial function with the example
of factorial 7: 7!á=á7á╫á6á╫á5á╫á4á╫á3á╫á2á╫á1. I included the graph of
the function yá=áx! shown below. You will see that it consists of a set
of points with nothing in between (because the factorial function exists
only for positive integers). The Émistakeæ was that I implied that the
values given by the factorial function at integer values of x were the
same values that you would get by evaluating the Gamma function. The
truth is that Gamma(x)á=á(xáÖá1)! so that the graph of the Gamma
function is shifted over by one unit to the right.
9.9
My other Émistakeæ was to say öLoosely translated, a regular function
through a few given points is the function giving the smoothest possible
curve drawn through those points.ò To be strictly accurate, my words öa
few .á.á. pointsò should have read öan infinite number of pointsò! My
reason for not referring to an infinite number of points is that
Iáthought too many people would have translated öan infinite number of
pointsò as öall the points there areò. Quite rightly, I have been taken
to task for being slipshod.
9.9
Please allow me to expand. There are too many misconceptions about the
number of items which go to make up an infinite set. The number of
integers is infinite but the integers donæt account for all the numbers
there are. If you know the value of a function (such as the factorial
function) at an infinite number of values of x (in our case Éjustæ the
integers), then there are many other points on the x¡axis (the so called
number line), such as the fractions between the integers (e.g. at
xá=á0.5), which are still available and at which the factorial function
doesnæt exist. You can Éfill inæ the blanks in your knowledge of the
function in a unique way, using the mathematical concept called
Éregularityæ Ö which, being a bit lax about it Ö but descriptive Ö Iæve
called smoothness. The Gamma function (after shifting along the x¡axis)
is the natural extension of the factorial function to every single point
that there is on the number line Ö and beyond the number line to complex
numbers including the square root of Ö1. Some day (but not today), you
might persuade me to write a few words about infinities of different
Ésizesæ ù those infinite sets which can be counted with the integers and
those that canæt because thereæs too many members in the set to be
counted using just the integers (so you have to use the number of points
on a line instead).
9.9
The calculus of finite differences
9.9
It is possible to calculate the values of the Gamma function for
positive real numbers by interpolation between the factorial values,
using a spreadsheet to do the sums. The subject you need to look up in
your numerical methods textbook is öThe calculus of finite differencesò.
As an example of the use of this calculus, I will show you how to
extrapolate values of a function which you suspect might be a cubic. All
files referred to in this section appear on the monthly disc.
9.9
The drawfile shown below has been generated using Eureka.
9.9
For the purpose of this exercise I want you to assume that the points
appearing on this graph as circular dots (the range from xá=áÖ10 to +6)
have been obtained by experiment. Assume the values are approximate and
that you suspect the function is a cubic. Your task is to extrapolate
from the known approximate values to larger values of x. I have shown
the points you have to find as square markers on the graph.
9.9
The screenshot below shows the Eureka sheet which Iáhave used to
calculate the finite differences and could have been used to make the
extrapolation.
9.9
Let me admit that Iæve cheated and calculated all the values in the B
column using the formula yá=áax^3á+ábx^2á+ácxá+ád with the values of the
parameters (a, b, c and d) taken from B5B8. For the purpose of my
explanation, you have to assume the values of y corresponding to xá=áÖ10
to +6 are available (experimental results) but not those beyond xá=á6.
The so-called Éfinite differencesæ appear in columns C to F in the
columns marked Del_1 onwards. The convention for finite differences is
that the column heading Iæve called Del_1 should have been written as Dx
but Iæve been too lazy to introduce the necessary MathGreek font into
the Eureka sheet. ÉDelæ is short for the Greek capital ÉDeltaæ. The
formula in C11, in Eureka format, is: á=áB12áÖáB11. Check the arithmetic
and youæll see that it evaluates as Ö309áÖá(Ö600)á=á+291. I copied this
simple formula down and to the right, through all the finite difference
cells in which you see values.
9.9
You will notice that, by the time we get to column F, all these
differences have become zero. It is the characteristic mark of a cubic
that the fourth set of differences are zero. Similarly, if your data
satisfies a fifth power equation, it would be the sixth set of
differences which would drop to zero.
9.9
Iæm sure that youæll agree that the column containing the zeros is very
easily extrapolated to larger values of x. Just fill F26 to F32 with
zeros. Do this and then work steadily from right to left filling in the
blank slots with a formula such as C29á=áC28á+áD28 (which can be copied
into all the remaining blank slots), until you come to column B (pretend
the slots B29 to B32 contain blanks which you fill with copies of the
same formula). The set of values which you get in column B is the
extrapolation of the known data and will produce the points depicted as
squares in the drawfile of the Eureka chart shown above.
9.9
Of course, you may not know whether the approximate experimental data is
a cubic or whether it is something else. The practical way of dealing
with real data is to continue to create columns of finite differences
until you have a column in which the numbers are fairly close to zero
(but with some functions it doesnæt happenáùáwhich makes it a bit
tricky). It does take some practice to choose the correct column, and
the tendency amongst those without experience is to go too far to the
right (too many columns). If you go too far to the right, the column of
differences will increase instead of getting smaller (as they should).
Extrapolating a set of experimental data using this (add zeros to the
last column) method relies on the function being a regular (smooth)
function and not one with a Ékinkæ in it somewhere outside the range of
values you know.
9.9
If you are interested in learning the art of choosing the column to fill
with zeros, I suggest that you experiment with a column of values which
contains an analytical function such as a cubic plus a small ▒árandom
error.
9.9
I have not explained how to use finite differences for interpolation
(finding values between the known data points) ù (a) letæs leave that
for another day and (b)ásee if you can do it first! What I would draw to
your attention is that finite differences are a powerful way of
smoothing out the experimental errors in a set of data points. The well
known linear regression process for drawing the Ébest straight lineæ
through a set of points is easy but drawing a best curve is much harder!
You can also find a numerical value for the slope of the curve (the
first derivative) using finite differences (and this is the clue you
need to find the interpolation formula).
9.9
It can be shown (using mathematical logic) that any regular function ù
such as the power function or even the yá=ásin(x) function ù can be
approximated by a polynomial. Indeed, if you take an infinite number of
terms, then your polynomial will produce exactly the same values as the
regular function. In terms of the calculus of finite differences, this
means that if you use enough columns, you can represent any regular
function in terms of its finite differences and hence extrapolate it ù
or interpolate between known values, to any required degree of accuracy.
9.9
The calculus of finite differences has a long history (possibly more
than three hundred years) as a numerical method for solving the problem
of extrapolation from and interpolation between known measured data
values. In my view, spreadsheets make the use of finite difference
techniques so easy that they are something which could be taught at
school rather than, as at present, at university level only.
9.9
Finally, let me challenge you to an interpolation problem. Assume that
you have been given as many of the integer powers of 2 as you need (in
column B of a spreadsheet). Use the calculus of finite differences to
interpolate this Éinteger powers of 2æ function, pwr(2,n), to find the
value of pwr(2,á0.5), the irrational square root of 2, to about four
decimal places. I must point out to you that this is one of those tricky
problems where the finite differences donæt get smaller as you move to
the right in the spreadsheet ù so itæs not an easy one.
9.9
The smooth answer to puzzle number 50
9.9
In the answer to Colin Singletonæs puzzle number 50 he shows that the
identity:
9.9
 f(x)á=ásqr(1+f(xá+á1))á=á(xá+á1)
9.9
is true for all positive integers (the so called ÉNatural numbersæ).
Many of my correspondents have thought hard about my suggestion of
smoothing out such discrete functions and then suggested the
following...
9.9
Plot a graph of the function, f(x)á=ásqr(1+f(xá+á1))á=á(xá+á1), for a
few natural numbers. Look at it and Iæm sure that youæll have to agree
(with my correspondents) that when you apply the concept of regularity
(smoothness) to extend Colinæs infinite set of discrete values to any
number on the number line, it is inconceivable that the smooth curve is
anything but the line yá=á(xá+á1).
9.9
As I said last month, for those of you into complex numbers, the concept
of regularity can be used to extend functions into the complex number
domain. Although I got several answers to the real number part of the
puzzle, I got no takers for its extension to complex numbers.
9.9
The scientific method and things eternal
9.9
I hope that Paul will allow me the space to answer publicly the question
on this topic which appeared most often in this monthæs correspondence.
It was a question which I anticipated because Iæve been asked it so many
times before. You ask, öHow is it possible for someone (such as me) who
believes almost fanatically in logic (mathematics) and the scientific
method (and is Éobviously intelligentæ) to rubbish them in the next
paragraph?ò
9.9
My short but enigmatic answer is: öIt seems logical to me!ò
9.9
My longer answer is that it can be proved, using logic, that the answers
to some deep mathematical (and scientific) questions can be answered
only by reference to a super-set of, letæs call them values, truths or
beliefs, taken from outside mathematics (and science) but within which
the principles of mathematics and science must operate. By this Iámean
that in order to prove that mathematical Étruthsæ are really true
(whatever that means) it is provable that you need a super-set of truths
which go beyond mathematics Ö some mathematical philosophers have
suggested logic is such a super-set. In turn, it can be proved that this
super-set needs a super-super-set and weære into an infinite sequence.
What we need is an exit condition. During my life, my belief in what
forms a suitable exit condition has evolved from the simplest öI think ù
therefore I amò to those I hold today.
9.9
I continue with my longer answer by repeating a line from my last
monthæs column (not my words but two quotes Iæve cribbed from
elsewhere): öNow I see through a glass darklyò (meaning that currently
Iáhave only a limited grasp of Eternal values ù which Iábelieve contain
the exit condition from the logical paradox of the previous paragraph)
and öI (shall be able to) put away childish thingsò (meaning the
concepts I can handle now such as causality and even logic) when I
understand the nature of Eternity and things Eternal much better than I
do at present. So, just as it took me a long time to understand the
mathematical concept of Infinity, so one day (or maybe it will be when I
have no more days) I hope to understand more of those things which are
Eternal and thus discover an exit condition from the logical paradox
which starts with the logically provable fact that mathematical Étruthsæ
need non-mathematical super-truths to validate them.
9.9
My comment to you is that I donæt experience the paradox you do because
I accept that, by its very nature, the scientific method is self-
limiting. I know one canæt argue from analogy (unless it is provably a
mathematical isomorphism) but analogies sometimes help the process of
understanding. I use the analogy of the recursive definition of a
function which has its own built in limitation ù you must know when to
stop defining the function recursively or youæll finish up with nothing.
In my search for the truth (in the world, the universe and everything),
I have recognised a point (at least approximately) at which logic and
the scientific method have reached their in-built limit of usefulness
and I accept that I have to try something else outside the realm of
logic if I am to proceed and grow in knowledge and wisdom.
9.9
Eureka ù Schema ù PipeDream ù Fireworkz
9.9
Thanks to Paul, Longman Logotron have sent me a copy of both Advantage
and Eureka. Thanks also to those of you whoæve got Eureka and written to
me about it ù and to those of you who have Schema and want me to include
it in my comparison. I have asked Paul if he can arrange for me to have
a copy of Schema for that purpose. (Itæs on its way, Gerald, thanks to
Dave Clare! Ed.)
9.9
Looking at the overall subject of comparing spreadsheets, it is not
going to be possible for me to say everything I want to say in just one
article, so Iæve decided that Iæll deal with the different sorts of
things you might want to do with a spreadsheet over a period of time
with some sort of summary later on. Each of you will have different
requirements so that something Émissingæ from one package may be of no
importance to you and may well be compensated for by other features
which that package has but the others havenæt.
9.9
Line wrap
9.9
PipeDream and Fireworkz are primarily spreadsheets but they include word
processing features. Eureka is a dedicated spreadsheet, i.e. without
word processing features. The most important single feature of PipeDream
and Fireworkz, which makes them usable as word processors as well as
spreadsheets, is the line wrap feature. By this, I mean that when you
get to the end of a line in PipeDream or Fireworkz, the text wraps
around onto a new line (just like a word processor). Every slot or cell
below moves down automatically and, where necessary, formulae are
changed to reflect the existence of the additional rows.
9.9
The PC spreadsheets Lotus and Excel donæt have this line wrap facility.
You can type across slots but, if you need a new line, you have to
create the space by inserting rows manually and you have to deliberately
drop down to the slots in the next row. This causes a lot of painful
rewrites when you want to add a few words to or delete them from an
earlier row. Eureka is better than Excel because you can invoke an
option to wrap within a single slot but, unlike Fireworkz, you cannot
vary the slot width down the page. I hope the screenshot on this
previous page clarifies what I mean.
9.9
In both Fireworkz and Eureka, if you vary the width of the slot
containing the text, then the text will reformat automatically within
the available space. In Fireworkz, the slot height also changes
automatically so that, as you make the slot narrower, it gets deeper;
this ensures that all the text in the slot continues to be displayed.
9.9
PipeDream handles line wrap differently again. Every slot has two
margins. The first margin is the slot boundary; the second, called the
wrap margin, is the point at which that row wraps onto the next line.
Paragraphs in PipeDream can run across cell boundaries up to the line
wrap margin. The screen shot below demonstrates this feature. Line wrap
occurs at the vertical down arrow visible at the right of column C. The
position of this wrap margin can be adjusted for each column
independently.
9.9
Now, if you are quite happy to do your word processing in, say,
Impression, the Élimitationsæ of Eurekaæs line wrap facility wonæt
matter to you at all. Indeed, Eureka supports an OLE (Object Linking and
Embedding) facility to Impression so, if you use the combination of
Eureka and Impression, itæs almost as if you have a live Eureka
spreadsheet within Impression ù something which many of you see as a
superior way of doing things because you like Impressionæs word
processing (or DTP) features more than those of Fireworkz. Neither
PipeDream nor Fireworkz supports OLE to Impression. I have Publisher
Vá4.09 ù Publisher doesnæt need a dongle any more ù and Eurekaæs OLE to
it works a treat!
9.9
Graphs in PipeDream Eureka and Fireworkz
9.9
Iæve been asked to explain why, last month, I chose to produce the cube/
cube root graph in PipeDream rather than in Fireworkz. Let me use that
request as a starting point for my second comparison between the three
spreadsheets listed above. You will find copies of all the files and
live charts of this section on the Archive monthly disc.
9.9
First of all, I must say that, in my view, of all the spreadsheets Iæve
tried out at home and at work (on a PC), PipeDream has the best charting
features. Although the graph shown below is a drawfile, when running in
PipeDream, the chart is live. By this Iámean that, if changes are made
to the data, the graph changes to match the new data.
9.9
You might not want all the charting features that PipeDream has. Let me
list the ones demonstrated in the graphic shown below. There are three
independent lines on the chart. You can add more lines without starting
again. Each line has different xáand y ranges. There is no limit to the
number of text objects which you can add to the chart. These text
objects can be placed anywhere you like.
9.9
Opposite is a screenshot showing how far Iæve got towards producing a
similar chart using Eureka. Iácouldnæt put the xáand y where I wanted
to; I would like the y to be turned through a right angle, and placed at
the top (see the PipeDream drawfile); Iácouldnæt find a way of entering
all the text I wanted to ùáparticularly, I wanted a multi-line title.
9.9
Perhaps some of you with more experience than I have of Eureka will
demonstrate to me (with a disc file please) that you can have a live
Eureka chart with more of the features demonstrated in my PipeDream
chart than Iæve been able to produce.
9.9
I have version 1.25/01 of Fireworkz and the screenshot below shows how
far I could get.
9.9
Although the inconsistency in the number of decimal places on the axes
annoys me (look at ö1ò on this chart compared with ö1.00ò on the
others), and in spite of the difficulties of trying to get the numbers
on the x¡axis to appear at regular 0.2 intervals (which has driven me to
distraction ù youæll see that some appear at 0.4 intervals), it is my
inability to add any text without overlaying drawfiles over the chart
which has made me abandon the use of Fireworkz for live charts. Of
course, if you are willing to save the chart as a drawfile and then do
some more work on it, OK! I usually want my charts to stay alive so that
I can update them every month when new data comes along.
9.9
If you do not need all the features of PipeDreamæs charting package that
I have demonstrated, maybe you would prefer some of the features present
in Fireworkz or Eureka (or Schema ù Iæll let you know about Schema when
I get a copy) but which are lacking in PipeDream. For example, Fireworkz
is much more WYSIWYG, itæs got Styles; Eureka will produce excellent
horizontal bar charts (a feature missing from both PipeDream and
Fireworkz) and has some built-in functions that Fireworkz hasnæt got.
Conversions between Eureka and the usual PC spreadsheets (Lotus and
Excel) work much more smoothly than from Fireworkz.
9.9
My advice to you is this. If youære sure you donæt, and wonæt, need the
unique charting features of PipeDream, you should consider the
advantages Fireworkz and Eureka have by way of Styles, portability or
ease of use.
9.9
Finally
9.9
Thank you for all your letters. Please write to me (with a disc showing
examples if appropriate) at the Abacus Training address given at the
back of Archive. I shall be particularly interested to hear about your
experiences with either Eureka or Schema.áuá
9.9
Touch IT Touch Screen
9.9
Bob Black
9.9
My previous experience of touch screens has not been very positive. They
have tended to be clumsy affairs which were not very accurate and needed
an endless amount of setting up. I was therefore looking forward to
having a look at the newest screen available, in the hope that it would
fulfil its promise of being a viable alternative to the mouse, for very
young children and for older people with problems using the standard
equipment.
9.9
The kit unpacked very easily and the screen fitted neatly onto the
monitor by means of four velcro strips attaching to velcro hooks which
stick on the side of the monitor Ö a simple and effective fitting
method, which means that it can be moved from monitor to monitor with
minimum fuss.
9.9
Calibrating the touch screen is also much easier than it has been
before. The software just has two dots which you touch on the screen,
and the remaining calibration is then automatic, the infra red sensors
being correctly set up across the whole screen.
9.9
All that remains is to set the other options according to the individual
user Ö the time delay for double click actions, or the way in which the
screen simulates mouse actions. Many of the actions can be configured to
operate with a combination of keypress and touch. For instance, the menu
can be accessed by holding down <ctrl> whilst pointing at the file
required. There are specially configured drag and drop options for
programs like My World, to make them particularly easy to use with the
touch screen.
9.9
Different individualsæ personal settings can be saved, by name, to
eliminate the need to re-configure each time it is used. Just select the
useræs name from the menu, and those settings come into force again.
These options have been well thought out, and make using the touch
screen a much simpler affair than it has been previously.
9.9
Because it works by a series of infra red beams criss-crossing in front
of the screen, the contact is made before your finger or pointer touches
the screen. This has distinct disadvantages compared with the type of
touch screen that actually has a plastic film which appears touch
sensitive. It is very easy for children with small hands to drag another
finger or their palm onto another area of the grid, and it takes some
practice and dexterity to use the touch screen effectively, requiring
very definite actions and well controlled digits. This is disappointing,
but probably unavoidable.
9.9
It does seem perverse that an input device designed to assist the very
young and people with disabilities should require as much, if not more,
co-ordination skill than a standard mouse or roller ball. I can think of
a couple of people who have fairly good motor control but possibly donæt
have the strength to drag a finger across a plastic film, and this type
of screen may well suit them. For general use, and for encouraging small
children, I would definitely give this a miss unless you have tried the
other style of (compactive) touch screen and found it physically too
demanding for your childæs needs.
9.9
Summary and advice
9.9
For home use, donæt buy a touch screen. In IT, there are loads of
solutions which are out there looking for problems. Many parents looking
for systems for their children, especially if they have special needs,
are keen to get any additions which may help their kids. Most of them
donæt. They have the opposite effect of making it unnecessary to learn
to use the standard equipment. There is no realistic alternative to a
bit of patience and hands-on assistance. Making mistakes is the way that
we all learn.
9.9
A touch screen will seriously limit the amount of software that is
available, and there is plenty of good software that will run by just
pressing the space bar or ignoring clumsy mouse presses. From that point
on, the touch screen is a backward step.
9.9
However, it may be a useful tool in a classroom to enable the computer
to be used without having to learn the eye-to-hand co-ordination needed
for other input devices. If your child proves to be completely unable to
get this control, then seek independent advice from someone who does not
sell equipment.
9.9
The Touch IT touch screen costs ú229 +VAT from SEMERC.áuá
9.9
Internet Column
9.9
Dave Pantling
9.9
A couple of people have contacted me saying that it is difficult for
them to understand some of the basic ideas of the Internet, because they
do not have access to it. When I say Éemailæ or Éftpæ, these are just
words to them. By far the significant majority of people reading this
column will not have Internet access, so Iáthought it would be a good
idea to describe the various facilities in more detail.
9.9
Email
9.9
Email (electronic mail) provides a quick and easy way of sending
messages to a named person or group of people. The message is plain
ASCII text, which has a Éheaderæ tacked on the front of it. The header
shows who the mail is from, who it is to, the time and date it was
created, plus other information unique to that message. The header also
carries a subject line, giving a brief description of the emailæs
contents.
9.9
It is, therefore, a direct electronic equivalent of an ordinary postal
service Ö except that, to send one letter to twenty people, you would
need to send out twenty letters, but you can send one copy of one email,
with instructions for it to be copied to the twenty people, for the cost
of one message.
9.9
In my experience, emails arrive at their destination in a short time.
This often takes less than 10 minutes between Paul and myself, or as
much as an hour if it is somewhere more remote, like the University of
Regina, Saskatchewan!
9.9
(I have a friend in China and it can take several hours for a message to
get through Ö but thatæs a bit different from waiting 10 days for a
posted letter! Ed.)
9.9
Donæt forget though that, unless the recipient has a direct link into
the Internet, your email wonæt be Édelivered to the dooræ. The emails
accumulate in their provideræs Émail serveræ, and they then have to dial
in and collect it. They may collect their mail every few hours, but they
may only collect it once or twice a week, so speedy delivery is no
guarantee of a speedy reply!
9.9
Usenet news service
9.9
Imagine a list of 30,000 newsgroups, covering every imaginable subject.
Imagine thousands of people, worldwide, sharing information about
current events, scientific research, banjo playing or peoplesæ favourite
TV personalities. There is a newsgroup for virtually every subject.
9.9
ÉNewsæ takes the form of Épostsæ, which are items (like individual
emails) posted to a Énewsgroupæ. For example, there are a number of
Acorn related newsgroups such as:
9.9
comp.sys.acorn.advocacy
9.9
comp.sys.acorn.hardware
9.9
comp.sys.acorn.extra-cpu
9.9
Anything posted to these groups can be read by everyone else who posts
to the group. Enthusiasts can ask experts, ideas can be shared, and
information communicated to a wide audience, very quickly.
9.9
Peter Bondar, head of ART, posted a request for comments (RFC) in these
groups, and the response he received may well have influenced the
decision of which StrongARM cards to design.
9.9
In some ways, Usenet news is very similar to email. Posts are prepared
in much the same way as emails, and have much the same header
information. The difference is that they are handled by news servers,
which do their best to spread the information worldwide in a short
period of time.
9.9
News does have its problems. Because it spans every time zone, and it
may take a while for a message to propagate through the system, you
sometimes read replies before you can read the original post that
prompted them!
9.9
There are a number of newsgroups which carry Ébinariesæ. These are
simple non-text items like pictures or programs, in encoded form. They
can be huge, and in some groups, of dubious content.
9.9
News and Email combine to make the Internet a very powerful medium for
individual and mass communication. Itæs rapidly developing, completely
unregulated and virtually free. A dozen emails can be sent/received,
with 100 news items, within the 5p minimum charge if you have a good
connection and your servers arenæt busy.
9.9
The price?
9.9
I know Iæve mentioned something about call cost in almost every column
Iæve written, but noting the information could save you more than the
cost of a subscription to Archive! The discount packages I use saved me
more than ú100 in the last quarter alone.
9.9
Ignoring the investment in equipment and software, there is an impact on
your phone bill! This can, however, be minimised by thinking about the
way you use your Internet account. If you get loads of mail, and collect
it every hour, you are looking at lots of 5p calls lasting a few seconds
each.
9.9
There is a 5p minimum charge for all BT calls. If you have a discount
package, this does not decrease the minimum charge, but simply extends
the length of call time you can get for the minimum charge. Assuming no
discounts apply, a weekday call of 1áminute 30 seconds, a cheap rate
call of 2 minutes 54 seconds and a weekend rate 5 minute call, each cost
5p. To work out how discounts affect these times, increase the time by
the percentage discount you get.
9.9
By spacing your calls so that you make full use of the minimum charge,
you could cut a sizeable chunk off your bill.
9.9
I have Friends & Family and PremierLine, so I get a 25% discount on my
Internet calls. If the call is below the minimum charge, my call time
can be extended by 25%. At the weekend, I can use an hour for 45p.
Weekday cheap rate only costs 74p an hour, 14p more than the
undiscounted weekend rate.
9.9
Also in the search to reduce Internet access costs, Iæve come across a
number of very cost-effective packages. One of the more novel of these
is of particular interest to those who have no service provider within
local call distance.
9.9
NetDirect Internet offer unlimited access, four email addresses, 1 Mb
free web space and a 12:1 user:modem ratio, i.e. there is a modem for
every 12áusers on their service. 10:1 is excellent, though some
companies only have one modem per 25 subscribers, so getting through can
be a problem. This isnæt unusual.
9.9
What does mark them out is that they can provide lower cost access to
the whole of the UK if you donæt, otherwise, have local call access. You
dial their special number, and during the evenings and weekends, you pay
2.1p/min. If you are a residential customer who wouldnæt use the service
during the day, this comes closer to local call costs.
9.9
To add some icing to the cake, NetDirect charge ú6.99 per month for 12
months, or ú9.16 per month for a quarter. Both prices plus VAT.
NetDirect can be contacted on 0171-732-3000.
9.9
If anyone else has a company theyæd like to recommend, who charge under
a tenner a month, let me know!
9.9
PC card users
9.9
John Birchenough has contacted me to tell me about his success using the
PC card and PC software to use AOLæs service.
9.9
If you are using the PC card with AOL, CompuServe or Demon (Turnpike),
please could you contact me and let me know how youæve got on Ö
particularly if youæve had any problems and overcome them. Iæd like to
go into this in more detail at a later date.
9.9
If you are using CompuServe, I draw your attention to ÉThe UK Compuserve
Bookæ, Sue Schofield, TekBooks, ISBN: 1-900643-00-6, ú19.95. I do have
to declare an interest Ö I helped write some of it!
9.9
(Like all our contributors, Dave writes in Archive for love, not money,
so I donæt think a quick plug like that is unreasonable, do you?! Ed.)
9.9
Could people out there also contact me with their stories, good or bad,
about getting on the Internet with Acorn public domain software? I
havenæt managed to configure any PD software to work with any accounts
at my disposal. They all seem to have been written for use with Demon
accounts, and Iádonæt have access to one of these.
9.9
Archive web site
9.9
The Archive web site has been running for three months now, and has been
accessed 6,000 times! Itáhas carried many news stories of the Acorn
community, including Éworld-exclusivesæ like the Stork prototype, and
the Peter Bondar interview.
9.9
I am now reviewing the site, to improve it in line with your
requirements. Could anyone who has ideas, suggestions or contributions
for the site, please contact me within the next month, so that I can
take your comments into account.
9.9
If you get online, please feel free to email me and let me know how you
are getting on. If you need to send a test email to someone, Iæll reply.
I wonæt bite, honest!
9.9
You can email me as, [e-mail], or you can write to me care of
the Editor.áuá
9.9
Claresæ Composition
9.9
Malcolm Banthorpe
9.9
Claresæ Composition is not just another painting package Ö it belongs to
a class of graphics program which, up until now, has not been available
for RISCáOS. While there is no shortage of painting applications which
are intended for the creation of images from scratch, this one is unique
in that its main purpose is the blending of existing images into
composites or montages. The component parts could well be bitmaps
created by a painting package, or they could equally well be parts of
digitised photographs or video frames. Vector files and text are further
possible sources.
9.9
Most of the painting packages will allow you to paste previously created
bits of work onto the current canvas. However, once the individual
elements have been pasted, theyære more or less permanently fixed Ö
apart from the usual single level of undo. If one of the elements that
youæve placed earlier doesnæt quite fit and needs to be moved or
resized, it will usually mean starting again from scratch.
9.9
Draw does let you place a number of sprites onto a page, which can be
moved, resized and rotated as required, but it offers little else, as
far as bitmap manipulation is concerned. In Composition, all the picture
elements remain adjustable in terms of position, size, rotation, colour
balance, brightness and transparency until the picture is finally saved
as a bitmap file or is printed. If it is saved as a Composition file,
then everything is still adjustable the next time it is loaded.
9.9
The component parts of a composition can be bitmaps, drawfiles or text.
Composition uses the ChangeFSI application, transparently, for file
import so that a wide variety of bitmap formats can be used as sources,
and naturally thereæs support for PhotoCD. Artworks files can also be
loaded and rendered into bitmaps. Finished pictures can be saved in
JPEG, Clear, Targa, PBM-plus, PhotoShop and EPS formats.
9.9
In order to successfully blend a number of elements from different
sources, it will usually be necessary to match their brightness, gamma
and colour balance. This is well catered for within the application and,
as mentioned, the parameters for each element remain individually
adjustable while youære working within Composition. There are also
several different kinds of mask that can be associated with each
element, determining exactly how the element will appear.
9.9
System requirements
9.9
Keeping a number of separate 24-bit images in memory is very demanding
on RAM, and therefore a RiscPC with 8Mb main memory and 2Mb VRAM is the
minimum recommended system. For the creation of full-page A4
compositions, at least 16Mb is required. By using another application
called Virtualise (see later) Ö to add virtual memory Ö itæs possible to
manage with less main memory, although there will be a speed penalty.
9.9
Composition will also be usable on systems with only 1Mb VRAM. This will
require working with a 32 thousand colour display and therefore the full
image quality will not be seen. As Composition is not itself a painting
application, some additional software will also be required for all but
the simplest tasks. At a pinch, you might get away with using Paint but
a more comprehensive application such as ProArtisan24, Studio24Pro or
Photodesk would be more useful.
9.9
Starting a Composition
9.9
The first stage in creating a composition will generally be to choose
its size either in pixels or as a standard page size, such as A4. You
are also given the opportunity to choose the background canvas colour.
Itæs possible to use an existing bitmap to determine the canvas size, by
dragging the file onto the iconbar. Thereafter, itæs basically a matter
of dragging the other elements onto the canvas and positioning them as
required. Resizing and rotation are, as mentioned earlier, available at
all times. As with Draw objects, the front-back priority of any element
remains changeable so that overlapping objects can be made to appear as
required.
9.9
Masking
9.9
The elements used to make up a composition will frequently take the form
of bitmaps (sprites) and, unless you wish to use them in their basic
rectangular form, some form of masking will be needed to isolate, say,
the head of a flower. The mask tool is used to edit the five basic types
of mask which can be associated with each object. If, for example, you
are working with a sprite which shows an apple on a table, you may wish
to mask out the surface of the table, leaving only the apple. The type
of mask required for this purpose is called a blend mask, and there are
essentially three ways in which it could be created:
9.9
1) Draw round the apple and fill the shape.
9.9
2) Paint out the apple shape (a number of brush sizes and shapes are
available).
9.9
3) Use the magic wand tool to fill the background and then invert the
mask.
9.9
The concept of the magic wand will be familiar to anyone who has used
one of the Artisan family of applications, and it also appears in some
form or other in many other painting packages. Its purpose is to replace
all pixels within a preset colour range from the selected point with a
new value. In this instance, given a fairly uniform background to the
apple, method 3 would probably be the most convenient way of generating
the basic mask, in combination with a bit of painting to tidy up any
rough edges. Even where the background is not quite uniform, this method
may still be feasible by selecting a succession of points with the magic
wand.
9.9
Having got this far, and having created a reasonably accurate mask, you
may well find that the object in question doesnæt really blend with the
rest of the composition and looks as if it had been just stuck on top.
At least in part, the reason for this is probably because the edges of
the mask are too sharp and reveal jaggedness in the form of individual
pixels. The solution is to soften Ö or anti-alias Ö the mask edges.
Anti-aliasing can be applied to the mask in various degrees from ösilkò
to ösmudgeò and can be restricted to only white or only black pixels and
so on. The öfeatherò tool may also be useful in this respect to modify
mask edges in a wide variety of ways, including lightening and
sharpening. The degree of transparency of any object can also be set, if
required.
9.9
Briefly, the other types of mask available are:
9.9
Tint mask Ö controls the amount of tinting to an object on a pixel-by-
pixel basis.
9.9
Curve mask Ö controls colour and gamma correction applied on a pixel-by-
pixel basis.
9.9
Displace mask Ö causes a displacement or distortion of the image
according to the grey value of the mask. This can give some weird and
wonderful effects.
9.9
Shadow mask Ö determines the shape, angle and density of the shadow
associated with an object. The shadow can be made to appear as on a
vertical or horizontal surface; that is, as if either on a wall behind
the object or on the floor beneath it. It is initially based on the
blend mask, but it can be modified, for instance to have softer edges.
9.9
Filters
9.9
As well as simple filtering functions such as soften, sharpen and
emboss, Composition offers something called a smart filter, the precise
action of which can be made locally dependent on different parts of the
image. A smart filter definition is based on the Basic¡like
IF..THEN...ELSE construct.
9.9
Quite a few of these filters are already defined, but the user is free
to modify them or create new ones, as and when required. An example of
one of the pre¡defined filters may make it clearer how they work. The
Unsharp filter is designed to work on those areas of the image which are
blurred but to leave any sharp edges in the image untouched. It is
defined as follows:
9.9
IF ABS(difference) of Averaged pixels is less than 16 units THEN
9.9
  apply Sharpen
9.9
ELSE
9.9
  do Nothing
9.9
Smart filters are undoubtedly a powerful feature of the package,
offering a wide range of effects but Iáfound that quite a bit of trial
and error was required in order to program a new filter. The pre-defined
ones are fine. The filter definition panel has a small window displaying
a scalable section of the chosen picture element so that the effect of
the filter can be quickly tried and adjusted before applying to the
whole object. However, the effect within the context of the whole
composition will not yet be apparent, and some fine adjustment may still
be required.
9.9
Colour correction
9.9
Two colour correction tools are offered. The simplest allows the gamma
of a picture component to be adjusted Ö either the red, blue and green
values individually, to adjust colour balance, or combined to adjust
overall brightness. The second tool Ö colour curve correction Ö allows
more flexibility in that the correction curves have two control points
so that, for instance, it would be possible to lighten the greens in the
darkest part of the image while simultaneously darkening them in the
brightest part of the image. Again, the correction may be applied to
individual colour channels, or all three. As both gamma and colour curve
adjustment may be used on a picture element, a wide range of colour
correction is possible.
9.9
Text
9.9
The Create Text dialogue box allows text to be entered as part of a
composition. Once created, the text becomes a sprite and all of the
normal effects may be applied to it. The program still retains the text
itself so that its size, colour and content remain editable. It will be
anti-aliased Ö normally up to the font size set by !Configure.
Unfortunately, the maximum size that can be set in !Configure is 255pt
and within a composition, itæs possible that a larger size may sometimes
be needed. An application called !Tfonts is supplied which, when active,
will anti-alias any font size. Text may be directed to a blend mask so
that an image will appear through it.
9.9
Using Composition with other packages
9.9
Just because Composition keeps all of its elements separate, there will
be times when it is tempting to do some more work on a bitmap which has
been previously created in a painting package. This is a very simple
procedure, thanks to Object Linking and Embedding. OLE allows any chosen
element to be loaded into a suitable application simply by <ctrl>
double-clicking on it. Subsequent saving will place the modified image
back in Composition, with any effects that have been applied left
untouched. You can specify, separately if you wish, which packages will
be used to handle sprites and masks. For instance, you could set
ProArt24 to handle sprites and Paint to handle masks.
9.9
Working with large images
9.9
As mentioned earlier, the creation of large images is very memory
hungry, and you may well find that your 8Mb of RAM (once considered
massive) doesnæt go very far. (However, SIMM prices have fallen
considerably, and NCS now offers a SIMM trade-in Ö see page 10. Ed.) A
solution, which is very much cheaper than buying extra RAM, comes in the
form of Claresæ Virtualise. Although its use is not confined to
Composition Ö it can be made to work with any program which uses dynamic
memory areas Ö this is exactly the type of application which can benefit
most from virtual memory.
9.9
Virtual memory allows your hard disc to act transparently as if it were
extra RAM Ö though obviously there is a speed penalty. Some
applications, such as Studio24Pro and Photodesk can already make use of
virtual memory. Virtualise brings the facility to many more, including
ChangeFSI, which can now be made to handle very large images, even if
you only have a modest complement of RAM. I found Virtualise very easy
to use. It can be set to operate with a particular application, either
just during the current session, or so that virtual memory is active
every time that application is used.
9.9
Conclusion
9.9
Iæve really only scratched the surface of what Composition can do. The
manual contains numerous step-by-step examples. There are several of
these tutorial exercises placed deliberately near the start of the
manual. I found that working through them, and trying variations, was an
excellent way of getting to know what is quite a complex package which
contains some unfamiliar functions. Even if you donæt consider yourself
to be much of an artist, you can have a great time combining bits of
clipart and other freely available images. What Composition canæt do is
create images from scratch and so its purchase will normally be a
secondary consideration after buying a painting package. Iæm sure Clares
would be delighted if you opted for ProArt24 but, thanks to the way that
the OLE interface has been designed, it will conveniently work in
conjunction with any other painting package of your choice. If youære
thinking of buying Composition, I would recommend also considering
Virtualise. Given the desirability of a large amount of memory for this
type of program, perhaps it would be possible to include a virtual
memory facility with Composition in future, rather than as a separate
purchase.
9.9
Composition costs ú160 and Virtualise costs ú24 through Archive.áuá
9.9
Small Ads
9.9
(Small ads for Acorn 32¡bit computers (i.e. not BBCs) and related
products are free for subscribers but we reserve the right to publish
all, part or none of the material you send, as we think fit. i.e. some
people donæt know what Ésmallæ means and there are certain things, as
you can imagine, that we would not be prepared to advertise as a matter
of principle. Sending small ads (especially long ones!) on disc or by
email is helpful but not essential. Ed.)
9.9
A3000, 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, ARM3, 180Mb HD ú310, Taxan 795 monitor
ú150, or both for ú420. Phone 01494¡875670.
9.9
A3000, 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, ARM3, Taxan 775 14ö multisync, serial
upgrade, Wild Vision expansion box, Risc Developmentsæ high density
floppy disc controller, PCemulator 1.8, lots of software, ú425. Phone
01734¡571883 or [e-mail].
9.9
A310, 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, ARM3 and FPA (IFEL 25MHz), 46Mb SCSI drive
and serial port SCSI controller, SVGA monitor, VIDC enhancer, 2¡slot
backplane, Acorn I/O podule, 2 floppy drives, ú350. Phone Ian Nichols on
0117¡962¡4825 eves or [e-mail].
9.9
A310, 4Mb RAM, RISCOS 3.1 single floppy drive, Oak 50Mb drive + SCSI
interface, AKF11 monitor Acorn I/O podule, First Word Plus ú275 o.n.o.
Phone 01544¡318939 eves, or 01432¡372451 day.
9.9
A4, 4Mb RAM, 120Mb HD, spare battery, tracker ball, shoulder bag,
RemoteFS (parallel), ú750 o.n.o. Phone 01646¡622415.
9.9
A400 series spares, new or as new, RISCáOS 3.1 full upgrade ú35, mouse
ú10, fan quietener ú10, Andi Odule ú20, Acorn Desktop C ú40, Acorn
Desktop Assembler ú40, RISC OS 3 Style Guide ú5, Basic/User manuals ú5
each, RISCáOS 2 PRMs ú20, A5000 TRM ú30, also DC600A tapes, Epson 2500
ribbons, HP LaserJet III accessories. Phone 0181¡751¡2120.
9.9
A410/1, 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, ARM3, 47Mb HD, VIDC enhancer, Eizo 9060S
monitor ú495. Phone 0181¡751¡2120.
9.9
A420/1, 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, ARM3, 120Mb internal IDE HD, AKF12 colour
monitor, lots of software inc. PC Emulator 1.8, Star LC24¡200 colour
dot¡matrix printer ú460 o.n.o. Phone 01803¡527701.
9.9
A440, RISC OS 3.1, ARM3, 20Mb and 120Mb HDs, Acorn 14ö monitor ú325,
9¡pin printer ú60. Phone 01971¡511¡396.
9.9
Acorn C/C++ with Acorn Assembler Guide and RISC OS 3 Style Guide,
offers. Phone James on 01484¡513569.
9.9
Acorn bits: Back issue magazine coverdiscs from 1991 onwards ú1 each,
Risc User discs from July æ95 ú3 each, assorted magazines from 50p each,
Almanac 3 offers? Also printing, OCR and scanning available, please
enquire. Contact Jon 01823¡680111 or jon@aylwin.u¡net.com.
9.9
Aleph One 486PC podule with 4 Mb RAM fits A300, A400 or A5000 series
ú125 o.n.o. Phone 01544¡318939 eves, or 01432¡372451 day.
9.9
CC Software, Publisher 4.09 ú80, Graphics Loaders ú20, ArtWorks Clipart
CD 1 & 2 ú10 each, Canon BJ TurboDriver 4.04 ú20. Populous (game) ú10,
Event (diary) ú5, The Times Sampler CD¡ROM ú10. Phone 01752¡840027 after
5.
9.9
Citizen Swift 240C, colour dot¡matrix printer, complete with cover and
extra ribbons ú75, printer stand and paper tray ú5, CC TurboDriver v4
ú10, Spreadsheet MkV ú2.50, PictureIt ú15, PowerBand ú5, Virtual Golf
ú10, Quest for Gold, Arcade Soccer, Hero Quest, 10 out of 10 Maths and
English ú7.50 each. Phone Martin on 01962¡880250 eves.
9.9
Colour scanner Irlamæs colour mobile hand scanner ú200 still in box.
Works off parallel port and produces great colours. Philip on
01823¡284831 Taunton.
9.9
Modem Ö USR Sportster 14400, complete with PC software and manual ú80.
Contact Ray on 0181¡864¡7208 or [e-mail].
9.9
Risc PC 600, 8Mb + 1Mb, quad CD drive, PC card, Publisher and ArtWorks
installed, with manuals ú1350 o.n.o. Phone Chris on 01485¡520672 (near
Kings Lynn).
9.9
Risc PC 600, 8Mb + 2Mb, 420Mb HD, 17ö AKF85 monitor, 16¡bit sound card,
Cumana CD¡ROM drive with audio mixer, Acorn 486 PC processor card ú1750.
Good offers considered. Phone 01752¡840027 after 5.
9.9
SJ Research Econet Bridge, joins two Econets, boxed, never used ú75
o.v.n.o. Contact Mike Tomkinson on 01422¡359526 or [e-mail].
9.9
Software, 2067BC, Pacman, Zool, Spell, Theory of Music Level 1, Type
Tutor, 1st Word+, Acorn DTP ú5 each, Maths Sieve, Graph It, Banner, iSV
Cross Stitch, Easiword, Almanac ú10 each. Phone 0161¡941¡1683.
9.9
ST506 HD controller for A3000 ú40 o.n.o., uncased 40Mb 3╜ö Rodime RO3055
ú40 o.n.o., uncased 20Mb 5╝ò NEC ú10, cased 5╝ö Mitsubishi floppy drive,
40/80 track ú5, power supplies and data cables available if required.
Buyer to collect Bournemouth area. Phone Graham Hatcher on 01202¡510340.
9.9
Syquest 105Mb internal IDE removable, with RiscPC mounting + 1
cartridge, hardly used, offers? HP500C colour printer, offers? Phone
John Savage on 01522¡596533 Mon¡Thu, or 01525¡237625 Fri¡Sun.
9.9
Wanted Ö 4¡8Mb expansion for my 25MHz A5000. Ernie Ong
<[e-mail]  >
9.9
Wanted Ö A3000 Cling ons (monitor stands) willing to pay ú5 each plus
post or will collect if local to Yorks. Contact Mike Tomkinson on
[phone] or [e-mail].áuá
9.9
Comment Column
9.9
Acorn award Ö (press release) Acorn Online Mediaæs STB2 set-top box has
won the ÉMost innovative cable or satellite telecommunications productæ
award at the 1996 Cable & Satellite Show.
9.9
Launched in March 1995, the Acorn Online Media STB2 provides a high
performance, cost-effective and affordable solution for interactive
television (iTV) and has been in use in the UK on the Cambridge iTV
Trial and by Westminster Cable for its VOD (Video On Demand) service.
9.9
Simon Wyatt, Acorn Online Mediaæs General Manager, commented, öThe
STB2æs open architecture means that it is the best choice for
interactive multimedia, be it broadband or narrowband. Acorn Online
Media is dedicated to being the worldæs leading authority on iTV and I
am delighted we have been awarded such an important industry award. It
is a very exciting time for Acorn technology and our partners who are
licensing it.ò
9.9
The STB2 was designed from the outset to support and encourage active
participation, whilst its open architecture, run-time software support
and complete development environment includes a number of advanced
design features which utilise local processing capability. This approach
provides very efficient data handling, resulting in benefits such as
reduced network traffic.
9.9
Other STB2 advanced design features include: Macrovision anti-copying
technology, support for multiple authoring environments such as
Macromedia, Oracle and Sybase, mature development tools, multiple
network connectivity and support for multiple server protocols.áuá
9.9
Acornæs future Ö The Peter Bondar interview in last monthæs magazine,
combined with the release of initial testing results of a StrongARM,
demonstrate that ART are pushing ahead with developing what we all know
and love; RISC OS-based computers. It was also very exciting to get
feedback from the tests so quickly (via the Internet, within hours of
the tests being carried out) Ö ART have clearly learnt from past Acorn
customer relations mistakes where the customer was treated almost with
contempt. We may be anoraks, but we are not mushrooms.
9.9
So am I jumping up and down with joy? Well, the enthusiast part of me
most certainly is. I canæt wait to have a StrongARM sitting in my
machine. But when Iáwear my I.T. coordinatoræs hat, I remain to be
convinced about how vigorously the Acorn/Apple Joint Venture (Xemplar)
will push RISC OS.
9.9
When Acorn set up Acorn Education and its new dealer network last
autumn, I believed that this was a very positive move. Firms would be
able to actively promote RISC OS-based machines in schools knowing that
they could not be undercut at the last minute by a box-shifter.
9.9
Then came the announcement this February of the Joint Venture. In my
opinion, the original press release left a lot to be desired. Although
it stated that RISC OS-based machines would be continued, the emphasis
was clearly on Mac OS. This has resulted in many outsiders believing
that Acorn had made a policy decision to drop RISC OS. This belief is
still surfacing today (see Mayæs Computer Shopper, for example). If
Xemplar give the impression that they are less than enamoured with RISC
OS, and would prefer to promote Mac OS, head teachers will express the
view; öWell if we are going to have to adopt a new OS, it might as well
be Windows. At least the governors will then be off our backs.ò Xemplar
may wish to sell PCs, but if they try to do so, they will be in a highly
competitive marketplace with very low margins.
9.9
I hope that Xemplar will continue to advance RISCáOS-based solutions. In
the last few months, there have been some significant upgrades made to
popular primary school programs such as Pendown DTP and Textease 2, as
well as the release of Dazzle and Hyperstudio, amongst others. The Acorn
software scene for Key Stages 1 and 2 is far from stagnant.
9.9
Some primary schools have considered switching to PCs because of the
availability of so many CD¡ROMs for this platform. I took the Acorn (IMS
reader) versions of Dorling Kindersleyæs PB-Bear and Microsoftæs Musical
Instruments to a local meeting of IT coordinators. They were amazed and
delighted but, interestingly, none of them knew that this was possible.
9.9
I would like to see Xemplar promote the latest RISC OS software and make
it clear that some of the most useful PC CD-ROM software can run under
RISCáOS and, what is more, many of them run better under RISCáOS than on
the PCs for which they were designed! Perhaps Xemplar could include a
money off voucher for an IMS reader in their next mailing.
9.9
Xemplar could also remind teachers how existing programs can make their
lives so much easier. For example, by using Creative Curriculum
Softwareæs Maths Card and Impression, I can produce a professional-
looking A4 worksheet, complete with a separate answers sheet, in under
three minutes. Xemplar could use their Web site to promote such ideas
but I have to say that, at the moment, their Web pages give the
impression that schools should adopt Mac OS.
9.9
I understand that, in the future (1997 or 1998?), the preferred hardware
for Xemplar will be a Power PC with a RISC OS card. I can see the logic
of this, due to the ever-escalating costs of developing hardware Ö
something which Acorn would have been unable to do (profitably) on their
own. However, in the meantime, with the new A7000s and StrongARM Risc
PCs, combined with excellent software, Xemplar have first rate products
to actively promote in schools.
9.9
If Peter Bondar can make money from using ARM-based technology in
communication equipment etc, and use the proceeds to develop Strong ARM-
based desktop solutions, I guess I shall still be able to use RISC OS
and its future incarnations (TAOS?) even if Xemplar have given up on it.
But if ART need a significant revenue stream from educational sales,
then what Xemplar do is of great significance.
9.9
(I will leave for the moment the debate on whether schools in the future
will actually need desktop computers but will, instead, have cheap
terminals linked to the Internet.)
9.9
Richard Teall <[e-mail]>
9.9
P.S. My head has had a new Pentium installed in her office. However, you
can usually find her after school typing into one of our 3020s, or Risc
PCs. When I asked her why, she said, öMy Pentium is brilliant. Itæs just
that I can do my work quicker on an Acorn.ò
9.9
ARM chips for Internet Ö Hereæs an interesting press release from ARM
Ltd, concerning the possible future chips that ARM and DEC are working
towards.
9.9
ARM reveals Internet network computer roadmap Ö ARM is set to strengthen
the lead it already has with the ARM7500 Émultimedia system on a chipæ.
9.9
Cambridge UK, 31 March 1996 Ö Advanced RISC Machines Limited (ARM) today
revealed its Network Computer microprocessor roadmap plans. On February
26, 1996 the Chairman of Oracle, Larry Ellison, made a passionate
presentation on how the Oracle NC is set to break the Wintel PC
domination and clearly stated that the first generation NCs would be
based on the ARM7500 Émultimedia system on a chipæ. ARM has the follow-
on network computer processor developments underway with leading OEMæs.
ARM will be showing Network Computer technology at the Embedded System
Shows in Boston and London April 2-4, 1996.
9.9
The first Network Computers are powered by the ARM7500 family, which
integrates the RISC performance of an ARM processor core with rich
video, sound and I/O, into a single low-cost plastic package. Ready now
to power a range of NC models, the video section of the ARM7500 can
drive a TV for the consumer or SVGA monitors for business. MráEllison
said that one of the main reasons the first NCæs could be built for less
than $300 was the availability of such a high integration processor
system for $25 US dollars. The ARM7500 is available now from ARMæs first
semiconductor partner VLSI Technology.
9.9
The ARM7500 also powers other revolutionary Internet appliances such as
ÉWebsteræ from ViewCall America, ÉEasy Rideræ from Teknema, ÉNetSurferæ
from Acorn Risc Technologies and TV set-top boxes from Acorn Online
Media.
9.9
This summer, ARM will sample the ARM7500FE, the next model in ARMæs NC
multimedia line. The ARM7500FE will have significantly enhanced 3D
graphics and Java performance, because of the integration of floating
point hardware, and an increase in memory bandwidth.
9.9
Next year, ARM will roll out the ARM8500, which will integrate a similar
peripheral set as the ARM7500FE while more than doubling the core CPU
performance. ARM and Digital are also busy working on solutions for
high-end NC models, with the StrongARM110 device sampling now, and next
year an even higher performance, integrated solution, the StrongARM1500.
9.9
ARM has always focused on, and delivered, the best price/performance
ratio processors, and so the range of ARM products available today is
best able to satisfy the needs of both the business and consumer NC
markets. ARM designs, like the ARM7500 and ARM7500FE, are available for
license to ARMæs leading semiconductor partners who bring their own
strengths, including global sourcing, to the ARM architecture. Further
announcements will be made later this year.
9.9
ARMæs President and CEO, Robin Saxby commented: öWith the ARM7500 in the
first Oracle NC, ARM is ahead in this emerging market where, with our
global partnership, we intend to stay.òáuá
9.9
ART for ARTæs sake? Ö I must admit that Iáwas not caught in the general
euphoria caused by ARTæs announcement about their new products, because
I still donæt think that they are addressing certain gaps in the market,
especially the one that Gerald Fitton highlighted (9.7 p40) Ö that of a
cut-down, budget portable, or a Pocket Book with a proper keyboard.
9.9
The Stork is technically excellent, I am sure, but is there really a
call for such an expensive machine? For a similar price to the one Paul
quoted for a black and white entry-level system, you can buy a colour
multimedia laptop PC Ö not that I would ever buy a laptop PC! I fear
this may be another A4 Ö very nice, but rather impractical.
9.9
If Acorn wants to listen to its customers, they could do worse than
consider a notebook computer with a decent keyboard and some acceptable
software on board. It isnæt always necessary to have the latest version
of RISC OS and the ability to add CD-ROMs and hard disc drives! They
must accept that even the most loyal Acorn user isnæt going to modify
his requirements to the products available! As Gerald rightly says,
Acorn has nothing to challenge the Brother or Sharp Fontwriter machines,
when in fact they should be able to better them.
9.9
Come on, folks! Storks may be technically brilliant, and NewsPads may
look wonderful as publicity material, but that wonæt shift stock! We
donæt want ART for ARTæs sake.
9.9
Nigel Caplan, Leeds
9.9
Electronic share information Ö In the magazine two months ago, I put a
graph of the Acorn share price. What I forgot to do (profuse apologies!)
was to say where that information came from. A company called ESI
(Electronic Share Information) runs a web site through which you can get
up-to-the-minute share information. Itæs on http://www.esi.co.uk if you
want to have a look. The information costs money, but they do have a
sample page where you can find out what is happening to certain shares Ö
then you can decide if you would like to subscribe.
9.9
All you have to do is fill in a form to register for the sample
information and choose a password. Having done that, any time you want
to find out how Acorn are getting on, you can go straight to http://
www.esi.co.uk/free/home.html, enter your password, select Acorn and get
the dayæs prices, or graphs, or a complete history in CSV format which
only takes a couple of minutes to download.
9.9
(One hint: itæs a long form and I had to fill it in several times before
I got it to work properly. Thatæs because I was using a password with
mixed upper and lower case Ö as I always tend to do Ö well, donæt! I
eventually used a simple word in all lower case and all was well.)
9.9
Many thanks to ESI for making such a good choice of companies for their
sample page! Actually, itæs not a coincidence Ö the company is run,
Iáthink, by one of Acornæs non-executive directors.
9.9
Ed.
9.9
Epson GT9000 Ö I bought this scanner through NCS with the Irlam
software, but I also have David Pillingæs Twain/ImageMaster combination,
so Iæve been able to compare the two. Briefly, the Irlam software is
easy to use and gets good results, but it has very limited range of
resolutions available. Twain/ImageMaster has a better range of
definitions but less satisfactory control of the image quality.
ImageMaster has the advantage of being very useful for swapping image
formats Ö JPEG/TIFF/etc/etc.
9.9
David Crossley <[e-mail]>
9.9
Excellent service Ö I bought ArcFax from NCS a couple of weeks ago, but
due to my Motorola 3400 Pro-line modem not being quite compatible with
the drivers supplied, I had a few problems. Iáemailed David Pilling and
he asked me to send some de-bug files which ArcFax can generate if
asked.
9.9
After a hectic weekend of to-ing and fro-ing of email, David managed to
spot the problems, and sent me advice on re-configuration to suit my
machine. I think it worthy of note that some of the mail to me was sent
at 1.00am. Now thatæs what I call service!
9.9
I thought we ought to give David a plug in Archive Ö he is dedicated to
the Acorn cause and puts his enthusiasm and customer service to the
fore.
9.9
Barrie Hawkyard <[e-mail]>
9.9
If you donæt complain... I recently bought a program (from NCS, of
course) and was very pleased with it Ö until I came to use it for the
second time. Then I discovered that, before I could run the program, I
had to put the original disc into the machine to act as a key. I was
very far from pleased because it is my opinion that this is by far the
most obnoxious form of program protection that exists, and I wrote a
very sharp letter to the software house concerned.
9.9
I was then amazed and delighted to receive a site licence copy by return
of post Ö so, of course, I wrote a much nicer letter back again. They
also said that they no longer use this method.
9.9
My point is that if I hadnæt bothered to complain, Iáwould still be
suffering under that iniquitous protection system, and would also have
been highly disinclined to buy from that software house again. From now
on, they will be a Éfavoured sourceæ!
9.9
I wasnæt sure about naming the company concerned, and Paul thought not,
just in case they were inundated with moans. But if you recognise them,
and if you are suffering, then you know what to do!
9.9
Peter Bond <[e-mail]>
9.9
Internet over-hype Ö Everyone that Iáknow who uses email (and other
services) claim thatáit is indispensable, and is the preferred way of
working. None of these people pays for it.
9.9
There are many people who claim that the Internet is an ideal tool
because it contains a vast store of information which is easily
accessible. However, it is also easily falsified. With no supervision,
refereeing or controlling, the information on the Internet is completely
useless. If you cannot be sure of who posted the information, or their
self interests, or the dataæs authenticity, then it cannot be relied
upon. It may be great for recreation, but it cannot be used for any
serious purpose.
9.9
In PCW May æ96, p.23, there is a small article about the Oracle Net-
access box (using our friendly ARM chips). It appears that the unit
requires a link with 384Kbps bandwidth. Now, I may sound a bit
heretical, but I agree with Bill Gates on this one (PCW, May æ96, p.33):
desktop PCs will be down to below $1,000 by the time this kind of
bandwidth is available. Until then, not many people can use the set-top
boxes, but even once the bandwidth is available, those people who spend
just a little more can get a full-blown, higher-performance computer,
catering for all their needs, not just Internet access. It seems to me
that Oracle is onto a loser.
9.9
Neale Smith, Alnwick, Northumberland
9.9
As regards the use of Internet, I do pay for it, and it is, for me,
definitely the preferred way of working.
9.9
Actually, I hardly dared print Nealeæs last paragraph, for fear of the
reaction from irate readers, but this is an open forum Ö well, fairly
open, although moderated by me Ö so I have printed it.
9.9
To save lots of you writing in, Iæll give my personal view which, I
guess, many of you will share... As I understand it, the point of the
Oracle netboxes, and the set-top boxes for that matter, is to create a
consumer product, which a PC computer, even at under $1,000, will never
be. Larry Ellison is talking about a sub $500 product that will have
mass appeal and create a brand new market Ö comparable with the video
recorder market Ö rather than making a direct full-frontal attack on the
existing PC market.
9.9
Ed.
9.9
Ode to the Dongle
9.9
On the news that Computers Concepts had decided to abandon its hardware
protection key.
9.9
So, farewell then, wretched dongle,
9.9
Youæve been around far too long-le;
9.9
Your inclusion was so wrong-le,
9.9
And now it seems youæve finally gone-gle.
9.9
Users of Impression,
9.9
Have always tried to press on,
9.9
When the error they did see:
9.9
öWhere is your hardware key?ò
9.9
This little black attachment
9.9
Has caused so much harassment,
9.9
That for our painful patience,
9.9
CC should give us standing Ovations!
9.9
(Students of English literature may care to analyse this text,
considering the use and effect of enjambement, alliteration, ironic
humour and bad rhymes!)
9.9
Nigel Caplan, Leeds
9.9
PC PD CD Ö Iæve just come across a CD-ROM of public domain clipart and
fonts for the PC, much of which can be used on an Acorn machine. Itæs
called The Professional Fonts and Clipart CD-ROM and is produced by a
firm called PD Soft. The clipart is in CG (could this be CGM?), EPS,
GIF, JPEG, PCX and TIFF formats, and the quality varies from good to
useless to totally blank! They can be converted using !ChangeFSI,
!Translator, your favourite JPEG application and the utilities on
Archive Disc 2 (see 9.6 p21) or the Archive CD.
9.9
There are over 4,000 fonts in Adobe Type 1 format, which seem to convert
without any problems using the application on the RISC OS resource disc
(!T1toFont). Some of these are excellent, and many are ones I havenæt
seen before in Acorn PD collections. They donæt, of course, have hinting
and scaffolding, as real Acorn fonts should, but for occasional use,
they are perfectly adequate.
9.9
The disc costs ú9.99, and is good value. PD Softæs new catalogue is now
out, listing several clipart/photo compilations that would, I think,
work on Acorn machines.
9.9
I had a few teething problems with the disc, so perhaps I could share
the solutions with your readers; it is thanks to the famous ÉArchive
spiritæ, not to mention the speedy replies of the Archive Editor and
Charlie Woodbridge, that I found them out at all!
9.9
For font conversion, you need the latest version of !T1toFont, which is
1.26 and is on the Archive CD. You will also find !CD_Type invaluable,
as it maps the DOS extensions to RISC OS filetypes more reliably than
*DOSMAP. This means that you can drag the font files directly to the
converter Ö brilliant!
9.9
Whilst I think APDLæs and Datafileæs collections are very valuable,
these PC discs are cheap and contain new material. It is a complement to
Acornæs versatility that we can use them!
9.9
PD Soft, 1 Bryant Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS1 2YD. (01702-
466933) [01702-617123]
9.9
(P.S. I have no link at all with this company Ö a friend lent me the CD
last week to have a look at!!)
9.9
Nigel Caplan, Leeds
9.9
PCx86 cards hints and tips Ö For the second month running, Iæm in the
happy position of saying thank you to the many readers who have
responded to my recent bletherings. In this case, the PCx86 Cards Ö
Hints & Tips follow-on article (9.7 p34). Some of the advice is
documented, and I should have known about it (RTFM strikes again?) but
other stuff seems to have come from user-experience. Itæs all being
checked out and passed on, so look out for details in the Risc DOS
Column.
9.9
Jim Nottingham, York.
9.9
Portfolio Ö Isnæt it nice when you buy a piece of software on the
strength of a very positive review in Archive Ö and then find itæs even
better than youæd expected? In fact, I feel I owe Dave Wilcox an
apology; I was rather sceptical that Portfolio could be quite as good as
his glowing report suggested (Archive 9.6 p72), especially at that
price, but it really is little short of brilliant.
9.9
Although we bought it for business presentations, it quickly became
apparent that it was the near-perfect answer to a long-standing problem
we had for tertiary+ education. Teachers/presenters will know the
problem Ö 35mm slides are all very well, but running them other than in
strict order is always a bit naff and, however many times you double-
check, the gremlins ensure thereæs always one which appears upside-down
or back-to-front. (Not that the audience will notice Ö they will have
nodded off as soon as the lights were dimmed!) Overhead projector (OHP)
slides are OK but, again, if you want to recap on an earlier slide, you
can never find it, can you?
9.9
All our previous attempts to transfer presentations to a computer-based
solution had been less than wholly successful. At the bottom end of the
available display software, although itæs very easy to set up a
presentation, there simply isnæt enough control of the display sequence
to give the necessary flexibility. At the top end, there are the cú200
authoring packages for Acorn machines and up to ú1,000 (!) Étotal
solutionsæ for other platforms but, while these do the job well, the
time and effort needed to prepare presentations is a major overhead not
included in the price.
9.9
So how come Portfolio, at only ú35 through NCS, beats the rest hands
down? Dave mentioned that he couldnæt believe how little he had to do to
construct an impressive presentation and I have to say how much I agree
with him. Virtually all our presentation material pre-exists as
drawfiles (with or without embedded sprites) which had then been
produced as 35mm slides or OHP transparencies so, as Dave said, it is a
trivial task simply to drag the same files to the relevant Portfolio
directory. No need to set up applications and templates, add graphic or
text frames, titles, etc, etc. Indeed, virtually no effort at all. The
minimal overheads are firstly to convert any Artworks files to drawfile
format (if applicable) and make sure the files are Sorted by Name (using
numbers and/or letters) in the directory display in the order in we wish
them to be displayed on screen. Easy-peasy...
9.9
We quickly realised that Portfolioæs range of run options more than met
our ideal wish-list. For our context, we normally use <select> to step
forward a frame at a time, just as you would with a 35mm slide projector
(<adjust> takes you back one frame), and selecting from the wide choice
of fade options adds that little extra bit of elegance.
9.9
Multi-segment slides (i.e. where you would superimpose two or more OHP
transparencies to gradually build up a complex picture) can easily be
mechanised by adding the additional detail to successive drawfiles and
running them in sequence as frames 2a, 2b, 2c or whatever. Using the
Smooth fade option, when adding the extra detail, gives a particularly
impressive result.
9.9
Where Portfolio completely scores for us is the sheer ease and
flexibility of being able to call up a particular slide, out of
sequence, should we wish to branch off to re-cap or address queries,
etc. No stepping through oodles of 35mm slides, no hunting for the right
OHP transparency Ö all we need to do is type the relevant slide ident,
press <return>, wait a mo. for it to load Ö and there it is. As Dave
said; impressive or what?
9.9
A fine-touch is the ability to suppress the display should we wish to do
so (e.g. to talk about something else). To do this, we prepared a
ÉBlankæ slide (named B), consisting of the company logo superimposed
onto our favourite backdrop. Simply typing B<return> calls it up as and
when desired. Subsequently, typing the ident of the previous slide
returns the display to where we left off. Magic Ö and a delight to use.
Dave, I now believe every word you said, and my apologies for doubting
you...
9.9
Just to avoid confusion, I should point out that WECC, mentioned in
Daveæs review as the supplier, have now disbanded, and support comes
direct from Portfolioæs authors, Kudlian Soft. They quickly fixed a bug
we spotted and also sent details of a Mouse Presenter device consisting
of a remote handset with an infra-red link to a receiver which plugs
into the mouse socket. If the normal mouse is required, it plugs into
the receiver. Two buttons on the handset duplicate the usual select/
adjust mouse functions and enable remote control of stepping forward and
backward through presentations.
9.9
If thereæs room on the monthly disc, the Blank slide will be included;
also the sprite from whence it came in case anyone wishes to use it as a
tiled backdrop. (Risc PC users Ö double-click on !Lava or add Filer_run
!Lava to your !boot-up sequence.) The Acorn logo in Blank is a separate
sprite so, if desired, can be dumped from the drawfile.
9.9
Jim Nottingham, York.
9.9
Power-tec SCSI II card Ö Thank you for allowing Brian Cusick to review
our Power-tec SCSIáII card last month (p17). He did a very fair review
over a number of months, but some of his observations need clarification
as to the reason why things are as they are.
9.9
Configuration Ö The importance of eight partitions is that it doubles
the total possible storage space available to the user, i.e. RISCáOS 3.5
users may have 4Gb, not 2Gb.
9.9
Drive compatibility Ö Brian used the Clan beta release of the new
filecore. We are using RISCáOS 3.6 for testing. A huge range of hard
drives have now been tested. If any users would like us to test their
particular drive for compatibility, we would be happy to receive the
item. A Panasonic PD driver together with a Toshiba CD driver have now
been incorporated. The universal ATAPI driver has been successfully
tested with 4, 6 and 8 speed drives. The SCSI II card works correctly
with UK ZIP drives, although Mr Timmers of Belgium has a problem with an
older ZIP drive with different Iomega firmware. Iáhave asked Mr Timmers
to send us his drive for testing.
9.9
Scanners Ö The card is now also fully compatible with triple pass and
single pass scanners, such as the Mustek Paragon, Epson, Microtek, Canon
and UMAX types, but as they are mechanically relatively slow devices,
the SCSI II card is unable to speed them up!
9.9
Streamers Ö The Power-tec SCSI II card is supplied with a tape streamer
application allowing timed and selective backups. Unfortunately,
although Brian was not able to review the latest revision of this backup
code, an early version did work correctly with his streamer on our
standard test RiscPC. Brian commented that a 500Mb PC partition could
not be backed up in one go. This is incorrect. Filecore limits the size
of a streamer partition so that the maximum length of data which may be
saved with RISCáOS 3.5 is 512Mb. This is not so with RISCáOS 3.6, where
larger amounts are permitted. Indeed, any size file which is smaller
than the remaining space on the tape may be backed up. So, a 500 Mb file
may be backed up onto a 2Gb DAT tape formatted to 512Mb, without
problems.
9.9
Performance Ö All three SCSI cards tested use the same controller IC, so
the overall performance would be similar if additional features were not
implemented. The various software modules (SCSIFS, SCSIDriver and CDFS
driver modules) together with the method of I/O, are the things which
affect the overall performance. Whilst speed is an important issue with
any storage device, it has always been our intention to offer a product
with the widest possible range of compatible devices. Our redesigned
SCSI II card addresses all the shortcomings of our original device, as
well as offering dealers a SCSI I product fully upgradable to SCSI II.
The new card features full 32-bit DMA with true PIO for non-RiscPC
computers, as well as synchronous transfer for those hard drives which
support that feature. Of course, those owners of our original design may
be reassured that firmware upgrades will be compatible with their cards.
9.9
Reboot Ö The Power-tec card purposely delays on re¡boot to enable the
user to disable the SCSI sub¡system by pressing a key.
9.9
Shutdown Ö The Power-tec card takes longer than the others because we
wait and check that the drive has indeed spun down. The other cards
issue the command but do not check!
9.9
Copy a 10Mb File Ö Read Ahead/Write After buffering ensures Power-tec is
fastest.
9.9
Open Large Directory Ö Timings 1 second apart***??!! We read-ahead in
case the user wants more data from the directory (usually the case).
9.9
Copy from CD-ROM Ö Our CD-ROM (SCSI and ATAPI) driver is very fast.
9.9
Copy 10Mb from HD to HD Ö Read Ahead is fast again!
9.9
Finally, the manual has now been completely rewritten by Brian Carroll.
It will be available by the time this edition is published.
9.9
I hope that the above information clarifies our SCSIáII operation for
your readers.
9.9
Keith Faulkner, [e-mail]
9.9
Processor performance Ö I have read with interest the articles in
Archive concerning the speed of the StrongARM. Before actual benchmark
figures were available, there seemed to be some people getting excited
and claiming a ten times speed increase over the ARM610/710. This could
give the erroneous impression that this might apply to the average
speed. People might then mistakenly believe that any software running on
a 610/710 will run 10átimes faster on a StrongARM.
9.9
The above claims (if they were indeed made by ARM or Digital, and not by
an over-enthusiastic reporter) are likely to be comparisons of the peak
processor speed Ö which will rarely occur in a practical system. In this
case, I would guess that they refer to worst-case multiplication which,
by all accounts, has been improved in terms of clock cycles (Archive
9.8, p.27). Time and again we see optimistic performance improvements
and unrealistically early delivery times.
9.9
People may complain that it is unfair for the manufacturers to claim
theoretical speeds and that they should tell us just how fast the
computers will be that use them. This is difficult to do without
actually trying it in a real system, or at least carrying out extensive
(and time-consuming) simulations. It is, however, extremely easy to
quote the actual best- and worst-case performances of the processors, as
these are all part of the design parameters. To someone who is aware of
what the data actually represents, the figures can be quite useful and
meaningful, but someone who thinks that they reflect real-world
performance will be disappointed. Anyway, there are two rules of thumb
which I often find useful Ö multiply the quoted performance by 0.7 and
double the delivery time Ö these rules never seem to fail, though I
often wish they would.
9.9
When processors were slow, it forced programmers to write fast code.
Even on the old 2MHz BBC Model B, wordprocessors would scroll smoothly
and quickly. On modern computers, whose performance is around 500 times
that of the BBC, the scrolling is no faster. One reason is that the
rendering of the text is more complex, e.g. anti-aliasing, kerning, etc.
Another reason is that many programmers donæt even try for high speed
and, instead, rely on faster processors coming along, which seems to be
a common affliction on PCs, and means that most of the processing power
of the machine (and also the useræs time) is being wasted. There appears
to be a trend in the Acorn world towards this attitude, which leads to
disappointing software when the new processors either donæt materialise
or donæt perform as per their hype. The speed of programs like
Impression show what can be achieved if enough effort is put into it.
9.9
Floating-point performance Ö One problem with the Acorn machines, which
looks unlikely to be remedied in the near future, is its lack of
floating point hardware (FP accelerator Ö FPA). There were suggestions
that a 700+FPA might become available, but only if sufficient people are
committed to paying ú300 and waiting till after the projected launch of
the StrongARM at a similar price (Archive, 9.7 p.26). What is more, the
StrongARM will give a similar performance increase, but providing it
all-round and not just on the FP side.
9.9
Whilst an FPA is not needed for the vast majority of programs, it is
pretty important when you are trying to perform millions of floating
point calculations in one go. Fixed point (or Éintegeræ) methods are
totally unsuitable for engineering work, and so we need to rely on the
software FP emulator (FPE) instead.
9.9
This approach makes the machine slow compared to 33MHz 486DX PCs and
positively snail-like compared to a 133MHz Pentium. Considering that the
75MHz Pentium is now the Éentry levelæ PC (Computer Shopper, April æ96,
p.418), Acorn simply cannot compete on raw performance. I doubt very
much that even the 200MHz StrongARM can save the day. Letæs face it Ö by
the time the 200MHz StrongARM is available, the PCs will probably have
at least 200MHz Pentiums or better Ö with floating point hardware as
standard. Donæt underestimate the PowerPC Macintoshes either; their
speeds are creeping up and their prices are coming down.
9.9
Neale Smith, Alnwick, Northumberland
9.9
Two counter-comments, if I may... Speaking personally, the three-times
speed increase, which even the very first StrongARM upgrades are
offering to RiscPC users, are quite staggering, as anyone who has seem
them in operation will tell you. OK, for the relatively limited number
of applications where floating point is the priority, we are still at a
disadvantage, but in terms of productivity Ö doing more jobs per hour on
the computer Ö the Acorn systems, even without the StrongARM are
comparable with high speed Pentium systems. The StrongARM will leave
them standing.
9.9
Secondly, there may even be some help on the horizon on the FP front.
One possible source of help is that ARM are threatening to produce an
ARM7500FE, which includes FP hardware, sometime this summer (see page
39). The name ÉARM7500FEæ has, on occasion, been heard in the same
sentence as words like ÉJavaæ and ÉOracleæ, so who knows what may come
of that. If it takes off, we may even be looking for an ARM8500FE at
some stage Ö or even a StrongARM SA1500FE!
9.9
Also, once the Hydra multi-processor card gets going (see page 11), that
might provide the necessary floating point assistance needed by the
specialist user.
9.9
Once again, thereæs nothing definite, but itæs clearly another exciting
Éwatch this spaceæ scenario.
9.9
Ed.
9.9
(Pure) printing colours Ö Eric Ayersæ hint about using saturated colours
(9.8 p24) was very handy and I hope Iæm not treading on his toes if I
extend the discussion. Eric covered the point about avoiding Édottyæ
and/or muddy colours in printed documents by selecting saturated (=100%)
values of Cyan, Magenta or Yellow from the CMYK palette. These are the
secondary colours and, with black, make the total of four possible
colours he mentioned.
9.9
We can also access the three primary colours (red, green and blue) in a
similar manner, either by selecting them from the RGB palette or, if you
prefer to use the CMYK palette, by a combination of any two colours from
100% Cyan, Magenta or Yellow; thus:
9.9
  100% Cyan   + 100% Magenta  = 100% Blue
9.9
  100% Cyan  + 100% Yellow  = 100% Green
9.9
  100% Magenta  + 100% Yellow  = 100% Red
9.9
Including black (100% Cyan + 100% Magenta + 100% Yellow if you donæt
have a Black ink), that increases the total number of saturated colours
to seven.
9.9
Ericæs main aim was to avoid Édottinessæ on the paper due to the
limitations of inkjet printers, i.e. having to produce different shades
by combinations of C, M and Y tints, using fairly coarse, half-tone
screens. Mid-orange, for example, can be achieved by setting something
like 0% Cyan, 30% Magenta and 60% Yellow. Nice colour Ö shame about the
dottiness.
9.9
However, non-dotty and non-saturated tints of the three secondary
colours can be achieved by selecting the desired proportion of C, M or Y
(setting Black to 0%). For example, 20% Yellow gives pale yellow.
Similarly, combining any two colours, provided the proportions are the
same, will give a non-dotty tint of a primary colour. Thus 30% Cyan +
30% Yellow results in a smooth 30% tint of Green.
9.9
A further observation is that, provided the colour combinations used are
fairly pale (say, each less than 10-15%) or almost saturated (each more
than 85¡90%), you may find you can combine unequal proportions of two or
three colours and find the result is quite acceptable for your purposes.
The unavoidable degree of Édottinessæ is always worst in the mid-range
of tints; say 40-60%.
9.9
This topic is only one of many considerations when using colour inkjet
printers. Others are: the significant darkening, and difference in
colours and tints, between what you see on screen and what you get in
print; colour/tint changes when using different papers; whether you have
a black (key) ink, and so on. Some of these are equally relevant to
commercial printing but, for our purposes, there has been some
discussion in earlier issues of Archive (e.g. 7.1 p35).
9.9
A set of colour-charts in A4 drawfile format was included on that
issueæs monthly disc and, if thereæs room, will be repeated this month.
I commend them to you, even to the extent of printing them out on the
different grades of paper that you commonly use. With the printed
charts, you will be able to select the colour/tint you desire, check
whether the degree of Édottinessæ will be acceptable to you and read off
the proportions of Red, Green and Blue to select, using your printer and
that particular grade of paper, to get the result you want. There are
big differences and this is the only guaranteed method of ensuring
WYSIWYG. Iæve made up a ready-use booklet from the colour charts for my
own use and find it invaluable. Note that the charts use the RGB palette
which I personally prefer (and, in any event, some software applications
do not use the CMYK palette.
9.9
To complete this revisit of earlier discussions, System Insight (Archive
9.3 p60) have, with Catalogue No. 11, extended their range of papers
even further. Recent introductions include their own-brand alternatives
to the Inkmun 360/720dpi papers; also to the Canon and HP colour papers.
As well as the usual 100gsm weight, the latter includes a 140gsm variant
which I have found excellent for such things as title or divider pages.
On my BJC800, which is arguably the most Épikkyæ of colour printers as
far as ink runs are concerned, the results are only marginally less
satisfactory than with the Canon original papers, so Iáwould not expect
the difference with other printers to be discernible.
9.9
Jim Nottingham, York.
9.9
Risc Useræs April issue Ö No, this isnæt the Editor having a side-swipe
at the rival subscription magazine. I am actually recommending it Ö
well, Iæm recommending that you try to get a look at the April issue. I
have to admit that the cover made my heart sink with its title öAPPLE
SPECIALò, but there are some excellent articles in it that I would have
liked to have seen in Archive(!)
9.9
Alan Wrigley has written an informative article about the latest
developments at Acorn Online Media which had some exciting hints of
future developments. Then, if you are interested in the future desktop
machines to be produced by Acorn, Alex Bienekæs article about CHRP (or
PPCRP Ö PowerPC Reference Platform Ö as it is now supposed to be called)
is thorough and highly technical Ö a bit too technical for me at times!
9.9
Mark Sealeyæs coverage of the joint venture company, Xemplar, was very
upbeat and made the important point that what is important is not Éthe
nowæ (which is all that PC advocates seem to think about Ö saving money
now) but Éthe futureæ and how we can migrate and take best advantage of
future technologies whilst still keeping the Éoldæ technology going.
This is something that Acorn have been consistently good at over the
years.
9.9
He also points to the cooperation that there has been between Apple and
Acorn in the past, and concludes that if we can avoid the Éus and themæ
syndrome between advocates of the two systems, Éweæ together can avoid
the tragedy of our education system getting locked into PCs with the
financial and support burdens that would entail. (One thing Mark
probably didnæt know is that ART sent a team out to Cupertino to help
Apple with the problems they were having in getting PC second processors
working properly. ARTæs experience in developing the PC card for the
RiscPC is proving useful in helping Apple do the same sort of thing!)
9.9
Richard Hallas then compares the two desktops, MacOS and RISCáOS, in a
very fair and carefully argued article. If we could migrate to a desktop
environment that had the best of the two systems, that would be to
everyoneæs advantage.
9.9
Richard also has a two-page article on transferring files and data
between the two systems which again draws out the difference between the
two Aæs and the PC. The Xemplar partners, by virtue of being Éminority
systemsæ, have learnt the importance of being able to transfer data
between applications and between different systems. (This is especially
true of Acorn, I feel.) PCs on the other hand, pulling the Éindustry
standardæ card, seem to think that the only sensible answer is for
everyone to use Microsoft Office Ö that would solve all the problems!
9.9
Finally, there is Alan Bonsoræs interview with Brendon OæSullivan, MD of
Xemplar. This is too long for the magazine which only has a two-page
excerpt from it. The full text of the interview is on the monthly
program disc.
9.9
Well, done, Richard Ö an excellent issue!
9.9
(Note to Archive contributors: No plagiarism, please, but can we have
someone offering to write Ésimilaræ articles for Archive? Thanks.)
9.9
Ed.
9.9
Screen grabbing Ö Can I just put in a plug for David Pillingæs !Snapper
program? The screenshots in the review I did for Cambridge Reading
Talking Stories were all taken using Snapper. Up till now, Iæve used
Paintæs snapshot timer, guessed where a menu is supposed to be and then
had to trim sprites down to size Ö very tricky! With Snapper, you point
at the window you want, call up any menus you want, then press <ctrl-
alt> and just save the sprite file. Simple!
9.9
Snapper can grab an area of screen, a window, with or without title bars
and border, or the entire screen. The hot keys can be changed, and you
can choose if you want the pointer to appear in the sprite. It comes
free with ImageMaster which is available through Archive.
9.9
Rob Ives, Maryport, Cumbria.
9.9
SCSI Compatibility Ö As mentioned in earlier issues, readers have
continued to send me reports of their successes and failures with all
manner of combinations of SCSI interfaces and devices. There are now
over 100 user-reports in the database, with well over 700 datapoints,
not counting many more which Peter Bond kindly pulled off the Internet.
At the same time, the number of inconsistencies has dropped considerably
which can only increase confidence in the data. So thereæs a fair
probability that, should any reader be looking to change or extend his
or her SCSI system, there will be some fairly reliable cross-reference
information available.
9.9
I donæt plan to repeat the full-length updates which have appeared in
earlier issues of Archive but will ask Paul to publish any snippets
which may be of general interest to SCSI system users, as and when they
come in. Hereæs one for starters:
9.9
A number of readers are now successfully using Iomega Zip drives on
Acorn machines under RISC OS and Windows æ95. The drive is reported as
being cheap (around ú180) and fast, with 4ö, 100Mb removable discs
costing around ú16. The connection to a SCSI II interface is a little
more tricky than with SCSI I cards, and users have got round that hiccup
in various ways. There is a Égotchaæ in that the disc that comes with
the drive is not a data disc; it has Tools on it which are required to
configure the drive. So if you order a drive, donæt forget to order some
discs as well Ö and donæt reformat the Tools disc!
9.9
As always, a query by letter with return postage will normally guarantee
a reply by return, but emails will have to wait as I have yet to find a
reliable service provider.
9.9
Jim Nottingham, 16 Westfield Close, Pocklington, York, YO4 2EY.
9.9
Any suggestions as to how we can get Jim onto the net? Any good
providers around York? Jimæs such a mine of information and so
helpful(!) that we need to be able to contact him more easily!! Ed.
9.9
Acornæs share price over the last eight months
9.9
i.e. since David Lee became MD.
9.9
A = First rumour of Oracle deal
9.9
B = NY Times article about Acorn/Oracle
9.9
C = Oracle deal publicly announced
9.9
D = Joint Venture announced
9.9
? = What happened around 17th April?!
9.9
Whither Acorn?
9.9
Colin Singleton
9.9
(This is the article that Colin tried to write last month, but events
overtook it and I had to ask him to change it in the light of current
Acorn events. Even now, itæs beginning to look a little out-of-date,
such is the pace of things in the Acorn world! Ed.)
9.9
More has happened at Acorn in the last six months than in the previous
six years, so I am trying to take stock of developments before I become
totally overwhelmed! I still use my trusty A540, which serves me very
well for everyday use, so my references to the latest hardware, and my
comments on current developments, are derived from articles I have read
in Archive and elsewhere Ö I have no Éinside knowledgeæ. These are the
observations of a committed Acorn user, probably biased, but I hope
factually accurate.
9.9
1994, a year of promises
9.9
I have decided to start this review by looking back to 1994, a year of
promises Ö some more credible than others. Apple promised the worldæs
first personal computer using RISC architecture Ö the fastest in the
world Ö for ú1350! Acorn and their friends kicked up a stink about these
three false statements. That Apple should, meanwhile, have been co-
operating with Acorn to design new ARM chips is quite amazing!
9.9
Microsoft promised Windows 95, which was going to revolutionise
computing. It eventually arrived as promised, on 24th August 1995 Ö but
was less than revolutionary. It finally gave PC users the sort of
multitasking that RISC OS 3 users had enjoyed for years, plus the
iconbar, file-dragging, and a few other pirated ideas, but at great cost
in RAM and disc requirements. It confirmed what open-minded users
already knew Ö Acorn are world leaders!
9.9
Intel promised Pentium Ö so-called because someone had copyrighted the
number 586. This was the better mousetrap for which everyone would beat
a path to their door Ö but they didnæt tell us that it would double as a
frying pan! It was a long time coming, arriving eventually by the back
door to less than rapturous applause. Pentium chips started to sell, if
only because the latest versions of the most popular software required
Windows 95 Ö and that required Pentium in order to run at the same speed
it did the previous year!
9.9
An article in New Scientist enthused about Parallel Computing, with
rather optimistic assessments of the cost benefits of using several
processors in tandem on one task. The problems of structuring software
to make efficient use of several parallel processors have largely defied
solution. The article, nevertheless, plugged the multi-processor PC,
promised for the end of 1996. This prompted a quick response from a
University computer user who was already running multi-processor
applications on machines with five RISC processors, which donæt cost the
Earth, and wonæt crisp the bacon. He also uses hybrid machines with
Intel and RISC processors side-by-side. Take a bow, Acorn!
9.9
The RiscPC arrives
9.9
The RiscPC was not only promised for 1994 Ö it actually arrived! It was
not all plain sailing, however. The faster ARM processors were some time
coming, as was the ASIC which interfaces the PC processor to the ARM.
The problems of two incompatible processors co-habiting in the same box,
sharing RAM, disc and screen, with one operating system working within
the other, proved traumatic. Acorn have now solved the problems Ö and
this experience stands them in very good stead for the future.
9.9
The RiscPC design showed great foresight. If you buy a Écompatibleæ PC,
you can specify your processor, RAM and disc capacities, video chip,
etc, which will be assembled into one box but, apart from adding more
RAM, you may find that you canæt easily add or upgrade individual units
later. RiscPC provides maximum flexibility Ö everything, including the
CPU, plugs into the box, and can be unplugged and replaced by later
versions at minimal cost. Even the box can be upgraded to accommodate
new peripherals which might not have been thought of when you bought the
original machine. Acornæs competitors are just getting round to thinking
this way.
9.9
1995 Ö a year of speed increases
9.9
In 1995, the ARM7 chip arrived, creating the RiscPC 710, and extending
the ÉAæ series to the A7000. These both brought higher speed at very
competitive prices. The speed of Acorn machines has never been properly
appreciated, as Gerald Fitton noted recently, reporting on a Which?
review. Acorn have been victims of their own successful designs.
Comparing processing capacities on the basis of clock speed is like
comparing the speeds of cars on the basis of engine revs. A Formula 1
car covers more road per rev than a family saloon Ö similarly, the ARM
processor does more work per cycle than the Intel. ARM6 at 30MHz packs
about the same processing punch as Pentium at 75MHz.
9.9
We all know the futility of trying to persuade PC devotees to try an
Acorn machine. Which? reports, sometimes unfairly, carry a lot of
weight. To get the message over, it is imperative that the Acorn machine
must look better on paper, which 30MHz against 75 does not! MIPS figures
probably give a better comparison, but even they can give a false
impression when two processors have different architectures. Dhrystones
form the best measure, but can you imagine trying to explain that in (or
to) Which? magazine? I cannot see a solution, until the industry adopts
a realistic measure and publishes compatible assessments for all
machines.
9.9
Structural changes
9.9
1995 was also the year of Acorn Centres of Technology, created from the
initiative of The Clan, which had been launched in October 1994. The
ACTs, supported by Acorn, exist to provide expert advice and telephone
help services to customers. The Clan exists to give Acorn essential
feedback from enthusiastic and knowledgeable users. I leave it to Paul
and Simon Ogilvie to assess how well these organisations are working,
but I feel that this spirit of Glasnost can only be beneficial, and give
Acorn development an edge over its rivals.
9.9
Acorn themselves split in two last year, creating Acorn Education and
ART (now named Acorn Risc Technologies), the latter concerned with
research and development. ARM (Advanced Risc Machines) had been separate
since 1990, when it was formed by Acorn and Apple to design and license
the manufacture of ARM processors. There must, I feel, be some overlap
between ARM and ART, but no doubt the dynamic workaholic Peter Bondar
will justify an Acorn in-house R & D unit in addition to the shared
interest in ARM. The logic of these subdivisions has emerged over the
last few months, as Acorn has spread its wings through further
alliances.
9.9
Enter the StrongARM
9.9
StrongARM, designed by ARM and manufactured by DEC (Digital Equipment
Corporation) has been heralded for some time. DEC have the manufacturing
expertise and capability to complement ARMæs world-beating design. On
26th March 1996, the prototype StrongARM RiscPC was demonstrated Ö and
knocked spots off anything else! It clocked 228MHz, and ran the
Dhrystone test 5.6 times as fast as ARM 710. The production version is
expected to be even faster. The promised 100MHz machine will offer twice
the processing power of its PowerPC competitor, with a quarter the heat
output and at a fifth of the price! The figure of 200MHz, for the
top¡of-the-range version, now looks pessimistic Ö it should win back the
Worldæs Fastest Micro accolade for Acorn.
9.9
Lap-top computers and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) are crying out
for more power and speed with less heat Ö the StrongARM is ideal.
Surprisingly for such a remarkable and widely acclaimed chip, only Acorn
themselves appear to be considering its use in desktop computers Ö it
will be available for the RiscPC later this year. There are, apparently,
technical problems arising from StrongARMæs dual¡cache ÉHarvardæ
architecture and its sheer power, and it would need a redesigned RiscPC
to show StrongARMæs real strength. The first production version will be
cacheless Ö the mind boggles at the prospects for the later Harvard
version! The ARM 810, rather than StrongARM, will probably power the
next ÉAæ Series machine for the Education market.
9.9
The superlative specification of StrongARM has assured it a leading
place in a wide range of applications with a potential for literally
billions of sales. The growth of the Internet opens a market for a box
containing just the hardware and software required to provide the non-
computer-user with his own Net terminal Ö at a fraction of the cost of a
PC. The long¡promised expansion of the humble TV into an interactive
information source requires a sophisticated and user-friendly
controller. Microprocessors are now embedded in most electrical
appliances. A processor with the power and price-tag of StrongARM opens
almost boundless possibilities in these areas. Oracle, the major rival
to Microsoft as software developers, are working with Acorn Online Media
Ö formed in 1994 Ö for joint development. A major trial, using a city-
wide fibre-optic cable network, is now taking place in Cambridge Ö where
else?
9.9
The Joint Venture
9.9
Acorn and Apple UK have formed Xemplar Education, to serve the UK
Education market, with effect from 2ndáApril. The press release,
published in full in Archive 9.7, appeared to have been written by an
Apple representative, and it is not surprising that the UK Mac press
read it as a takeover of Acorn by Apple. Apple are, understandably,
firmly committed to their PowerPC, and are seemingly trying to imposing
it on Acorn within their Joint Venture.
9.9
Acorn built its business and reputation on the UK Educational market Ö
Apple have a strong Educational base in the USA. Both are feeling strong
pressure in their traditional fields from the PC, which has made inroads
by promoting itself as Éthe industry standardæ Ö the one your children
will use when they leave school. It makes very good sense for Apple and
Acorn to patch up their differences and combine their strengths to
regain their former positions in the Educational markets. Each will need
to modify their software to run on the other platform as well as their
own. Neither partneræs processor or operating system will disappear, and
this venture does not show Apple in a position of strength over Acorn.
9.9
Is RISCáOS really dead?!
9.9
Paul set out at some length in Archive 9.7 his convincing reasons for
believing that RISC OS is not threatened by this agreement. I was more
concerned by the statement that the new company expects to develop the
next generation of personal computers öbased on the powerful PowerPC
microprocessorò, adding only an oblique reference to Acornæs projected
RiscPC, with PowerPC as the second, or perhaps a third, co-processor.
Knowing the superiority of StrongARM, this looks very much like an
advertising bluff seeking dominance for the larger company.
9.9
(For more up-to-date information on the Édeathæ of RISCáOS, see Edæs
article on page 15.)
9.9
The confusion arises through understanding, or misunderstanding, of CHRP
(Common Hardware Reference Platform, pronounced ÉChirpæ). Appleæs
disinformation department would like us to believe that Apple, IBM and
Motorola have agreed on PowerPC as the platform for future personal
computers, and I have recently read an assertion that no other processor
will be permitted in the CHRP machine. I donæt believe it! IBM would
surely never swallow that Ö Intel and Microsoft would simply ignore it Ö
and remember that Apple are commercially involved in ARM. The truth is
undoubtedly more complex, and allows Acorn to develop its strengths.
Peter Bondaræs enthusiastic description of CHRP doesnæt even mention
PowerPC!
9.9
CHRP, with the active co-operation of IBM, attempts to break out of the
Intel rut, based on the past, by specifying a standard for the future.
It is a very open specification, including the concept of ROM operating
systems and multiple heterogeneous processors. There has to be a
standard, possibly hidden, processor to hold the whole thing together Ö
that is where the PowerPC comes in Ö but after that suppliers can, and
will be encouraged to, include any other processor and operating system
which can co-exist with PowerPC. There is clearly much work to be done
here, and Acornæs success with RiscPC has surely given them (alone?) the
experience necessary to develop the hybrid platform.
9.9
So, whither Acorn?
9.9
Acorn are partners in a number of alliances, in each of which, if they
promote their strengths, Acorn can make a major contribution to the next
generation of computers and microprocessors. Their experience gained
developing RiscPC should ensure a leading role in the CHRP project.
Acorn have also recognised StrongARM as a highly marketable product in
its own right. With its power-per-dollar advantage and low power
consumption, it is much sought-after for specialised equipment. When
users of StrongARM-driven net¡surfers and set¡top boxes see RISC OS in
action on their screens, they might just ask if they can have this
ultra¡friendly operating system on their desktop computers! Having a
computer compatible with embedded microprocessors would permit sci-fi
systems of centrally¡controlled appliances.
9.9
Acorn must, I feel, assert themselves more. They must not allow their
partners to portray an alliance as a take-over, or their manufacturing
licensee to steal the limelight. Acorn have world-beating products and
expertise, and they now have the partnerships to develop them. They must
ensure that their better-known partners give credit where it is due.
After years of struggling to stay afloat, Acornæs feel¡good factor is
now emerging and is clearly reflected in the their share prices which
reached an all-time high last week of 273 from a pound seven months ago.
We can look forward to the day when we will be respected by our peers
for our long allegiance to Acorn, instead of being looked down on as
poor relations.áuá
9.9
PD Column
9.9
David Holden
9.9
PD competition
9.9
In case there are any PD/Shareware authors who donæt already know, APDL
is running another competition. If you have written a program that you
think might be eligible, you could stand a chance at a cash prize of
around ú100.
9.9
Unless you have entered a previous competition (in which case you will
already have some idea of what will be required of you), please donæt
just send your programs. Initially, please send a blank disc with a
stamp for return postage to APDL (address inside back cover) and this
will be returned to you with lots of useful information which will help
you to get amongst the winners.
9.9
Programs need not be new, but ideally should be recent releases. Older
programs will be considered if they have some significant additional
features.
9.9
Acorn and Apple
9.9
There has been a lot of speculation about the recent link up between
Apple and Acorn. At present, it seems to be a simple attempt by the two
leading producers of computers with proprietary GUI operating systems to
get together to point out the incredible advantages and ease of use of
either of their systems over the vastly inferior offering from
Microsoft. But where will it lead?
9.9
Acornæs Énew lookæ developer support provided by ART says that it will
not be offering help on porting RISCáOS programs to the Mac. This is
probably sensible, as they obviously donæt want to encourage their
present user base to migrate. However, nothing has been said about
porting from Mac to RISCáOS, and I hope that this will be given their
full support.
9.9
So what does this have to do with PD? Well, there is a huge amount of
extremely high quality educational PD and Shareware available for the
Mac. Most of this is American, but it would probably be simple to
ÉAngliciseæ it if it were to be ported to the Acorn platform. No
commercial software company is going to get involved in this area,
because they donæt want educational purchasers to discover that there is
so much low cost material available from PD libraries. In any event, it
is most unlikely that any reputable Shareware author would permit his
work to be ported to another platform and sold commercially. However, it
could be a very interesting (and remunerative) field for an experienced
Shareware programmer.
9.9
I havenæt explored this idea in depth, so perhaps there are problems
involved, but I cannot imagine that anyone writing Shareware for the Mac
would be interested in porting it to RISCáOS. They might therefore be
prepared to look favourably upon someone else who wanted to do so, and
charge only a modest licence fee. Similarly, authors of PD programs
would normally only expect to be given credit as the original author.
9.9
Ideally, anyone who is interested in this should have, or have access
to, a Mac, if only to try some of the programs available and see what
they are like in their original form. It would probably also require an
experienced C programmer, because that is the language that the original
is most likely to have been written in. However, in my experience, with
straightforward programs, it is quite often easier to start from
scratch. This might sound like more work, but it very often isnæt,
because the real work in producing a good program (as any successful
Shareware author will tell you) isnæt writing the program, but designing
the user interface, and the Élook and feelæ of how it will work, and
this will already have been done for you.
9.9
If you think this might be something that you would be interested in
doing, please contact me if I can do anything to help. As a member of
the Association of Shareware Professionals, I might be able to assist in
persuading a Shareware author to grant a licence.
9.9
Special offer
9.9
In order to continue with my mission to try to convert some of you who
still think that PD is of no interest to serious users, I shall return
to my previous practice of offering a disc to readers of this column. In
this monthæs magazine, there is a review mentioning the two best text
editors available at any price, namely StrongEd and Zap. To complement
this, I shall offer a copy of both of these. The two wonæt fit on a
single 800Kb disc, so if you are interested please do specify if you
only have an 800Kb drive, otherwise you will get a 1.6Mb disc by
default.
9.9
The price for this will be only ú1.25 or (preferably) five first class
stamps, sent to the APDL address.áuá
9.9
Help!!!!
9.9
ARM code articles, please? Ö Ray Favreæs articles on Beginning Basic
have been excellent, and Iæm sure many people have enjoyed them, but Iæd
like to have a go at some machine code programming. Would someone be
prepared to do a similar series to Rayæs, please?
9.9
(Thanks for suggesting that, Andrew. It would be good because the only
ARM code book I know of, that is still in print, is The ARM Programmeræs
Guide Ö Someren/Atack Ö ú25. It is good but not exactly a Éget you
startedæ book. There was an ARM programming tutorial series by Alan
Glover starting Archive 1.10 (8 years ago!) which ran for seven issues.
Perhaps someone could use that as a basis for a new series, or we could
just do a re-run of the original. Any offers anyone? Ed.)
9.9
Andrew Berry, Nottingham.
9.9
Articles please? Ö As always, Iæm very grateful to all those who write
for Archive, and over the last three months, we have been able to reduce
the huge backlog of review articles we had at one stage. Thatæs good in
one sense, in that we donæt want articles sitting unpublished month
after month. However, if the backlog is decreasing, that means that the
rate at which articles are being sent in is less than the rate at which
they are being published! i.e. we need even more articles, please, if
Archive is to continue at its present standard.
9.9
You will note that (by a series of coincidences) there arenæt any
adverts at all this month. This means that you get more for your money Ö
although it also means I get less Ö so please may we have some more
articles, especially technical ones? Thanks.
9.9
Ed.
9.9
Crossword puzzle solving Ö Does anyone know of software, preferably for
Pocket Book, for crossword puzzle solvers, that takes account of phrases
rather than just words?
9.9
Christian Puritz <[e-mail]>
9.9
Data acquisition and analysis programs Ö I would like to mention some
programs that I have written for use in our University Physics
Department research group, but which would be useful to other people
interested in data acquisition and analysis. If people know they are
available, they can contact me, and I can judge the level of interest
and see whether it is worth the extra effort of writing a tutorial
manual, etc.
9.9
Data acquisition Ö a sophisticated program that allows control of many
outputs (voltages, magnetic field, etc) via IEEE or serial port, and
reading values from many instruments (multimeters, phase sensitive
detectors, power supplies, spectrum analysers, etc). The data can be
examined, zoomed in on, etc while data-taking is in progress. There is a
simple but powerful command language to allow a complicated series of
measurements or sweeps to be performed automatically. Data can be saved
in various formats, including text. It is usually analysed or printed
out using the sister data analysis program. The program is fully wimp-
compliant. It needs at least 2Mb of RAM.
9.9
Data analysis and plotting Ö a professional data analysis and graphing
program that can handle various formats of data, and arbitrarily large
data files, unconstrained by the amount of RAM. Many analysis facilities
are provided, including smoothing, differentiation, fourier transforms,
splining, non-linear curve fitting, etc. The graph-plotting features are
extensive, allowing anything from quick plots of new data to
publication-quality figures. Although everything can be controlled by
the mouse, macros can be generated automatically, or written by the
user, to automate every feature of the program, or to produce complex
graphs repeatedly. Plots can be printed or saved as drawfiles for
inclusion in a DTP package. Both these programs have been tested
extensively in a large University research group.
9.9
I have also written some utilities which I will write manuals for, and
make available, if there is enough interest:
9.9
Impression to LaTeX or MSWord RTF converter: This converts Publisher (or
Style) DDF text files to LaTeX or RTF, coping well with styles, effects
etc. This is the only LaTeX converter that I know of, and is better at
producing RTF than the RTF saver module produced by Computer Concepts.
Output files are written efficiently, and so are easy to edit in their
new format. Many options, styles to suppress, file suffices, etc, can be
configured.
9.9
Impression Publisher mailmerge extensions: Named references can be
converted to automatically allocated numbers, for use when citing
references throughout a document. One or two spreadsheet lists (saved as
CSV files) can be scanned, so that data that matches certain criteria
can be extracted and fed into the Publisher document. It thus becomes
easy to send a mailshot to a list of people, and on each letter listing
a set of entries extracted from another file. This avoids the need to
buy a separate database program.
9.9
I hope these programs will interest people. They will be made available
(for some small charge) if there is sufficient interest. Please email me
with your requirements, or write, phone or fax: Department of Physics,
Cambridge University, Cavendish Laboratory, Madingley Road, Cambridge,
CB3 0HE. (01223-337486) [01223-337271].
9.9
Chris Ford <[e-mail]>
9.9
Eureka spreadsheets Ö I sent Paul a Eureka spreadsheet (on the monthly
disc) which may be of interest to school readers who run the AAA scheme.
Basically, it calculates points and tells you which award a child should
receive. It is fairly self-explanatory, apart from the last two lines
which are ÉSpecial needsæ children. The first number shows which line
their Énon-adjustedæ score is on. After this. the sheet will copy
material from this line into the bottom lines. Use <f5> to see the named
areas and move between them, e.g. Awards, Results, Lookup table etc.
9.9
Readers may also be interested in a set of Eureka spreadsheets to create
maths workcards of a wide range of varieties and accurate task-analysed
learning outcomes. These include creating puzzles, games, written
questions etc, as well as the more usual four rules materials. I have
recently put these in the APDL library with David Holden.
9.9
Dave Walsh, Herne Bay
9.9
Fortran Friends, a self-help group of Fortran users. We now have a home
on the Web at URL http://www.idg.co.uk/acornuser/pd/scene/groups/
fortran.html.
9.9
Our three PD utilities are a menu-based front end to simplify the use of
Fortran77, !WimpPoly which is a complete example application that draws
polyhedra, and PGPLOT, a portable graphics package for drawing
scientific graphs.
9.9
Kate Crennell <[e-mail]>
9.9
!Redraw application Ö As regards my Vector Conversion Program, that was
on the Archive 9.8 program disc, I would just like to add a couple of
points:
9.9
Firstly, I have moved since the help file was created; my current
address is: 13 Monks Crescent, Addlestone, Surrey, KT15 1UX.
9.9
Secondly, if readers have found !Redraw useful, they may like to
consider making a donation (via the above address) to my local Scouts,
2nd New Haw Scout Group, to whom cheques should be payable. Thank you.
9.9
David Breakwell <[e-mail]>
9.9
Software for use in R.E. Ö Does anyone know of any software for Acorn
machines that relates to the study of R.E. in secondary schools? I know
about the öAspects of Religion CDò and obvious things like the excellent
Holy Bible software from ExpLAN, and thereæs some clipart around, but is
there anything else? (By the way, Iæm talking about Religious Education
and not just Christian Education.)
9.9
If you know of anything, please could you let me know and/or write to
Liz Leyden, 28 Greenbank, Dalry, Ayrshire, KA24 5AY who initiated the
query? Thanks.
9.9
Ed.
9.9
Transport, please? Ö We have people wanting BBC computer systems for
charitable purposes, such as to help children with Downs Syndrome. There
are four complete BBC systems at University College London that could be
so used. The trouble is that we donæt have transport. Is there anyone
coming up from London to the Norwich area in the next few weeks who
could bring them up for us, please? If so, please either contact me or
Paul. Thanks.
9.9
John Bailey <[e-mail]>
9.9
WWW access Ö It is possible to access the Web via a Psion 3a or a Pocket
Book II by using Compuserve and two shareware programs: ReadCIS and
WebCIS. ReadCIS is a superb Off Line Reader for accessing Compuserve
with a Psion or PB. I rely on it for picking up my email, and accessing
the Palmtop Forum on CompuServe (the friendliest and most helpful
computing community you could imagine) when travelling. Iæd
wholeheartedly recommend CIS membership to anyone with a Psion and a
modem.
9.9
The latest version of WebCIS (plus a copy of ReadCIS) is on this monthæs
program disc.
9.9
John Woodthorpe <[e-mail]>
9.9
Puzzle Corner
9.9
Colin Singleton
9.9
I am delighted by the steady growth in response to this column. There
are clearly quite a number of seasoned puzzlists among Archive readers,
as well as many enthusiastic amateurs. The word Puzzlist is not in the
OED, and causes my spell-checker to bleep Ö any offers?
9.9
The latest winners ...
9.9
(58) Prime Sequences
9.9
Most entrants found sequences up to order seven, though two found the
order six solution but failed to recognise that it also provides a
sequence of seven. No-one found my order eight solution. Robert Beech of
Macclesfield wins the prize.
9.9
(59Ö61) Ship in a Bottle Ö Heinz Beanz Canz
9.9
The Ship in a Bottle problem brought a variety of answers, many
incorrect. The Beans Cans proved less troublesome. The prize goes to
Richard Lyszkowski of Bridge of Allan.
9.9
... last monthæs answers ...
9.9
(62) Athletics and Football
9.9
Several readers have complained that this puzzle is too easy Ö but they
have not found the right answer! The sides of the football pitch do not
coincide with the straights of the athletics track.
9.9
There are two independent variables which must be considered Ö I have
identified the radius r and the angle a, though other variables can be
used. For a given radius, you can use the progressive approximation
technique (explained by Gerald Fitton in Issue 9.6) to deduce the
optimum angle, i.e. the one which gives the largest area for the
football pitch. But the radius is itself a variable, for which we must
find the optimum value. One approximation routine must be nested within
another. Once you get the logic clear in your mind, the coding is quite
simple, but it does take some time to calculate. Alternatively, you can
use a spreadsheet to build a matrix of pitch areas, allocating a range
of values of the radius to the columns and values of the angle to the
rows. Juggling with the parameters should enable you to home in on the
answer.
9.9
The diagram above is approximately to scale. The radius is 53.5231, the
straights are 31.8523, the pitch is 100.0000 ╫ 82.5516, giving an area
of 8255.1616, all to 4 dp. In real life, the dimensions of an athletics
track are now specified with a radius of 36.500m and straights of
84.390m, although some older tracks do not conform to this
specification. Before you all complain Ö can you explain why these
figures look wrong but are in fact right? The diagram in the last Issue
shows, approximately, the shapes actually used.
9.9
(63) 1000000!
9.9
To determine the number of zeros on the end, we need only calculate the
total power of five in the factors of 1000000!. 200000 of the numbers
1Ö1000000 contain a factor five. 40000 of these contain a second factor
five, 8000 a third, 1600 a fourth, 320 a fifth, 64 a sixth, 12 a
seventh, and two are multiples of 58 (=390625). The answer is 200000 +
40000 + 8000 + 1600 + 320 + 64 + 12 +2 = 249998.
9.9
Gerald Fitton has posed the supplementary problem of calculating
1000000!, as accurately as possible. He gives a value to six significant
figures, which (amazingly!) I have confirmed using two very different
methods of calculation. My two values, however, differ in the seventh
digit. Any offers?
9.9
(64) Ever Decreasing Angles
9.9
In triangle OBC the sides adjacent to angle OBC have lengths in the
ratio 1:┌2. In triangle OBD, the sides adjacent to the same angle have
lengths ┌2 and 2 Ö the same ratio. Hence triangles OBC and OBD are
similar, and the corresponding angles, B2 and A3, are equal.
9.9
Similarly, in triangle OCD, the sides adjacent to angle OCD are in the
ratio 1:┌5, and the same ratio applies in triangle OCH. Hence these
triangles are similar, and angle A7 = B3. In general, Bn = An▓Ön+1.
9.9
(65) Powerful
9.9
No, you cannot use Log Tables, because they were produced using a
computer! (How were they produced before computers?) There are several
ways of solving this puzzle, one of which is 331995 = (331662á╫á33333) >
(331662á╫á32333) = (331662á╫á21665) > (331662á╫á21662) = 661662 >
651662. In fact, the ratio of 331995 to 651662áis greater thaná8.6╫1010.
9.9
... this monthæs prize puzzle ...
9.9
(66) The New Chairman
9.9
This puzzle uses an old idea of which I was reminded in a letter from
Robert Newmark. The Chairman of a large company called the Directors
(less than 100 of them) to a meeting, at which he announced his
retirement, and proposed a novel way of selecting his successor. He sat
all the Directors, including himself, in a circle, then, counting
clockwise from the person on his left, he eliminated every Nth person
from the circle until there was only one person left. That was his son!
9.9
In an attempt to quell the outcry of Éfixæ, he offered to start again,
with everyone in the same chairs, but eliminating every (N+1)th person.
Again, the survivor was his son. Another outcry. Another selection
process Ö this time eliminating every (N+2)th person Ö and again the
Chairmanæs son survived! This time the others gave up in despair.
9.9
If the number N is less than the number of directors, where was the new
Chairman sitting in relation to his father?
9.9
... and this monthæs prize quickies ...
9.9
(67) St Andrew
9.9
A quickie from the Scottish Mathematical Challenge, 1995. The arms on
the cross of the Scottish flag are parallel to the diagonals of the
rectangle, and the flag is symmetrical. If the white cross occupies 36%
of the area, where do the edges of the diagonal arms intercept the edges
of the rectangle?
9.9
(68) Four Points
9.9
This puzzle is taken from the Entrance Scholarship Examination of the
University of St Andrews and, like the previous one, was contributed by
Richard Lyszkowski. In how many ways can four points be arranged in a
plane so that there are only two different values for the distance
between any pair of points?
9.9
(69) Cigarettes
9.9
Can you arrange six cigarettes on a table so that each touches each of
the others? Easy? Try again with seven!
9.9
And finally ...
9.9
Several readers have asked about the Journal of Recreational
Mathematics. It is edited by Joseph S Madachy, 4761 Bigger Road,
Kettering, OH 45440-1829, USA, and published by Baywood Publishing Inc.,
26 Austin Avenue, PO Box 337, Amityville, NY 11701, USA. There are four
issues per year, and the subscription is $19.95 plus $11.25 postage
outside the USA and Canada. I do not have a regular column in JRM Ö it
isnæt organised that way Ö but I do have contributions in each issue.
9.9
The League Table shows increasing competition at the top and (off this
leader-board) increasing numbers of Éfun runnersæ who enter
occasionally, when the mood takes them. All are welcome! Please send
solutions (by Friday 7th June), contributions and comments to me, at 41
St Quentin Drive, Sheffield, S17á4PN.áuá
9.9
StereoWorld
9.9
Dave Wilcox
9.9
This RiscPC-only program has been around for a while now. It was written
by Gordon Key and is marketed by the Fourth Dimension. Stereoworld is a
package for the display and creation of Stereograms.
9.9
So what are Stereograms? I am sure everyone has seen, and probably tried
to solve, one of these optical puzzles at some time. Basically, you are
presented with a kaleidoscope of colour out of which your brain has to
decipher the shape of a three dimensional picture.
9.9
Confession time Ö up until recently, I had no idea of what to do, or
what I was looking for. With perseverance, I eventually managed to crack
my first picture Ö the visual effect was truly amazing, and I was
hooked.
9.9
The package
9.9
The program is packaged in a cardboard box with a stereogram on the lid
for your first attempt. Inside the box are six high density discs and an
A5 flyer with installation instructions. To run the program, the minimum
recommended machine specification is RISC OS 3.1, 4Mb of RAM, 10Mb of
hard disc space (the program must be run from a hard disc), and a VGA
monitor Ö but as far as I know, all RiscPCs have at least this spec
anyway.
9.9
The program
9.9
For the review, I installed the program onto a RiscPC700 with 2Mb video
RAM and 16Mb RAM. Installation went smoothly, and I ended up with the
Stereoworld icon. Double clicking on this installs an icon onto the
iconbar Ö a click on this and away you go. The first screen is a
graphical menu, giving options of viewing pre-designed images,
animations and morphs, games, creating your own and help. These options
are also available from the iconbar icon via the menu button.
9.9
The simplest of these is the help option, and all screens, except for
the games area, have help options. There is no manual with the program,
so all problems are, hopefully, answered in the online help, which
appears to be fairly concise. The first error came to light here, in
that all of the text in the help window had its descenders chopped off.
9.9
Images Option: This displays the pre-designed images in a window. You
have options to view full screen, print, help, cancel, or view image,
all of which are self-explanatory. The only option which is not always
available is the view image. Some of the images are just straightforward
3D pictures and have no hidden picture within them, so if this applies
to the viewed picture, the option is greyed out.
9.9
The hidden image pictures are easily viewed on screen, and the majority
are viewable on a black and white print, although care must be taken if
a large amount of dark colour is used, as the details will merge into a
large black blob. I am not in a position to produce a colour print at
the moment, but am sure the quality would be that of the screen view.
There are 19 pre-defined pictures.
9.9
Animation and Morphs: This works on the same basis as the images area
but, as the title suggests, it consists of an animated sequence. I have
struggled for ages to master seeing the still pictures, but I have not
managed to get anywhere near mastering a moving picture yet! There are
four pre-defined scenes in this area.
9.9
Games: There are three games, Escape, Lander and Stereosaw. Escape is
the bat, ball and brick wall game (ÉBreakoutæ as it is known) and Lander
is the moon lander in differing gravity situations. Both of these have
one or two player options, and fall into the same class as the
animations and morphs, i.e. I have no chance yet, as I canæt twist my
eyes around enough Ö Iæm still practising. Stereosaw is a little simpler
Ö an image block puzzle with all the pieces jumbled.
9.9
Create Your Own: This is the business end of the program where you can
play at turning your own pictures into stereograms. There are 23 pre-
defined objects for you to practise with, in different sizes (small,
medium and large) and three font sets comprising upper and lower case
letters and the numbers. Also included are 16 background pictures.
9.9
To create a picture from the built-in options, you select the size and
shape required, and place it on the blank Écreateæ window. If you change
your mind whilst building the picture, you have the option of clearing
all of the screen or of undoing the last action. Whilst at the building
stage, you can also select whether to build in colour or grey scale.
Once you have an object selected, you can flip it on the x- or y¡axis
prior to placing. You also have the options of SET, OR, AND and EOR. I
havenæt fathomed these yet. I know they are logical operators, but have
not worked out their effects on the final result.
9.9
If you wish to load your own objects into the program, you can do this
by dragging them to the objects window. There are a few restrictions on
what can be imported as follows: (1) the sprite file should be no larger
than 160Kb (2) only the first sprite in a file will be loaded (3) the
sprite must be drawn in a 256 colour mode.
9.9
Sprites and drawfiles can also be loaded in this manner, as completed
pictures. In this case, the picture will be centred in the window. The
restrictions on objects applies equally in this instance, but the
maximum file size is 286Kb.
9.9
Problems
9.9
There were two other problems with my installation, besides the chopped-
off descenders. The stereograms failed to print, and the screen redraw
on the Create Your Own option did not work properly, leaving bits of
sprite lying around. Fourth Dimension and Gordon Key have both been very
helpful in trying to correct the faults I have mentioned, alas to no
avail to date. I have now put it down to modifications by Acorn in the
RiscPC 700.
9.9
Both problems are, however, avoidable. The screen redraw problem is
cured by pressing <f12> and return, and the printing problem is bypassed
in a way. When your machine refuses to print, check the !Scrap
directory, where you should find the drawfile waiting to be printed. If
you save this out of !Scrap, you have your picture, ready to print from
Draw.
9.9
Conclusion
9.9
Despite the problems, this is an excellent package. Iáhave to assume
that a RiscPC 600 installation will function correctly, as there appear
to have been no earlier complaints by owners of the RiscPC 600. This is
not the only package that fails or falls over on the RiscPC 700 but
works on the RiscPC 600. Some of the items listed with the ARM Club
GameOn application as workable, also fail on the RiscPC 700, so there
must be a significant difference somewhere in the 3.6 operating system.
9.9
As I have said above, the problems I encountered are surmountable, and
the program does the job it was designed for in a well-presented way, as
is now expected of Gordon Keyæs work. Stereoworld is available for
ú29.95 from 4th Dimension, or ú28 through Archive.áuá
9.9
Spobbleoid Fantasy
9.9
Dave Floyd
9.9
Spobbleoid Fantasy is the new version of the original Spobbleoid,
released in 1994 by Cybernation. Now released by 4th Dimension, Fantasy
not only includes an improved version of the original, but 36 new levels
and a level designer and costs ú29.95 from 4th Dimension or ú28 through
Archive.
9.9
The game
9.9
In Spobbleoid, you play the part of a clockwork orange who has to
collect fruit and power pills in order to save the world. To make the
task more difficult than it sounds, blocks need to be moved around the
screen to gain access to everything, and monsters roam around randomly
and should be avoided if at all possible. Each level has a time limit,
and contact with the monsters diminishes it very quickly. Care must also
be taken when moving blocks, as it is easy to cover a piece of fruit in
such a way that you cannot get to it, necessitating restarting the
level. Basically, the general gist of the game is something similar to a
cross between Pengo and Repton, though not quite as clever as either.
9.9
The first few levels are reasonably easy, but this does not last. As you
progress, blocks that can only be pushed vertically or horizontally,
locked blocks for which you need to pick up a key, and time-lock blocks,
all appear. The time allowed to move the time-lock blocks before they
become locked into place is not very long at all, so it needs careful
planning. Aáfew more levels on, and you have to kill all the monsters
too, by crushing them with well aimed (orálucky) blocks in order to
complete the levels.
9.9
Even further on, you begin in a small cell of blocks. In order to
escape, you have to work out the four digit code and touch the corner
blocks in that order. There are two ways of doing this. Firstly, by
trial and error. The second is to cheat. I cheated and still could not
get free from the cell, although I knew I was touching the blocks in the
right order! Whether this is a bug or just that I was doing it wrong I
am not sure.
9.9
The background graphics are brightly coloured and nicely designed to
confuse you at first. The animation and movement of the sprites is
faultless and very fast. At times, I experienced difficulty in lining up
Spobbleoid with a block correctly and wasted precious seconds
repositioning him. This does get easier with practice, however.
9.9
A password system means that you do not have to return to the start
every (and there will be many) time you lose all your lives. The levels
are split into groups of six though, so if you lose all your lives on
the sixth level within a group, you will have to work your way through
the previous five in order to return to where you were. This I found
frustrating at times, and would have much preferred each individual
level to be given a password.
9.9
The level designer
9.9
What makes this game well worth the money is the level designer included
in the package. Not only does this mean that you can create new levels
to pass around amongst your friends, but it also allows you to make the
game easier if need be and to discover the four digit codes if, like me,
you feel that using trial and error to work them out is a rather unfair
task to be set. It is very simple to use, entailing copying one of the
data discs and either editing what is already there or blanking it all
and starting from scratch.
9.9
Conclusion
9.9
Those who bought and enjoyed the original Spobbleoid should waste no
time in buying this game. The extra levels and designer will ensure that
you will not be disappointed. In essence, this is a fun game and
although, in its native state, the speed could make it off-putting to
many, the level designer allows you to modify this if necessary. Anybody
then, who feels they would like to wile away a few hours with a game
that requires a little more thought than is required to press a fire
button as quickly as possible, could do far worse than Spobbleoid
Fantasy.áuá
9.9
ViVID 5000
9.9
Mike Tomkinson
9.9
A utility is only useful if you have a use for it. This may sound
obvious but if a software reviewer doesnæt find a utility useful, this
can colour his review. Youæll see what I mean if you read on.
9.9
ViVID 5000 arrived from iSV and was duly installed on my hard disc. I
use an old A5000 (with a 40Mb HD Ö remember when that was massive?) and
a Microvitec multisync monitor. The AKF18 was a complete disaster as I
am sure anyone stuck with one can tell you.
9.9
Documentation for ViVID 5000 comes in the form of an electronic book
produced using the Inform software, also from iSV. I am generally not in
favour of e-book documentation, but it keeps down costs and is certainly
environmentally friendly. As usual, Iáonly consult the manual when all
else fails.
9.9
The package is very easy to install and comes with another utility
called !SuperVIDC which tests for the presence of (yes, you guessed it)
a SuperVIDC chip. As I have said, mine is an early A5000 and apparently
does not have this chip. The test involves running the software to test
that the display is rock steady Ö if it is not, you are warned not to
install the !SuperVIDC modes, as the VIDC Chip may be damaged. This
seems fair enough, but I cannot comment on the differences such a chip
may have and its ability to produce 256 colour screens at a higher
frequency.
9.9
ViVID basically enables the A5000 to emulate some of the much higher
screen resolutions available on higher spec machines such as the RiscPC.
It is described in the e-book as a mode enhancer that allows higher than
normal screen resolution. It says that it will work with an AKF18
monitor but that rather depends on whether your AKF18 monitor is on one
of its regular trips back to the menders.
9.9
For the technical out there, ViVID 5000 offers real resolutions up to
1024╫536, and emulated hi¡resolution virtual desktops up to 2240╫2016 in
16 colours. The trade-off is that, as the resolution increases,
everything on the desktop takes on ever decreasing size and strangeness
of appearance. It is amazing how used one becomes to mode 27. Anything
else seems slightly foreign.
9.9
However, it does all work and work very well. Some of the more esoteric
modes are not very useful (to me) but, as I have said, a utilityæs
usefulness depends entirely on the user. I did like being able to see
Impression pages fully on a 14ö monitor without having to reduce to 80%
view, but apart from that, Iáwas quite prepared to write this utility
off as being akin to a whistling dog Ö interesting but not particularly
useful.
9.9
That was until our school became involved in a recent newspaper day, the
general idea of which is to produce a newspaper in one day. Not that
difficult you might think, but as pupils cannot, even under the National
Curriculum(!), be required to work night¡shifts, it is very difficult.
9.9
You are sent some material beforehand, in this case, a survey about
advertising as a CSV file, and you must include a comparison with a
questionnaire from your own students. This was loaded into the Advance
spreadsheet and was very large. Moving around the screen to look at,
select, sort and the graph data was becoming a real nightmare Ö
particularly as I was working on an A5000 with a Microvitec 14ö
multisync monitor.
9.9
What has this to do with ViVID 5000? Well, just as Iáwas removing the
few remaining hairs on the top of my head I remembered that I had ViVID
5000 installed on my hard disc. You can probably guess the rest, but I
ran the program and instantly all was clear. I could see much more of
the spreadsheet area, selection was easier and the whole process was
transformed from a nightmare to a dream. You can also change modes on
the fly while still working, with no need to quit applications or re-
boot until you find the most appropriate mode.
9.9
Needless to say, having found a use for the utility, under pressure, my
feelings for its usefulness were altered from apathy to wholehearted
enthusiasm. This is a good package which could be a great package if,
like me, you have or find a use for it. Of course, we should all have
RiscPCs with 17ö monitors, but Iárather suspect some of us have become
very attached to the A5000. If so, this utility allows such users some
of the convenience without the cost of a new system. On the subject of
cost, the whole package costs just ú15 plus ú1.50 post and packing.
9.9
Those of you without A5000s, can purchase a companion utility called
ViVID 20 which requires an ARM250 or ARM3 processor and RISC OS 3.1, as
well as a VIDC enhancer (fitted as standard on A30x0, A4000 and A540
machines) and a multisync or SVGA monitor. It costs ú10 plus ú1.50
carriage.
9.9
Buy one of these utilities now, because the chances are that you will
discover a need for them at a moment of pressure and it is better to be
prepared. ViVID 5000 will be staying on my hard disc, and Iáhave not
been able to say that about many utilities over the years.áuá
9.9
VTi / Eclipse Games Roundup
9.9
Andrew Rawnsley
9.9
Of all the major Acorn games companies, it seems that Eclipse is the
only one to be actively developing and releasing products. (That may be
true in terms of what has actually been released over the last few
months, but my RISCáOS developersæ survey shows that a lot of the games
companies are still saying they are definitely committed to producing
Acorn games, so weæll have to see what comes through in the autumn. The
summer is not a good time to release games software! Ed.)
9.9
Dune II CD
9.9
This title is a must for CD-ROM owners. I reviewed the original title
last summer and declared it to be a top notch conversion, but this CD
release is fantastic.
9.9
The game is still the same Ö command and produce futuristic military
units, whilst developing an expansive base, harvesting the mineral
ÉSpiceæ. Of course, youære not alone Ö enemy attacks are all too common,
so plenty of strategy is required. This is offset by the speed at which
the game develops, and thereæs always plenty of action taking place, so
youæll never be bored.
9.9
The single major difference between the original production and its CD
big brother is the addition of music. Dune II CD is the first Acorn game
to support General Midi music, taking advantage of any extra sound
boards which might be present in your machine. The effect is stunning Ö
more akin to a movieæs audio than that of a computer game.
9.9
But what if you havenæt got a Midi card? Well, thereæs always ESPæs
Software Synthesizer (well worth investing in if you canæt justify a
Midi Synth card, although it currently only works on the RiscPC) or you
can simply use the gameæs standard music instead. This will work on both
16-bit soundcards and the original Acorn 8-bit system, and given that
the original music was created specifically for Midi, the translation is
remarkable. This is helped by a large collection of samples taken from
an expensive Midi system, for which the CD makes the ideal medium.
9.9
So, once youæve got used to the rousing battle anthems and the
background theme music, what else does the CD offer? Well, there is a
lot more speech, particularly for commanding units, and in-game
information, as well as the original, fairly impressive introductory
sequence. This sets the scene well and, whilst not being a major selling
point, itæs nice to see.
9.9
Finally, the CD release takes a minimal amount of hard disc space
compared to the original 9 Mb! Whilst it could be played from floppy,
few would recommend it, although I believe it was good for the arm
muscles! It is perhaps this fact alone that makes me recommend this
version over the floppy release Ö you canæt lose because Dune II is
still Dune II be it on floppy or CD, but 9Mb of disc space is well worth
saving.
9.9
To reiterate Ö Dune 2 should be considered an essential purchase, and on
CD, doubly so Ö itæs the same great game, but now comes with added
atmosphere and excitement. Buy it!
9.9
DarkWood
9.9
DarkWood has been one of the most hyped Acorn games for a log time. The
author ran competitions over the Internet during the run-up to its
release and the Acorn games newsgroup was flooded with traffic. But was
it worth it?
9.9
On balance, Iæd have to say no. DarkWood isnæt an inherently bad game,
in fact, its graphics engine is quite excellent Ö full of beautifully
shaded hills spinning round as your character moves over the landscape Ö
itæs just a shame the rest of the graphics overlaid on top arenæt much
good! Yes, it suffers from Native Acorn Game Syndrome Ö lots of lovely
bright green hills, bright blue streams and bright yellow suns, and
absolutely no subtlety whatsoever.
9.9
With a title like DarkWood, it might be expected to have some sort of
dark atmosphere, but youæll need more than just a pair of shades to
darken DarkWood. The game itself is basically an adventure Ö except that
no-one buys adventures, do they? So itæs a platform game, but nobody
forks out for those either. So itæs a 3D game, too...
9.9
It is probably closest to old 4th Dimension games like Pandoraæs Box and
Carnage Inc., except that, unlike the others, DarkWood doesnæt seem to
know quite where itæs going. Youæll be in the middle of trying to solve
a puzzle when you come across some platforms floating in mid air, so
itæs time to start fumbling at the controls, trying not to fall to your
death or get attacked by skeletons.
9.9
On the plus side, DarkWood contains a fair bit of humour, and thereæs
plenty to do, so itæll have a reasonable life span. It will also appeal
to people who are looking for something a bit different. The puzzles
themselves are fairly good, with plenty of variety, but itæs a shame you
have to get bogged down with the arcade elements in between. Many of the
interior locations are fun Ö with a style similar to that of classic
adventures such as Sam and Max, and Day of the Tentacle on the PC.
9.9
To summarise, DarkWood doesnæt quite hit the mark for any of the genres
of games that it encompasses, but if itæs a blend of styles that youære
after, you could do worse. Priced at around ú25 (ú24 through Archive),
itæs not the most expensive of games, but Iæd certainly recommend the
try-before-you-buy approach.
9.9
Global Effect
9.9
This is Eclipseæs latest game, which has only been released relatively
recently, although itæs been on the cards for a while.
9.9
The game itself is very similar to the old WorldScape title. I say old Ö
it was Eclipseæs first product way back in 1990 Ö so youæd be forgiven
for not having heard of it! If you can imagine Sim City on a global
scale, then youæve got some idea of Global Effect.
9.9
Graphically, itæs not a patch on Sim City 2000, although few games are.
The scale is much smaller than SC2000 due to the size of play area
available Ö aácontinent rather than a county!
9.9
You start with a barren world, with no cities, power sources, farms,
reservoirs or mines. Itæs then your job to build oil-rigs, refineries,
sewage plants and cities for them to serve. Unfortunately, youære up
against pollution, the dreaded ozone layer, and suburban expansion!
9.9
On some worlds, you may have seismic problems too, and letæs hope you
never face a nuclear catastrophe with contamination...
9.9
The manual even talks of computer-controlled opposition with battles
taking place, but youæll need the Éenhanced versionæ which would still
appear to be vapourware.
9.9
The game certainly takes a while to get used to, as the interface isnæt
quite as simple as that of Sim City. However, one of the failings of Sim
City was that you never quite knew how detailed it was. For example,
when building residential areas, are internal roads developed
automatically, or do you need to connect up every other block or so? Not
so in Global Effect. Because youære working on a global scale, a town
block is just that. Your concern is more about how and where it
develops, than providing it with every conceivable resource to make it
do so.
9.9
This distinction is very subtle, but it means you can always understand
whatæs going on, and whatæs making your world tick, rather than
searching around for a disconnected water main or electricity pylon.
9.9
However, in the long term, it is this conceptual simplicity that will be
the gameæs downfall. Sim City gave you the choice of trying a different
combination of options to achieve a desired effect, whereas in Global
Effect, youæll usually get that result pretty quickly, but itæs the
environmental impact that will be the problem.
9.9
In conclusion, Global Effect is certainly a good game. If you enjoyed
Sim City 2000, then Global Effect should go down well. It also has the
advantage of running on lower-end machines. Graphically, itæs not a
patch on SC2000, but the differences in gameplay are such that no-one
would criticise you for owning both. A warning to owners of 16-bit
soundcards, though Ö turn off all the sound before doing anything, as
the raucous crackle that you get otherwise wonæt win you any friends!áuá
9.9
Art Lesson CD-ROM
9.9
Rob Ives + Helen Constable
9.9
Helen contacted us offering to review Art Lesson, because she was
impressed with it. As we already had Robæs review, we asked Helen to
write some supporting comments. Anyway, letæs hear from Rob first...
9.9
It seems that you canæt open an Acorn magazine without finding some of
Christopher Jarmanæs excellent artwork. An Artworks picture is on the
cover of the latest edition of Acorn Publisher, as well as an article
explaining how the picture was created. He has clipart on the cover disc
of Archimedes World this month, as well as regular reviews and articles
in Archive magazine. In a recent Archive (9.4 p41), he describes how he
produced a Genesis application for CD-ROM. This is a review of that
application.
9.9
Art Lesson CD-ROM
9.9
Art Lesson is intended as an Art course for Key stage 2 children
(Juniors, that is). It comes packed in a standard CD-ROM case, and the
single disc is packed with 450Mb of data, equivalent to a pile of high
density floppies almost a metre high! The case insert is an eight-page
booklet containing details of the disc contents, how to run the
software, and how to use the software within a school.
9.9
On the disc, as well as the main !Artlesson application, are ninety-
three high quality PhotoCD pictures on subjects ranging from a closeup
of frozen leaves to Roman mosaics. These pictures are intended as a
stimulus for childrenæs work and, as such, are licensed for use within
the purchasing institution.
9.9
After loading !ArtLesson in the usual way, you are presented with a
title page, a copyright page, then an introduction to the buttons page,
a contents page and, finally, the Art Room itself. This is OK the first
time, but a quick start option would be useful.
9.9
From the contents page, you can get to the various parts of the program
at a click of the mouse. As well as access to the main art room, there
is a short non-interactive demo of the CD-ROM as a whole. This lasts for
about three minutes, and you are warned that it is non-interactive
before you start. The demo seems to be intended as a demonstration for
prospective purchasers.
9.9
The view of the inside of an Art Room is the starting point for your
explorations of the program. Clicking on the various items in the room
takes you to different parts of the program, with the ÉHelpæ tray
reminding you what does what. There are five main sections. Click on the
painting on the wall and you go off to an exhibition of art work, which
is divided into two sections Ö the work of established artists and
childrenæs work. Both are of a high quality and should prove useful as
examples for classroom use.
9.9
Clicking on the window takes you to the photographic studio where you
can view seven of the PhotoCD pictures. Clicking on these pictures
enlarges them, but the actual size of the window containing the picture
seems to be somewhat random. Some open to full size whilst others need
to be dragged open. One picture doesnæt have a resize button on it, so
the whole picture cannot be seen.
9.9
The colour studio
9.9
Clicking on the tins of paint takes you to the colour studio, which
leads you through many aspects of colour theory, from mixing paints to
how to paint reflections. All the subjects are covered clearly, with
some excellent demonstrations. Some areas have simple animations, and
others make use of clear illustrations. The section on complementary and
contrasting colours is particularly interesting. Did you know, for
example, that the colour of a Heinz baked bean tin is the exact
complement to the colour of the beans inside?
9.9
The final section before leaving the Art Room is accessed by clicking on
the brushes. This leads you to the store room where you are given a
complete list of the resources needed for each of the themes. These
lists are easily printed out and should prove useful within the
classroom.
9.9
The themes
9.9
Clicking on the Énext pageæ button takes you to the first of ten themes.
These are the core of the Art Lesson CD. In each of the ten themes, you
are first of all presented with a stimulus, then a series of suggested
activities which lead from it. For example, with the ÉDriftwoodæ theme,
you are shown an enlargeable photo of an intricately formed piece of
driftwood, and then pictures based on the form of the driftwood, some
more excellent photographs, and some pages of ideas for art work. Each
of these pages could develop into several sessions of work with a group
of children.
9.9
There are ten themes in all: Driftwood, Lichen, Birds, Frost, Leaves,
Natural forms, Wood, Bricks and Stone, The Sea and Pictures from life.
All of them have a variety of high quality stimulus material and several
pages of ideas.
9.9
But...
9.9
ArtLesson runs in a window with no scroll bars and no title bar. It
squats in the corner of the screen and will not be moved. Now I reckon
that if a program is going to take over the screen, then it should go
the whole hog. Get rid of everything and have the program centred in the
middle of the blank screen. This removes the distraction of other
programs, and gives a nice uncluttered screen. Conversely, if the
program is going to work on the desktop, it should be in a movable, put-
to-the-backable, resizeable window. ArtLesson isnæt.
9.9
I tried the program out on our schoolæs shiny new A7000, and thought Iæd
see what the Artworks backdrops looked like in 32,000 colour mode. On
the A7000, the maximum screen size in 32,000 colour mode is 480╫352.
This is smaller than the ArtLesson window. Having changed the mode, I
was stuck! Iácould only see three-quarters of the ArtLesson window and I
couldnæt change mode because the window wouldnæt move. The only escape
was to use <alt-break> to quit ArtLesson, change the mode, then reload
it, going through the title page, copyright page, the button page and
the contents page before finally arriving at the Art Studio page. By the
way, the backdrops looked fantastic in 32,000 colour mode!
9.9
Conclusion
9.9
Apart from the way it takes over the desktop, I would thoroughly
recommend ArtLesson. It is packed with fascinating information and
invaluable sources of inspiration. A program like this is not to be
rushed through. I am sure that, with careful planning, there would be
work on its 280 pages to last throughout the entire academic year and
beyond.
9.9
ArtLesson CD costs ú29.95 + p&p +VAT from Nash Pollock Publishing or ú36
through Archive.áuá
9.9
Now itæs Helenæs turn...
9.9
Helping the Énon-specialistæ to teach KS2 Art
9.9
The Programme of Study for Junior age pupils, requires that they are
introduced to the work of artists, craftspeople and designers, in order
to develop their appreciation of the richness of our diverse cultural
heritage. This is not always an easy thing to do in the classroom,
because resources are scarce, and a wide selection of pictures is not
always available. Christopher Jarmanæs Art Lesson CD-ROM contains not
only examples of work from professional artists, but also paintings done
by Érealæ children, which is always an excellent stimulus for discussion
in the classroom.
9.9
In the section on ÉKnowledge and Understandingæ in the Art National
Curriculum, Junior age pupils are expected to learn about visual
literacy; that is to say, the way artists uses shapes, colours, lines
and textures to express what they are feeling. There are ample
opportunities when using Art Lesson for children to leave the computer
and go off and try these things for themselves. In this way, the author
is using the CD as a starting point for more Éconventionalæ art rather
than expecting the children to use the computer as the medium in which
to create. (That is not to say that it canæt be, of course!)
9.9
Teachers who are not Éat homeæ teaching art are often apprehensive about
the best way to tackle some of the things which they are required to do
in National Curriculum Art, such as getting children to develop an art
and design vocabulary, and the ability to use knowledge to support
[their] views. This CD, which is delightfully easy to use, and
realistically priced for the Primary market, will prove to be an
invaluable teaching resource.áuá
9.9
Tiny Art
9.9
Denise Bates
9.9
Finding software which can be used successfully by four and five year
olds is not easy because young children have minimal mouse control. Tiny
Art is an art package produced specifically for this age group. It has
been designed to encourage creativity and to avoid the complications of
the RISC OS user interface. Version 1.0 of Tiny Art was reviewed using
an A5000 (RISC OS 3.1).
9.9
Installation
9.9
Tiny Art is supplied on one disc and will run on any Acorn computer
which has a RISC OS 3 operating system. The program comes already
configured, so it can be up and running with just a few mouse clicks Ö a
boon to busy classroom teachers or parents of impatient children. The
software installed to hard disc without problems. The program
automatically selects a suitable 256 colour mode.
9.9
Manual
9.9
The manual is straightforward and comprehensive. The first section deals
with how to install and operate the software. An appendix for
technically minded users shows how to add user-defined tools to the
program. However, the tools as provided are more than adequate for
producing good results.
9.9
Using Tiny Art
9.9
Essentially, Tiny Art is a much simplified paint package. Colours are
restricted to twelve. The art tools are a brush, spray can, three shapes
and a background fill. There is a text box so words can be incorporated
into a picture. There are six tool-size options which are controlled by
clicking the mouse. These limits on colour and size options eliminate
frustration for children who cannot control the slide bar which is found
in other art packages to determine colour or size.
9.9
All the tools can be individually disabled. Disabling tools removes
their icon from the screen. This allows children to learn about a few
tools at a time rather than trying to include every conceivable option
into their artwork. It is also possible to disable the delete option to
prevent children accidentally losing their picture.
9.9
Teaching aspects
9.9
Tiny Art is simple to operate, and children can work with minimal
supervision. In practice, most benefit will occur if they are guided
through activities. Apart from simply encouraging a child to experiment
with colours and shapes, the software lends itself to more structured
learning activities. An interesting idea, as an exercise in mouse
control, is for an adult to draw a simple maze with a thick brush. The
child then selects a thinner brush and a different colour and attempts
to draw a line over the maze. A variant is to use the brush to make a
simple outline pattern of dots for a particular object (trees work
well), and ask the child to join them together and colour them in.
9.9
The text box gives several learning opportunities. Children who are
interested in the letters on the keyboard, can be helped to type their
own name or initials and then make a pattern, or to make a pattern from
all the letters of the alphabet. Another possibility, as letter
recognition develops, is to paint a picture and name it.
9.9
Although Tiny Art is aimed at the Reception age-group, it could be used
successfully throughout Key Stage 1. Year Two children could operate it,
without help, to produce a specified output, such as a poster
incorporating words and pictures which can then be printed out.
9.9
Printing
9.9
I had no problems when printing out from Tiny Art, and the output looked
very good. The printing routine uses less than maximum ink intensity to
reduce running costs.
9.9
Saving files
9.9
Files are saved in sprite format which means that they can be imported
into other suitable packages. As files are automatically saved to a
directory within Tiny Art itself, floppy disc users will find that their
discs fill up quickly. To avoid problems, more than one backup disc
needs to be readily to hand. Given that pictures can be memory-hungry, I
would recommend that stored files are regularly reviewed and deleted if
no longer required.
9.9
Conclusion
9.9
In terms of ease of use and value for money, I would recommend Tiny Art
to any infant school and also to parents of pre-school children.
9.9
Tiny Art is produced by Rooksoft, and costs ú14.95 (no VAT). This is for
a full site licence. Cheques should be made payable to C. Baylis.áuá
9.9
Zap Ö PD Text Editor
9.9
Sudipta Sarkar
9.9
Edit isnæt a bad text editor Ö it is very memory-frugal and is built
into every RISC OS 3 machine Ö but for many applications, it is not
really good enough. One alternative is Dominic Symesæ fast text/memory
editor, Zap, which is available at minimal cost by downloading it from
Hensa or getting it from a PD library. It runs on all machines
including, I gather, RISC OS 2.
9.9
Iæve been using Zap for quite a while now, starting with 1.10 and now
1.30. I was originally attracted by its comprehensive facilities which
may also be a little overwhelming to any newcomer. In describing Zap,
Iáshall make comparisons with Edit, which everyone has access to, and
also to StrongEd 3.50 which many people may know.
9.9
When archived, Zap just about fits onto an 800Kb disc but, dearchived,
it occupies over 1.5Mb. This does not mean that Zap is terribly bulky to
work with, but is a function of the extent to which Zap can be
customised Ö it is supplied with a wide range of third party extensions.
Once choices have been made, unnecessary elements can be deleted Ö which
is a good idea on floppy-only systems!
9.9
Aesthetic appeal
9.9
In terms of display options, it has everything that Edit has, and more.
The colour setup is more adaptable Ö not just the normal fore/background
colour, but also the fore/background colours that are used for text
selections, and the colour of the cursor Ö and its shape! There are nine
different sets of window template files.
9.9
Also, it comes with a large collection of fixed pitch bitmap fonts of
various resolutions, but these are not just for aesthetics. They are
also useful for displaying wide or narrow column widths within the same
screen resolution. These bitmap fonts are in a range of different sizes,
ranging from 4╫6 to 12╫24. The most common is 8╫16, for which the redraw
system has been optimised.
9.9
Fully redefinable keymap
9.9
There are three files containing user settings: !Run, the Keys file and
the !Config file. The first one is best edited using !ZapSetup, and the
last one stores information such as colour, tabs and cursor setups, and
is edited using the options submenus Ö somewhat more substantial than
fiddling with Edit$Options.
9.9
The keys file is a long text file, consisting of three columns: a key, a
code and a command assigned to that key. Every single command in Zap
(e.g. cut, copy, paste) has its own name which can be assigned to any
key, and it will work the next time the keys file is reloaded. If you
want to use a command to which you havenæt assigned a key, then hitting
<ctrl-Esc> will open a little window for you to type the command into.
The file also contains some other information, such as default font and
column width settings.
9.9
Zap handles your data by having different Émodesæ of operation, which
depend upon the type of file you are editing. It is able to load in the
required mode Ö off disc, into memory Ö and then load the file you just
double-clicked on. Alternatively, it can load it into memory during
startup, probably saving a disc swap later. It is even able to move data
from one mode to another.
9.9
Learning
9.9
There are certain features which, although they may not be unique to
Zap, are very easy to use. First and foremost is the ability of Zap to
Élearnæ a sequence of keypresses. Press <ctrl-L>, type in a sequence
which needs to be repeated, and then press <ctrl-L> again, to end the
sequence. From then on, hitting <f1> executes the stored sequence. For
example, if you are typing a collection of REM statements in a Basic
program, it would make sense to do the following:
9.9
<ctrl-L> REM <ctrl-L>
9.9
Following that, hitting <f1> will produce ÉREMæ at the cursor: one
keypress instead of three. This could be useful for small, localised
modifications, but anything involving more than a screenful of data is
probably better dealt with using the search and replace facility which
is quite comprehensive, as you can see below.
9.9
Basic modes
9.9
Many people who learned to program on the Acorn platform will have begun
by using Basic. Zap provides two modes for editing Basic programs, the
first a desktop emulation of ARMBE, and the other which allows it to be
edited in a detokenised form, i.e. as used by Edit.
9.9
Personally, I prefer the former, as it automatically expands keywords.
For example, P. is expanded to PRINT immediately. It also allows me to
set different colours for use in REM statements, strings in inverted
commas and keywords. This makes things on screen clearly readable.
9.9
The third party directory
9.9
This contains about 480Kb of modules, short utilities and supplementary
help files, all with various uses. For example, I might not have
actually been persuaded to use Zap in the first place, if it hadnæt been
for David Holdenæs ZapPrimer. This gives a gentle introduction to the
text editor, and although he does not expect you to be highly computer
literate, neither does he treat you as a complete idiot. Experience of
having used Edit is assumed, and configuration files and a keystrip are
supplied to help get you started.
9.9
I havenæt space here to comment on every single third party extension,
but the fact that there are so many co-authors is a testimony to Zapæs
expandability. Iábelieve this must be mainly due to the large amount of
documentation supplied relating to Zapæs internal workings and how to go
about writing modes and adding commands.
9.9
Notable additions include a setup utility (to make it easier to make
choices related to template and keymap files, along with auto-loaded
modules), aácolour SAsm assembler mode, e-mail/comms utilities, and two
good Latex modes, one of which gives a surprising array of extra
commands Ö even a word count!
9.9
Editæs own mode system looks a little bare by comparison: just able to
handle Text, Basic, Obey and Command files (and the latter twoæs
variants). Anything else doesnæt appear in a usable form.
9.9
A comparable alternative
9.9
Following the release of the Acorn User CD-ROM Vol.1, I was able to take
a look at Zapæs shareware rival, StrongEd.
9.9
First impressions really donæt do much of a favour for Zap: StrongEd
comes with StrongHelp, which not only makes Acornæs interactive help
redundant, but also does it rather impressively, and at the same time
includes online help to SWIs, Basic keywords, filetypes, StrongEd itself
and more.
9.9
StrongEd has a tool and info bar which, perhaps, Zap ought to have,
although it isnæt essential. A character picker is built in, so that you
can access those characters which arenæt on the keyboard (rather more
conveniently than using !Chars). It also has an autosave facility,
temporarily saving the file in its own directory between user saves,
just in case something crashes the desktop in the meantime. However, it
does lack Zapæs backup feature which allows you to keep older versions
of a file, so that you can fall back onto a previous (hopefully) working
copy of a program if a programming mistake renders it non-functional.
9.9
At first, the choices window in StrongEd seemed to be an easy way to
alter the setup, but it soon became apparent that Zap is probably the
more adaptable of the two. StrongEd has almost as large a range of modes
for various filetypes as Zap.
9.9
On disc, StrongEd/Help takes up less than a third of the space of an un-
cut Zap. However, it takes up 224Kb of RAM (before loading a file),
compared to Zapæs 96Kb.
9.9
Minor niggles
9.9
Well, there arenæt many to worry about. The line numbers in Basic mode
go out of sync sometimes, but this is normally alleviated by
renumbering. Thereæs no ÉCR<->LFæ command (though one is in the
pipeline) as in Edit, although there is a way around that, using search
and replace.
9.9
Occasionally, Zap chooses the wrong mode for a particular file. Itæs
happened to me two or three times now: shift-double-clicking on a
desktop file loaded it into Basic mode Ö not all that helpful really!
9.9
Conclusion
9.9
Although Zap is shown up in some respects by StrongEd, you must remember
that StrongEd is shareware (i.e. commercial software distributed freely
allowing you to try before you buy), whereas Zap is freeware (i.e. the
program may be freely copied, in the original unaltered form). The fact
remains, however, that I would not even have attempted this review if I
did not believe that Zap compares very well in terms of quality with
software which is produced commercially Ö definitely worth a try.
9.9
I hope that I have given a good overview of how well Zap functions,
although I have been unable to test the C, Pascal or Assembler modes
because I canæt actually program in those languages! I doubt that any
one person would use all the facilities, and I have only scraped the
surface of a highly sophisticated piece of software which should be on
everybodyæs desktop! Iáam not sure how useful it will be for non-
programmers though Ö but try it!
9.9
Features I havenæt commented on, which Zap has and Edit hasnæt, include:
User definable menus, proper Unix tabs, Emacs style yank, C throwback,
reads disc sectors/tracks and memory of other tasks, keyboard selection
of regions, auto-indent, incremental search-as-you-type, word count and
universal arguments.
9.9
Special Offer
9.9
The latest version of Zap, v1.30, is available from APDL at the
discounted price of ú1, or four 1st class stamps. APDLæs address may be
found at the back of this issue.áuá
9.9
Changing Mode/Palette in RISC OS 3.6
9.9
Francis Crossley
9.9
This is a follow-on article from Archive 9.2 p25 where Francis described
various aspects of a system for receiving weather satellite pictures.
9.9
Last November, I bought the new RiscPC 700, partly because I wanted the
ability to have much higher screen resolution than was possible with my
old A310. This in turn meant needing more memory and finally, I wanted a
more modern computer. I found that my Apec interface card worked happily
in the new machine and I was ready to receive fax pictures from the
short wave radio (Archive 9.2 p25).
9.9
The first change to the program was to permit use of an 800╫600 pixel
screen. Luckily, this can be achieved using mode 32 Ö remember, I am a
dedicated command line user! The displayed pictures were much better,
but they still had the wrong width to height ratio.
9.9
The next task was to design my own screen mode. Thanks to an article by
Andrew Garrard (8.1 p41), a mode having 800╫1200 pixels was obtained,
albeit with a slight flicker Ö one day, I will tune the values, perhaps!
We would appear to be in business. This article explains the use of some
low level commands which change the mode to a non Éold styleæ one, and
permit the definition of a 256 byte palette.
9.9
Mode selection
9.9
The RiscPCs have a better VIDC allowing 32 bits per pixel, and because
of this, the operating system has been extensively changed in some
parts. One such part is in the selection of modes. The old style mode
numbers can still be used, but the numbers cannot be extended to use the
full abilities of the new computer. Instead, a mode selector must be
used to obtain the extra screen modes. A mode selector is a list of 4-
byte numbers giving values for: x and y resolution, pixel depth, frame
rate, a list of mode variables and their associated indices and a
terminator.
9.9
An alternative form of mode specification is the Émode stringæ. The mode
string is used by the display manager and the call ÉWimpModeæ, and is a
list of most of the values used in the mode selector mentioned above but
stated in a more user-friendly form. However, this form is not suitable
for my use.
9.9
Mode selector format
9.9
Each value occupies 1 word (4 bytes). The first value, as you might
expect, is 0, the second, number 1, etc.
9.9
0 Ö 1, mode selector flag not sprite area
9.9
1 Ö x resolution, pixels
9.9
2 Ö y resolution, pixels
9.9
3 Ö pixel depth, 3 for 8 bits, 4=16bpp, 5=32 bpp
9.9
4 Ö frame rate, use Ö1, OS selects frame rate
9.9
5 Ö pairs of mode variables in form Éindex, valueæ
9.9
etc
9.9
The last number is Ö1 (the terminator).
9.9
Mode variables
9.9
There are thirteen of these variables (see p1-709 in the RISC OS3 PRM),
and they are given default values by the OS. Two values must be changed
to allow 256 palette colours to be reassigned. The first, which has
index of 0, is called Émodeflagsæ, and takes the value 128. The other
value which must be changed is Éncolouræ, index 3 which becomes 255.
9.9
If the pixel depth is to be larger, 4 (16 bits per pixel) or 5 (32 bpp),
then I assume that Émodeflagsæ need not be changed but, of course,
Éncoloursæ would have to be. All this sounds very deep but is easy to
implement in assembler. Using Wingpass conventions, the operative part
of the program is:
9.9
mode: .LONG 1,800,1200,3,Ö1,0,128,3,
9.9
255,Ö1
9.9
main::
9.9
          mov  a1,#0
9.9
          ADR  a2,mode
9.9
          SWI OS_ScreenMode
9.9
The values with the label Émodeæ are those listed above, in the same
order. The four values preceding the final ÉÖ1æ are the two mode
variables and their indices which need changing. Note that this article
applies only to the RiscPC computers Ö this command does not exist for
earlier versions of the operating system.
9.9
Everything is plain sailing now; assemble and link the mode change
program, execute it and watch the new mode appear. No, it doesnæt!
Working from the command line, you will probably get the error
Éinsufficient memoryæ or something similar. I spent ages worrying about
this, because the machine said that it had 5Mbytes, the desktop said 5Mb
and Iácould increase the screen memory to 1Mb (my limit) but the
configure command would not let me select 1Mb of screen memory. Panic!
9.9
Cups of tea and much thought suggested that the boot procedure for the
desktop was doing something to release the extra memory. The command I
found was ÉFreePoolæ, which is in É$.!boot.utilsæ. Typing
É$.!boot.utils.freepoolæ allowed the whole 1Mb of screen memory to be
accessed. Joy!
9.9
We now have an easy way of changing to any screen mode which is defined
in a mode file. If the mode does not have an equivalent mode number, the
command Éloadmodefile <filename>æ must be run before the mode change
program. The mode file is É$.!boot.resources.monitors.acorn.akf60æ or
slightly shorter Éresources:monitors.acorn.akf60æ Ö the file name will
depend on the actual monitor you use.
9.9
So far, the mode will have 256 colours arranged in a somewhat bizarre
order. The next part explains how to reprogram the palette.
9.9
Changing the palette
9.9
This requirement was produced when I discovered a short wave station
which rebroadcast satellite images for which black/white images were not
useful and coloured ones are not as helpful as might be expected Ö a
grey-scale seemed the best. For my purposes, Iáwant only 256 grey
shades, and the new palette can be written logically, but if a sensible
progression of colours is wanted, designing the palette would be more
difficult. The command used is ÉColourTrans_WritePaletteæ, in which the
registers have the values:
9.9
a1 = Ö1, use current modeæs palette
9.9
a2 = Ö1, actually ignored if a1=Ö1
9.9
a3 = address of palette
9.9
a4 = 0 , reserved
9.9
v1 = 0 , reserved
9.9
(Note a1, v1 etc are labels for the registers and R0 etc would do just
as well for most registers.)
9.9
To produce a grey scale, equal values of each of the three colours are
used, which in 32 bits are in the form Ébbggrr00æ, where bb is the value
for blue, gg and rr are for green and red, and all bits are significant.
The program fragment I used to design the palette and write it is:
9.9
palette: .BLKL 256 ; save 256 words of
9.9
 space
9.9
main::
9.9
        mov v1,#0
9.9
        mov a1,a1 ; a NOP to allow
9.9
 addressing of label Épaletteæ
9.9
        ADR v3,palette
9.9
        mov v4,v3
9.9
loop:
9.9
        mov v2,#0
9.9
        add v2,v1,lsl #8
9.9
        add v2,v1,v2,lsl #8
9.9
        mov v2,v2,lsl #8
9.9
        str v2,[v3],#4
9.9
        add v1,v1,#1
9.9
        cmp v1,#0x100
9.9
        bne loop
9.9
        mvn a1,#0 ; puts Ö1 in a1
9.9
        mvn a2,#0
9.9
       mov a3,v4
9.9
       mov a4,#0
9.9
       mov v1,#0
9.9
       swi OS_ColourTrans_WritePalette
9.9
The use of a NOP is necessary because the ADR command translates into a
command using an immediate constant which can have only a restricted
range of values Ö the NOP changes this value into one which can be
represented. The location of the ADR command could have been changed to
achieve the same result.
9.9
Note that this program will reprogram any 256 colour mode and can be
used before or after the screen is written. Changing the mode will
change the palette back to the default one. I hope you find the above
routines of interest.
9.9
I have extended the assembler part of the fax program so that it can now
receive keyboard input whilst running, I can centralise the image and
terminate early, simply by pressing the appropriate keys. When the
screen is filled, the screen memory is written to disc and the image is
restarted at the top of the screen. These changes will be discussed in a
future article.
9.9
If you have any comments please write to me: DráFáCrossley, 4 Bollin
Drive, Congleton, Cheshire, CW12á3SJ.áuá
9.9
Pocket Book Column
9.9
Audrey Laski
9.9
Cable alert
9.9
Marie Twitchen, a journalist of Staines, Middlesex, warns users to
beware of an alarming experience she had while in New Zealand for her
paper. Her palmtop suddenly blacked out, or rather presented her with a
black snowstorm instead of a display. She writes, ÉThe cause of the
problem was the cable that links the computer circuitry to the display
unit. The cable had just about broken right the way across.æ Apparently,
the flexing caused by opening and shutting the case eventually breaks
this cable. She recommends that anyone planning to take their palmtop
abroad for an extended period should have the cable checked before
going, as she has done before setting off on her travels again.
9.9
Recommendations
9.9
John Woodthorpe, of Rugby, reminded by hearing of Ken Cowapæs interest
in transferring Peter Duffett-Smithæs astronomical formulae to the
Pocket Book as a programming exercise, mentions that one of his
favourite 3A/PBII applications is Éan astronomical application called
Procyonæ which can Épredict rise and set times for planets, identify
star positions, generate a list of lunar phases... and much, much moreæ.
There is a freeware version which he has passed on, and an extended one
for those who wish to register. However, as I have not been able to find
an address for its inventors, Iæm not sure how one would go about doing
this. Iæm probably missing it, however, somewhere in their
documentation.
9.9
This relates to a Évery small moanæ about the column from a new user of
the Psion 3A, Peter Wicks of Farnham, who correctly says I Équite often
miss out the address (email or otherwise) at which software is
available.æ Sometimes this is probably sheer carelessness on my part,
but sometimes it is that I am passing on a recommendation from a reader
who has not given me the address. Of course, I should pursue such
correspondents for the information, but as they often donæt give me a
phone number, this could be a very long-winded process. This, then, is
an appeal to everyone who so helpfully passes on the good word about
software. Please give me all the information you have about it, so that
I have no excuse.
9.9
The Editoræs hangup
9.9
John also writes to help with Paulæs problem of his Pocket Book locking,
as described in the last column. He proposes an uncurled paperclip as
the purpose-designed tool for performing a soft reset in such an
emergency (the customised gold-plated version to follow shortly...),
Éless drastic, and safer, than taking the batteries out, as that could
lose everything on the internal drive.æ He adds that Écompletely locking
up is a very rare event that normally only happens if you are running an
application that does something naughty, or you run very low on memoryæ.
He therefore suggests that the machine itself might be faulty. Paul in
his editoræs hat may need to speak to Paul in his dealeræs hat about an
exchange under warranty. (Itæs been back to Psion for warranty repair
and seems to be OK... so far! Ed.)
9.9
Santa Claus reports
9.9
In November 1995, I mentioned the splendid present Stan Haselton of
Abbots Langley was planning for his two grandchildren Ö a Pocket Book
apiece. He has now written to report on their first-phase experiences.
These had an unfortunate beginning. Not only had he Émade the classic
error connected with battery driven Étoysæ Ö there were no batteriesæ Ö
but, far worse, the power pack he had bought produced no power.
Fortunately, this was a little before Christmas, so batteries could be
bought to save the day, while NCS rapidly replaced the defective power
pack, and also exchanged the A-Link he had bought for a PC-Link, since
the family was unconvinced that the A-Link would work with their
computer.
9.9
Since then, the ten-year-old has been getting on with editing, though he
occasionally finds stories vanishing. Because Write saves automatically,
Iásuspect he may be being misled by screenfuls of empty lines, and that
the stories are really there somewhere. The eight-year-old had a
disaster similar to mine, reported a few months back, when some kind of
knock caused Édistortion of the screen retaining plate, adjacent to the
right hand hingeæ. Stan took the Pocket Book to what he delightfully
calls Éthe Hospital for sick Psions in Streathamæ Ö the Psion Organiser
Service (0181-677-9246) Ö which this column has praised more than once,
and was very impressed with Paul Pinnockæs thoroughness and helpful
advice, including the message that the Pocket Book should really be
insured. Stan is going to hold on to the machine until his grand-
daughter is slightly older, and is meanwhile learning to use it himself.
He will have interesting possibilities of comparison with the Psion 3A,
as his daughter received one from her husband as a Christmas present, so
the family has thus become a palmtop testbed.
9.9
Battery life
9.9
As well as the damage to the screen retaining plate, young Robynæs
Pocket Book had suffered a complete discharge of both main and back-up
batteries. Stan was surprised that Paul Pinnock reckoned this loss of
power was not to do with the accident and that the back-up battery could
not be expected to last more than eight months Édepending on usage of
the machine and state of the main batteriesæ. I too was surprised, since
I believe I have had the same back-up battery throughout the more than
two yearsæ life of the machine, admittedly with a great deal more Power
Pack than battery use, and its condition is still said to be good. Could
other users comment on back-up battery life, please?
9.9
Endnote
9.9
Stan reports an interesting sighting of a Psion 3A: a hospital
consultant running a comparative trial on a new diabetic medication
surprised him by Épulling out a Psion 3A....he waxed lyrical, stating
that it is the only acquisition during the past ten years which had
changed his life.æ Apparently he is even effusive about Autoroute
Express.áuá
9.9
Starting Basic 10 Ö Graphics
9.9
Ray Favre
9.9
Graphics is a very large subject and, in this series, we have to limit
the coverage. Mainly, we will show how to get simple graphics onto a
Éstandardæ non-Wimp screen, introducing the several keywords available,
and subsequently incorporating some of them into our ÉLoanæ project. We
will also say a little about variations from the Éstandardæ screen and
point you in interesting directions for Wimp operations and more
advanced graphics.
9.9
Graphics Éplay areaæ & the screen
9.9
In Basic, graphics can be drawn using conventional x¡y coordinates over
a Éplay areaæ which extends from Ö32768 to +32767 ÉOperating System
unitsæ (OS units) in both x and y directions. All graphical plotting
instructions in Basic are given in OS units which allows us to ignore
the actual monitor screen size.
9.9
The screen is best regarded as a viewing window looking at a small part
of this play area Ö and you, the programmer, can move the window and, to
some extent, alter its size and shape. The maximum size of the play area
that can be viewed at any one time depends on which display mode you
choose, but all of them view only a very small part of the total play
area. The Éstandard screenæ is usually regarded as being 1280 OS units
wide by 1024 OS units high i.e. about 1/250th of the play area. By
default, the bottom left-hand corner of the screen is placed at the
origin of the play area coordinate system i.e. the point (0,0). The top
right-hand corner of the standard screen is therefore the point (1279,
1023).
9.9
Figure 1 shows the situation and youæll see that the default standard
screen reflects the usual way we are taught graphs and (x,y) coordinates
at school Ö with x increasing to the right and y increasing upwards.
(Contrast this with normal BBC Basic text coordinates, which have (0,0)
at the top left-hand corner, with y increasing downwards.)
9.9
If our program plots a straight line between, say, the coordinates
(Ö1200, 1300) and (1500, Ö300), as in Figureá1, we will actually see
only that section of the line which passes through the screen viewing
window.
9.9
Figure 1 Ö Relationship between graphics Éplay areaæ and screen.
9.9
Picture elements (Épixelsæ)
9.9
The plotting of the line (or of anything else) on the screen is carried
out by changing the colour of those individual picture elements
(Épixelsæ) which go to make up the shape required. If we stick, for the
moment, with drawing black lines on a white background, Figure 2 shows
what is happening.
9.9
This shows a short thin vertical line, a diagonal line and a thicker
horizontal line Ö drawn on a very much magnified small part of a screen
(in this case, a screen area of only 16╫8 pixels). All other shapes and
colours Ö including text Ö are merely extensions of this principle.
Youæll note that lines (and therefore shape edges) which are not
vertical or horizontal cannot be produced without a certain jaggedness.
This is inherent in the pixel grid display process. Whether it is
noticeable, however, depends mainly on the particular display
resolution. The higher (better) the resolution, the greater the memory
and processing speed needed Ö and, within the range offered by each
computer type, the programmer sets the resolution (amongst other things)
when the display mode is chosen.
9.9
You may be thinking that each pixel is square and equates to 1 OS unit,
but unfortunately it cannot be as simple as that. In practice, there
still normally needs to be more than one OS unit per pixel Ö and there
are often more OS units per pixel vertically than there are
horizontally, depending on the display mode i.e. the pixels are often
rectangular Ö taller than they are wide.
9.9
Figure 2 Ö Pixels
9.9
However, we donæt have to worry too much about these relationships in
our programming. As we said above, the 1280 ╫ 1024 OS unit screen can be
thought of as (almost) the standard graphic screen Ö and if we produce a
graphic program to that standard, it will produce a recognisable output
in most modes. Some modes will produce chunkier looking graphics or
different colours Ö and some will not use the same shape (aspect ratio)
of active screen, or might squash the shapes somewhat Ö but the result
will be recognisable and adjustments for specific modes can be made if
need be.
9.9
The User Guide lists the available screen modes (Éold-typeæ screen modes
with Risc PC) with their pixel (and text) resolutions. If the pixel
resolution has two numbers which are both sub-multiples of É1280╫1024æ,
then that mode uses the standard screen, e.g. mode 12 (640╫256) is
standard, but mode 27 (640╫480) is not.
9.9
To kick us off, letæs write a small program, step by step, just to
introduce graphics.
9.9
Preparing a screen for graphics
9.9
You may remember, from Part 4, that text and graphics colours are
handled separately in Basic, so our first steps are to choose a screen
mode and the initial background and foreground colours.
9.9
We used the keyword COLOUR for text colours Ö and its equivalent for
graphics (in non-Wimp) is GCOL (ögraphics colourò). GCOL can be used for
more than just setting the colours, but using it with just one number,
as below, simply sets the foreground or background graphics colour.
Numbers from 0 to 127 set the foreground colour and numbers from 128 to
255 set the background colour Ö just as with COLOUR. So, type in the
following typical opening sequence of a graphics program. (Iæve left
most of the blank lines out to save print space, but the disc has the
tidy version and the line numbers used below are the ones on the disc.)
9.9
 10 REM>IntroGraph
9.9
 20 REM** Graphics Introduction. öStarting Basicò, Part 9 **
9.9
 60 MODE 12 :REM 16-colour mode
9.9
100 GCOL 132 :REM Sets graphic background colour to (132Ö128)=4, blue.
9.9
110 CLGáá :REM Clears graphic screen to background colour.
9.9
120 GCOL 7  :REM Sets graphic foreground colour to 7, white.
9.9
This is all we need before starting to put graphics on the screen,
although we do need to say a lot more about colours in a later article.
9.9
MOVE, DRAW and BY
9.9
Graphics plotting/drawing always starts from the current position of the
graphics cursor Ö which is invisible(!). Donæt confuse it with the text
cursor, which is often still on the screen, flashing away. By default
and after a mode change, the graphics cursor starts at (0,0) Ö at the
bottom left-hand corner Ö but after some plotting action, it remains
where the end of the plotting action leaves it. So it is often necessary
(and always good practice) to move the graphics cursor to where you want
it to be before each plot.
9.9
This is where the keyword MOVE comes in. It takes a pair of x,y
coordinates as its argument and simply moves the graphics cursor to that
absolute point, without putting anything on the screen. So, MOVE 640,512
would put the graphics cursor to the centre of the default standard
screen (refer back to Figureá1).
9.9
Similarly, DRAW x,y draws a straight line from the cursor to the point
(x,y) Ö and the cursor will end up at (x,y) as a result. (Donæt forget
that x and y need not be on the screen.) So, add the next few lines to
the demonstration program, as follows:
9.9
160 LeftEdge% = 0
9.9
170 RightEdge% = 1279
9.9
180 TopEdge% = 1023
9.9
190 BottomEdge% = 0
9.9
210 MOVE RightEdge%,TopEdge% :REM Moves cursor to point (1279,1023), top
right corner of Éstandardæ screen.
9.9
230 REM Next four lines draw line around edge of Éstandardæ screen.
9.9
240 DRAW LeftEdge%,TopEdge%
9.9
250 DRAW LeftEdge%,BottomEdge%
9.9
260 DRAW RightEdge%,BottomEdge%
9.9
270 DRAW RightEdge%,TopEdge%
9.9
670 END :REM Line number ready for more lines later.
9.9
Now run the program. It will produce a blue, mode 12 (squashed) screen
with a white line around its edges. Check what happens if you change
rightedge% to 1280 and/or topedge% to 1024. The right and/or top white
borders disappear Ö they have been plotted just outside the screen area.
9.9
Both MOVE and DRAW can be modified by the addition of the keyword BY,
which changes the movement to relative rather than absolute. So, as
leftedge% and bottomedge% are both 0, the same borders could have been
produced by changing the program to:
9.9
240 DRAW BY Örightedge%,0 :REM Note the negative sign.
9.9
250 DRAW BY 0, Ötopedge% :REM Note the negative sign.
9.9
260 DRAW BY rightedge%, 0
9.9
270 DRAW BY 0, topedge%
9.9
As you can see, there is nothing very difficult about this type of
graphic plotting as long as you keep track of the graphics cursor.
9.9
RECTANGLE, CIRCLE, ELLIPSE and FILL
9.9
BBC Basic makes our life easier by providing a series of keywords to
draw the most common shapes e.g.áRECTANGLE, CIRCLE, ELLIPSE. Add to the
above program:
9.9
310 REM Next 3 lines draw a box 16 OS units inside screen border.
9.9
320 Width% = 1279 Ö 32
9.9
330 Height% = 1023 Ö 32
9.9
340 RECTANGLE LeftEdge% + 16,BottomEdge% + 16,Width%,Height% :REM
Coordinates of one corner, then width and height relative to that
corner.
9.9
380 CIRCLE 400,700,100 :REM Coordinates of centre, then radius.
9.9
390 DRAW BY 100,100 :REM A short diagonal line solely to show where
cursor was left when circle finished.
9.9
410 ELLIPSE 1000,400,200,Ö100 :REM Coordinates of centre, then major
semi-axis and minor semi-axis. (Aáfifth number would rotate ellipse by
that number of radians anti-clockwise.)
9.9
420 DRAW BY 100,100 :REM A short diagonal line solely to show where
cursor was left when ellipse finished.
9.9
The REMs should help you with the syntax. Check the effect of making the
fourth number positive in line 410. In Mode 12 you will again find that
the shapes are somewhat flattened and that the spacing between the
rectangle and the screen edge is different at top and bottom compared
with at the sides.
9.9
These three shapes can also be drawn as Éfilledæ shapes Ö filled with
the current foreground colour. All that is needed is to include the
extra keyword FILL before the numbers e.g. change line 380 to: CIRCLE
FILL 400,700,100
9.9
POINT and the effect of pixel size and shape
9.9
Finally, add these lines:
9.9
460 REM the remaining lines show effect of pixel size, see text.
9.9
470 MOVE 0,200
9.9
490 HorInterval% = 8
9.9
500 FOR N%=0 TO 1279 STEP HorInterval%
9.9
510áá POINT N%,200
9.9
520 NEXT
9.9
540 MOVE 0,160
9.9
550 DRAW RightEdge%,160
9.9
570 MOVE 200,0
9.9
590 VertInterval% = 8
9.9
600 FOR N%=0 TO 1023 STEP VertInterval%
9.9
610áá POINT 200,N%
9.9
620 NEXT
9.9
640 MOVE 240,0
9.9
650 DRAW 240,TopEdge%
9.9
The keyword POINT draws a point i.e. one pixel only, at the coordinate
given. Therefore, the above lines plot a series of points equally spaced
across the screen, plus a horizontal line next to them for comparison.
The same thing is then done in the vertical direction also.
9.9
(Note that there are two, different keywords POINT Ö the other one is
actually called POINT( Ö the bracket being essential. We will come to it
later when we have a look at Colour as a subject.)
9.9
If you decrease the values in lines 490 and 590, the points eventually
get so close together that they look the same as the solid lines next to
them. But Ö and itæs important Ö the highest value of interval that
causes the lines look the same (in mode 12) is different in the x and y
directions Ö 2 and 4 respectively i.e. the pixel size is 2 ╫ 4 OS units
in mode 12. Now try different modes. Mode 27, for instance, will make
the shapes look normal and therefore needs a square pixel Ö 2╫2 OS
units, in fact Ö but look at the top border. Itæs now off the screen.
Note that POINT automatically adjusts the pixel size and shape for the
particular display mode Ö try mode 2 to get an extreme example.
9.9
Finally, you cannot move/locate graphics any more precisely than the
particular screen resolution will allow. In other words, in our mode 12
program, where the pixel size is 2 ╫ 4, the use of, say, MOVE 641,515
will effectively move the cursor to (640,512) Ö and donæt forget that
point (1280,á1024) is just off the mode 12 screen. However, if you want
to draw something right up against the RH (or top) edge, the safest way
is still to use OS value 1279 (or 1023) in the drawing statement, to
ensure it stays at the edge (or top) in all other 1280 ╫ 1024 modes Ö or
when resolution upgrades come along. For screen modes which have other
aspect ratios, you will need to adjust the above maximum OS values, of
course Ö but they will always be an odd number.
9.9
Next time ...
9.9
The introduction program provides a good playground for getting to grips
with the basics of non-Wimp graphics and mode resolutions. Next time
weæll incorporate this sessionæs keywords into our ÉLoanæ project and
introduce some more graphics items. Donæt forget the feedback, queries
(and A4 SAEs for printed listings) to: 26 West Drayton Park Avenue, West
Drayton, Middx., UB7 7QA.áuá
9.9
Printers and Printing
9.9
Dave Floyd
9.9
HP Laserjet 5L (1)
9.9
Two days after I had sent my last column to Paul, Mr Taylor from Poole
wrote to inform me that he had solved his own problem regarding printing
A5 paper on the Laserjet 5L. The solution was to use a negative x-offset
in !Printers. Following publication of Archive 9.7, Jon Keates also
wrote regarding the same subject and gave the following step by step
method. Jon is using !Printers 1.45.
9.9
1) Use the Acorn LasJet-4 definition file
9.9
2) Paper x-offset = Ö25.00mm
9.9
3) Paper y-offset = 3.50mm
9.9
4) Create standard A5 paper size 148╫210mm
9.9
5) Configure A5 driver to use only A5 paper
9.9
He has tried the above with Draw, DrawPlus and Impression Publisher, and
it works admirably, although he stresses that it should only be used
with A5 paper or smaller.
9.9
HP Laserjet 5L (2)
9.9
Jon has a query of his own regarding the Laserjet 5L; namely, how do you
access the built-in fonts? HP only supply DOS and Windows drivers with
the printer, and a few of the simplest control codes in the manual. For
the HPCL5 manual, Hewlett Packard charge ú85, and Jon considers this to
be a rather high price to pay for the information required to access
them, especially as HP widely advertise the built-in fonts as a feature
of the printer. He has written to HP but, in the meantime, has anyone
else got any knowledge of the HPCL5 control codes that may prove to be
of use? If so, please let me know.
9.9
HP Laserjet 5L (3)
9.9
The Laserjet 5L seems very popular this month. Following Keith Parkeræs
review of the machine in Archive 9.5, Andy Jackson from Bromborough was
sufficiently impressed to buy one. He is in broad agreement with Keithæs
conclusions, but wishes to offer a few supplementary comments of his
own.
9.9
Andy uses a Laserjet 4P at work, and even goes so far as to say that the
4P is the best printer he has ever used and, in comparison, considers
the 5L to be surprisingly large. Although they both have approximately
the same footprint, the 5L towers more than a foot into the air whereas
the 4P is a flat¡topped model. He also mentions that, although the 5L
appears to be sufficiently well constructed, the paper supports are
flimsy and could be expected to break if abused.
9.9
Further observations are that the speed of 4 ppm is more than adequate
for his needs, and he feels that only heavy users need worry that it may
prove to be limiting. The printer is very quiet when printing and
completely silent when not printing, which may be an important
consideration for some. He also reports that the output quality is
excellent and that the memory supplied (1Mb) goes further than could be
expected, due to the excellent data compression system used by HP. He
has successfully printed a Éprintoutæ file of 2012Kb without any memory
overflow problems. Andy is running the printer on an A410/1, so Keithæs
comment about needing a bi¡directional parallel port to operate the
printer was incorrect Ö a fact that Andy confirmed with Acorn before
parting with his money.
9.9
Andyæs main criticisms of the printer relate to the software control,
itself much of the reason for the lower price of this model when
compared to other HP printers. This method is fine if you are using a PC
and the supplied DOS or Windows drivers, but the Acorn drivers leave
much to be desired in this department. Print density (as opposed to
resolution), resolution enhancement and several memory-related settings
(page protection, image adapt, etc) are not accessible using RISCáOS.
9.9
Although most of these would normally be left on auto anyway, the same
cannot be said of Economode which is designed to use less toner without
reducing the resolution ù very useful for draft copies. The absence of a
control panel also means that the printer is unable to report when the
toner is running low, something which could prove to be most annoying
and inconvenient.
9.9
I donæt really think that it is fair to thrust too much blame in Acornæs
direction for this. If they were to spend as much time as would be
necessary in order to address quirks relating to individual models of
printer, I suspect it would leave them precious little time to develop
anything else. If enough Acorn owners with Laserjet 5Ls wrote to HP,
perhaps they would write an Acorn control panel, although I have to
admit that it would seem unlikely that there would be enough interest
for them to consider it worthwhile. This seems like an ideal application
for an enterprising public domain author to tackle. Even if it were not
released into the PD market, but sold for a small fee of, say, ú5, I am
sure there would be enough takers to cover the cost of the HPCL5 manual
plus a reasonable profit to recompense you for your time.
9.9
HP Laserjet 5L (4)
9.9
Finally, on the subject of the 5L, Andy Jackson also has a problem
relating to the size of paper that he is using. Iæm pleased to say that
I think I can provide the answer to it or, at least, the reason for it.
9.9
Andy is using paper sized 216╫330mm, as he was given a large quantity of
it free. He has set up a custom size in !Printers and everything appears
to be OK when he also uses a custom-sized page in Impression, until he
tries to print the page. The HP 5L truncates the print as if it were on
A4 paper, regardless of the settings.
9.9
The problem lies in the fact that you are trying to pull off the
computing equivalent of fitting a quart into a pint pot. The Laserjet 5L
is an A4 printer. However much you massage the printer driver, the drum
inside the printer only has room for an A4 sheet (less, in fact, hence
the annoying margins that most printers force us to accept) so the
truncation is perfectly logical. The best answer to this would probably
be to find a local printshop willing to guillotine the paper to
210╫297mm cheaply, or even free, if you are lucky.
9.9
Canon BJC4000 & Turbodriver
9.9
D Williams from Cardiff runs an A3010 with a Canon BJC4000, Turbo Driver
version 4.00 and !Printers 1.28c. He regularly uses 180 and 360dpi, but
only gets double height and width if he selects 720dpi. In order to use
the 720dpi resolution, it transpires that he needs to upgrade the Turbo
Driver at a cost of ú11.75. As the paperwork supplied with Turbo Driver
intimates that the 720dpi facility is available in his version, he feels
somewhat aggrieved at being expected to pay more for something he
expected in the first place.
9.9
His question, which he hopes can be answered by the Archive readership,
is whether it is really worth it, because he understands that the 720dpi
resolution is only marginally superior to the 360dpi anyway. Iáawait
replies from you BJC4000 owners out there.
9.9
CC upgrades
9.9
Dave Burridge, from Hyde, also felt that it was a little rich being
expected to pay ú15 for a dongle-free version of Impression Publisher on
the back of a recently purchased upgrade. He wrote to Computer Concepts,
pointing out that he had upgraded to version 4.08 two months before for
ú15, and asking if he could be exempted from the charge to obtain the
dongleless version 4.09. One week later, a new Disc One appeared through
his letterbox. Good for you, Dave, and I suggest that anybody else who
has recently paid to upgrade their version of Publisher should follow
his example.
9.9
Anybody who has bought or upgraded to a dongle-free version of Artworks,
and received version 1.6, will probably find that it slows down your
machine by some 60-70 times! It would be cruel to suggest that perhaps
their testers have spent so much time using Windows recently that the
sluggishness appeared normal. Computer Concepts have now rectified this
bug and if you return Disc One to them, they will supply you with a
debugged version. Seems like a good time to fill out the registration
card.
9.9
HP Laserjet 5MP
9.9
Dave Burridge wonders if any Archive readers have had experience of
using an HP5MP with their Acorn. Any comments or information you could
give would come in useful, as he is considering buying one.
9.9
Fonts
9.9
Dave would also be grateful for any information regarding fonts. He is
after good quality ones with kerning information of the following: Avant
Garde, Bookman, Courier, New Century Schlbk, Palatino, Symbol, Zapf
Chancery and Zapf Dingbats. I have only included the family names to
save space. Times and Helvetica, which were also on his list, are
supplied by Acorn under the names of Trinity and Homerton.
9.9
Most, if not all, of these come with Artworks, although as the Artworks
fonts are only RISCáOS 2 versions, they will not have kerning
information included. Dave says that he is already aware of the EFF
selection but thinks they are a little expensive and would like to know
if there is a cheaper alternative.
9.9
If anyone knows of any cheaper sources than EFF, please let me know.
However, I tend to think that, for good quality fonts with full kerning
information, EFF may be the only real solution. Where fonts are
concerned, you largely get what you pay for. If you need good quality,
it could prove to be a false economy to pay less than a quality price
for them. When compared to fonts on other platforms, the EFF range is
not badly priced.
9.9
LjDuplex
9.9
Apologies to John Evans of Mijas Software who sent me version 6 of
LjDuplex in December. My filing system swallowed his letter until now.
LjDuplex has now been upgraded to cope with both Acorn !Printers and
TurboDriver, and even a mixture of the two. Information can be obtained
from Mijas Software.
9.9
Printer owners
9.9
I feel that it would be useful for readers if I were to compile a
database of printers with their capabilities Ö and shortcomings perhaps?
Once this was done, if somebody wanted a laser printer that printed A4
with no margins and could accept weights up to 145gsm card, for example,
they could refer to the list to find the printer that best served their
needs. As I am endowed with the standard complement of one solitary
printer, it is impossible to compile this list without help from others.
Although something could be cobbled together from manufacturersæ claims,
Iásuspect it would not be entirely reliable. If anyone would be willing
to help me put this together, please get in touch, and I will compile a
standard list of questions for you to answer about your printer.
9.9
Finally
9.9
I have not found time to complete the Éscanning for photocopyingæ
investigation, so along with the reviews I also promised, it will have
to be held back until next month. Any printing-related problems or
suggestions for future articles should be sent to Dave Floyd, c/o PO Box
2795, London  NW10 9AY.áuá
9.9
VerbMaster-German
9.9
Govind Kharbanda
9.9
The French version of VerbMaster (v.1.00) was reviewed in Archive 8.9
p73. This is a multitasking shareware aid to learning verbs
grammatically. It is targeted at language users from beginners to
A¡level, and it is capable of testing the user on verb forms, and
printing out verb tables.
9.9
The latest version, 1.50, has had numerous improvements and additions.
Among these is a much improved interface, incorporating a button bar,
providing quick access to the most used options Ö the dreaded control
window is now a thing of the past! Support for StrongHelp2, and
explanatory grammar notes on the various tenses supported are now
provided. The module comes with a much larger database of verbs, and
some minor errors in the verbs have been fixed.
9.9
Due to the modular form of the program, it is possible to design modules
for other languages. AáGerman module has been in development for some
time, and version 1.50 of that is now available. Rather than reviewing
the program as a whole, I shall make this more of a supplement, for the
German module, to the existing VerbMaster-French review.
9.9
First impressions
9.9
For those who have used VerbMaster before, there is very little to learn
Ö which is just the way it should be! This is the main advantage of
having a modular system. Over a hundred different verbs are supplied
with the program, including all the common regulars, irregulars and
reflexives. Documentation is clear and is provided on disc as a
StrongHelp2 file which may be viewed whilst using the program, and there
is also an Impression-DDF file that can be printed out. Personally, I
would have preferred a Publisher file as well, with a proper layout and
page design.
9.9
In use
9.9
The main purpose of VerbMaster is to test you on your verbs, and the
program does this admirably. Since Graham Campbellæs review, the author,
Nigel Caplan, has revised the design. I am pleased to say that the
testing screen has now been made extremely clear, and users should have
no problems. It is now much more simple to select only certain tenses
and verbs for a test, enabling users to concentrate on, say, certain
irregular verbs which need practice. It is now possible for the user to
try again if his or her answer was wrong, saving the frustration of
getting the answer wrong due to a typing error.
9.9
VerbMaster has many features present designed with school use in mind.
These include support for password protection of options such as
available verbs and tenses, and printing of tests (with answers
separately). A sensible range of verb and configuration files are
provided, ranging from Ébeginneræ level, with only the most
straightforward verbs in the present tense available, through GCSE level
to Advanced.
9.9
Two possible additions I would like to see in a future release are, the
logging of tests, which would be of great use in schools, and timed
testing. This would enable teachers to monitor pupilsæ progress over the
weeks without having to be present.
9.9
For more advanced students, who can form the parts of the verb from the
stems with no problems, there is a öQuick testò option whereby the user
only needs to type in the verb as it appears in grammar books Ö in other
words the third person present, imperfect and past participle Ö and tick
a box to indicate if the verb takes Éseinæ. This is invaluable when it
comes to revising your irregular verbs for exams! It is possible to
access the VerbMaster main window during a quick test, allowing the user
to cheat! No doubt this will be removed in the next release.
9.9
Adding verbs
9.9
New verbs can be entered into the database fairly easily. Unfortunately,
you canæt just type in helfen(i,a,o) and leave it at that! There are a
few useful touches Ö such as only needing to enter the ich/er form for
imperfect indicative and imperfect subjunctive tenses, since they are
the same. The following tenses are currently supported: present,
perfect, imperfect, and pluperfect in both indicative and subjunctive
forms. The imperative is to be added in a future release, but not the
passive mood.
9.9
Verb tables
9.9
A brilliant feature of VerbMaster is its verb-table construction
facility, and since the table is output as a CSV file, it can be loaded
into most programs. It works particularly well with the Impression CSV+
loader.
9.9
Minor niggles
9.9
One thing I would like to see in VerbMaster is a means of implementing
verbs into three categories ù Éstrongæ, Éweakæ and Émixedæ Ö which I am
more used to, rather than Éregularæ and Éirregularæ. However, younger
students can find it confusing to be using regular and irregular in one
language, and strong, weak and mixed in another. In any case, it makes
little difference in normal use.
9.9
In conclusion
9.9
I would say this program would be of considerable value to all students,
from beginners through to A¡Level. It does what it sets out to do well,
and is fairly easy to use. It is not perfect Ö purists will note the
lack of hi-res sprites and menu items, and perhaps think the design
could do with being refined Ö but this is more than compensated for by
the price tag of ú7.50.
9.9
VerbMaster is supplied on one double density disc and will run on any
32-bit Acorn machine with RISCáOS 3.1 or greater (a RISC OS 2 version
may be produced if there is sufficient demand) and at least 1Mb of
memory. An unregistered version may be obtained from the author by
sending ú1/disc and stamp to his address (see Fact₧le).áuá
9.9
Products Available
9.10
ANT Internet Suite II is the new version, due for release this month, of
the popular internet program. Amongst the improvements are: Dialler, an
easy-to-use utility for connecting to service providers and launching
the Suiteæs applications; Fresco, the Web browser, which now supports
tables and client-side image maps, local and global history lists,
additional Netscape and HTML 3.0 extensions, progressive rendering of
GIF, PNG and JPEG images, text and tables; Marcel features support for
the SMTP, POP and IMAP email protocols as well as MIME encoding;
graphical front ends have been developed for utilities including Finger,
Resolver, TraceRoute and Whols, as well as an enhanced Ping utility.
9.10
An upgrade pack including new release disc and an entirely new manual
will be available direct from ANT to registered users for ú10 inclusive.
Registered users who have supplied ANT with a current address will be
notified by email when it become available.
9.10
To new users, the ANT Suite costs ú99 +VAT +p&p or ú115 through Archive.
9.10
!CPC Ö This is a new version of !CPC, the Amstrad CPC emulator for Acorn
RISC OS computers. It features many significant improvements over
previous versions, resulting in a very high degree of compatibility with
the real thing, as well as myriad improvements for enhanced user-
friendliness. CPC is shareware Ö a demonstration version, !CPC_Demo, is
available on the World Wide Web, at the following URL: http://
www.hep.phy.cam.ac.uk:8080/rison/cpc/cpc.html.
9.10
Full details on registering for !CPC are given inside !CPC_Demoæs !Help
file.
9.10
CASA III Ö (Computer Assisted Structural Analysis) W C Smith and
Associates have been developing structural analysis software for RISC OS
for over 6 years. Their latest product, CASA-III, makes use of 3D
perspective graphics through which the user can interact with, and edit,
the model of a structure.
9.10
They recently launched a new bureau service; for a small registration
fee, the user will receive a copy of CASA-III with full pre- and post-
processing capabilities. When the user requires an analysis, they
prepare the data using CASA-III and then send the data to W C Smith, who
perform the analysis, and the results will be returned. From as little
as ú10 +VAT per analysis, this approach can be quite cost-effective for
users who will not be using CASA-III intensively. Initially, this will
be a postal service, but if sufficient demand is found, they will
upgrade it to allow the data to be transferred by modem. CASA III costs
ú950 +VAT from W C Smith & Associates.
9.10
CastleTech SCSI 2 card is a 16-bit card at a budget price. It has a 16
byte cache on chip; CDFS and SCSI2 CD-ROM softload driver in ROM,
transfer rate of up to about 1.7Mb/sec, with bulk rate of up to 2.4 Mb/
sec possible on some machine types. It doesnæt allow DMA access and is
16-bit not 32-bit, but it is half the price of other SCSI II cards. It
costs ú99 +VAT +p&p from Castle Technology, or ú114 through Archive.
9.10
CDFast2 is a totally new version of Eesoxæs CDFast, and is said to
enhance the performance of virtually all CD-ROM titles and applications,
in some cases improving performance by between 30Ö40%. Among some of the
new features are: improved caching algorithms; larger cache memory;
configurable cache sizes; multiple simultaneous drives; Quad and Octal
speed drive support. Existing users of CDFast can upgrade by sending
their original disc to Eesox with a cheque for ú10 inclusive.
9.10
CDFast2 costs ú25 +VAT (ú28 through Archive) or ú15 +VAT (ú17 through
Archive) when ordered with an Eesox CD-ROM drive.
9.10
CD-ROM drive Ö Eesox have released a new 4.5 speed SCSI Gold CD-ROM
drive for use by any Acorn machine. It comes with cable, driver software
and utilities, and can be used in tower mode. The 4.5 speed CD-ROM costs
ú160 inclusive through Archive for the internal version and ú240 for the
external version.
9.10
Composition Ö This had a good review from Malcolm Banthorpe last month
(p33), and that was written when he thought the price was ú160 but now
it is down to ú99.95, or ú95 through Archive, so it is even better
value!
9.10
Digital Oasis Ö This isnæt a Product Available, more of a Service
Available, but we thought weæd mention it here. Digital Oasis is an
Acorn Web e¡magazine which you can access via your Web browser on:
http://www.argonet.co.uk/users/aok/
9.10
According to its producers, ÉFeedback is welcome. Ifáthere is something
you would like to see in Digital Oasis, write and tell us. New writers
are welcome to submit articles and ideas. The ÉOzæ style non-linear page
access was implemented entirely from email dialogue between Carl
Cepurneek in Oz and ourselves. Digital Oasis is updated regularly, as we
get articles and newsæ.
9.10
DIY RiscPC Ö Following on from last monthæs article, we ought to point
out that a DIY RiscPC is not really DIY! In other words, you select what
you want and NCS puts it together for you and tests it. If you are
thinking of buying a RiscPC in this way, it would be worth getting in
touch because the pricing of memory is still very volatile, so you may
want to know the latest prices to help you work out your purchase.
9.10
Secondly, we ought to make it clear that the ACB64 has exactly the same
pcb as the 710 machines. In other words, it is not one of the older
RiscPCs, and if you were to change the processor and memory, and added
an extra slice, it would then be identical to a RiscPC 700 Ö except that
it would have a ÉRiscPC 600æ logo on the front!
9.10
Thirdly, we werenæt deliberately trying to mislead you when we said, öIt
is important to know whether Acorn are likely to come up with a RiscPC
capable of taking, say, 4Mb VRAM. The answer, quite categorically, is
NO. The next major change will be the PowerPC machine which wonæt be
around until 1997 some time.ò Since that went into print, we have heard
that, because the StrongARM is so good, Acorn are looking at the
possibility of doing a StrongARM RiscPC. Itæs not definite yet, and in
any case, it wouldnæt be available until some time during æ97. Also,
they are looking at the idea of it being possible to provide it as a
Épcb upgradeæ, i.e. you keep the same case, drives, memory and
processor, and just swap out the main circuit board.
9.10
STOP PRESS: the financial calculations in the article have just changed
Ö in your favour Ö because the price of memory has fallen even further.
So you save even more money than we said by buying the bottom-end RiscPC
and upgrading it.
9.10
DrawWorks2 is a complete re-write of iSVæs original DrawWorks program.
Among some of its new features are: a second button bar with 64 buttons,
giving easy access to most of the Draw features; a new preferences
control; integrated path merging and scrunching; information report on a
drawfile or selection (including information on any fonts used);
changeable toolbar options; improved versions of merge, kern and scrunch
tools; DrawTrix file effects processor which allows drawfiles to be
warped, twisted and even wrapped around 3D shapes. DrawWorks2 costs ú20
+p&p from iSV or ú20 inclusive through Archive. To upgrade from
DrawWorks1, return your master disc with a cheque for ú10 to iSV.
9.10
Epson scanners Ö We have some improved pricing on Epson A4 flatbed
scanners this month. The following prices include Twain and Imagemaster:
9.10
GTX5000 (parallel)   300dpi  ú480
9.10
GTX5000 (SCSI)   300dpi  ú550
9.10
GT8500 A4 (SCSI)   400dpi  ú630
9.10
GT9000 A4 (SCSI)   600dpi  ú750
9.10
FM Radio, from Irlam Instruments, is a fully featured FM stereo
receiver, allowing radio broadcasts to be listened to via the computer.
Preset channels, auto-tuning, plus control of volume, balance, bass and
treble are all included. Itæs suitable for A300, A400, A540, A5000,
A7000 and RiscPC, and costs ú79 +VAT +p&p from Irlam Instruments or ú91
through Archive.
9.10
FPA11 Ö The Floating Point Accelerator which can be fitted to the A540,
and both the 25MHz and 33MHz variants of the A5000, is still available
and the price has come down too. The new Archive price is ú104.
9.10
French clipart is a series of discs made up of clipart for use by French
language teachers. The threeádiscs cover various aspects of the National
Curriculum. Disc 1 covers Area of Experience A; Disc 2 Area B and some
of Area C; Disc 3 covers topics from the remaining areas. Each disc
costs ú6 and includes a donation to Christian Aid of ú1. Theyáare
available from: R J H Enterprises, Beck Bottom, 9áMoorland Close,
Embsay, Skipton, N.áYorks, BD23 6SG.
9.10
Full-FS RSDFS is the new Full-FS version of RSDFS from Armed Forces. It
provides a complete RISC OS filing system for accessing the hard disc of
one computer over a serial link to another machine, either via a direct
cable or through a modem link-up. It provides everything you would be
able to do if the hard disc were inside your own computer, but obviously
not quite as fast. Users of previous versions of RSDFS can upgrade for
ú15, and the complete Full FS package costs ú45 from Armed Forces.
Alláprices fully inclusive Ö they are not yet VAT registered.
9.10
Fun with Texts is a foreign language package originally designed for the
BBC B in 1984. It was one of the most popular software packages for
modern language. The program has recently been converted and updated to
run on RISC OS machines. It is an imaginative authoring package that
enables a teacher to create a number of short texts which can then be
used by students as the basis of a variety of text-reconstruction
exercises. The package has been thoroughly field-tested by experienced
teachers and by students of English, French, German, Spanish and
Italian. It is designed for use by individual students or by pairs and
small groups. Fun with Texts is printed and published by Camsoft and
costs ú75 +VAT for a 10-computer site licence.
9.10
Hawk V9 Mk II Ö CCæs digitiser has gone the way of their Eagle
multimedia card Ö it is no longer available. (Weæve got one left in
stock at ú190 Ö first phone call secures.)
9.10
HighWay Ö The main purpose of HighWay is to allow you to have your most
regularly used applications, directories and files easily available. By
dragging your desired objects into the HighWay filer window, they can be
set to do a multitude of things, both at the time, and at the computeræs
start-up.
9.10
Among some of the features are: easy loading and saving of up to eight
named Pinboards; applications and files can be run, or set to run, on
start-up; star commands can be set to be operated by just a double-
click; different HighWay setups can be used for named users; objects in
the HighWay window can be placed in the order you want them, or can be
hidden if required.
9.10
To obtain a copy, send a cheque for ú25 to: MráBáVeasey, 24 Drift Road,
Bognor Regis, WestáSussex. PO21 3NS (orders outside UK may attract
carriage charges at cost) Email: [e-mail]
9.10
For more details see: http://www.argonet.co.uk/users/bernard.veasey/
soft.html
9.10
HolyBible Resource Builder creates multimedia directories for use with
HolyBible. The items within these directories are made available when
HolyBible is run and will appear as icons in the Resources Window when
the relevant Étaggedæ Bible passages are visible on screen. Tagged
resources may be global or specific Ö this will depend on context within
the Bible text and user interpretation. Resource Builder allows for the
import of text, draw, sprite and JPEG filetypes. Special features
include: temporary overlays which highlight specific areas or indicate
orientation without affecting the original file; customised icons
identify Éspecial filetypesæ which include a compound resource icon, map
resource icon and chart with position markers.
9.10
Resource Builder costs ú38 +VAT (includes free site licence and
carriage) or ú43 through Archive.
9.10
Insight Training Ö The Secondary Insight Conference is a two-day
programme of training and presentations designed to benefit IT
coordinators, subject teachers and anyone else involved in planning,
implementing or supporting secondary school IT. Delegates can choose
according to their needs from presentations and hand-ons training
sessions, with both Apple and Acorn systems. The conference is being run
by Insight Training and Xemplar, at Oakham School on 5th and 6th July.
9.10
The conference fee is ú160 +VAT, which includes all training and tuition
fees, conference pack, materials and course notes, lunch, dinner and
refreshments on Friday, and lunch and refreshments on Saturday.
Overnight accommodation is not included.
9.10
For more information, contact Insight Training. Up¡to-date information
can also be found on the Insight web page on: http://www/argonet.co.uk/
business/insight/.
9.10
Keystroke V4 is now available. Itæs more powerful, faster and easier to
use than ever before. According to Quantum Software, many of the changes
have come about because of customer feedback Ö this includes a bigger
and much easier to follow manual.
9.10
Keystroke is a desktop utility which allows you to perform a range of
desktop activities with a click of the mouse or the press of a key. For
example, at a single keystroke, you can call up Impression master pages
and go straight to the master page you want to edit. You can add auto-
save to those applications that lack it. You can even make up your own
button bar. It comes with example files of Keystroke definitions for
Filer, Paint, Draw, DrawPlus, TypeStudio, Vector, WorraCAD, Ovation and
Impression amongst other.
9.10
The new version is faster, is much easier to set up and use, includes
over sixty functions, and is fully compatible with RISC OS 3.1 and 3.6.
Existing users can upgrade by returning their original discs with a
cheque for ú9.95 to Quantum Software (users outside of the UK need to
add a further ú1). To new users, Keystroke costs ú 35.95 inclusive or
ú34 through Archive.
9.10
Maker Series from Carlton Software comes on three discs, offering three
desktop utilities. DateMaker is a diary application which allows you to
list all your appointments by day and time. Entries remain fully
editable, you can export data, search on keywords, and jump forwards or
backwards through the list. MailMaker is an address book which provides
fields for: name, address, home and work phone numbers, email, fax and
notes. Categories are user-definable; there are export facilities for
TSV and CSV; names can be seen at a glance through pop up menus, and
records can be sorted. MemoMaker is a Éto doæ list manager. Memos can
have up to twelve lines of text; they can be prioritised, sorted and
exported to and from Acornæs Pocket Book.
9.10
Each application costs ú7.23 +VAT +p&p, or ú10 through Archive.
9.10
Mozart mixer Ö YESæs mixer is designed for the original Mká1 RiscPCs and
provides, in one single card costing ú69 through Archive, the
functionality of the 16-bit ÉMinnieæ sound card (normally ú71) and an
audio mixer (normally ú44).
9.10
Previously, the situation was that the Acorn/ESP 16¡bit sound card was
needed by the Mká1 RiscPCs in order to get sound from the PC card, and
also to give them the 16¡bit sound capability of the current Mká2
machines. The Eesox audio mixer board was needed if you wished to feed
the direct audio output from audio CDs through the RiscPCæs internal
sound system (so that a single set of speakers could be used for all the
sound output). However, both of these have now been completely replaced
by the Mozart card.
9.10
The Mozart card is better than the combination in several ways. (1) The
obvious advantage is that the single card is less fiddly to fit, and
cheaper, than two. (2) There are two inputs for CD audio not just the
one. (3) It is possible to switch between the 16¡bit and 8¡bit systems
in software, so there is no need to take your RiscPC apart just to play
certain games whose sound only works correctly under the 8¡bit system.
(4) Most software designed for 8¡bit sound will work fine with the
16¡bit system under emulation, but the poorer quality of 8¡bit samples
can be shown up by the 16¡bit system, so the Mozart card adjusts the
response of the output filter to the sample rate being played to give
the highest quality output regardless.
9.10
However, unlike the Eesox audio mixer, the Mozart card does not
automatically come with a CD audio lead, so if you intend to connect the
audio output from your CD drive to the Mozart card, and you did not get
an audio lead with the CD drive itself, you will need one. When ordered
separately, these CD audio leads cost ú6.
9.10
My First Incredible Amazing Dictionary is the latest title from IMS to
be converted from the PC world to the Acorn platform. The CD-ROM
introduces 4Ö7 year olds to 1000 words, with their British
pronunciations and their meanings, through spoken words and pictures,
3,000 sound effects, and 850 animations, and games. My First Incredible
Amazing Dictionary uses CD-ROM technology to present opposites,
synonyms, word groups and other vocabulary elements to increase their
understanding of language.
9.10
IMS already have a long list of CD-ROMs they hope to convert over the
next couple of years Ö and the list is growing! Look out over the coming
months for: My First Amazing World Explorer; The Ultimate Human Body;
Encyclopedia of Science; Encyclopedia of Nature; Encarta 96; Kiyeko and
the Lost Night; Hutchinsonæs Multimedia Encyclopedia, and many more!
9.10
My First Incredible Amazing Dictionary CD-ROM costs ú39 inclusive from
IMS.
9.10
MultiGen2 Ö The high band Genlock adaptor from Sonamara Computer Video
has dropped in price and gone up in specification. It now supports
resolutions of up to 800╫600, with simultaneous RGB, S-Video and
composite video outputs, as well as S-Video and composite video inputs.
Features of the external unit include under/overscan options, image re-
scaling and re-positioning, freeze frame and fade (with adjustable rates
of fade). An infra-red remote control provides full control over all
functions. The MultiGen2 is available for PAL or NTSC. AáMultiGen2 Pro
is also available offering resolutions up to 1600╫1200 plus 2╫ zoom and
pan.
9.10
MultiGen2 costs ú299.95 inclusive or ú345 through Archive. MultiGen2 Pro
costs ú499.95 or ú575 through Archive. For users who require
professional titling in their videos, there are two new bundles
available Ö MultiGen2 + Claresæ Titler for ú369.95, and MultiGen2 Pro +
Titler at ú549.95 (ú425 and ú635 respectively through Archive).
9.10
Observess is an Expert System shell for the Acorn RISC OS machine. It is
fully desktop compatible and incorporates an IF... THEN... rule
structure with up to three conditions. It provides support for
percentage-based certainty factors on facts and rules, and single or
multiple recommendations based on the certainty factors. Included in the
latest version (2.71) is a backward chaining inference engine. The price
remains at ú40 (no VAT) for a single user copy, or ú120 for a site
licence. Further information can be obtained from: Chessfield Software Ö
[e-mail].
9.10
Panorama from HCCS, provides a new way of capturing high resolution
images using an ordinary camcorder. It works by capturing a sequence of
video images from a camera which is panning across a scene. These
pictures are then matched together to create a single seamless image.
9.10
The minimum requirement is a 4Mb machine with hard disc and an
application which allows you to view 16 and 24-bit sprites. The
panoramas are built to the hard disc, so even with a minimum
specification, you can build pictures of almost any size. For
professional use, it is recommended that a RiscPC with 1Mb of VRAM, 8Mb
of RAM and 100Mb of free hard disc space be used. Included in the
software is a tiler feature which allows a number of A4 sheets to be
printed with crop marks for matching together.
9.10
The package comprises: Vision 24 hardware, Panorama software, 16 sheets
of A4 inkjet paper, 16 foam A4 tiles, a can of aerosol glue, a stainless
steel 12 inch ruler and a knife. It costs ú249 +VAT or ú290 through
Archive. To upgrade from Mono Vision, CVision, and HVision costs ú149
+VAT, and to upgrade from Vision 24 costs ú99 +VAT through HCCS.
9.10
!Printers 1.53 Ö An update to Acornæs printer driver software now
supports the Canon BJC-4100 and BJ-210 inkjet printers, and also Epsonæs
Stylus-Pro and Stylus Pro XL. The ÉSmall Halftonesæ option has been
reintroduced as Éhalftoned (fine)æ. It is available from Acornæs FTP
site or on our Utilities Disc 7 for ú2.
9.10
Probe is an interactive computer-based interest questionnaire,
graphically illustrated throughout by colour drawings. Itæs designed to
introduce younger pupils to the idea of relating interests and skills
with the requirements of future occupations. Possible broad careers
areas are revealed, together with basic foundation subjects. Pupil
printouts can be made, as can worksheets for further research. Probe
will be kept up-to-date by Cambridge Occupational Analysis on an annual
basis Ö therefore discs are leased for a 12-month period, with revised
discs becoming available at the beginning of each year.
9.10
A 12 month lease costs ú90 +VAT. A six month lease costs ú45 +VAT, from
Cambridge Occupational Analysis Ltd.
9.10
Religions of the World has come to our notice in answer to Liz Leydenæs
request for information about religious programs for Acorn machines (9.9
p54). This application is produced by Ultima and is sold through SEMERC.
The application covers aspects of six major religions and is intended as
an introduction to children at Key Stage 2 and 3. It covers the main
beliefs of Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, Buddhists and Jews,
allowing comparisons across and between religions. The application comes
on a 1.6Mb disc, and youæll need at least 2Mb of memory.
9.10
Religions of the World costs ú24 +VAT +p&p from SEMERC.
9.10
Risc TV from Irlam Instruments is a full motion 24-bit colour desktop
television and teletext system. With Risc TV, you can watch full motion,
full size, true colour television in the desktop, and capture high
quality still images. Auxiliary composite video and S¡VHS inputs are
provided, so that you can connect recorders, camcorders and Canon Ion
cameras. Risc TV uses special hardware to superimpose a video image
directly onto the screen with no processor or bus overhead Ö it means
you can watch TV and still use your computer! An optional teletext
module can be added to provide teletext support. Pages can be selected
and viewed in the desktop, and subsequently saved as sprite or plain
text files. Fastext and index page links are fully supported. Risc TV is
available for A5000, A7000 and RiscPC.
9.10
The Risc TV package, comprising expansion card, applications and manual,
costs ú249 +VAT +p&p. The Teletext decoder module costs ú39 +VAT +p&p.
Through Archive, the card costs ú290 and the decoder module costs ú64.
9.10
SCSI ROM upgrades Ö For those not fortunate enough to have one of
Alsystemsæ Power-tec SCSI cards, Alsystems are producing ROMs suitable
to replace those of other manufacturersæ cards. The first for this
treatment is the Morley cached or uncached SCSI card. Inserting the
Power-tec ROM into your Morley card will not magically transform it into
a fast SCSI 2 card, but it will allow you access to all the software
features of the real thing, including the slick easy-to-use front end,
Énew FileCoreæ awareness, up to eight disc partitions, CDFS and the
soft-loading CD drivers for a good range of CD drive types. This
replacement ROM (+disc +manual) costs ú40 +VAT from Alsystems, or ú46
through Archive.
9.10
Serial NET, from iSV, is a network system for connecting two computers
via their serial ports. Messages and files can easily be transferred,
printers shared, and discs accessed from either machine. Transfer rates
start at 25Kb/s on RISC OS 3.1 machines, faster on RiscPCs and A7000s.
Any two machines can be connected and no special cables are required,
although different wiring diagrams are supplied for connecting RiscPCs
and non-RiscPCs. Serial NET costs ú20 +p&p, or ú20 inclusive through
Archive.
9.10
StrongARM Upgrade Ö The StrongARM is continuing to amaze the engineers
at Acorn. Even the first pre-production silicon is now running Draw at
up to 7 times the speed of an ARM710! This is quite staggering and gives
the RiscPC a huge lead over its PC rivals. The StrongARM upgrade for
RiscPC will cost ú249 +VAT = ú292.57, and it is scheduled to be
available by September. This price includes the new version of RISCáOS
that is needed to run the card.
9.10
If you would like to Ébook a place in the queueæ, ask us to send you an
application form, then send it, with a cheque for ú50 deposit, to Acorn
Direct in Wellingborough. When the cards are available, you will be
invoiced for the remaining ú242.57, and Acorn will send you the card.
Until all priority orders are fulfilled, no cards will be supplied to
dealers. (Donæt worry, NCS gets a payment for each card sold, provided
you nominate us as your Épreferred dealeræ!)
9.10
For potential RiscPCáowners, if you buy a RiscPC before 30th June 1996
(although we think this may be extended until the end of August), Acorn
will make the StrongARM upgrade available to you for just ú99á+VAT! So
if you havenæt yet read the article in last monthæs magazine about how
to save money on buying a RiscPC (ÉDIY RiscPCsæ Ö page 9) we suggest you
do so... quickly! Also, the price of memory is still falling, so the
savings mentioned last month are even greater this month! (Apparently
the price drop is because the anticipated uptake of the Windows 95
Émemory eateræ has not been as big as anticipated Ö has öthe worm
turnedò? Ö and so there is memory around in the market not being used.
Once again, Microsoftæs loss is our gain!!)
9.10
TopModel, Sincroniaæs 3D modelling package, is now available through
Spacetech. TopModel is the first package of a new series of professional
tools for 3D graphics creation on RISC OS platforms. It gives you the
possibility to create your own 3D objects and manipulate them. You can
add textures, material definitions and many different light sources, to
give your scenes the maximum level of reality. Even the most complex
models can be created and manipulated with unrivalled ease and speed,
with objects made up of hundreds of thousands of polygons. Optimized
hand-written ARM code routines have been created to boost performance in
all areas, from screen redraw to the most exotic tool. For the first
time, all operations (from line drawing to complex non-linear extrusion,
from torsion to Bezier volume distortion) are applied in real time.
9.10
Filters are provided for import/export of various industry-standard
formats. TopModel can save your scenes in native ASCII and binary file
formats, as well as drawfiles for easy inclusion in your documents and
as sprite files for various other purposes. For the best output, the
package can produce high quality 24bpp rendered images, with multiple
light sources at sizes up to 2048╫2048 pixels (memory permitting).
9.10
TopModel uses 96 bits colour precision for each pixel, and produces a
24bpp dithered output (typical time for a high quality 800╫600 pixels
24bbp output with several light sources and an exact material matching
on a RiscPC 600, is 5 seconds).
9.10
The system requirements are RISC OS 3.10 or later, 2Mb of RAM minimum
(4Mb recommended), hard disc drive, VGA or multisync monitor
recommended. TopModel costs ú99 +VAT from Spacetech or ú110 through
Archive.
9.10
For further details, see Alex Cardæs comprehensive review on page 23.
9.10
Tiles is a visually attractive and entertaining crossword game that
provides a basis for learning spelling, vocabulary, strategy and
computer literacy. To cater for all levels of ability, 30 boards are
supplied in five languages: English, French, German, Spanish and
Italian. The game is played using the mouse by up to four players. Each
player has his own window from which he drags tiles to the main board
window. If a word is completed, an entry is made in the playeræs score
window. Sets of sprites optimise the screen display for different types
of monitor. User defined patterns and boards may be added. Playersæ
names, some of the rules, and the display setup are user specified and
may be saved. Sprites are generated from the useræs outline fonts or the
system font.
9.10
GCSE Basic French for Beginners (supplementary) Ö this disc contains 223
French Language crosswords of words of six letters or less for students
starting the GCSE basic level French course. Age range: 13 to adult;
French AT3, Reading: Key Stage 1Ö3. This costs ú19.75 (no VAT) from
Brain Games.
9.10
GCSE Basic French for Improvers (supplementary) Ö this disc contains 217
French Language crosswords for students approaching examinations in the
GCSE basic level French course. The disc is a companion volume for the
GCSE French for Beginners supplementary disc and is laid out in a
similar manner. Age range: 14 to adult; French AT3; Reading: Key Stage
2Ö4; ú19.75 (no VAT) Site licences are available from Brain Games.
9.10
TextEase continues to develop at a pace Ö future developments will see
video Replay, sound and animation all incorporated into a TextEase file.
According to Softease, the developers: ÉHaving already broken down the
boundaries between desktop publishing and word processing, we are now
tackling the boundary between multimedia and desktop publishing.
Multimedia document handling will soon be available, and very easy to
use.æ
9.10
The latest version allows text to be rotated, JPEG support on RISC OS
3.60, drag and drop editing, Object Linking & Embedding (OLE), an
ellipse tool, arrow heads on lines, customisable button bar. Talking
Textease is the same as Textease with the addition of an extra button on
the button bar to make it start talking Ö highlighting each word as it
is spoken. There is also an option to talk as you type. Textease version
2 costs ú49 +VAT and Talking Textease is ú65 +VAT, or ú55 and ú73
respectively through Archive.
9.10
Vector v1.1 Ö The price of 4Mationæs vector graphics package is now down
to ú59.95 +VAT or ú66 through Archive. 4Mation have said that they are
re-vamping Vector, so weæll bring you details as and when they are
available. However, as Computer Concepts say they are not sure whether
they are going to develop anything further for the Acorn platform, being
fully committed with Corel Xara, there is now room for someone to
overtake Artworks. Could Vector 2 will be the next Artworks?!
9.10
YES audio mixer Ö Yellowstone Educational Solutions (YES) have produced
an audio mixer based on the mixer circuitry of their Mozart sound card.
For those who need to be able to feed the audio output from one or two
CD-ROM drives into their RiscPCæs internal sound system, but who do not
need the 16¡bit sound card functionality offered by the Mozart card,
this is a cheaper alternative to the Eesox audio mixer. The YES audio
mixer is ú29.95+VAT from them, or ú34 through Archive. Note that this
does not come with a CD audio cable, so if you did not get one with the
CD drive, add ú6 to your order.
9.10
Product News
9.10
APEX Broadcast Video Board Ö Acorn videographics hardware specialists,
Millipede, now have the StrongARM processor running on their APEX
broadcast video board. This is an upgrade for the current ARM610 or ARM3
processor daughterboard. APEX is an advanced videographics processor
engine, designed for high quality, high performance real-time video
applications. The StrongARM upgrade should considerably enhance existing
software and open up new opportunities. For instance, there will be a
significant increase in the performance of the Eidos video codec
software running on the board.
9.10
Initial tests using prototype silicon look exciting, with very
significant speed increases for image processing and image manipulation
functions. However, it is too early for Millipede to accurately quantify
the performance gains. ÉWe first need to optimise some of our coding for
StrongARMæ, said Richard Jozefowski. ÉOur custom P3 chip architecture
makes extensive use of DMA, and we need to ensure that we best utilise
the non-write-through data cache, whilst maintaining cache consistency.æ
The APEX firmware is contained in Flash memory, making it quick and easy
to update with StrongARM optimised code.
9.10
StrongARM upgrades for APEX should be available when production silicon
comes on line later this summer and are expected to be priced at about
ú250 +VAT. For more information contact: [e-mail]
9.10
Micropedia 96 Ö The new edition of the Kingfisher Childrenæs Micropedia
will be published in the next month or so by ESM, and will contain a new
level of information for the very young and for special needs users. The
use of shortened, spoken entries and simplified cross-references will
help many more young enquirers to investigate and learn for themselves.
The Micropedia æ96 will also contain the Seelinks database, which will
allow children to sort and classify the entries which they are
interested in, before accessing the whole encyclopedia.
9.10
WinRisc Ö This is one to look out for! According to the press release
from Armed Forces: öWith the obvious exception of the StrongARM, we
believe that WinRisc will be the most important release on the Acorn
platform this year! WinRisc will allow you to run Windows software under
RISC OS! You will be able to access the massive range of specialised and
industry standard software available for Windows while maintaining most
of the consistency and ease of use provided by RISC OS! Gone are menu
bars on top of windows, gone is the awkward program manager. In their
place, are floating RISC OS-style menus, a RISC OS style filer display,
much better multitasking of Windows software, drag and drop file load
and save from Windows software.
9.10
öWinRisc will not be available for purchase for some time yet Ö we have
only just got much of it working, and some parts are still not working.
Even when it is ready, our team of beta testers will require several
weeks to give the software a thorough testing, so donæt hold your
breath! We anticipate a price of around ú25.ò
9.10
Review software received...
9.10
We have received review copies of the following: ÅEncode (u), ÅMy First
Incredible Amazing Dictionary CD (e), ÅSimple Circuits (e),
ÅObservessá(p) ÅReligions of the World (e) ÅCDFast2á(u), ÅMaker Series
(d/u/b).
9.10
b=Business, d=Database, e=Education, p=Programming, u=Utility.áuá
9.10
4Mation  14áCastleáParkáRoad, WhiddonáValley, Barnstaple, Devon,
EX32á8PA. (01271¡25353) [01271¡22974] <[e-mail]>
9.10
Abacus Training  29 Okus Grove, Upper Stratton, Swindon, Wilts, SN2 6QA.
(01793¡723347) [01793¡723347]
9.10
Acorn-by-Post  13 Dennington Road, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 2BR.
(01933¡279300)
9.10
AcornáComputeráGroup  The Quorum, Barnwell Road, Cambridge, CB5 8RE.
(01223¡724724) [01223¡724324]                                 http://
www.acorn.co.uk/
9.10
AcornáNC + Acorn OM  CambridgeáTechnopark, 645áNewmarketáRoad,
Cambridge, CB5á8PB. (01223¡518518) [01223¡518520]
9.10
AcornáRiscáTechnologies  CambridgeáTechnopark, 645áNewmarketáRoad,
Cambridge, CB5á8PB. (01223¡577800) [01223¡577900]
<[e-mail]>
9.10
AlepháOneáLtd  TheáOldáCourthouse, Bottisham, Cambridge, CB5á9BA.
(01223¡811679) [01223¡812713] <[e-mail]>
9.10
Alsystems (p13)  47áWinchesteráRoad, FouráMarks, Alton, Hampshire,
GU34á5HG. (01420¡561111) <[e-mail]>
9.10
AngliaáMultimedia  AngliaáHouse, Norwich, NR1á3JG. (01603¡615151)
[01603¡631032]
9.10
ANTáLtd  P.O.Boxá300, Cambridge, CB1á2EG. (01223¡567808) [01223¡567801]
<[e-mail]>
9.10
APDL  39 Knighton Park Road, Sydenham, London, SE26 5RN. (0181-778-2659)
[0181-488-0487] <[e-mail]>
9.10
Argonetá(a.k.a. VTI)  Unitá1, TheáShopwhykeáCentre, ShopwhykeáRoad,
Chichester, PO20á6GD. (0500¡585586) [01243¡531196] <[e-mail]>
9.10
ARMedáForces  38áMaináRoad, Littleton, Winchester, SO22á6QQ.
(01962¡880591)
9.10
BeebugáLtd  117áHatfieldáRoad, StáAlbans, Herts, AL1á4JS. (01727¡840303)
[01727¡860263]
9.10
BraináGames  Swinegate, Hessle, NortháHumberside, HU13á9LH.
(01482¡649288) [01482¡641136] <[e-mail]>
9.10
CambridgeáOccupationaláAnalysts    TheáOldáRectory, Sparham, Norwich,
NR9á5AQ. (01362-688722) [01360-688733]
9.10
Camsoft  10áWheatfieldáClose, Maidenhead, Berks, SL6á3PS. (01628¡825206)
[01628¡825206] <[e-mail]>á<[e-mail]>
9.10
Care Electronics  15 Holland Gardens, Garston, Watford, WD2 6JN. (01923-
894064) [01923-672102]
9.10
Carlton Software  Felmersham Road, Carlton, Bedford, MK43 7NA. (01234-
721448)
9.10
CastleáTechnology  OreáTradingáEstate, WoodbridgeáRoad, Framlingham,
Suffolk, IP13á9LL. (01728¡621222) [01728¡621179]
<[e-mail]>
9.10
ChessfieldáSoftware  61áChessfieldáPark, LittleáChalfont, HP6á6RU.
9.10
ClaresáMicroáSupplies  98áMiddlewicháRoad, Rudheath, Northwich,
Cheshire, CW9á7DA. (01606¡48511) [01606¡48512]
<[e-mail]>
9.10
ColtonáSoftware  2áSignetáCourt, SwannsáRoad, Cambridge, CB5á8LA.
(01223¡311881) [01223¡312010] <[e-mail]>
9.10
ComputeráConcepts  GaddesdenáPlace, HemeláHempstead, Herts, HP2á6EX.
(01442¡351000) [01442¡351010]
9.10
CreativeáCurriculumáSoftware     5áCloveráHilláRoad, SavileáPark,
Halifax, HX1á2YG. (01422¡340524) [01422¡346388]
<[e-mail]>
9.10
DavidáPilling  P.O.Boxá22, ThorntonáCleveleys, Blackpool, FY5á1LR.
(01253¡852806) <[e-mail]>
9.10
DexedreamáProductions  12áAlneáTerrace, Fulford, York.
<[e-mail]>
9.10
Doggysoft  FurzefieldáHouse, FurzefieldáRoad, Beaconsfield, Bucks,
HP9á1PQ. (01494¡673222) [01494¡675878] <[e-mail]>
9.10
Eesox  Suiteá8C, NewtonáHouse, 147áStáNeotsáRoad, Hardwick, Cambridge,
CB3á7QJ. (01954¡212263) [01954¡212263] <[e-mail]>
9.10
Eidos plc  The Boathouse, 15 Thames Street, Middlesex TW12 2EW. (0181-
941-7899) [0181-941-7895] <[e-mail]> http://www.eidos.com.
9.10
ESM  DukeáStreet, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, PE13á2AE. (01945¡63441)
9.10
ESP  21áBeecháLane, WestáHallam, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, DE7á6GP.
á(0115¡929¡5019) [0115¡929¡5019] <[e-mail]>
9.10
ExpLAN  StáCatherineæsáHouse, 20áPlymoutháRoad, Tavistock, Devon,
PL19á8AY. (01822¡613868) [01822¡610868] <[e-mail]>
9.10
FontáCompanyáLtd  Unitá1, TheáGablesáYard, PulhamáMarket, Diss,
IP21á4SY. (01379¡608585) [01379¡608575]
9.10
HCCSáLtd  575¡583áDurhamáRoad, Gateshead, NE9á5JJ. (0191¡487¡0760)
[0191¡491¡0431]
9.10
IMS  DesktopáLaminations, P.O.Boxá332, Bristol, BS99á7XL.
(0117¡979¡9979)
9.10
Insight  01223¡812927
9.10
IrlamáInstruments  133áLondonáRoad, Staines, MiddlesexáTW18á4HN.
(01895¡811401) <[e-mail]>
9.10
iSVáProducts  86, Turnberry, HomeáFarm, Bracknell, Berks, RG12á8ZH.
(01344¡55769)
9.10
LiquidáSilicon  FREEPOST EH2725, Kirkcaldy, Fife, KY2á5PN.
(01592¡592265) <[e-mail]>
9.10
LongmanáLogotron  124áCambridgeáScienceáPark, MiltonáRoad,
CambridgeáCB4á4ZS. (01223¡425558) [01223¡425349] <[e-mail]>
9.10
MillipedeáElectronicáGraphics  CambridgeáHouse, Hargrave,
BuryáStáEdmunds, Suffolk, IP29á5HS. (01284¡850594) [01284¡850351]
<[e-mail]>
9.10
QuantumáSoftware  35áPinewoodáPark, Deans, Livingston, EH54á8NN.
(01506¡411162áafterá6) <[e-mail]>
9.10
Repair Zone  421 Sprowston Road, Norwich, NR3 4EH. (01603¡400477)
9.10
SEMERC  1áBroadbentáRoad, Watersheddings, Oldham, OL1á4LB.
(0161¡627¡4469)
9.10
Softease  TheáOldáCourthouse, StáPetersáChurchyard, Derby, DE1á1NN.
(01332¡204911) orá(01684¡773173) [01684¡772922]
<[e-mail]>
9.10
Sonamara  TorquayáRoad, Shaldon, Devon, TQ14á0AZ. (01626¡873866)
[01626¡297866]
9.10
SouthernáPrinters  47áDrakeáRoad, Willesborough, Ashford, KentáTN24á0UZ.
(01233¡633919)
9.10
Spacetech  21áWestáWools, Portland, Dorset, DT5á2EA. (01305¡822753)
[01305¡860483] <[e-mail]>
9.10
StuartáTyrrelláDevelopments  P.O. Boxá183, Oldham, OL2á8FB.
<[e-mail]>
9.10
W. C. Smithá&áAssociates  40áRoyaláOak, Alnwick, Northumberland,
NE66á2DA. (01665¡510682) [01665¡510692]
9.10
WarmáSilenceáSoftware  StáCatherineæsáCollege, ManoráRoad, Oxford,
OX1á3UJ. (0585¡487642) <[e-mail]>
9.10
Xemplar Education  The Quorum, Barnwell Road, Cambridge, CB5 8RE.
(01223¡725000) [01223¡725100]
9.10
  http://www.xemplar.co.uk/
9.10
YES  WelbeckáHouse, WelbeckáRoad, Luton, Beds. LU2á0HD. (01582¡584828)
[01582¡562255]
9.10
Archive Monthly Disc Ö ú2
9.10
 (Now on 1.6Mb, but available as two 800Kb discs if you ask specially.)
9.10
u System Variables program from Andrew Berry  Ö page 29.
9.10
u Digitiser samples from Jim Nottingham Ö page 56.
9.10
u Files from Gerald Fittonæs Column Ö page 38.
9.10
u Electronic clipping Ö Acorn news items of interest from the Net.
9.10
u 3D molecular structure program Ö Martin Wⁿrthner and Roger Sayle Ö
page 77.
9.10
u Scientific software from Chris Johnson Ö see page 38.
9.10
u Starting Basic programs from Ray Favre Ö see page 64.
9.10
u Three utilities plus an alpha-release game from Chris Whitworth.
9.10
u Psion FAQ from John Woodthorpe.
9.10
The following information is about the Christian faith, not specifically
about computing.
9.10
The Atheist and the Christian agree on one thing, that neither of us can
prove the existence (or otherwise) of God. However, I suggested last
month that since Jesus actually claimed to be God, and then rose from
death to prove it (or so Christians have always claimed), the open-
minded Atheist ought to investigate those claims. Again, I cannot prove
that Jesus rose from death, but as I examine the evidence, it seems to
me the most probable explanation of the historical observations. And
remember, if God doesnæt exist, no problem, but if he does exist, the
implications for you could be very serious.
9.10
öHow do I even know that you exist, Paul, let alone God?ò
9.10
Hmm! Another good question! How can you know that I exist? Indeed, I
might be no more real than Timothy Edwards and Chris Searle in the early
days of Acorn User. (They were me, in case you were wondering!)
9.10
I know! Iæll call ÉMr Atheistæ as a witness Ö he met me at Acorn World
95 and talked to me, so he knows Iáexist. Would you believe him? No?
Well, OK, the only thing to do is youæll have to come to Acorn World 96
and meet me for yourself Ö then youæll believe I exist.
9.10
Well, maybe thatæs not a terribly good analogy, but what is happening
all over the UK at the moment is that people are Émeeting Godæ for
themselves. It is estimated that, in the next 12 months, something like
a quarter of a million people will be going on these Alpha courses that
I keep mentioning. Whatæs happening? Why are the numbers mushrooming?
Itæs because people who are complete outsiders to church, and to
Christianity, are finding out about Jesus and, so they tell me, are
Émeeting Godæ Ö and you can see it on their faces Ö something very
special has happened to them! To find an ÉAlpha churchæ, ring the Alpha
Coordinator on 0171-581-8255, and find out for yourself.
9.10
P.B.
9.10
Paul Beverley
9.10
Change is here to stay!
9.10
Yes, I know, Iæm beginning to sound like a permanently stuck record, but
things are still changing on the Acorn front. The latest changes are the
result of the absolutely staggering speed of the StrongARM, which is
proving to be about twice the speed that Acorn expected.
9.10
Because the StrongARM is so fast, ART are actively looking into the
possibility of putting it into various different computer
configurations. Acorn have already demonstrated a StrongARM Netsurfer
(report on page 22 Ö picture on page 19), there could now be a StrongARM
RiscPC (see page 17) as well as the CHRP machine, and I would be very
surprised if they werenæt already developing StrongARM versions of
Newspad and Stork. Then thereæs the possibility of StrongARM
videophones, StrongARM GameBoys, and StrongARM Psions! Oh, and how about
a StrongARM card for the PowerMac? Why not?! We could then use Sibelius
as a Trojan horse for getting RISCáOS into the Mac camp!
9.10
StrongARM cards
9.10
The other change is that, as I predicted, the cached version of the
StrongARM card for the RiscPC is looking less and less likely to appear
as a product. The uncached version is so fast (making the ARM710 RiscPC
more than five times faster!) that itæs doubtful whether it will be
worth developing a cached version of the card Ö but no firm decision has
been made yet, as far as I know.
9.10
On the StrongARM compatibility front, rumours are getting stronger that
CC will indeed, by some means or other, be upgrading their RISCáOS
software for StrongARM. Whatæs more, the problem is being attacked from
both ends, i.e. ART have various tricks up their sleeve which should
minimise the incompatibilities anyway. My guess is that it will be
similar to the change from RISCáOS 2 to 3. There will be problems with
some software for a while but, in due time, all but the most obscure
applications will be made compatible.
9.10
Well, Iæd better let you get on with reading all about it!!
9.10
Fact-File
9.10
Key: (phone)áá[fax]áá<net>
9.10
Norwich Computer Services    96a Vauxhall Street, Norwich, NR2 2SD.
(01603-766592) [01603-764011]
9.10
<[e-mail]>  OR  <[e-mail]>  OR
<[e-mail]>
9.10
http://www.cybervillage.co.uk/acorn/archive/
9.10
Small Ads
9.10
(Small ads for Acorn 32-bit computers and related products are free for
subscribers but we reserve the right to publish all, part or none of the
material you send, as we think fit. i.e. some people donæt know what
Ésmallæ means and there are certain things, as you can imagine, that we
would not be prepared to advertise as a matter of principle. Sending
small ads on disc is helpful but not essential. If you have email,
thatæs the best of all! Ed.)
9.10
60Mb HD, with word processors, databases, 260 fonts and other software,
reasonable offers considered. Phone [phone].
9.10
A3000, 4Mb, RISC OS 3.1, ARM3, Taxan 775 14ö multisync, HCCS Vision
digitiser, Serial         upgrade, Wild Vision expansion box, Beebug HD
floppy controller, PC Emulator 1.8, lots of software, ú375. Phone 01734-
571883 or email [e-mail].
9.10
A3000 LC, ARM3, 4Mb RAM, 210Mb IDE HD, RISC OS 3.1, DFS interface, PRES
monitor stand with 5╝ö drive bay and two expansion slots, serial port,
software including PC Emulator 1.8 with Novell DOS 7, manuals, boxed,
ú350, ColourCard Gold, ú65. Phone [phone].
9.10
A310, 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, Oak 50 Mb drive + SCSI interface, AKF11
monitor, Acorn I/O podule, 1st Word Plus. Any offers considered. Phone
01544-318939 eves, 01432-372451 day.
9.10
A400 series, 4Mb RAM, 40Mb HD, RISC OS 3.1, Eizo 9060S monitor, Wordz,
PipeDream 4, Superbase and some games, ú250 + carriage. Phone [phone]-
5732.
9.10
A420/1, 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, SVGA 14ö monitor, Beebug VIDC enhancer,
Acorn inkjet printer, software, ú350 o.n.o. Phone [phone].
9.10
A5000 LC, 4Mb RAM, 40Mb HD, RISC OS 3.1, boxed with manuals, AKF50
monitor, Advance, Easy C, PRMs and wide carriage printer, ú750 o.n.o.
Double-speed external CD-ROM drive ú100. Phone [phone].
9.10
A540, well equipped, the first fair and reasonable offer accepted. Phone
Jim on 01366-385824.
9.10
Acorn 486 card, for RiscPC, complete boxed and unregistered, with DOS 6,
unwanted gift, ú99 + VAT, try it out then use it to save ú200 + VAT off
a 5x86 card. Phone Harry on 01895-630344.
9.10
AKF60 multisync, boxed as new, ú150 o.n.o. Phone William on 01475-
673063.
9.10
Free to a deserving cause: 135 issues of Acorn User (almost all of Nov
æ83 to Dec æ95), 61 issues of The Micro User (Dec æ83 - Oct æ89). Buyer
must collect from Chelmsford, or pay carriage. Phone Derrick on 01245-
225671 after 7pm.
9.10
Job at Pineapple Software: Pineapple are looking for a new full-time
employee to handle technical queries, telephone sales and general
running of day to day business. Training can be provided. Phone Jim on
0181-599-1476 for details.
9.10
RiscPC 600, 8+2Mb, 420Mb, 17ö AKF85 monitor, 16-bit sound card, Cumana
CD drive with mixer, 486-33 PC card, ú1650. Good offers considered.
Phone [phone] eves.
9.10
Software: Times CD-ROM Sampler (DOS only) ú10, Populous (game) ú10,
Event (diary) ú5. Will sell all three for ú20. Phone [phone] eves.
9.10
Wanted, 4-8Mb RAM expansion for A5000. Phone John on 01942-884738.
9.10
Wanted, ArchiTech or Apollonius PDT, will collect. Phone [phone].
9.10
Wanted, Any Acorn machine with RISC OS 3.1 or later, 4+Mb RAM, hard
disc, 1.6Mb  floppy, CD-ROM, multisync monitor. Complete or nearly.
Total cost within ú1,000. Contact Anthony on  0113-226-9059 or as
[e-mail].áuá
9.10
Now with built-in ATAPI driver Ö connect virtually any IDE CD Drive.
9.10
Universal SCSI CD Driver built-in.
9.10
Multi-tasking verify as well as multi-tasking low level formatting.
9.10
Fully compatible with:
9.10
  Å New SyQuest EZ135 and Iomega ZIP Drives
9.10
  Å SyQuest 5╝ö and 3╜ò Drives
9.10
  Å Mag-Optical Drives
9.10
  Å ÉProteusæ Panasonic PD Drives
9.10
Supplied with built-in Tape Streamer Software for backups.
9.10
Able to read other manufacturersæ partitions Ö no need to reformat.
9.10

9.10
For further information, please contact Alsystems on 01420-561111
9.10
Copyright ⌐1996, Alsystems, 47áWinchesteráRoad, FouráMarks, Alton,
Hampshire, GU34á5HG. Email [e-mail] or visit our web site
at http://www.alsystems.co.uk.
9.10
The top half of...
9.10
Alsystems
9.10
From 9.8 page 8
9.10
i.e. this is the new bottom bit below!
9.10
ESP Midi Synthesizer
9.10
John Woodthorpe
9.10
The package consists of a small A5 booklet and three HD floppies,
allowing any RiscPC to play Midi samples by software only (i.e. no Midi
hardware is needed). It does need 16-bit sound, but whether that comes
from the extra card produced by ESP (amongst others), or a newer machine
with it built in, doesnæt matter. ESP say that an 8-bit version is due
in the summer, allowing the older RiscPCs to make use of it. This review
was done on an old-style RiscPC 600 with the ESP sound card and external
speakers. The software also cooperates with !PCx86 to give Midi sound
from PC applications, whether Windows or DOS.
9.10
Installation
9.10
This is very straightforward, consisting of an improved !Player
application (as supplied with the sound card, but now v1.26, and capable
of playing both Midi and 16-bit samples), !Synth (v1.02 of the control
software), !SynthBank (the instrument data) and a few Midi files. ESP
recommend installing everything in a separate directory, but Iæve found
putting the first two in the Apps directory and !SynthBank in
!Boot.Resources to be more convenient. About 4Mb of hard disc space is
needed, most of which is for the instrument data.
9.10
In use
9.10
It works very well in both its RISC OS and PC Card functions. Some Midi
files are supplied for you to try out, and others can be obtained from
bulletin boards, PD libraries, etc. The files have the advantage of
being very small compared to other music files of equivalent playing
duration because the instrument samples are stored in the application.
It does also mean that the playback quality is heavily dependent on
these samples, and ESP freely admit that the ones they supply as
standard are not brilliant.
9.10
Better quality ones will be available in the summer at ú5 +VAT per
instrument disc (pianos, brass, strings and guitars), but they will
typically take up more RAM than the standard ones. Not having heard
them, I canæt comment, but I will say that the basic ones are a sensible
compromise between quality and size, and are perfectly adequate without
being outstanding. Certainly, none of the files I played sounded as
stunning as the 16-bit samples supplied with the sound card, but as ESP
say, ö3Mb of samples and 16-note polyphony in software is quite an
achievementò.
9.10
One problem that becomes very obvious when playing Midi files is that of
stray clicks and pops if you try to do anything that needs a lot of disc
activity at the same time. ESP have reduced this dramatically recently,
especially if you drag the Midi file to the !Synth icon to load in the
right samples before playing. They are also working on a fix in
conjunction with Acorn.
9.10
Surprisingly, double clicking on a Midi file wonæt play it Ö it has to
dragged to the !Player icon on the iconbar. I found that a little
irritating even after a month of use while preparing this review, and
when Iáput this to Andy Pierson of ESP, he agreed to allow files to play
when double-clicked.
9.10
The panels for Control and Instrumentation are clear and allow you to
limit the amount of memory used by the application (although more clicks
and pops might be expected as instrument samples are loaded in).
9.10
The memory setting is a little fiddly, with the Minimise button not
implemented yet, and the memory having to be ramped down 4Kb at a time
from 2Mb (Iæve suggested that a writable box would be helpful, and ESP
promise to implement that). Sample rates, driver accuracy, instrument
mappings, and many other things, can be changed, sometimes with very odd
results! Again, there are some gaps in this when it comes to creating
and saving new instrument banks, but ESP say they will deal with them
when the instrument editor is released later in the year.
9.10
PC card
9.10
I must confess that one of the reasons for wanting to get hold of the
synthesizer software was to be able to actually hear more than WAV files
from my Acorn 486SX card. At first, I wasnæt sure how to set everything
up, as the ESP booklet doesnæt go into that, but after working through
the ReadMe files with the PC card software (v1.92, in my case) and its
drivers, it is reasonably straightforward.
9.10
You do need to set up the Soundblaster drivers exactly as described, and
allow the PC card software to make changes to your AUTOEXEC.BAT and
SYSTEM.INI files. After that, go through the described actions in
Windows Control Panel, reboot, and it should work, as long as you have
!Synth running at the same time. There are extra instructions for
setting up the sound under Win95, and for dealing with DOS applications
that insist on knowing interrupts, DMA channels and so on.
9.10
I have come across a problem when starting up, in that !Synth often
wonæt start if I try to load it while the PC card software is starting
up. Again, ESP are aware of this and are trying to track the problem
down. Until then, the advice is to load !Synth before !PCx86.
9.10
I tried some DOS and Windows game demos and applications, and things
usually worked fine if Iáselected ÉGeneral Midiæ when asked for my sound
card configuration. A few applications didnæt work as expected, either
remaining mute or making nasty crackling noises. On talking to a couple
of PC-owning friends, this is something that they have come to accept,
so I donæt suppose I can complain too much on that score!
9.10
Donæt expect to get digitized speech or sound effects Ö it seems that
General Midi wonæt cope with that, but you should get music and ordinary
sound effects. ESP have never guaranteed support for Midi under DOS (as
opposed to under Windows, which is supported), but nevertheless they
expect to release improvements to the DOS performance soon. One word of
warning, if youære interested in this aspect of the synthesizer, is to
make sure that you have plenty of memory over and above that needed by
the PC card. It is possible to limit how much !Synth takes but,
unrestrained, it can take over 1Mb!
9.10
Summary
9.10
This is a basic, but impressively competent, way of playing Midi files
by software only. If that were all it did, it would a bit of a costly
luxury for most people, but given the expansion that is planned for
ESPæs suite of Midi software and the higher quality instrument samples
due later in the year, it looks much more attractive. If you add onto
that the sound support for the PC card, it is an indispensable extra for
getting something much closer to full PC compatibility. In addition, the
extremely positive attitude of ESP in supporting and modifying the
software in response to comments is very encouraging.
9.10
The complete package costs ú39.95 +VAT, with the extra instrument discs
costing ú5 +VAT when they are available. Further information can be
obtained from ESP (contact details on Factfile). They also have a WWW
page at http://www.cybervillage.co.uk/acorn/esp/ which carries details
of their products. With all these planned improvements and developments
(including a number of new sound- and Midi-related applications to make
good use of RISC OS and StrongARM etc), ESP will be keeping users up-to-
date with information on their Web pages and will provide upgrades there
when appropriate.áuá
9.10
Wakefield Show Report
9.10
Andy Ward
9.10
Itæs hard to believe that it is over two years since the RiscPC was
first publicly unveiled, in front of the eager masses at the Harrogate
Conference Centre. Even so, a lot has changed in the Acorn world since
then, not all of which has been particularly easy for Acorn followers to
swallow. Iæm thinking here particularly of the resignation of Sam
Wauchope after last yearæs massive losses, the restructuring and
redundancies that followed, and the Éselling outæ, as many saw it, to
Apple on the education front. Even some ardent enthusiasts were
expressing concern over Acornæs future as a mainstream computer
manufacturer, so ART returned once more to Yorkshire Ö Wakefield this
time Ö with a lot to prove.
9.10
Happily they came armed (pun intended) with plenty of ammunition to
persuade the doubters that Acorn is far from rolling over in the face of
the PC onslaught. It has new hardware, new alliances and new strategies.
9.10
The show
9.10
Before I start, I really must say how very impressed Iáwas,áand everyone
I spoke to, with the way the show was organised and run. The Wakefield
Acorn Computer Group, ably headed by Chris Hughes and Mike Wilson, did a
fantastic job in bringing together nearly 60 exhibitors (including just
about all the big Acorn names), booking up almost the entire 4-star
Cedar Court Hotel, and packing the place out Ö there were over 1,500
visitors. This is all especially impressive given the short notice they
had, and that this was their first attempt at a show of this size. Well
done to all the WACG members and helpers!
9.10
(I must add some comments here... The Wakefield crew were just brilliant
Ö well done everyone! It was simply wonderful to be greeted by a
friendly car park attendant and then to have a team of volunteers
offering to help carry all our clobber up to the stand! OK, I realise
that if a company is organising a show, they have to have the minimum of
staff for financial reasons, so itæs a bit unfair to compare, but maybe
the professional organisers could take a leaf out of Wakefieldæs book!
Once again, itæs an example of the ÉAcorn familyæ pulling together. Iæve
said it before, and Iæll say it again, but if Iáever had to Édiversifyæ
to stay in business, as I have been advised more than once when things
were financially difficult, Iæd rather give up altogether. Iæm sticking
with Acorn. Ed.)
9.10
Though there was lots to see, Iæm going to dwell a bit on the ART stand,
and I make no apologies, as there were some exciting developments there.
9.10
I shall essentially be reporting on the sights of the show. If youære
keen to hear about what was said in the ART presentations, youæll find
Richard Walkeræs article, following on from this, an interesting read.
9.10
So, to business... What was there to see?
9.10
StrongARM
9.10
The undisputed star of the Wakefield show was the StrongARM. More than
anything else, this much vaunted chip is the single piece of technology
that has the potential to turn Acornæs fortunes around and itæs pretty
clear that itæll become the cornerstone of many of ARTæs future
products.
9.10
On show was a 169MHz first iteration piece and a second iteration 200MHz
piece, sitting in probably two of the most jealously guarded RiscPCs
ever seen! The board containing the faster of the two processors was on
display in a perspex casing, giving us spectators a good view of the
StrongARM daughterboard and the new RISC OS ROMs. The first impressions
of the board are of how understated the chip actually looks on it. Itæs
exactly the same size as an ARM7 (it comes in the same 144 pin package,
about the size of your thumb tip); there are no heat sinks or fans to be
seen anywhere on this little powerhouse.
9.10
How fast?
9.10
So, the $64,000 question is ÉHow does it perform?æ Well, quickly, very
quickly. My first impressions are that you wonæt be hanging about for
things to redraw. To give some examples, the Artworks ÉAppleæ redraws in
about 3-4 seconds, while on an ARM710, it takes around 16 seconds, The
RiscPCæs demonstration JPEG images decode in, literally, the blink of an
eye. Graphics demonstration programs such as the 3D ÉRoomsæ and tumbling
JPEG demos are effortlessly smooth, whereas beforehand they stuttered
and jerked. If youære into benchmarks, the 200MHz piece clocks up around
330kDhrystones (version 2.1) compared with around 50kDhrystones for the
ARM710. Impressed yet? I was!
9.10
I suppose that for a relative measure of the speed increase, you should
cast your minds back to the magnitude of speed increase witnessed with
the upgrade from the ARM2 to ARM3. Now, if you apply that order of
increase to the 40MHz ARM7 and then Éadd someæ youære in the right sort
of league.
9.10
What ART have in the StrongARM is the potential to put together a RiscPC
priced around ú1500, that delivers a shade under 200 MIPs, and still
make themselves a good profit. That is snapping at the heals of
workstation performance! When you consider that equivalent powerful
Intel P6s are going to come in costing around 750 quid per chip, it
becomes pretty apparent why the StrongARM is going to be so important.
9.10
Compatibility
9.10
Although the StrongARM has the same instruction set as older ARMs, which
means it is code compatible with its predecessors, it has a radically
different internal cache, which has implications for programs which use
a programming trick called Éself-modifying codeæ. Basically, these
programs wonæt work without some re-coding, and since core parts of RISC
OS use this feature, there has been some work going on Éunder the
bonnetæ. The new version of RISC OS is presently going by the name of
RISC OS SA, but ART are apparently open to suggestions. Intriguingly,
the desktop information box identified itself as RISC OS 4.70, though
read into this what you will.
9.10
As far as individual applications are concerned, itæs early days yet,
but the list of applications seen running, now includes Impression
Style, Eureka, Datapower, Zap and the PC software, as well as Acornæs
standard applications. It has to be stressed that itæs way too early to
know definitively what will and what wonæt work, and besides, itæs to be
expected that actively developed applications will be made to work over
the coming months.
9.10
(There are various rumours around, but suffice it to say that I am
confident that all major software titles will be upgraded, many of them
even before the StrongARMs become generally available. Ed.)
9.10
Anyway, before I steal any more of someone elseæs fire, Iæll finish
talking about this stunning little chip by saying that you can place an
advanced order for one by ringing Vector Services. It costs ú249 (+VAT)
for the card, new ROMs and manuals, with a ú50 deposit required to book
your place in the queue. Iágather you can have one for only ú99 +VAT Ö
Éallæ you have to do is buy a RiscPC before the end of June. (I think
itæs been extended to the end of August! Ed.) Expect to see the
StrongARM cards available around September, when DEC finally get up to
production speed.
9.10
Stork
9.10
The Stork is ARTæs A4 replacement, and although it was overshadowed by
the blindingly fast RiscPC next door, it was getting quite a lot of
attention. Itæs a essentially an A7000 in one of Olivettiæs sub-notebook
cases, so itæs based around the ARM7500. The version on show had only a
16 colour grey-scale screen, running at 640╫480, but thereæs supposedly
the option of a full colour TFT screen at up to 800╫600. Mouse control
is by an unusual looking tracker ball to the top-right of the keyboard,
with select being operated by the index finger, and menu and adjust by
two buttons to the top-left of the keyboard. Quite what left-handers
would make of this I donæt know! Other features of note are a built-in
PCMCIA 1, 2 or 3 slot, and a ÉFreeze Modeæ, which allows operation to be
suspended, and to be recalled in the same state some days later.
9.10
These arenæt for sale yet, unless you want to pay through the nose for a
one-off. However, if enough interest is raised to warrant a reasonable
production run, the word is that they ought to retail just under the
grand mark, for the mono screen version.
9.10
NewsPad
9.10
Sitting beneath a sign saying Éú5Million Prototype. Do not touch!æ, this
was an interesting concept machine, with lots of potential as an on-the-
move PDA machine or even a network computer. The pointing method of
actually touching the screen is really very usable (öWhat sign,
Governor?ò), even though ART admit that there is still room for
improvement. In case youære wondering, you hold your finger down to
bring up a menu, otherwise it counts as select. The actual screen
quality was very impressive (800╫600 at up to 32 thousand colours), and
really suggests that ART could put together a good colour laptop.
9.10
Replay
9.10
As well as fancy hardware, ART were showing off their latest video
compression/decompression and replay code. Their video phone software
was beaming live pictures from one side of the stand to the other and
displaying the pictures in a window. Perhaps of more immediate interest
to most RISC OS users were the latest developments of Replay. Movies now
multitask smoothly on the desktop, so your machine wonæt stop all other
tasks running any more. The StrongARM machines were seen displaying
three movies simultaneously, whilst rendering artworks files, and taking
it all in their stride.
9.10
Exhibitors
9.10
There was plenty to see away from the ART stand. The general air of all
the exhibitors appeared very upbeat, and perhaps as a consequence of the
stands being cheaper than other professionally organised shows, there
seemed less emphasis on the hard sell, and more on chatting with us
customers and talking about recent developments, which was a welcome
change.
9.10
Simtec were showing off their Hydra board, with parallel and single
processor versions of a mandelbrot program showing the potential speed
increase to be enjoyed by multi-processing.
9.10
The RiscBSD team, too, had a populated Hydra board sitting in a machine
running their free port of NetBSD (a Unix operating system). Although
there is still lots of work to do to incorporate transparent multi-
processor support, they are at the stage where they can potentially farm
out tasks to individual CPUs. This beta version of RiscBSD is already
looking remarkably mature and certainly stable enough for day-to-day
use, if you need a Unix box in addition to RISC OS.
9.10
Back to the hardware again, Irlam were making themselves the most
popular stand of the afternoon amongst Formula One enthusiasts by
demonstrating their ÉRisc TVæ card, which was displaying the Monaco
Grand Prix (or dodgems as it seemed!) live in either a RISC OS window,
or full-screen.
9.10
On the subject of crowds, Warm Silence Software were getting so much
attention from people trying to get a look in at the latest versions of
MovieFS, and their incredible Quicktime VR viewer, that, at times, the
corridor next to their stand was almost impassable! Robin Watts also
seemed to be doing an absolutely roaring trade in WSS ÉBeebæ emulators,
despite the fact that RBS, at the next stall along, were offering the
genuine article for the princely sum of ú10!
9.10
Next door, Argonet/VTi had come up trumps again and set up the free
ÉCyberZoneæ, where Énet newbiesæ could get an idea what this internet
business is all about, by going on-line using the Argonet software. ANT
were exhibiting the second release of their Internet Suite, which looks
extremely professional now, and Doggysoft, too, where showing off the
latest incarnation of their net software.
9.10
ANTæs sister company, Aleph One, were offering DX2/80 PC cards at a very
tempting knock-down price, and one stall along, Spacetech had released
PhotoDesk2, which impressed me so much that I just had to buy it, there
and then, despite promising myself that I would be good, and keep my
wallet in my pocket all day! Spacetech were also selling TopModel, the
new 3D modelling package from Sincronia Soluzioni Multimediali, as they
had just become the sole distributor for the Italian company.
9.10
Next door, Stuart Tyrell Developments were attracting a lot of intrigued
audiences with their ÉKing-size Keyboardæ and É3D experienceæ
demonstrations. The former was a set of oversized piano key style
pressure pads on the floor that you were supposed to jump around on to
play a tune, while the other was a stereographic extension that
displayed the desktop in 3D when viewed through special glasses. I donæt
suppose they made many sales but it was fun to watch, which in some
respects pretty much summed up the ethos of the whole show.
9.10
At the end of the day, I managed to squeeze into the jam-packed show
theatre to listen to Peter Bondar make an eloquent, honest, and often
humorous presentation that covered a whole range of topics, allaying the
fears that many of us had about Acornæs future. One of the highlights
was the announcement that RISC OS is far from dead, as there are new
contracts to licence it to some Émajor playersæ. Itæs also presently
undergoing a lot of development, bankrolled partially by the Network
Computer initiative. It was also hinted that work is underway on a third
generation RiscPC aimed at power users. (For a full rundown on what was
said, please read Richard Walkeræs article.)
9.10
What all this means is that it seems like Acorn have managed to do it
once again. As they have done several times before in their roller-
coaster history, they have extracted (perhaps that should be
StrongARMæed!) the proverbial bunny from the top-hat just as things were
looking most bleak for them. Two years down the line from now, who knows
where Acorn will be? Letæs just hope they still have time to come to
these grass-root shows when theyære not at exhibitions in San Francisco
with Oracle, or Tokyo with Sony...
9.10
If you want to contact me, Iæm Andy Ward <[e-mail]>.áuá
9.10
Charity stall
9.10
Michael Binns and the Wakefield crew did a wonderful job on the charity
stall. NCS brought items of hardware and software that Archive
subscribers had sent in, or brought to the NCS office, plus the charity
bits that were left over from AW 95, and some people brought things to
Wakfield themselves. These were sold, and almost ú800 was taken during
the course of the day. Half of this will go to MS research, and half to
a local charity or charities in Wakefield Ö the Wakefield Hospice, and
possibly one other charity.
9.10
Well done to all who manned the stand, and thanks to all who donated
things to be sold. Actually, this only shows part of the way charities
benefit because, when things are sent to NCS, some of the items are
Ésyphoned offæ. Computers especially, including BBCs, are taken by
RepairZone (a.k.a. Ray Maidstone Ö ÉThe Engineeræ) for direct use by
charities or deserving causes. Ray and Sara have a list of people
waiting for Éfreeæ BBCs and Archies, many of them children with Downs
syndrome. Ray refurbishes the computers and Ésellsæ them to those
waiting, i.e. he charges for a six month warranty. Ifáyou have old
computers (and especially monitors which donæt seem to last as long as
the good old Beebs!), please send them in to NCS for recycling. We will
make sure they go to a good home.
9.10
Ed.
9.10
Network Computer News
9.10
I didnæt manage to get over to the States for the launch(!) but various
things were announced on Mayá20th, and some things were actually
demonstrated (see the picture on the previous page) while other
companies just used mock-ups! Here are three press releases which tell
the story faster than I can. Ed.
9.10
San Francisco, May 20, 1996 Ö Apple, IBM, Netscape, Oracle and Sun today
joined forces in the announcement of an unprecedented common set of
guidelines for developing low-cost, easy-to-use network computing
devices. On stage at San Franciscoæs Westin St. Francis Hotel,
representatives of the five companies disclosed details of an open NC
profile which will combine existing industry specifications to create a
reference platform for network computing devices.
9.10
This collaboration marks the first time that world-leading information
technology companies have joined to select specifications for Internet
appliances, an idea that has caught fire in less than a year, and has
demonstrated a future that encompasses the Personal Computer (PC) and a
broad range of new devices. Called ÉNC Reference Profile 1æ, the set of
guidelines is designed to make multimedia Internet computing as
ubiquitous as telephone and television services. It will promote
competition in a new class of communications and commerce devices for
use in homes, schools, businesses and institutions, and will ensure
compatibility of models from different manufacturers.
9.10
NC Reference Profile 1 will provide a common set of standard features
and functions across a broad range of scalable NCs. It is
architecturally neutral, and intended to facilitate the growth of the
network computing industry while protecting investments made by
customers, content providers, system providers, service providers and
application providers through industry-wide compatibility.
9.10
öWe believe that such a platform-neutral architecture opens broad
opportunities for moving personal computing into a new era,
characterized by the convergence of communications and multimedia,
especially in the form of the Internet,ò said Gil Amelio, chairman and
CEO of Apple Computer, Inc. öAs a pioneer in developing next-generation
computing devices, as demonstrated by the Pippin and Newton, we are
excited to contribute our expertise to this industry-wide effort to
define network computing guidelines.ò
9.10
öThe Reference Profile is one more step along the way to making network
computing a reality for customers,ò said John M. Thompson, senior vice
president and group executive, IBM. öIt will accelerate the development
of network computers, applications and content while ensuring their
compatibility. And it will increase the benefits of network computing by
reducing cost and putting the power of information in the hands of many
new users.ò
9.10
öNetscape, which champions the concept of open Internet standards,
warmly welcomes todayæs announcement, because it will help ensure that
these standards are incorporated in forthcoming devices,ò said Marc
Andreessen, vice president of technology at Netscape. öThese open
standards give customers freedom of choice and help drive innovation
which together make the Internet the hot bed of activity it is today.ò
9.10
öThis initiative has been formed in the interest of true open
computing,ò said Oracle chairman and CEO Lawrence J. Ellison. öLike the
Internet itself, the NC Reference Profile has the potential to set in
motion an industry that serves the interests of users instead of
software developers and hardware suppliers.ò
9.10
Scott McNealy, chief executive officer of Sun Microsystems, described
the NC Reference Profile as the most compelling proof statement of the
benefits of open standards.
9.10
öSun has proven, time and time again, that open standards provide a
level playing field which drives innovation and choice. And the ultimate
winner in this model is the user,ò said McNealy. öAdopting Sunæs NFS and
Java technologies with the other open standards in the NC Reference
Profile will provide all the vendors Ö from hardware manufacturers to
content providers Ö with a common set of guidelines that will jump-start
an entire industry.ò
9.10
NCs complying with the planned NC Reference Profiles may take many forms
Ö from desktops to laptops to video phones, pagers and even conventional
PCs. All these devices may be linked to the Internet or Intranet and run
basic applications such as Web browsers, email applications, word
processors, spreadsheets and presentation packages. In addition, NCs may
function as multimedia machines by supporting video email, 16-bit CD-
quality sound and digital videos.
9.10
The NC Reference Profile 1 sets guidelines for standard functionality,
but it does not impose limitations. Vendors interested in adding more
functionality to their NC implementations may do so because the
Reference Profile does not limit designs to a specific set of features.
9.10
Elements of the profile
9.10
The NC Reference Profile 1 covers general hardware guidelines, Internet
protocols, World Wide Web standards, email protocols, common multimedia
formats, boot protocols and security features.
9.10
The hardware guidelines cover a minimum screen resolution of 640╫480
(VGA) or equivalent, a pointing device (mouse or track ball), text input
capabilities and audio output. The agreed upon Internet protocols are
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP),
optional support of NFS to enable low-cost, medialess devices while
allowing for persistent storage in the network and SMTP, a protocol
enabling the distributed management of devices.
9.10
The profile further adheres to World Wide Web standards HTML, HTTP and
the Java Application Environment, as well as to mainstream mail
protocols (SMTP, IMAP4, POP3) and common data formats such as JPEG, GIF,
WAV and AU. Optional security features are supported through emerging
security APIs; security standards are ISO 7816 SmartCards and the EMV
(Europay/MasterCard/Visa) specification.
9.10
NC Reference Profile 1 will be made available for public comment and
review in July 1996 and is expected to be finalized by August 1996. The
draft published today can be viewed on the World Wide Web at http://
www.nc.ihost.com. (And itæs on the Archive monthly program disc. Ed.)
Future versions of the NC Reference Profile will be determined and
published by the participants in this announcement, with the involvement
of other interested parties, in response to changing technologies and
market requirements. In the third quarter of 1996, Apple, IBM, Netscape,
Oracle and Sun plan to organize a joint Web site with tests for profile
compliance. Manufacturers whose designs successfully meet the criteria
of the profile will be authorized to promote their devices as ÉNC
Profile compliantæ and to use the NC logo in connection with the
manufacturing, marketing and sales of NC products and product families.
9.10
Acorn to offer sub-$500 Internet device
9.10
Development agreement with Oracle results in quick-to-market devices.
9.10
May 20, 1996, San Francisco, CA Ö The Acorn Computer Group today
announced it will be among the first to organize the manufacture and
distribution of Network Computers, the low cost Internet machines which
Oracle has been promoting as the new wave of computing to follow on from
the personal computer. Products based on the reference designs, produced
for Oracle by Acorn, have been publicly demonstrated by Larry Ellison in
San Francisco and Amsterdam and will be available as soon as September
1996. The announcement, made at an Oracle press conference, comes just
four months after Acorn entered into an agreement with Oracle to develop
reference designs for a range of easy-to-use, low cost computing devices
based upon open Internet standards.
9.10
Acorn is able to bring the Acorn Network Computer to market quickly by
capitalizing on its work with sister company ARM Ltd in creating chips
for low cost interactive TV devices, such as set-top boxes. These
devices share many common features with the Network Computer, such as
the use of networks and sophisticated graphics from a low cost chip set.
Furthermore, these devices do not depend on local storage of
information.
9.10
Instead, the useræs information is stored on a network of servers. This
approach cuts out the need for expensive data storage devices within
each machine and greatly helps to simplify the design of the device and
thus reduce its cost.
9.10
öFor years, Acorn has been focusing its efforts on making the benefits
of computing technology more widely accessibleò, said Malcolm Bird,
Chief Executive of Acornæs Network Computing Division. öThe whole
industry has been slowly heading in this direction, and finally we are
entering the fourth wave of computing. Weæve gone from the mainframe, to
the minicomputer, to the PC and now to the Network Computer, with each
wave costing less, being easier to use, and offering access to more and
more people. Ellisonæs vision is one that we fully believe in as the
next step towards reaching the general consumer, and weære aiming to
make it happen as quickly and as simply as we can.ò
9.10
Acorn has garnered extensive user feedback and early reaction to the
functionality offered by such a device through its leadership of the
Cambridge Interactive Television Trial running since 1994. Trial
participants have recently been hooked up to the World Wide Web through
their TV sets. Making use of a broadband network, these participants
have been able to launch video and CD-quality audio from their favourite
Web sites. Using technology developed by Acorn, including anti-
twittering and anti-aliasing of text for a stable display on TV, the
trial set-top boxes, and forthcoming Network Computers, offer good
quality viewing of the Internet at a low cost.
9.10
NC Ö almost a one-chip computer
9.10
Acorn, has made use of its experience in producing high performance, low
cost RISC-based computer products to bring the Internet appliances to
fruition quickly. The current network computing devices developed by
Acorn are based on the ARM7500FE, a fully integrated RISC processor,
video and I/O controller offering much of the functionality of a Network
Computer on a single chip. The ARM7500 has earned global acceptance as a
low cost source of powerful digital intelligence. The processoræs high-
speed and cost-effective, low-power design make it ideally suited for
the Network Computer environment.
9.10
The Acorn Group is one of the leading high technology innovators and
suppliers in the world. Within the group, Acorn has expertise in the
development and marketing of advanced technology products, services and
licences which exploit emerging world standards in interactive
multimedia, from Internet to broadband digital iTV.
9.10
Acorn demonstrates first ever StrongARM network computer
9.10
May 20, 1996 Ö San Francisco, CA Ö Acorn today demonstrated the worldæs
first working prototype of a Network Computer, a low cost Internet
machine, to use the StrongARM processor. This new high performance
processor was jointly developed by ARM Ltd and DEC.
9.10
The StrongARM processor provides a significant performance advantage
over the already high-performance and low-cost ARM7500 family. The
200MHz StrongARM increases performance from circa 60,000 dhrystones to
over 300,000 dhrystones. Processor card upgrades for developers using
Acornæs Risc PC desktops will be available from Q3, 1996. The first
finished StrongARM Network Computer product design is expected in 1997.
9.10
Malcolm Bird, CEO of Acornæs Network Computer Division said öThe NC
prototype we are showing points the way to future high-performance NC
Reference Designs. We have said from the outset that we were developing
a range of product designs and this, coupled with the ARM7500FE-based
NC, widens the scope and applicability of the NC. Oracle has been very
public about its vision of different NCs being targeted at different
customer types Ö we are showing that NC philosophy provides for more
than just an entry level product.ò
9.10
The StrongARM NC prototype has been created using resources from across
the Acorn Computer Group and this is the first application of StrongARM
to be announced that utilizes the processor in a consumer appliance,
rather than a computer product.
9.10
The demonstration comes only weeks after Acorn announced it had
successfully initialised the prototype silicon, and had run its RISC OS
operating system, JPEG decompression software and a graphics rendering
application on a development system.áuá
9.10
No, this is NOT a carefully-worded press release making it sound as if
they demonstrated a StrongARM Netsurfer. They really did demonstrate it
Ö they did have a StrongARM running inside a Netsurfer box. Hey, these
ART guys (and gals!) are really flying at the moment! Ed.
9.10
Top Model
9.10
Alex Card
9.10
Top Model is the latest 3D modelling program for Acorn computers. It has
been written by Sincronia Multimedia of Italy and is to be marketed by
Spacetech. This is the first incarnation of the program, with more
powerful versions to follow. As it stands now, Top Model is still a very
powerful program and could well secure a niche in the Acorn market.
9.10
Four things immediately struck me about the program; the speed of
redraw, the 3D editing environment, the vast array of menus and icons
and öWow, this is so complicated, Iæll never get the hang of it!ò
9.10
Supplied on four discs, Top Model uses the Gordian protection system to
lock the program onto your hard disc. You can de-install it back to the
master floppy then re-install elsewhere if need be, but I found the
protection to be very unobtrusive once applied. In fact, the only
noticeable thing is the very brief display of the Gordian banner each
time the program is loaded. My only concern is that if for any reason
you decide, or are forced to re-format the hard disc, or accidentally
delete the program, you are well and truly stuck, and will have to
contact Spacetech to sort out the problem.
9.10
The remaining discs are composed of examples, textures, objects and
tutorials. Once youæve had the inevitable Éplay aboutæ, the tutorials
are the next logical step.
9.10
Easy Pisa?
9.10
Top Model is one of the most complex and powerful programs likely to be
encountered on the Acorn platform and certainly one where reading the
manual isnæt just an option, itæs essential!
9.10
The copy of the manual I received is very well set out. The two example
tutorials are superb, and introduce to the user many of the features of
the program, with pictures and step by step instructions. There may be a
slightly modified release manual, as the copy Iáreceived shows its
Italian heritage Ö there are a few grammatical errors and spelling
mistakes, but at no stage does it become incomprehensible. Other than
this, it is excellent, with clear diagrams, short examples on the use of
individual functions, and detailed descriptions of the various menus and
icons.
9.10
When in RAM!
9.10
Clicking on the Top Model icon brings up a slightly daunting memory
setup window. This asks you to specify the maximum number of points and
polygons, but deciding what youære going to require before youæve
created an object isnæt easy. If you have plenty of memory, you can
simply set high values but if you are running on a limited amount of
free RAM, it is worthwhile finding out how many points and polygons some
of the example files are using, to give you an idea of what sort of
values are likely.
9.10
Icon and on
9.10
There are six main elements to the user interface, with the main design
window being bordered by the toolbar and view panels. The numerous sub-
menus and windows could easily have turned into a nightmare were it not
for the well thought out and elegant way in which theyæve been
implemented. Anáexample of this is that panels may be moved
independently, or relative to the main window, and also that many sub-
menus are initially displayed in their minimum form so as not to clutter
up the screen unnecessarily.
9.10
If there is an Acorn program with more icons than Top Model, I certainly
canæt think of it and this will inevitably lead to some confusion. Since
the icons have to be small, I found it difficult to figure out what they
all stood for just by looking at them. Fortunately, thereæs also an
optional help bar that describes what the icon currently under the
pointer does. Often, the pointer will change into a message informing of
an available sub-menu. I think that the design of some of the icons
could have been improved Ö they are perhaps too colourful, detailed and
small to put over the gist of what they do. Certainly, they donæt
compare to similar packages such as Truespace2 on the PC.
9.10
The view bar dictates the form in which models are displayed; whether
points are highlighted, perspective is on, light sources are shown etc.
A major section of the view tools comprises the display options from
points, through wireframe, flat, gouraud and phong shading to high
quality 24-bit rendering. The chosen options affect the rate of redraw
and detail, and can be selected at any time to check progress.
9.10
The main toolbar is, in fact, two in one, consisting of select and
modify tools, and the creation tools. The common links between them are
the view and plane cubes which allow selection of the active face, or
full 3D perspective mode.
9.10
Modelled by design
9.10
In Create mode, the basic shapes are displayed Ö cubes, spheres,
pyramids, tori and pipes Ö and their associated controls mean that many
variants on the theme are instantly available. For example, a pyramid
becomes a cone or cylinder merely by adjusting its attributes. Surface
definitions can be applied which can radically alter the appearance of a
primitive, too. These are entered as numbers of vertical and horizontal
polygons so that, for instance, a sphere can appear to look like a
diamond by reducing the number of polygons that it is made from. Objects
can be set with either Polygon or Bezier characteristics, the latter
allowing for much greater control over the object, and is likely to be
required for the majority of detailed models whereas polygons give a
much more Éblockyæ appearance. In addition, Bezier surfaces can have
straight, smooth, circular or rounded surfaces (dependent on the
selected primitive).
9.10
Objects can be created either by clicking and moving within the main
window, or by directly entering values such as location, radius, height,
etc, within each primitive type sub-menu. If you still require something
a bit different, then all is not lost Ö polygons with any number of
edges can be created, or totally irregular shapes drawn freehand, and
turned into solids made up of a network of triangles. If all else fails,
there is a library of ready-made shapes such as bottles, vases and
stars.
9.10
Light sources are also dealt with in the creation tools, and Top Model
allows up to 1024 lights per scene! These can be any combination of the
three types; point, spot and sunlight. Intensity, position and colour
are specified for each source.
9.10
Select and modify mode
9.10
The scene you will have created is likely to be pretty basic and
geometric, but Select and Modify mode provides a bounty of powerful
tools to give realism to a scene or object. Individual points,
primitives, or entire objects, can be transformed in various ways;
dragged, scaled, rotated, mirrored, copied etc, and more complex changes
can be made such as deformation, twisting and extrusion.
9.10
In fact, there are so many tools that it is all a bit bewildering at
first, and takes some time before you get used to it and realise what
can be achieved. öThereæs more than one way to skin a catò is very true
of Top Model, and picking the best tool for a particular job isnæt
always obvious.
9.10
Top Model excels in its ability to manipulate points and objects, For
example, the magnetic drag option allows points to be chosen and
dragged, attracting adjacent points to greater or lesser degrees Ö very
useful for stretching sections or quickly creating relief and mountains.
The split tool is handy for adding extra points within polygons thus
enabling enhanced detail of objects. Lattice deformation is particularly
powerful Ö a cube is displayed around selected objects, and its vertices
can be dragged in realtime to Émouldæ the object to fit the shape.
9.10
Many Sweep tools merely wrap around a central axis but the one in Top
Model is far more versatile. It allows progressive resizing of the
initial shape and you can set the number of steps and the degrees of
rotation, so you could create a shrinking, rising spiral up the screen.
9.10
The Extrusion tool produces some strange but wonderful effects such as
ribbons, worms and even vases from a mere line or polygon. These are
applied to an envelope design with bevelling and rotation options.
9.10
All in all, this is a very versatile set of tools, although Iáthink that
an Undo operation needs urgently implementing, as recovering from a
mistake can be very time consuming and irritating. It is possible to
escape from the current changes, but once fixed thatæs it. Well, we
should now have a wireframe object, so what is needed next is to add
texture, material, colour and other attributes to it.
9.10
Give me assign
9.10
Built into the attributes are many pre-defined colours which can be
assigned to any selected objects or simply by dragging and dropping onto
an item. New colours can be created in the usual RGB colour picker
manner, and material types added such as plastic, glass and metal. Each
material comprises six parameters: ambience, diffusion, reflection,
gloss, transparency and refraction. By carefully altering these values,
some impressive effects can be produced, and to enhance the appearance
further, an object can be set as flat or smoothed. The smoothing will
create the illusion of rounded edges without the inconvenience of
creating curves.
9.10
Textures are applied by importing simple bitmap images. For this,
!ChangeFSI must have been Éseenæ, and any file format that is recognised
by that application can be utilised. Textures are then held within Top
Model and can be viewed as thumbnails to check that they suit the
purpose. Again, there are plenty of mapping techniques available for the
way in which a texture is applied.
9.10
If you donæt wish to create objects from scratch, you can import files
from the huge library of ready-made wireframes, and full models,
available from other packages. Currently, supported are Amiga GEO, DXF
wireframes, Imagine, 3D Studio, Sculpt 3D, Illusionist, FEMS, Lightwave,
POVRay, Render Bender II files and sprite and drawfiles, with others to
follow.
9.10
After some time of use, the program does become much easier to use, so
itæs well worth persevering with. The speed of redraw is impressive, and
Top Model will work on the entire range of RISCáOS computers, although
an A5000 or Risc PC would be desirable. I think that the Undo problem is
quite serious, and we really need an improvement over the very
rudimentary animation that exists at present.
9.10
Glancing ahead
9.10
Work is continuing on updating Top Model, and many new features (some of
which I have never heard of!) will be appearing as updates, or in the
professional version.
9.10
Improvements include: chrome mapping, fog, glass deformation, 32,000
colour mode support, up to 64 layer scenes, CSG (Constructive Solid
Geometry), import of text files, Blob objects, any surface as a light
source, support for import and export between other packages, modelling
utilities such as particle animation, shell and contour map generators.
There will also be much fuller implementation of animation and ray-
tracing for near photo-realistic effects and films.
9.10
StrongARM support is planned, and multi-processor support should be
added soon, so Top Model could well be one of the first programs to
benefit from the extra speed. There is no point in waiting for the
professional version, however, as an upgrade will be offered at a very
reasonable price. Apparently, there are already over 350 orders before
the package has even been released!
9.10
In addition to the proposed enhancements, a CD-ROM containing many more
example models and textures is planned. The graphic engine has been
licensed to Clares for inclusion in !Composition, Oregan for !Cineworks
and as a VRML2 browser for Oracleæs Network Computer. Impressive stats
to say the least.
9.10
3D into the future
9.10
Isnæt it always the way?! You can wait for the proverbial bus and then
two come along at once. This is the situation with 3D modelling on
Acorns, as Aspex have just launched their ÉDa Vinciæ program, their
successor to Architech. I havenæt seen Da Vinci, so I canæt comment on
it but can only say that it is in for some very tough competition with
Top Model. As it stands, Top Model, in this first release form, is
already superb, and the price of ú99 +VAT represents almost unbelievable
value, especially when compared to broadly similar packages on the PC.
Truespace 2, for example, is considered under-priced at around ú400
whilst the current ultimate package, 3D Studio, will set you back a
whopping ú2,500+!! Whilst Top Model is still some way off matching the
power of 3D Studio, it is nevertheless a stunning program and, at this
price, is an absolute bargain. Iæd have to say that it ranks right up
there with Sibelius in terms of excellence.
9.10
Top Model is produced by Sincronia Multimedia, and marketed in the UK by
Spacetech at ú99 +VAT, or ú110 through Archive.áuá
9.10
Club News
9.10
Derbyshire Acorn Risc Club Ö Meetings are held on the second Monday of
the month (except August) 7.30-9.30 p.m. at: Duffield Parish Hall, St
Alkmundæs Church, Duffield. Meetings include: July 8th Ö Barry Thompson
on Graphics with Artworks and DrawPlus, September 9th Ö ANT Internet,
and October 14th Ö Sibelius. Single Annual Membership ú15, Family Annual
Membership ú20, Visitoræs fee, ú2 per meeting. More details from the
chairman, Mike Smith, on 01629-540281.
9.10
Dutch Acorn Users Club
9.10
ÉThe Big Ben Clubæ proudly presents: Acorn Expo æ96, Saturday 22th June
1996, Mercury Hotel, Buizerdlaan 10, Nieuwegein (Utrecht), The
Netherlands.
9.10
This is a National Day for Acorn Computer Users featuring exhibitions/
promotions by various companies, including Dutch, German and British
Acorn dealers (including NCS!), demonstrations by club members, etc.
9.10
The venue is within easy reach: by public transport Ö bus stop close to
the door of the hotel (busline 116, from Central Station NS Utrecht), by
motor vehicle Ö direct to the motorway A2, 800 free parking-places in a
multi-storey car park.
9.10
More information at http://www.wi.LeidenUniv.nl/~rdevreug/bbc_expoe.html
or contact Herman Corijn, Public Relations, POáBoxá1189, 6801 BD Arnhem.
Telephone (answering machine) and fax: [phone].
9.10
RiscDOS Column
9.10
Mike Clarkson
9.10
This monthæs column contains a collection of the many hints and tips
which have flowed my way as a result of past columns and Jim
Nottinghamæs article ÉPCx86 Cards Ö Hints and Tipsæ in the 9.7 p34. Many
thanks to all who have contributed.
9.10
Printing
9.10
In Archive 9.2, I promised some help with printing, and asked for tips.
The almost universal (though small) response was that there was no
problem, and Iátherefore let the matter drop. However, it does seem
there can be some problems, particularly when using Computer Conceptsæ
TurboDrivers. These mainly occur because the TurboDrivers require the
use of a non-standard cable (presumably a form of software protection α
la dongle), with the result that output from a standard DOS or Windows
driver is not understood.
9.10
There are two solutions: one is to have a second cable handy, and swap
them over, which is clearly rather tedious. The other is to set up your
system as follows: from !PCConfig, choose öUse RISC OS printer stream
for LPT1ò, and disable öAllow PC Card to access parallel port directlyò.
This will send output via RISC OS, but you still need to have loaded
your TurboDriver for it to work; this will use up possibly very valuable
memory, and so you may be better to locate and load the !PrintQFS
application, which is in !CCShared, which itself is inside the !System
directory.
9.10
If you donæt know where your !System directory is, which is certainly
possible on a Risc PC, press <f12>, then type Show System$Dir <return>
and note down the file path you are given, then press <return> again to
return to the desktop. !PrintQFS is the only part of the TurboDriver
system required for printing from the PC card, so loading just this will
save on memory. If you are likely to do this on a regular basis, it
would probably be worth pinning !PrintQFS to the pinboard to avoid too
much directory hunting each time! The disadvantage of using this method,
as against a separate lead, is that sending output via RISC OS does
reduce printing speed. I have not found it a great problem, but others
might like to comment.
9.10
Error messages during booting
9.10
Several readers have offered solutions to the problem of missing error
messages during the PC card boot sequence, as outlined in Jimæs Hints &
Tips article; a combination of the following may help.
9.10
At the beginning of the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, there is a line @ECHO OFF.
Adding REM at the start of the line will cause all the lines to be shown
on screen. Adding PAUSE as a new line at some point within the file will
stop the display with the message öPress any key to continueò, which is
useful to determine precisely where an error is occurring.
9.10
Unfortunately, it seems that neither of these work with Win95, so I
havenæt checked them out myself Ö precisely how Win95 does boot is still
something of mystery to me Ö any offers?
9.10
However, perhaps easier and more useful than those (which may have their
uses in certain circumstances), is to press <f8> when the message
öStarting PC DOSò appears. You will then be asked to confirm each
command before it is carried out, making debugging easier Ö hopefully!
This does work under Win95 Ö press <f8> when öStarting Windows 95ò
appears Ö except that, instead of taking you straight to step-by-step
confirmation, you are given a menu, and can choose from there a variety
of methods of start up, including step-by-step confirmation.
9.10
Also in the realm of startup errors, you may find the file BOOTLOG.TXT
useful Ö a file created by Windows each time it starts up (at least I
think itæs each time) where Windows records which commands were
successful and which were not. Iæve never had to use it for debugging,
but it could be helpful.You might also want to note that it seems much
safer to play around with .BAT and .SYS files than with .INI files,
which seem to be much more sensitive, to judge from comments I have
received from various people. Always keep a copy before changing
anything!
9.10
Speeding up startup
9.10
Jim commented that one of the factors causing the PC card to take a long
time to boot is the testing of the memory allocated to it. He suggested
altering the card setup, but a couple of readers have come up with a
much simpler and more satisfactory solution. In CONFIG.SYS, find a line
(probably the first) which reads öDEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYSò, or
similar, and add to the end (but before the [0d]) ö/TESTMEM:OFFò. (Donæt
include the quotation marks!) This cuts out the test altogether, but
since memory these days is pretty reliable, and it is likely to have
been working under RISC OS, I donæt think that this is running a great
risk Ö I assume that RISC OS does a similar check on startup.
9.10
(It does indeed! The standard Power On Self Test (POST) checks the
memory, and if it fails, the screen will hold at a blank, red screen,
and the floppy drive light will flash out an error code in the form of
eight groups of four flashes. RAM failure is indicated by long flashes
in the second or third flash of the fourth block of four. Ed.)
9.10
Speeding up Windows
9.10
As we all know, Windows accesses the hard disc frequently, if not
constantly. One potentially major source of speed improvement can be had
by defragmenting the drive, since Windowsæ disc management is poor. This
is particularly so in the early days while applications are being
installed and various configuration files updated Ö the disc can become
very messy. Try the command DEFRAG from DOS on a fairly regular basis
and see if it helps. In Win95, select Disc Defragmenter via the System
Tools subset of the Programs option from the Start button. This will
also tell you how fragmented your disc is, and whether it considers it
worth defragging.
9.10
Speeding up RISC OS
9.10
Jim Nottingham has observed that having the !PCx86 application loaded
can slow down RISC OS filer operations very noticeably, depending on the
state of the !PCx86 application. Here are his results:
9.10
  Time increase
9.10
RISC OS only  Baseline
9.10
!PCx86 on iconbar (i.e. unbooted)  Zero
9.10
!PCx86 running but frozen  40%
9.10
!PCx86 running in RISC OS window  80%
9.10
The last of these is to be expected, at least to some extent, since both
processors are running, but the increase in time with the x86
application frozen may come as a surprise. I have briefly tried
replicating these, and donæt seem to find the same result, though I can
only try accessing directories as I still donæt have enough memory to
allow me to load very much under RISC OS while Windows is running.
Perhaps others might like to try, and also perhaps suggest a reason for
the slow down, if they get one?
9.10
PC time
9.10
The PC card takes its time from RISC OS, which means that the time
within Windows should always be the same as the time within RISC OS.
Except under Win95 it doesnæt! This is because Windows tries to guess
when British Summer Time begins, and adjust automatically. The problem
is that, if you have already set your RISC OS clock for BST, the PC will
change it again, thereby putting you out by an hour, as some may have
discovered last month. The answer lies in the PC control panel, under
Date/Time. Here, the Time Zone section offers the option of
öAutomatically adjust clock for daylight saving changesò Ö leave this
box unticked, and all will be well. As far as I can see, Win 3.xx
doesnæt try to be this clever...
9.10
PC value
9.10
Several readers have written asking about which PC card upgrade I would
choose. Iæm happy to try to help, based on the experience I have with
PCs of various specifications at work Ö but some figures worked out on
the basis of David Coronelæs performance figures in the April Archive
might be of interest. (See table below.)
9.10
I hope these figures are correct, and meaningful. (They represent öú per
Windows User overall benchmark figureò!) The lower the number, the
better value youæll be getting. Certainly, with a new RiscPC, the 5x86
looks expensive when compared with the DX4/100, costing twice as much
but only giving 36% better performance, according to Davidæs figures.
When it comes to upgrading from the original card, the SX33, the
performance figures are the improvement in performance from the 3.8
benchmark of the SX33 Ö and here, as you can see, you get very much the
same bangs per buck, as they say.
9.10
Software value
9.10
I mentioned in my last column the high price of PC software Ö
particularly the Ébasicsæ which are so often bundled with standard PCs
(Excel, Word etc) Ö and am grateful to Brian Baker who suggested that
the easiest route is to buy slightly old versions of software and
upgrade if necessary. One supplier he mentions in this regard is
Sterling Management Systems Ltd., 13-15 Barrack Road, Guildford, Surrey,
GU2 6RU (01483-301331). Since (as far as I can tell) they are hardly
likely to be competitors to NCS, I trust Paul wonæt mind me including
them here.
9.10
And finally...
9.10
Do keep the comments coming. My address is MikeáClarkson, Riggæs Hall,
The Schools, Shrewsbury, SY3 7AZ. I can also be emailed as
[e-mail], but since I rely on the school (PC) network
for email, I canæt guarantee to check it very frequently. Thought for
the month: before Windows 95, was the Sinclair ZX81 the last computer
product to be named after a year? Any similarities?áuá
9.10
Card/if bought   With RiscPC  Separately  Upgrade from SX33
9.10
DX2/80  ú175/8.1 = 21.6  ú293/8.1 = 36.2  ú175/4.3 = 40.7
9.10
DX4/100  ú234/9.2 = 25.4  ú351/9.2 = 38.2  ú234/5.7 = 41.0
9.10
5x86/100  ú469/12.5 = 37.52  ú586/12.5 = 46.9  ú351/8.7 = 40.3
9.10
System Variables Ö Part 1
9.10
Andrew Berry
9.10
This is the first of three articles on the subject of system variables.
The first two parts deal with some of the most common system variables,
how they are used and why you might need to use them. The final article
describes how to set and unset system variables, including an
explanation of the different types available.
9.10
System variables
9.10
System variables are used to store various pieces of information which
affect the way in which the computer works. For example, a system
variable can tell the computer which application should load a
particular type of file; another contains details of the date format. A
set of default system variables is present when the computer is first
turned on, but the list is added to by many applications as they are
Éseenæ by the filer.
9.10
Listing the variables
9.10
To display a list of the current system variables, type *Show at the
command line (i.e. having pressed <f12>) or in a task window (i.e.
having pressed <ctrl¡f12>). This will display all the currently defined
variables in alphabetical order. Donæt worry if you donæt understand
what all the lines mean Ö many are only used internally and wonæt need
to be altered. As for the others, I will try to explain what the most
common types do and how to alter them (or indeed why you would want to!)
If you are writing a RISC OS application, it is likely that you will
need to set your own system variables at some time.
9.10
After reading this article, you may wish to display selected groups of
system variables only, as the complete list can be very long. Following
the *Show command with the name of a particular variable will cause it
to be displayed, for instance:
9.10
*Show Obey$Dir
9.10
The name may also be wildcarded using *, so to display all the run types
use:
9.10
*Show Alias$@RunType*
9.10
Obey$Dir
9.10
One of the most-used system variables is one called Obey$Dir. Each time
a file of type Obey (&FEB) is run, including each time an application is
seen by the filer or is double-clicked on, Obey$Dir is set to the
pathname of the directory containing the obey file. For instance, if an
obey file in a directory $.Apps on a disc called ÉProgramsæ was run,
Obey$Dir would be set to ÉADFS::Programs.$.Appsæ. It would then remain
set to this until another obey file was run.
9.10
The !Run file in most applications contains a line which runs the main
program, !RunImage, through use of the *Run command. It would be
possible for this line to contain the full pathname of the !RunImage
file, but if the application were then moved into a different directory,
this pathname would no longer be correct. For this reason, Obey$Dir is
used as follows, the angular brackets being used to denote a system
variable.
9.10
Run <Obey$Dir>.!RunImage
9.10
Because the !Run file is an Obey file, the system variable Obey$Dir will
be set to the pathname of the application when the file is run. When the
above line is reached, É<Obey$Dir>æ is replaced by the pathname of the
application. In this way, the application can always find its resources,
regardless of its position in the directory structure. For example, if
an application called !App was in the root directory of a disc called
ÉProgramsæ, then the above line would be executed as though it read
9.10
Run ADFS::Programs.$.!App.!RunImage
9.10
App$Dir
9.10
The problem with using Obey$Dir is that it is redefined each time an
obey file is run. If an application needs to load a file from within its
directory after it is first loaded, Obey$Dir cannot be used because it
is likely to have changed since the application was started. To avoid
this problem, it is necessary to set a new system variable when the
application is first run. This is achieved by including the following
line in the !Run file
9.10
Set App$Dir <Obey$Dir>
9.10
where App is replaced by the name of your application, for instance
ÉEasiWriter$Diræ. Note that this line must come before the line which
runs !RunImage.
9.10
When the application is run, Obey$Dir will be set to the pathname of the
application as described earlier. The *Set command then defines App$Dir
to be the same as Obey$Dir at that time. Even if Obey$Dir later changes
(as it will if any obey file is run), App$Dir will remain unchanged and
so the application will always be able to find its resources. All that
must be done is to replace any occurrences of <Obey$Dir> in the program
with <App$Dir>. Although this is not strictly necessary in the !Run
file, it is essential for any files which will be loaded after the
application has first started.
9.10
App$Path
9.10
This is similar to App$Dir, but there are two important differences ù
the pathname includes a trailing É.æ and the variable can hold many
pathnames, separated by commas. App$Path should be used when an
application holds resources in more than one directory. The directories
listed are searched in the order given until the required file is found.
9.10
Once an App$Path variable has been set up, there is no need to use
<App$Path> as the shortened form ÉApp:æ can be used. For example, to
access the file É<App$Path>Dir.Somefileæ, you can use
ÉApp:Dir.Somefileæ.
9.10
For an example of an App$Dir variable type É*Show System$Pathæ. Under
RISC OS 3.1, this will display something like
9.10
ADFS::IDEDisc4.$.!System.
9.10
If your program needs to load a module called Émodæ, it can use
ÉSystem:Modules.modæ and the module will be loaded from within the
!System application. On machines fitted with RISC OS 3.5 or later,
typing É*Show System$Pathæ will produce something more complicated, such
as
9.10
Sys:360.,Sys:350.,Sys:310.,Sys:200.,
9.10
ADFS::HardDisc4.$.!Boot.Resources.
9.10
!System.
9.10
This is in fact a list of pathnames which point to various directories
within the !System application, and you can see these directories by
opening the !System directory from the desktop (hold down <shift> and
double-click on !System). You will notice that the variable System$Path
contains references to another variable, Sys$Path (shown by Sys:). If
you type É*Show Sys$Pathæ you will see something like
9.10
ADFS::HardDisc4.$.!Boot.Resources.
9.10
!System.
9.10
The variable System$Path can therefore be used to load any module from
any of the directories within !System. For instance, to load a module
called Émodæ, you can use ÉSystem:Modules.modæ in exactly the same way
as under RISC OS 3.1. The directories Sys:360, Sys:350 and so on are
searched in turn for the file Émodæ. It is the use of App$Path type
variables which make this possible.
9.10
Next month
9.10
Next month, Iæll look at a few more types of system variable which
youære likely to come across. Setting system variables will be covered
in the third article, but in the meantime, the program !SystemVar, on
the monthly disc, will allow you to read, set and delete system
variables without using the command line ù full instructions are
provided on the disc.
9.10
If you have any comments or corrections concerning this article, please
write to me at: 39 Lancaster Avenue, Sandiacre, Nottingham, NG10 5GW.áuá
9.10
Mechanisms CD-ROM
9.10
David Smith
9.10
Mechanisms is a learning and teaching !Genesis application from Creative
Curriculum Software which runs on both RISC OS and Windows. As a teacher
of Technical Education in Scotland, and an Acorn enthusiast, I looked
forward to reviewing Mechanisms, as it appears to be one of the few
applications which will ideally suit the Scottish Standard Grade
Technological Studies syllabus. As it turns out, it does this admirably
and will also be ideal for GCSE Engineering and Technology courses.
Science teachers will also find some of the content useful.
9.10
The main filer window contains the Acorn and Windows applications and
copies of !Genesis Browser (the read-only public distribution !Genesis
Professional program), and also the Resources and Movies directories
which contain a variety of support materials which relate to the
teaching pack included with the CD-ROM. All diagrams, drawings and
photos are supplied as sprites. A number of CSV files are supplied which
can be used in spreadsheet and database applications.
9.10
The review was done on a 9Mb RiscPC600 with a Cumana double-speed CD-ROM
drive. The minimum requirement is RISC OS 3.1 and 4Mb RAM.
9.10
Starting up
9.10
On double-clicking on the Acorn folder in the main filer window, the
window shown below appears.
9.10
Double-clicking on the !Mechs icon loads !Browser and then runs the
Mechanisms application. An attractive animated title page appears. From
this, you can link to the Help, Principles or Main Page sections. The
supplied instructions gave a short and clear description of how to use
the program. The Help section repeats the information on-screen, and it
can be accessed at any time whilst using the main program.
9.10
!Genesis allows a variety of methods of moving through a document.
Double-clicking on one of the page Éleavesæ allows movement linearly
from page to page; either forward or backward.
9.10
Clicking directly on a diagram on one of the Theory pages links you
directly to the appropriate Examples index. Clicking on the page title
links back to the start of the section, and individual pages can be
closed by the standard use of the ÉCloseæ cross. Although there is some
logic behind the linking methods used, they are difficult to get used
to, and regular confusion arises. This could prove to be a major
irritant when the program is being used in the classroom. Pupils can
easily become Élostæ. I would prefer a set of standard linking icons on
each page which will allow direct links to the start of each section.
This system is used to good effect in other applications.
9.10
Structure of the application
9.10
The main sections are ÉPrinciplesæ and ÉExamplesæ. Aáshort introductory
section explains the basic theory of machines and mechanisms; forces and
motion. This includes the use of the Input-Process-Output systems
approach to technology. Correct standard symbols are illustrated for
each mechanism.
9.10
On completion of the general introduction, a more extensive explanation
of eight fundamental mechanisms is given: Cams, Pulleys, Gears, Levers,
the Inclined Plane, Cranks, Chain and Sprocket and Linkages.
9.10
The theory of each mechanism is introduced by means of a combination of
concise text with both animated and video examples. The theory may be
reinforced at any time by accessing examples of real machines, either by
clicking on any diagram in the theory section, or by clicking on the
Éexamplesæ icon at the end of the section.
9.10
A wide variety of examples is given. These allow a fundamental
understanding of each Émechanismæ and the use of Acorn Replay movies and
animated diagrams makes the whole learning process enjoyable. The
mathematical concepts of Mechanical Advantage, Velocity Ratio and Gear
Ratios are explained, with supporting examples. One desirable inclusion
to future versions would be a series of on¡screen tutorials in order to
reinforce these quite difficult areas of study.
9.10
Level of study
9.10
Mechanisms is suitable as a basic revision package for Higher Grade and
A-Level students but its main use will be up to Standard Grade and GCSE
levels. Secondary 1 and 2 pupils will also find it an excellent resource
package for use in investigations. Teachers could use Mechanisms as a
teaching aid, but its best use will be as a pupil-centred resource for
investigation and revision purposes.
9.10
The supplied teaching package is somewhat conservative in its design but
offers a variety of appropriate activities for use with the program.
Worksheets can be used to guide the student around the application and
suggest activities for using the Resources section. Most teachers will
probably modify the package to suit their own courses.
9.10
Pupilsæ opinions
9.10
Four pupils in S2 and S4 acted as Éguinea-pigsæ and used Mechanisms
intensively over a two-week period. All of the pupils thought the
information was well presented and easily understood, and agreed that
the program complemented their classwork well.
9.10
They said that not enough use was made of animations and, especially,
video sequences.
9.10
A major grumble was that the page linking methods were not good. They
regularly lost their position in the program when trying to link from
the examples back to the theory section. (This confirmed my own
opinions!)
9.10
Other sections
9.10
Mechanisms contains two other sections Ö Days Out and Do it Yourself.
9.10
Do It Yourself simply gives details of some commercially available kits
which are appropriate for building prototype mechanisms. This section is
little more than advertisements for the firms involved, and fails to
mention some major alternatives Ö Fischertechnik being an obvious
omission.
9.10
Days Out gives four examples of visits to the Snowdon Mountain Railway,
Harewood Traction Engine Rally, Crakehall Watermill and the Leeds and
Liverpool Canal. Each is explained in detail and complements the other
main sections in the program well. A welcome addition would be a
database of similar attractions throughout Britain.
9.10
Using Windows
9.10
Mechanisms runs at a workable speed using the standard 486 card on the
RiscPC. It uses an unattractive default font, and no video clips would
run. The latter may have been due to the lack of the appropriate Windows
video replay program, but the animated start-up screen is not available
in Windows Ö this leads to the conclusion that all video clips are
unavailable. There appears to be no reason to run the Windows version
anyway and this shortcoming will probably not be a problem.
9.10
Conclusions
9.10
At first glance, the design and layout of Mechanisms appears somewhat
plain and uninteresting when compared to, for example, Dorling
Kindersleyæs ÉThe Way Things Workæ. However, after using Mechanisms for
a while, it becomes apparent that its laid-back style is well suited to
its main purpose Ö that of a serious teaching and learning aid for use
in schools. It is not simply Éedutainmentæ.
9.10
Despite my complaints about its confusing page-linking methods, I have
no hesitation in recommending Mechanisms as a well-produced and
informative package which will prove to be an invaluable acquisition to
any schoolæs Engineering and Technology department. I look forward to
the forthcoming Structures CD-ROM from Creative Curriculum Software
which is due to be released later in 1996.
9.10
Mechanisms CD-ROM costs ú69 +VAT for a single user version and ú99 +VAT
for a site/network licence (ú79 and ú115 respectively through Archive).
Both versions include the Resource Pack and come on a dual format CD-
ROM.áuá
9.10
Comment Column
9.10
Acornæs future Ö I must agree totally with the comments of Richard Teall
(9.9 p38). Whilst I wholeheartedly support the JV company initiative,
Iáthink that Brendan OæSullivan and his team must take note of the fears
of many teachers, and ensure that the Xemplar WWW pages are more
representative of the product range they sell.
9.10
As Mike Cook stated in the latest Acorn User, his royalties from Mac
programs account for very little whereas his Acorn royalties are quite
significant.
9.10
Additionally, Xemplar must get the dealer situation sorted out. In my
part of the world (Surrey going into London), Calancraft were the Acorn
Educational Agents but they were not appointed Xemplar agents. I gave
them information about my wifeæs school, but Iáfear there is little they
can do!
9.10
Perhaps it is time for the Éoldæ Acorn Educational Agents, software
developers, hardware developers and I.T. coordinators to write to
Xemplar reminding them that they have a market already and that getting
new customers is much, much harder than retaining existing customers.
9.10
Keith Parker <[e-mail]>
9.10
Alsystemsæ Power-tec SCSI2 card Ö Because the Power-tec card has a Flash
ROM on it, it is possible to reprogram the ROM from software supplied on
floppy disc. This means that it is cheap and simple to update it. With
every new version of the software, it just gets better and better. The
Power¡tec card is Énew FileCore awareæ allowing RISC OS 3.6 machines to
access large discs as a single logical drive without partitioning. It
will recognise DOS format hard discs and removables and access them
through DOSFS allowing you to read and write to them just as you can
with DOS format floppy discs. Recently, this has been extended so that
you can also initialise a hard disc in DOS format. In fact, you can even
create a mixture of DOS and RISC OS format partitions on the same disc,
up to a maximum of eight logical disc devices. This will be good news
for anyone who needs to be able to exchange material with PCs on
SyQuests or other removable hard disc cartridges.
9.10
James Taylor, NCS
9.10
ArtLesson CD Ö Thanks very much for the very positive review of my CD by
Rob Ives and Helen Constable (9.9 p63). I would like to offer an extra
comment if I may.
9.10
Rob mentioned that he was not too keen on the fixed window aspect of the
program, and readers may like to know how they can alter this if they
too wish it were different!
9.10
If you have Genesis Pro, it is quite possible to copy the teaching bit
of ArtLesson onto your hard disc. Itáis just over 20Mb in size. You can
then load it into your own copy of Genesis and re-style the pages and
windows to your heartæs content. It is the PhotoCD which takes up the
vast bulk of the content of the CD, and this can stay on it.
9.10
I actually designed the program without window frames and re-sizing
icons because I noticed that that is how the professional CD-ROMs from
Anglia, and others, are designed. In my innocence, I thought that that
was Éthe thing to doæ, and that the program would look a bit naff if it
didnæt look like all the rest!
9.10
I have learned my lesson now, and I agree that the ability to resize the
windows independently is probably much more useful. I have written three
more CDs since then, which will be published by Topologika this year,
and I have made the windows re-sizeable. On the other hand, donæt be put
off by the ArtLesson format because no-one has complained about it. It
runs happily on all makes of Acorn, and is only the same as Angliaæs CDs
anyway!
9.10
Christopher Jarman <[e-mail]>
9.10
Beware ÉCall waitingæ Ö In the May issue, there was discussion of
creating a pause during dialling with a modem.
9.10
I guess we have similar telephone services in NZ as in the UK. We have a
service called Écall waitingæ which enables a telephone conversation to
be interrupted by a beep, signalling that someone else is trying to get
through Ö ideal with lots of children around.
9.10
During Internet sessions, the last thing I want is for a signal to come
through and disturb the link. Others clearly feel the same and our
Telecom people have created the code *52 to suspend the call waiting
service for the duration of the call that one is making (to the Net).
9.10
When I use this code, I follow it with a wait, for which we use code W,
in preference to commas, which you mentioned. W gives a two second
pause.
9.10
Thus my login script begins with: *52W
9.10
Alan Jackson <[e-mail]>
9.10
Epson GT9000 software Ö To add to David Crossleyæs comment in Archive
9.9 p41 about the Twain driver for the Epson GT9000 scanner having less
than ideal control of image quality, it should be noted that the GT9000
has five pre-defined contrast settings available and seven for
brightness.
9.10
Twainæs ÉQualityæ dialogue has sliders with 21 divisions, zero through
to 20, which implies a wide range of settings. Unfortunately, they
access only the hardwareæs fixed settings, and Epson users would be best
advised to do some test scans for reference purposes before getting down
to serious usage. It will be found that the lowest slider setting gives
greatest contrast, and the highest setting gives very nearly the least
contrast. The first thirteen Contrast slider divisions all give
identical results.
9.10
A similar Ésteppedæ arrangement applies to ÉBrightnessæ.
9.10
David Pilling, the author of Twain, is well aware of this shortcoming
and has promised to produce something more intuitive before too long.
9.10
Malcolm Knight <[e-mail]>
9.10
French prophet Ö (The French prophet who didnæt make a profit!) In
October 1994, when Acornæs shares went to a low of 90p, Bernard
Maugoust, from Villeneuve in France, wrote in the Help!!! Column...
9.10
öI have some money to go towards buying a RiscPC, but only about half of
what I need. Iæd like therefore to invest that money in Acorn shares so
that, in 2-3 years time, when the next generation of amazing Acorn
computers appears, Iæll be able to buy one as the shares will have
doubled in value Ö well, thatæs the theory. The trouble is that I live
in France. Can anyone help me to buy them directly from a UK broker as
the procedure for doing that from France is far from easy?ò
9.10
No-one sent him any help. He did not buy any shares Ö and now look at
the share price!!!!
9.10
Sorry, Bernard, the Acorn enthusiast community let you down!
9.10
Ed.
9.10
Hard disc speeds Ö I have recently bought a Rapide32 fast IDE interface
and an 850Mb Quantum hard drive for my original (home-based) RiscPC 600.
The combination is certainly much faster than the original 425Mb drive
on the Acorn IDE interface. One of the utilities supplied with the card
is a simple hard drive speed tester. It is nothing fancy, a WIMP front
end simply using OS calls to write chunks of data to a file at the
current pointer position, and when the file size reaches 5Mb, it simply
starts at the beginning again, continuously reporting the writing speed.
Since it works with any drive, I went around the department, testing
randomly selected machines.
9.10
The fastest speed was not surprisingly the new interface, reporting an
average speed of 3600kb/s. The 425Mb drive on the Acorn interface on the
same machine reached 1600kb/s. This speed was almost exactly duplicated
by the machine in my office (also a 30MHz PC600 with RISC OS 3.5).
However, two newer RiscPCs (33 MHz PC600, RISC OS 3.6), both with 425 Mb
drives, could only manage 1450 kb/s. Does this mean the later drives, as
supplied by Acorn, are slower, or that RISC OS 3.6 is slower thaná3.5?
9.10
Moving to earlier machines, an early A5000, now fitted with 230Mb and
100Mb drives (both from Beebug) reported 900kb/s and 600kb/s
respectively. A later A5000, fitted with the original 80Mb drive,
managed only 500kb/s.
9.10
A Conner 425Mb/HCCS IDE interface combination fitted to a A420 reached
1200kb/s, while our oldest A300 (ca. 1988, but obviously upgraded to
ARM3, RISC OS 3.1, etc), fitted with an ICS IDE interface and 170Mb
Conner drive was consistently running at a little over 1500kb/s.
9.10
These tests are not claimed to be definitive, but do reveal that the
third party IDE interfaces and drives do tend to be faster than the
Acorn-supplied ones. The final test on a A400 machine with original 40Mb
ST506 drive, which crawled along at about 150kb/s before the program
crashed with a full hard disc, shows what we used to think was high
speed.
9.10
Chris Johnson <[e-mail]>
9.10
High quality fonts (1) Ö Last month (9.9áp78), Dave Floyd asked for
information regarding high quality fonts. That is, fonts that are fully
RISC OS3.1+ and with full kerning information. His suggestion was to
look at the EFF range, as although they are expensive (Acorn pricing
levels), they were the only real solution to Acorn users.
9.10
Many people may well be aware that there is anotherásupplier of high
quality and professional fontsáto the Acorn market and that is The Font
Company Ltd. Soáfar, they have converted the entire Monotype Library of
over 600 fonts and are now embarking on the URW and Letraset libraries
(aámere 10,000 to go).
9.10
The fonts are fully licensed by Monotype and have full scaffolding and
hinting, have full kerning information, and work with RISC OS 3.1+. So
far, Iáhave purchased five (of the eight) packs with no regrets, and I
look forward to buying the remaining three packs in due course.
9.10
The packs contain (on average) 50 fonts/weights/styles and cost a mere
ú60 (inc p&p) direct from the Font Company, or via Archive.
9.10
I know that T-J Reproductions use them and have no problems running them
through their imagesetters (something Mac users often complain about)
and actively recommend them to their customers.
9.10
May I suggest that interested customers contact the Font Company Ltd.
They will supply you with a brochure of the packs with illustrations of
each font in each pack.
9.10
Keith Parker <[e-mail]>
9.10
High quality fonts (2) Ö (9.9 p78) One source of good quality fonts is
the CorelDraw3 CD which I have seen advertised lately in the PC mags at
under ú40. It contains about 50 families with 280 Adobe type 1 format
fonts which are easily converted using Acornæs !T1toFont (v1.26) and an
extended encoding file. With this version of T1toFont, the scaffolding
and kerning information is kept intact after conversion.
9.10
Most of what you require is on the CD in different names, and there is a
list of the trademark equivalents, e.g. Avalon = Avante Garde, Dixeland
=áZapf Dingbats, etc. To anyone without a PC card (like me), there are
only an additional 400 pictures available in WMF and BMP format files,
but with the card, you can also access hundreds of clipart files. (Or
does someone know of a program to convert Corel format files to the
Acorn, so that I can use them too, please?)
9.10
The extended encoding file and details of the alterations to the Message
file are on the monthly program disc.
9.10
Brian Cocksedge, Midhurst, West Sussex
9.10
Pocket Book cases Ö The notice in the June Archive (9.9 p6) prompts me
to mention that an excellent case for a Pocket Book can be bought for
only ú6.95. You can buy it at any of the John Lewis department stores
where it is sold as a miniature camera case. It is a perfect size, has a
pocket that can be used for spare batteries and flash cards, and comes
with a loop for a belt and a shoulder strap.
9.10
Sherwin Hall <[e-mail]>
9.10
Power-tec SCSI-2 cards Ö Can I confirm what Keith Faulkner of Alsystems
stated about this card and scanners (9.9 p44)?
9.10
I have just purchased my first flatbed scanner for my RiscPC, and I got
ImageMaster and a Twain driver from David Pilling Ö the setup of Mustek
Paragon 800SP and ImageMaster works very well and was most definitely
ÉPlug æn Playæ.
9.10
As it happens, I also have a Umax PowerLook2 Ö aámighty beast hooked up
to an Apple PowerMac 7100. It is done that way because of Photoshop3
(brilliant program, especially for photo re-touching, but very expensive
and slow), and I asked David Pilling about a Twain driver for the
PowerLook2 and he emailed me one.
9.10
I have recently ordered Photodesk2, and will try this setup shortly (in
the hope of dumping my PowerMac), so I asked David about SCSI cards and
he said that almost any Acorn SCSI card would be fast enough for any
flatbed scanner currently on the market, because the data is Ésuckedæ in
fairly slowly. (This cheered me up because thoughts of ú200 for the
Power-tec/Cumana SCSI-2 or YES SCSI-3 had come into my mind.) Now, if
only ImageMaster could go as fast as the Umax Mac driver!
9.10
Keith Parker <[e-mail]>
9.10
Risc User April 1996 Ö As the writer of the DTP Workshop in Risc User,
naturally I agree with our august editoræs comments (9.9 p47) and I know
many of the Risc User contributors like and respect Archive. Long may
the Acorn Écommunity spiritæ continue.
9.10
Regarding the CHRP (PPCP) article, Alex Bienek works for ART, and I
found it interesting that he speculated (at the end of a very technical
article) about placing an ARM processor on the CHRP processor bus and
this leading to the possibility of a CHRP platform containing only an
ARM processor, or an array of ARM processors, for multi-processor,
multitasking OSs such as TAOS.
9.10
Who said that ART had no vision? What a thought Ö the prospect of five
StrongARMs inside a CHRP box? When can I have one, please?!
9.10
Keith Parker <[e-mail]>
9.10
Risc User May 1996 Ö Well done again, Richard! Another good issue of
Risc User. I hate to say this, but I think readers ought to be
subscribing to both Risc User and Archive! The particular articles to
draw attention to this time are two good articles about the Internet by
Robin Watts, an inside view of ANT (so to speak) by Carol Atack, in
which she gives some feeling for what itæs like developing software for
Oracle, a glowing review of Font Directory 2, and, most important of
all, an interview with Peter Bondar.
9.10
In this interview, Peter talks about a range of subjects including:
improving the interoperability of Apple/Acorn, possible new versions of
RISC OS, the likelihood of technology Éspin-offæ from certain major
projects back into the RiscPC market, the future(?) of the CHRP project,
and questions as to whether the Stork will ever be born.
9.10
Ed.
9.10
VerbMaster-German Ö This got a glowing review last month, but stupidly
(sorry!) I forgot to put the address of the author in the Factfile. It
is Nigel Caplan, 33 Alwoodley Lane, Leeds, LS17 7PU.
9.10
Ed.
9.10
You never had it so good Ö Colin Singletonæs comment (Archive 9.1 p30)
on the growth of RAM and hard disc capacities set me thinking. Not only
memory and storage, but processor speeds and capabilities have shown
incredible rates of increase in just the last 20 years. In the æ70s, we
were wondering how to make use of a novel integrated circuit chip Ö the
4004 Ö which was very powerful and fast, and handled bits four at a
time. Soon the 8008 and then the 8080 with an 8-bit bus came along,
shortly followed by the 8086. The latter was a real landmark, as it was
the begetter of the whole range of 80x86 processors, up to and including
the current electric toaster simulators running at 100 MHz or so with up
to 64-bit buses.
9.10
Indeed, it was the entry of the mighty IBM into the microcomputer field
that led to de facto standardisation which is now clearly seen as
premature Ö all subsequent machines had to be able to run 8086 programs.
The effects of this event are all too clear in the freezing of what has
been called ÉIndustry Standardæ into an obsolete mould. In computing,
even 5 years old is Éantediluvianæ. Just peek at the files in a Windows
directory to see the expedients and Éfixesæ Ö drivers for extended
memory, expanded memory etc Ö needed within this straitjacket to exploit
the capabilities of later and more powerful processors.
9.10
There was always competition, however, though most of it tended to get
squeezed out of all but specialist areas once the great steamroller got
running. Zilog developed an enhanced version of the 8080 and called it
Z80. It was with this chip that (now Sir) Clive Sinclair powered his
ZX80 computer, which gave the UK the highest penetration of home
computers in the world. Many are still around Ö it isáaáfavourite for
controlling ÉMicroMiceæ in maze-running competitions. And, of course,
the Spectrum which followed continued the good work.
9.10
Away from the 8008 derivatives, however there were other processor
designs Ö notably the 6502 (still an 8¡bit device) which powered the BBC
Computer and the breakthrough into the schools market. It must have been
a good design since it appeared in my first computer, an Ohio Scientific
bare board, in 1978. This came with 1Kb of RAM, though I eventually
managed to extend this to some 40Kb by various paging tricks. Competing
with the 6502 were Motorolaæs 680x 8-bit processors, forerunners of the
6800x which powered the earlier Apple Macintosh computers.
9.10
The limitations of the 8-bit bus, capable of addressing directly only
1Mb of memory (which included the operating system, screen display and
any languages such as Basic) did have the effect of concentrating the
minds of programmers wonderfully. Off-line storage was usually on
cassette tapes (at 300 bits/sec), though floppy discs appeared later, so
Évirtual memoryæ hardly provided a let out. I suspect that a generation
of programmers reared on the BBC have helped to keep Acorn programming
compact and efficient. I am not sure we have advanced when I contemplate
the profligate use, I would say waste, of resources in typical present-
day Éindustry standardæ PC programming. And as for W95...
9.10
Though the BBC had this limitation, various expedients and expansions
eased it. Thus there was the Aries board which provided a separate 20Kb
of screen memory, and, most significant of all, the Acorn ÉTubeæ which
allowed second processors and extra memory to be bolted on. Acornæs
early expertise here surely bore fruit with the RiscPC and its (up to
five) additional processors. The Torch was one Tube add-on that brought
a pair of 5╝ö floppy discs and a Z80 processor which ran CPM Ö a multi-
platform operating system which preceded the later ÉDOSæsæ.
9.10
Mentioning floppy discs reminds me of my second computer, pre-BBC, which
was a somewhat offbeat animal called a Transam Tuscan. It ran CPM with a
Z80 on an S100 bus Ö more shadows from the grave! However, I did get a
pair of Micropolis 5╝ö hard-sectored disc drives for it. They stored
35Kb on each side and were unbelievably fast after the cassette tapes.
9.10
I later actually got a hard disc for the BBC Ö this was the size of a
shoe box, held 20Mb, and cost ú1,000. At that rate and allowing for
inflation, even the National Lottery could hardly afford a modern 2Gb
disc.
9.10
I havenæt yet mentioned the Commodore Pet, at one time very popular, but
I am reminded of seeing one still going strong in our local hospital,
complete with 8ö floppy disc drive. I wonder how many of those would be
needed to compose one CD-ROM?
9.10
Other advances over the last decade include such things as the
Transputer, now extensively used in vast high-power multi-processor
arrays for really serious number-crunching. It was developed under
government auspices, but sold off abroad by utterly unenlightened
politicians. But we can be very proud of Acornæs contributions. After
the roaring success of the BBC, it took courage to break the chains and
start with a new architecture for a range of 32-bit RISC computers,
while the ÉIndustry Standardæ remained stuck in the mire. A superb
operating system, the original concept of which has needed only
development, not replacement, economical and efficient programming and
very fast processors all stand to its credit. And now StrongARM is
making the most sceptical sit up. The next 20 years should be
interesting.
9.10
Eric Ayers, Ipswich
9.10
Acornæs share price over the last eight months
9.10
i.e. since David Lee became MD.
9.10
A = First rumour of Oracle deal
9.10
B = NY Times article about Acorn/Oracle
9.10
C = Oracle deal publicly announced
9.10
D = Joint Venture announced
9.10
E = Rumours of Netsurfer abound
9.10
Help!!!!
9.10
Acorn Online Media Ö Graham Jones, who used to write about AOM matters,
has become somewhat over-worked of late and cannot continue with this
role. Would anyone be interested in taking over? It would mean that I
would feed you with any information, press releases, etc, so that you
could churn out an occasional article about what is happening on the
set-top box front.
9.10
We could possibly combine it with the Acorn Network computing side of
things which is moving even faster, so you might almost have something
to write about each month. This is an important area, partly because it
is changing so rapidly, and partly because it is the source of major
funding for Acorn which enables other projects to benefit!
9.10
If you would be interested in covering either or both of these areas, do
get in touch. (It would help if you have email access.) Thanks.
9.10
Ed.
9.10
C/C++ books Ö This year I am teaching Computer Studies after a break of
10 years. I feel the need to hone my skills in the programming area, so
Iáam seeking good introductory books on programming in C, C++ and ARM
assembler.
9.10
In case you wonder why I would consider buying books from the UK, you
may be interested in the price of Kernighan et al, The C Programming
Language. Our local university bookshop sells it for over $100 (approx
ú45)!
9.10
Michael Clark <[e-mail]>
9.10
I donæt know about C and C++, but Iæm pretty sure there isnæt an
introductory book on ARM assembler although I know a couple of
publishers who are öthinking about itò. As Acorn starts to come back
into mainstream again with StrongARM, NetSurfer et al, it would
certainly be worth someoneæs while writing such a book Ö thereæs no
competition at the moment! Ed.
9.10
Scientific software Ö Two more scientific-related applications for this
monthæs disc. UnitConv has been seen before in an earlier incarnation,
but Energy is totally new.
9.10
Energy Ö This chemistry related software is a demonstration of (a)
translational speed distributions and their variation with mass or
temperature and (b) rotational energy level populations and the
intensity of pure rotational spectra.
9.10
UnitConv Ö This application converts between various units, generally SI
and Imperial, but there are also some more specialised conversions, such
as energy equivalents.
9.10
Both applications have been added to my ftp site for downloading.
9.10
Chris Johnson <[e-mail]>
9.10
Text editor, please? Ö I really do need a new text editor, please. Can
anyone help? The thing is that I write 30 to 40 emails a day, and as I
do these in Edit, I miss certain facilities which I have grown used to
in Impression. Does anyone know of a text editor that offers:
9.10
Abbreviations Ö e.g. in Impression, I type ösmò for StrongARM Ö this
sort of thing saves me a lot of time.
9.10
Change case with a single keystroke Ö <ctrl-S> in Impression.
9.10
Transposing adjacent characters Ö my most common mitsake!
9.10
Could Zap or StrongEd do this?
9.10
Ed.
9.10
ARM Column
9.10
Alexander Singleton
9.10
Network Computer roadmap
9.10
As reported in last monthæs Archive, on March 31st, ARM announced its
ÉNetwork Computer (NC) road mapæ. Essentially, ARM has made the
statement that there will be further joint development with Digital to
produce more powerful StrongARMs, and that an ARM8500 range will
supersede the processor in the A7000 (plus the present Acorn NetSurfer
and Oracle NC). Also ARM has announced a floating point version of the
7500 aimed at NCs. Is ART, or Aleph One et al, going to produce an
upgrade for A7000 users?
9.10
Yamahaæs announcement
9.10
The company that started off producing reed organs and which became the
worldæs largest manufacturer of musical instruments, Yamaha, has
licensed 32-bit RISC processor cores from ARM Ltd. A processor core is
simply the building blocks of a processor, not an actual finished
processor that could be slotted into a computer. Yamaha will build ARM7
cores into custom integrated circuits for Internet appliances, advanced
sound generators, car navigation devices and set-top boxes. The first of
these multimedia chips is expected by the end of the year.
9.10
Yamahaæs Takashi Murayama said, öFor our next generation sound and
entertainment chips, we need to integrate a CPU with more performance
than existing 8 or 16-bit cores offer. We found that the ARM processor
delivered the performance we needed at the lowest cost and power
consumption.ò
9.10
Oracleæs announcement
9.10
Oracle (ART-designed) network computer (NC) is causing quite a stir
within the industry. Analysts have said that to appeal to the consumer
market, Oracle has to strike below the magical price point of $500.
Using the components found in an IBM-compatible PC would amount to $600
in hardware costs alone.
9.10
But can an ARM-based NC be cheap enough to produce? Oracle and ARM
obviously think so. However, Mac Useræs Jim Smith hinted (26th April
issue) that Bill Gates (Microsoftæs founder) did not believe that prices
for the network computer would be as cheap as Oracle claims. öItæs easy
to paint a rosy picture when the details are out of focus,ò Bill argues.
But I would say to him that itæs even worse when a company releases a
16/32-bit OS and advertises the rosy picture that itæs fully 32-bit.
9.10
öInteractive set-top boxes are a demanding product to build Ö you need
twice the performance of a desktop PC at one third the cost,ò said
Malcolm Bird, chief executive of Acorn Online Media, as quoted in a
Digital press release. öWhile the performance of these StrongARM
processors is impressive, what sold us on this technology is the price
points at which the performance is delivered. This technology will help
make interactive TV a reality.ò Hmmm...
9.10
Interestingly, when interviewed on Channel 4æs Triumph of the Nerds,
Oracle boss Larry Ellison suggested that the de-facto reason behind
IBMæs loss of market share in the PC industry was non-exclusive
licensing from independent companies (Microsoft and Intel). But isnæt
this exactly what Oracle is about to do with its NC? Or am I missing
something?
9.10
Atmelæs announcement
9.10
According to Atmel Corporationæs Christian Fleutelot, its recent
licensing of the ARM Éthumbæ core will allow Atmel to produce
microcontrollers with an exceptionally small core. öThus, an ARM
Éthumbæ-based microcontroller can sell for less than comparable
performance devices. Atmel-ARM microcontrollers will offer designers
fast throughput times and low power consumption.ò
9.10
The companyæs product lines will have emphasis on telecommunications,
information processing, networking, consumer and automotive markets.
Atmel is headquartered in California, and designs, develops,
manufactures and markets Flash ROMs, EEPROMs and EPROMs, as well as
programmable logic, microcontrollers and application-specific devices.
9.10
Microsoftæs home computer
9.10
I suspect that Bill Gates feels threatened by the Oracle NC. Thatæs why
heæs announced his own Simply Interactive PC (SIPC). Rather than merely
being a set-top box, it will take full control of your home, possibly
including devices such as your toaster, cooker and fridge. Can you
really imagine running into your living room to click on the toaster
icon to get the toast out of the toaster? According to one source, it is
Microsoftæs intention to make PCs as easy to use as televisions.
Unfortunately, some would argue that this will not be possible if MS
chooses Windows 95 as its operating system. This includes Appleæs co-
founder, Steve Jobs, who recently described all of Microsoftæs products
as öthird rateò. These devices are, apparently, still only a figment of
Gatesæ imagination, so it seems like a perfect time to announce them.
9.10
Whatæs more, I am told that Acorn co-founder Chris Curry produced the
Red Box, which did the same sort of thing... ten years ago!
9.10
Apple Newton with StrongARM
9.10
öAppleæs Newton team and the StrongARM design team have worked closely
together during the past eighteen months,ò said Michael Culbert of Apple
Computer. öWe are very excited about this new technology and its
potential to carry the next generation of Newton PDAs to a new level.
Our customers and licensees will be delighted by the new applications
and human interface capabilities this chip can enable.ò
9.10
Oracle Corporation apparently attempted, and subsequently failed, to
purchase the ARM-powered Newton from Apple at the end of last year. Then
Oracle will become a licensee of the technology.
9.10
Acornæs future OS?
9.10
When I interviewed Peter Bondar in August last year, he made pretty
clear that Acorn is playing with new OS technologies which will öcause
Windows to come unstuck.ò
9.10
One of these was a 3D environment where the user flies around a room. At
the simplest level, you could have a cube representing an application
that had six documents open. Bondar revealed that two major multimedia
publishers had been given a demonstration of a simple form of this. One
divulged that their company öcould really do things with this.ò For this
environment to work smoothly, Bondar estimated that around 500 MIPs
would be required ù sounds like an excellent use for one of those Simtec
Hydra cards with multiple StrongARMs.
9.10
Three-dimensional CD front ends, where the user isáviewing the inside
of, say, a museum, are becoming increasingly popular but are lengthy to
program. IfáART would produce an off-the-shelf technology to automate
this and actively market it, who knows where that would lead?
9.10
Bill Gates seems to agree with ARTæs idea, because in his much
criticised book, The Road Ahead, he conveyed his belief that 3D would be
important. The book was published after Bondar started talking to press
and other companies about this technology!
9.10
ARM3 speed info
9.10
Jim Nottingham has kindly written in with details on the speed of the
ARM 3. öIæm working purely from long-term memory here but I seem to
recall that when an A4x0/1 or similar (i.e. with 8MHz RAM) was upgraded
to the Atomwide ARM3, it gave around 10MIPs. The A540 (with the 12MHz
RAM and 30MHz ARM3) gives 13.5MIPs. The 25MHz ARM3 in the later A5000s
gives 12MIPs.ò He also pointed me in the direction of an article by the
Éotheræ Singleton about dried pebbles off that useful CD (is Paul
producing another?), which is in Archive 7.9.
9.10
Iæd also like to thank Richard Hesketh, who lives in the distant land of
Andorra, for the information that his 25MHz ARM3 A5000 runs at between
13.5 and 13.65 according to an application called ARM-Si.
9.10
Gameboy 2 with StrongARM
9.10
I want one, although this is only rumour, and therefore likely to be
accurate(!). Well, actually, Iæd much rather have a NewsPad. Perhaps if
I write to Larry, heæll buy me one...
9.10
Contacting me
9.10
By the time I next write I will hopefully Ébe connectedæ, but in the
meantime you can contact me via Paul.áuá
9.10
Xenakis 16
9.10
Chris Coe
9.10
So, the RiscPC now has 16-bit sound Ö thatæs great, but how many
programs are there to exploit this extra functionality? The answer is,
not a lot! Playing 8-bit sound samples is OK though, because Acorn have
done a good job of implementing a É16-bit oversampled modeæ. The 8-bit
samples are changed into 16-bit by a method called fractional
interpolation, in which the effective sample rate is increased by
estimating (interpolating) a sampleæs amplitudes at intervals where they
arenæt specified in a sample block. So, all of our 8-bit music sounds
much better than it did before, but unless you have a PC card, there is
little to exploit the 16-bit sound capability and produce pure 16-bit
sound.
9.10
Here is one exception Ö Xenakis 16 is the first Étrackeræ program (as
far as I am aware) that allows the use of 16-bit samples to create
exceptional quality music. To explain, a tracker file is a means of
storing music for the computer to play. It is widely used for computer
games, demos and similar applications, because of the ease with which it
can be incorporated into such code. There are a variety of modules in
the public domain which run under interrupt, so you just need to issue
the start SWI and forget about it.
9.10
The method used to enter notes is the same with all tracker editors Ö a
numerical-type notation that is quite dissimilar to standard stave
notation. This has the advantage of allowing you to use a large variety
of effects and samples to make all sorts of strange noises, but the
disadvantage is that it is quite difficult to get used to, and musicians
wonæt like it at all! Put simply, tracker editors usually appeal to
games writers and such like, whereas Érealæ musicians use programs like
Sibelius, Notate and so on, that offer conventional stave-editing
facilities.
9.10
One problem with trackers is that there are many different formats. If
you get hold of the PD application TrackConv by Chris Davis (the
ChangeFSI of tracker files), you will see an enormous range. On the
Acorn, the most popular formats are generally: STModules which are
mostly Acorn-originated files but, unfortunately, there is no player
module yet for the RiscPC, STrackers which are mostly Amiga-originated
files and can be played on all Acorn machines, Symphony, another Acorn
format, and CocoTraks from the PD Coconizer application. Finally, there
are a couple of less-used formats, ProTracker and TeqMusic.
9.10
The difference in all these types, apart from the physical layout of the
file, is in the range of octaves, tempos and effects, and the maximum
number of samples they offer. Of the trackers mentioned, all offer three
octaves only except CocoTrak, which allows eight but, unfortunately, it
has a poor Écommand setæ (availability of effects, etc). Symphony has by
far the best command set, allows more samples than the others, and can
also be stored in a self-compressed format.
9.10
Xenakis 16
9.10
So, thatæs the background, but what about Xenakis 16? On loading up, you
get the usual icon on the iconbar, and then the first disappointment
comes (although this is pointed out in their advertisements). The main
editing window single-tasks. This would not normally be much of a
problem, since you donæt normally do anything else when writing music,
and most of the other tracker programs I have single-task.
9.10
However, I found the controls on this interface particularly difficult
to get to grips with. In fact, I still havenæt. There are several
annoying features such as, when I am scrolling through a list of
samples, the arrows seem to me to make the text scroll in the wrong
direction.
9.10
The manual, which was supplied on disc as an Impression file, is well
written, with a useful tutorial guide and a good reference section at
the back. Reading carefully through the manual, there are all the
expected features of a tracker editor Ö cut and paste, effect parameter
increments and decrements, sample loop editing, and so on. All the usual
effects are included, like arpeggio, volume and pitch slides, echoes and
so on, but nothing exceptional or unique to Xenakis.
9.10
A big problem is that, unlike other tracker editors where you can just
drag in the samples you want to use, Xenakis 16 maintains a database of
samples which you canæt access from outside the program (i.e. you canæt
listen to them in a sample editor), and you can only use samples in the
database in your tracks. You can add and remove samples, but it would
have been much more user-friendly to be able to drag in the ones you
want to use. There is a nice collection of 8 and 16-bit samples
provided.
9.10
Even more annoying is that Xenakis 16 uses its own Xenakis music format
file for saved tracks. There is a module to let you use them in your own
programs, and a desktop player called !DXen, but this format has no
support anywhere other than in these forms. You canæt even use the likes
of TrackConv to convert it into another format.
9.10
Fortunately, Dexedream Productions will be addressing most of these
problems with Xenakis 16 Pro, a more expensive version that is RISC OS-
compliant and has many more features than the current Xenakis 16.
9.10
Conclusion
9.10
Xenakis has many good features, and the command set is quite good,
although I note there are no stereo commands. However, the combination
of a poor interface, very annoying sample database and unsupported music
format cripples Xenakis 16 too much for it to be of any serious use.
9.10
I rubbed my hands with glee when I heard that there was to be a 16-bit
sound editor, but I was disappointed with the program. Its only real
advantage is offering 16-bit sample capability but, in the race to be
first, I think they have rushed into publishing the program too soon.
Now that Digital Symphony 2 supports 16-bit samples, that is still, as
Oreganæs advertising claims, the definitive sound track editor though,
admittedly, at ú59.95, it is three times the price.
9.10
Xenakis 16 costs ú19.95 inclusive from Dexedream Productions.áuá
9.10
Geraldæs Column
9.10
Gerald Fitton
9.10
Letters referring to my discussions of mathematical (and other)
philosophical matters keep pouring in but I have decided that, at least
for the moment, I shall make no more comment in Archive, though I will
continue to answer your letters individually.
9.10
My thanks to Paul, and to Gareth Owen of Clares, for the copy of
Schemaá2 which I received about a week ago. This month, I shall follow
up last monthæs comparisons of the way in which various spreadsheet
packages allow you to enter text, and how they cope with my most
difficult charting problem, a graph of the cube and cube root functions.
9.10
PipeDream
9.10
On 10tháMayá1996, Jill and I were invited to a meeting with Protechnic
at Cambridge. To my surprise and great pleasure, the possibility of a
new version of PipeDream was discussed. It would seem that Protechnic
would be willing to invest in a new version of PipeDream if the extent
of the demand were to be such that they can make it a financially viable
proposition. If Protechnic go ahead, current registered users would be
offered a paid-for upgrade.
9.10
Over the past year or so, I have received much correspondence from
PipeDream enthusiasts asking if there was any way of getting PipeDream
upgraded. Some even suggested that we users should club together and buy
PipeDream from the owners and then commission the upgrade ourselves.
Consequently, I started looking into what would be involved in buying
PipeDream Ö but Iæve put those plans on hold for the moment; maybe we
wonæt need to buy it after all.
9.10
Text in a spreadsheet
9.10
Last month, I explained that PipeDream and Fireworkz were primarily
spreadsheets but with word processing features built in, so that you can
mix many paragraphs of text quite easily with live spreadsheets in one
document. The facility for the inclusion of text in Eureka documents is
more limited. However, Eureka can be linked to Impression using Acornæs
OLE Ö many of you will prefer to use such a combination of Impression
and Eureka rather than the PipeDream or Fireworkz integrated packages.
9.10
This screenshot appeared last month and should remind you of the way you
can include text in these two packages.
9.10
For comparison, look at the screenshot below and you will see a couple
of text cells in a Schemaá2 spreadsheet. Schema has a facility not
shared by the other spreadsheets called a ÉBig Cellæ. You can create a
Big Cell which overlays a block of cells. In the screenshot, I have
created two such Big Cells, A5C8 and D5F6. If you make a Big Cell too
large or too small for the text which you want it to contain, you can
not go back and add or delete cells from the block which it overlays.
However, you can change both the line height and column widths of the
cells which the Big Cell overlays and sometimes this is sufficient.
9.10
The screenshot also demonstrates what I believe to be a negative feature
of Schema which it shares with Eureka Ö you cannot edit text within the
cell but only in what is generally referred to as the Éformula lineæ.
Contrast this with PipeDream or Fireworkz, in which you can edit text
within a cell. Indeed, later versions of Fireworkz have a facility which
I usually turn off, namely that you can edit not only text but also
numbers and formulae within a cell. I turn it off so that I can see more
easily which cells are Étext cellsæ and which are Énumber cellsæ by
looking at the formula line to see if itæs blank (aátext cell) or if it
contains a number or formula (a number cell).
9.10
I find PipeDream and Fireworkz easier to use because, as I enter or edit
text within the cell, I can see exactly what the layout is like. In
Eureka and Schemaá2, the text is entered or edited within the formula
line as a single long line. You only see what it looks like in the cell
when you finally press <return>.
9.10
Graphs in Schema
9.10
Last month, I included examples of a rather complex graph which I
produced using PipeDream, Fireworkz and Eureka with varying degrees of
success. To remind you of the graph, I repeat the PipeDream version over
leaf.
9.10
The points I made about this PipeDream graph were: (a)áthere are three
independent lines on the chart; (b)áyou can add more lines without
starting again; (c)áeach line has different x and y ranges; (d)áthere is
no limit to the number of text objects which you can add to the chart;
(e)áthese text objects can be placed anywhere you like. I would add;
(f)áany text object can be individually edited (rather than having to
delete an incorrect text object before starting on it again); (g)áthere
is complete control over the intervals on the axes.
9.10
The graph below shows the best I have managed to achieve up to now using
Schema:
9.10
You will appreciate from this graphic that I have had a serious problem
trying to suppress that part of the cube function corresponding to
values of x above xá=á1.2. I did not have such a problem using Eureka Ö
I just left blank spaces for the y values corresponding to x greater
than 1.2. What you might not realise from the graphic is that the values
on the axes cannot be controlled as they can in PipeDream. Iáwas unable
to force an interval of 0.2.
9.10
In Schema, you can add as much text as you like to a graph. You can
reposition added text, and you can delete individual text objects from
the graph. You can apply text styles to any of the text objects
including the numbers on the axes. I did have a problem keeping the
graph in the spreadsheet hot linked when I added my fifth text object. I
donæt know whether the number of text objects is limited or whether I
have been doing something wrong. The graphic shown here has been saved
in drawfile format. The graph in the spreadsheet on the Archive monthly
disc shows how far I got in adding text objects.
9.10
Using Schema, you cannot add extra lines to a graph retrospectively; you
can in Eureka, Fireworkz and PipeDream.
9.10
Before leaving the subject of graphs in Schema, Iáhave to say that I
feel as if I have been unfair to Schema by choosing a graph type which
is particularly difficult for Schema to reproduce. In my defence, I must
say that I chose the graph type a couple of months ago before I had
Schema! Schema is able to produce many different graph types Ö for
example, it produces superb horizontal bar charts (incorrectly Ö and to
my annoyance Ö referred to as histograms!) which cannot be produced in
PipeDream or Fireworkz, and, unlike the other spreadsheets I have been
considering, you can add your own drawfiles to your charts.
9.10
Finally on the subject of text in charts, let me answer a question many
of you have asked about Fireworkz. Iáhave it direct from the programmer
of Fireworkz (Stuart Swales) that you cannot add text to a Fireworkz
chart yet. The manual says that, to add text, you should enter text in a
cell, mark the cell and then execute the command ExtraáÖáChartáÖáAdd.
This doesnæt work yet, but it will do one day!
9.10
The common clipboard
9.10
The common clipboard is a feature of RISCáOS supplied by Acorn. The way
it works is this. Suppose you have both a Schema document and an
Impression document on screen. In Schema, mark a block, probably a
table, and Copy it to the (Schema) clipboard. Click in the Impression
document, and place the cursor at the point where you want the table to
appear. Click on the Impression Paste icon (or use <ctrl-v>), and the
table will appear within the Impression document. This works because
Schema and Impression share the Acorn common clipboard.
9.10
You may be interested to know that the database package DataPower also
shares this common clipboard. This means that if you have a Schema,
DataPower, Impression combination you will be able to copy and paste
data between the three packages. You may prefer to use such a
combination rather than an integrated package such as Fireworkz because
you will be able to use each individual package to do the things which
it does best.
9.10
Neither PipeDream, Fireworkz nor Eureka make use of Acornæs common
clipboard.
9.10
Other features of Schema
9.10
In later articles, I will compare other aspects of the four spreadsheets
Eureka, Schema, PipeDream and Fireworkz in detail, but I do want to
mention some of the more positive features of Schemaá2 now so that you
donæt write it off on the basis of one graph which undoubtedly is
difficult to produce.
9.10
Schema has a superb set of matrix functions, including one which enables
you to solve simultaneous equations. I have successfully solved a set of
six simultaneous equations. The two spreadsheets I am most familiar
with, PipeDream and Fireworkz, will handle up to three only. So how can
you use this facility? One which might be useful to some of you, is
curve fitting (by which I mean, specifically, that you can choose the
order of polynomial you wish to fit to a set of experimental points) Ö
an alternative to the finite difference method that I outlined last
month.
9.10
I have sent for the separate book about writing your own macros (known
as custom functions in PipeDream and Fireworkz). Some interesting ones
are already included on the Schema discs. Schema is almost totally
compatible with Lotus, and many functions specific to Lotus are included
as Schema macros, so that Lotus files can be loaded directly into Schema
and files from Schema into Lotus. Unlike Eureka and Fireworkz, you
cannot load Excel files directly into Schema.
9.10
You can define Sheet Variables. These are known as Names in PipeDream
and Fireworkz. Using Sheet Variables simplifies the use of
interdependent documents. Another feature of Schema which simplifies the
use of multiple interdependent spreadsheets, is the concept of a
WorkSpace. AáWorkSpace is a single name for a set of interdependent
documents including all the macros used by the main spreadsheets. Saving
a set of documents as a workspace preserves all the relative addresses
so that, if you decide to copy the set to new directory, you will not
have problems with the path name to the files.
9.10
Finally
9.10
Thank you for all your letters. I am still getting letters (without
discs) with problems which I can answer best by showing how to do it
with a disc file. Let me give you just one example. The question was how
to draw horizontal lines (without the vertical grid lines) between rows
in a PipeDream document Ö a sort of extended underline separating the
records of a database. I tried to explain in words how to do it, but it
would have been much clearer if I could have used the correspondentæs
own file.
9.10
Please write to me (with a disc showing examples if appropriate) at the
Abacus Training address given at the back of Archive. I shall be
particularly interested to hear about your experiences with either
Eureka or Schema.áuá
9.10
Printers and Printing
9.10
Dave Floyd
9.10
HP Laserjet 5L (1)
9.10
Following Andy Jacksonæs supplementary comments to his review of the 5L,
Keith Parker has written to answer some of the questions raised by Andy:
9.10
Iáonly print from ArtWorks or Publisher, and Iáhave no problems printing
out at A5. Iádefined an A5 page (in the pdf) in Landscape mode, and when
Iáprint, Iásimply select the Print Sideways option.
9.10
As regards the durability of the machine. Iáhave printed over 5,000
sheets with no problems and it has even survived the loving attention of
my four year old daughter and one year old son Éplayingæ with it!
Iáthink it is pretty robust!
9.10
Size ù Iáwas comparing it to my existing printer and it is much smaller.
As far as the LJ4P goes, Iáwouldnæt know.
9.10
Iáhave a RiscPC, so Iácouldnæt comment on machines with a uni-
directional printer port. All Iásuggested was that as HP Érecommendæ a
bi-directional printer port, Iáfelt that Iáshould play safe, rather than
give a Éblanketæ OK!
9.10
Iástand by what Iásaid Ö it really is an excellent printer that offers
exceptional quality at a very low price.
9.10
HP Laserjet 5L (2)
9.10
Last month, Iámentioned that Jon Keates was having problems accessing
the internal fonts. He wrote to Customer Support at Hewlett Packard and,
a few days later, received a phone call from HPæs European Customer
Support Centre in Amsterdam. They pointed out that he could contact HP
First on their fax information line and they would fax a twelve page
HPCL4 document. As Mr Keates does not have a fax machine, they were kind
enough to fax the document to themselves and post it to him. Excellent
service!
9.10
The HPCL4 document covers all of the printer commands that Mr Keates
needed, except for the new features covered in the HPCL5 standard, such
as Economode and Tone Density. If anybody else manages to discover how
these can be used, please let me know, as there are a growing number of
Laserjet 5L owners who would be interested.
9.10
HP internal fonts
9.10
Iáalso received a letter from Kate Crennell who wanted to draw my
attention to !LazyPrint. This is a shareware package which is available
on the June 96 Acorn User cover disc and allows you to print text files
and some drawfiles using the internal HP commands and fonts. This method
is far faster than waiting for the Acorn or CC printer drivers to create
and send the whole page as a bitmap, and the software also works
completely in the background, allowing you to be getting on with
something productive while the printing continues.
9.10
The software is still under development, and it is hoped that it will
soon be able to handle drawfiles containing sprites and text areas,
rather than just line drawings. Anyone who is interested in this package
but cannot find the June issue of Acorn User will have to wait until
September (it is currently ⌐Acorn User under their 3 month copyright
scheme) when it will become shareware again. More information can be
obtained from D J Crennell, PO Box 64, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0TH.
9.10
In response to Dave Burridgeæs question on the HP 5MP, Kate also states
that they have been using an HP 4MP for over a year, and since upgrading
the machine to full PostScript compatibility, have been very happy with
it. Before upgrading to PostScript, however, they were not so happy with
the machine using the Acorn and CC drivers (on a speed and efficiency
level), which is what prompted the writing of !LazyPrint in the first
place.
9.10
Canon BJC600
9.10
Nick Edgar has sent in the following which may be of use to owners of
the Canon BJC600, and possibly those who own other inkjets:
9.10
Probably through using ink refills, Iámanaged to block three nozzles in
the magenta head on my Canon BJC600. It was suggested that Iáshould
stand the head in (shallow) warm water for 10 minutes to unblock it.
After several attempts Iáabandoned this Ö it had no effect.
9.10
Iáthen spotted an advert in Acorn User (Care Electronics) which listed a
ÉPrint Head Recovery Fluidæ at ú5.95. This Iáduly ordered. It came in a
very small bottle with a photocopied instruction sheet. The instructions
stated that the head should be stood (nozzles down) on a tissue soaked
in the fluid, replaced and the head cleaning cycle run. This Iádid Ö
with the result that Iágot an awful printout with strange diagonal
patterns!
9.10
Iágave up, but a few days later decided to try again, and activated the
new print head cleaning cycle (different from the full head cleaning).
It worked! Iánow have my printer fully operational, producing excellent
printouts without having to spend ú100+ on a new print head Ö and Iæve
still got most of the fluid left in case it happens again!
9.10
One final point is that, using TurboDriver version 4.04, setting the
quality to ÉBlack enhancedæ in the configuration window dramatically
improves the black printout which previously was always rather
disappointing on the BJC600.
9.10
Printer memory
9.10
Paul Beverley of Norwich, a name most of you should recognise, wrote to
ask me about the need for memory in printers Ö whether it is essential
or merely a convenience. The answer is dependent on what kind of printer
you have.
9.10
Dot matrix and inkjet printers contain a small amount of buffer memory
(which can sometimes be added to or upgraded). The more memory you have
installed in these printers, the quicker you will have control of the
machine returned to you after sending a document to print. As both of
these technologies are line printers, i.e. they print one line at a time
rather than a whole page, it is more convenient and efficient to have
extra memory, but not essential.
9.10
Laser printers are page printers, however. Before printing a page, they
create the whole image within their internal memory. If you do not have
enough memory installed to hold the image, they will print as much as
they have room for, followed by a second sheet containing the rest. The
fitting of extra memory in a laser printer is usually essential if you
are intending to use it for anything other than text.
9.10
How much memory you need is more difficult to answer and largely depends
on your needs. 4Mb fitted into an A4, 300 dpiáprinter should allow you
to print even the most graphically intensive pages without problem.
Likewise, 10Mb in an A4, 600 dpiáprinter should prove to be more than
adequate. This issue is further clouded by some of the more recent
models which come complete with very effective compression algorithms,
and therefore need less memory to hold the page.
9.10
Anybody considering upgrading their memory, but not sure how much to
install, could perhaps get a better idea by creating the most
graphically intensive page they are likely to need to print, then
printing to file. The length of the file should bear some correlation to
the amount of printer memory they would need to print it. Perhaps
someone who is a little more conversant with the internal workings of
laser printers could either confirm or deny this Érule of thumbæ method
for me.
9.10
Duplex printing
9.10
Those of you who are regular readers of this column will remember that
Iáhave mentioned LjDuplex a couple of times over the past few months.
Duplex printing seems to get very little press but the concept
interested me, so Iáwrote to John Evans at Mijas, and asked for more
information on the process, and perhaps a list of printers that offered
the facility.
9.10
Duplex printing allows the user to print both sides of a sheet in one
pass, something which would certainly be of use to me and, Iásuspect,
any other reader who uses their laser printer to print out newsletters
or small run magazines rather than photocopying. One other advantage of
using LjDuplex with some printers is that of overcoming the 99 copies
limit imposed by the Acorn printer drivers. Some of the more recent HP
models will accept a command to print up to 32767 copies. Although it is
possible to change the command by editing the ÉPrintoutæ file using
!Edit (look for [1b]&1#X where # is the number in decimal digits, e.g.
&199X, and change the number as required), LjDuplex will automatically
do this for you.
9.10
John agrees that duplex printers are not widely advertised and suggests
that there are at least two reasons why this is so. Firstly, very few
people appear to print long runs of duplex copy on their printers and
the ecological advantage of using both sides of the paper for letters
etc, is hardly worth the price increase from a simplex to a duplex
printer. Secondly, very few programs and drivers fully support duplex
anyway, even in the PC world!
9.10
John thinks that many other people would find that printing final duplex
copy was advantageous if they knew how to do it easily. As far as Acorn
users are concerned, you need to have an HP Laserjet printer (or
equivalent with PCL emulation) with full duplex option and a copy of
LjDuplex.
9.10
John says that duplex printing is a real advantage if:
9.10
1. A rapid turn round time is important. OR
9.10
2. a) The number of double-sided A4 sheets per month is between 1,000
and 8,000 with no print run of greater than 500 sheets of one design.
9.10
b) The print quality required is higher than possible on a copier.
9.10
c) Only trivial amounts of colour are required, if any.
9.10
So which printer models offer the opportunity of duplex printing?
Hewlett Packard have had duplex printers in their range for a long time,
and they are usually distinguished by a ÉDæ at the end of the model
number. They also make duplex adaptors for a number of their other
printers. Kyocera and Brother also have duplex models in their range. A
friend of Johnæs recently picked up a new 300 dpiá8ppm Brother duplex
printer at a knock down price of about ú700 with 3Mb of memory fitted.
The 600dpiáversion of that printer costs somewhere in the region of
ú1600 new.
9.10
If anybody is thinking of looking around for a second hand model then
John recommends trying Fletcher Lawson in Lymn Cheshire (01925-756996)
who, he says, have helped him in the past with both new and second hand
equipment. Due to the Acorn printer drivers treating everything as
graphics, you will need at least 2Mb of printer memory, preferably more
for A4 duplex printing. John himself uses an HP IIISiá(300dpi) with
duplex adaptor to print large quantities of material and describes the
machine as ultra reliable. The current 600dpiáIVSiámodel with duplex
adaptor works out quite expensive, but if you look around, it should be
possible to pick up a second hand IIISi.
9.10
Multiple copies using inkjets
9.10
John has a problem with printing, which he hopes can be solved by an
Archive reader somewhere. He has a regular need to print 300 copies of a
colour A4 sheet which he does on his colour inkjet. However, the inkjet
(in common with most?) does not have enough buffer memory to hold a full
page so cannot print multiple copies by itself. John currently gets
around the problem by dropping the ÉPrintoutæ file into the print queue
300 times. As this has to be done manually, and it takes some time.
9.10
A halfway house solution is to create a one-page file, and use Edit to
concatenate as many copies as machine memory will allow. Once saved,
this larger file can then be dropped into the print queue as many times
as required.
9.10
This is still time consuming, and John wonders if anyone knows of a
program that would automate the procedure. Alternatively, perhaps you
have an inkjet and have managed to solve the problem by some other
method? If so, please share it with us all.
9.10
This problem is at odds with my understanding of inkjet printers. Iáhave
always understood that they are line printers and therefore do not need
to hold a complete page in memory. Iáwould have expected it to be
possible to select 99 copies in the printer driver, and leave it alone
to produce them one by one, as used to happen with my old dot matrix.
Could someone clarify this for me, please?
9.10
PostScript problems
9.10
Richard Sillars, from Ashford in Kent, has run into problems outputting
PostScript files to give to a local printer. His plea reads as follows:
9.10
Iáhave been doing DTP for several years now, with an A5000, and now with
a RiscPC 700, using Impression, and producing PostScript files which
Iáhave had printed by a local printer who uses Macs. He has been
extremely helpful, and we have always been able to overcome the problems
that seem to arise every time he or Iáupgrade our software.
9.10
He has now upgraded his hardware, and Iáam using Publisher Plus on my
RiscPC 700 along with !Printers 1.52.
9.10
When Iálast sent him files to print, they all came out pushed over on
the left hand side of his imagesetter with about a quarter of the page
missing.
9.10
In haste, Iáre-did the files, configuring the page size in !Printers to
A3 and centre pages ÉOnæ in the print set up dialogue box. This worked,
and if Iáonly ever wanted to print single A4 portrait pages, I would
have been OK. However, this is not the case, as Iáwant to print a page
the size of three A4s in Landscape. The next challenge has been how to
print an A4 Landscape complete with registration and crop marks.
9.10
Iáhave looked at the user guide supplied with !Printers 1.52 and came
across the following:
9.10
PostScript Multibin switching
9.10
The PostScript PDF template will be extended to support a paper feed
pathname (currently to be found in !Printers.ps.Feeds.xxx). This
pathname specifies a directory containing PostScript files Ö one for
each available feed. The first line of the file must be of the form:
9.10
%%RISCOS_FeedName: <name>
9.10
The name will be extracted by !Printers, and used to create a menu of
available feeds. The filename used for the feed files is unimportant,
but can start with a digit, in order to provide a sorting order for the
menu. !Printers will also add a ÉNo feedæ option to allow PostScript to
be sent to a file without containing any printer specific code.
9.10
The ps back-end code will declare a new system variable, PDriver$PSFeed,
which contains the full filename of the feed file being used. The ps
text code and the PostScript printer driver will be modified to push the
contents of the file into the output stream.
9.10
The printer manager will also be extended to allow the ps back-end code
to insert the feed code when printing a PostScript file. Previous
versions of the printer manager do not call the back-end code when
printing Énativeæ printer data.
9.10
The mechanism for specifying paper sizes will also change slightly. What
!Printers currently does is extract the first word from the paper size,
e.g.:
9.10
A4 (Generic PS) -> A4
9.10
then use a message in the messages file to convert this into suitable
PostScript for selecting A4 paper. However, this has caused a lot of
problems for printers that donæt support Énormalæ paper sizes, so what
will happen is that the paper size, e.g. A4, will be used as the
leafname of a paper size PostScript file, and the contents of this file
will be output to the stream. The filename is specified in the system
variable PDriver$PSPaper. The standard paper sizes and their PostScript
mappings will be pre-defined.
9.10
By default we currently only supply Canon LBP8MkIIIáas a printer that
supports multiple bin switching. This can be used as reference for other
PostScript printer bin switch files, and indeed may work by default with
some.
9.10
(What does all this öwill beò mean?) Iáthought ögreat, there must be a
file that outputs a page size that can be set upò, but no, when you look
in the files, it just says a4, a3, etc.
9.10
Iádesigned a paper size in ÉEdit Paper sizesæ big enough to include crop
and registration marks for an A4 landscape size page, with another name
other than A4, otherwise !Printers puts a paper definition of a4 or a3
(which must interpret to a fixed size) in the PostScript output file
which overrides any A4 page size alterations.
9.10
Having found that out, Iáthought my problems were over, but not so.
9.10
Now Iáam able to print a page any height Iáwant, but whatever width
Iátry, the maximum width that Iácan get printed is 12ö even though the
imagesetter film is nearly 14ò wide and, using his own software, he is
able to print the full width.
9.10
By printing from Publisher Plus, and selecting Ésetupæ from the printer
dialogue box, and then setting the XáOrigin to Ö5 and Écentre pagesæ off
and Éignore page bordersæ off, we have been able to just fit half of the
crop and registration marks, of an A4 landscape page, starting hard on
the left of the film.
9.10
My printer has been really helpful, but there is a limit to the tests
that Iáfeel Iácan ask him to do for me. Somewhere, the PostScript
printer driver is putting in a code restricting the printing width to
12ö.
9.10
The strange thing is that Iáuse !Ghostscript to check the PostScript
files and it shows the whole page.
9.10
He is using an Imagesetter that is using PostScript Level 2, so Iáhave
been using that PDF. However, just in case Iáwas using the wrong one,
Iáhave tried all the other PostScript PDFs, with the same result.
9.10
It may be a very simple thing that Iáhave overlooked or misunderstood,
but can anyone help please?
9.10
Epson GT-9000 scanner
9.10
When Iáconducted my investigations into scanning and printing for
photocopying, Iápromised a review of this scanner. It comes complete
with both parallel and SCSIáinterfaces and costs ú830 inclusive through
NCS. (However, we can now do this scanner with Imagemaster and Twain for
ú750. Ed.)
9.10
As Irlam are relatively local to me, Iábought mine direct from them and
the package arrived complete with a SCSIálead and Irlam software. Iáhad
had visions of the scanner looking something like a compact A4
photocopier but on opening the oversized box, Iáhad to rethink this
somewhat. The Epson has a surprisingly large footprint and takes up most
of the top of a filing cabinet which sits beside my computer desk!
Having looked at photos of similar scanners in magazines since, this
would appear to be usual but it was a bit of a shock to me at first and
meant that Iáhad to relocate my printer before Iábegan.
9.10
Having reorganized my computer corner, Iáplugged everything back in and
installed the software, which, as with most Acorn applications, was very
easy to do. One thing that disappointed me slightly was that, as Iáhad
bought the SCSIáversion, Irlam did not supply the software to drive the
scanner through the parallel port. The software is reliant on the
scanner being present, and having both versions of the software could
provide a useful backup in the event of my SCSIácard failing at some
time.
9.10
The software itself (also see Archive 9.9 p.41) is very simple to use
and anyone who has even a rudimentary experience of RISC OS software
should have no problems finding their way around it. The Irlam manual is
clearly written and easy to understand, and the Epson manual, despite
concentrating on Macs and PCs, also contains much interesting
information.
9.10
Clicking on the iconbar icon opens two windows, the control panel and
the viewer. One adaptation Iáwould like to see, regards the control
panel. It opens just showing the basic functions. By resizing the
window, you are presented with options to change settings such as image
brightness, etc. There is also a button for expert settings, which can
be selected to expand the window once more, and gain access to options
such as dither and invert. Every time Iáload the software, Iáresize,
select expert settings and resize again. This is annoying as it would be
a simple task to have these preferences included in the saved choices
file, along with the window positions, so that the application launched
itself as Iáwanted it every time.
9.10
Those who have read some of my previous writing in Archive will know
that Iáam something of a Ébells and whistlesæ aficionado. It has to be
said that the Irlam software, when looked upon in these terms, is all
but mute. They have made no attempt to provide facilities for image
manipulation other than the bare minimum required. In this instance,
Iáfind this to be more than acceptable for a number of reasons.
9.10
Firstly, as a small company, they would probably find it difficult to
justify the extra development time on functions already provided by
!ChangeFSIáor David Pillingæs Image Master. It would also make sense to
me that anyone willing to spend over ú800 on a scanner would already
own, or be intending to buy, one of the more expensive manipulation
packages anyway.
9.10
Secondly, the seeming lack of functions and manipulation available must
contribute to the speed of the software which allows the scanning
process to be undertaken completely in the background.
9.10
Thirdly, and possibly most important of all, by concentrating on a few
functions rather than many, Irlam have implemented them incredibly well,
and the scan quality obtainable through their software is nothing less
than excellent.
9.10
One slight (?!) change Iáwould like to see implemented is in the saving
of scanned images. The software allows you to save them in Sprite, JPEG,
TIFF, PBM+, Clear and Irlam formats, but you have to specify which you
require before scanning. This means that if you want to scan in an image
and save it as a TIFF file and a JPEG file, for instance, you have to
physically scan it in twice. It would be nice if the software converted
them on the fly, although Iásuspect that, while scanning, it optimizes
the output for whichever format you want, so it may be a little more
difficult to achieve than it sounds.
9.10
Other changes Iáwould like to see are in the scan type section of the
panel. Clicking on the dpiábutton opens a menu which gives you the
choice of 100, 1200 or 2400dpi, and a writable icon where you can
specify any other value. Iáwould like the menu to be extended to include
values for 200-600dpiáwithout having to type them in.
9.10
The way that the software handles the number of colours is awkward too.
It is fine if you want a specific number of grey scales or monochrome,
but in order to scan in using 16 million colours, for instance, you have
to select ÉColouræ from the menu and change to a mode that can support
that many colours. Surely, the software could give you the option of
scanning in 16 million colours without having to change mode, while
displaying a likeness of the image on screen if you were in a 256 colour
mode?
9.10
Iáhope Iáam not being over-critical, because the Irlam software
certainly achieves what it sets out to do, and my quibbles with the user
interface should be treated as secondary.
9.10
In use, the scanner works like a dream. A full page scan can take some
minutes at the higher resolutions, but as it happens in the background,
allowing you to get on with other things in the meantime, this has not
held up my productivity at all. It is also possible to scan in images
that are too big to fit into memory, assuming you have the space on your
hard disc. This could be useful if you intend to manipulate the image
using a package that integrates with Claresæ Virtualise, for example.
9.10
Minor grumbles about the interface aside, Iácan heartily recommend this
scanner and software combination to anybody who has a need for high
quality graphical or OCR scans. Iáwould certainly not like to return to
my old hand scanner!
9.10
Finally
9.10
Any printing related problems, or suggestions for future articles,
should be sent to Dave Floyd, c/o PO Box 2795, London NW10 9AY.áuá
9.10
Modular Software for RISC OS
9.10
Gordon Taylor
9.10
Although the RISC OS software market is more than five years old, new
word and document processors to rival Computer Conceptæs Impression
family have recently been launched, such as Softeaseæs TextEase, or are
imminent, like Beebugæs Ovation Pro. Fortunately, CC designed Impression
and ArtWorks to accept plug-ins, and it has proved possible to extend
the functionality of Impression via shared resources and Object Linking
and Embedding. This latter mechanism has also been adopted by other
developers of RISC OS software. OLE may be set up in all versions of
RISC OS, but even more easily in RISC OS 3.5, introduced with the
RiscPC, and RISC OS 3.6, introduced with the A7000.
9.10
Plug-Ins
9.10
Plug-ins increase versatility, while keeping the RAM size/footprint as
small as possible. Also, they provide a degree of future-proofing Ö e.g.
by handling new filetypes, such as HTML. In the case of Impression
Style, Publisher and Publisher Plus, the plug-ins are loaded as Imodules
Ö notably for loading and saving text in other (than native and plain
text) formats. Particular examples are the loaders and savers for Rich
Text Format and WordPerfect 5.1 (from CC), and HTML (from Ben Summers).
9.10
In the case of ArtWorks, all the standard tools are loaded separately
from the main program, and the plug-ins take the form of additional
tools. CC has published a Software Development Kit for these, to
encourage their development by third parties, and there are already
three available:
9.10
ÅThe Eesox Pressure Tool for the Wacom pressure sensitive tablet and
stylus. As well as freehand drawing, this provides line width varying
with pressure.
9.10
ÅThe Open Sky Projects Arranger and Precision Tools. Arranger provides
snapping of lines and corners together, while Precision enables
positioning and scaling with digital precision.
9.10
In addition, CC has extended the functionality of both Impression and
ArtWorks with the Graphics Loaders. These resources are installed within
!System, and thus shared by both Impression Style, Publisher, or
Publisher Plus, and ArtWorks. Moreover, similar Transgraphic loaders Ö
for Windows BMP and ICO files, and WordPerfect Graphics WPG files Ö are
available from IMS.
9.10
OLE
9.10
OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) was originally introduced in Windows.
What the Acorn community calls OLE is only what Windows calls Éembeddedæ
(i.e. where the graphic is included in the document), and not Élinkedæ
(i.e. where the graphic is an external file). As implemented under RISC
OS, for a document in a suitable Écontrolleræ application, ctrl¡double-
clicking on a graphic object loads an editor for it, and loads the
graphic into it for editing, e.g. in an Impression document, ctrl-
double-clicking on a drawfile graphic will load Draw, and load the
drawfile into it.
9.10
For OLE to work, the subordinate (e.g. graphics) editors which are to be
used for editing a given filetype (which Windows calls associations)
must be Éknown to the systemæ. This can occur by the applications
concerned having been seen by the Filer or, more conveniently in RISC OS
3.5/3.6, by showing in Apps (also known as ResourceFS), which is
represented by its own icon. This is done either by putting the
applications in the Apps directory on the hard disc, or by adding AddApp
<pathname> commands to the Desktop boot file
(!Boot.Choices.Boot.PreDesktop). Another way is to add lines such as
Filer_Boot <pathname> to the Desktop boot file
(!Boot.Choices.Boot.Tasks.!Boot). A reboot is required for all such
applications to become Éknown to the systemæ.
9.10
Example using Impression as Écontrolleræ:
9.10
Ö Drawfile graphic from Draw   ) free
9.10
Ö Table from TableMate1  )
9.10
Ö Equation from Equasor  )
9.10
Ö Equation from Formulix  ) at additional
9.10
Ö ArtWorks graphic from ArtWorks  ) cost
9.10
Ö Bitmap graphic from PhotoDesk  )
9.10
Ö Spreadsheet from Eureka3  )
9.10
Ö Graph from Eureka3  )
9.10
Ö Sound sample from AudioWorks  )
9.10
RISC OS applications which can act as Écontrollersæ include the word and
document processors Impression Style, Publisher and Publisher Plus,
TechWriter, TextEase and Ovation Pro, the multimedia authoring package
Genesis Professional, the presentation package CableNews2 and the
graphics composing package Composition.
9.10
As implemented in RISC OS, an application may act as both Écontrolleræ
and Éobjectæ Ö allowing OLE to be nested. A controller such as
Impression can contain a table from TableMate3, which itself can contain
a drawfile graphic. Thus, ctrl-double-clicking on the table will cause
TableMate3 to be loaded, and the table into it for editing. Then ctrl-
double-clicking on a drawfile graphic in the table will cause Draw to be
loaded, and the drawfile loaded into it for editing. Indeed, TableMate3
can act as both controller and object to itself Ö enabling tables within
tables !
9.10
Although originally proposed by Microsoft, OLE has not been widely
adopted by developers of Windows software. They seem to prefer to sell
what the Americans themselves call Éfatwareæ, where applications with
more functionality than most users will ever want, require very large
amounts of RAM, and the user interface is inevitably complicated.
9.10
Plug-ins and OLE enable the functionality of application software to be
increased, without adding to the basic code Ö thus allowing the basic
application to be run in the minimum amount of RAM. Both allow a modular
approach, where the additional code is purchased, loaded and learnt only
as required. Indeed, you may already possess an OLE-compatible
application with the necessary functionality. Moreover, once the
mechanisms are in place, extensions can be in any direction Ö e.g.
drawing, painting, spreadsheet etc Ö or others as yet unforeseen.
Furthermore, they allow the user to upgrade as necessary, e.g. to a more
powerful table editor or equation editor, without having to load the
less powerful editor (which would waste RAM space and complicate the
user interface). Finally, relying on OLE for additional functionality
simplifies the user interface, thus shortening the time to learn and
relearn.áuá
9.10
Cross-Platform Working with RISC OS
9.10
Gordon Taylor
9.10
Gordon Taylor of Computer Concepts has kindly written two articles for
us about aspects of RISCáOS which make it very special, and mark it out
in stark contrast to other more ubiquitous operating systems.
9.10
Software may be divided into applications (editors) and Écontentæ
software on discs and, increasingly (for multimedia), on CD-ROMs. This
has been recognised by Acornæs announcement, at BETT 96, of the
MediaRange. The RiscPC, the A7000 and, to a lesser extent, the
PocketBook, may be used to run editors, e.g. for the creation of printed
and multimedia documents. The forthcoming set-top box with CD-ROM drive
and the set-top box with network card (and to a lesser extent the
PocketBook), on the other hand, are intended mainly to deliver content Ö
usually multimedia.
9.10
Cross-platform working may thus be divided into:
9.10
Å playback and editing of DOS/Windows and other alien files, using RISC
OS applications,
9.10
Å harnessing content in Acorn, PC and Mac formats, on discs and CD-ROMs,
under RISC OS.
9.10
Playback and editing of foreign files
9.10
What Windows calls Éassociationæ gives the ability to double-click on a
file, load a suitable editor, and load the file into it. Thus, double-
clicking on a RISC OS sprite (bitmap) file probably loads Paint, and
then loads the picture into it. Likewise, double-clicking on a drawfile
(vector graphic) loads Draw, and then the drawing into it.
9.10
As with OLE, for the association to work, the editors which are to be
used for editing any given filetype must be Éknown to the systemæ. This
can occur by the applications concerned having been seen by the filer
or, more conveniently, in RISC OS 3.5/3.6, by them showing in Apps (also
known as ResourceFS), which is represented by its own icon. This may be
done either by putting the applications in the Apps directory on the
hard disc, or by adding AddApp <pathname> commands to the Desktop boot
file (!Boot.Choices.Boot.PreDesktop). However, this only sets up the
native filetypes, which can be loaded into the application. For any
other filetypes which can be imported into the application, lines such
as:
9.10
*SetáAlias$@RunType_FB1:RunáADFS::HD.
9.10
$.CCApps.Audio.!AudioWorks.!Run %*0
9.10
need to be added to the Desktop boot file
(!Boot.Choices.Boot.Tasks.!Boot). A reboot is required for all such
applications to become Éknown to the systemæ. By pressing <f12>, and
entering *show, all the associations may be viewed under Alias$@RunType.
9.10
As well as its native ADFS format, RISC OS can read, write and format
DOS format discs. Association of RISC OS editors for DOS/Windows
filetypes is controlled as above, together with DOSMap commands. These
are lines of the form DOSMap EXT xxx, where EXT is the DOS extension,
and xxx is the RISC OS filetype. Most Mac filetypes have DOS/Windows
equivalents. Some DOSMap commands may be included in applications or
utilities, but additional ones may be put in the Desktop boot file
(!Boot.Choices.Boot.Tasks.!Boot). Those prevailing may be checked by
pressing <f12>, and entering *DOSMap. When looking at DOS/Windows files
under RISC OS, the fact that DOSMap commands are operative is shown by
the icons of the recognised files being not just the black and white one
with a DOS filetype, but (usually) individual coloured ones, with named
filetypes.
9.10
I also placed !CD_Type, (which is Public Domain), in
!Boot.Choices.Boot.Tasks. This makes it possible to double-click on any
of the DOSmap recognised files also on PC format CD-ROMs.
9.10
My tests were done on a RiscPC, running RISC OS 3.5, with DOSFS 0.49. (I
later upgraded to DOSFS 0.62, as in RISC OS 3.6). What I have done on a
single machine with a DOS partition Ö but not necessarily a PC processor
Ö could (I assume) also be done over a network, from a DOS sharer/
server.
9.10
With my setup, *DOSMap returned 100 different DOS extensions (see DOSMap
Appendix), but only 54 different RISC OS filetypes. With four being
Acorn in origin, this means 50 original DOS extensions. For playback and
editing, these needed only e.g. Impression, PhotoDesk, ArtWorks,
FireWorkz Pro, WorraCAD, AudioCtrl/AudioWorks, a Midi player, and
ARMovie/ARPlayer, i.e. only eight applications (plus two invaluable
conversion utilities). Hence, the RISC OS applications, running on the
Acorn platform, can playback and edit many DOS/Windows data types.
Moreover, even when working with alien files, the performance and cost
of the Acorn solution is often better or cheaper than a PC. Thanks to
MovieFS, this is true even for movies, including large (320╫240) format
QuickTime files. Also notable are the two Quicktime VR demos, which play
faster on a RiscPC 700 than they do on a Power Mac.
9.10
Playback of multimedia content
9.10
Content software includes assets such as still pictures, movies and
sound files on PC format discs and CD-ROMs (with CD_Type), and on Mac
format discs and soon CD-ROMs (with MacFS). Those accessible under RISC
OS include:
9.10
a) CD-ROMs authored for the Acorn platform. As well as the Acorn
platform only, there are some from Anglia that are authored to run on
Acorn, Mac and PC. This particular series have the further advantage of
video which is provided not only as Acorn Replay, and as Apple QuickTime
(for playback on Mac and PC), but also as MPEG (which is platform-
independent). If an MPEG decompression card (such as the CC MovieMagic
card for the Acorn RiscPC) is fitted, this MPEG video can be viewed on
an external, SCART-connected TV-standards monitor Ö at a far greater
size and quality Ö i.e. better-than-VHS, or received TV quality.
9.10
b) CD-ROMs authored for Video CD (and Digital Video on CDi), containing
linear movies of MPEG video. This is platform-independent, and again, if
an MPEG decompression card is fitted, they can be played back as above.
9.10
c) CD-ROMs containing World Wide Web pages (in HTML). These are also
platform independent, and may be read under RISC OS with a suitable Web
browser, such as the ANT Fresco.
9.10
d) CD-ROMs authored for the PC (and Mac, in principle), for which Acorn
readers have been written. This has been done for several older CD¡ROMs
(e.g. Bible, Shakespeare, Sherlock, Space) and marketed by Cumana. More
recently, it has been done for several Dorling-Kindersley and Microsoft
CD-ROMs, by Innovative Media Solutions (0117-979-9979). Thus far,
readers are available for D-Kæs ÉPB Bearæ, and ÉThe Way things Workæ,
and Microsoftæs ÉMusical Instrumentsæ and ÉDinosaursæ, but many more are
in the pipeline.
9.10
e) All CD-ROMs authored for the PC, and some for the Mac, using the ISO-
9660 format Ö i.e. the vast majority. The Acorn platform can read such
discs. These may contain assets (text, images, sounds, movies) that can
be played back and edited under RISC OS (i.e. without any need for an
x86 processor and Windows) Ö as noted above. Images may be imported into
and displayed in RISC OS applications with ChangeFSI or ImageFS, and
movies may be played back in, and converted to, Acorn Replay with
MovieFS.
9.10
Thus, even to playback or edit very many DOS/Windows assets, there is no
need to pay the Wintel tax Ö i.e. buy a Windows operating system or an
Intel processor Ö both of which have to be imported. Nor is it necessary
to purchase imported Windows application software (from Microsoft and
others). This is highly significant, since the cost to the UK of
importing computers and software amounts to about ú3,000 million a year,
or about 150,000 jobs.áuá
9.10
DOSMap Appendix
9.10
For each line, add ÉDOSMapæ, e.g. for ÉTXT FFFæ, the command is DOSMap
TXT FFF.
9.10
TXT FFF  Plain text files can be exported from almost all word
processors, and loaded into even the simplest text editors, such as
Edit.
9.10
With DOSMap RTF C32, and Set Alias$@RunType_C32 Ö !Publisher, Impression
is able to import RTFs, provided that the Computer Concepts RTF Loader
is permanently installed in the Auto directory of the copy concerned.
[Also Saver] This is done by double-clicking on an RTF, which loads
Impression (or FireWorkz Pro), whereupon the RTF file may be dragged
onto an Impression page. FireWorkz also works, but the result is better
in Impression.
9.10
RTF C32  Microsoft Rich Text Format files can be exported from many
Windows word processors, and imported into RISC OS word processors such
as FireWorkz unaided, or Style and Publisher, when using the RTF
Loaders.
9.10
CSV DFE  CSV files can be exported by most spreadsheets and databases,
and imported into most RISC OS spreadsheets and databases, such as
FireWorkz (and presumably Resultz and Recordz).
9.10
With *set Alias$@RunType_DB0 Ö Eureka3, and DOSMap WKS DB0, double-
clicking on a WKS file causes Eureka3 to load, but the file is not
loaded or displayed. This is because it is not Eureka3æs native
filetype. However, dropping the WKS file onto the Eureka3 icon causes it
to be imported. Likewise, after setting up DB0 to FireWorkz Pro, double-
clicking on the WKS file causes FireWorkz to load, but to return ÉNo
data in file so and soæ. This is because it defaults to a letter (which
is top of the list). However, after dropping a WKS file onto FireWorkz
Pro, it asks whether letter, sheet, db_1card, db_2cards, or db_sheet,
and when you choose sheet, it will import the file.
9.10
WKS DB0  Lotus 123 WKS files will import into most RISC OS spreadsheets.
Those which read them directly, like FireWorkz, (and presumably Resultz)
and Eureka3 are more convenient than those which use a separate
converter, like PipeDream3.
9.10
WK1 DB0  The above also applies to this later type of Lotus 123 file.
9.10
After setting BA6 to FireWorkz Pro, double-clicking on the XLS file
causes FireWorkz Pro to load, but it returns an error message. However,
you can then drag and drop the XLS file onto the FireWorkz Pro icon,
answer the dialog with Ésheetæ, and it will import the file.
9.10
XLS BA6  Microsoft Excel files will import into RISC OS spreadsheets
such as FireWorkz and Eureka3.
9.10
With DOSMap FWK BDF, you can double-click on FWK (and FWT) files, and
they will cause FireWorkz Pro to load, and will load in straight away,
despite being a sheet document, since these are its native files.
9.10
FWK BDF  FireWorkz letter, sheet and database documents may be saved
from FireWorkz for Windows, and loaded directly into FireWorkz for RISC
OS.
9.10
FWT C1D  FireWorkz templates may be saved from FireWorkz for Windows,
and loaded directly into FireWorkz for RISCáOS.
9.10
Double-clicking on a DXF file usually loads Draw, and, after a dialog to
do with scaling, loads the drawing into it. However, even the RISCáOS
3.5 version of Draw does not support all the 2-D DXF primitives. (Of
those, DXF files associated with AutoSketch, Bike and Shuttle are OK
with the default scale of mm, Office was OK in inches, but Ericson
failed as too complex.)
9.10
DXF DEA  The simpler 2-D AutoDesk DXF files will load into RISC OS Draw.
9.10
More complex 2-D DXF files can be imported into Oak WorraCAD, via their
DXF Translator. The loading of !Translate may be linked with that of
WorraCAD, by adding to its !Run file the line *WimpTask *run <pathname
of !Translate>
9.10
AFF AFF  Drawfiles (NOT containing sprites) can be imported into, and
exported from, OakDraw for Windows, and will load into Draw.
9.10
FF9 FF9  Sprites can be imported into OakDraw for Windows, but the only
bitmap format it can export is Windows BMP.
9.10
With the help of ImageFS, from Alternative Design and Publishing Ltd
(0141-248-2322), the following graphics formats can be imported by all
RISC OS bitmap editors, such as Paint and PhotoDesk. With ImageFS 2,
they may also be exported, e.g. to a DOS filing system. The loading of
!ImageFS may be linked with that of PhotoDesk, by adding to its !Run
file the line *WimpTask *run <pathname of !ImageFS>
9.10
After setting the corresponding Acorn filetype to e.g. PhotoDesk,
double-clicking on the alien graphic file causes PhotoDesk to be loaded,
and the graphic to be imported.
9.10
TIF FF0  TIFF files can be loaded by PhotoDesk unaided, or via ImageFS,
into other bitmap editors, such as Paint. With ImageFS loaded, they may
also be dropped into frames in Style and Publisher, (even without using
the CC Graphics Loaders).
9.10
SEP FF0  The above should apply to TIFF separation files (not tested).
9.10
CMY FF0  The above should apply to TIFF CMY files (not tested).
9.10
CPT FF0  The above should apply to TIFF CPT files (not tested).
9.10
JPG C85  JPEG files can be loaded by PhotoDesk unaided, or dropped into
frames in Style and Publisher, when using the CC Graphics Loaders.
9.10
JIF C85  The above should apply to JIF files (not tested).
9.10
PCD BE8  PhotoCD files can be loaded by PhotoDesk unaided, or dropped
into frames in Style and Publisher, when using the CC Graphics Loaders.
9.10
BMP 69C  Windows Bitmap files. (Also DIB 69C, and RLE 69C)
9.10
GIF 695  Graphics Image Format files.
9.10
PBM 69E  Portable Bitmap Plus files. (Also PPM 69E, PGM 69E, and PWM
69E)
9.10
TGA 69D  Targa files. (Also VDA 69D, ICB 69D, and BST 69D).
9.10
PCX 697  PC Paintbrush files (Also PCC 697).
9.10
PIC FD5  PICT 2 files
9.10
MAC 694  MacPaint files (Also PNT 694).
9.10
IFF 693  Amiga IFF files (Also HAM 693, LBM 693, and HBRá693).
9.10
IMG 692  GEM IMG files (Also GEM 692).
9.10
RAS FC9  Sun Raster files (Also SUN FC9).
9.10
SCF 6A2  ColoRix files (Also SCI 6A2, and RIX 6A2)
9.10
The latest version of ImageFS enables any vector editor, e.g. Draw
oráArtWorks, to load WMF (Windows Metafiles). With DOSMap WMF 412, and
with 412 set up to e.g. ArtWorks, double-clicking on the WMF causes
ArtWorks to be loaded, and the WMF to be imported.
9.10
With DOSMap AI FF5 and DOSMap EPS FF5, then after setting up FF5 to
ArtWorks, double-clicking on them will load it, whereupon they may be
imported by drag and drop (as above).
9.10
AI FF5  Adobe Illustrator EPS files can be imported by ArtWorks.
9.10
EPS FF5  Adobe Illustrator EPS files can be imported by ArtWorks.
9.10
Double-clicking on a WAV file plays the sound in AudioCtrl (i.e.áwith
minimal scope for control) or, if AudioWorks is already loaded, loads
the file into it (whereupon it may be edited and controlled, e.g.
looped).
9.10
WAV FB1  Microsoft Wave sound files can be loaded into, played back in,
and exported from, AudioWorks (and probably other sound sample editors).
9.10
With the help of MovieFS, from Warm Silence Software, (0585-487642),
most alien movie formats can be loaded and run by Acorn Replay (ARPlayer
and ARMovie). (One exception at present is the Indeo variant of Video
for Windows, which is used in the Microsoft Encarta 95 CD-ROM.) The
loading of !MovieFS may be linked with that of ARMovie, by adding to its
!Run file the line *WimpTask *run <pathname of !MovieFS>
9.10
Double-clicking on AVI, MOV, FLI, and FLC files plays the movies in
ARMovie (i.e. cut into the centre of the screen), or, if ARPlayer is
loaded, plays them within a repositionable window, with start, stop, and
volume controls.
9.10
AVI FB2  Microsoft Video for Windows files, using almost all known
Écodecsæ.
9.10
MOV FB2  Apple QuickTime for Windows files, using all known Écodecsæ.
9.10
FLI B9F  AutoDesk Animator for DOS files.
9.10
FLC B9F  AutoDesk Animator for Windows files.
9.10
Warm Silence are hoping to extend Movie FS to support the playback of
MPEG files in Replay (in software).
9.10
MPG BF8  Motion Picture Expert Group files, as used on Video CDs.áuá
9.10
Example RISC OS applications for DOS/Windows filetypes
9.10
Filetypes  Playback only  Edit and playback
9.10
Plain Text files  Edit  Edit
9.10
RTF, WPerf, HTML  Impression  Impression
9.10
Image files  Paint  PhotoDesk
9.10
EPS, AI files  ArtWorks  ArtWorks
9.10
DXF 2-D CAD files  Draw  WorraCAD
9.10
Lotus WK? files  FireWorkz/Eureka3  FireWorkz/Eureka 3
9.10
Excel XLS files  FireWorkz/Eureka3  FireWorkz/Eureka 3
9.10
CSV data files  FireWorkz/Eureka3  FireWorkz/Eureka 3
9.10
WAV etc sound files  ARPlayer  AudioWorks
9.10
MIDI music files  Piano  Notate/Serenade/Rhapsody/Sibelius.
9.10
Movies AVI, MOV, FLI and FLC  ARPlayer  CineWorks
9.10
Aspects of Digitising
9.10
Jim Nottingham
9.10
In the Help!!!! Column in Archive 9.8 (p28), Paul put out a general plea
for feedback on readersæ experiences of digitisers and, ever the sucker,
I find myself volunteered to review a couple of products. Stuart Bell
has kindly passed on emails from a number of readers and, as always, I
thank all those who responded for the very useful information.
9.10
A bonus was that the reports tended to confirm a suspicion Iæve had,
from comments in earlier issues of Archive, that there is considerable
confusion as to the general nature and limitations of digitisers. So,
before we look at specific products, I thought it might help if we
considered the generic aspects, dealing with the terminology on the way
(keywords are in bold). Hopefully, this will assist existing digitiser
users to improve or optimise the results they are already getting and,
coupled with later product reviews, help potential buyers to make a
choice appropriate to their needs.
9.10
What is digitising?
9.10
Firstly, what about the term digitising? In this context, we mean taking
a suitable source of video images (live broadcast or recorded, moving or
stationary) and Égrabbingæ a single image to produce a still picture.
The output format is a bit-map (usually a sprite) which can be used for
display and/or incorporation in a document.
9.10
All digitisers exist to mechanise this process for us, and should not be
confused with scanners which, although they also produce bit-maps, use
different techniques to capture the image Ö not from a video source but
from material such as a printed page, photograph or transparency.
9.10
Invariably, digitisers consist of a hardware interface (podule)
installed in your computer, plus the control software; alternatively,
they may form part of a multimedia package such as the (now
discontinued) Eagle M2 system.
9.10
Scanning v. digitising
9.10
In general terms, the quality of output from a scanner is likely to be
significantly better than that of a digitiser and, if we are not to be
disappointed with the latter, it is important to appreciate the reasons
why this should be so and what we can do about it.
9.10
If we take, say, a conventional photograph as the source and use a hand-
held or flat-bed scanner to capture the image, the quality is likely to
be very good. Modern films give excellent colour rendering, and the
resolution is going to be more than adequate for display and, arguably,
for commercial typesetting. Even a budget colour scanner will give a
resolution of around 300dpi (dots per inch) in thousands of lovely
colours, so the image should be very satisfactory. For example, a 7ö╫5ò
photograph scanned at 300dpi, with a modicum of cropping and without
post-scan processing, is going to give an image in the order of
2,000╫1,400 pixels. Processing the image in !ChangeFSI, or an equivalent
application, prior to printing will normally improve results still
further.
9.10
On the other hand, currently, the very best we can hope to achieve from
a digitised image (regardless of source, digitiser, or even the platform
used) is going to be no better than around 770╫576 pixels, i.e. well
under 20% of the typical scanned image. This can be perfectly adequate
for display on screen (indeed, thatæs close to the 800╫600 pixel
resolution of an SVGA display) but will give a much-degraded result in
print unless the image size is markedly reduced.
9.10
This is the main limitation of digitisers but, in practice and for many
reasons, we may well achieve even lesser results.
9.10
Video standards
9.10
To explain the reasons for these limitations, and to allow for them, we
need to consider the effects of each of the three main elements used in
the production of a digitised image Ö the video source, the digitiser
itself and the interconnections.
9.10
In the UK and Western Europe, the video source will normally use the PAL
TV/video standard. Other systems used around the world are NTSC and
SECAM, which are not compatible with PAL, although some digitisers can
be switched to accept any of these standards.
9.10
Vertical resolution
9.10
The PAL video standard is often referred to as giving an image
consisting of 625 horizontal lines, which are redrawn (Érefreshedæ) at
50Hz or 50 frames a second. In fact, this is not strictly accurate as,
quite literally, it gives only half the picture. What we actually get
are two separate fields, drawn at intervals of 1/50th second. One field
will draw all the odd lines (1, 3, 5 and so on) and, 1/50th second
later, the other field will draw all the even lines (2, 4, 6 etc). After
a further 1/50th second, the first field will be refreshed, followed by
the second, and so on.
9.10
The two separate fields are displayed, 1/50th second apart and slightly
offset by 1 line (interlaced). The eye is unable to distinguish between
the two separate images, so what we discern on screen is a single frame.
This principle of interlacing two separate fields to produce the single
frame applies to the majority of video sources, one exception being the
entry-level Canon Ion camera (RC260) which records just a single field.
However, the top end model RC560 (at over ú2,500!) records both fields.
9.10
So we see that, in theory, the maximum vertical resolution for a video
source is 625 lines (usually converted to sprite pixels at 1:1). In
practice, however, a few lines are lost at the top and bottom of the
screen and, even on the very best TV displays, we see only 576 lines.
Not many digitisers run to this figure, and some process little more
than 500 lines, so the resultant 5-10% cropping must be allowed for when
preparing the source video (e.g. shooting with a camcorder).
9.10
But that assumes that both fields are grabbed, whereas a number of
digitisers (e.g. the one on the Eagle M2 card) grab only one field, so
the vertical resolution will be a relatively coarse 250 lines (pixels)
or so.
9.10
Horizontal resolution
9.10
Resolution in the horizontal axis is rather more involved. With a
nominal 576-line vertical resolution and an aspect ratio of 4:3, one
would expect the horizontal coverage to approach 770 pixels but, again,
digitiser coverage tends to be less than this, and the cropping must be
allowed for. (I seem to recall the otherwise splendid Techno-I digitiser
Ö no longer in production? Ö was limited to 512╫512 pixels but it was
possible to pan the capture area around, before digitising, to give some
control over the cropping).
9.10
Somewhat confusingly, horizontal resolution is also expressed in Élinesæ
although, in this case, it has nothing to do with lines being drawn to
form the image. Fortunately, we donæt need to delve into the techie
reasons for this; suffice it to say that, rather like the frequency
response of audio hi-fi systems, horizontal axis performance is a
measure of the frequency response and bandwidth of the video system. The
main difference is that, instead of Hz and kHz (audio), we are talking
MHz (video) which is clearly more difficult to engineer.
9.10
Where the term Élinesæ comes from, is the use of test cards for
assessing horizontal resolution by both visual and electronic means. The
illustration shows part of a typical card, consisting of vertical bars
or lines, with different widths and spacing.
9.10
In the upper half, the vertical lines are relatively far apart, and most
video systems will be able to reproduce them on screen with reasonable
fidelity. However, in the lower half, the lines are narrower, and closer
together, and the system video bandwidth will have to be at least 50%
wider to be able to reproduce them to the same standard. It follows
that, in the horizontal axis, there is a top limit to the number of
these Élinesæ that can be reproduced in the frame to a satisfactory
degree. This is measurable and is the method generally used to determine
the relative capability of the video system.
9.10
Video source performance
9.10
Currently, the best video quality will come from a live television
transmission which, in the horizontal axis and using the method
discussed above, is of the order of 700 lines. No doubt this will
improve once digital broadcast systems become the order of the day.
9.10
At the other end of the scale is the domestic camcorder, whether it be
VHS, VHS-C or 8mm (Video8). All these have a horizontal resolution of
only some 250 lines, so are way down on the quality scale. Indeed, as
soon as you take a second generation copy to give to your mates, the
resolution falls even further. You have only to watch a few minutes of
ÉYouæve Been Framedæ (if you can bring yourself to do so...) to see the
considerable differences in relative quality.
9.10
Somewhere in the middle lie all the other video sources; top-end
professional/broadcast recordings, ÉHi-bandæ camcorders (SVHS, SVHS-C
and Hi8), digital camcorders (DVC) and the digital still cameras (e.g.
Canon Ion).
9.10
In summary, although the two-field vertical resolution is roughly
comparable between the majority of systems, there are wide variations in
horizontal resolution of source video, inevitably affecting the quality
of digitised images. These variations are summarised in the following
diagram:
9.10
Other factors affecting quality
9.10
The wide variations in horizontal resolution of the video source are by
far the major variable in the eventual quality of the digitised output.
However, other factors will have an effect, to a greater or lesser
degree, and some of these are considered below:
9.10
Å Cropping Ö The majority of digitisers translate the horizontal lines
into pixels at the natural ratio of 1:1 and retain the 4:3 frame ratio
or thereabouts. So a digitiser output approaching the optimum 770╫576
pixels, will result in little cropping of the input video frame.
However, as already discussed, a digitiser coverage of, say, 512╫512
pixels will inevitably lead to some vertical and horizontal cropping.
9.10
Å ÉJaggiesæ Ö Compared with a scanned image, the relatively low
resolution sprite from a digitiser will inevitably exhibit the dreaded
Éjaggiesæ, most evident on diagonal lines. The following blow-up makes
that clear (see below ¼) and, as with any other low-res sprite, the only
practical solution short of considerable image processing, is to reduce
the size of the image before printing.
9.10
Å ÉRingingæ Ö If the frequency response of the source video is
relatively poor (e.g. a domestic camcorder), itáis quite usual to suffer
ringing which is seen as a Éghostæ image immediately to the right of
sudden changes in image intensity or colour. Aátypical example is shown
(see ¡) in the previous illustration.
9.10
Å Noise Ö It is a fact of life that, with analogue systems, unwanted
noise will be mixed with the wanted video signal. However, the highly
random and dynamic nature of electronic noise is such that it will not
be repeated between successive frames so, unless it is very bad, the eye
and brain will tend to suppress the noise and look for the wanted
signal. The exception to this, of course, is where a television
broadcast is badly affected by considerable noise (Ésnowæ), often due to
an inadequate aerial at the receiver end.
9.10
The problem is that, although we tend not to register the noise in
individual frames because the noise changes from field to field (at
50Hz), once we digitise a single frame, the instantaneous noise is
imprinted on it and is there for all to see.
9.10
If the noise is particularly bad, some digitisers give a part-solution
by enabling us to take the two grabbed fields and, instead of
interlacing them to form a conventional image, allow us to superimpose
one field on the other. Statistically, it is highly unlikely there will
be noise on exactly the same X/Y pixels on two adjacent fields, so
superimposing the signal from one field on the unwanted noise of the
other, effectively it doubles the signal/noise ratio of the whole image.
However, in doing so, it has the effect of halving the vertical
resolution from, say, 512 lines to 256 lines (pixels).
9.10
Å Blurring Ö The typical exposure time for TV/video cameras is generally
much longer than for still cameras, perhaps as long as 1/50th second.
This means that, for a moving image, blurring is almost inevitable. Take
for example the following image grabbed from a live TV broadcast where,
even though the camera operator has done a splendid job of panning to
Éfreezeæ the main subject, the horseæs forelegs are badly blurred.
9.10
In the live, moving visual image, the eye would not normally register
this blurring but, once grabbed as a still, it is very evident. If we
have control over the exposure (e.g. when using a camcorder), setting a
shorter exposure time will greatly reduce the degree of blurring.
9.10
Although not evident on the thumb-nail image above, when the white
rectangle is blown up, there is also a marked Ézig-zagæ effect on the
moving image. This is caused by the two separate fields making up the
frame being, in effect, two Ésnap-shotsæ of the moving hind leg, taken
1/50th second apart and then interlaced. Most two-field digitisers allow
us to minimise the effect by digitising only one field although, as with
noise reduction, this effectively halves the vertical resolution.
9.10
Å Colour changes Ö A digitised image will often exhibit evidence of
unrealistic colour changes but, by and large, this is a feature of the
source video, not the digitiser (Égarbage in, garbage outæ). As viewers,
we tend not to register these changes in a dynamic video display but,
when presented with the static image, once again they become quite
evident. The phenomenon tends to be worse with the lower-fidelity
sources such as the domestic camcorder.
9.10
Å Connections Ö It will come as no surprise to find there can be no end
of problems physically connecting digitisers to the video source. BNC,
Phono, mini-DIN and SCART plugs/sockets abound but, fortunately, cables
and adaptors are generally available from high street or specialist
retailers. However, if we are not to degrade the quality of the
digitiser output, it is important that we pay attention to the type of
connection used.
9.10
At the bottom end (e.g. source video from a domestic camcorder or VCR),
the most common connection Ö single-screened cable with phono plugs/
sockets Ö is adequate to support the already-limited bandwidth.
Conventionally, this is called a composite connection, i.e. where all
video signals pass along the single cable.
9.10
However, once we start using an improved video source, such as a Hi8 or
SVHS camcorder, it is far preferable to use a system where the basic
picture and colour data are routed along separate lines. In techie
terms, these are the luminance (Y) and chrominance (C) signals. These
so-called S-Video Y/C connections normally appear as 4-pin mini-DIN
sockets on Hi-band camcorders or as separate pin-outs within SCART
sockets on up-market TVs and SVHS VCRs.
9.10
Sadly, not all digitisers cater for S-Video connections, having either
BNC or phono composite connectors. As a result, there will inevitably be
some degradation, but it is far better to use a Hi-band source and use a
composite connector than to use a Lo-band source such as a VHS camcorder
or VCR.
9.10
Å Grabbing frames Ö Most, if not all, digitisers have a preview window
on the desktop to view the incoming video. However, the refresh rate of
this display Ö even on a Risc PC Ö is limited typically to 2-3 frames/
second, or every 8-12 video frames. This is perfectly adequate for
grabbing a slow-moving or stationary image but, if the source image is
moving fairly quickly, it becomes increasingly difficult to grab the
particular frame we want. Some digitisers use different techniques
partly to get round the problem, so it is probably best if we discuss
these in the product reviews.
9.10
So why digitise?
9.10
With all these dire tales of woe and degradation, it might seem there is
no point in even considering the use of digitisers! This would be an
unfair conclusion as, provided we appreciate the inherent limitations of
digitisers, as discussed above, and take whatever actions we can to
optimise the image quality, it can be perfectly feasible to match the
results to the requirement.
9.10
For example, one of my business activities is to produce video footage
for multimedia training packages on A.N.Other platform. With careful
selection of equipment, and a modicum of time and effort, the single-
frame images grabbed from this footage are quite satisfactory for use as
illustrations in the associated reference manuals. The emails Iæve
received from readers contain details of all manner of ways in which
digitisers are being used and, by and large, the reports tell of
satisfactory results.
9.10
Besides, digitisers are normally considerably cheaper than scanners, and
many people may already have a camcorder or have access to one through
school or work, while some Teletext adaptors have an auxiliary output to
allow live TV signals to be fed to a digitiser.
9.10
Choosing a digitiser
9.10
If you are in the market for a digitiser, you may or may not have a
choice of product (e.g. there may be only one available model which will
physically fit in your computer). However, if you do have a choice, some
performance points to watch out for are:
9.10
Å What is the overall vertical/horizontal image coverage? If this is
significantly less than the optimum 576╫770 pixels, can you accept the
resultant cropping?
9.10
Å Does the video input have S-Video and/or composite connectors?
9.10
Å Is the digitiser capable of grabbing and interlacing both video
fields? Does it have the option to superimpose both fields and/or
process a single field?
9.10
Å Is the digitiser output monochrome or colour? How many greyscales/
colours?
9.10
Å Does the digitiser have brightness, contrast and colour controls? Are
these preset, or is it possible to adjust them after the frame has been
grabbed?
9.10
Å What options are available to ease the problem of grabbing the right
image from a rapidly-moving subject?
9.10
Using a digitiser
9.10
Once we have our digitiser up and running, there are very many things we
can do to improve and optimise the output quality Ö but my overall
advice is not to expect too much of the system. For example, donæt try
to print the inherently low-res image at A4 size and expect to be
impressed with the result.
9.10
Some of the doæs and donæts for digitiser use are:
9.10
Å Use the best available equipment for the video source. The best option
is a live broadcast but, failing that, try to use a Hi-band or DVC
camcorder, SVHS VCR or a digital still camera (e.g. Canon Ion).
9.10
Å If you intend to grab images from live broadcasts, use a good aerial
system.
9.10
Å Where practicable, couple a camcorder directly to the digitiser, set
the camcorder to Record and grab the Éliveæ image (bypassing the
recording stage).
9.10
Å Unless you are using Lo-band equipment (e.g.áVHS), use S-Video
connections if possible.
9.10
Å Unless you are using a digital camcorder, donæt use a copy of the
video tape if the original (master) can be used instead.
9.10
Å If you have a two-speed VCR or camcorder, use the standard play (SP)
setting in preference to the long¡play (LP) option.
9.10
Å If the image is moving, and you have control over the recording, set a
shorter exposure time to reduce blurring.
9.10
Å If the digitiser has them, do take time to optimise the brightness and
contrast controls, etc. Allow for the need for trial and error.
9.10
Å If the image is reasonably static, try grabbing and digitising a
series of frames as you may find one has less noise than the rest.
9.10
ÅááIf noise still persists, and if the digitiser supports it, try
superimposing the two frames instead of interlacing them (noting that
vertical resolution is halved).
9.10
Å If Ézig-zaggingæ is evident on a moving image, and if the digitiser
supports it, try processing a single field rather than interlacing both
fields (noting that vertical resolution is halved).
9.10
Å If you are not satisfied with the printed result, try reducing the
image size as, often, even a modest size reduction can significantly
improve the printed image.
9.10
The end bit
9.10
At present, we have two product reviews on the stocks; the HCCS Vision24
(with the new Panorama facility) and the not-yet-released Yellowstone
DeskTV system. If anyone is using another digitiser which is still in
production and is willing to do a review for Archive, Iæm sure Ed. would
welcome it. In the meantime, Iæd be pleased to receive any comments from
existing Vision24 users for incorporation in next monthæs review.
9.10
If thereæs room, the two source digitised sprites referred to in this
article will be included on the monthly disc so you can inspect them at
leisure. Ifáyou prefer to send me one or two formatted discs (ináa jiffy
bag only, please) and sufficient return postage, Iæll send you a number
of sprites grabbed under differing conditions. Happy grabbing...
9.10
Jim Nottingham, 16 Westfield Close, Pocklington, York, YO4 2EY.áuá
9.10
Music Column
9.10
Alan Gibson
9.10
Welcome to the new Music Column. This month, Iáam just going to
introduce myself and give you a bit of background about what I do. Next
month, I plan to cover a few of the common master keyboards which are
available and explain how they can be used to input music into Acorn
machines. Then, over the following months, Iæll cover such delights as
Midi interfaces, notation and sequencing software, and computer
speakers.
9.10
I am the proprietor of Liquid Silicon, an Acorn-only dealer based in
Scotland. I am also a keen musician and have recently started to combine
both interests by specialising in the musical side of Acorn machines
(amongst other things such as bar coding).
9.10
I play clarinet and bass clarinet, tenor and baritone sax and piano,
mainly in the orchestras for shows (such as 42nd Street, Anything Goes,
etc). This often leads to the need to print various bits of music,
ranging from odd parts in the shows which need to be transposed (like 32
bars of bassoon in the middle of a baritone sax part. Why?) to
typesetting complete big band arrangements, the latest of which is due
to be broadcast by the BBC on 22nd June.
9.10
My setup now comprises a heavily expanded RiscPC with a Rhodes MK80
digital stage piano and a Roland PC-200 MkII master keyboard, both
plugged into a PowerWAVE 50XG dual Midi and sound card, with a pair of
the new Yamaha YST-M20 powered speakers and a keyboard amp providing the
sound output. (Phew! Donæt worry if some of that meant absolutely
nothing Ö I will go over each of these areas in the coming months). I
also now use Sibelius 7 (surprise, surprise! Ed.) for all my music
typesetting work, with a LaserDirect HiRes (LBP8) for proofing work.
9.10
Before this starts sounding like one long advert, Iæll stop! If you have
any queries on anything musical, even if it doesnæt tie in directly with
computers (as long as no-one asks why only one reed in a box is ever any
good), please get in touch with me.
9.10
I intend not to be too biased towards certain products, although, like
everyone else, I am more knowledgeable about the products I use
regularly. For example, I know there are many Rhapsody and Notate users
out there, owners of MidiMax or Acorn Midi cards, Yamaha and Casio
keyboards and even, I believe, trombone players (hi Gavin!), so I will
try to answer any queries and cover other products as fairly as I can.
9.10
A couple of snippets before I go... Oregan will apparently release
MidiWorks after all (by August at the earliest). They are also working
on ProSound, which is a highly sophisticated 8-track mixing desk and
sample processor. (Anyone got any 4Gb drives going cheap?) Are you in
the market for a new sequencer package? Watch this space.
9.10
If you have any queries, or ideas for articles, please contact me via
email at: [e-mail] or write to my company, Liquid
Silicon.áuá
9.10
Puzzle Corner
9.10
Colin Singleton
9.10
Several readers of this column have asked about the Journal of
Recreational Mathematics. It is published by Baywood Publishing Inc.,
26áAustin Avenue, PáOáBoxá337, Amityville, NYá11701, USA. There are four
issues per year, and the subscription is $19.95 plus $11.25 postage
outside the USA and Canada. Iádo not have a regular column in JRM Ö it
isnæt organised that way Ö but I do usually have contributions in each
issue.
9.10
The Scottish Mathematical Council has published a book containing 72
Mathematical Challenge questions from past years Ö excellent value at
ú6.50 (including UK postage). Enquiries to the Mathematics Department,
Elgin Academy, Morriston Road, Elgin, Moray IV30 2ND.
9.10
The latest winners in this magazine ...
9.10
(62) Athletics and Football
9.10
This deceptive problem defeated many readers, including quite a few on
the Leader Board! The answer is 8255 (to the nearest square metre), not
6366. The prize goes to a new puzzle entrant, P A Muis of The Hague.
9.10
(63Ö65) 1000000! Ö Ever Decreasing Angles Ö Powerful
9.10
There were quite a number of different answers to the first quickie, but
the other two proved little problem. The winner (re-established in the
Éregularsæ group after a few monthsæ absence) is John Banks of
Rickmansworth.
9.10
... last monthæs answers ...
9.10
(66) The New Chairman
9.10
This clearly calls for a computer solution. I used a recursive function
Ö a concept explained by Gerald Fitton in his column a few months ago.
If the number of Directors is D, and the Chairman counts out the Nth
each time, I define a function FNChair(D,N) to return the chair number
of the survivor. For this purpose the chair on the Chairmanæs left is
number zero, the Chairmanæs chair is number (DÖ1). In Basic, the
function is:
9.10
DEFFNChair(D,N) : IF D=1 THEN = 0 : ELSE = (FNChair(DÖ1,N)+N) MOD D
9.10
It is now easy to write a program to find a number D for which three
consecutive values of N return the same value for the function. There
are 86 Directors, the Chairman counts every 19th, 20th or 21st, and the
lucky chair is number 14, or numberá15 if you are counting in the more
conventional manner from one.
9.10
(67) St Andrew
9.10
Divide the flag into eight congruent triangles Ö the blue portion
constitutes 64% of each. It is now not difficult to show that the colour
boundary intercepts the edge 10% of the length (or width) from the
corner. The dimensions of the rectangle are irrelevant.
9.10
(68) Four point
9.10
To the best of my knowledge (and that of Richard Lyszkowski who
forwarded the puzzle) there are six arrangements of four points having
just two different distances between pairs.
9.10
(69) Cigarettes
9.10
Seven cigarettes can be arranged thus, each touching each of the others.
One is standing on end in the middle.
9.10
... this monthæs prize puzzle ...
9.10
(70) Noniamonds
9.10
Brian Wichmann of Woking has contributed this problem, which may become
a combined effort among readers, rather than a competition. The figure,
above left, is a noniamond (or 9-iamond) Ö it is formed by sticking nine
equilateral triangles together. Is it possible to tile an infinite plane
with repetitions of this tile (rotated or reflected if desired), without
any gaps? Yes Ö in this case it is easy. Two such tiles can be used to
form a rhombus, repetitions of which can clearly cover the plane without
rotation or reflection.
9.10
There are, Brian informs me, 159 different noniamonds, each of which may
or may not be able to tile the plane. Just 20 of them, he has been told,
cannot tile the plane, but he has been unable to solve eight of the 139
problems which Éshouldæ have solutions. So, can you cover an infinite
plane with repetitions of any one of these shapes?
9.10
Donæt expect them to be as easy as the example above Ö and donæt expect
to solve all eight! Please send any solutions you can find.
9.10
... and this monthæs prize quickies ...
9.10
(71) Ninety-nine
9.10
Another puzzle from Scottish Mathematical Challenge. If you all buy the
book, I will have to stop using their puzzles! Find a number which can
be multiplied by 99 simply by appending a single digit 1 to each end.
9.10
(72) Multiple Primes
9.10
What is the largest number of four-digit prime numbers which can be
formed by different sequences of the same four different digits?
9.10
(69) 1000000! again!
9.10
This is Gerald Fittonæs question from last month, now made Éofficialæ.
What is the factorial of one million Ö as accurately as you can
calculate it?
9.10
And finally...
9.10
Thereæs a new leader on our leaderboard this month, Richard Lyszkowski,
and four new names further down the list (not yet on the leader board).
Most entries still come from readers who enter occasionally, for fun Ö
and long may they do so! Many thanks for the continuing new ideas.
Please send solutions (by Friday 5th July), contributions and comments
to me, at 41 St Quentin Drive, Sheffield, S17á4PN.áuá
9.10
Starting Basic 11 Ö More Graphics
9.10
Ray Favre
9.10
In this session, we are going to start to use graphics in our ÉLoanæ
program, but we need to cover another graphics topic first.
9.10
Keyword PLOT
9.10
So far, we have introduced graphics using the MOVE and DRAW commands,
plus the series of self-explanatory commands that produce special shapes
Ö like CIRCLE, ELLIPSE, etc. These are fine Ö but limited. To take us
further, Basic provides a more general, all-purpose, graphic command
called PLOT, which takes the general form:
9.10
PLOT k, x, y
9.10
where k is known as the plotting mode (not to be confused with the
display mode) and x, y are the usual coordinate values to be used in the
plotting action. As k can take any value from 0 to 255, there are a
large number of graphic effects available, including a PLOT equivalent
for all the graphic commands we have so far introduced Ö although some
of the latter are a little awkward to use. We could, if we wanted, use
entirely PLOT commands, but it is easier to recognise MOVE, DRAW etc in
a listing, compared with their PLOT equivalents, so we will normally use
PLOT in this series only for those cases where a ready-made keyword does
not exist.
9.10
The 256 available values for k are split into 32 blocks of 8 numbers: 0-
7, 8-15, 16-23, 24-31, etc. (or, in hex, &00-&07, &08-&0F, &10-&17, &18-
&1F, etc. up to &F8-&FF Ö which shows the pattern more easily, each
block starting with either &x0 or &x8). Each block represents one
graphic effect/pattern, and the eight numbers within each block can best
be regarded as offset values which vary the block plot action in the
same way whatever the block. The table below should help Ö even though a
couple of the meanings include a subject we have yet to cover:
9.10
offset    meaning
9.10
  0  move cursor relative (i.e. use x,y values as relative to last
cursor position)
9.10
  1  plot relative, using current foreground colour
9.10
  2  plot relative, using logical inverse colour (ofácolour(s) already
on screen)
9.10
  3  plot relative, using current background colour
9.10
  4  move cursor absolute (i.e. to actual x,y coords given)
9.10
  5  plot absolute, using current foreground colour
9.10
  6  plot absolute, using logical inverse colour
9.10
  7  plot absolute, using current background colour
9.10
Acornæs BBC Basic Reference Manual gives a complete list of the block
plot actions and a few of them are:
9.10
  block    plot action
9.10
  0-7  (&00-&07)  draw solid line
9.10
  16-23  (&10-&17)  draw dotted line including both end points
9.10
  64-71  (&40-&47)  plot point
9.10
  144-151  (&90-&97)  draw circle outline
9.10
So, for example, both PLOT 5,x,y (or PLOT &05,x,y) and PLOT 21,x,y (or
PLOT &15,x,y) would mean draw using the current foreground colour from
the current cursor position to the point (x,y) Ö but the first would
draw a solid line and the second a dotted line.
9.10
Letæs give some more examples of how PLOT is used. Up to now we would
have used a short sequence like this to draw two lines on the screen:
9.10
MOVE 100,200 :REM Move graphics cursor to required start point.
9.10
DRAW 300,400 :REM Draw a solid line from start point to (300,400)
9.10
DRAW BY 500,600 :REM Draw a solid line 500 x-distance and 600 y-distance
away from point (300,400).
9.10
Using PLOT, this could be replaced by:
9.10
PLOT 4,100,200 :REM Émove absoluteæ
9.10
PLOT 5,300,400 :REM Édraw solid line absolute, in foreground colouræ
9.10
PLOT 1,500,600 :REM Édraw solid line relative, in foreground colouræ
9.10
to give the same result. Changing the last line to PLOT 17,500,600 (or
PLOT &11,50,600 to make it clearer that we are using the same offset in
a different block) would make the final line dotted instead of solid.
Play with the PLOT mode blocks and offsets to get used to the idea.
9.10
At this stage, we need say no more about PLOT as an introduction. In
practice, PLOT commands tend to be used mainly for different line
effects and also for the different colour plotting effects, which weæll
come to later. Note that all the &x0 and &x4 values are equivalent to a
MOVE BY or MOVE command respectively.
9.10
Back to the ÉLoanæ program
9.10
Before tackling something more substantial, letæs add a few lines to
ÉLoan_7Cæ to show how some very simple graphics can enhance a program.
Add/amend the following lines of ÉLoan_7Cæ (including the blank lines
and keeping carefully to the shown line numbers. Then renumber and save
the program, to arrive at ÉLoan11_Aæ on the disc):
9.10
  10 REM>Loan_11A
9.10
  20 REM** Upgraded from öLoan_7Cò, see öStarting BASICò Part 11 **
9.10
 502 Graphic1Col% = 1 :REM** Red **
9.10
2501 GraphHeight% = 400 :REM**A convenient height, in OS units. **
9.10
2502 Xorig% = 128: Yorig% = 32
9.10
2503 Scale = GraphHeight% / L
9.10
2504 Gap% = 4
9.10
2505
9.10
2506 PRINT TAB(6,30) ö0ò
9.10
2507 PRINT TAB(7 Ö LEN(STR$(L)),18) STR$(L)
9.10
2508
9.10
2581     GCOL Graphic1Col%
9.10
2582
9.10
2583     MOVE Xorig%+Gap%*
9.10
(NumOfPayments%),Yorig%
9.10
2584     DRAW BY 0,Scale*((L*
9.10
FirstValue)Ö(P*CuSum))
9.10
2585
9.10
2620     PRINT TAB(45,24)ö No. of
9.10
 payments (N) > ö;
9.10
STR$(NumberUpper);
9.10
2640     PRINT TAB(45,24) ö No. of
9.10
equal payments (N) = ö; STR$(NumOfPayments%);
9.10
Run the new program, choose N as the unknown parameter, enter some
values for the knowns Ö and the result is the screenshot shown below. A
small histogram is plotted beneath the input text, showing how the loan
amount is gradually reduced to zero as the equal monthly payments are
made. The number of payments needed is also printed on the graph. (If
the number of payments needed exceeds the top limit set, the graph ends
at that limit and you can get a picture of how much of the loan is still
outstanding.)
9.10
What weæve done is mainly to modify PROCfindNumberOfPayments to draw a
vertical line each time round the REPEAT ... UNTIL loop. The length of
the line represents the amount of the loan still outstanding at that
pass. By plotting each line slightly to the right of the previous one, a
histogram is built up. Letæs go through the action Ö using the above
line numbers (with their renumbered equivalents in brackets).
9.10
Line 2501 (2520) picks a convenient height for the graph, line 2502
(2530) sets the origin, and Line 2503 (2540) calculates the vertical
scale to be applied. We want the graph to be the same vertical height
whatever value of loan is chosen by the user, soáthe scale simply does
this. Line 2504 (2550) sets a variable for the horizontal gap between
each vertical line. Lines 2506 (2570) and 2507 (2580) write text to
label a crude scale to the left of the first vertical line of the graph.
Note how weæve coped with the differing number of digits in the loan
value L. The value is converted to a string, and the length of the
string is used in the TAB statement to offset the text printing start
point to the left by the number of digits to be printed Ö so the number
is effectively Éright justifiedæ to a chosen spot.
9.10
Line 2583 (2700) moves the cursor to the chosen y¡origin, and also moves
it to the right along the x-axis by the value of Gap% each time Ö then
line 2584 (2710) draws a vertical line of the correctly-scaled height.
Finally, a message giving the total number of payments made is written.
9.10
Even though this small addition could do with a little tidying up, you
can see that something simple can be quite effective in presentation. We
need to wait for another topic for the tidying up, so weæll pick it up
again later.
9.10
Main graphics upgrade
9.10
With this simple example under our belt, letæs try something more
substantial. ÉLoan_11Bæ on the disc adds a fairly large upgrade which
starts to tackle the problem of finding the interest rate when the user
chooses R as the unknown main parameter. A graphical solution has been
chosen deliberately, to fit our needs at this point. Firstly, we need to
refer again to the formula introduced in Partá7:
9.10
L/P = B + B2 + B3 + B4 + ........... + BN-1 + BN
9.10
where B = 100 / (100 + R), and:
9.10
L = Loan Amount (ú)
9.10
P = Amount of monthly payment (ú)
9.10
N = Number of equal monthly payments
9.10
R = Interest rate (%)
9.10
As, in this case, L, P and N are known, one means of finding R is to
pick an arbitrary trial value for R and work out the right-hand side of
the equation. The resulting answer is then compared with the known,
left-hand side value Ö which will either be greater or smaller. The
trial value for R is then adjusted by some rationale (designed to pick a
better trial value) and the process is repeated Ö as many times as is
necessary Ö until the right-hand side answer is very close to the left-
hand side value. This gives the solution for R, to whatever degree of
closeness you care to specify. If we also plot a graph (of the
cumulative build-up of the right-hand side) each time the calculation is
carried out, we will see the trial values of R progressively converging
on the left-hand side value. Once again, as this is a Beginnersæ Basic
series rather than a Finance series, letæs concentrate on the
programming and not the maths! (Interestingly, two other columns in
Archive have recently been looking at similar methods of solving
problems: look at ÉIterationæ under Geraldæs Column in 9.4 and
Programming Workshop in 9.5. I can only extend the latteræs claim that
it is pure coincidence that we are all mentioning it at around the same
period Ö but it is no coincidence that we all chose it: rather, it adds
credibility to the general usefulness of the method.)
9.10
Our process, in pseudo-code, will be:
9.10
Decide accuracy required and set other initial values.
9.10
Draw and label graph axes, using value of left-hand side of equation as
our Étargetæ value.
9.10
Pick 1st trial value for R
9.10
REPEAT
9.10
  Calculate and draw graph of result using trial R value
9.10
  Compare result with left-hand side value (and with any other trial
results so far)
9.10
  Adjust trial value of R if need be
9.10
UNTIL right-hand result is within chosen accuracy limits of left-hand
side.
9.10
Display result.
9.10
To keep the action clear, ÉLoan_11Bæ starts this exercise without the
REPEAT ... UNTIL loop. It draws the graph axes, shows the Étargetæ value
and plots a single graph using only the first trial interest rate. The
result is shown below.
9.10
DEF PROCfindInterestRate at line 3060 kicks things off by assigning the
value of L/P to a variable Target. It then calls PROCaxes() followed by
PROCplots() Ö passing Target as a parameter in both cases.
9.10
DEF PROCaxes() is straightforward. The x-axis represents the number of B
terms being summed on the right-hand side of the equation and the y-axis
represents the cumulative sum of those terms. After drawing the main
graph axes using the OS limits set at the very start of the DEFPROC, a
horizontal line is drawn on the right-hand side of the graph at a
y¡position appropriate to the value of Target. Due to the effects of
VertScale and HorScale, the target line will always be in the same
position Ö and the horizontal extent of the graph will always be the
same, whatever the value of N, i.e. the graph is normalised in both
axes.
9.10
DEF PROCplots() then does the calculation and draws the graph. Line 3550
sets the initial trial interest rate. (Again, donæt letæs get hung up on
this item. It doesnæt matter in a programming series.) We then print
this rate, work out B and call PROClinePlot to plot the corresponding
graph line. DEF PROClinePlot (Line 3720) zeros the accumulation
variables, puts the graphics cursor at our axes origin, and then enters
a REPEAT...UNTIL loop which repeatedly accumulates the sum of the B
terms and uses PLOT &15 to draw straight, dotted lines between
successive (absolute) values of the cumulative CumVert value,
corresponding (in the x¡direction) to the number of terms so far
accumulated. As the lines are short, the effect looks like a curve Ö and
the higher the value of N, the shorter the lines and the more of them.
The loop ends (at line 3840) when all N terms have been accumulated, or
when the graph Égoes off the topæ if this occurs first. Without this
latter refinement, a FOR...NEXT loop would have been possible.
9.10
The one graph line drawn in this case will almost certainly end up (i.e.
at its right-hand end) higher than the target line Ö as shown opposite.
The aim of our next steps will be to adjust the trial rate successively
until the end of the plotted graph line gets so close to the target line
that we are prepared to accept that value as Éequal to the targetæ. But
thatæs next time...
9.10
Next time
9.10
Weæll start by introducing the VDU5 command, which allows us to place
text on a graphic screen. After that weæll be able to take the ÉLoanæ
program further. Keep the comments, queries, etc coming (and donæt
forget the A4 SAE, if you want printed listings) to: 26 West Drayton
Park Avenue, West Drayton, Middlesex, UB7 7QA.áuá
9.10
Beginnersæ Corner
9.10
John Temple
9.10
How much do you remember about Draw? Here are a few questions based upon
my last article. If you cannot answer most of them, maybe you are not
getting all you can out of this excellent application.
9.10
How can you a) show and b) change the paper limits of a drawfile?
9.10
What is kerning and how is it done in Draw?
9.10
What does Interpolate do and what is needed for it to work?
9.10
What difference does it make if objects are grouped before being
magnified or rotated?
9.10
How does Draw decide whether or not to fill areas in an object which has
been formed by a line which crosses over itself?
9.10
These were all dealt with in my article.
9.10
Editing in Draw
9.10
I said last month that there is more to reveal. The first thing I had in
mind was the ways you can edit (adjust) an object in Draw.
9.10
Let us start with a simple path object, a rectangle, and manipulate it.
The figure shows a rectangle and four copies of it which were
subsequently edited. I drew the rectangle using the rectangle tool on
the toolbox, defining the top left hand corner first. I had the grid
showing, and locked, and the first rectangle was an inch long and ╛inch
high. The shapes of the edited copies may be familiar.
9.10
To edit a path object, click on one of the icons on the Toolbox other
than Move, Text or Select. (The Toolbox is the block of icons attached
to the left of the Draw window Ö remember?) Having selected one of the
drawing icons, move the cursor arrow over the object to be edited and
press <adjust> (right hand mouse button). This will put a blue square
onto each point on the object, i.e. the four corners in the case of a
rectangle. It will also make the lines appear thinner. The drawing is
now in Path Edit Mode. The blue squares are called end points in the
manual, but I shall refer to them as handles because I find it easier.
In path edit mode, you can press and drag <adjust> to pick up any one of
the handles and move it. Only two handles had to be moved to create the
ÉManual Inputæ symbol.
9.10
Within path edit mode, pressing <menu> will bring up a submenu which
looks like this:
9.10
To create the next shape, called Document, click <adjust> on a rectangle
to get into path edit mode and then position the cursor over the bottom
left corner handle and press <adjust> again. This will highlight that
handle and the bottom line of the rectangle (by making them both red).
Now press <menu> and select Change to curve.
9.10
Two new handles appear, coloured orange, on the bottom line, which has
become a curve (albeit straight at the moment). I shall refer to these
orange handles as control points. That is what the manual calls them.
Control points define the direction of the curve at the handle they are
linked to.
9.10
Now click and drag <adjust> to move the left hand control point up a
bit, and do the same to move the right one down. Click <select> anywhere
on the drawing to get out of path edit mode, and you have the Document
shape. You may like to experiment with the control points. They not only
define the direction of the tangent at the handle; they also determine
how far the curve goes in that direction.
9.10
To make the Storage shape, click <adjust> on the top left handle of a
rectangle, then <menu>ÖChange to curve, and drag both resulting control
points to the left; repeat the process for the right side, after
clicking on the bottom right handle.
9.10
For Decision, move the right hand side of the rectangle in to make a
square, rotate it through 45ádegrees and then, in path edit mode, drag
the side corners out a little.
9.10
Segments
9.10
The lines between points on an object are called segments. When you
click <adjust> on a handle in path edit mode, it is not only the handle
that is highlighted but also the segment between it and the previous
handle. If (as I suggested) when you created a rectangle, you defined
the top left hand corner first, the corners are numbered clockwise from
the top left, 1,2,3,4,5. Yes, the top left corner has to have two
numbers, otherwise the left hand side (segment) of the rectangle would
not be defined and the object would be open. Point 5 is on top of point
1 and therefore it is point 5 not point 1 that is selected if you click
on that corner.
9.10
If you defined your rectangle in a different way, you may have to
interpret the following paragraph slightly.
9.10
Clicking <adjust> on the bottom left handle of the rectangle selects
that handle (number 4) and the previous segment, i.e. bottom line of the
rectangle. That enabled us to create the second of the edited
rectangles, the Document shape.
9.10
Edit Path menu
9.10
Change to curve or <ctrl-f8> changes the selected straight line segment
to a curve, as we have already seen.
9.10
Change to line or <ctrl-f8> changes the selected curve segment back to a
straight line.
9.10
Change to move does what you would expect, it changes the selected
segment to a move (no line drawn). Interestingly, if the object was
closed, it also draws new lines from the start of the segment to the
first point of the object and from the end of the segment to the first
point of the object. This means that both parts of the object, each side
of the move, are closed. However, the result is different from what
happens if the object is drawn initially containing a move in the same
place. If this sounds complicated, try it out and all will become clear.
9.10
In each case, the star marks the first point.
9.10
Add point puts an extra point in the middle of the selected segment,
dividing the segment into two halves which are the same as the original
(straight line or curve).
9.10
Delete segment deletes the selected point as well as the segment,
linking the previous and following points with a segment having the
properties of the segment after the point. If the last point of an
object is selected, the last segment is deleted. If the first point is
selected, nothing happens. Again, try it to make it clear.
9.10
Flatten join adjusts the control points each side of the selected point
so that the tangent to the curve is in the same direction on both sides
of the point.
9.10
Open path and Close path are greyed out unless a point on the object has
been selected. Both commands work by moving the last point of the
object, irrespective of the point that is actually selected.
9.10
Itæs logical, even if it is not quite what you might have expected.
9.10
Enter coordinate allows you to position a point exactly, with reference
to the origin at the bottom left hand corner of the drawing. The
existing coordinates are displayed so it is a simple matter to change
them. It helps if you have a grid showing, because you can use it as a
reference when you are working out the values you want. Nothing happens
until you press <OK> and you can chicken out by pressing <Cancel> or
moving off the New coordinates box and pressing <select>. Note that the
origin may be (and normally is) outside the paper limits.
9.10
Snap to grid does what you would expect, but it works only if you have
the grid either shown or locked or both.
9.10
Exercise
9.10
Starting with rectangles drawn using the rectangle tool from the
Toolbox, try to convert them into the following figures by using the
techniques I have described.
9.10
Text areas
9.10
You can type text into a drawfile having selected the ÉTæ text icon on
the toolbox. But (as I hinted in earlier articles) there is another way.
You can simply pick up a text file (e.g. created by Edit) drag it onto a
Draw window and drop it where you want it to go. Draw will automatically
create a rectangular area called a text column and insert the text into
it using the font Trinity Medium, with point size 12. The text column
has a fixed size, which is about 4 cm (1╜ in) square, but you can change
it later if you want to. The bottom left hand corner of the invisible
rectangle is where the cursor arrow was pointing when you dropped the
file.
9.10
The text is both left and right justified and word wrap operates (words
are not split at line ends except when a word is longer than a line).
9.10
Once you have got the text in, you can move it around the drawfile in
the normal way by selecting it as an object and then dragging it using
<select>. You can also alter the height and width of the text column by
picking up the handle in the bottom right hand corner and moving that.
However, it is only the rectangle itself which changes size. The text
inside it remains at size 12, Trinity Medium.
9.10
If the text column is too small for the text, the overflow seems to be
lost because it cannot be seen. However, it remains in memory and if you
enlarge the text column, it appears as if by magic.
9.10
What if you want to use a different font or a different size? Well, of
course, you can. What is more, you can set justification (left, right,
centre or full), line spacing, margins, background colour and the colour
of the text. It is all done with special commands, at the start of the
file or buried in the text itself. You can set these up yourself or you
can let Draw do it for you. If you drop a text file into Draw and then
save it again using <menu>ÖSaveÖText area, and examine it in Edit, you
will find that Draw has inserted a block of text area commands at the
beginning. It does that automatically if there are none already there.
9.10
Here is the start of a text file that has been set up to have three
columns, three fonts and fully justified blue coloured text. You will
find it on the monthly disc, but if you do not have the disc, you will
have to invent your own text. Sixty or seventy words will be enough.
9.10
áá\! 1
9.10
áá\;This is a Draw Text Area File
9.10
áá\;Written for Archive by John Temple
9.10
áá\AD
9.10
áá\D3
9.10
áá\F0 Trinity.Medium 18
9.10
áá\F1 Trinity.Medium 12
9.10
áá\F2 Homerton.Bold.Oblique 12
9.10
áá\L14
9.10
áá\P6
9.10
áá\C 0 255 255
9.10
áá\0
9.10
ááFor Beginners
9.10
Drop the whole file onto the bottom left hand corner of a Draw window
and play around with it. Selecting the whole object (all three columns)
enables you to move it about on the page but not resize nor rotate it.
But if you select a single column instead of the whole object, you can
move the column on its own and now you can resize it. You select a
column by double clicking on it. Resizing a column makes text run from
one column into another. Youæve just got to try it out.
9.10
This is what the text area command codes used above mean:
9.10
All text area files must begin with \! 1 and end with a new line
character. The backslash denotes a text area command. The ! 1 tells Draw
that the file is a text area file. You get a new line character by
pressing <return>.
9.10
The semi colon in \; is a bit like a REM statement in Basic. Everything
after it on the same line is ignored by Draw.
9.10
\AD means Alignment Double, or full justification. (Alternatives are \AL
for left, \AR for right and \AC for centre.)
9.10
\D3 defines the number of columns.
9.10
\F allocates the number which follows to the stated font. There are
three in this file, numbered 0, 1 andá2.
9.10
\L14 sets the line spacing to 14 points.
9.10
\P6 sets the space between paragraphs. 6 points adds ╜ line, so the
paragraph spacing is equal to 1╜ lines. I didnæt actually include any
paragraphs in this file but you can add some if you wish, to see the
effect. Draw ignores a linefeed character on its own, so if you want to
indicate a paragraph, you have to put in two Returns.
9.10
\C sets the colour of the text using the scales 0-255 for each of red,
green and blue.
9.10
Finally, a backslash followed by a number turns on the font that was
given that number in the header. You can change fonts at any point in
the text.
9.10
There are some other text area commands, but I think I have given enough
for an article intended for beginners. There is plenty here for you to
experiment with, and if you want more, you can always go to the manual.
9.10
Fonts
9.10
Before we leave the subject of text in Draw, there is something I must
tell you. I have always thought, and Iæm sure I read it somewhere, that
if you load a Fonts directory, you lose the fonts that are available in
ROM in RISC OS 3 and you canæt get them back without re-booting. I wrote
something to that effect in my article for the May issue but Paul
noticed my misconception, got James to check it and, in the version that
went to print, cut that paragraph out. (He confirmed it with me before
he did it, not that he needed to as editor.)
9.10
The key sentence in Jamesæ comments is öAll this revolves around a
system variable by the name of Font$Path which is set to a comma
separated list of the directories where fonts are to be found.ò
9.10
So I have added to my boot file the line
9.10
Set Font$Path Resources:$.Fonts.,ADFS:
9.10
:Harddisc4.$.Utilities.!Fonts
9.10
and it works! I now have available not only the ROM fonts Trinity,
Homerton and Corpus from ROM, but also the special fonts which I have
collected over the years from public domain sources. I only mention this
because there may be somebody in the readership who has read the same
article as I did and may still be unaware of this simple way of
accessing whatever fonts you want.
9.10
Next time
9.10
Draw will also accept sprites and Iæll go on to deal with that next
time.áuá
9.10
PenDown DTP
9.10
Alex Cessford
9.10
What follows is a description of my initial impressions of PenDown DTP
version 1.00 after our school purchased it just eight weeks ago.
9.10
Why did we buy it?
9.10
As the I.T. Coordinator for our primary school, I was on the lookout for
a DTP package that would offer a friendly and rapid way-in to DTP for my
teaching colleagues who had achieved reasonable competence and
confidence in word-processing, using PenDown Plus. PenDTP seemed ideal,
for reasons of staff familiarity and its potential for extending staff
skill (and therefore confidence in the classroom), which arises from its
range of sophistication levels.
9.10
As an attention-grabber at BETT, Longman demonstrated the production of
a greetings card, comprising a graphic and text lines both on the front
and inside, in under two minutes, including receipt of the printout.
This included having the inside contents inverted and correctly sited,
ready for folding into a quartered card Ö it was tailor-made for
repetition back at school! More of this ÉGadgetæ later.
9.10
What do you get?
9.10
Quite a lot actually! It comes on two discs, which together bring two
applications, !PenDTP and !Speller, plus various directories containing
clipart, borders, an animation example, frames, gadgets and a set of
hypertext documents. There is also an admirably thin A4 manual, which is
well-conceived and presented, but has occasional blips which I will
mention later. It covers just the first two ÉLevelsæ Ö an explanation
follows. The sixteen hypertext documents form the manual for Level 3,
(you can print them out, but thereby lose the hot-linking), and some
example documents on creating labels, storybooks, poems and letters Ö
most comprehensive.
9.10
The structure
9.10
This program has three levels of sophistication. When loaded onto the
iconbar, it defaults to Level 1, which is the simplest. If you are happy
with this, you can simply click on the iconbar icon which opens a
dialogue window inviting you to choose a gadget. These gadgets are a set
of pre-defined macros (and you can design and add more of your own),
which are set up to give an extremely easy way in for anyone wanting a
quick and simple life.
9.10
The gadget options are Fresh Start (the default choice Ö just a normal
blank page), Greetings card, Invitation, Certificate, Newspaper and
Notice. All fairly self-explanatory, they come with frames set up
appropriately and, in some cases, bordered to suit. For example, the
Greetings Card gadget presents you with a succession of boxes in which
to type a message or name, or to make a selection from the thumbnail
windowæs offerings of clipart. When you have completed the final entry,
it then goes off to print it for you without even requiring you to do
anything technical like pressing the Print key! Most impressive indeed Ö
I like it a lot. The dialogue window has the now usual menu icon and,
after making your selection, you then click on the Open button.
9.10
Fresh Startæs screen is literally blank, with nine Pendown-similar
buttons on a bar across the top, covering choices for fonts, text
colour, bold, italic, etc. Across the bottom is a clipboard for cutting
and pasting text and graphics, a frame store for saving and retrieving
frame setups, an append tool for merging document files, and then a
long, narrow Help Display window, (which you can turn off), akin to the
Acorn !Help application.
9.10
To get going, you just start to type, which instantly results in a frame
being created for you, which can subsequently be manipulated if needed.
Drag and drop a graphic onto the page, and again the frame appears
automatically.
9.10
Both page and iconbar menus and toolbars vary according to what level
you are using. Level 1 page menu has the usual options for Save, Print,
Edit, Page (orientation and size), etc, some with the normal keyboard
shortcuts, but also has Border, Speech (Superior Softwareæs module) and
Background Ö which gives a choice of Transparent, Coloured or Special,
the latter offering ten designs such as Cafe, Curtains, Notepad and
Scroll, and with a little preview window before you need to click on the
Apply button Ö smart!
9.10
On the subject of saving, whether loading the application or loading via
a previously saved file, level 1 is the default level.  So you enter at
Level 1 even if you prefer Level 3 and even if you saved your work at
that higher level. I have had an explanation of the rationale for this
from the author, which I accept as being a valid alternative.
9.10
Level 2
9.10
Move into Level 2, via the iconbar menu, and you become aware that
PenDTP, unlike the older Pendown, can open multiple document windows,
because the iconbar menu has grown two additional options. Open Document
and Remove Document, indicate that the program will hold additional
documents, whether their windows are open on screen or not.
9.10
Opening a window, reveals that the ten Level 1 buttons on the top
toolbar have been joined by nine more to facilitate, amongst other
things, overlaying a grid to which frames may be optionally locked, hide
text/graphicsæ page layout choices, scaling the view of the page and
setting the number of pages and/or page size.
9.10
A second toolbar has arrived underneath the top one, with a graduated
ruler below that. The new baræs tools control justification, tab and
indent markers (drag and drop to add in place), adding new rulers, and
windows showing the current ruler and text style, each with its own menu
icon to retrieve alternative definable and savable rulers and text
styles.
9.10
Another minor gripe here Ö the last button on the extreme right of the
top row of the toolbar is the Éundo last operationæ button, but I did
not guess that the two opposite facing arrows meant this, (would a
pupil?), and the help display had no comment to make about it, until I
switched to Level 3, when I was informed by the help display what it
was! The manual was equally unhelpful on this point; pages 5 and 26
mention undoing a text cut, öClick on the Undo icon on the toolbarò, but
there is no accompanying illustration in the margin Ö until page 32!
9.10
Other extra facilities at Level 2 include menuing on the top toolbar to
gain a choice between a Pendown-like toolbar or a FirstPage-type
toolbar, according to which original program you are most familiar with.
There is a chance to set the frame attributes to be read only, locked,
auto-expanding, text flow round, graphic, and normal Ö with the option
of naming and saving the resulting setup, and it has a wider range of
save options which include saving an individual frame and switching
compression on and off.
9.10
There is also the additional menu item of Text-Selection-Select, plus
keyboard shortcuts, giving the chance to click on the menu to highlight,
(i.e. select), the current word, line, sentence or paragraph, which is
excellent as an alternative to the <select> then <adjust>, or dragging,
to mark a block. As some people find the fairly fine control necessary
for the mouse selecting process a bit finicky, I feel that this Level 2
menu option should be offered at Level 1.
9.10
Level 3
9.10
Venture into Level 3, and the iconbar menu alters more radically to give
access to the thirteen options seen in this illustration below. Not
surprisingly, the main menus also confront the user with a much richer
hoard of goodies, all of them, so far as I have discovered, useful and
desirable. I have limited myself to describing the ones that have
especially taken my eye Ö the rest you can guess at yourself by looking
at the other screenshots.
9.10
I was interested to note the last two options on the Graphics menu Ö
Shear, where this action can be applied to either the x or y-axis, with
the degree of shearing specifiable, and Animation. PenDTP will inspect
any incoming sprite file to see if it is a set of almost identical
sprites and will animate it if possible. The Animation sub-menu gives
control of Start Stop or Continuous, and Slow, Medium or Fast. However,
when I tried to control the speed of the Piston animation supplied as an
example, it would only respond to clicking on Slow or Fast Ö Medium just
ignored me. However, if I went back into the Graphics menu and then
immediately returned to the Animation menu, it had defaulted to, yes
youæve guessed, Medium Ö weird!
9.10
Also, having dropped the Piston in, just to try it, I then wanted to
remove it, so I clicked on it so as to get it to be the current active
frame, and was rewarded with use of one of PenDTPæs hot-links Ö it
loaded up !Speller Ö for a graphic? Peter Hunter tells me it shouldnæt
do this, and is investigating.
9.10
Talking of hot-links Ö Longman call it Object linking Ö there is also
the same easy access, (i.e. double-clicking on the frame in question),
to editing a drawfile, a sprite and even to Edit where the text
concerned has been converted into a graphic using the relevant radio
button on the Frame-Attributes submenu. Those used to hot-links will
know that the way back is simply to use the relevant applicationæs Save
option and hit <return>. Iæll give Longman their due, this program is
very much all-singing and dancing at this level, should you need it.
9.10
Level 3 iconbar options
9.10
What else do I like at Level 3? Well, certainly the option of having a
second floating tool bar. (Perhaps when Paul reported multiple floating
tool bars, in Products Available in 9.8, he meant that you could have a
second bar from a choice of seven?) What I donæt like is that having
taken advantage of the Tool Layoutæs facility to change from a two-
columns-of-ten arrangement to a square format, this information is not
retained when saving the file, so guess what you get next time you load
a previous file?!
9.10
While griping, isnæt it more likely that you would want to do a word
count or spell check on the whole document, rather than from where you
are presently typing To End of Story? This is the default Scope for both
these two, and also for the case change facilities. I have just checked
repeatedly, and found that it doesnæt even retain the useræs setting
when you change the scope to, for example, Whole Story, (on the word
count at least), and return to do a re-count just a few seconds later.
9.10
Educationally speaking, I am very pleased that !Speller can a) mark-up
errors, and b) be used with other programs, and although I havenæt tried
it yet, the Reading Level macroæs ability to assess a text, using
variously SMOG, FOG, FLESCH, etc, tests, would seem to have potential to
impress the OFSTED mob if your school, like mine, hasnæt been Édoneæ
yet. This latest member of the PenDown family also offers a new view
window which can be scaled up or down from its parent Ö very useful!
9.10
What else can PenDTP do?
9.10
It can accept files from all its Pendown relatives, and will further
allow not only Draw, Edit and Paint imports, but also CSV and 1stWord+.
Frames can be set to auto-expand, be replicated vertically, horizontally
or both, be locked to the grid, moved to back or front, and be specified
as read-only. Files can be made to remove themselves from memory when
their windows are closed, and printout formats include normal, batched,
fitted, pairs, book pairs, fours, folded fours and tiled. Thereæs a full
range of save options and the expected undo via <ctrl-U>.
9.10
Is the manual any good?
9.10
Yes, itæs excellent, but... ! The presentation is clear and it is slim,
so people are actually likely to read it Ö full marks so far.
9.10
Now, about those blips I spoke of:
9.10
On page 5, Editing text item 3. refers to use of the Copy key but I
donæt seem to be able to find it on my RiscPC keyboard Ö oops! I later
discovered that the End key is the Copy key in disguise Ö did you know
that?
9.10
On Page 6, under the heading of Text font and size, the parameters
Height and Aspect are described, and it is explained that aspect may be
changed by entering ö ... a percentage value ... ò Well, the terms
aspect and percentage may well be more technically correct, but
considering that page 6 is only the fourth page into a section on Level
1, which extends to twenty pages and purports to be for non-
sophisticated users, I think that Drawæs Size and Height, or better
still, PenDown Plusæ Height and Width seem more friendly in terms of
Éplain-Englishæ.
9.10
Page 16 refers to the red flow handle to indicate a link, but the
program does not possess any subsequent means of indicating where such
links lead to. A colleague at my school has already experienced
difficulties which could have been avoided had PenDTP possessed the link
tool available to Ovation users.
9.10
It crashed Ö but well-done Longman
9.10
Crash one happened when entering the Font List to change fonts Ö youæve
seen it Ö Fatal error type 5, exit (but this has been corrected in the
latest version).
9.10
Number two occurred when selecting a printout format in the Print
dialogue window.
9.10
Longmanæs Technical Services Department responded quickly to my letter
saying that they had successfully replicated the first crash and that
the author is in the process of fixing it, but that they had not so far
replicated the printing crash, so please could I keep an eye on it to
see if it was a one-off or not. It isnæt! Iæve had it again on five
different days, but I award Longman twelve out of ten for listening to
their customers and responding extremely positively.
9.10
My wish list
9.10
1. Frame Ö FrameStyle Ö Margins: This menu option actually sets the
INSET margins, and I have not found a facility to set the OUTSET
margins. The result is that flowing text can crowd up against a graphic
or whatever. Inserting a space at the beginning of each line seems a
crude solution, nor does it seem very satisfactory to have to set the
INSET margin of every frame.
9.10
2. The option to create a master page/document/chapter. Again, the
Technical Services Department opinioned that PenDTP does not have this
Pendown Plus feature Ö not as far as they can discover from the Level 3
hypertext documents.
9.10
3. Handles to re-size the frames, together with the ability to drag a
frame around without first having to click the caret into another frame.
9.10
4. A Line Tool with options to modify thickness, style and end caps.
9.10
Personalise it!
9.10
Although I may not need extra facilities, (other than the items in my
wish list, that is!), a perusal of the hypertext documents clearly shows
that Longman Logotron have, from the outset, intended that the package
they are selling should support anyone wishing to tailor it to their
individual needs. These hypertexts contain what to me appear to be very
detailed descriptions on how to ÉConfigureæ the program to start up in
the ideal way you might want. (Iæve just thought! Is this how I can make
it load up in Level 3 every time?)
9.10
They show you how to define ÉMacrosæ to do all sorts of wonderful
things: how to utilise the PenDTP ÉCommandsæ Language, how to use the
ÉKeysæ files to extend the keyboard shortcuts and to develop input via a
concept keyboard, how to amend files held inside the application itself
(e.g. the Exceptions file which lives in the !PenDTP.Extensions.RLevel
directory), etc, etc Ö wonderful! Is this Éopenæ policy intended to
reflect Acornæs new openness, I wonder?
9.10
Conclusions?
9.10
As with any sophisticated application, PenDTP will take a while to get
fully into, but the Levels system makes for a gentle learning curve with
obvious resting points, while the gadgets are superb at motivating
children and adults alike, by providing instant success. It is clear
that a tremendous amount of thought has gone into this application,
(witness the explicit provision of the paper colour option in
consideration of ö ... those with visual impairment ...ò), and you are
never going to satisfy everyone all the time Ö but the author has come
as close as anyone is ever going to, at the first attempt! So, in spite
of the crashes, my grumbles and wish list, remembering that this is
still only version 1.00, I think that Longman Logotron have created a
product which anyone, not just those in education, should give very
serious consideration.
9.10
If any potential purchasers, or existing owners of PenDTP, would like to
tap into my (limited!) experience with the program, or offer me the
benefit of theirs, do get in touch: Alex Cessford, 30 Belvoir Crescent,
Langar, Nottingham, NG13 9HU. (Home: 01949-860738 School: 0115-989-2250)
9.10
The price?
9.10
PenDown DTP costs ú59 +VAT +p&p, or ú68 through Archive, and 5, 10, 20
and 40-user licences cost ú67, ú118, ú207 and ú354 respectively +VAT
+p&p, or ú77, ú132, ú232 and ú395 through Archive. Existing users of
PenDown Plus etc, who upgrade, get preferential rates Ö contact Longman
Logotron for details.áuá
9.10
PenDown Tools
9.10
1stPage Tools
9.10
PopUp Cards
9.10
Bob Ames (+ Lisa)
9.10
PopUp Cards, from Southern Printers, is a package of Artwork which
assists the artistically minded to design and make just that Ö various
types of PopUp Cards Ö as well as more ordinary folded types, and also
matching envelopes.
9.10
The manual should be read before attempts are made to run the program,
otherwise nothing seems to happen Ö it is all user-driven. The package
does not consist of a program, with menus, etc, but has a series of
templates, patterns, and other artwork which is used to design card
layouts in a drawing package. The list of requirements is very basic: an
Acorn computer, a drawing package (Artworks, Vector, Draw, etc), a
printer and driver, and then the firmware: scissors, card, paper etc!
9.10
It is a well put together package, which has a few very neat touches.
The card designs all seem to work and there are some useful examples
included, öto get you goingò.
9.10
The package comes as two discs. These are compressed with David
Pillingæs !Spark utility, and !SparkPlug (the free decompression
utility) is included on disc B. (I wonder how many copies Iáhave now!?
It is so widely available, extra copies on the disc are almost
redundant!)
9.10
Decompressed, the package needs four 800Kb discs, but there may be a
problem with 1Mb machines Ö the user is requested to ring the support
line in case of problems! A hard disc system needs 2.4Mb of free disc
space for installation. The user is requested to backup the original
discs before installing or decompressing, so there is no copy
protection.
9.10
The material sent for review also included an extra artwork disc called
SP4 (a separate product from  PopUp Cards), although it seems to
duplicate over 1Mb of compressed line art. It also has a small LineArt
manual which gives thumbnail pictures of all the contents. A few ÉHow-
Toæ suggestions usefully complete the manual.
9.10
Three types of card may be produced with the package as supplied,
although more types may be designed. A Éfront/backæ type has a scene on
the front, and the reverse of the scene or item on the back, the two
being joined by the hinge. The folded A4 type is the simplest, and the
layout is prearranged so that, when the sheet is printed and folded, the
various faces are correctly oriented; front, two faces inside and a card
back.
9.10
The third type is the true pop-up card. Paper engineering is used to
give the mobility needed Ö careful use of scissors and glue positioning
is needed. There are a few examples given, some types are multi-layer,
and other types can be designed.
9.10
The directoriesæ names indicate the supplied contents; Cards1, Cards2,
ArtMono, ArtColour, Borders and Envelopes all appear, with a section
called Extras containing more borders and colour and mono artwork. The
mono artwork is supplied to make cards to be coloured in by children Ö
very personal cards are thus generated. The script may be
machine¡printed for each recipient, or a general message, printed and
then personalised by hand.
9.10
Southern Printers also supplied me with four ready¡made examples of
cards included in the package, complete with designer envelopes. These
areáprobably the most difficult part Ö the paper engineering required to
produce good quality envelopes from flat paper sheets is amazing!
9.10
Almost at the end of the instruction manual, there is a very useful
explanation of the method which should be used to adjust or align the
paper and the drawing on screen. Another section describes the
manufacture of the envelopes. Finally, Hints and Tips gives a few clues
to further development, and the package Draw+ is suggested to assist
further text manipulation.
9.10
All in all, this is a very good package. The usefulness is limited only
by the useræs imagination! PopUpCards is good value at ú14. An
educational site licence costs ú28, and the extra artwork disc SP4 (with
thumbnail manual) costs just ú6. All these prices fully inclusive, from
Southern Printers.áuá
9.10
RasMol for RISC OS
9.10
Mike Clark
9.10
The good news for scientists, students and teachers in the biological
and chemical sciences is that a new professional tool has become
available and although itæs copyright, itæs being made available as
freeware from the Higher Education National Software Archive (HENSA).
There are, I know, a significant number of academics who choose to use
Acorn computers because they find RISCáOS such a good operating
environment within which to work. However, a major criticism is that
there are few serious professional applications covering some areas of
computer use, particularly with regard to scientific software.
9.10
One of these omissions has just been plugged by Martin Wⁿrthner
([e-mail].  uni-stuttgart.de) who has ported Roger
Sayleæs X11 package, RasMol, to RISCáOS. RasMol is a truly professional
package for the representation and visualisation of highly complex three
dimensional molecular models. It allows the structures of molecules such
as proteins and DNA, made up of thousands of individual atoms, to be
viewed on screen, rotated, moved and magnified. The RasMol package is
used by scientists and students to look at these structures, and also
for the preparation of publication quality figures for use in lectures
and reproduction in journals and text books.
9.10
The determination of molecular structures through the use of techniques
such as X-ray crystallography or Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)
spectroscopy, involves a lot of computer intensive data processing.
Traditionally, and for obvious reasons, this intensive number crunching
is carried out using mainframe computers and top end UNIX workstations.
However, once the data has been computed, the results can be written out
as the relative three dimensional molecular coordinates of every atom in
the structure.
9.10
To allow this structural information to be exchanged, standard data
formats have been adopted. One major standard in this area is the
Protein Data Bank format (PDB files) as used by the Brookhaven Database
of sequences, made publicly available over the Internet by the USA
National Institute of Health and mirrored in the UK by the European
Bioinformatics Institute (URL http://www.ebi.ac.uk/PDB/).
9.10
The Protein Data bank (PDB) is an archive of experimentally determined
three dimensional structures of biological macromolecules, serving a
global community of researchers, educators and students with over 4,300
structures currently available. RasMol can understand PDB files as well
as other formats: Émdlæ (Molecular Design Limitedæs MOL format),
Éalchemyæ (Triposæ Alchemy), Émol2æ (Triposæ Sybyl Mol2), Écharmmæ
(CHARMm) and Éxyzæ (MSCæs XMol XYZ) produced by the different software
packages. Acorn filetypes have been allocated for the PDB format, as
well as some of the others, allowing files to be loaded into the
application with a double-click.
9.10
RasMol (Copyright ⌐1992-94 by Roger Sayle) is available as a C source
program designed to compile and run under X11 and optimised for
compilation using the GNU C compiler, gcc. The package has also been
ported to and runs on Microsoft Windows, Apple Macintosh, and VMS
systems and, of course, now native under RISCáOS.
9.10
The program reads in the data files and then opens up a display window
in which the molecular model is shown in one of a number of different
representations, such as depth-cued wireframes, ÉDreidingæ sticks,
spacefilling (CPK) spheres, ball and stick, solid and strand
biomolecular ribbons, atom labels and dot surfaces. The model can also
be coloured in various ways to highlight various chosen features of the
whole molecule, or of individual atoms or residues which make up the
structure.
9.10
The application opens two windows, the molecule display window and a
command window. This is almost identical to the way the application
appears on other platforms, so those with experience of RasMol on say
UNIX or Windows, will feel immediately at home. A few commands, to
enable the structure to be moved, rotated and magnified, are directly
available using an attached toolbar and a combination of mouse drags
(using select or adjust). Simple display features such as model
representations and overall colours, are also available using the menu
button and then following options offered. However, for really complex
operations, it is necessary to use the commands available in the command
window.
9.10
Fortunately for beginners, one of the commands available is Help, which
gives access to a manual of information on the commands available, and
how to use them. Using the commands, it is possible to apply different
display features to selected parts of a molecule, and to label the
features shown. Highly complex figures can be generated in this way, and
the viewer can look at them from all angles and at many magnifications,
including zooming into the centre of a molecule and looking at the atoms
inside.
9.10
Clearly, this can be a laborious process to replicate, so it is possible
to automate the commands by saving script files of multiple commands
which will load and display the molecule in a predefined way. As the
application runs on multiple platforms, it is possible to import both
the molecular structures and the script files from one machine to
another, and to generate similar displays.
9.10
For example, at work, I carry out complex molecular modelling on a
Silicon Graphics Iris Indigo workstation, I then bring the files home
and can carry on working on them using RasMol for Windows on the PC486
card on my RiscPC. Now, with this new release, I am pleased to find that
I am also able to run them under native RISCáOS. A nice feature of
RISCáOS, of course, is that it is possible to load scripts into text
editors such as Edit, and to rapidly and easily carry out global changes
before re-running them, all within a multitasking desktop.
9.10
I havenæt carried out any detailed timings, but my impressions are that
the RISCáOS version (currently RasMol 2.6, RISCáOS version 1.10) running
on a RiscPC 600 with 2Mb VRAM in an 800╫600, 32,000 colour mode feels
about the same speed as RasMol 2.5 for Windows running on the PC486 SXL
processor card in a similar screen mode. I have just upgraded to a PC486
DX4/100 card and this now runs RasMol faster, presumably partly as a
result of the numeric coprocessor available on the new card.
9.10
However, an important feature of the RISCáOS version of RasMol is that
it can run on any Acorn machine with OS 3.1 or higher and with 2Mb of
RAM available. I would suggest that 4Mb of RAM is more appropriate, and
indeed I have obtained very good results loading a structure of 10,400
atoms into a 4Mb A5000 and also a 4Mb ARM2 A3000. This must make the
package very attractive for school use where RiscPCs may not always be
available.
9.10
Martin Wⁿrthner has made a very good job of porting the package across,
and the colour screen output, to my mind, is better under RISCáOS than
under Windows. A nice feature is a dither tool available under RISCáOS
which, when clicked on in a 256 colour mode, generates a better dithered
representation of the current view, albeit with a time penalty. The
final images, once generated, can be exported in a number of formats for
possible publication or incorporation in other applications. Filetypes
currently supported are sprites, GIF and EPS (both bit-mapped and vector
PostScript, although there are some problems at present with the
latter).
9.10
To really do justice to this application, and to find out all of the
many sophisticated features available, you need to get hold of a copy
and to play with it. Many scientists and students will already be
familiar with the package as used on other platforms, but there must
also be many teachers, for example, who have never seen this
application. I strongly urge them to get hold of a copy, because I know
from experience that there is nothing like being able to manipulate
models in three dimensions to enable a more rapid learning process of
concepts in chemistry and molecular biology.
9.10
The package, as supplied on HENSA, includes some example script files,
and a few simple molecules such as aspirin and atropine as well as a
Ébucky ballæ and a Protein DNA complex. Further structures are readily
available on the Web, and by FTP, from various academic sites including
EBI.
9.10
Martin Wuerthner has said that he is happy for us to put RasMol on the
monthly program disc, which we have done, and simply asked that we be
sure to acknowledge Roger Sayle ([e-mail]) and to quote the
address of the RasMol WWW home page (http://klaatu.oit.umass.edu:80/
microbio/
9.10
rasmol/) which is provided by Eric Martz.áuá
9.10
Vistamusic 3
9.10
Denise Bates
9.10
Vistamusic 3 has been produced by the Enabling for Music Project at the
University of York within the Department of Electronics. The aim of the
project is to harness technology to enable hard-of-hearing, physically
disabled and partially sighted people to compose, arrange and perform
music. Vistamusic is designed for someone who does not play a keyboard
but perhaps can play some other instrument, or someone who is musically-
minded who does not play any instrument. The program is designed to be
controlled via a Midi interface by a suitable keyboard instrument, and
the computer keyboard need not be used at all.
9.10
The program
9.10
Vistamusic was reviewed using an A5000 with RISC OS 3 (although any
Acorn computer with 1Mb of memory is sufficient so long as it has a Midi
interface) and a Yamaha Clavinova. This may not be the best instrument
to demonstrate the capabilities of the program, as the one used had only
three voices.
9.10
Vistamusic takes over the whole machine and does not run in a desktop
window. It is entirely driven from menus and does not use the mouse. The
program can be run in three ways. The first is using allocated keys on
the same Midi keyboard as that used for inputting notes. The second way
is to use two Midi keyboards, one for note input and the other for the
controls. Iásuspect most users would normally control the program from
the computer and enter notes via a Midi instrument.
9.10
A limited range of notes can be entered from the computer keyboard, and
a module is supplied to enable music to be listened to without using a
Midi instrument.
9.10
The notes appear on the screen as different coloured shapes which
represent the note pitch, duration and sound. The conventional stave is
not used. Once a tune has been entered, accessing one of the many edit
menus allows the tune to be manipulated note by note until the desired
volume and tempo is achieved.
9.10
The inputting of music is extremely quick and the editing facilities
make error correction very easy. The degree of control over the tonal
quality of the output is extremely good and, in this context, those who
are interested in computerised music may be tempted to add this software
to their collection.
9.10
Target users
9.10
The program has been specifically designed for those with little musical
knowledge. I felt that, whilst such people would be able to use
Vistamusic successfully, they would need to work under the guidance of
an experienced tutor who did have musical knowledge. To this extent, I
feel that the natural users of the program will be conversant with
computers, be involved in teaching, care or therapy work and will have
sufficient understanding of music to show their clients how to use the
program.
9.10
Tape
9.10
The program comes with three tunes discs and a demonstration tape which
highlights the quality of output which can be achieved. The quality is
extremely high, but there is no indication of how long it took to
produce the tunes in this format or the degree of musical knowledge
possessed by the inputter.
9.10
Criticisms
9.10
I have three specific criticisms of Vistamusic. Unfortunately, the
quality of the manual is extremely disappointing. After explaining the
installation procedure, and how to run the program, it gives little
practical help in getting to grips with the musical aspects. Although
the software writers feel that using the program menus are self-
explanatory, and understanding will be easily achieved through
experimentation, I did not agree. I felt many aspects of the program
needed further explanation to eliminate the frustration of trial and
error. This is a pity because when understanding has been achieved,
Vistamusic is very simple to use. A stage-by-stage guided tutorial to
introduce the user to all the control menus systematically would be a
desirable improvement.
9.10
Secondly, Vistamusic comes with a handwritten keystrip for the function
keys. I feel that when a program is being sold commercially, the buyer
deserves better than this. A simple drawfile could be included on the
disc, enabling the user to print out their own keystrip.
9.10
The final criticism relates to the fact that files cannot be saved in
Midi format. Because Vistamusic does not use conventional musical
notation, it is not possible to print out a score. Saving as a Midi file
would allow the composition to be loaded into another music notation
program which could then be used to produce a conventionally printed
score. This point would be relevant if a user produced a good, original
composition because, at present, there is no way of showing this to
anyone except as a series of coloured shapes on screen.
9.10
Vistamusic is available at a cost of ú40 from GordonáDalgarno,
23áFarmstead Rise, Haxby, York, YO3á3LL. (01904¡761594) A demo version
of the program is also available.áuá
9.10
Feast your eyes on this pile of Acorn Netsurfers! Note the Smart Card
slot, microphone input, headphone socket and remote control Ö all for
under $500. Iæd pay ú300 for one of these, wouldnæt you?!
9.10
James, can you fit that photo into this frame, please? Or in some way
give the picture a dark border to make it stand out?
9.10
ART at Wakefield
9.10
Richard Walker
9.10
What I have written concentrates on the presentations made by Chris Cox
(on StrongARM) and Peter Bondar (on the future of ART). I have also
expanded on what they said Ö including some speculation!
9.10
New RiscPC?
9.10
Because of the huge interest that the world has shown in ARTæs own
technology (i.e. RiscPC, A7000 etc.) they are working on IOMD and VIDC
again, so we may well see a new RiscPC motherboard being produced! ART
are still thinking about it and wonæt make a decision at least until
mid-June. We may see:
9.10
  Ö More VRAM capability
9.10
  Ö EDO RAM support
9.10
  Ö More SIMM bays
9.10
  Ö Improved graphics capability
9.10
  Ö Faster disc/memory/expansion access
9.10
  Ö More processor sockets
9.10
  Ö Faster processor bus
9.10
  Ö New version of RISC OS to control it all (!)
9.10
Some of this depends on what will fit in the existing case, and I guess
most depends on the success of the Network Computer (RiscPC would be the
ideal development platform for it). ART are saying that the board could
be available Éaround the end of 1997æ and there could be an exchange
system for RiscPC owners. (Bear in mind though, that to buy a RiscPC
motherboard now costs about ú450 inc. VAT!)
9.10
If you are at all interested in a new RiscPC motherboard, please do let
ART know! They need to know whether or not it is worth doing. (Email
them at [e-mail].)
9.10
StrongARM
9.10
The StrongARM processors are currently on prototype cards, both without
any second level cache. ART first thought that an uncached card would be
choked by RiscPCæs bus and that an L2 cache would be needed. In fact,
StrongARM works beautifully without the secondary cache, and the cost of
a new card with the extra cache would probably not be worth it.
9.10
On target for September is the first (in a family) of StrongARM cards
for the RiscPC. We are looking at a 200MHz chip on a processor card, and
a new version of RISC OS (supplied on ROMs and disc). This will be
supplied to the Clan priority customers first, followed by other non-
Clan priority bookings (i.e. those who paid the ú50 deposit) and then
anybody else who pays the ú249+VAT and the ú99+VAT if-bought-with-
machine bundle.
9.10
There will also be a new FPEmulator for the StrongARM, which should
provide a workable speed for those pining for an FPA!
9.10
NewsPad and Stork
9.10
The NewsPad project is developing well, but the anticipated cost of the
machines is quite high (circa. ú1,500). ART will be investigating the
development of a half-size StrongARM-powered version.
9.10
The Stork could well be a portable Network Computer. This of course,
depends on the success of the Network Computer (as do many of ARTæs
projects!)
9.10
Is RISC OS dead?
9.10
An official, öNo!ò screams Peter Bondar! There are now more ART staff
working on RISC OS than there have been in the last 10 years! RISC OS is
being improved at customersæ requests Ö big paying customers, not humble
enthusiasts! Some RISC OS customers have five-year support contracts!
9.10
Where ÉStrongARM and/or Acorn kitæ is used, RISC OS will be there! ART
is working on a micro-kernel (very small) version of RISC OS which can
be used in consumer hand-held devices to control a StrongARM Ö it is
targeted to sit in a 32Kb ROM!
9.10
Things like virtual memory will probably never happen because it is not
appropriate for ARTæs new markets to want such a feature Ö but if
someone pays for it... (Peter Bondar still says, öbuy more SIMMs!ò)
9.10
RISC OS will not be modified to work on the multi-processor unit unless
a large customer pays for the work! It is not really the kind of thing
ARTæs customers are currently interested in. The Hydra API (see Archive
9.9 p11) makes it possible to write RISC OS software specially for the
multi-processor card and you could of course run Taos or RiscBSD etc.
9.10
ARM810
9.10
The ARM810 processor card will be released in January 1997 (ish!) and
will become the bottom-spec RiscPC because Xemplar want it. Although
StrongARM compatibility will be good, Xemplar want a RiscPC which is
100% software-compatible for schoolsæ ease of use. Many enthusiasts and
power-users will no doubt move to StrongARM. Mind you, I know a school
who are trying to buy a new RiscPC 700 just to get the ú99 StrongARM!
9.10
CHRP (aka. PPCP)
9.10
Xemplar also want ART to develop a PCI interface card with RISC OS and a
StrongARM on it. This is aimed at PowerMacs with PCI so they can have a
dual-boot RISC OS/MacOS on it. ART say that, they could, in theory, make
this same PCI card work in PCs! Great Ö we can go around sticking them
in PCs and converting their users to RISC OS!
9.10
(Can you imagine the market this would open up to Sibelius?! If they
could offer a ÉSibelius add-onæ to PC or Mac Ö which just happens to
include a StrongARM processor and a complete operating system(!) Ö they
would take the music world by storm. And it would be very good press for
Acorn, too! Ed.)
9.10
ART also say that a CHRP solution (as a high-end-RiscPC successor) would
be a totally Éstandardæ CHRP box with a StrongARM+RISC OS card. (No more
RiscPC case? Boo!)
9.10
A7000
9.10
There will eventually be a faster A7000, probably based on the ARM7500FE
(ARM7500 with floating point hardware) with faster memory access. It has
been commissioned by Xemplar, so will happen!
9.10
Network Computer (Oracle)
9.10
Peter Bondar said that the first ÉNetwork Computeræ would be launched
the following weekend in San Francisco by Larry Ellison Ö from ÉBig Oæ!
9.10
(It was indeed Ö see the separate article on page 20 and the piccie
opposite! Ed.)
9.10
Software development issues
9.10
There will be a Éproperæ C++ compiler Ésoonæ.
9.10
There will be a Java compiler Ésoonæ.
9.10
Miscellaneous items of interest
9.10
Thereæs been a turn-around in profitability for ART. Whatæs more, this
is not just licensing deals Ö their actual sales are above target. (One
indication of this is that they cannot make RiscPCs fast enough to keep
up with orders Ö weære developing something of a backlog of RiscPC
orders, Sorry! Ed.)
9.10
ART is no longer dominated by the lowest common denominator of
education. They can now go and make rapid decisions such as ÉWeæll make
a StrongARM card for the RiscPC, and weæll do it now!æ
9.10
Larry E has stumped up for lots of development, and the Oracle agreement
allows any of this technology to be put back in traditional desktop
machines. The StrongARM card is the first example of this. !Printers is
to be redeveloped under this agreement too.
9.10
ART are also working on Éalternative Internet technologyæ. (My guess:
Inferno)
9.10
ART said that in two weeks they toured thirty different companies in
Japan and showed off RiscPC, A7000, PC cards, etc. Apparently, not one
single person asked whether it would run Windows! Wow! They really do
not care about (or favour) the Microsoft/Intel monopoly.
9.10
Summary
9.10
ART have got their fingers in lots of pies at the minute. All
development is good development if it puts money in the coffers. Much of
this technology finds its way back into RISC OS (e.g. Replay3, Video
Phone). The education bias is rapidly disappearing, as ART tries to
portray itself more as an innovator. Xemplar is just a customer now, but
has contracts to be supplied with RISC OS products for some years. ART
appear to be marketing themselves for once, showing off their wares to
big-wigs around the world, and generally making a name for themselves.
9.10
One of the recent leaders in an IT rag commented that Acorn were É...on
song again and knew it.æ Having seen Peter Bondaræs presentation, Iæd be
inclined to agree. Usually, these lectures end in some fairly savage
questioning (or Ébitching... from whiners in the corneræ as he put it!),
but the only real gripe Iáheard was that the CHRP-based RiscPC would not
have the same case (CE and economic reasons).áuá
9.10
Products Available
9.11
Atomwide Printer Adaptor Ö Sharing a printer over a network sounds like
a great idea, but dedicating a computer to the task of printer serving
is clearly a waste of valuable resources. The Atomwide Network Printer
Adaptor enables printing on a TCP/IP network without the need for a
dedicated print server or someoneæs workstation doubling as one.
9.11
The adaptor connects between any available 10Base2 or 10BaseT Ethernet
socket and a printer, and so allows a printer to be located wherever it
is required. By removing the need for a dedicated printer server, near
which, traditionally, your printer would have been placed, the number of
possible positions for the printer within your networkæs topology is
greatly increased. This maximises a printeræs usage by a greater number
of people, and should circumstances change, the printer (along with the
Adaptor) can be re-positioned extremely quickly and easily. If
necessary, you can use more than one Atomwide Network Printer Adaptor on
the same network.
9.11
The Network Printer Adaptor needs to be managed by an Acorn SchoolServer
(or other Microsoft Windows NT file server) Ö a network spooler, running
on the Acorn SchoolServer, spools data to be printed to a file and sends
it, using the TCP/IP protocol, to the Network Printer Adaptor. Printers
connected to your network via an Acorn SchoolServer and a Network
Printer Adaptor can be used by Acorn workstations as if they were
connected locally. It comes in either a one parallel printer or three
parallel printer version and has a network data transfer rate of 10Mbps.
9.11
The one printer version costs ú199 +VAT +p&p, or ú232 through Archive.
The three printer version costs ú299 +VAT +p&p, or ú350 through Archive.
9.11
Barcodes is a fully RISC OS-compliant application which produces EAN-8
and EAN-13 barcodes in drawfile format. The output may be saved as a
drawfile, dragged into Draw or straight into a DTP window. EAN-8 and
EAN-13 barcodes are used in package design and retailing. EAN-13
barcodes may optionally have two or five-digit add-on codes which are
used on periodicals (International Standard Serial Numbering) and books
(International Standard Book Numbering). Beneath the barcode appears the
barcode number in OCR-B font, and optionally the ISSN and ISBN barcodes
may have the ISSN/ISBN number in OCR-A font above the barcode.
9.11
Features include: the bar thickness can be altered to compensate for
ink-spread; the barcode may be saved as a Éstripæ, i.e. the bars are all
the same height; there are checksum-verification routines to assist in
generating a new ISBN number; a barcode number can be Édraggedæ into the
!Barcodes window; a new routine produces Code 128 barcodes for inclusion
in the BIC Binderæs Pack label for packs of books. The application
occupies 100Kb of memory and is RISCáOS 3 only. It makes full use of
interactive help, etc. Checksum generation is automatic, and a check is
made on the validity of the ISSN/ISBN number including its checksum.
9.11
Barcodes costs ú85 (no VAT) from Kang Software. A full description of
the software, and sample drawfiles of the output, can be found on their
web site. (See Factfile.)
9.11
Christian Computer Art Ö There are 45 clipart discs, plus two CDs
available in the CCA range: 1 & 2 Christmas Story and Symbols. 3 Easter.
4 Harvest. 5 Christian Symbols. 6áMoney, Poverty and War. 7 Environment.
8áMission and World Scene. 9 Baptist History and Membership. 10
Apologetics. 11 Evangelism. 12áLifestyle. 13 Banners. 14 Borders. 15
Editorial Flair. 16 Illuminated Letters. 17 Adults and Youth. 18
Children and Families. 19 Celebration. 20 Music 21 Leisure. 22 Weddings.
23 Old Testament Stories. 24 New Testament Stories. 25 NT Parables and
Sayings. 26 Bible Maps. 27 History, Prophecy and Bible Study. 28 OT
Background and Archaeology. 29áNT Background and Archaeology. 30
Sideliners. 31 & 32 Good News Bible OT Stories. 33á&á34áGood News Bible
NT. 35 Good News Bible texts from the OT. 36 Good News Bible texts from
the New Testament. 37Ö45 Good News Bible remaining pictures, in sequence
through the Bible.
9.11
The complete set of pictures above, plus the Apocrypha images from the
Good News Bible, are also available on the Christian Clip Art CD-ROM.
There are about 1,700 images on this disc, all stored as sprites. Copies
of about half the images are also stored in Draw format, and a smaller
number as ArtWorks files. A sophisticated thumbnail viewer can display
images in their categories, and also allows the user to search for
images with given keywords in a text description. The CD also acts as a
resource to the ExpLAN HolyBible product, where it provides a reference
into the complete set of Good News Bible pictures which can be displayed
and copied into DTP documents, etc.
9.11
A second Bible Picture Library CD-ROM is also available, containing all
the Good News Bible pictures, as the floppy disc collection, plus a huge
range of archaeological and historical pictures to illustrate the world
of the Bible. There are about 3,100 images on this CD, all in
monochrome, and stored in PCX format. The Acorn thumbnail viewer
converts these into sprite format ready for use in Acorn applications.
9.11
Discs cost ú5.90 each for one to four discs, and ú4.90 each for five or
more discs. CD-ROMs cost ú49 each and are available from Christian
Computer Art. They also do a 30 day Étrialæ period, and have a free
catalogue available.
9.11
Cyclone is an external floppy disc drive for the Psion Series 3a and
Acorn Pocket Book II. Itæs a high quality, portable 3╜ö floppy drive
unit that provides a flexible, low-cost solution to off-line storage and
back-up for the Pocket Book II. We hope to have one for review soon!
Cyclone costs ú169.95 inclusive or ú165 through Archive.
9.11
DIY RiscPC Ö If anyone is still thinking about buying a RiscPC and had
hoped to catch the Éend of Juneæ deadline for getting a StrongARM
upgrade for ú99 +VAT, donæt panic! You havenæt missed the special offer
because Acorn have extended it to the end of August. What is more, by
waiting, youæve probably saved yourself even more money! The price of
SIMMs has dropped even more. An 8Mb SIMM is now only ú75, a 16Mb is ú140
and a 32Mb is ú310 Ö well it is at the time of going to press but, who
knows, it may have dropped even further by the time you are ready to buy
your computer Ö give us a ring to find out the latest pricing. Also,
drive prices have dropped, see overleaf.
9.11
Drive prices Ö The prices of hard drives have dropped further Ö not as
dramatically as SIMM prices, but still quite helpful. For example, a 1Gb
IDE is now only ú190 including fitting and cables, and there is a 1.6Gb
for ú240. These can only be used on RiscPCs with RISCáOS 3.6 or higher.
9.11
As a result of the DIY RiscPC upgrades, we have several 540Mb hard
drives, ideal for rejuvenating your A5000, for only ú120 while stocks
last! Please ring if you want one, to see if we still have any left.
These can be used in RiscPCs too, provided you have a spare IDE
connector (each RiscPC has one spare, but that is sometimes used up by a
CD-ROM drive.)
9.11
PD drives are also down in price to under ú400 Ö see the Price List for
the latest prices.
9.11
Dr Smithæs C Development Toolkit Ö This suite of tools was launched at
the Wakefield Show, and has received some good reactions. The toolkit is
designed to work with Acorn C v. 4 or 5 (i.e.áDesktop C and C/C++),
though various sections of the kit will work with other compilers such
as GCC, Easy C, or any assembler that outputs AOF files. There are three
sections to the toolkit: MemCheck is a Memory Access Checker (requires C
v. 4 or 5). Linking this library against your C program, and calling a
single function causes every access to and from memory to be checked.
This has the effect of instantly catching illegal array accesses,
overwriting of code areas, dereferencing of garbage pointers, and many
other common C errors. Facilities for debuggings with Flex, Dynamic
Areas, and trusted libraries are all included. HeirProf is a
Hierarchical Profiler which analyses a program as it runs, to produce a
comprehensive hierarchical listing of function run times, enabling
programmers to painlessly tune their code for speed, getting instant
feedback on the bottlenecks in their code, and giving fast assessment of
the impact that changes make. Misc Utilities are supplied to ease common
programming tasks, including programs to produce Éstrippedæ header files
for fast compilation, to rename objects within libraries to avoid name
space collisions, and to automatically generate Cv4 libraries from Cv5
ones.
9.11
A demo version of Dr Smithæs C Development Toolkit can be downloaded
from: ftp.comlab.ox. ac.uk/oucl/users/robin.watts/DrSmiths.zip
9.11
The full version costs ú50 +VAT +p&p from Warm Silence Software, or ú58
through Archive.
9.11
HTMLEdit 2 from R-Comp, builds on the success of its predecessor, adding
hundreds of new features and improvements to bring new life to your Web
pages. Features include: Full HTML 3 and Netscape extension support;
full support for the creation of UNIX/DOS relative paths; over 100
foreign characters supported, with automatic conversion for text files;
multiple master pages; two¡click HTML table creation; all options
user¡configurable; links to RISC OS programs for extended functionality;
HTML ÉAssistantsæ to guide you through common tasks; file conversion to
allow the use of existing data in your page.
9.11
HTMLEdit 2 is available from R-Comp and costs ú45 for a single user
licence, and ú150 for a site licence. Upgrades from version 1 are ú15.
Carriage is ú5 for orders outside of EU.
9.11
MultiGen2 Ö (This was mentioned last month but we got the pricing wrong.
Itæs even cheaper than we said and therefore even better value for
money!!) The high band Genlock adaptor from Sonamara Computer Video has
dropped in price and gone up in specification. It now supports
resolutions of up to 800╫600, with simultaneous RGB, S-Video and
composite video outputs, as well as S-Video and composite video inputs.
Features of the external unit include under/overscan options, image re-
scaling and re-positioning, freeze frame and fade (with adjustable rates
of fade). An infra-red remote control provides full control over all
functions. The MultiGen2 is available for PAL or NTSC. AáMultiGen2 Pro
is also available offering resolutions up to 1600╫1200 plus 2╫ zoom and
pan.
9.11
MultiGen2 costs ú299.95 inclusive or ú290 through Archive. MultiGen2 Pro
costs ú499.95 or ú485 through Archive. For users who require
professional titling in their videos, there are two new bundles
available Ö MultiGen2 + Claresæ Titler for ú369.95, and MultiGen2 Pro +
Titler at ú549.95 (ú355 and ú530 respectively through Archive).
9.11
Observess Ö the expert system shell for the Acorn RISC OS machine. This
was mentioned last month, but we said it was from Chessfield Software
instead of Cherisha Software. Apologies to both companies. As we said,
Observess is fully desktop compatible and incorporates an IF... THEN...
rule structure with up to three conditions. It provides support for
percentage-based certainty factors on facts and rules, and single or
multiple recommendations based on the certainty factors. Included in the
latest version (2.71) is a backward chaining inference engine. The price
remains at ú40 (no VAT) for a single user copy, or ú120 for a site
licence. Further information can be obtained from: Cherisha Software Ö
[e-mail].
9.11
Ovation Pro Ö The long awaited re-write of Ovation is now shipping.
Called Ovation Pro, itæs Beebugæs attempt at bringing onto the market a
professional DTP package which can compete with the likes of Impression
(and ultimately, we hope, with packages on other platforms). Whether
they have succeeded or not, only time will tell; this first version has
got some very impressive facilities, with more to come later in the
year.
9.11
Among its features are: a set of drawing tools for making lines and
curves; rotation for text and pictures; OLE; skewing for text and
pictures; kerningáand tracking; text flow around frames or theápicture
within a frame; bezier control points for editing the standoff on
repelled frames; make      local/make master for master frames; its own
scriptingálanguage; a set of pre-defined macros for automating common or
repetitive operations, plus the ability to create user-defined macros;
macros can be operated from a button bar or by using key presses; drag
and drop between chapters and other documents; find and replace; styles
and effects.
9.11
Ovation Pro costs ú165 +p&p +VAT or ú185 through Archive. Site licences
are also available at ú600 +VAT for a 30 station site licence, and ú300
+VAT for a 15ástation licence.
9.11
Photodesk 2 is now ready, and according to Spacetech, it has undergone
an Éentire re-write taking into account all the positive customer
feedback and the needs of professional usersæ. The main emphasis in the
development of Photodesk 2 has been in improving the overall quality of
the tools, effects and filters. Slickness of operation, ease of use and
quality of output have all been high on the list of objectives for the
new version. According to Spacetech, the way in which it operates and
handles input and output will make the application more familiar to
users of existing industry standard solutions. Certainly, from what we
have seen so far, it looks very impressive.
9.11
Here are a few of the changes youæll find in Photodesk 2: Improved use
of virtual memory, using MEMC to re¡map pages; complete multi-channel
capability with as many alpha channels as the user requires; new
filters, improved outline tracing and de-focus; channels can be defined
as masks, images or maps; gamma controls for each ink; new soft edge
paint brush; improved airbrush and anti-aliasing; complete Twain
compatibility; improved cut and paste operations; OLE; cloning; ripple
map; image blur Ö the list is endless! It is also StrongARM-ready,
having been successfully tested running the StrongARM processor. A full
description of Photodesk 2 can be seen on Spacetechæs Web site at:
                   http://www.digibase.com/spacetech
9.11
Photodesk 2 costs ú229.36 +VAT +p&p or ú255 through Archive. A site
licence is available for ú595 +VAT or ú665 through Archive. Upgrades
from Photodesk can be obtained directly from Spacetech for ú59.41 +VAT.
The original Photodesk is still available for users who do not need the
advanced facilities of Photodesk 2 at the Archive price of ú185.
9.11
Physical Processes Ö At Key Stage Two, children should use IT across a
variety of subjects, process information in different ways, and compare
their use of IT with other methods. ÉIT In Topicsæ provides an approach
to this. The disc contains nearly 800Kb of drawfiles, graphs, sprites,
worksheets, textfiles and applications (over 100 files altogether).
Children can work at the computer, or files can be printed out and
photocopied for working on, thus providing a flexible way of integrating
IT into topic teaching. Worksheets can be used as they are or modified.
If the wording or amount of information given is not right for a
particular group or individual, it can be changed. Worksheets at
differentiated levels to suit different abilities can therefore easily
be produced. The worksheets give plenty of activity ideas and other
resources that can be used in a variety of ways. Further, new files and
worksheets can be made by combining the text and pictures. Topics
covered by the software include, Earth and Beyond, Electrify, Forces,
Light, and Sound. Physical Processes costs ú15 +p&p from Chalksoft Ltd.
9.11
Pocket Book II games Ö Purple Software have a range of games which will
run on the Acorn Pocket II. These include 3a Chess, Backgammon, and
Chinese Chess. All of the games use the Pocket Book IIæs enhanced
graphics capabilities and have a save and load facility; take back
pieces and replay moves; request the computer to suggest a move; play
against the computer, a human opponent or watch the computer play by
itself.
9.11
3a Chess is a chess game with 2D and 3D display options. The game comes
with a built-in chess clock, selection of playing levels, and
incorporates a set of master games selected by an International Master.
The Backgammon game, in addition to the above, can be switched between
aggressive or defensive playing styles. There is also a Bridge program
which is suitable for anyone wanting to get to grips with the game, as
well as for the more skilled player. The program offers displays in both
text mode and graphics mode, using conventional playing cards. You can
play against the computer or enhance your game using a tutor mode. It
uses a natural bidding system with Stayman, Blackwood and a choice of
no-trump conventions.
9.11
Each of the three titles (Backgammon/Chinese Chess, Bridge and Chess) is
available on SSD at ú34 +VAT +p&p or ú40 through Archive. The games are
also available on PC floppy discs at ú29.74 +VAT +p&p or ú35 through
Archive.
9.11
Scientific programs at HENSA Ö Two Fortran utilities: The portable high
level graphics utilities package, PGPLOT, has now been upgraded to
version 5.10, and is available at:   gopher://micros.hensa.ac.uk/11/
micros/arch/riscos/d/d062 or from the HENSA World Wide Web pages. The
main upgrade is that it is now possible to use two output devices
simultaneously.
9.11
The well known molecular drawing program, ORTEP, (Oak Ridge Thermal
Ellipsoid Program) is now available on the World Wide Web. Fortran
source and examples can be found at:                  http://
www.ornl.gov/ortep/ortep.html. It has been adapted to use PGPLOT for the
graphics, which made it simpler to port ORTEP III to the Acorn. It is
now available from HENSA, with a similar address to PGPLOT, but ORTEP is
entry /e/e102.
9.11
Unlike Rasmol reviewed last month, Ortep is used mainly for smaller
molecules, where the atom positions are more precisely known so that the
thermal ellipsoids carry useful information on the atom vibrations as
the temperature changes.
9.11
Another useful program in HENSA is MoleDraw which is a Draw-like program
with additional functions for making two dimensional chemical diagrams.
It is available as reference number e061.
9.11
Simple Control is a new program from Camboard Technology, designed to
introduce control and LOGO style programming. Simple Controlæs four
programs centre around a simulated electronic control box, which is
similar in operation and style to conventional control boxes used in
schools. This simulated control box enables the pupil to learn about
control without the practical problems associated with an actual control
box. Simple Control is unique in that it combines a tutorial with
embedded code boxes for pupils to type in LOGO style commands. They can
see the result of these commands immediately, in the simulated control
box window. Simple Control contains four programs: Direct Control is a
point and click control with inputs, outputs and control box windows.
Computer Control introduces programming the computer with LOGO style
commands which interact with the simulated control box. Buggy is used to
control a simulated buggy. Control Simulations provides several examples
of control systems. Disc-based worksheets are included.
9.11
The single user price is ú19.95 +VAT, and a site licence ú44.95 +VAT,
from Camboard Technology. It requires RISC OS 3.10 or higher. Further
information can be obtained by contacting Camboard Technology direct, or
by visiting their web pages at: http://ourworld.compuserve.com:80/
homepages/camboard/.
9.11
TeleText Turbo Ö The TeleText Turbo from XOB can capture and distribute
eight live and eight local services from each of up to six TeleCards.
Data is cached at the server, so access, even from a remote client, is
regularly quicker than a Teletext television. The cache is updated
automatically, so each page will, on average, be no more than a few
seconds out of date or, if desired, the client can request that pages
are grabbed directly off air. A viewdata editor is supplied, to permit
the setting up of local services for departments, for example. The
server can coexist with other servers, such as level 4.
9.11
The Tele-Card with single user software costs ú152 +p&p +VAT, Teletext
Turbo Network Serving software costs ú229 +p&p +VAT, and Card and Server
purchased together cost ú359 +p&p +VAT or  ú180, ú270 and ú410,
respectively, through Archive.
9.11
VideoBase Ö It has been a long time coming (around four years), but
VideoBase version 2, from Paul Hobbs, is now available. VideoBase is an
application to keep track of recordings and free spaces on a collection
of video tapes. It is designed to make maintaining the database as easy
as possible and to avoid the possibility of inappropriate inputs.
VideoBase is Shareware Ö the ultimate money-back guarantee Ö if you
donæt use the product, you donæt pay for it. Details on how to register
your copy, which will disable the start-up banner, can be found in the
manual supplied with the application. Registration costs ú8. The
application is available from Paul Hobbsæ web site at http://
ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Paul_Hobbs/videob2.htm
9.11
If anyone has any questions or wants more information, Paul can be
emailed at: Paul.Hobbs@ t¡online.de Ö he would also be very grateful for
any feedback that you can provide, especially if you donæt like it, or
find any bugs.áuá
9.11
Abacus Training  29 Okus Grove, Upper Stratton, Swindon, Wilts, SN2 6QA.
(01793¡723347) [01793¡723347]
9.11
Acorn-by-Post  13 Dennington Road, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 2BR.
(01933¡279300)
9.11
AcornáComputeráGroup  645áNewmarketáRoad, Cambridge, CB5á8PB.
(01223¡725000) http://www.acorn.co.uk/
9.11
AcornáNC + Acorn OM  645áNewmarketáRoad, Cambridge, CB5á8PB.
(01223¡518518) [01223¡518520]
9.11
AcornáRiscáTechnologies  645áNewmarketáRoad, Cambridge, CB5á8PB.
(01223¡577800) [01223¡577900] <[e-mail]>   Customer
Services:   01223¡577876 <[e-mail]>
9.11
ANTáLtd  P.O.Boxá300, Cambridge, CB1á2EG. (01223¡567808) [01223¡567801]
<[e-mail]>
9.11
APDL  39 Knighton Park Road, Sydenham, London, SE26 5RN. (0181-778-2659)
[0181-488-0487] <[e-mail]>
9.11
Argonetá(a.k.a. VTI)  Unitá1, TheáShopwhykeáCentre, ShopwhykeáRoad,
Chichester, PO20á6GD. (0500¡585586) [01243¡531196] <[e-mail]>
9.11
AspexáSoftware  HeatheráHouse, Tavistock, Devon, PL19á9AG.
(01822¡611060) [01822¡611061]
9.11
AtomwideáLtd  7áTheáMetroáCentre, BridgeáRoad, Orpington, Kent, BR5á2BE.
(01689¡814500) [01689¡814501] <[e-mail]>
9.11
BeebugáLtd  117áHatfieldáRoad, StáAlbans, Herts, AL1á4JS. (01727¡840303)
[01727¡860263]
9.11
Camboard  P.O.Boxá416, Cambridge, CB3á7YS. (01223¡264512) [01223¡264512]
<101320,[e-mail]>
9.11
ChalksoftáLtd  P.O. Boxá49, Spalding, Lincs, PE11á1NZ. (01775¡769518)
[01775¡762618]
9.11
CherishaáSoftware  16áWoodsideáDrive, Wilmington, Dartford, Kent,
DA2á7NG. <[e-mail]>
9.11
ChristianáComputeráArt  21áLynwoodáAvenue, Langley, Slough, SL3á7BJ.
(01753¡527903) <[e-mail]>
9.11
CircleáSoftware  POáBoxá36, Bodmin, PL30á4VY. (01208¡850790)
<[e-mail]>
9.11
ClaresáMicroáSupplies  98áMiddlewicháRoad, Rudheath, Northwich,
Cheshire, CW9á7DA. (01606¡48511) [01606¡48512]
<[e-mail]>
9.11
ColtonáSoftware  2áSignetáCourt, SwannsáRoad, Cambridge, CB5á8LA.
(01223¡311881) [01223¡312010] <[e-mail]>
9.11
CrickáComputing  123áTheáDrive, Northampton, NN1á4SW. (01604¡713686)
[01604¡458333] <[e-mail]>
9.11
DialáSolutions  DialáHouse, 12áChapeláStreet, Halton, Leeds,
LS15á7RNá(0113¡232¡6992) [0113¡232¡6993] <[e-mail]>
9.11
Eesox  Suiteá8C, NewtonáHouse, 147áStáNeotsáRoad, Hardwick, Cambridge,
CB3á7QJ. (01954¡212263) [01954¡212263] <[e-mail]>
9.11
HCCSáLtd  575¡583áDurhamáRoad, Gateshead, NE9á5JJ. (0191¡487¡0760)
[0191¡491¡0431]
9.11
iSVáProducts  86, Turnberry, HomeáFarm, Bracknell, Berks, RG12á8ZH.
(01344¡55769)
9.11
KangáSoftware  LocationáWorks, 42áOldáComptonáStreet, LondonáW1Vá6LR.
(0171¡494¡0888) [0171¡287¡2855] http://www.argonet.co.uk/location/works/
kang.html
9.11
KineticáComputing  312áPlungingtonáRoad, Preston, Lancashire.
(01772¡461301)
9.11
KudlianáSoft  8áBarrowáRoad, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8á1EH.
(01926¡851147) <[e-mail]>
9.11
LongmanáLogotron  124áCambridgeáScienceáPark, MiltonáRoad,
CambridgeáCB4á4ZS. (01223¡425558) [01223¡425349] <[e-mail]>
9.11
MattáBlack  6áHenryáCourt, HenryáStreet, Peterborough, PE1á2QG.
(01733¡315439)
9.11
PurpleáSoftware  EustonáHouse, 81-103áEustonáStreet, LondonáNW1á2EZ.
(0171¡387¡3777)
9.11
R-Comp  22áRobertáMoffat, HigháLegh, Knutsford, Cheshire,
WA16á6PSáá(01925¡755043) [01925¡757377] <[e-mail]>
9.11
ReallyáGoodáSoftwareáCompany  39áCarisbrookeáRoad, Harpenden, Herts.,
AL5á5QS.
9.11
Repair Zone  421 Sprowston Road, Norwich, NR3 4EH. (01603¡400477)
9.11
SEMERC  1áBroadbentáRoad, Watersheddings, Oldham, OL1á4LB.
(0161¡627¡4469)
9.11
SherstonáSoftware  AngeláHouse, Sherston, Malmesbury, Wilts. SN16á0LH.
(01666¡840433) [01666¡840048] <[e-mail]>
9.11
SimtecáElectronics  AvondaleáDrive, Tarleton, Preston, PR4á6AX.
(01772¡812863) [01772¡816426]
9.11
Sonamara  TorquayáRoad, Shaldon, Devon, TQ14á0AZ. (01626¡873866)
[01635¡297866]
9.11
Spacetech  21áWestáWools, Portland, Dorset, DT5á2EA. (01305¡822753)
[01305¡860483] <[e-mail]>
9.11
StormáEducationaláSoftware  CoachmanæsáQuarters, DigbyáRoad, Sherbourne,
Dorset, DT9á3NN. (01935¡817699) <[e-mail]>
9.11
Topologika  IslingtonáWharf, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10á8AT. (01326¡377771)
[01326¡377771] <[e-mail]>
9.11
WarmáSilenceáSoftware  StáCatherineæsáCollege, ManoráRoad, Oxford,
OX1á3UJ. (0585¡487642) <[e-mail]>á(RobináWatts)
9.11
WyddfaáSoftware  3áPreswylfa, Llanberis, Gwynedd, LL55á4LF.
(01286¡870101) [01286¡871722]
9.11
WyndedáSoftware  16áFinderneáDrive, Wymondham, Norfolk, NR18á0HU.
9.11
XOB  Balkeerie, EassieábyáForfar, Angus, DD8á1SR. (01307¡840364)
9.11
YorkshireáInternationaláThompsonáMultimedia     TelevisionáCentre,
Leeds, LS3á1JS. (0113¡243¡8283) [0113¡243¡48840] <[e-mail]>
9.11
Xemplar Education  The Quorum, Barnwell Road, Cambridge, CB5 8RE.
(01223¡724724) [01223¡724324]     http://www.xemplar.co.uk/
9.11
Archive Monthly Disc Ö ú2
9.11
 (Now on 1.6Mb, but available as two 800Kb discs if you ask specially.)
9.11
u Arcscan data files Ö Updates for volume 8 and part of 9.
9.11
u Electronic clipping Ö Acorn news items of interest from the Net.
9.11
u StrongARM logo (opposite) and Digitiser price table from Jim
Nottingham Ö page 38.
9.11
u Starting Basic programs from Ray Favre Ö see page 43.
9.11
u PD sent in by Sudipta Sarkar (TaskKill and !WindowRd) Ö see page 27.
9.11
u Encodings for !T1toFont for CorelDraw3 CD Ö Brian Cocksedge Ö page 36
last month.
9.11
u æ97 year planners in Schema, Draw and Ovation (English and Welsh) from
Aneurin Griffiths.
9.11
u Psion FAQs sent in by John Woodthorpe.
9.11
u Psion FAQ sent in by John Woodthorpe.
9.11
The following information is about the Christian faith, not specifically
about computing.
9.11
First of all, an apology. I said last month that öduring the next 12
months, it is expected that about a quarter of a million people will be
going on an Alpha course.ò Actually, that was the prediction for 1996,
i.e. part statistic and part prediction. The approximate figures are:
æ91: 600, æ92:á1,000, æ93: 4,500, æ94: 30,000, æ95: 100,000, æ96:
250,000. There is either some amazing brain-washing going on here, or
God is doing a wonderful work of opening peopleæs eyes to the truth that
is found in Jesus... depending on your perspective!
9.11
Secondly, Iæd like to re-issue the ömad/bad/God challengeò, first
presented in Archive 7.1. If you look at the things Jesus did and said,
as reported in the Bible and contemporary writings, this man made many
claims to be God. If you doubt that, I suggest you have a read through
Johnæs gospel in a modern translation. You will find dozens of occasions
where Jesus says things like öI am the truthò, or just öI amò, which is
the Jewish name for God. He claimed to forgive sins, he accepted
peopleæs worship and twice the crowd threatened to stone him. öWhy?ò
said Jesus. öFor blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.ò
John 10:33
9.11
So, logically, if he made claims to be God then either (a) he thought he
was but wasnæt Ö so he was mad, or (b)áhe knew he wasnæt God but made
the claims anyway Ö so he was bad, or (c) he was who he said he was,
God, so we ought to pay very close attention to what he said. The
challenge is to give an alternative explanation, and the prize is a
yearæs free Archive! But itæs no good saying that the Bible records are
unreliable. You may be right, but if so, thereæs little point in
considering Jesusæ claims.
9.11
If youæd like a copy of Johnæs gospel to read, just let me know and Iæll
post you one.
9.11
P.B.
9.11
Paul Beverley
9.11
Acorn, the on-going saga
9.11
The latest piece of exciting news is the formation of NChannel
International Ltd, by Hermann Hauser, with a 44% share-holding by Acorn.
The aim of the company is to produce and market Acornæs NetStation range
of NC computers worldwide. HH believes that this is the best financial
opportunity that Acorn has had in 10áyears, because the potential market
is so enormous, and because Acorn are so far ahead of the field.
However, for Acorn, this is a no-loss venture Ö if it succeeds, they
stand to make a lot of money but, if not, they lose nothing. Weæll give
you more details as the story unfolds, but weæve put the text of the
Stock Exchange announcement about it on the monthly program disc.
9.11
Acornæs latest products?
9.11
As I write this, two days before a press briefing at Xemplar Education,
all I can tell you is that they are going öto announce the RISC OS
development plan for the next two yearsò and that there will be öa
number of new product announcementsò. So all I can do for now is to say
öWatch this spaceò. If, as I suspect, these are significant new
products, I will produce a supplement sheet to put in with the mailing.
9.11
Technical articles, please?
9.11
Weære still rather short of technical articles for Archive. I guess itæs
because youære all on holiday or, at least, sunning yourselves in the
garden, or is it Euro æ96 mania?! Either way, I hope that someone is
going to produce some articles during July/August, or the next Archive
is going to be rather thin. (Please!)
9.11
Subscription base growing
9.11
You will be pleased to hear that your efforts at recruiting new
subscribers are bearing fruit, as the number of new subscribers is very
encouraging indeed. I think people are beginning to cotton on to the
fact that Acornæs technology is now much sought-after, worldwide, and
are wanting to hear the latest news. The offer of a free yearæs
subscription for anyone introducing a friend to Archive still stands.
Phone us if you want another application form.
9.11
Keep up the good work!
9.11
Fact-File
9.11
Key: (phone)áá[fax]áá<net>
9.11
Norwich Computer Services    96a Vauxhall Street, Norwich, NR2 2SD.
(01603-766592) [01603-764011]
9.11
<[e-mail]>  OR  <[e-mail]>  OR
<[e-mail]>
9.11
http://www.cybervillage.co.uk/acorn/archive/
9.11
Saturday opening Ö Since becoming an Acorn Centre of Technology, NCS has
started to open on Saturday mornings, 9 Ö 1. However, since 95%+ of our
business is done by mail order, virtually no-one comes to visit us on a
Saturday Ö there was only one this week.
9.11
For an experimental period, therefore, we are going to say that we will
only be open by prior appointment on Saturdays. So, if you want to visit
us on a Saturday, youæll be most welcome, but please ring us Mon-Fri and
tell us roughly when you would like to call in. Thank you.
9.11
Operating Systems Column
9.11
Ian Beswick
9.11
This column, first mentioned in Archive 9.2 p15, has been a little while
coming to fruition Ö partly owing to other personal commitments, but
mainly because some of the products I am going to be writing about have
taken rather longer than expected to come to market!
9.11
With the recent arrival of the Hydra multi-processor board for the
RiscPC, high performance x86 processors, and the forthcoming release of
the StrongARM, the hardware available to the Acorn community is now
impressive, to say the least. However, without software to take
advantage of it, the hardware is just an expensive desktop ornament. So,
whatæs it all about?
9.11
Multi-processing
9.11
There are two kinds of multi-processor configuration Ö symmetric and
asymmetric. In a symmetric system, all the processors have equal status
(peers), whereas in an asymmetric system, one processor is in overall
control (the master) and the rest (the slaves) are subordinate. In
either case, the operating system/environment should provide facilities
to enable the processors to take their share of the work, or there is
little point having them!
9.11
Current operating systems which make use of multiple processors include
WindowsNT (e.g. in a dual Pentium system), several flavours of UNIX
(e.g.áSolaris, or AIX, with multiple SPARC or PowerPC processors), and
the much hyped TAOS (which is confusingly pronounced as Dow-OS). The
observant amongst you will note that RISCáOS does not feature in the
list. At least not yet!
9.11
The Simtec ÉHydraæ
9.11
The Hydra is an asymmetric system, with a master ARM processor
controlling up to four slave ARMs, although future versions may allow
more than four slave processors. An x86 processor card may also be
connected to the Hydra, but the current development version will not
allow both the x86 and the slave ARMs to run concurrently, due to timing
restrictions which have not yet been overcome, but the consumer version
(when available) should fix this problem, since it will use a custom-
built ASIC instead of a set of reprogrammable MACH chips. Another
welcome advantage of this use of the ASIC will be a lower price tag!
9.11
The Hydra comes in two parts Ö the processor bus card (horizontal) and
the logic card (vertical) Ö as seen in the photograph below. (They are
rather small, sorry Ö Ian only had lo-tech facilities available for
taking piccies. Ed.) The bus interface plugs into one of the existing
processor sockets on the RiscPC motherboard, and fits horizontally,
level with the bottom of the first slice. It is raised up from the
motherboard by a set of long pins, in order to fit over the top of any
network interface in the NIC slot. Aáself-adhesive plastic strip is
provided to ensure that the processor card does not short out against
the NIC. Due to this extra height, the processors extend into the second
slice, so you need to leave the lid off if youæve only got one slice!
9.11
A disARMed Hydra!
9.11
The logic card, containing the aforementioned MACH chips, plugs into the
main processor board at right angles to the other processors. It is this
card which contains the clever arbitration logic which enables the
processors to coexist. The advantages of having the logic on a separate
card are two-fold. Firstly, the individual ARM processor cards can be
standard parts, the same as are used in the Master slot, and thus
cheaper than if an arbitration ASIC were required for each processor
(e.g. like the Gemini ASIC for the x86 cards). Secondly, the logic card
can be exchanged for a new one, as and when changes are required to the
logic.
9.11
The remaining slots are for (from right to left): the Master (ARM)
processor, an optional secondary processor (e.g. 486 or 586), an
optional local memory card, and four slave (ARM) processors. Power must
also be provided to the interface, by means of the standard internal
power connector (seen behind the Master processor socket).
9.11
Hydra software
9.11
The system comes with four main utilities:
9.11
!Hydra Ö loads the various modules, and sets up the system ready for
use,
9.11
!HydraTerm Ö provides the equivalent of a task-window for each slave
processor,
9.11
!HydraBug Ö allows the registers of each slave processor to be monitored
during execution,
9.11
!HydraFP Ö installs the equivalent of the floating-point emulator
software onto any slave processors without their own dedicated FP
hardware.
9.11
The system is programmed by means of a set of SWIs which provide a
fairly basic API (Application Programmeræs Interface). A ÉCæ veneer
library is provided for these SWIs, although they can equally well be
called from Basic if required. The purpose of the SWIs is to determine
what (if any) slave processors are available, allocate Échunksæ of
memory for them (by means of Dynamic Areas), and schedule Éthreadsæ to
run code on them. Only seven SWIs need be used for most purposes,
although a further nine are available for more advanced use. These SWIs
are only suitable for running on the Master processor.
9.11
Legalised slavery
9.11
The slave processes, when scheduled to run, have their own memory-map,
which closely resembles the RISCáOS memory model. They have access to a
limited set of the RISCáOS-like SWIs, which are implemented by the Hydra
kernel rather than by RISCáOS itself. Anything not covered by this
subset of SWIs cannot be done by the slave processors, and has to be
handled by the Master processor.
9.11
Spot the heatsink?
9.11
Memory can be set up to be shared between slaves and/or the master, or
exclusive to a single processor. Shared memory is important for
communication between processors, but carries a performance penalty,
since it cannot be cached by any of the processors. Only one processor
can access the main memory at any time.
9.11
The big problem with the slave processes is that, currently, they must
be written directly in ARM assembler, since neither Basic nor the
various ÉCæ libraries can run in the slave memory map. I had hoped to
write a benchmark program (in order to be able to answer the $64M
question), but so far Iáhavenæt had sufficient time to brush up on my
assembler skills to be able to write a sufficiently detailed program.
9.11
The $64M question
9.11
How fast does it go? Well, it all depends really. As youæve probably
guessed by now, there is currently virtually no software written to take
advantage of the Hydra, so the simple answer is that most of RISCáOS
doesnæt go any faster than without it fitted! However, all is not lost
because the system is supplied with an excellent demonstration program,
aptly called !ParaBrot, which displays the Mandlebrot set fractal in all
its glory, making full use of the Hydraæs potential.
9.11
For the benefit of those of you who may not have seen or heard of the
Mandlebrot set (where have you been for the last decade?), it is a fancy
graphic which can be calculated by a relatively simple computer program.
The Mandlebrot set itself is just a set of numbers Ö in this case
complex numbers Ö which satisfy a particular equation, and a remarkably
simple equation at that. Complex numbers are often shown as points on a
plane, and are coloured either white or black depending on whether or
not they satisfy the equation. To make life more interesting, points on
the edge of the set are coloured to indicate their closeness to being in
the set.
9.11
The big problem with the Mandlebrot set is that the solution is
iterative, and points near the edge of the set can take many 1000æs of
iterations to decide whether or not they are inside or outside. This
takes quite a lot of processing power! Many years ago, Iáwrote a
Mandlebrot program for my trusty BBCáMicro, in 6502 machine code for
speed, which Iáused to leave running over the weekend in order to obtain
results like the one shown. A RiscPC with a fully populated Hydra can
manage it in a matter of 41áseconds!
9.11
The reason for the demo being a Mandlebrot set isásurely no coincidence
Ö due to the very nature ofáthe algorithm, it is ideally suited to a
multi-processor implementation. This therefore seemed likeáthe
idealácandidate for benchmarking the Hydra,áalthough the results should
not be taken outáofácontext Ö few otheráapplications could
benefitáquiteáso enormously.
9.11
Mandlebrot warning Ö Do not adjust your eyes
9.11
I selected a fairly detailed region on the edge of the Mandlebrot set
(as shown) and slightly modified theá!ParaBrot program to provide
timings. The sameáprogram was run with a large number of different
processor combinations, and the results areáshown ináthe graph below.
9.11
The vertical axis indicates the speed-up factor, compared with the time
taken on a single-processor RiscPCá610 (this took 245 seconds to run).
Each test is represented by a bar of stacked boxes indicating the
processors being used. The bottom block in each stack shows the Master
processor, and the blocks stacked on top indicate the slaves Ö the
numbers inside the blocks indicate the model and clock speed of the
processors.
9.11
For the purposes of the test, I had at my disposal five 30MHz ARM610s
(second hand cards, courtesy of Clan Acorn), and two 40MHz ARM710s.
However, this left various combinations of processors left untested, and
these have been shown faded with É??æ below them.
9.11
The last two results show a purely speculative indication of the
relative performance of the StrongARM. Before anyone asks, nobody has
actually tried putting StrongARMs into a Hydra yet! I will endeavour to
find out about StrongARM compatibility, and bring you the results in
future columns.
9.11
The future of Hydra
9.11
The Hydra is now working and available, and is being used by several
software developers for use in forthcoming products. However, due to the
very nature of multi-processing, only certain kinds of tasks will
benefit from the Hydra (e.g. graphics applications such as ray-tracing,
photo-retouching, 3-d games, and mathematical modelling and emulation
packages).
9.11
At present, the programming tools available for the Hydra are primitive
to say the least. However, whilst writing this article, I heard that the
author of the !ParaBrot demo is working on writing a proper multi-
threading library, which will run under RISCáOS both with and without
the Hydra fitted. I have only had chance to quickly read the draft
specification, but it seems to offer an effective symmetric multi-
processing environment, whereby all threads can be coded in ÉCæ, without
having to worry about masters, slaves and ARM code. This is very good
news, especially since it seems unlikely that Acorn will make the
underlying changes to RISCáOS which would be required to directly
implement multi-processing at the operating system level. However,
certain Acorn applications, such as !Replay, are prime candidates for
being Hydrated!
9.11
Other avenues which will be available to Hydra owners include running
non-RISCáOS operating systems, such as RiscBSD and TAOS... (To be
continued!)
9.11
The Atomwide ISAdaptor
9.11
When running Windows on an x86 co-processor, the system is limited by
the emulation of the PC hardware which can be provided by the host
machine. Whilst it never ceases to amaze me that this works at all, even
the best emulation in the world cannot hope to achieve the same
performance as having the real hardware available. This is what the
ISAdaptor is all about.
9.11
ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) is one of the many types of
expansion card bus which can be found on IBM-compatible PCs (others
include MCA, VESA local-bus, and PCI). ISA is probably the most widely
used, especially on older systems, and most state-of-the-art Pentium
systems with fast PCI busses still include a few ISA slots for backwards
compatibility. The original PCs came with virtually everything on ISA
expansion cards (including floppy and hard disc controllers, serial and
parallel ports, graphics cards, network cards, etc), and most of these
will work in the ISAdaptor.
9.11
The ISAdaptor is available in two forms Ö either in an external mini-
tower style PC case, or as a RiscPC slice. The external box houses up to
eight ISA cards, one of which is taken up by the ISAdaptor itself, and
also contains a mains power supply and space to mount additional drives.
The RiscPC slice only houses three ISA cards, thus giving two free for
use. However, up to three ISA slices can be daisy-chained together,
giving up to eight free slots. Be warned: the ISAdaptor impinges on the
space where the 5╝ö drive would go, so donæt budget on being able to fit
a CD¡ROM drive in the same slice.
9.11
The other half of the ISAdaptor comes on a standard podule card, and
this connects to either the external box or the ISA slice by means of a
pair of ribbon cables with IDC connectors. The cables supplied with my
system only just stretched from the slice to the podule (which currently
has to be in slot 1, since this is hard coded into the driver
software!), and assembling the RiscPC slices is very much a work of art.
The situation is further complicated by the SCSI ribbon cables in my
RiscPC, and I was initially concerned that the resultant tangle of
ribbons might lead to cross-talk between the SCSI and ISAdaptor cables,
since neither are shielded. It seems to work OK, but not with the SCSI
interface in slot 0 (i.e. with DMA).
9.11
Testing, testing!
9.11
The present version of ISAdaptor is very much a beta-test prototype, and
they have not yet gone into full production. Many problems exist with
the driver software, which is currently supplied on disc rather than in
ROM Ö the main problem being that they canæt get the PC card to work
with DMA to the ISAdaptor. This is a shame, since a large number of ISA
cards require DMA to work.
9.11
However, the ISAdaptor can be accessed from RISCáOS, as well as from the
PC card, and if anything, this software is currently more usable than
via PCx86. For example, I have a multi-I/O card fitted in the ISA, and
this allows the serial port to be accessed from either RISCáOS (by means
of the Block Drivers) or from Windows, although obviously not both at
the same time! This feat is achieved by specifying which IRQs (interrupt
request signals) can be used by RISCáOS and which by Windows. I also
have a SoundBlaster card fitted, which will act as a mixer, controlled
via a RISCáOS front-end. Additional drivers are in development, possibly
allowing a second printer port, or sound sampling via the SoundBlaster
audio card.
9.11
Whilst, at first, the ISAdaptor would seem the ideal way of taking
advantage of cheap PC interfaces, the additional cost of the ISAdaptor
itself is likely to make this uneconomic. The main market is likely to
be amongst specialist users, for whom the equivalent Acorn podule does
not exist. When the cost of the ISAdaptor is combined with that of a
high-spec x86 card, one could buy a reasonably specified complete PC
system, but it is a rather nice weapon to have in the armoury against PC
advocates saying ö...but it wonæt work with Industry Standard
interfaces...ò Ö it will now!
9.11
I will bring you further information on this remarkable piece of
hardware if/when it becomes available.áuá
9.11
CDFast2
9.11
Colin Sutton
9.11
CDFast2, from Eesox, is a clever utility claimed to improve the
performance of most CD-ROM applications Ö itæs the successor to CDFast,
with several worthwhile enhancements. It uses improved intelligent data
cacheing algorithms and works in the background, offering configurable
cache sizes tailored to suit your computer system, and is based on the
use of more efficient code.
9.11
Important new features include support for multiple simultaneous drives
and Quad (4x) and Octal (8-speed) CD-ROM drives. It will work with PC
Card/Emulation using DOS or Windows, and is supplied on a single 3╜ö DD
floppy with a simple but very clear instruction booklet.
9.11
CDFast2 requires RISC OS 3 or later, and is claimed to run on any
version of CDFS, with all CD-ROM applications, CD-ROM drives and any
Acorn Archimedes/RiscPC computer Ö a clear, positive statement indeed!
9.11
Installation
9.11
CDFast2 is installed on the iconbar in the usual way from a writable
backup copy of the original floppy or, better still, copied to the hard
disc.
9.11
Most of my testing of CDFast2 (version 1.10) was done on a RiscPC 700
with 26Mb RAM, Cumana SCSI II (vers 2.0) interface, Pioneer DR-U124X
Quad speed CD-ROM drive with Eesox SCSI driver, CDFS 2.28, and with a
486/DX4 100MHz PC board with old fashioned Windows 3.11.
9.11
I simply copied !CDFast2 application into the recommended RiscPC
location, i.e. $.!Boot.Choices.Boot.Tasks, re-booted, and it appears on
the iconbar ready for use.
9.11
Configuration
9.11
Configuration is the important bit Ö to tailor it to suit your
particular set-up and available memory. From the configure option on the
iconbar menu, we have a window of choices:
9.11
Various operating modes are available. The off option simply means that
it is turned off, and no performance enhancement will take place,
although it still consumes 4Kb for its code.
9.11
Minimum Memory uses 12Kb for code and cache, but you will get a 18-40%
performance improvement.
9.11
Enhanced uses 36Kb for code and cache, and gives 25-50% performance
enhancement at the expense of this extra memory.
9.11
Extended uses 4Kb for the code and 48Kb to 256Kb, configurable, for the
cache. This is where we get the best overall increases Ö a claimed 30-
60% Ö at the expense of extra memory. The choice is yours, but you
should select as much memory as you can afford, to give as much speed
enhancement as possible.
9.11
I selected the maximum of 256Kb (but 128Kb was also tried) and clicked
the appropriate Quad speed. Save updates the config file which
determines the default setting for next time it is run. OK accepts your
choices for the current session, but also has the effect of flushing the
cache Ö useful and necessary from time to time.
9.11
Selecting the Quit option from the <menu> will remove the application
icon from the bar but CDFast2 will continue to operate, in the
background, and provide performance enhancement.
9.11
CD-ROM drive
9.11
As an aside, I should mention that the Pioneer DR¡U124X drive is claimed
to be 4.4 speed. So is it? Well, those thoughtful people at Eesox have a
little utility, !CDSpeed, which checks just that. A quad speed should
transfer data at 600Kb/sec. This Eesox utility, when run, tells me the
drive has a throughput of 677Kb/sec Ö re-assuring!
9.11
Performance
9.11
I set out to provide figures, timings, etc of CD-ROM disc activity, with
and without CDFast2, but soon realised that they would vary enormously
between different setups. But, everything looked very positive, and that
was all I really needed to know. Eesox have provided a statistics window
(just click on iconbar icon) so you can see exactly what is going on.
9.11
This gives an indication of how well CDFast2 is working. The higher the
hit rate, the more efficient is the cacheing. Anything over 30% is good
and gives noticeable speed improvement. I did obtain a rate over 90% and
quite regularly achieved 70% upwards. Cache hits and misses indicate
number of times data has been located in the cache, or required to be
read from the CD-ROM disc, respectively.
9.11
When the novelty of figures and percentages has passed by, just get on
with your tasks and you soon get the feeling of the improvements to the
CD-ROM access. After a while, turn off the cache and your CD-ROM drive
suddenly feels decidedly sluggish Ö that convinced me!
9.11
I have noticed one oddity. Although I dismount my CD-ROM discs, I found
that selecting the next CD¡ROM disc actually opened the filer window of
the previous disc. Further attempts to access the current disc could
cause CDFS to indicate an internal error. Emptying the cache seemed to
overcome the problem and allowed the next disc filer window to be opened
correctly. As I am rushing to beat the threatened postal strike, I will
have to deal with this problem later.
9.11
Conclusion
9.11
A modest price to pay for very worthwhile enhancement in performance of
30% Ö 45%, dependent on your setup. Every CD-ROM user should have it
installed. It is most effective when accessing applications, like
databases, containing a large number of files. I have much need for
converting various graphic images where the waiting time is now
considerably reduced. Most spectacular is conversion of 16Base PhotoCD
images, some of which are achieved in almost half the time. The
irritation of the CD access being slower than HD access is now
significantly reduced. As for the PC card and Windows, improvement is
apparent here too, making the PC a joy to use Ö well, relatively
speaking!
9.11
CDFast2 costs ú25 +VAT (ú28 through Archive) or ú15 +VAT (ú17 through
Archive) when ordered with an Eesox CD-ROM drive. An upgrade from CDFast
costs ú10 inc VAT direct from Eesox. Site licence and network versions
are also available.áuá
9.11
STOP PRESS: The problem with CD-ROM disc swapping and dismounting is now
resolved. The latest version performs without hiccup with regular Acorn
and PC disc swapping. I have also checked out the product on the older
A440/1 series with RISC OS 3.1/ARM 2, 4Mb RAM, Cumana Bravo dual speed
CD-ROM drive (popular in schools) and SLCD interface. Speed enhancements
are beneficial there too, and no problems were encountered.áuá
9.11
The Coming of the Thin Client
9.11
Robin Bloor
9.11
This is an article, published on the net, which I thought was
particularly relevant to Acorn and its future. Iáasked Robin if we could
publish it, and he kindly agreed. Copyright remains ⌐Bloor Research
1996.
9.11
Over the past decade, the corporate computer market has been driven by
the proliferation of the PC. The benefits delivered by PCs were
undeniable. They revolved around personal productivity applications;
word processors, spreadsheets, personal organisers, presentation
programs, reporting programs and so forth. PCs also had a major
influence on the pricing of computer products, putting a downward
pressure on both hardware and software prices in the corporate market.
9.11
Many new hardware ideas began to emerge first on the PC (usually as add-
in boards) because vendors could gather a better revenue stream. The
software market followed a similar pattern, with the PC market driving
the development of most kinds of software. In the momentum of this,
Microsoft became the dominant software vendor and Intel the dominant CPU
chip vendor.
9.11
The situation is now set to change again.
9.11
A split in the PC market
9.11
In the past, we did not distinguish between the PC bought by the
individual for home or personal use, and the desktop PC. There was
little reason why we needed to, as the same specification was roughly
adequate for both roles. However, we can now see a very definite split
taking place. The home market PC specification is heading strongly in
the direction of a multimedia unit that has enough muscle for games
playing (i.e. video) and which is Internet enabled. The reason for this
is obvious. Most home PC users want multimedia, educational software,
games software and so forth, because they see a PC as a vehicle for
entertainment as well as a useful domestic device.
9.11
The ideal PC specification for the corporation in now diverging widely
from this. It will not be a vehicle for entertainment. Multimedia is not
going to proliferate in the office, for the time being, and when it does
it will not be employed in the manner that it is on the home PC. The
emphasis with the corporations is on integration.
9.11
Disillusion with the corporate PC
9.11
There is now considerable concern in the corporate market about PCs,
especially in large corporations where PCs have proliferated, and the
costs have proliferated with them. While the PC delivered obvious
benefits, its progress was irresistible. This is no longer the case. The
benefits of further investment in PCs have become more and more
marginal. Word-processing for all, spreadsheets for all, personal
information management for all, graphics and presentation for all, PC
based email for all, and then what?
9.11
Alongside this, the true costs of PC usage have begun to emerge. There
have now been a number of studies which show that the PC is
significantly more expensive than a dumb terminal. For example, one
produced by ITG in 1993, found that the average cost per transaction for
the PC LAN installations it surveyed was, on average 14.3 times higher
than for the mainframe installations. The problem with such surveys is
that they do not compare like with like. You cannot simply remove the
PCs, because you lose the personal productivity applications. But they
make a point.
9.11
There are many hidden costs in PC usage, some of which stem from
indiscipline amongst PC users and the poor implementation of PC strategy
by IT departments, and some of which have been unavoidable. The
following is by no means a complete list:
9.11
Å The uncontrolled duplication of data across the organisation (due to
individuals and departments setting up their own databases).
9.11
Å The duplication of applications code (due to individuals and
departments writing their own applications in a non-co-operative
manner).
9.11
Å Lack of standardisation on desktop hardware (dueáto individuals and
departments doing their own procurement, and the migration of older PC
hardware through the organisation to departments with smaller budgets).
9.11
Å Lack of standardisation of PC packages (due to individuals and
departments making their own choice of word processor, PC database,
etc).
9.11
Å Inadequate training leading to lower personal productivity (due to
under investment in training and the fashion amongst some users to
acquire the vary latest version of PC applications).
9.11
Å Inadequate support for PC usage (due to many factors including PC
vendors providing a poor level of support, the lack of standardisation,
PC users choosing to support themselves, the lack of an adequate support
strategy and so on).
9.11
Å Under utilisation of PC resources (due to the lack of development
software that can utilise PC resources, the limitations of PC operating
systems and the over-configuration of PCs).
9.11
Å Inadequate management of the PC resource (dueáto the lack of software
capable of guaranteeing security, integrity, consistency and recovery
from failure).
9.11
Å The poor integration of PCs with centralised computing (due to the
lack of adequate technology to provide integration).
9.11
On top of this, we can add a general lack of strategy in the deployment
of PCs caused primarily by the fact that the technology changes so
quickly.
9.11
Of these factors, technology change is probably the most difficult for
corporates to deal with. Consider an organisation such as an insurance
company or a bank that has many regional offices and which is embarking
on a programme to install new hardware and new applications throughout
its branches. The PC is the natural vehicle, and the likely design will,
at the moment, involve putting a PC LAN with several PCs and a server
into the offices. Such a system will take time to build and then will
have to be implemented in a roll-out, gradually replacing the hardware
that exists over a period of time. Most of the technology choices (which
level of PC, which server and server OS, which development software,
what communications capability, which PC packages and so on) will have
to be taken early on in the project.
9.11
The full costs for such a project are likely to be high, and it will be
difficult to complete such a project in less than, say, a three year
time frame. In reality, the return on investment may not become positive
until the third year and yet the whole project could be wrong-footed by
a switch in the direction of technology. Any one of the technology
choices made could be visibly wrong within a two-year time frame,
because of technology changes or vendor failure.
9.11
Such a project is high risk and, not surprisingly, many corporates are
reluctant to make such investments. Indeed, they are becoming unlikely
to make such investments until they have confidence in the stability of
the technology over a longer time frame. The same is true, but to a
lesser extent, of PC investment throughout the corporation. Further
investment to upgrade technology is difficult to justify unless there
are clear benefits. So where are the benefits? The major area where
benefits could be delivered is in better integration, not in upgrading
desktop technology.
9.11
The LAN in a can
9.11
Desktop technology has been in the corporate driving seat for many years
now, but there are clear signs that this is changing. In recent years,
we have seen PC software vendors bundling their software into integrated
packages (Lotus Smartsuite, Microsoft Office, etc) and many of the
recent products launched by PC based software vendors are not personal
productivity products at all, but products for the corporate market such
as Lotus Notes, Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Back Office.
Integration on the desktop, and integration with server software, are
becoming the order of the day.
9.11
At the same time, we are seeing the gradual take-off of massively
parallel hardware which must eventually spell the death of the PC LAN.
9.11
Technically, there is no reason why PC LAN servers should not simply be
nodes of a massively parallel computer. This idea, which is being pushed
by IBM in promoting its SP2 hardware, can be thought of as server
consolidation, but is also referred to by the more poetic phrase; the
LAN in the can.
9.11
In the software development market, we now see the establishment of a
second generation of client/server software which can build applications
that will work in enterprise-wide client/server configurations. We are
also seeing the emergence of object-based middleware which will better
be able to manage messaging in such environments. All of this software
could (and in some cases can) function on MPP hardware. Multiple servers
will soon not be required.
9.11
Enter the thin client
9.11
The next question to ask is: Does the corporate world actually need PCs
at all. There are many reasons to suggest that it does not. First of
all, it does not need the kind of PCs that are sold to the home market.
It does not need local floppy drives, local hard disks and local CD-
ROMs. These capabilities can all be provided from a server at less
expense.
9.11
Secondly, only in a few specific circumstances does it need a very
powerful dedicated CPU. Such power is required for engineering
applications, multimedia authoring and high resolution graphics work.
For most PC applications, further power will deliver very little
advantage. In other words, for most applications that provide general
benefits to corporate users, PC power has reached its limit.
9.11
So, why not rethink the whole idea and provide a desktop device (or
range of devices) that are designed to meet the real corporate need. We
have come to call such a device Éthe thin clientæ because its resources
would be thin compared to the typical PC. Its exact specification can
currently only be guessed at, but many hardware and software vendors are
now thinking along these lines. They are serious enough to have arranged
a meeting to hammer out a specification.
9.11
Another straw in the wind is the interactive services that the telecomms
companies across the world are thinking of providing. The telecomms
companies do not envisage the customer device being a PC Ö they want
something that is far easier to use and far less expensive for their
electronic shopping and video-on-demand services.
9.11
Java: Another straw in the wind
9.11
If we are to have thin client hardware, many of the tasks of the current
PC operating systems will become redundant. We will not want local
storage, but will want to load all data and all applications from some
other server device (possibly a massively parallel machine). In other
words, we will require a thin operating system that works exactly in
this fashion. For those who havenæt yet realised it, there is already
such an operating system and it doesnæt come from Microsoft, it comes
from Sun.
9.11
Java is a piece of software that was designed from the outset to run on
a thin client; it was designed to run software on consumer electronics
devices for the home. Basically, it is real-time interpreter with its
own language (the Java language) that derives from, but is quite
different from, C. In 1994, Sun used it to build a Web browser which it
launched under the name HotJava. HotJava can load and run Java-written
applications that reside at other Web sites, and will do so
automatically when Java Applets are embedded in Web pages.
9.11
Netscape have announced that they will be bundling Java in the next
version of their browser. At the moment, the enthusiasm for Java sits
with the Internet surfers, but there is no reason why it could not be
tried within the corporate market, and Sun have everything to gain if it
is.
9.11
The server eats the client
9.11
On many occasions, in our reports, in magazine columns, in talks with
journalists, in presentations and briefings to our customers, we have
indicated that we eventually expect server hardware to Éeat the clientæ
in the corporate market. We predicted this simply because it was
technically feasible, a sound idea and in the interest of the major
server vendors that it should happen. We are now beginning to see the
corporate market become disillusioned with the passing PC era, and we
are seeing products appear that will support a return to centralised
computing.
9.11
Opponents of this will decry it as a return to the past, to mainframe
computing, but it is not, it is simply a move to greater resource
efficiency. Given what is at stake, there are bound to be arguments and
debates amongst the interested parties, full of sound and fury. But it
doesnæt matter, because the technical arguments are already over. The
thin client will prevail.
9.11
If you would like further information on this white paper, please
contact Robin Bloor at: Bloor Research Group, Challenge House, Sherwood
Drive, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK3 6DP. (01908-373311) [01908-377470]
[e-mail].áuá
9.11
Internet Column
9.11
Dave Pantling
9.11
There have been some interesting developments this month, but on the
Monday before this column was due, my RiscPC power supply did its best
to take down the National Grid, destroying my motherboard in the
process. I am using a borrowed RiscPC. Thanks, Julian!
9.11
Upgrades!
9.11
News of two major upgrades this month. ANT will be releasing issue two
of the ANT Internet Suite ösome time in Julyò. It will cost ú10 for
registered owners, but anyone whoæs bought their copy since the
Wakefield show can upgrade for free. The upgrade will extend the
features of the web browser, news and mail clients.
9.11
Argonet will also be releasing a major upgrade to their Voyager package.
Voyager has improved dramatically over the past few months, and version
1.08 promises to be a further significant step. The news software was
always plagued by long processing times, but an all-new piece of
software is set to change all that. Early reports from the twenty
testers suggest that the new software is a significant enhancement.
9.11
Voyageræs new manual is also ready, and will be a complement to the
electronic manual supplied with 1.08. Subscribers will be sent the new
manual and a disc containing the complete new version of Voyager, within
the next two or three weeks.
9.11
Argonet also inform me theyæve taken on more staff to improve their
customer support.
9.11
Elsewhere in this issue, Chris Johnson has reviewed HTMLEdit 2, and I
hope to be commencing a thread on HTML, so anyone can design their own
web pages. I will also be looking more closely at the Internet Suite and
Voyager upgrades.
9.11
NChannel International
9.11
Acorn made a Stock Market announcement on 13th June that it has entered
into a distribution agreement with NChannel International, öto enable
Acorn, without bearing significant financial risk, to exploit its
technology lead, and to access under the Acorn brand name, the potential
global consumer market for Network Computing products... NChannelæs
chairman is Hermann Hauser, and David Lee, Managing Director of Acorn,
is a non-executive director.ò Note the ÉAcorn brand nameæ bit!
9.11
The purpose of this company, in reality, will be to sell NetStation-type
products, without placing Acorn at the centre of the financial risk, but
it does show that Acorn are looking for, and finding, new ways to push
their technologies.
9.11
The latest NetStation developments can be found at http://
www.cybervillage.co.uk/acorn/nc/
9.11
As usual, please feel free to email me, [e-mail], or write to
me c/o the editor.áuá
9.11
Free Web Pages for Schools
9.11
Mike Battersby
9.11
Last week, I was in one of our local schools (Beverley School Ö no
relation!), as they wanted to develop web pages which would constitute,
in effect, a kind of school brochure. I have similarly been developing
web pages for the Kingston Schoolsæ IT Unit newsletter/magazine which
looks at IT developments in education, with particular reference to our
role as an Acorn in Education Centre. (Those interested can find these
on http://members.aol.com/intersitu/.)
9.11
We have both taken advantage of the free subscriptions to AOL (America
Online internet provider/online media service) that are being offered to
secondary schools, and these include 2Mb free web space for each of the
five users allowed in each subscription. Unfortunately, AOL requires
proprietary software to access it and this is currently only available
for PCs, but each school in the borough which uses AOL at present, is
running it happily on a RiscPC.
9.11
HTML and graphics formats
9.11
To make the pages, we used HTMLEdit from RComp, their excellent HTML
authoring aid. Soon this will be unnecessary, owing to the ability of
programs such as PendownDTP to export WYSIWYG pages as HTML files.
However, for the moment, it is an interesting exercise to use HTMLEdit,
which is constantly being updated to allow for developments of HTML, and
can currently cope with HTML3 codes.
9.11
HTMLEdit also includes graphics converters, because to put graphics on
the web so that users of all platforms can access them, it is necessary
to use a format such as GIF or JPEG. If you donæt want to use HTMLEdit,
there are other utilities which can convert from sprites, e.g. the PD
utility Creator which will convert to GIF format.
9.11
Apart from HTMLEdit, you also need a web browser to view your pages.
There are various of these around the public domain, and RComp supply my
personal preference which is the PD version of Doggysoftæs Termite which
is called !Webite. This browser seems to cope with recent developments
in HTML better than most, and allows saving of a complete page as a
drawfile which makes it easy to drop into DTP to print examples, etc.
Published web browsers such as Termiteæs off-line browser and ANTæs
Fresco can also be used, of course.
9.11
Fiddly bits
9.11
Once you have constructed a page in HTMLEdit, and converted your
pictures to GIF or JPEG files, it is worth checking a few things. Make
sure that the names of the picture files in your HTML file are exactly
the same case for each letter as on disc. RISC OS will cope easily with
the case being different so that Épicæ will find a file called ÉPICæ or
ÉPicæ or Épicæ etc, but once uploaded onto the web server, the case of
the letters is likely to matter. My advice is to pick a rule and stick
to it Ö mine is lower case for all files. The same applies to links to
other pages of yours.
9.11
In your HTML file, a GIF file is likely to be denoted as something like
pic.gif whereas, on disc, it will appear as pic/gif because you canæt
put full stops in RISC OS filenames. If they do not already have
filetype extensions, I suggest you put them in. This means keeping the
basic file name down to about six letters, as RISC OS only allows 10 in
total, and the /extension such as /gif or /jpg takes up four of these.
The extensions may be useful when transferring to the PC side of a
RiscPC, and when uploading onto the web server.
9.11
This may all sound a bit fiddly, but once you have done it successfully
once, it gets easier (really!)
9.11
In time, you will need to start organising files in sub-directories, but
HTMLEdit can cope with pathnames for the web server (Unix) into sub
directories and back again. For example, a file called Émypage.htmlæ in
a subdirectory called Énextlotæ would be Énextlot/mypage.htmlæ, and a
GIF graphics file called Éhomeæ coming from the parent directory would
be É../home.gifæ (full stop, full stop, oblique, home.gif). If this
sounds complex, donæt worry, HTMLEdit will sort it out for you.
9.11
Uploading
9.11
When these are all ready, they can be dragged into a convenient
directory on the PC partition of the RiscPCæs hard disc. Uploading is
very easy on AOL; simply signing on and following menu options to go to
oneæs own username directory and choosing upload. You enter the name
that the file is to have on the web server and then find the file you
wish to upload through a dialogue box (no drag and drop here in
Windows!!!). Click on upload, and off it goes. This process has to be
repeated for each individual file but when they are all there, you can
enter a web browser and see them set up Ö instantaneously!! Beware that
if you use HTML3 compatible commands, some browsers which canæt cope
with these (including AOLæs own!) may produce some very odd results! If
you want to see the first efforts of Beverley School, they are on http:/
/members.aol.com/BeverleySc/.áuá
9.11
Pocket Book Column
9.11
Audrey Laski
9.11
Sightings
9.11
On television: a rather silly series of programmes called the
Technophobeæs Guide to the Future included an item on palmtops, in which
an Éordinaryæ family were selected to test a few models while going
about their daily business. Though some enthusiasm was generated in the
family, the presentation seemed unlikely to give the watching
technophobes much sense of why it might be worth overcoming their fears,
and the fact that the Psion 3A which was used included all the available
extras made it seem a forbiddingly expensive option.
9.11
At a conference: it was being used by another participant to take notes.
Like many users, she said she had hesitated to buy it at first, thinking
it an expensive toy, but now wouldnæt be without it.
9.11
A puzzle
9.11
Somebody went to the trouble of discovering my telephone number to ask
my advice about something to do with the Pocket Book. As it happened, I
was extremely busy, and said I couldnæt talk just then, but suggested a
time after which I would be available. The caller never came back to me,
leaving an uncomfortable sense of unfinished business. Perhaps the
problem solved itself....
9.11
Dealing with $ revisited
9.11
The ever-invaluable John Woodthorpe of Rugby writes with what will, I
believe, be the definitive word on Éthe problem of dealing with ZIP
archives containing DOS files with $ in their name.æ He asked the person
he rightly calls Éthe excellent David Pillingæ if he could solve the
problem, and a new module for SparkFS, which does so, arrived by return
of email. Apparently, Éit is not in the current release of SparkFS but
heæs happy to hand out copies by email (contact
[e-mail]).æ
9.11
Recommendations
9.11
John also draws attention to the Internet Psion FAQ, which is Éa fund of
useful information on the Psion and Pocket Book machinesæ and can be
downloaded from http://www.uni-sb.de/~ww36asms/psionfaq.html. This would
probably provide all the information needed by Philip Hopwood, of
<[e-mail]> and no other address. He emailed Archive to
ask if there were any books giving more information about the working of
the Pocket Book than were given in the manual, because he was having
trouble adding applications he had grabbed from the net. This reminds me
to remind readers on the net that Iæm still snailmailing (18 Ebury
Street, London, SW1W OLU) and that it helps enormously to get a real
world address as well.
9.11
Of course, I sometimes miss addresses. It was John Woodthorpe who
pointed out that the information Iáclaimed not to have, about the
astronomical application, Procyon, is in the ReadMe file Ö I should have
spotted it. The Procyon people can be reached at Vampire Vengeance, c/o
Drosseartstraat 10, 6243 DA Geulle, The Netherlands, or at
[e-mail], or [e-mail], or Compuserve: 100561,122.
9.11
Hidden perils
9.11
Ed Harris, of Royston, writes to warn of a couple of bugs he has
encountered in trying to use hidden files in lieu of password
protection:
9.11
1) In Write, make the default document ÉWriteæ hidden, this being the
only document. A dummy document name of ÉWriteæ is still shown and gives
access to the hidden file. If a new document is then created then the
dummy document is removed, taking with it the hidden document which is
then inaccessible.
9.11
2) Connecting to the RiscPC using PocketFS II while there is a document
with the hidden attribute set, results in the hidden document being
deleted.
9.11
He lost a 21-page document in this way, and hopes to save other users
Éfrom suffering from the lost document bluesæ.
9.11
Endnote
9.11
The summer dearth has started; last month I simply didnæt have enough
material to make a column, and even now itæs a shortie. Please take your
Pocket Books out into the garden and tap out something for me for next
month from the deckchair.
9.11
P.S. Sightings from abroad would be welcome.áuá
9.11
Music Column
9.11
Alan Gibson
9.11
I must thank everyone for the encouraging response to my first column Ö
Iæm going to be busy over the coming months! As well as many öHelloæsò
and offers of help, I have had several queries, many of which have been
regarding problems trying to get Midi interfaces to work with the PC
cards.
9.11
I have spent a while looking into this and do have some positive news.
If you simply wish to play back standard Midi files (SMFs) from PC card
software through the computeræs sound system, you need ESPæs Software
Synthesiser (which does not need a Midi interface as it uses sound
samples played from disc). It also pays to have one of the latest
versions of !PCx86 to ensure full compatibility with this software.
9.11
If you want to actually use, say, an external keyboard for input and
output with the PC card, then you may have different problems, depending
on which Midi card you have. Problems arise with the various cards using
different, incompatible versions of the Ésameæ module, which also means
that you canæt use an older card such as the MidiMax with a DMI50 on the
same machine without clashes.
9.11
The new Midi module is like !Printers, in that there is a core set of
routines to which you can add specific drivers for different cards.
Unfortunately, there are only a few cards supporting this module at the
moment, although the other cards will hopefully be supported soon. The
best advice I can give at the moment is to contact ESP (01159-295019)
and ask about their Midi Support Package which should be available in a
few months time. This promises to solve the PC card problems and perhaps
even the incompatibility problems between different manufacturersæ
cards.
9.11
ESP are also close to finishing their 8-bit version of the Software
Synthesiser (so A4 users can at last have Midi playback!) and will also
be releasing a support package for designing your own instruments.
9.11
Master keyboards
9.11
Master keyboards are Midi-equipped keyboards which (usually) produce no
sound of their own. This is not as useless as it may sound! They are
used to control other devices, usually sound modules, drum machines etc,
from one central point. The theory is that when you find a master
keyboard which you like the feel of, you can just upgrade the sounds at
a later date by adding more sound modules rather than buying another
complete keyboard.
9.11
There are effectively two different Ékindsæ of master keyboards, those
which are intended for using with a computer and those for studio/
performance use. Both types can control any module (with differing
degrees of effectiveness) and have assignable controllers to send
messages around your setup. The more expensive ones also have keyboard
Ézonesæ which you can set to play different instruments, e.g. a piano on
the right hand and a bass on the left.
9.11
The computer type tend to be small, have a few octaves of unweighted
keys and are usually grey(!) They are often used to input into a
sequencer or notation package Ö much easier than using the mouse. Some
common examples are the Yamaha CBX-K1 (which has 37 mini keys Ö useful
for small hands or where desk space is very tight), the Roland PC-200
MkII (this is the one I use and has 49 spring-weighted keys and one
controller) or the Fatar 610+ (61 semi-weighted keys with two
controllers).
9.11
The studio type of master keyboards are predominantly covered by Fatar,
including the Studio 900 (with two controllers with 88 weighted keys for
us pianists!), the 1176 and 1100 (four zones and two controllers with
76/88 weighted keys) and the 1000+ Studio 2001 which has eight zones,
four controllers and 88 weighted keys. Phew!
9.11
Having said all this, you can actually use any keyboard as a master Ö
just turn the volume down! Ifáyou already have a keyboard, it will do
just as well for most computer purposes. The downside of master
keyboards is the same as the upside, in that they produce no sound of
their own. This means that if you cannot get your computer to Éplay as
you playæ, you will need some kind of external amplification. This all
adds to the overall cost, but is well worth it if you intend to have
several sound sources all controlled from one keyboard, especially if
you want to play away from your computer.
9.11
Next month (probably!) Iæll give a rundown of the Midi interfaces
currently available. If I get a lot of queries, I will cover these first
and perhaps cover the Midi cards later on.áuá
9.11
Alan Gibson <[e-mail]>
9.11
Help!!!!
9.11
Articles for Archive Ö Please could we have some articles about various
software packages along the lines of öHow to get the best out of...ò?
There has been lots written about Impression, but what about some of the
other packages?
9.11
I agree entirely, Anne. For example, because I have been using Edit for
emails, I have discovered <ctrl-f4> which allows you, very easily, to
stick ö> ò as an indent in front of some lines text Ö and did you know
that <f4><f2><f1> causes Edit to re-start a search without using the
mouse?! OK, I know these things must be in the manual somewhere, but I
donæt have time to read it. Thatæs where a useræs view, expressed
through Archive, isáso valuable. What one person has Édiscoveredæ can be
of considerable help to the rest of us. Ed.
9.11
Anne Parmenter, Chippenham.
9.11
!Manager Ö Has anyone come across BASS? (Belgian Archimedes Software-
writers Society) Are they still contactable? Can anyone help me to get
the data out of their !Manager program? I have been using it for a long
while and would now like to use a more powerful database, but I donæt
know how to get the data out of !Manager.
9.11
Martin Osborne, Winchester
9.11
Network Computer Column editor Ö We asked last month for someone to edit
a column for Archive about Acorn Online Media, possibly also combining
it with the NC side of Acornæs operations. Paul Irwin has offered to
find out about AOM, but at the rate things are progressing, we need
someone separate to try to keep tracks of NC issues.
9.11
Iæm getting lots and lots of press clippings about Acorn and the NC
(many thanks to all who send them!) and press releases and bits off the
net (see the monthly program disc). I read them all, but I just donæt
have time to digest the information and think about the significance of
it all. Is there anyone who does have a bit of time and who would like
to take on this task? (As with all Archive writing, itæs done for love,
not money, sorry! We find we get better articles that way!!) It would
certainly be an exciting and interesting job to do. Any offers?
9.11
(Net access preferred Ö sorry, but it makes such a difference to the
speed and ease with which the job can be done.)
9.11
Ed. <[e-mail]>
9.11
PC software Ö About the only use I make of PC software is to run the
Cumbria Journey Planner:
9.11
http://www.wwwebguides.com/pubtrans/cumbria/info.html
9.11
This runs fine in the PC Emulator and so, on the RiscPC, I am trying to
run the PC Emulator rather than get the PC card. The single-tasking
version works OK, but the multitasking version (1.81) gives the error
message:
9.11
ÉIllegal XDPI or YDPI in spriteæ
9.11
Can anyone advise on what this message means?
9.11
Peter J Stoner <[e-mail]>
9.11
Making your own CDs
9.11
Mike Battersby
9.11
With the need for greater and greater amounts of storage space growing
all the time, schools face particular problems because that need is
multiplied by hundreds when the needs of all their pupils and staff are
taken into account.
9.11
Many schools are developing multimedia projects, and with the inclusion
of colour scanned photographs or Replay movies, these soon add up to a
number of megabytes or considerably more. While developing these, it may
be quite satisfactory to use a hard disc for storage, but at this rate
of usage, a hard disc is soon filled up and the space is needed for the
next set of developments or projects. It is a shame to have to erase
them altogether but it is unlikely to be feasible to archive them to
floppy disc, and even removable hard discs would represent a costly way
of archiving.
9.11
Similarly, if a school builds up sets of its own resources, electronic
photographs from an Ion camera, digitised video frames or large scanned
sprites, and if these resources are only needed occasionally, can you
afford precious hard disc space to store them for the occasions when
they are needed?
9.11
What if schools want to share and exchange resources with other schools;
there is no problem if they fit on floppy disc, but you canæt go posting
off a normal hard disc, and removables are again an expensive option.
9.11
Well, for all these needs, and possibly many others, the answer could be
to put materials onto a writeable CD-ROM. Most schools have at least one
CD-ROM drive from which to extract the contents, or the ability to
network CDs using software such as Cumanaæs CDNet 2. A CD is light and
inexpensive to post and small for storage. Even if multimedia projects
were, say 20Mb in size, around 30 could be stored on a single CD-ROM.
9.11
Only a couple of years ago, the introduction of a writeable CD would be
beyond the means of most schools but now the cost has come down to just
under ú1,000 (+VAT) from Eesox (including some gold discs and the Eesox
CD simulator software Ö highly recommended) and it is much more
affordable.
9.11
We at the Kingston Schools IT Unit have recently purchased such items
from Eesox and, last week, Iáput one to the test. One of our local
schools is entering the Tesco multimedia competition and, having taken
video and used Ion and scanned photographs, their Genesis application
was just under 30Mb Ö a bit too much to fit on a floppy!!
9.11
The writable drive, which can also be used as a normal quad speed CD-ROM
drive, is a SCSI device, so you would need a SCSI card if you donæt
already have one. I used an old Cumana 16-bit card which worked quite
happily. The first thing to do after you have checked everything for
accuracy is to have the items converted to a CD-ROM Éimageæ, i.e.áa
datafile that will be understood by CDFS. This is done using the
!ISOform software provided. This is easy to run, as you just specify the
directory to be converted and the destination in which to put the image.
!ISOForm checks that the directory structure is suitable for CDFS and
also checks out your filenames because certain characters that are
allowed by ADFS are not allowed by CDFS. If there are any errors, these
are listed and you can revise your resources accordingly, well before
you mess up a CD! An option box allows you to have public read access
set automatically to the files so that the CD produced can be used
easily over a network.
9.11
Once the image has been built up, the CDSim software comes into its own.
This allows you to run the image datafile that would be put on the CD
under CDFS, i.e. simulating it running on a CD-ROM. This allows you to
check that everything really does function as it should when run from a
CD. This can be particularly useful for resources such as Replay movies
to check they play at a reasonable speed. Various types of CD-ROM drives
can be simulated Ö double speed, quad speed, etc, etc. This again is
easy to run and is a safeguard as a double check that your resources are
ready for writing to a CD. The gold CDs are around ú6-8 a time which is
very reasonable but you donæt want to waste them if you can avoid it,
and this software certainly helps that.
9.11
Once everything has been checked, you are ready to write the CD. Again,
this is remarkably straight forward Ö just running the CDScribe
software, dragging the file into a box specifying the file to be
written, entering the device number of the CD drive, and off you go. The
30Mb Genesis application took around 6 minutes to be written. If you
want more than one copy, this process (just the writing, not the
creating of the image or testing) is repeated in each case. I found that
re-setting the computer just before the final write seemed to help avoid
any errors.
9.11
Future planned uses include distributing a Genesis application,
developed here at the centre, to some of the local schools, and
distributing Ordnance Survey datafiles converted into drawfiles using
Minervaæs excellent Map Importer program. These drawfiles tend to be
quite large and only a few fit on a floppy disc, but the files for all
the borough could be fitted on one CD-ROM for the LEA schools that want
them.
9.11
This is not a full review of the Eesox software and drive, but I was
impressed by the simplicity of use and the outcome. If schools canæt
afford their own, perhaps other centres like ourselves could provide one
that could be available for use by schools, for the times when they are
needed.
9.11
The CD Recorder is available through Archive for ú895 (internal) or ú965
(external). This includes one gold CD. The CD Simulator software costs
ú170 if bought on its own, or ú110 if bought with the CD Recorder. Extra
gold discs areáú9 each or ú75 for a box of ten through Archive. uá
9.11
Hints and Tips
9.11
C/C++ Books Ö I found öC For Dummiesò from IDG Books a perfect tutorial.
Itæs informal and American, but it explains everything in a very
comprehensible manner. The ISBN is 1-878058-78-9 and it costs ú18.99,
although IDG Media in the UK (the publisher of Acorn User) may be able
to do you a special deal. The company also produces a öFor Dummiesò book
on C++.
9.11
IDG Media, Media House, Adlington Park, Macclesfield SK10 4NP.
[e-mail], http://www.idg.co.uk, or http://www.idg.com.
9.11
Alex Singleton, Surrey
9.11
A circle in perspective Ö Most drawing programs can draw an ellipse.
Most artists will use this when drawing (say) the top or bottom of a
vase, but a circle in perspective is not an ellipse!!
9.11
Firstly, choose a square to fit the circle. Draw this square, with its
diagonals, in perspective to a suitable vanishing point, as shown. Where
the diagonals cross, draw the line marked Édiameteræ. Draw the line OA.
This is used to draw an octagon in perspective.
9.11
Construct the octagon ... Where the line AO cuts the diagonals, draw
horizontal lines to D and C. Do similarly for E and F on the other side.
9.11
Draw a continuous curve to touch the centres of the sides of the octagon
(where the sides cut the diagonals and diameter).
9.11
Click on the bottom icon of the toolbox to get the dotted box around the
drawing. Use the Éhandlesæ to alter the size and shape! Copy it, then,
anywhere you like!
9.11
John Mitchell, Wishaw
9.11
Internet data overload Ö I found that I was keeping more and more items
from the internet newsgroups, just in case I needed to refer to them
again, such as FAQ, useful contacts, or WWW addresses. But, of course,
trying to find anything with only file names to go on was impossible.
9.11
I thought about designing a database in my database package, but then a
Clares advert suggested Knowledge Organiser II. I found someone who had
a demo, but that only showed searching, not creating a database, but I
took a chance anyway and decided to buy it with the aim of getting
organised. I havenæt regretted it Ö the demo does not do it justice!
9.11
KO II is all about storing text and giving it references to make it easy
to find again. Perfect for this use. As well as the built in context
code fields, you can add your own Ö which I didnæt realise at first. So
my database has a field for the news item title, plus date downloaded,
and then uses the KO II context code fields to Édescribeæ the entry. You
can also add more codes as you gradually learn your search requirements.
Iæve already been able to search for things I stored days before, going
straight to the article instead of guessing, wrongly, where I put it.
9.11
The package could do with a couple of improvements which I have
suggested to Clares, but I would certainly recommend it for anyone
struggling as Iáwas. KO II costs ú75 through Archive.
9.11
Clive Bell <[e-mail]>
9.11
Comment Column
9.11
A7000 pricing Ö I ordered an A7000 for school from Acorn (2Mb/425Mb)
only to be informed that this has been discontinued in view of people
wanting 4Mb to run CD-ROMs. I thus had to pay an extra ú76 +VAT for 2Mb
of RAM when Iácould have upgraded the 2Mb version myself to 6Mb for ú55
including VAT through Archive.
9.11
Then I thought I would get the 2Mb network version for less, and put in
a hard drive myself. I contacted Acorn but was told that the network-
dedicated machines have no operating system. Thwarted again! I could
have bought an 850Mb drive for the same extra cost that Acorn were
charging for the 425Mb drive.
9.11
Come on, Acorn! I am trying to make my schoolæs budget go as far as
possible; please be more flexible, or reduce your prices!
9.11
(It wouldnæt surprise me if they did, Charlie Ö although Iáperhaps
shouldnæt say that or people will stop buying computers until the prices
do go down!! At the very least, with the price of RAM dropping through
the floor, they could double the RAM on all the machines and still
charge the same prices. Ed.)
9.11
Charlie Alford, Leicester
9.11
Acorn versus Windows Ö I have a friend at work who is a dedicated PC
man, and he cannot understand anyone owning any computer other than a
PC. We have had many Édiscussionsæ about the relative merits of the
Acorn and the PC.
9.11
One day, he was full of the news that Acorn were no longer going to be
producing these Énon-standardæ machines and, at last, I would be forced
to buy a machine that was an Éindustry standard PC compatibleæ. I tried
to convince him that my RiscPC was a 486 as well as an Acorn machine,
but he poo-pooæd the idea, saying that emulated PCs never worked
properly and werenæt worth bothering with.
9.11
Over the next couple of days, I was playing with some PD software on my
RiscPC, and managed to get it to start up with a custom banner instead
of the normal Acorn RISCáOS banner. As a joke, I designed a ÉWindows 97æ
banner. The next time my work colleague came to the house, I led him to
believe that Iæd got hold of a beta copy of Windows 97, and invited him
to have a play Ö he fell for it hook, line and sinker and was very
impressed with Windows 97 (RISCáOS 3.6)!!!
9.11
I havenæt persuaded him to change from his beloved PC, but heæs now a
lot more respectful of Acorn machines.
9.11
(Name and address supplied.)
9.11
Acorn World 96 Ö I have been asked by EPS Events to get as many
developers (hardware and software) to participate in the Theatre
Sessions at Acorn World.
9.11
If anyone is interested, could they contact me a.s.a.p., please?!
9.11
Keith Parker, 33 Fieldend, Twickenham, Middlesex, TW1 4TG.
<[e-mail]>
9.11
Archive newsgroup? Ö I often read Archive articles, particularly those
which invite readersæ comments, and wonder what other readers think. It
is obviously impossible for contributors to summarise all their
responses in a later article, and anyway the topic may have gone off the
boil by then. The obvious answer would be an Archive Usenet Newsgroup.
9.11
What do people think about the idea? Please let me know what you think,
whether positive or negative.
9.11
Geoff Williams, <[e-mail]>
9.11
Archive Small Ads column Ö I placed a Wanted advertisement for a RiscPC
and monitor in the June edition of Archive, which was delivered on
Thursday 13th. I was amazed by the response. (I had half expected to
have to carry the advertisement over a month.)
9.11
I got three messages by email (one on Thursday before Iáknew Archive had
been delivered, one on Friday, and one on Monday from the Netherlands Ö
the post must be slower over The Channel!), and three by phone on
Friday.
9.11
Each person who contacted me offered a machine that near enough met my
spec. Anyone would have been an acceptable purchase. By 10 a.m. on
Saturday 15th June I had agreed to buy separately a RiscPC and a
monitor.
9.11
Archive looks a good place to advertise!
9.11
Tony Hilton, <[e-mail]>
9.11
CD-ROM lending library? Ö If you havenæt been to your local library
recently, you wonæt know that a company called Ramesis is offering to
lend CD-ROMs to library members for a nominal weekly fee (ú1.50 at my
library). However, before you jump for joy... yes, youæve guessed it,
the range only features PC and Mac CD-ROMs.
9.11
I contacted Ramesis, to ask if there was any intention to cater for
Acorn CD-ROM users. The answer was fairly predictable. öThe Acorn user-
base is very small compared to PCs and Macs.ò
9.11
Maybe you would like to let Ramesis know that there is a demand for
Acorn CD-ROMs and having access to them in your local library would be
very welcome. Try before you buy!
9.11
To contact Ramesis: email <[e-mail]> or phone [phone]
(9a.m.Ö8p.m. Tue/Thu and 9a.m.Ö5p.m. other weekdays).
9.11
Gary Jones <[e-mail]>
9.11
Email orders Ö More and more subscribers are placing orders by email.
Thatæs fine by us as it speeds things up, provided you supply all the
information we need. As a reminder, here are a few pointers:
9.11
Ö Remember that credit cards (as opposed to debit cards like Switch and
Delta) attract a ú3 surcharge, or 3% for orders over ú100.
9.11
Ö If you are ordering by email, we only store your credit card number on
our database if you specifically ask us to do so. If we have stored it
then, for subsequent orders, please quote:
9.11
  (a) Your subscription number so that we can identify you (e.g. we have
41 J. Smiths on our main database!)
9.11
  (b) The last four digits of the card number so we can be sure weæve
got the right card number.
9.11
  (c) The expiry date (because this changes and we donæt store it).
9.11
  (d) For Switch, the issue number or the Évalid fromæ date (these also
change and we donæt store them).
9.11
Ed. <[e-mail]>
9.11
Network Computers (9.10 p20) Ö Acorn and Oracle only announced their
Network Computer venture earlier this year Ö and now they have built it!
Perhaps that is not so amazing Ö the prototype BBC Micro was built and
demonstrated in four days. I will take Paulæs word for it that the
machines in the photograph (p19) are not just empty boxes.
9.11
But, hold on a moment, they havenæt written the specification yet Ö
isnæt that what the Reference Profile will be? Is this prototype so
flexible that it can be developed into whatever the market decides (in
August) it requires? What did the demonstration actually do? Whatever it
did, it is great to see a plug in an international press release which
actually mentions Acorn by name and advertises the breath-taking speed
of StrongARM.
9.11
(The reference profiles were launched in draft form on May 20th, and
will be Éfinalisedæ in August. Anyway, since Acorn were heavily involved
in the drafting, youæd expect them to have something which was a pretty
close approximation to being NC compliant, from an early stage.
9.11
At the launch, Acornæs demo NetStation did net-surfing and email using
ANTæs software, wordprocessing courtesy of Icon Technology, MPEG video,
two Java applets and ran Macromedia Director, the multimedia authoring
package. Ed.)
9.11
I recently read a PC column in a national newspaper in which the author
decried the development of NCs, because you can buy a reasonable second-
hand PC with Net software for $500, so there is no need for a
specialised machine. This completely misses the point. Most of the
population has no need for general purpose home computers, and wouldnæt
know how to use one Ö and those who do wonæt want last yearæs model! The
NC will satisfy a market which wants the mass communication, and
information facilities, without having to learn how to use a PC Ö and
without the expense of buying those components which will never be used.
This has every prospect of becoming a universal domestic appliance, as
the video recorder did some years ago. The writer sadly lives in a
blinkered world which despises anything that is not PC-based.
9.11
(The other reason that article totally misses the point is that the
significance of the NetStation goes way beyond net-surfing and email Ö
see the ÉThin Clientæ article on page 13 for more details. Ed.)
9.11
Colin Singleton, Sheffield
9.11
Portfolio again! Ö Iæm probably in some danger of banging the drum too
hard here, but Iæve been asked to make a further comment about
Portfolio. It seems that adverts, and the mention given in Products
Available, may be giving the impression that Portfolio is suitable only
for use in education and, indeed, I understand the author has said this
splendid application was öwritten for simplicity of use because it was
for use in Primary Schoolsò.
9.11
For my part, as a business chap, I take the view that Iæm all for
simplicity and ease of use because that helps productivity (= profits).
I trust that Dave Wilcoxæs review in Archive 9.6 p72 and my bletherings
in 9.9 p43 will dispel any suggestion that Portfolio is in any way
limited in its use; quite the reverse. It has quickly become our prime
presentation application for business and on-the-job training andáÖáas
with any good product Ö the more we use it,áthe more we like it.
9.11
To underline its general suitability, can I offer an anecdote? A
colleague recently gave a presentation toáa group of foreign VIPs, in
support of a major contract for ÉUK plcæ. He was using a real lash-up,
consisting of a 7-year old A410 (lid off and fan unplugged to keep the
noise down!), connected to a 33ö TV, and switching between video from a
VCR and Portfolio images from the computer. Iæd preparedáthe drawfiles
for the Portfolio bit and, watching the presentation from a back seat,
even Iáwas impressed. Apparently, so were the VIPs as, at the end, there
was a seemingly-spontaneous round of applause! Smug smiles from the
Brits; warm glow all round...
9.11
If any user, or potential buyer, would like to send me a formatted disc
(in a jiffy bag please) and return postage, Iæd be glad to send some
example files with notes, showing some of our favourite effects that can
so easily be achieved with Portfolio.
9.11
Jim Nottingham, 16 Westfield Close, Pocklington, York, YO4 2EY.
9.11
Rodents (mus electronica) Ö Until recently, my experiences with computer
mice have been unfortunate.
9.11
My first mouse arrived with a RiscPC 600 about a year ago, and was over-
sensitive to light, and its replacement had the same problem.
9.11
The third mouse has been working for nearly a year without any real
problem but has needed very frequent cleaning to keep the cursor moving
smoothly. This has always been more effective if Iáopened the case and
blew on the perforated disks in addition to clearing fluff from the
rollers. I was therefore very interested in Richard Simpsonæs article on
optical mice in Archive 9.2 p34, and on his advice, bought a Mouse
Systems device from Ceratech.
9.11
The first one I received would only run for half a minute each time the
machine was turned on, but its replacement is behaving beautifully. It
has no moving parts to go wrong or to need cleaning, and it glides, on
two strips of suede fabric, over its metal mat that is printed with a
fine dotted pattern. The motion feels luxurious, giving superb control
over the cursor and this, combined with the delightful feel of the
switches, makes the mouse a joy to use.
9.11
I make no apology for praising the device so highly, but I have to say
that there are major problems on the way before reaching this happy
situation.
9.11
As Richardæs article made clear, the Mouse Systems product is designed
for use from a serial port. This not only means that a modem, say,
cannot be used at the same time, but when used in this way the cursor
movement is Éskitteryæ.
9.11
The problem is solved by a little rewiring Ö which invalidates the
guarantee. I felt nervous over the risk of damaging a chip by over-
heating, and so soldered leads to safe connections to which the chip
contacts run. For cursor movement, this meant soldering to the back of a
plug socket, and for the switches, Iásoldered to the back of the
switches themselves. It may be worth saying that lead 4 is taken to
earth, and a convenient connection point is any one of the switch
contacts which are linked together. Lead 6 is the one that runs to the
side of the zener diode away from the switches.
9.11
I bought a mouse lead from NCS. I had to choose between Logitech and
Digitech; the latter was ú2 cheaper and I knew of no disadvantage, so I
settled for this. It is only 85 cm long when fitted, and this may
explain the lower price. For me there is no problem, but my left-handed
daughter finds it a little short for comfort.
9.11
The lead has two advantages. Firstly, it has a moulded-on grommet that
fits the new mouse perfectly, at least after a sharp knife has been used
to trim off a little from the top so that the mouse lid can close
without compromising the action of the menu switch. The other advantage
is that it terminates in a 9-pin socket. I therefore took the new wiring
to a 9-pin plug that I placed under the printed circuit board. Now the
old lead can be plugged in to allow the mouse to be used as
manufactured, or the new lead can be mated to the new plug to run the
system from the computer mouse port.
9.11
I should warn that at the testing stage, I wasted several hours tracking
down an apparent intermittent fault that kept freezing the cursor. I
should have known better Ö I was testing with the mouse lid open, and
ambient light was overwhelming the system. With the lid closed,
everything behaved perfectly!
9.11
In achieving this state of affairs, I am grateful to Richard Simpson not
only for his article but also for very helpful correspondence on the
subject. The one detail I would like to add to his account is to say
that the pins of the mouse plug, seen from the free end, are numbered
thus:
9.11
Appreciation is also due to the suppliers for replacing defective mice
promptly and without quibble. The Acorn replacements were dispatched
immediately, leaving me free to struggle with the cripples until the new
ones arrived, and the Mouse Systems device was dispatched as soon as the
defective one had been returned and examined.
9.11
The remaining problem is financial. The mouse cost ú89.30 and the lead
ú11.
9.11
The result, however, is luxury Ö a fitting partner for an Acorn machine.
9.11
Robert Beech, <[e-mail]>
9.11
Iæm glad that Robert is so pleased with his optical mouse but I have to
add a note of warning. Another contributor wrote to say heæd got an
optical mouse and that it was wonderful. A few days later he wasnæt so
keen and, eventually, he hated it so much, he got rid of it! I alerted
Robert to this fact and pointed out that I had had a similar experience
when I tried an optical mouse, liking it at first and then feeling that
it wasnæt as good as I had first thought. Robert has had several weeks
with his optical mouse and is still happy with it, so yer pays yer
money...
9.11
Ed. <[e-mail]>
9.11
Screen grabbing Ö As far as !Snapper is concerned, I agree completely
with Rob Ives. (Archive 9.9 p48) We have it at school and it seems to
have some very good features. However, there is a PD alternative, which
is rather spartan by comparison (it offers only two options: use it, or
donæt use it!). Itæsácalled !WindowRd, by Jason Tribbeck, and allows you
to grab windows, menus, or the iconbar       (with/without pinboard) off
the screen by hitting <shift-shift>, which promptly saves it to the same
directory as that which contains the application itself.
9.11
(!WindowRd is on this monthæs program disc. Asáscreenshots are so
helpful in articles (hint, hint), Iáhope that many of our contributors
will avail themselves of a copy!!! Ed.)
9.11
Sudipta Sarkar, Birkenhead
9.11
Shakespeare and silicon! Ö You may have noticed that PD libraries have
started selling computerised versions of classic literature texts, and
Iæd like to put in a good word for them. One of the occupational hazards
of studying literature is when you half-remember a quote, but canæt
remember exactly where it comes from, or how it was phrased. This is
where your Acorn can help!
9.11
For instance, you can now buy the complete plays of Shakespeare for just
a couple of pounds. Using a text search program (like Robert Lyttonæs
!LooknFind or, my favourite, Justin Fletcheræs !TextScan), you just plug
in the word you know (e.g. Éblanketæ) and up pops the line (Lady
Macbeth: Énor heaven peep through the blanket of the nightæ). So what?
Well, a lot of modern texts are directly or indirectly inspired by
Shakespeare and allude to his plays. That example was one I looked up
this morning whilst preparing for my English A-level exam (which is
tomorrow!), and came from a poem by Sylvia Plath. I didnæt have the time
or effort to flick through my Complete Works of Shakespeare, and the
computer was invaluable.
9.11
The applications are numerous. If youære directing a production of one
of his plays, then the text file could be really useful. Imagine being
able to edit out the bits you donæt want, and then print it out at a
fraction of the cost of published versions. You do miss out on the
notes, which is a shame, but as a director, you know them already...?
The only other problems are the lack of line numbers, and that the
editions arenæt specified.
9.11
There are other texts available, including the Canterbury Tales in
original and modern versions. However, owing to the copyright laws,
nothing underá50 years of age can be distributed. If I could have a
request, it would be for some of Dickensæ novels Ö they are so large
that an electronic search is almost essential. Also, has any reader come
across anyáFrench or German literature on disc? Iæd be interested to
know if you have.
9.11
Literature texts are available from all major PD libraries, including
APDL and the Datafile, and I think they also appear on the CD
collections.
9.11
Nigel Caplan, Leeds
9.11
StrongARM compatibility Ö Until we see the whites of the StrongARMæs
eyes, we wonæt know exactly how many compatibility problems weære going
to have, but the signs are very positive. A lot of work has already been
done at ART on finding ways, within the operating system, to avoid
problems occurring.
9.11
Dave Walker, at ART, who looks after the software developers, says öRISC
OS SA (as the new version of RISCáOS is currently titled) will have a
number of new SWIs to do such things as explicit cache flushing and code
synchronisation, but details of these are not yet on release.
Arrangements are in place whereby registered developers are kept up-to-
date on the progress of the new StrongARM API, and given broad details
of what to check for when estimating code compatibility. Also, an
appointment system is being organised so that developers can come into
ART and test their code on a 200MHz SA-110.
9.11
öAll ART-registered developers are being kept posted by me regarding
compatibility issues, as they emerge and become clear. API details will
be sent to them soon. If other developers want these details, they are
very welcome to register and can mail me for details:
[e-mail].ò
9.11
Ed. <[e-mail]>
9.11
StrongARM tactics? Ö It is quite difficult to read about 200MHz machines
when sitting at my little A3000 (of which I am a very proud owner!), but
I hope you wonæt misinterpret my comments as Étechno-envyæ! I do feel
that, occasionally, a cynicæs view is needed amidst the euphoria that
surrounds every press release from ART. A cynic is best described as
someone who has had his rose-tinted spectacles smashed, and without
wanting to kill off all hope in Acorn, I would like to suggest that the
future may not be as bright as has been suggested.
9.11
I was intrigued to read, for instance, about Acornæs Netsurfer, which
apparently is set to revolutionise the world. The thing is, Iæm not
convinced. To start with, I still canæt remember ever having heard of
Oracle before their deal with Acorn, and with that lack of public
awareness, itæs hard to believe that the great British public is going
to treat Acorn any differently.
9.11
A very important question, then, is whether anyone will actually buy
this contraption. I donæt somehow think that when Larry E. (whom Iæve
certainly never heard of!) clicks his fingers, everyone is going to rush
out and buy an NC. Letæs face it, people who want to use the internet
are likely to be computer buffs with their PCs. The Éaverage home useræ
(that mysterious suburban species) has only just worked out how to use
an ansaphone, and is still struggling with the video recorder. If they
do decide to lay out money on home entertainment, it is more likely to
be for a satellite/cable system, the latter of which can now access the
Net Ö Acorn are perhaps onto a better bet with Online Media.
9.11
My mind wanders back a few years to the rise and fall of Phillipsæ CD-I
system, which was also due to revolutionise the world of home
electronics. It didnæt. People who wanted to use CD-ROMs bought a
computer. The NC is starting out from with an even more dubious
technology Ö we are always reading that the Internet is a Évictim of its
own successæ, with archaic systems running too slowly and becoming
overloaded.
9.11
The cost is also significant. OK, so the NC is to cost around ú300 Ö
which I think is still a lot of money to the home user Ö but then youære
going to have to join a network, and because they will have to handle
the storage (there is no local storage, apparently), the subscription
fees could be very high. On a practical point, the prospect of typing an
email on that remote¡control style handset is not very attractive!
(AáQWERTY keyboard will be available as an option. Ed.)
9.11
Then thereæs Bill Gates, who Ö according to Alexander Singleton in last
monthæs Archive Ö is Éfeeling threatened by the Oracle NC.æ Letæs take a
trip back to planet reality here. Gates is the most successful business
man in the history of the microcomputer. Windows may be a lousy piece of
programming, but it does dominate the silicon world. Is it really
credible that he would be ignoring the NC if it were such a gold-mine?
My cynical side tells me that he is keeping well clear! (Ever heard of
Éprideæ?! Do you really think that Bill Gates would admit that his arch
rival had stumbled onto something new and important, and simply follow
on behind? No way! Ed.)
9.11
Whatæs in a name? Ö The talk of the Acorn community at the moment is the
StrongARM chip Ö a sort of turbo booster rocket for your Risc PC (but
not my A3000!) I love the name Ö to have a Éstrong armæ can mean to have
lots of children! Presumably itæs going to be supplied on a daughter
card .... sorry!
9.11
And then one use of it being suggested is in the Stork Ö which is
another great name Ö conjuring up thoughts of the delivery of new-born
babies! Iæve written about the Stork before in Archive, when I feared it
would be too expensive. It now appears that it will be under ú1000 Ö if
itæs ever sold!
9.11
I was strongly in favour of this until Andy Ward reported last month
that its tracker ball is designed exclusively for right-handers. Oh wake
up, Acorn! You canæt just alienate a large chunk of the market by
ignoring left-handers. Although I am right-handed, Iáalways use the
mouse with my left-hand (which caused havoc when I used the schoolæs
computers!), and I donæt see why I should modify my habits (which arenæt
that abnormal) because of Acornæs lack of foresight.
9.11
And back to the future... I donæt find it as easy as most Archive
writers to be so positive about the future of our beloved Acorn. I
fervently hope it has a future, but I suspect it will be limited to a
small niche of supporters (us) and to education (thanks to Xemplar). At
Wakefield (and even a cynic has to congratulate the WACG on a splendid
show!) Iágotáthe feeling that the two main target groups wereápower
users Ö multi-processors, StrongARMs etc Ö or educationalists. Perhaps
Iæm wrong (and Iædábe delighted if Acorn could prove me wrong), butáI
donæt think the world is yet ready for the Acornárevolution.
9.11
Nigel Caplan, Leeds
9.11
Undoing the noose Ö TaskKill, by Doggysoft, is a PD module which will
only be of use to those without a RiscPC/A7000. Its main purpose is to
provide a way of killing off tasks that hang the machine. Acorn has
wisely built such a feature into its latest models, but for those with
older computers, hitting <alt-#> (keypad É#æ) will quit most
applications that are hanging the machine. This is fairly compact, and
wonæt pinch too much of the module area. It is also possible to switch
it on/off via its iconbar icon, or from the command line. This program
is very handy to have permanently loaded, as it can save the time taken
to reboot.
9.11
(TaskKill is on this monthæs program disc. Ed.)
9.11
Sudipta Sarkar, Birkenhead.
9.11
Voice recognition Ö Does anyone know if there is any work being done on
voice recognition for the Acorn machines? Surely, with the processing
power of the StrongARM, this is an ideal opportunity for producing
another application that is the Ébest on any platformæ Ö like Sibelius Ö
so that people will want to buy a StrongARM RiscPC just to get good
voice recognition.
9.11
Ed. <[e-mail]>
9.11
Geraldæs Column
9.11
Gerald Fitton
9.11
Correspondence
9.11
I am still receiving many letters which contain questions and remarks of
a philosophical nature arising out of my comments in the Mayá1996
Archive. One which Iáfound well written, in that it was both witty and
yet quite serious, suggested that Iáwas more than part way towards
proving the existence of God with a spreadsheet! Although Iáwould not
make that claim, Iámust confess to a certain sense of satisfaction to
know Iáhave caused some of you to öthinkò Ö particularly if it is for
the first time in many years that you have been inclined to wonder.
9.11
Iáhave had many letters from teachers to which Iáwould like to give a
general response. Good teachers can be proud of their profession. Iácame
into full-time teaching late in life, but, like many of you, Iáfind it
very satisfying. In my working life, initially Iámade things like
aeroplanes which worked ù and that gave me a great deal of pleasure. In
a second career, Iámadeáprofits, mainly for others ù that too was
satisfying until Iádiscovered that Iádidnæt like the person Iáwas
becoming. At my interview for the job which Iánow hold, Iárepeated some
of the above and added that being a teacher would give me an opportunity
to Émake peopleæ. Iáwas asked to explain what Iámeant ù so Iádid!
9.11
The reality was better than my expectations. As well as providing my
students with knowledge, to those with the currency to buy, Iátry to
peddle wisdom. The currency the student needs is time, patience,
curiosity and an addiction to seeking that which is true. The student
with the currency to buy the wisdom that is peddled by a good teacher,
will be freed from exploitation by those who are determined to twist the
truth into traps for the na∩ve. With the decline of the libraries, the
extended family, and the growth in those TV programmes which entertain
rather than educate, good teachers remain one of the few sources of
wisdom for the young. To those teachers, Iásay that the value of the
wares which you peddle are beyond any price which can be included in a
financial balance sheet ù be proud to do so, and donæt sacrifice them on
the altar of assessment criteria.
9.11
Before knowing his exam results, a student made a special journey today
solely to thank me for changing his life. This student is not one of my
brightest Ö he is likely to fail his exam and we both know it ù but my
heart was touched by his gratitude. It was most eloquently expressed and
totally unexpected. Iáshall treasure that eternal moment ù it is likely
that he will remember me kindly for the rest of his life. Most good
teachers Iáknow have experienced such moments.
9.11
Iáhave received several more letters which relate to my comments about
the morality of the National Lottery! Iánever suspected that so many of
you would want to discuss your views (or mine) with me. In spite of all
the advice Iæve received, Iástill cannot understand my reluctance to
participate in the lottery yet, at the same time, Iádonæt feel anything
like the same way about Premium Bonds. Suggestions are invited.
9.11
PipeDream
9.11
Iáshall continue with my detailed comparison of various spreadsheets in
future issues of Archive, but Iæve been asked by many of you to öget to
the bottom lineò. OK, here goes.
9.11
Possibly Iæm prejudiced but, in spite of its age and, by the standards
of more modern Archimedes software, its peculiarities, Iáprefer
PipeDream most of all. Iáaccept that those of you who have never used
PipeDream but have used other Archimedes packages would find it more
difficult to learn than other spreadsheets, but one of its advantages is
that it is a mature package with only a few obscure residual bugs. It is
an integrated spreadsheet/word processor package. Everything which you
can do through the menus is available as a keyboard shortcut. It
contains facilities so that you can build up your own custom functions
and command file (automated sequences of keyboard shortcuts). You can
print quickly using fonts resident in the printer. The graphics package
is superb.
9.11
Schemaá2
9.11
My second choice is Schemaá2.
9.11
Iáhave not had Schema all that long, but Iálike it. There is no doubt in
my mind that, for some reason or other, Schema has not had the quality
of media coverage which it deserves. It is a completely different
package from the early Schema and, with hindsight, it would have been
better to give it a new name (rather than Schemaá2). It is an excellent
spreadsheet, much more modern in its look, feel and operation than
PipeDream. More importantly, it works ù Iáhave yet to find a serious
bug!
9.11
Iáam getting used to using the common clipboard to create tables or
charts in Schema and load them into Impression. The more Iáuse that
facility, the more Iálike it. Iáfind that Iácan keep a Schema
spreadsheet alive in one window whilst using Impression for all the text
of my document. Then Iáillustrate my text with a table taken from the
live Schema document. Porting charts via the clipboard is a bit more
tricky and Iáhave had a few problems.
9.11
If Iáhad to pick just one thing in Schema which Iáwould like added, it
would be the facility to edit text within a cell rather than in the
formula line. Iábelieve that, together with the Ébig slotæ facility,
this would provide nearly all the requirements that many have for a
combined text and number processing package.
9.11
If Iácould have two new features, the second would be Object Linking and
Embedding (OLE) so that Iácould edit Draw files from within Schema and
Schema tables from within Impression.
9.11
Schema macros
9.11
Last month, in error, Iálikened Schema macros to PipeDream custom
functions. Using the Schema macro language, you can create not only the
equivalent of PipeDream custom functions but also PipeDream command
files. In fact, you can mix both functions and Schema commands within
the same macro. Many is the time that correspondents have asked me how
to do something in PipeDream or Fireworkz which required such a mixture
and Iáhave had to say that it couldnæt be done, or at least it couldnæt
be done that way.
9.11
In many ways, writing Schema macros is more like writing a Basic program
than writing a PipeDream custom function, so those of you with some
skill in Basic will find it easier to write Schema macros than PipeDream
custom functions. Using a Schema macro, you can load spreadsheets, you
can modify their shape (add columns for example), you can create links
between unrelated documents, you can create drawings (in a similar way
to that which you can in Basic) and add them to your document, you can
execute special functions you have created, change and apply styles,
print out the result and save part, or all, of what you have done under
any file name you choose ù and thatæs not a comprehensive list. The only
problem Iáhave is getting to grips with the huge degree of flexibility
which this gives.
9.11
As with the PipeDream ÉRecordæ command, you can record sequences of
commands as a macro (instead of writing them out in the programming
language) and then merge the recorded commands with other commands or
functions.
9.11
Iáam surprised that there is no library of Schema macros available so
Iæm going to start one. Let me quote the manual.
9.11
öIf you cannot write macros yourself, you can still make good use of
macros written by other people. In time, macros for all sorts of useful
jobs will appear in the Schema community.ò Send me your macros and Iæll
make them more widely available.
9.11
Porting
9.11
Iáam working on various methods of porting spreadsheets from PipeDream
and Fireworkz into Schema. If you have already done this, Iæd like to
hear from you.
9.11
The Ébottom lineæ here is that Iáhave ported quite complex individual
spreadsheets and linked sets of spreadsheets into Schema. So, if you are
thinking of giving up Fireworkz in favour of Schema, you neednæt worry
about all the hard work you put into creating your Fireworkz document Ö
it wonæt be wasted Ö it can be ported into Schema.
9.11
Price
9.11
The price of Schema is ú125 through Archive, including VAT and delivery.
Remember that your time and frustration should be taken into account
when you decide whether to continue struggling with less mature bug-
ridden packages which are upgraded far too frequently. Really, the
initial price of a package is negligible compared to the effort you put
into entering data, formula, etc. If that can be made easier, or less
frustrating, you will soon get a return on your investment.
9.11
Fireworkz
9.11
Iáget letters asking me if it is worthwhile upgrading your current
version of Fireworkz to the latest version. You have to pay for every
upgrade now, so this is not a trivial question. Iáget letters asking me
what significant differences there are between the different versions.
9.11
Iáregret the answer that Iámust give. As far as Iácan determine, all the
recent upgrades are merely bug fixes. Some of you who have paid for an
upgrade knowing that it is just a bug fix find that a bug which didnæt
exist in an earlier version has now appeared in the paid for upgrade!
9.11
My advice to you is to document carefully any bugs you find, send your
discs to Colton Software with the documented bug, and you may receive a
free upgrade with the bug you have documented fixed. On the other hand,
if what you are doing with Fireworkz does not reveal any bugs, then
donæt upgrade ù stick with the earlier version. Eventually, given time
(and enough complaints), Fireworkz will mature into a reasonably bug
free package. At that time, you may find it worthwhile paying for an
upgrade.
9.11
Most of the serious bugs are in the database part of FireworkzáPro. This
is both a good and bad thing. The good thing is that most of you have
given up using the database part, so the bugs in it donæt matter any
more. The bad thing is that Stuart Swales (the programmer) is spending
most of his Fireworkz time on the database and so not much is happening
to the non-Pro section (which has its shortcomings).
9.11
Several of my correspondents tell me that they are returning
FireworkzáPro to Colton Software and asking for a Édowngradeæ back to
Fireworkz non-Pro together with a refund of the price they paid for the
upgrade. They say that this is not just öIáthought it might be a good
idea to have the full package but Iæve changed my mindò but öthe
database part of FireworkzáPro doesnæt work in the way it was advertised
so Iáwant my money back!ò
9.11
Graphics in non-Pro is still a problem area. Iáreceive reports (and
discs with examples) which demonstrate how difficult it is to position
graphics where you want them and then, in many cases, even when youæve
got the graphic where you want it on screen, only half the graphic
prints! The work around is this. Firstly, load the graphic into Draw (or
better into DrawPlus). Select All and then Group all the selected
objects. Drag the selection so that the bottom left corner of the group
is close to the bottom left corner of the Draw document. Save the
document in Draw format. Now load the object into Fireworkz. Do not
embed the graphic object in the Fireworkz document but leave it as a
referenced object. You will find that it is easier to position, and it
prints as it appears on screen.
9.11
Upgrading
9.11
From time to time, Iáam asked about upgrading hardware as well as
software. My general advice is not to upgrade unless you have a use for
the extra facilities that the upgrade will give you. Be patient! Given
time, youæll find that initial difficulties will be resolved as the
package matures or the innovations of the new hardware stabilise.
9.11
Letæs get particular. Do you really need the newest (not yet available)
Acorn machine to do the things you want to do? If not, Iásuggest that
you ought to consider buying not the newest machine but the more mature
RiscPC. The new machine just over the horizon, like the grass on the
other side of the fence, looks a bit too green. My advice to you is
that, if you can, you should wait until that greenery matures. In the
meantime, its delicious and luscious specification is driving down the
price of the RiscPC (a little) but, more importantly, it is making for a
much more flexible policy regarding the way it is sold.
9.11
Have a look at Paulæs Écustom builtæ RiscPC offer. Essentially, you
start your specification with the bottom of the range RiscPC and you add
extras to it to your own specification. Do you want a writable CDáROM
drive? Yes! Then add it to your specification! Paul will give you a
quote for your ÉMix and Matchæ specification, build it for you, test it
and deliver it to your door in working order. You will have exactly the
machine you want and, in many case, it will be at a lower price than if
you bought an off-the-shelf, top-of-the-range model!
9.11
(What have Iádone to deserve this free advertising?! One correction
though, if Iámay, is that Iácan guarantee that in ALL cases, the DIY
RiscPC will be cheaper than an off-the-shelf computer Ö unless Acorn
reduce their pricing. Ed.)
9.11
Iádare say that, for the less adept, if you tell him what software you
want installed on your hard disc, heæll put that on for you. Maybe, if
you are like one of my correspondents, a person who finds the
installation of software fraught with difficulties, you should send Paul
your master discs (Schema, Publisher, Printers, Fonts, etc) and Iæm sure
that (for a reasonable fee) Paulæs team will not only put together a
RiscPC to your specification, but will install on it all your favourite
packages and check out that they work together harmoniously. Such an
installation service for the nervous takes all the hassle out of
upgrading their system.
9.11
Paul will have to speak for himself but Iæve been asked if Iáknow of any
company which will transfer all my correspondentæs favourite software
from his current A3000 hard disc to a new RiscPC which he hasnæt bought
yet. He wants to go to a supplier who will provide that service. Iáhave
suggested to him that he tries Norwich Computer Services and gets a
quote for a Mix and Match RiscPC to his specification with all his
software packages and his own personal data files installed thereon and
ready to go. At present heæs still thinking about it. So Paul, is this a
market youære willing to service?  (Of course there is Ö you know me,
Gerald Ö Iæll do anything for money! Ed.)
9.11
Finally
9.11
Thank you for all your letters. Iáenjoy them all. Please feel free to
write to me about any matter Iáraise, even if it has nothing to do with
computers. Iáwill reply.
9.11
If your letter is technical, please include a disc with an example. My
address is that of Abacus Training given at the back of Archive.áuá
9.11
Puzzle Corner
9.11
Colin Singleton
9.11
I was perhaps a little unkind in reporting that Puzzleá62 Athletics and
Football had defeated many readers. It is never my intention to
deliberately mislead, though in this case I appear unwittingly to have
succeeded. Dr Riha and Tony Ward solved the puzzle by pure mathematics
and showed that the radius of the curves is 100pîp▓Ö4 and the football
pitch is 100 metres by 200î┌(p▓Ö4)
9.11
The latest winners ...
9.11
(66) The New Chairman
9.11
An excellent response to this puzzle, and nearly all got it right Ö or
rather their machines did. I think everyone used a computerised slog
technique. Fair enough Ö isnæt that what computers are for? The prize
goes to Ed Harris of Royston, Herts.
9.11
(67Ö69) St Andrew Ö Four Points Ö Cigarettes
9.11
Only two readers found six arrangements of four points and the
arrangement of seven cigarettes. Several readers chickened out of the
latter on the dubious grounds that they do not smoke! Clive Semmens of
Ely wins the prize.
9.11
... last monthæs answers ...
9.11
(70) Noniamonds
9.11
The slightly cumbersome name was coined by TáHáOæBeirne of Glasgow,
writing in New Scientist ináthe early sixties, derived from the fact
that a (mathematical) diamond comprises two triangles. Entries that I
have received so far have solved five of the eight tessellations. I will
hold this puzzle over for another month or two, to see if we can
complete the set Ö please ignore the deadline printed last month.
9.11
(71) Ninety-nine
9.11
If N is the number, and it has d digits, we can deduce that
10╖Ná+á10d+1á+á1á=á99╖N, whence 89╖Ná=10d+1á+á1. The puzzle can now be
solved by long division Ö divide 89 into 1000...001 Ö just keep going
until it Éworks outæ. The smallest answer is
112359550561797752809á╫á99á=á11123595505617977528091.
9.11
(72) Multiple Primes
9.11
Another computer slog, I think. Eleven primes can be formed from the
digits 1, 2, 3, 7 and from 1, 2, 7, 9.
9.11
(73) 1000000! Again
9.11
My apologies for printing the wrong puzzle number (69) last month. I
have received several answers of varying length, including two which
agree to 1024 digits. The number is
8.263931688331240062376646103172666+á╫ 105565708. A reasonable
approximation (six significant figures) can be obtained from Stirlingæs
Formula n!ᣫá┌(2p)á╫áeÖná╫ánn+╜. This qualifies as a Quickie Ö any
other approach perhaps does not!
9.11
The same accuracy can be achieved from a small program which totals the
logarithms of the numbers 2Ö1000000 using double-precision arithmetic
(as in Basic64). To achieve more than about eight correct digits, you
must multiply the numbers using multi-length arithmetic, retaining the
first however-many digits at each stage. Several readers have failed to
appreciate the extent to which the inevitable rounding errors are
multiplied to swamp the correct portion of the value.
9.11
... this monthæs prize puzzle ...
9.11
(74) Backing the Horses
9.11
This puzzle was inspired by one in a recent Weekend Supplement of the
Daily Telegraph. At the Utopia Racecourse there is no betting tax, and
the bookmakers do not make a profit! For example, ifáthere were three
horses in a race quoted at 1:1, 2:1 and 5:1 against, you could stake ú3
on the first, ú2 on the second and ú1 on the third, and no matter which
horse wins, the bookie would pay you ú6 (including your winning stake
returned) which is precisely the total you staked! Under the Utopian
rules, the combination of odds must always allow this trick to work with
a suitable choice of stakes. Got that?
9.11
In the Prime Fillies Stakes (sponsored by British Beef), the number of
horses is always a prime number, and each of the odds¡to¡one¡ against is
a different prime number. What is the smallest possible number of horses
in the race? The number one is not prime, so the trio above, including
even money (1:1), is not a solution.
9.11
For the more masochistic readers, supposing I said that the odds against
were all odd prime numbers?
9.11
... and this monthæs prize quickies ...
9.11
(75) Wrestling
9.11
Another sporting puzzle slightly modified from a contribution by John
Greening (who also helped me resolve the pitfalls of calculating
1000000! Ö Thanks John!). Assume [... think of a number ...] that a
total of 567 competitors enter the Olympic Wrestling tournament this
summer. If it is organised on a standard Éknockoutæ basis, how many
bouts will be required to determine the winners of Gold, Silver and
Bronze medals at each weight category for each wrestling style?
9.11
(76) Declining Multiples ...
9.11
Tim Tyler sent this one, which he attributes to Douglas Hofstander and
describes as an Éold goldieæ. (Iáwonder if Tim rowed for Cambridge?) A
number contains the ten digits 0Ö9, once each, and is a multiple of ten.
Lop off the last digit and you are left with a multiple of nine Ö then
lop off the next¡last and you are left with a multiple of eight, etc.
What is the number?
9.11
(77) ... of Seventeen
9.11
Yet another adapted from Scottish Mathematical Challenge! Can you find a
number of the form 7777....7774 (a long string of sevens followed by a
single four) which is divisible by 17?
9.11
And Finally ...
9.11
A flattering note from a research establishment at Oxford University
reminds me that league tables are not everything. Dr Geoff Hale has told
Paul that my column is his favourite bit of the magazine, but he never
finds time to send entries. Thanks for the ego trip, Geoff! He also has
a message for those of us who moan about number-crunching jobs running
for hours, or even days. His machine has been monitoring data from six
separate projects day and night for six years, without a break, and
without a hiccup! Definitely a feather in Acornæs cap. (Geoffásays heæs
trying to find time to write about his project for Archive! Ed.)
9.11
Please send solutions (by Friday 9th August), contributions and comments
to me, at 41 St Quentin Drive, Sheffield, S17á4PN.áuá
9.11
Ovation Pro
9.11
Gabriel Swords
9.11
Itæs been a long time coming, but Ovation Pro has arrived. This is the
first of two articles looking at the program, this being a quick
introduction to its main features, and a Éfirst impressionsæ view of it.
9.11
As Ovation Pro becomes (arguably) the only other Éprofessionalæ DTP
package for the Acorn market, it will inevitably be compared to
Impression Publisher. So, how does it compare? Well, on first
impressions, Iáthink it compares very well. In fact, if Impression
hadnæt stopped being developed, this is probably where it would be by
now! There are, of course, some things missing, and these may or may not
come with the free upgrade later in the year, but there are already a
number of things which Impression does not have. For example, although
Ovation Pro doesnæt have an abbreviations dictionary, a selective word
count, or a number of my favourite key short-cuts, it does have a
powerful and flexible macro facility, and an open scripting language
which allows the user to define, or redefine, some of its features to
suit his or her preferences.
9.11
In fact, you get the sense that this is a very open program altogether,
giving users (and presumably third parties) access to designing their
own extensions. To facilitate this, thereæs an ÉAppletsæ directory which
provides an entrance to the program for extensions. Already included are
two additional files which give support for Artworks files and old
Ovation files. In the future, additional Applets may become available
that will add extra functions to the package. There are also some sample
scripts that can be loaded into a ÉLibraryæ directory and which adds a
ÉScriptsæ option to the main menu. This leads to a number of submenus
which contain some useful additions. Believe me, there is scope here for
people to write endless articles about writing your own program
extensions!
9.11
In this way, it might be better to compare Ovation Pro with the likes of
Pagemaker or Quark Express, rather than Impression Ö six years ago, when
Iástopped using Macs, Express was designed with extensions, and uses
frames in a similar way to Ovation Pro.
9.11
The program
9.11
The Ovation Pro package comes on eight discs, with a manual, a tutorial
book and a quick reference guide. So far, Iáhave found the manual to be
well laid out, easy to understand and informative. Also on the discs are
some additional fonts, some clipart, three text filters, some sample
scripts, and a tutorial. Installing is uncomplicated and quick, as is
loading onto the iconbar.
9.11
The screenshot on the previous page, shows the main window display.
Along the top of the page, thereæs a button bar, initially with a
selection of pre-defined buttons, each of which control some function of
the program. Any of these buttons can be removed, re-ordered or re-
defined. Inside the program, there is a bank of sprites which can be
used as buttons for your own macros. To the left of the window, thereæs
a toolbox containing the eight main DTP tools, and four shape tools. The
toolbox can be moved to anywhere on the screen and re-shaped or re-
ordered to suit individual needs. Along the bottom, thereæs a movable
info palette. This contains information about the current operation
being carried out ù one very useful feature for me, is that frame size
and coordinates are always displayed in the palette.
9.11
To the left and right of the main page, there is a user definable area
called the Épasteboardæ (not shown here). This is an extra area of space
which can, amongst other things, be used for placing odd bits of text or
pictures until youære ready to use them. The pasteboard is saved when
you save a file, but will not be printed unless its contents spill onto
the main page.
9.11
Frames
9.11
The program is frame-based and, by default, new frames have text flow
switched on and colour filled with white. As far as that goes, itæs the
same as Impression, but from here on, everything changes. To begin with,
a frame doesnæt have to be a rectangle. It can be elliptical or
irregular. Frames can also be drawn freehand using one of the shape
tools (seeábelow) ù these are like the straight line and curve line
tools found in Draw. You simply draw your shape, double click on the
line, and the frame is created Ö irregular frames are not limited to
graphic frames only, but apply to text as well. As you can see, the text
assumes the shape of the frame.
9.11
Once a frame has been created, there are some very flexible text flow,
stand-off and insert options. For example, Éinsertæ and Éstand-offæ can
both be edited to make any shape on the inside or outside of a frame Ö
see below. Here, the internal text repel has been changed to make the
internal shape irregular. This gives you the ability to vary the
internal repel on each side. You can also see that the external shape
has been changed, repelling the text on the right hand side. Where a
frame is curved, bezier control points are provided to give a greater
degree of control over the smoothness of lines.
9.11
Where a frame contains a graphic, as shown below, text flow can be set
so that the text flows around the shape of a graphic rather than the
frame itæs in.
9.11
Linking one frame to another is achieved by using a Link tool; this
directs the flow of text from one frame to another. Even after the link
has been made, itæs a simple matter to un-link, or change the link to
another frame. Any frame, text, or picture can be rotated or skewed, and
text remains editable in any of these states. Frames which contain text
or graphics do not become permanently fixed to text or graphics; so, if
you remove the text from a frame, a graphic can be dropped in to replace
it; if you remove the graphic, text can be dropped in.
9.11
As well as altering frames individually, they can also be changed
globally. Multiple frames can be selected, and various attributes
assigned to them collectively ù like text flow, fill colour, size,
relative position, angle and skew, etc. This means you can select, say,
five frames, all with different attributes, then apply one style to all
of them, all at one go. Finally, selecting frames can be done
individually with select/adjust, or all together with select all, or
selectively using       shift/ctrl and drag select.
9.11
The way Ovation Pro works with frames is a good example of how the
program operates as a whole. You arenæt just given a few static options
and left frustrated Ö instead, the whole process has been well thought
out, with flexibility being a key feature. This will be welcome to
anyone who has had to select twenty individual frames for deleting, or
has had to change one feature in each of them.
9.11
Miscellaneous features
9.11
Some of the other features on offer are:
9.11
Grid: A grid can be superimposed onto the page and used as a guide for
placing frames and graphics; additionally, guide rules can be dragged
from the horizontal and vertical rulers and can be placed accurately by
typing a coordinate; objects can be snapped to the grid or other frames.
9.11
Styles and Effects: There are full style and effects options Ö weæll
look at these next month.
9.11
Search and Replace: The search and replace works very much like search
and replace in Edit, with a drop down window for wildcards ù it works
very quickly and tells you how many items have been replaced once it has
finished.
9.11
Spell checking: The spell checker is quick in operation, with very fast
screen re-draw as it moves through the text. Iæm not sure yet if itæs as
intuitive at guessing my mistakes as Iáwould like it to be ù only time
will tell.
9.11
Drawing: As already mentioned, there are two drawing tools, a straight
line and curve tool. These work in the same way as they do in Draw. The
start and ends of lines can be set to butt, round, square or triangle,
and thickness, colour, pattern, join can also be set. It makes drawing
the odd line with arrow head a much simpler operation. As with other
objects, lines can be rotated.
9.11
Drag and Drop: Pictures and text can be dragged and dropped onto any
page in a document, or to another document outside of the current one.
Selected items will either be copied or moved, depending on whether
shift or ctrl is held down.
9.11
Invisibles: This shows or hides symbols that represent invisible
characters in a document, like spaces and line returns. When invisibles
are enabled, the invisible characters are represented by symbols. For
example, a new paragraph is represented thus ╢, aáspace is shown
as╖dot╖between╖╖words.
9.11
Duplicate: This duplicates frames and lines by as many times as the user
requires.
9.11
Other: Also included, in no particular order, are: kerning, tracking,
vertical shift, sub and superscript, underline, strikeout, small caps,
reverse, case change, text colour, OLE, picture cropping, make local/
make master, Thesaurus, Mail Merge, etc.
9.11
Conclusions
9.11
So far, Iáhave been very impressed with Ovation Pro. Itæs not just the
features that it offers, itæs the way it has been designed. Being so
open, it lends itself to change and development, and not just from its
original designers. There could easily be scope for third party
extensions (providing there isnæt some licensing problem!)
9.11
Drawbacks? There arenæt any yet, but by the end of the month, Iáwill
probably have a Éwish listæ. One problem with this version is that it
hasnæt implemented control for colour separations and some other
professional features. Having to wait until the autumn for these, means
Iáwonæt be able to use Ovation Pro as much as Iáwould like to. When they
have been implemented, registered users will receive free upgrades.
9.11
Stability? So far, Iáhavenæt been using it for long enough to see how
stable it is. Beebug admit there are still some bugs they know about,
but these are being worked on, and in the meantime, they suggest you
save your files regularly. As a professional user, Iáreally, really hate
crashes! Not only do Iálose the last ten minutes of work, but
Iáinvariably have to re-boot my computer, re-load my work and pick up
from where Iáleft off ù this does not make me happy. One of the things
Iáshall be hoping for is that Ovation Pro proves to be more stable than
other professional DTP packages Iácould mention!
9.11
Next month, weæll look at some more of Ovation Proæs features, including
text styles and effects, master pages, and working with pictures.áuá
9.11
Using the Vision 24 Digitiser
9.11
Jim Nottingham
9.11
The HCCS digitiser system is now well-established, having been on the
market for some three years. Under the name Vision, it started life in
cheap-and-cheerful, 254-line, monochrome form and the Hi-Vision/colour
upgrade was reviewed in Archive 6.2 p23. The system continues to be
developed, and I am looking in this article at Vision 24 (the palatial
24-bit colour version) which has been with us for a while and a
Épanoramaæ function upgrade which is now available.
9.11
The system is extraordinarily flexible in that interfaces are available
in both 254 and 508-line versions for internal fitting in all Acorn
models (except A4) with additional external options for the A3000. It
doesnæt even stop there, as micropodules are available for the
innovative Ultimate system (described in Archive 6.5 p11). The pricing
structure for all that, including upgrades, is fairly complex, so
details will be set out on the monthly disc.
9.11
This review has been conducted using a 508-line micropodule, with the
Panorama upgrade, installed ináa RiscPC 700. The few functional
differences between this and other variants will be discussed in the
course of the review. Video terminology and factors affecting digitiser
performance were covered in the lead-in article last month (9.10 p56).
9.11
Hardware installation
9.11
The interface podule installation is entirely straightforward with no
lurking nasties. The only connection required is for the source video
via a D¡plug at the rear of the podule. However, a 1m adaptor lead is
provided with a composite video phono socket which enables easy
connection to a camcorder, video still camera, VCR, TV output, AUX
output of a Teletext adaptor, etc.
9.11
Software installation
9.11
The !Vision 24 software (Version 7) comes on a single floppy disc and
can be copied to, and run from, hard disc.
9.11
The full 508-line application software with Panorama is 464Kb on disc
and, when loaded onto the iconbar, takes up 1148Kb of RAM. In theory, it
might just be possible to run a 254-line version from floppy disc and
2Mb RAM, but that would probably limit usage to single-image, monochrome
digitising. To make use of 24-bit colour, the multi-image function, and
Panorama, at least 4Mb RAM and a hard disc with a few spare Mb becomes
the minimum requirement.
9.11
Documentation
9.11
The original and oft-criticised Vision user-guide (inásprite format) has
been replaced by a well-written, 8¡page, A5 booklet. With the Panorama
upgrade comes a 20-page booklet, in two sections, to take in the new
facility. There is considerable duplication between the two parts, but
this is actually very helpful as, in effect, each is a self-contained
user-guide for Vision 24 and the Panorama Ébolt-onæ.
9.11
Capturing an image
9.11
Grabbing a single image is uncomplicated and largely intuitive. Double-
clicking on the !Vision 24 application puts a É24æ icon onto the
iconbar, and clicking on that opens the Vision preview window and
control panel. Clicking <menu> over the window gives various control
options.
9.11
The screen mode needs to be set to 256 greys/colours or higher but, if
desired, the digitised output can be pre-set to give 32K or 16M colours.
Clicking on the Play button (2) displays the incoming video, in
monochrome, in the preview window. On the RiscPC, this is refreshed at
2-3 times/second which is perfectly adequate for grabbing a static or
slow-moving image. When the wanted image is seen, clicking on the Stop
button (1) freezes the display and shows the image currently held within
the framestore.
9.11
To process a colour image, clicking on the C button (5) opens a larger
Vision Image window which, initially, is blank but then the image is
gradually built up, line-by-line, to fill the window. On the RiscPC,
this takes some 25 secs for the first field, followed by a further 25
secs for the second field, interlaced with the first. For a monochrome
output, pressing the M button (4) gives an image in 4 secs. The end
result is a 508-line, 2-field image, in colour or monochrome, which then
can be saved as a 720╫508 pixel sprite via the Vision window menu.
9.11
All controls are Éliveæ during this process, so the brightness (7),
contrast (8), colour (9) and RGB controls (10) can be adjusted and the
effect observed on subsequent lines. Clicking again on C or M
re¡processes the whole image using the revised control settings. If you
make a total hash of it (easy!), clicking on Default (6) resets the
controls to the start-up values. When you quit Vision 24 using the
iconbar menu, the control settings at the time are saved and, when
Vision 24 is next started, these become the new default.
9.11
Adjusting the variable controls and getting the optimum effect does take
some practice, particularly as it is easy to over-compensate. It is
important to get it right at this stage as, once a fresh image is
grabbed, this overwrites the existing one. So my advice would be to take
some time over the processing and even save a number of sprites with
different control settings.
9.11
Grabbing moving images
9.11
With the preview window being refreshed at only 2¡3átimes/second at
best, grabbing the wanted image from a moving sequence is rather more
tricky. Anticipating the delay is possible, but rather hit-and-miss, so
a more precise alternative is to view the source video on a camcorder
viewfinder, or a separateáTV/monitor. Then, at the instant the wanted
image is seen, click on the G[rab] trigger button (3) which grabs that
frame. It is then displayed in the Vision window and can be processed as
normal.
9.11
This is a very effective option, and tests show thatáÖábelieve it or not
Ö it is perfectly feasible to grabáa particular image consistently to
within 1/10 second, or every 2nd or 3rd video frame.
9.11
Perversely, on occasions, nothing is grabbed at all! The reason for this
is quite understandable; while one is concentrating on the camcorder
viewfinder or    TV/monitor, it is very easy to move the mouse
inadvertently so that you arenæt pointing at the Grab trigger any more.
Then, when you click <select> on G, you Émissæ, and nothing happens!
9.11
There are two ways of getting round this. Firstly, the version 7
software introduces a Sequence option which enables a user-set sequence
of frames to be grabbed and stored temporarily either in RAM or on hard
disc. However, the frame capture rate is limited to around 4 frames/sec
(RAM) or 2 frames/sec (disc) Ö which equates to about every 6th or 12th
video frame Ö so it is not as precise as using the G trigger. Similarly,
you have to process all the frames in the grabbed sequence (at, say, 1
frame/min) before you can view the resultant sprites. Nevertheless, the
Sequence option is invaluable if you get only the one attempt (e.g. when
grabbing something from a live broadcast).
9.11
Secondly, there is the DIY method! If you have a copy of Keystroke (and,
if not, why not?!), it is possible to set up a hotkey to emulate the
action of clicking on G. For my own use, I picked a combination of
<alt><space> which works a treat.
9.11
Digitiser performance
9.11
My overall view of Vision 24 is that, within the inherent limitations of
the system, the output quality is really very good indeed. None of the
Éminusæ points are of great consequence and, indeed, in some cases, the
system makes particularly good use of what it has. Some of the system
features which limit or improve performance are as follows:
9.11
Å The 508-line performance of the 2-field system falls short of the 570-
line ideal and the resultant cropping needs to be taken into account
when taking the source video. Iæve not found this limitation to be
significant but, in readersæ emails, there is a mention of öthe area
digitised covers only about the top four-fifths of the TV picture, which
can be annoying sometimesò.
9.11
Å With a horizontal lines/pixel ratio of 1:1 and an aspect ratio close
to 4:3, the output sprite is 720╫508 pixels in up to 24-bit colour.
9.11
Å With the 508-line system, Vision 24 does not have the option to
superimpose the two fields to improve the signal/noise ratio in a noisy
environment. (Perhaps the best way of getting round this is to grab a
sequence of frames, as the instantaneous noise level on one image may be
less than the others.)
9.11
Å With the 508-line system, it is possible to process a single field
(first or second) to reduce blurring of a moving image.
9.11
Å When using the 254-line, single-field variant, or when a single field
is being processed to reduce blurring, Vision 24 (unlike some other
systems) cunningly retains the 720╫508 pixel sprite size. It does this
by processing as if both fields were available, except that the data for
the second (interlaced) field is simply a repeat of the first. Note
that, although there are still 508 pixels in the vertical, the effective
lines/pixel ratio has been halved to 1:2 instead of 1:1.
9.11
Å Output image quality using a Lo-band video source is well up to the
standard one might expect. However, when using a Hi-band, or better,
video source, some degradation is evident on image quality compared with
some (relatively expensive) digitisers. Whether this is due to the
frequency response and bandwidth characteristics of the Vision 24
digitiser itself and/or the lack of an S-Video connector is not clear.
9.11
Vision 24 Ö conclusions
9.11
To summarise the Vision 24 digitiser as tested, Iáwould say that Ö
within the limitations discussed Ö it definitely produces the goods, and
it certainly represents excellent value in terms of quality and
performance per pound. In general, it is very easy to set up and use
and, reflecting its pedigree, is entirely stable with very few rough
edges. As a universal digitiser (one solution for all users), it is
splendid.
9.11
Panorama Ö
9.11
The Big Picture
9.11
Panorama is an optional extra for use with Vision 24 (working with any
254 or 508-line interface). To get the upgrade, you need to send your
interface card to HCCS and, in return, you appear to get a Christmas
hamper! The sizeable box contains your upgraded interface and the
goodies listed below (definitely not for little fingers or glue-
sniffers).
9.11
In essence, Panorama allows you to take a rectangular sequence of
digitised frames, and get the computer to merge and blend them into a
single image of much higher definition than is normal for the single
frame. There is a limit of two frames in the shorter axis but, in
theory, there is no limit to the number of frames in the other.
Panoramic images in the vertical, horizontal or diagonal are possible.
9.11
The general procedure
9.11
The main requirements for the source images to be used by Panorama are
that they must be in 32K or 16M colour, and adjacent frames must overlap
by at least 2/3. The user-guide goes into considerable detail on how
best to prepare the source video, digitise a sequence and process the
panorama but, reduced to basics, the procedures are:
9.11
Å Capture the source video, perhaps a simple panning shot using a
camcorder, preferably mounted on a tripod.
9.11
Å Digitise a sample frame from the source video and optimise the
brightness setting etc.
9.11
Å Grab the desired sequence of frames from the source video (allowing,
say, 2 frames/second plus a few frames leeway).
9.11
Å Click on C to process the sequence. The resultant sprites are saved
into a single sprite file. (It would be feasible to use a sequence of
images from a video still camera instead.)
9.11
Å Review the sprite file, deleting any unwanted images and thinning out
the remainder to minimise the total, ensuring adjacent images overlap by
at least 2/3.
9.11
Å Select Panorama function, drag the sprite file to the É24æ icon Ö and
wait patiently!
9.11
Be very, very patient...
9.11
This is where five SA-110s on a Hydra would come in handy... To merge
and blend the images seamlessly, Panorama has to perform an enormous
amount of number-crunching and, on the RiscPC 710, this takes around 15-
25 minutes per frame. In the meantime, RAM and disc storage overheads
are considerable.
9.11
To put all that in perspective, the panorama below (Castle Howard,
a.k.a. Brideshead Revisited) started life as a 12-second panning shot.
Allowing for a little leeway, a 30-frame sequence of 32K colour images
was captured and digitised Ö total 21Mb! Six unwanted images were
deleted and, of the remaining 24, every third image was retained to
maintain the    2/3 overlap between frames.
9.11
Panorama needed just under 4Mb RAM for the processing which, to merge
and blend the nine remaining sprites, took 3hrs:40 mins.
9.11
Be very, very impressed...
9.11
After all that time, and patience, the reward comes as a 2Mb+ sprite
(2,000╫500 pixels) whose overall definition and quality is considerably
better than that of the individual images going to make up the panorama.
This has much to do with the success of the blending process and, in
general terms, the final image quality is more akin to, say, a 300dpi
scanned image than one digitised from a relatively low-resolution video
source.
9.11
Although the techniques necessary to ensure 2/3 overlap between
consecutive upper and lower frames in a 2 ╫ n panorama, are fully
explained in the user-guide, they are, to say the very least,
interesting! By the time you read this, I hope to have tried out an
alternative, undocumented technique which, if it works, could simplify
the whole procedure.
9.11
Printing panoramas
9.11
Vision 24 includes a utility to enable huge panoramas to be printed
using, say, A4 paper as Étilesæ (hence the ruler, knife and adhesive).
The number of tiles, with or without overlap or crop marks, is user-
selectable.
9.11
I havenæt tested this function rigorously but, on the basis of a brief
assessment, it appears to run as advertised. It will work with any 16-
bit or 24-bit sprite, not necessarily one prepared in Vision 24 or
Panorama.
9.11
The end bit
9.11
This monthæs offers: If any readers would care to supply one or two
formatted discs (in a jiffy bag only please) with return postage, Iæll
send you some sample images grabbed by the Vision 24 digitiser,
including the source sprite for the above panorama (1.6Mb disc required
for the 32K colour version).
9.11
If you ask, I will supply some explanatory notes about the alternative
techniques, the pricing structure and the Keystroke hotkey mentioned
above. Iæll supply the A4 envelope but please include sufficient postage
to cover 100g (e.g. two 2nd class stamps). JimáNottingham, 16 Westfield
Close, Pocklington, York, YO4 2EY.
9.11
The Vision24 digitiser (254 lines) is ú103 through Archive, and the 508
line version is ú135. The complete Panorama pack including 508-line
digitiser, 16 sheets of A4 inkjet paper, 16 foam A4 tiles, a can of
aerosol glue, a stainless steel 12 inch ruler and a knife(!) costs ú290
through Archive Ö remember to specify which computer you are using.
Upgrades are available, but only direct from HCCS, not through
Archive.áuá
9.11
VersaTile
9.11
Christopher Jarman
9.11
Several years ago, in my school, I used to have a whole lot of paper
pads with Arabic patterns on, which were wonderful for keeping children
occupied during wet playtimes. They coloured them in with fibre tips.
The publishers professed all kinds of mathematical and educational
benefit from them, but they were just entertaining.
9.11
There is something of this element in VersaTile. It claims to encourage
mathematical ideas; and indeed tessellation is a mathematics Éthingæ.
However, as in those heady days of multihedra and milkstraws, Iásuspect
that there will be more fun extracted from this application than
mathematics.
9.11
Floor pattern made in VersaTile and put into Architech as a drawfile for
a base to the model 3D minaret.
9.11
VersaTile comes on two 800Kb discs, one called the Editor disc which
contains the main application, but also free copies of Oak Solutionsæ
DrawPlot and DrawPrint. The other Examples disc contains 29 VersaTile
files showing the wide range of designs which are possible. Two A5-size
printed manuals for all these, complete the package. It is essential to
register the application before it can be used and, as is normal today,
it is easier to use when installed on a hard disc if you have one.
9.11
It is well worth looking through some of the examples before trying any
designs yourself, just to get an idea of what the program has to offer.
It is quite surprising how sophisticated the tiling patterns can become.
Anyone who has admired Arabic architecture will be able to have a go at
some of those complex designs after a short while with this package.
9.11
There are two useful tutorials in the draft manual, and I would advise
working through them slowly because the toolbar is not obvious, and this
is the best way of getting to know what it will do. I confess that,
before starting on VersaTile, I had thought that all the tiling and
tessellation one would ever need to do could be done quite easily using
Artworks. However, although it would be possible to use Artworks for
most of the patterns, VersaTile is so elegant in the way it magnetises
tiles together, either by their sides or their corners, that it is a joy
to create with it. The maximum number of sides that you may
automatically give a shape is thirty, but I found that after twenty
sides almost any shape looks like a circle.
9.11
There are tools to change the colours of tiles, the colour of their
borders and the thickness of the lines. You can rotate, reflect and
magnify and, of course, combine any number of different tiles in any
number of combinations. The program is somehow satisfyingly obedient and
neat. Tiles do not have to touch edge to edge, they can be overlapped,
grouped and generally manipulated in ways that I had never thought of,
until I tried playing about with this program.
9.11
The results can be saved as VersaTile files, or as drawfiles, so it is
possible to use your patterns immediately in DTP or other applications
such as Architech or Iotaæs Complete Animator. Or they can be dropped
into Artworks to be manipulated in all the usual ways.
9.11
It is clear that mathematicians will be able to demonstrate 2D and 3D
shapes and their properties. Many pupils will be able to discover for
themselves what is meant by congruence, translation and rotation, etc.
The manual says that, although the program is founded in mathematics, it
will be of use to Artists and Designers. Itæs a very well justified
claim.
9.11
Well, I am off to design a magic carpet, a Navajo cloak, an African wall
hanging and a Celtic belt. VersaTile will both inspire and help me.
9.11
VersaTile is available from Dial Solutions, price ú50 +VAT or ú56
through Archive.áuá
9.11
Starting Basic Ö 12
9.11
Ray Favre
9.11
Text and graphics Éviewportsæ
9.11
This session starts to introduce the keyword VDU Ö which covers a vast
range of (mainly) visual effects. It is always in the form VDUxx (where
xx is a number in the range 0-255) and often needs further numbers
attached to it as parameters. We will be devoting a later article to
this keyword alone, but for now only five VDU commands are introduced.
9.11
(The points covered below are demonstrated in the program ÉGraphTextæ on
the monthly disc Ö in rather lurid colours! The program allows you to
step through each section in sequence, by pressing any key. The REMs
suggest some changes to make to explore the effects. It is probably best
to read all the points first, then read the program REMs and take a hard
copy. Then re-read them while stepping through the running program.)
9.11
Separate viewports
9.11
So far, weæve used text in the conventional non-Wimp way Ö positioning
it on the screen using line and character spacings counting from the top
left-hand corner Ö and helped by the TAB keyword and other Émodifiersæ
when necessary. Thereæs nothing wrong with this method, but it has its
limitations.
9.11
It is important to realise that, so far, when we have put text or
graphics on the screen, we have in fact been putting the text on the
Étext screenæ and the graphics on the Égraphics screenæ. There are, in
effect, two separate Éscreensæ which can be regarded as separate
entities by the programmer Ö each with its own viewing window onto the
screen. Acorn prefers to use the term Éviewportæ, no doubt to avoid
clashing with Wimp Éwindowsæ.
9.11
Under default conditions, both text and graphics viewports are identical
in size and position (both filling the screen). Therefore, under default
conditions, text and graphics appear together, although they are in fact
overlaid. A little later, we shall see how to change these viewport
sizes and the separate text and graphic viewports will then become self-
evident.
9.11
Instructions VDU 4 and 5
9.11
Having separate text and graphics viewports raises the question of how
to get both text and graphics onto one viewport. Fortunately, BBC Basic
is very flexible. If we issue the Basic instruction VDUá5, theátext
cursor is made to move to the graphics viewport and to coincide with the
graphics cursor. The text cursor is then inseparable from the graphics
cursor Ö and just as invisible. Text can now be written on the graphics
screen and positioned (more precisely than in the text viewport) with
graphics statements e.g. MOVE. When youæve finished, VDUá4 separates the
cursors again, putting the text cursor back to the text viewport Ö and
to the exact position it was when the VDUá5 command was issued.
9.11
Once the VDUá5 instruction has been issued, the text colour control/
plotting actions (not yet covered fully in this series) are determined
by the graphics colour/plotting actions in force Ö so, for instance, to
set the text colour you need to use the GCOL keyword.
9.11
Despite this change of text controlling actions, many of the usual text
cursor control commands e.g. linefeed, carriage return, TAB, etc all
still move the combined text/graphics cursor by the correct amounts for
the display mode being used Ö but the text no longer scrolls when the
side or bottom of the viewport is reached.
9.11
For instance, letæs assume you have already issued the VDU 5
instruction, and the combined text/graphics cursor happens to be
somewhere near the centre of the screen. If you now issue the
instruction PRINT öabcò (i.e. without a semi-colon or other cursor-
controlling commands) the combined text/graphics cursor will print öabcò
at the current cursor position and then jump to the left-hand edge of
the viewport one line down Ö just as it would do in the text viewport.
9.11
However, when you are using VDU 5, this feature willápossibly not be
what you want Ö so you will find that you will be using the semi-colon
at the end of a PRINT statement very much more, to hold the combined
cursor at the end of the printed text. Betterástill, you will get into
the habit of moving theácombined text/graphics cursor to exactly where
you want it before each text/graphic printing/plotting action. This is a
far safer practice, because it then doesnæt normally matter where the
cursor ends up afterwards.
9.11
Similarly, when using VDU 5, you need to be a little careful about using
TAB (with a single number) after a PRINT statement ending with a semi-
colon. As with the normal text screen, if the cursor is already past
your TAB number, it will jump to the next line before printing starts.
9.11
For these reasons, it is less common to see text cursor control
commands, apart from the semi-colon perhaps, being used after a VDU 5
has been issued.
9.11
Text character position
9.11
Using VDUá5, there is an immediate difference seen in the way the text
position is defined Ö compared to what we are used to in the text
viewport Ö because the graphics origin (point 0,0) is at the bottom
left-hand corner of the default screen and positive y-axis values move
the cursor upwards.
9.11
A second, consequential, difference is that text characters are now
printed with the top left-hand corner of their Écharacter gridæ at the
cursor position. (The Écharacter gridæ can best be thought of as a
standard rectangular grid of pixels used to define the letter shapes.)
In the text viewport, we are used to the cursor being positioned in line
with the bottom of the text characters.
9.11
Try printing text at graphics point (0,0) to see these differences Ö
youæll only just see the tops of some letters. (If you are puzzled why
you can see the tops of some letters, rather than nothing at all,
remember that plotting point (0,0) actually plots the bottom left-hand
pixel on the screen. Refer back to Part 10 about screen resolution and
pixel sizes.)
9.11
Overwriting
9.11
With VDU 5, if you overwrite one piece of text by another, the original
will not be deleted Ö it will be, literally, overwritten. This enables
some good text effects to be achieved; e.g. repeating some words in a
different colour and offsetting them slightly produces shadow effects.
9.11
Defining viewports (VDU 24, 26 and 28)
9.11
We can very easily redefine the graphics and text viewports Ö using
VDU24 and VDU28 respectively. They both work in a similar manner, but
there are differences.
9.11
VDU28 takes the form:
9.11
VDU 28,LeftmostTab%,BottommostTab%, RightmostTab%,TopmostTab%
9.11
Note that there are four numbers after VDU28 and they are separated by
commas. These numbers, as suggested by the variable names used above,
define the position and size of the rectangular text viewport. The
values are in text coordinates, i.e. character tab and line positions on
the default viewport Ö and the resulting rectangle will include the
positions given. So:
9.11
VDU 28,5,10,15,0
9.11
will change the text viewport to a rectangle 11 text characters wide
(from tab position 5 to tab position 15, both inclusive, on the default
screen) and 11 lines high (from line 0 to line 10 inclusive).
9.11
Note that this command only allows you to redefine a smaller text
viewport somewhere within the default text viewport. If you use a number
larger than the maximum characters-per-line or lines-per-page available
in the screen mode in use, the command will revert to the default
viewport. (As this happens without an error message, the cause can be
less than obvious sometimes. Be particularly careful if you develop a
program in one mode and change it later.)
9.11
Having redefined the text viewport, all subsequent text printing
operations will occur in the new viewport and its top left-hand corner
will be the new tab position (0,0). Normal scrolling will occur at the
new viewport boundaries. Anything already on the screen before the VDU28
instruction, and outside the new viewport, will remain.
9.11
There is nothing to stop you redefining the text viewport in this way as
often as you like, and many programs do this, e.g. to get a scrolling
window within other, static, text.
9.11
It really is as simple as that, but donæt forget that having issued such
an instruction, the new viewport will not be self-evident on the screen
unless, for example, you then redefine its background colour, for
instance.
9.11
VDU 24 takes the form:
9.11
VDU 24,LeftmostPoint%;BottommostPoint%;RightmostPoint%;TopmostPoint%;
9.11
Note the semi-colons after the first comma Ö and the extra semi-colon at
the end. This time, the values are in normal graphics OS units and again
you can only redefine a graphics viewport smaller than, and within, the
default screen size for the screen mode in use. (However, this time
there is a rider to which we will return later, concerning what happens
if we alter the graphics origin.)
9.11
With VDU 24, the graphics origin is not automatically changed. Graphics
commands will act exactly as before, but only those actions which cause
plotting within the redefined window will actually become visible Ö so
the effect is very much more like a smaller window on a larger screen.
9.11
VDU 26 simply returns everything to the default viewports (and returns
graphics origin to bottom left-hand corner if it has been changed).
9.11
Final point
9.11
If you issue a VDUá5 command in a non-Wimp program, ensure that your
error traps issue a VDUá4 before they report an error to the screen.
Otherwise an error occurring while the VDUá5 is in force might well
print its error message outside the viewport and you will have no idea
that an error has occurred, nor whatæs gone wrong.
9.11
(Now is the place to examine the demonstration program, ÉGraphTextæ.)
9.11
Back to the ÉLoanæ
9.11
program ...
9.11
To show how VDUá5 is used in practice, ÉLoan_12Aæ on the monthly disc
has been upgraded from ÉLoan_11Bæ (i.e. as left from the last article) Ö
solely in respect of some changes to the labelling on the two graphs
currently available. That is, under DEFáPROCfindNumberOfPayments and
DEFáPROCaxes(TargetLine). The only significant new point to note is how
we have used the new variable CharWidth% to offset the text to the
desired positions. CharWidth% is assigned the value 16 because we are
using a display mode which is 1280 OS units wide and can have 80 text
characters across it, i.e. 1280 / 80 = 16. There are ways to set this
offset automatically to take account of any display mode, but that is
beyond us yet.
9.11
ÉLoan_12Bæ provides the substantive upgrade for this session. It
contains the necessary lines to put the number of graphs to be plotted
under the control of a REPEAT...UNTIL loop, plus some simple algorithms
to adjust the trial interest rate each time so that the graph eventually
Éhomes inæ on the target line. To make things more attractive, the
colour of the graph changes when itæs Égetting nearæ Ö and the graph of
the final result is picked out in yet another colour. Itæs worth going
through the action in more detail...
9.11
Getting the program to converge on the answer
9.11
We firstly have to decide what accuracy we will accept for the final
interest rate answer Ö and the listing chooses 0.1% at line 3220. Having
set this, PROCaxes() is amended (lines 3660-3700) to draw two short
lines bracketing the target line near its right-hand end, to represent a
Égetting nearæ area. These lines are arbitrarily set apart at 10 times
the accuracy limit and are drawn over approximately the last 5% of the
x-axis.
9.11
Having set the initial conditions and installed the REPEAT...UNTIL loop
within DEFáPROCplots(), the trial interest rate adjusting mechanism is
called (at line 4340) after each graph is drawn. It is a two-stage
mechanism: the trial rate is firstly varied fairly coarsely, by
PROCbracket, until the program registers that it has found two trial
values which straddle the target. i.e. it has a value in the variable
LowRate which is known to be Étoo lowæ and a value in HighRate which is
known to be Étoo highæ. This condition occurs Ö see DEF PROCbracket Ö
when both CumTooHigh% and CumTooLow% become TRUE. For the first few
iterations, both LowRate and HighRate will both be either Étoo highæ or
Étoo lowæ Ö and hence only one of CumTooHigh% and CumTooLow% will be
TRUE. Once bracketing has been achieved, the interest rate adjusting
mechanism switches to PROCconverge which Ö by line 4960 Ö Éhomes inæ the
HighRate and LowRate values until the result of ÉNæ accumulations (i.e.
the right-hand end of the graph) differs from the target value by less
than the specified accuracy.
9.11
After each graph is drawn, a check is also made (line 4320) to see
whether the result is within the Égetting nearæ range. If it is, then
next time round (line 4240) the graph plotting colour is changed from
cyan to white. When the answer is reached, the final graph is re-drawn
in red. The overall effect (see Figure 1) is typically a spray of
broadly similar graphs: the cyan-coloured outer ones surrounding some
white ones, with a single, red graph among them representing the answer
value.
9.11
However, this is not always the case, as sometimes the algorithm Égets
luckyæ and hits the target with very few attempts Ö whereas, at other
times, reaching the Égetting nearæ criteria doesnæt always prevent the
next few adjustments to the trial interest rate from going outside the
Égetting nearæ area again, before finally zeroing in.
9.11
The best visual effect is obtained by having a reasonably high interest
rate (but not too high), which produces nicely curved graphs, not too
close together.
9.11
The plotting action takes place too quickly for human observation, so a
1-second pause has been added to the REPEAT...UNTIL loop, by PROCpause()
in line 4260. This PROC uses the built-in function TIME which, in this
case, simply reads the internal computer clock at the start of a
REPEAT...UNTIL loop, then keeps reading the clock again each time round
the loop Ö until the new time differs from the initial reading by more
than the number of centiseconds weæve chosen Ö in this case 100, or
1ásecond. The REMs in DEF PROCpause() should enable you to follow this
very common timing action.
9.11
There are a few other points worth noting in the listing. Because we
need to know the result of one complete accumulation of N terms (i.e.
one graph plot) before we know whether or not Ö and in which direction Ö
to adjust the trial rate, the checks need to come at the end of the
REPEAT...UNTIL loop. This means that the trial rate is adjusted once
more after the answer has been achieved, just before the loop is exited.
This could be overcome by an additional condition applying to line 4340,
but to keep it as simple as possible, Iæve overcome this by
recalculating the Éanswer rateæ after exiting the loop (line 4400) Ö
using B, which is calculated at the start of each loop and has therefore
not been altered again before exit. Also, this same B is used to re-plot
the final graph in red (line 4380) Ö because we didnæt know it was the
final one when it was drawn the first time!
9.11
Expanding the action ... next time
9.11
The program works well enough, but the action at the right-hand end of
the graph, in and around the Égetting nearæ area, is pretty cramped and
difficult to see in detail. It would be nice (and a good graphics
exercise) to zoom into that area Ö and this is what happens next time,
together with some other finishing touches.
9.11
Donæt forget the feedback, queries (and A4 SAEs for printed listings)
to: 26 West Drayton Park Avenue, West Drayton, UB7 7QA.áuá
9.11
Two patterns from the example disc
9.11
System Variables - Part 2
9.11
Andrew Berry
9.11
Last monthæs article described the use of Obey$Dir, App$Dir and
App$Path, and the list will be extended this month to cover other system
variables.
9.11
Filetypes
9.11
Each type of file associated with an application has a filetype. This is
so that the computer knows which application should load the file into
when it is double-clicked, and so that it can also display the
appropriate icon in a directory viewer. For instance, drawfiles have a
filetype &AFF. This information can be displayed by clicking <menu> over
the file in a directory viewer and following the menu structure to
display the ÉAbout this objectæ window. The filetype is displayed in
brackets in the second icon down, but for most types of file, there is
also a description of the filetype, for instance ÉDrawFileæ or ÉSpriteæ.
This extra information is known as the textual name and is set by a
system variable.
9.11
The system variables which hold this information are of the form
9.11
File$Type_xxx
9.11
where xxx represents the filetype in hexadecimal. The list of filetypes
can be displayed by typing
9.11
*Show File$Type*
9.11
at the command line. Once the textual name has been set, it can be used
instead of the filetype when, for instance, setting the type of a file.
The advantage of using a textual name is that it is often easier to
remember than the hexadecimal filetype.
9.11
Using EasiWriter as an example, the !Boot file contains the following
line which sets the filetype &D01 to have a textual name ÉEasiDocæ.
9.11
Set File$Type_D01 EasiDoc
9.11
Run types
9.11
If you look at the list displayed by *Show, you will see a large group
of variables of the form
9.11
Alias$@RunType_xxx
9.11
with many of them followed by a statement such as
9.11
Run ADFS::Programs.$.!App.!Run %*0
9.11
Each of these lines contains information which tells the computer how to
load a particular type of file when it is double-clicked. For instance,
EasiWriter sets the system variable Alias$@RunType_D01 when it is first
seen by the filer. Thereafter, when an EasiWriter file (type &D01) is
double-clicked, the computer knows to send it to EasiWriter for editing.
If you try to load an EasiWriter file without first letting the filer
see the EasiWriter application, an error is generated because this
variable has not yet been set and the computer doesnæt know what to do
with that particular type of file.
9.11
You may notice that most lines finish with É%*0æ. This is replaced by
the filename of the object which was double-clicked, so the application
knows the filename of the file to be loaded.
9.11
Run types are usually defined in the !Boot file of the application so
that files can be loaded without first loading the application. In the
case of EasiWriter, the !Boot file contains the following line
9.11
Set Alias$@RunType_D01 Run <Obey$Dir>.!Run %*0
9.11
where <Obey$Dir> is automatically replaced by the pathname of the
EasiWriter directory, as described last month.
9.11
Print types
9.11
These are similar to run types, and determine the action to be taken
when a file is dragged to a printer driver. Although it is more usual to
print a file from within an application, dragging some types of file to
a printer driver will load the appropriate application and then print
the file. For this to work, a system variable of the form
9.11
Alias$@PrintType_xxx
9.11
must be set. Again, using EasiWriter as an example, the !Boot file
contains the following line.
9.11
Set Alias$@PrintType_D01 Run <Obey$Dir>.!Run -p
9.11
Note that this line includes a trailing space after É-pæ.
9.11
App$Options
9.11
This is used to hold start-up options for the application ÉAppæ, and
will normally be included in a desktop boot file. It consists of a list
of options separated by spaces. If an option can be set either on or
off, it should consist of a single character followed by É+æ (for on) or
Éæ- (for off), for example ÉP+æ or ÉDæ-. Other options should consist of
a single character followed by a number, for example ÉD24æ. Your
application should only save those options which differ from the
default. If all options are in the default state, this variable should
not be set.
9.11
Options for Draw are set by the variable Draw$Options, the use of which
is described in the User Guide. For example, I have added the following
line to my !Boot application.
9.11
Set Draw$Options MS
9.11
This causes Draw to start up with ÉSelectæ, being the default tool for
each new file which is created or loaded.
9.11
Alias$...
9.11
One of the first lines displayed by *Show is
9.11
Alias$. : Cat
9.11
Without this line, you would not be able to use the abbreviation É*.æ to
display the current directory ù you would need to type *Cat each time.
Other abbreviations can be set in this way. For instance, if you often
type ÉRMReInit SpriteUtilsæ then you could set the system variable
ÉAlias$RMæ (or other suitable abbreviation in place of ÉRMæ) by typing
the following
9.11
*Set Alias$RM RMReInit SpriteUtils
9.11
after which, typing *RM would execute the command É*RMReInit
SpriteUtilsæ. The characters %*0 can also be used as shown.
9.11
*Set Alias$RM RMReInit %*0
9.11
Again, the command RM has replaced RMReInit, but can now be used with
any module title, not just SpriteUtils. For instance, typing É*RM
Percussionæ would execute the command É*RMReInit Percussionæ, because
anything entered after ÉRMæ is substituted for %*0.
9.11
These are rather trivial examples, but it would be possible to build up
your own series of system variables to replace long commands which you
often type. Lines to set these variables could be included in a boot
file.
9.11
A useful application of this type of system variable has been suggested
by Alex Singleton. For protection purposes, it is possible to redefine
the command É*Configureæ to essentially disable any reconfiguration of
the computer from the command line, for instance in a school. The
following line should be included in a boot file.
9.11
Set Alias$Configure Echo This computer cannot be reconfigured|M||
9.11
Any attempt to use the *Configure command will now produce the message
given. To bypass the protection the command
9.11
*Unset Alias$Configure
9.11
must be entered, after which *Configure will work as normal.
9.11
CLI$Prompt
9.11
The usual command line prompt is single asterisk (*) but this can be
changed by the use of the system variable CLI$Prompt. For an example of
this, type the following at the command line.
9.11
*Set CLI$Prompt <143>
9.11
In this case, the angular brackets do not denote a system variable, but
the character with ASCII code 143 (Å). You will see that the command
line prompt will change from the usual É*æ to ÉÅæ. A more useful
application of CLI$Prompt would be to display the current time followed
by an asterisk. This is achieved by the use of the following line.
9.11
*SetMacro CLI$Prompt <Sys$Time> *
9.11
Donæt worry about the use of SetMacro ù this will be described next
month. If youære interested in the difference between Set and SetMacro,
try using Set in the above example and look for the effect this has on
the prompt.
9.11
Miscellaneous
9.11
The current time, date and year are held by the system variables
Sys$Time (as used above), Sys$Date and Sys$Year respectively. Wimp$Scrap
holds the full pathname of the Wimp scrap file which should be used for
data transfer. Wimp$ScrapDir holds the full pathname of the scrap
directory within the application !Scrap which can be used for storing
temporary files. Desktop$File holds the filename of the Boot file which
was run when the desktop first started up. Finally, Wimp$State has the
value Édesktopæ when the desktop is running and Écommandsæ otherwise.
9.11
Next month
9.11
In the final article next month, Iæll describe the use of File$Path and
Run$Path and explain how to set system variables using *Set, *SetEval
and *SetMacro. If you have any comments or corrections concerning this
article, please write to me at: 39 Lancaster Avenue, Sandiacre,
Nottingham, NG10 5GW.áuá
9.11
Mission Control: Crystal Rain Forest 2
9.11
Mike Tomkinson
9.11
One software house that has consistently produced high quality products
for the Acorn platform is Sherston Software. Their latest offering only
suffers from a long title Ö Mission Control: Crystal Rain Forest 2. It
is presented in the customary plastic wallet and consists of four discs,
a User Guide, various task cards, an educational ideas booklet, some
maps, a colour poster and some fact cards Ö quite a package even before
you load it up!
9.11
The stated educational aim of the adventure is to introduce primary
school pupils to control technology in a highly original and motivating
way. That comes straight from the User Guide and so the package should
be judged against the stated aim.
9.11
Loading the game is straightforward and its runs from hard or floppy
disc. The software is copy protected by the key disc system, which
requires a Startup disc to be in the disc drive at startup. This is for
the Single User version, although an unprotected version is available
with the site licence version. I do not like copy protection although I
do see the need for it.
9.11
On running the adventure, you are prompted for the various discs as
required, or it can be installed on your hard disc. The program takes
over the whole screen, rather like the excellent Badger Trails from the
same software house and programmer, Simon Hosler. It can initially be
disconcerting for the experienced user to lose the familiar desktop, but
it has two distinct advantages for younger users Ö it presents a less
distracting screen, and it allows a greater screen area for the
excellent graphics and instructions.
9.11
The language used in a program that is aimed at junior school children
must always be considered carefully. They must be able to read it and
understand it. If the game is used in an educational setting, this would
present no real problems as the teacher could prepare the pupils by
selecting any unfamiliar words and ensuring that the pupils did
understand them. For this reason, I feel that the game is not suitable
for any other than the most capable of pupils without a reasonable level
of teacher intervention.
9.11
As an introduction to control technology, it is not suitable without
some prior knowledge and preparation. This may appear obvious, but the
game states it is an introduction whereas it might be better to consider
it as reinforcement of basic ideas, such as input and output, etc.
9.11
Whilst on the subject of terminology, the whole adventure can be
configured so that the pupils are presented with the same instructions
as the control boxes they are likely to encounter in their own school.
This is a particularly nice touch as there are now so many different
control boxes available.
9.11
It is this attention to detail that really sets this package apart. The
teacher (or parent) can customise the whole adventure for the children
using it. Parts of the game are similar to the old text-style adventure
games, and the whole package involves children in solving problems.
Although adults may be a little irritated by the characters and setting:
öThe land of Azon, on the planet Oglo, is in deep trouble...ò type of
thing, children seem to have no problem with this, and it is certainly a
tried and tested method, as Sherston have been using it for many years
in most of their now classic pieces of software.
9.11
The booklet of Educational Ideas contains just that Ö some ideas for
extending the use of the package into other curriculum areas and topics.
Mission Control could be a starting point for control technology within
a technology project, but would require some lead in, as stated above.
9.11
The package costs ú44.95 + VAT (ú50 through Archive) for a single user,
and site licences are very reasonable: ╫1.5 for Primary and ╫2 for
Secondary Schools. This represents excellent value.
9.11
In conclusion, I cannot speak too highly of this package. It is well
conceived, well presented and certainly worth the asking price. It
belongs in any Junior School attempting to present Control Technology in
an interesting and entertaining way. It is particularly suited to the
National Curriculum Key Stage 2 Programme of Study for the controlling,
monitoring and modelling section. Sorry for the lapse into National
Curriculum speak, but the program is aimed primarily at schools. Having
said that, any parent looking for something more educational than
zapping the aliens would be well advised to look at this package.áuá
9.11
Freddy Teddy Directions
9.11
Lisa and Bob Ames
9.11
Lisaæs bit
9.11
The game is a memory game. You learn about directions. There is a list
of places to go to. You go to those places and count the things there.
When you have visited the places, there is a question box. You type in
your answers.
9.11
If you want to change the counter, alter the sound effects, show names
or count the moves, just press <ctrl-T> and you will get the Teacheræs
menu. You have to type the number of your choice and you will change it.
9.11
Some children may need to write the answers down on a piece of paper as
they count them. I think it is quite suitable for children aged 4 and
over.
9.11
Bobæs bit
9.11
This is a very simple program intended to help teach the concept of
relative Left/Right, Up/Down, Forward/Backward, and absolute Left/Right.
9.11
The action takes place on a map which runs in full screen mode 12; there
are thirteen places on the map, and a random list of five places to
visit is displayed at start-up. The places include specific entry
points, where accuracy is needed, e.g. Library, Stadium, Church; and
some general areas, entered from any point, e.g. Woods, River, Market,
Square.
9.11
There are two types of Directions used; these are chosen via a teachersæ
control page. The first, absolute direction, refers to the arrow (for
Freddy); e.g. left/right and forward/backward as the character would see
it. The other type is screen-based; Up/Down and Left/Right. The
teachersæ page is where the number of objects to count is decided;
whether absolute or relative direction is used; whether the place names
are shown, and selecting move counting and sound effects on or off.
9.11
The labels for places can be shown. This is useful because the drawings
are not particularly brilliant, e.g.áthe Supermarket could well be a
block of flats! The list of places to visit can be displayed again by
pressing the space bar. Upon entry to a place, the visitor is asked to
count a number of people or things. These numbers are asked for when all
places have been visited. Lisa had to write the numbers down. (Iáfound
it difficult to remember four previous numbers while counting the slow
appearance of ten cars at the Supermarket!) The teacher can choose
between up to five or ten objects to count.
9.11
The target age group isnæt shown on the package, or in the instructions.
This is probably because the program will be appropriate at different
ages for different children. However, with the very young, operation is
difficult if the required level of reading hasnæt been achieved.
9.11
I spotted only one inaccuracy in the manual; describing extra classroom
work, the author writes; öOur own left and right are identified by the
asymmetry of our bodiesò I know what he means, but it isnæt what he
wrote! The last section in the manual is called Where Next?, and takes
the form of trailers for other Topologika software!
9.11
As part of a set of programs, perhaps there could be a subscription
system where further purchases would attract a (substantially)
discounted price.
9.11
A very effective piece of software, but all too brief for the cost.
Freddy Teddy Directions costs ú20 +VAT +ú2.50 p&p from Topologika, or
ú25 through Archive.áuá
9.11
HTML Edit 2
9.11
Chris Johnson
9.11
Some time ago in my Networking Column, I gave a short report on HTMLEdit
version 1 as it was then. Iáconcluded that it looked a useful program,
but I was yet to be convinced that it was good value for money. Since
that time, a regular series of upgrades arrived by email (what an easy
way to be supplied with upgrades!), and HTMLEdit has finally reached
version 2. To my mind, this latest version is streets ahead of the very
early versions.
9.11
New features
9.11
Let me just cover a few of its features. It is now HTML 3 compliant,
although it does not force this on you. When opening a new document, you
can choose which version of HTML you wish to be used for the header, and
if opting for the later style, it is possible to set up the colours (as
seen in a browser) using colour pickers, background texture, and so on.
Quick entry of HTML 3 styles is now supported. For example, I find the
sub- and super-script styles invaluable in scientific uses. In the
toolbar and menu system, the HTML 3 enhancements are kept separate, so
it is easy to work at the HTML 2 level. Other HTML features it now
supports include tables.
9.11
Other improvements include multiple document support Ö a major
shortcoming of the first version.
9.11
The obligatory toolbar
9.11
In common with lots of other applications, it now supports a large
toolbar. Unlike most other applications, the toolbar is not attached to
a particular window, but floats in the desktop. It operates on whichever
HTMLEdit document has the input focus, and has buttons for most
operations.
9.11
The toolbar has the capability of keeping itself on top of the window
stack. When this was first introduced in one of the beta upgrades, it
was not very intelligent, in that it kept popping up onto the top of
everything, including newly opened filer windows and even menus! I guess
the author received a lot of feedback about that one because it was soon
improved! In the latest version it only comes to the top when an
HTMLEdit window has the input focus, and even here, it is more
intelligent, since it will not force itself on top of a menu or a
browser window when it is being used to preview the document being
edited. Iánow find that I like it when I click in an HTMLEdit window to
make some changes, and the toolbar immediately comes to the surface from
under several other windows. If you do not like this behaviour it can be
turned off completely.
9.11
File import
9.11
One of the major new features is a range of file import tools. For
example, importing a CSV file will convert it into an HTML table, and
there are a number of options for converting text files into HTML
format. I have not yet used this in anger so cannot really comment. You
can now import a sprite file, and it will convert it to a GIF or JPEG
file directly.
9.11
The GIF support includes GIF89, with interlacing and masking. It is
possible either to specify the colour to use for the mask, or simply to
take it from the sprite mask, as produced in Paint. One word of warning
here. In Paint, converting pixels to the Émaskæ colour does not actually
delete what was in the sprite before masking it. The mask is interpreted
by the plotting routines in the operating system as pixels that must not
be plotted. I assume that HTMLEdit simply looks at the first pixel in
the image that is masked and uses that as the mask colour. Therefore, it
is necessary to clear the mask to a single colour not used in the rest
of the sprite and then convert it back to the mask. This is very easy to
do in Paint using the flood fill option. If this is not done, the final
masked GIF may not display correctly.
9.11
I find it is extremely quick and easy to import and link to an image
file, and for this feature alone, it is worth the cost of upgrading from
version 1 to version 2. When importing images in this way, the size of
the image is automatically inserted (essential if you wish capable
browsers to render the page before downloading the images), such things
as border thickness and alignment can be set, and the relative file path
names are set up.
9.11
Other nice features
9.11
What other things do I like? Well, thereæs the intelligent delete, that
deletes the whole of a <tag> or anchor with one keypress, and the ease
with which one can drag and drop local files to set up the correct
relative paths in hypertext links. (This only works if you keep to the
final directory structure of course.) Filing system paths are completely
Unix-compatible. Other features I have not yet made much use of, include
the handling of forms, and the use of master pages to set up new
documents.
9.11
Browser support
9.11
HTMLEdit can be used in parallel with any RISC OS browser to get a
preview of your pages, with a single click on a toolbar button. In fact,
it is recommended you use more than one browser to make sure your pages
display correctly. I had become so used to using ArcWeb, that it came as
a bit of a shock when I used Webster and Webite off the latest AU CD-ROM
to test some of my pages. (They all worked all right, but just looked
örather differentò, with different font styles, colours and so on.)
9.11
Value for money?
9.11
Is HTMLEdit value for money? At ú45, it is not cheap, but it now has so
many features which put it well ahead of the various public domain add-
ons to certain editors, that I believe it is money well spent, if you
are serious about producing HTML documents. I have found it to be
invaluable. It is not WYSIWYG of course, but since the whole idea of
HTML is to allow the browser to render pages as it sees fit, you cannot
strictly have WYSIWYG anyway.áuá
9.11
Chris Johnson <[e-mail]>
9.11
Small Ads
9.11
(Small ads for Acorn 32-bit computers and related products are free for
subscribers but we reserve the right to publish all, part or none of the
material you send, as we think fit. i.e. some people donæt know what
Ésmallæ means and there are certain things, as you can imagine, that we
would not be prepared to advertise as a matter of principle. Sending
small ads (especially long ones!) on disc is helpful but not essential.
Ed.)
9.11
WARNING Ö The text file containing these small ads was the subject of a
last minute disc error! We HOPE these adverts are correct, but cannot
make any guarantees.
9.11
6x TEAC CD-56E CD ROM drive, with cables, two months old, works with a
RiscPC 700, ú75. SCSI 2 to SCSI 1 cable, new, unused, suitable for
Power-Tec board, ú16. Eddie Lord, [e-mail].
9.11
80Mb HD, Conner, IDE, ideal for A3010, ú40 o.n.o. Phone Charlie on 0116-
266-0123.
9.11
A310 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, dual floppy drives, 10Mb IDE HD, AKF11
monitor, backplane with Interword ROM, external 5╝ö floppy drives, PAL
TV adapter, Amstrad SM2400 modem, ú300. Phone [phone].
9.11
A4000 4Mb RAM, 210Mb HD, RISC OS 3.1, ú400. With AKF18, ú480, or with
AKF60, ú600. Phone [phone].
9.11
A5000 Would the person who submitted a small ad for an A5000 please send
it in again. The disc error scored a direct hit on your advert! Sorry!!
9.11
Acorn 486 card, for RiscPC, complete boxed and unregistered, with DOS 6,
unwanted gift, ú99 + VAT, try it out then use it to save ú200 +VAT off a
5x86 card. Phone Harry on 01895-630344.
9.11
AKF60 multisync, boxed as new, ú150 o.n.o. Phone William on 01475-
673063.
9.11
Free to a deserving cause: 135 issues of Acorn User (almost all of Nov
æ83 to Dec æ95), 61 issues of The Micro User (Dec æ83 - Oct æ89). Buyer
must collect from Chelmsford, or pay carriage. Phone Derrick on 01245-
225671 after 7pm.
9.11
Job offer from Pineapple Software: Pineapple are looking for a new full-
time employee to handle technical queries, telephone sales and general
running of day to day business. Training can be provided. Phone Jim on
0181-599-1476 for details.
9.11
RiscPC 600, 8+2Mb, 420Mb, 17ö  AKF85 monitor, 16-bit sound card, Cumana
CD drive with mixer, 486-33 PC card, ú1650. Good offers considered.
Phone [phone] eves.
9.11
Software: Times CD-ROM Sampler (DOS only) ú10, Populous (game) ú10,
Event (diary) ú5. Will sell all three for ú20. Phone [phone] eves.
9.11
Wanted, 4-8Mb RAM expansion for A5000. Phone John on 01942-884738.
9.11
Wanted, ArchiTech or Apollonius PDT, will collect. Phone [phone].
9.11
Wanted Any Acorn machine with RISC OS 3.1 or later, 4+Mb RAM, hard disc,
1.6Mb  floppy, CD¡ROM, multisync monitor. Complete or nearly. Total cost
within ú1,000. Contact Anthony on 0113¡226-9059 or as
[e-mail].áuá
9.11
SPEX Plus and SPEX Environments
9.11
Bob and Lisa Ames
9.11
We reviewed Spex version 1, published then by ExpLAN Software, in
Archive 7.2 p75, but SpexPlus (Environment Designer) is now distributed
directly by Aspex Software. It is supposed to be an improvement on Spex
and, certainly, it arrived with several more, very welcome,
environments. The various environments are chosen in the opening page of
the software from a new menu with better, smaller icons than the
original program.
9.11
SpexPlus came to me with several additional discs: Home Environment disc
1, Moon Base and Street Scenes, Leisure Pool, Items for a Primary
Classroom, and a disc of clipart. The Home Environment with SpexPlus is
the same as that included with the first version, except that a few
items are omitted, notably the bunk beds from the bedroom. It was nice
to see another of my original criticisms addressed Ö the mains sockets
(called Éplugsæ) in the ÉFittingsæ collection, can now be positioned
half-way up the wall for use in kitchens, etc.
9.11
The biggest difference between the programs is immediately visible. The
program disc contains an installer which allows the installation onto a
single computer and Écannot be transferredæ to another one! I hate this
type of installation! However, there are three Écountsæ on the install
disc, one for the classroom, one for the teacheræs computer and one
spare for when things go wrong Ö good idea!
9.11
The key feature of the upgrade seems to be that items may be selected
from any of the environments and used anywhere. Thus, a bath may be
placed in a kitchen should you wish to! More seriously, it indicates
that areas of criticism in my original review (the shortage of items)
have been addressed, as there is now a wealth of items available for
incorporation into any given room.
9.11
In fact, the environments are not restricted to rooms. The most stunning
of the new sets must be the Moon Base. Here, the magnification facility
is used to great effect, as a huge moonscape may be constructed,
complete with all the living quarters, air locks, observation domes, and
even moon vehicles. This was Lisaæs first and largest undertaking. Some
blank backgrounds or base plates are supplied Ö itæs fun constructing a
moon base while avoiding craters!
9.11
The other outdoors set is called Street. This takes the form of a couple
of Éblocksæ with street corners in a suburban town. The houses are
limited in their design Ö the only types available seem to be detached
and a lop-sided semi-detached. There is also choice of a pub and church
(but no graveyard!), shops and various items of street furniture. It
would have been nice to have had a choice of close-packed terraced
houses as well.
9.11
There seems to be an omission in the costings section. While the cost of
actual houses is included, ground rent, council tax, and land cost does
not seem to be represented. (The graphic representation of comparison of
costs and quantities seems important to the authors.)
9.11
The original program had only a very limited number of different sets of
environments available to choose from Ö restricted to the four basic
rooms of the house. My original review said this was a major limiting
factor, but these new sets of environments now go some way to address
this. However, there does need to be even more sets Ö I would suggest a
new set every two months, at reasonable cost.
9.11
Failing a reasonably quick, cost-effective supply of new environments, a
set of instructions is necessary. These would show exactly how to
construct new places or items. This seems very difficult to do at the
moment, as even a simple job like changing the size of a door takes a
lot of work to execute without throwing up errors. (£see Stop Press!)
9.11
The last disc, called Clip Art, is exactly the same in both issues, and
is a collection of ready-completed areas. For example, there is a sample
of each room, bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, etc, given in Draw (3D) format
without the plan or elevation views.
9.11
Future environment items are said to include historical eras, (Roman,
Elizabethan), workplaces (hospital, shop, office) and outdoors (to
include a garden and park). In fact, one of the manualæs screenshots of
the first menu shows Temple and Garden already available!
9.11
Each set of environment items may be made available to the main program
by double-clicking over its icon. Thus, a limited choice of groups of
items may be made available. When a set is unselected, the icon for that
set turns from full colour to grey. Although this is RISCáOS compliant,
it is not very obvious. A better approach would be for something very
different to be used, such as a similar icon but with a definite Éstrike
throughæ.
9.11
I rather like the new facility of having information on each item
available by clicking <menu> over the item entry. This gives size and
cost, amongst other data, and shows a 3D representation of it. The
pricing given may be changed and saved for future use.
9.11
Other attractive additions to the program include ÉSnap to itemæ (the
difficulty of accurate positioning of items beside each other was a
shortcoming of the original program), and ÉGrid lockæ, which is useful
for geometric designs, e.g. moon base. The ÉColour Designeræ is useful
for colouring the walls and floors of the classroom, for instance. There
is now an ability to use existing or custom-designed drawfiles as ground
plans. This is demonstrated by the fact that the new base plans for Moon
Base and Street come with the program discs of Spex+.
9.11
ÉOutlinesæ is a feature for removing the line outlines from each item,
and this creates a far more realistic effect. The kitchen units blend
into each other, for instance, as in real life. Backgrounds may now be
made, including effects such as colours, stars and graduated colour
fills.
9.11
Printing may now be scaled to fit a page, and a poster may now be
printed using many pages. There is even the facility to print individual
pages, one at a time, rather than the whole set of pages, to allow for
changes to the layout, or for printing errors.
9.11
The final new feature to mention is applying an action to a door. In
this way, connections may be made between rooms. Unfortunately, I have
not yet been able to get this to work.
9.11
The mini ÉGod-slotæ, which is obtained by leaving the program info
window on screen and watching the scroll message, is this time from
Jeremiah 29: 11-14 which starts (appropriately enough) ÉFor I know the
plans I have for you...æ Subtle Ö without being intrusive!
9.11
Conclusion
9.11
This is a very worthwhile upgrade at ú39 +VAT from Aspex Software or ú44
through Archive.
9.11
STOP PRESS
9.11
Just as I was finishing the above review, a mailshot from Aspex Software
arrived. This details some price changes, and the release of the
SpexPlus Development Kit, priced at just ú24.95 +VAT or ú28 through
Archive.
9.11
This utility appears (I havenæt seen it yet Ö watch this space!) to
enable the relationship between SpexPlus items and their drawfiles to be
made clear. This should allow users to make new custom items and also
give the ability to modify earlier work. A set of examples (with some
part-finished!) is included. Just the thing I was asking for!
9.11
The other piece of news is aimed at smaller schools. The site licence
price problem has been addressed. The full site-licence is available for
ú139 +VAT but, if small numbers of machines are used, or if the numbers
are slowly increasing, extra single-machine licences are available for
ú6.50 each, and 5 and 10¡machine licences are ú59 or ú99 +VAT
respectively. This is a much more realistic approach to multi-machine
pricing! With so many other manufacturers, the difficulty of licensing a
small or changing number of machines is often misunderstood. It is often
an unrealistic licence pricing policy which decides the eventual choice
of program. Well done Aspex!
9.11
A further improvement in the pricing (which removes yet another of my
grumbles) is the price of the new ÉBundleæ of SpexPlus items. This
consists of four environments (each worth ú19.95 +VAT, or ú23 through
Archive) for ú49 +VAT, or ú55 through Archive.áuá
9.11
The Calabash Pirates
9.11
Denise Bates
9.11
Imagine a cold, windy, snowy Monday morning in February, the first day
of half term. Imagine two boys, one aged nine the other almost seven
wanting something to do. Enter the postman with a review copy of Storm
Educational Softwareæs The Calabash Pirates, an adventure game for seven
to eleven year olds.
9.11
Installation
9.11
The software is provided on one disc and has been archived using ArcFS,
a read-only version of which is supplied. The program will run from the
floppy disc on a 2Mb machine but better performance is achieved if the
material is de-archived and installed on a hard disc. This procedure is
straightforward. Within fifteen minutes the program had been installed
to the hard disc of an A5000, RISC OS 3.1 computer and the intrepid
testers were transported to a desert island for the rest of the morning
whilst Mum simply had to keep checking on their progress.
9.11
Manual
9.11
The Calabash Pirates comes with an extremely good manual which clearly
explains hardware requirements, how to load and run the software, and
what all the various activities are. The manual also indicates which
National Curriculum attainment targets each activity relates to.
Accompanying the manual is a twelve page teachersæ reference guide which
provides a short history of piracy and gives plenty of ideas for a
variety of cross-curricular activities which a class could undertake.
9.11
Operation
9.11
The software is extremely easy to operate and any child who has mastered
mouse control, and can read instructions from the screen, should have no
problems in working unaided. In practice, this is the sort of program
where most benefit will be gained from letting children work in small
groups. The software can be configured to run at one of three levels,
shipæs cat (easy), captain (moderate) or buccaneer (difficult). This
allows the game to challenge the problem-solving abilities of children
of different ages. It also means within a class the activity level can
be tailored to the needs of individual pupils, enabling brighter
children to be stretched, or slower ones encouraged, whilst still
performing ostensibly the same work.
9.11
Activities
9.11
The Calabash Pirates is an adventure game which is set in late Tudor /
early Stuart times. Four pirates have landed on a desert island in the
Caribbean in search of their fortune. They have obtained a map from
which to work out the location of a hidden cache of treasure. In order
to find the treasure, they have to navigate themselves round the island
encountering a number of challenges on the way.
9.11
The sort of challenges include patching the sail to create a pre-
determined pattern, working out sums from symbols (at buccaneer level
the sums are not to base 10) and navigating a ship to harbour (at
buccaneer level this includes calculating the number of degrees to
turn). Successful completion of an activity gains bonus pieces of gold.
Between activities are historical questions about the time of the
pirates or exploring the New World. These are intended to stimulate
understanding of the historical context and to prompt a pupil to consult
reference books.
9.11
Teachersæ version
9.11
The program is thoughtfully supplied in two versions. One is the full
adventure game which pupils are supposed to use. The other is a
shortened teachersæ version of the challenges and is designed to allow
the teacher to investigate various activities without having to roam
around the island. Not only is this a useful facility for teachers but
it also enhances the potential of the software for class use as one
particular activity can be set for every child in the class to have an
individual turn.
9.11
Saving and printing
9.11
The game can be saved at any stage which is useful as it could easily
take a few hours to complete the adventure in a classroom situation. It
is also possible to print out the screen at any stage so long as a
RISCáOS printer driver is loaded. Quite how useful this would be is
debatable, and it would certainly be heavy on toner if each child were
to be given a printout.
9.11
Criticisms
9.11
It is difficult to find any criticisms of the program. IfáIádo have any,
it is the need to go through easy stages to get to an answer as this can
be frustrating toáa user who sees the answer straight away.
9.11
Conclusion
9.11
The Calabash pirates is a well thought out resource which successfully
links Key Stages 2 and 3 mathematics with geography and history in an
engrossing adventure. The clarity of the manual is impressive. Teachers
will find the educational benefit of the activities is optimised if the
software is used at relevant points in history and geography studies
rather than concentrating solely on the mathematical aspects. Parents
will find that it keeps seven to eleven year olds creatively occupied
for hours without needing significant adult assistance Ö especially
useful during cold, half-term holidays!
9.11
The Calabash Pirates costs ú25.99 (including VAT and p&p) from Storm
Educational Software or ú25 through Archive. At this price, it
represents excellent value for money. Details of site licences are
available from the manufacturer.
9.11
P.S. PC and Mac versions are also available Ö if you really must!áuá
9.11
Click Art Ö Sports and Games
9.11
Dave Walsh
9.11
Clipart or resource collections are arguably very difficult to review.
After all, they are static and do nothing; there is no learning curve
and their usage should be broadly similar for all users.
9.11
I have a wide range of clipart, and use it in business, training and
educational contexts, within DTP and multimedia. So, what is it that I
want from a clipart pack? Firstly, I look for art which is going to be
of use. This may seem an obvious starting point, but with the quantity
of art available in both public domain and commercial arenas, it is easy
to have a mish-mash of art from different sources that makes the good
pieces hard to find unless you have a consistent and thorough filing
system. This Matt Black pack benefits from sensible division into
appropriately named directories (borders, courts, fitness, flags,
flying, gear, horses, ice&snow, icons 1, icons 2, sports and water),
which makes finding an appropriate picture far easier.
9.11
The American heritage of the pack does mean that British sports, such as
cricket, are absent, whilst American football is well supported and
rugby becomes soccer! In all, there are about 182 coloured draw file
pictures (although Artworks copies are available separately) in the 12
categories. As I have come to expect from Matt Black, the images are
exquisitely produced and are supported by a full colour catalogue of
images, written alphabetical index and Hugh Eaglesæ !PicaPic utility.
The latter has improved greatly from earlier versions and is certainly
worth revisiting to index your clipart collections. All the images I
checked had been saved at a zoom factor of 1:1 and are ideally suited
for grey scale printout if you are not using colour. Printing them out
as line art is more difficult, but is possible with the way the pictures
have been created.
9.11
The pack has been titled öSports and Gamesò quite accurately when you
consider that images of hopscotch, lego and bridge are part of the
collection. In fact, the pack covers a wide range of sporting activity
as well, ranging from fishing and croquet through to skiing and ice
climbing. As a very rough guide, the pack contains 18 water sport
pictures, 9ágolf, 6 indoor sports, 14 games, 11 American sports, 43
sporting images relating to common school sports, 8 winter activities,
19 leisure sports (e.g. hiking, fishing etc), 24 Éadultæ games (ranging
from pool to bridge and poker to chess), 11 athletics and fitness
images, 10 flags, 8 equestrian events and 2 flying activities.
9.11
I reckon that any sports club secretary, sports shop or secondary school
PE department would make great use of much of this material for posters,
newsletters, team lists or match reports. As the images come with a site
licence, they represent very good value for a secondary school wanting
to use computers to encourage sporting activity. I would have no
hesitation in recommending the pack as a high quality source of
generalist sporting images.
9.11
The Sports & Games Click Art pack is ú35 from Matt Black (who are,
currently, including a Éfreeæ pack with every order).áuá
9.11
Notice Board
9.11
Andy Jeffery
9.11
This review is based on an early version, 1.02, of Notice Board. The
idea behind this application is to provide a simple method of producing
the kind of monitor displays that can be seen advertising, for example,
the services and efficiencies of the Post Office whilst we wait in the
queue. Any Draw or Artworks files can be used to provide a display
sequence complete with fades and even, if required, aátimer showing each
pageæs display duration.
9.11
Notice Boardæs editor provides a central window in which the whole
design of a display is created. The first task is to create a new notice
board. I found this procedure a little confusing and unconventional.
When first loaded, the editing window automatically opens with a
previously created notice board already loaded. It is necessary to use
menu on the iconbar icon to create a new file and discard the old. Also,
the create window on the iconbar is actually labelled Écreate new
pagesæ, which is confusing because, later, it is necessary to create
pages as part of the display.
9.11
Having created a new notice board and saved it to disc, Écategoriesæ
need to be created Ö these are, basically, individual directories
created inside your notice board application. Each category can be given
a priority number which will vary the frequency of display of the pages
from within that category. Pages are Draw or Artworks files and can
contain any features common to these formats Ö including, of course,
text and sprites.
9.11
Each category also specifies a template Ö once more, slight confusion is
caused by being called Étitlesæ. Aátemplate is another drawfile
containing a rectangular area in which other Draw / ArtWork files will
be displayed. The idea behind the use of a template is that a layout
design common to all the pages in that category can be provided Ö
perhaps a frame design with a heading.
9.11
Having created a category, and decided on the template, the task of
designing the pages can begin. One of the very user-friendly techniques
used in this program is the true integration between this and Draw and
ArtWorks applications. Once a file of either of these formats is loaded
Ö simply by dragging a file onto the pages section of the main editor
window, any further editing of that file can be achieved by selecting
the edit option. The page will then be reloaded back into the relevant
application for alteration, and the usual <f3> keypress will re-save the
file back inside the Notice Board application.
9.11
Once the set of pages has been designed, various options can be set
which will control the display sequence. Individual pages can be set to
be displayed at different times and on different days of the week. The
time that each page is displayed can be automatically adjusted if a page
contains more words, and a chosen graphic can be displayed moving down
the displayed page, indicating visually the amount of time that the
particular page has remaining. The format and display of a real time
clock can also be added to the display sequence.
9.11
The screen fade option provides many variations, and those selected are
applied randomly between each page in a display. It is not possible to
select individual fades for each page, but the variety of fades make a
random selection of those selected more than satisfactory. Random page
display is also available. The screen resolution and colour combination
can be chosen to take full advantage of the RiscPC specifications, but
this application will run quite satisfactory from a 1Mb RISC OS2 floppy
machine. The option to use Acornæs Squash application assists with the
production of displays on lower specification machines, and the ability
to produce a run-only display on a floppy disc is also provided.
9.11
Conclusion
9.11
This is an excellent program which could easily be used to provide a
range of applications, from a very cost-effective monitor display in a
shop window using just an A3010 and a TV, to a very professional display
of slides in a large format with 16 million colours on a RiscPC. The
only real criticism and initial difficulty I had with using this
application was with the manual, but I would assume that this early
version has since been replaced. I really wish that those who write
software would cease writing manuals. Perhaps, Archive should suggest to
software houses that reviewers be invited both to test the software and
edit the manuals!
9.11
Notice Board, costing ú35 (no VAT) from Really Good Software Company,
can be recommended as an excellent purchase.áuá
9.11
Cambridge Reading Talking Books
9.11
Rob Ives
9.11
The Cambridge reading scheme uses a variety of authors and illustrators
to give schoolchildren the chance to see a range of styles as they are
learning to read. Now, to expand childrenæs experience, Cambridge
Reading have teamed up with Sherston to produce six of their ÉBeginning
to Readæ books, as a collection of animated, talking books for the
computer.
9.11
Talking Books
9.11
Unpacking the video style case, you find six neatly stored 800Kb discs
and a slim manual. The manual is common to Acorn, Windoze and Mac
platforms, and provides instructions for installation and program use
for each OS. Also included are teacheræs notes and advice on the use of
the program. Each of the six discs contains one story, a !System folder,
a !Fonts folder containing the rather attractive ÉTabloidæ font, and a
ReadMe file with latest information about the software.
9.11
The software can be copied straight onto a hard disc but, horror of
horrors, requires the floppy to be present for the software to load.
What is the point of a hard disc if you have to use key discs?
Apparently, ifáyou purchase a site licence, this copy protection doesnæt
apply but with six discs in the pack, surely they could be liberally
handed around the school anyway! To add insult to injury, both the
Windows and Mac version appear to run from a hard disc without the need
for a key disc.
9.11
The programs are run in the usual way. A double click on the programæs
icon installs it onto the iconbar from where it can be launched with a
single click. There are a number of options available from the iconbar
menu. It is possible to choose whether the whole of a sentence is read
out when it is clicked on, or each individual word. As the program
reads, each word is highlighted. The colour of the highlighting can be
chosen here as well as the volume of the speech. Unfortunately, the
volume bar graph canæt be dragged. The arrow buttons have to be used to
set the desired volume.
9.11
A word log can be saved from the options dialogue box. This lists, along
with the time and date, which words children have clicked on and how
often. Useful, perhaps, if children are using the program unsupervised.
9.11
!PlayBook Copyright ⌐ Sherston
9.11
            Software Ltd, 1995
9.11
Word usage log file.
9.11
ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ
9.11
Book: Hot Day
9.11
Date: Sun Mar 31 15:55:35 1996
9.11
Word         Amount
9.11
ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ-
9.11
shoes          1
9.11
jeans          1
9.11
the            3
9.11
floor          2
9.11
The stories
9.11
The six stories are written and illustrated by five different authors
and artists. The pictures are delightful, and the animations add an
extra dimension not possible in a paper book. All the pictures are based
on 256 colour sprites, although they also look good on a 16 colour
screen. For some reason, when Iátried to change to 16-colour mode to see
what it looked like, the font information was lost. It was easily
reloaded by clicking on the modified !Fonts application supplied on the
discs.
9.11
The stories are aimed at Key Stage 1 children (Infants) but were
sufficiently interesting to engage the children in my year four class.
Use of the books is simple, with four basic icons used to control them.
Right and left arrows move forward and backwards in the book. An eye
button is used to play animations and an ear button reads the words on
the page.
9.11
A click on the menu gives a range of choices. The index is a simple list
öPage 1, Page2, Page 3...ò Although this is functionally OK, it would be
nice to have a visual index with a thumbnail picture of each page Ö as
in P.B. Bear. This wouldnæt take up much disc space Ö there are only
eight pages in each book Ö and it would make the index much more usable.
9.11
The books can be set to read to you. Buttons animate at appropriate
moments, and the animations with sound effects are shown, as well as the
story being read. The single-tasking option allows the book to fill the
whole screen, and also speeds up operations on earlier machines
guaranteeing that highlighted words and speech are synchronised. This
was very well-behaved, returning you to the screen mode you left when
you have finished.
9.11
The only problem was with RiscPC and A7000 computers where the screen
stayed a blank grey for some 30 seconds after the program had finished.
This is a problem with the Windows Manager Module according to the
readme file on the disc, which says, ö...you will notice that when
<ctrl-q> is pressed to return to the desktop...ò and then goes on to
mention the above problem. Weird Ö when <ctrl-q> is pressed nothing
happens! According to the manual, you should use either <Esc> or <f12>
to return to the desktop!
9.11
As well as using the icons, it is possible to activate the animations by
clicking on the pictures. There are usually two or three simple
animations on each page. Although they are small, they are of a high
standard and certainly entertain young readers. The six stories cover a
range of topics from ÉMy Petæ, as seen in the illustration, to ÉThe
Picnicæ and ÉWhat For?æ There is no common theme apart from high quality
of illustrations and well chosen language.
9.11
Conclusion
9.11
These talking books are of a high standard, and Iáwould have no
hesitation in recommending them to either class teachers or special
needs departments in search of extra support materials. The pictures are
wonderful, the sound effects well done and the speech is clear and well
synchronised to the highlighted words. My only reservation is the
horrible key disc protection. Cambridge Reading Talking books need RISC
OS 3 and 2Mb of memory. They cost ú40 +VAT from Sherston or ú47 through
Archive. This compares favourably with the ÉBig Booksæ, large books for
class reading available from Cambridge Books, which cost ú9.95 each.áuá
9.11
Physics Tutor Levels 5-8
9.11
Charles Hill
9.11
This is best described as a self-contained revision/learning program
aimed at levels 5-8 of the Science National Curriculum section on
Physical Processes. The package comes with an 8-page manual and is on
two discs Ö 3Mb of hard disc space is recommended for a single subject.
The version reviewed was 1.50 (July 1995).
9.11
The program was run on an A5000 computer with no problems except for a
slight hitch during installation Ö I have reviewed a demonstration
version, but the original !Sprites file was incorrect and froze the
computer. A telephone call and some simple editing quickly solved the
problem.
9.11
The program runs as a multiple choice type test. After loading the
program and double-clicking on the icon, there is a choice of subject
area with about 20 or 30 questions in each: Astronomy, Circuits, Energy,
Floating & Sinking, Forces, Light, Magnetism, Motion, Radiation, Sound.
9.11
Most of the above categories are self-explanatory, although the choice
of headings does not reveal all the contents. The Circuits section
includes static electricity, capacitors and some numerical calculations;
the Energy section includes some questions on weather maps; the Floating
& Sinking section includes pressure and kinetic theory; Forces includes
calculations on speed and acceleration; Magnetism includes
electromagnetic devices; the Motion section is mainly motion graphs; and
Radiation covers radioactivity.
9.11
The material is described as being primarily for GCSE, and NEAB Physics
in particular, with the note that it may be suitable for Key Stage 3.
Some sections would be beyond the range of many Key Stage 3 pupils,
although others are quite appropriate Ö on some topics a Year 8 pupil
was quite successful. These comments imply that the material does cover
a wide range of ability and the label of levels 5 to 8 is appropriate at
the lower end, but I feel that some questions go above level 8 in
standard. The coverage of the Key Stage 3 programme of study is good, if
not entirely comprehensive (this would be a difficult task), and it
certainly goes beyond this.  I have no access to the NEAB GCSE syllabus
for further comparison.
9.11
The questions are presented in a clear and attractive format which can
also be downloaded as drawfiles (ofágood quality but without the
multiple choice answer buttons) for further work if necessary. The
questions are of a four-choice type and clicking on the letter button of
your choice either informs you that you are correct and gives you a
brief reason why, in case you guessed(!), or wrong, and give you
information to help you get a correct answer second time around. The
window with this information is helpfully positioned so that it is
unnecessary to move the mouse before clicking on ÉNext Questionæ, and it
contains a running total of the number of correct questions answered so
far.
9.11
Once all the questions have been answered, there is an opportunity to
return and re-attempt questions incorrectly answered before, or you can
quit the program or attempt a new section.  The mouse menu button can be
used to produce a short list enabling the question frame to be saved as
a drawfile, to quit or to go to a specific question (by number). If this
option is used, any existing score of questions correct is replaced, and
this does seem to be a pity, as it is not helpful if someone just wishes
to go back and review a question, already answered correctly, during a
test. Atáany point in a section, it is possible to change to questions
in another section, but again the score of correct questions is not
transferred to the new section.
9.11
The manual is clearly set out and easy to use, although the program is
so straightforward that only occasional reference, to search out
additional features, is likely to be necessary.
9.11
The program does seem to be well designed, attractive and easy for
students to use, and in this form it is likely to be a useful revision
aid. It is not particularly powerful in giving the teacher diagnostic
information (e.g. as a range of difficulties are present in the
questions, it might be possible to get some assessment of National
Curriculum levels). In one or two sections, letter A responses seem to
be too frequent and, in questions with numerical answers, it would be
better if choices were arranged in order of size in all, rather than
some, questions. The drawfiles and the answer text are easily accessible
to pupils and so it is essential that they are write-protected to avoid
illicit tampering and the creative(?) versions of the questions that may
result!
9.11
Physics Tutor is produced by Kinetic Computing who also produce Biology
and Chemistry versions (not reviewed here). The price is ú25 for a
single user (ú49 if all three subjects are purchased). Site licence
prices are ú75 for one subject and ú195 for all three.áuá
9.11
Impact2 Relational Database
9.11
Peter Jennings
9.11
When a new application arrives with a substantial loose-leaf manual, it
is a rather reassuring indication that it is a serious piece of software
with an implied promise of upgrades and updated documentation. Impact2
(version 1.11), the relational database creation program from Circle
Software, comes on a single disc accompanied by more than 100 pages of
instruction in a loose-leaf binder at a serious software price of ú95
+VAT. Databases created in the earlier ImpactPro can be used with it.
9.11
Relational databases are those which allow their data to be shared
between files. This is well illustrated by some of the examples
included. Clicking on ÉVideosæ on a list from an iconbar sub-menu opens
a database which records the stock of a video hire shop. Aásecond
database of ÉAddressesæ is also opened automatically, and the Videos
file draws on this for the details of the shopæs customers. The
Addresses file can be used completely independently of the Videos file
and is not restricted to business use. Its cards also include more
personal details, which do not appear on the Videos records, such as who
is to receive a Christmas card and even photographs of some of the
people known socially.
9.11
When a database is opened, a control panel appears on screen giving the
option of displaying the data on individual cards, or as a table showing
the whole file, with each card entry on a single line. Both displays can
be on screen together, and clicking on an entry in the table highlights
it in red and opens the appropriate card. The card can be attached to
the control panel and this helps avoid confusion when more than one
database is on screen.
9.11
The control panel is also used to set up indexes to sort entries into a
particular order, such as alphabetical, and to make sub-sets defined
with filters. A sub-set used by the mythical video shop makes a list of
which videos are currently out on loan, showing who has hired them,
while one in the Addresses file lists everyone who is to receive a
Christmas card, ready for printing the labels.
9.11
A row of tool icons on the control panel allows for browsing entries,
entering new data, deleting a card, find and replace, merging data into
an Impression report, printing labels, importing and exporting data,
printing or exporting reports, making backups, creating alternative sets
of cards and re-editing the layout. The use of interactive help, not
present in the first few versions, becomes necessary here. Although the
control panel is illustrated in the manual, the meanings of its several
unfamiliar icons are not given with the illustration in the edition I
have. Instead, their use is explained with tiny thumbnail pictures
scattered throughout the book.
9.11
Fields can be selected for printing in any order and can even be joined
(concatenated) so that, for example, title, first name and surname can
be printed together on the same line even if they are in a different
order onáthe database cards. A separate program for designing and
printing labels is provided, including a good selection of designs and
sizes, and this can also be used by other applications.
9.11
Data can be imported and exported in Comma or Tab Separated Value format
(CSV and TSV) and displayed data can be dragged into an application such
as !Edit or a word processor or straight into a directory to create a
text file. It is even possible to export entries one item to a line,
which is useful for addresses and for printing a single label.
9.11
Another useful facility for Impression users is support for Impulse, the
public domain module from Computer Concepts, which allows data to be
sent to Impression with instructions to merge and, if required, print
the results. This can be used with Impression Junior (now widely owned
since being distributed free on an Archimedes World disc), although a
bug in the original version of Impression may sometimes cause problems.
9.11
A database can contain more than one set of cards. Alternative sets can
be created to exclude, for example, sensitive material, while the main
set is barred to unauthorised users by setting a password.
9.11
Most databases require fields containing different types of data. In
Impact2 these can include: Text of up to 32 lines; Notes, which are
files of any type and length, stored within the database and instantly
displayed when required; Number, in various formats; Calc, for
displaying the result of a calculation, such as the addition of VAT;
Date, displayed in almost any format; File, which holds the pathname of
any file on the computer and runs it with a click on a button; Image, a
sprite scaled to fit the display; Flag, which is displayed as a text
legend with a tick box to indicate an on/off option (such as whether a
subscription has been paid); Option, a display of up to 32 radio buttons
with text legends, to select one item from a range of options; Browser,
a display icon with a pair of arrows to choose one item of defined text,
such as öMr, Mrs, Miss, Msò; and Menu, similar to a browser but with a
pop-up menu.
9.11
A new database is created by a click on the iconbar menu, which brings
up a window where the blank card can be designed by dragging data items
of the required types from an attached tool window. These can then be
positioned and dragged to the required size. A ÉLabelæ can be added to
any of them to provide a title. This is all done in a slightly awkward
way. After each item is placed on the card, yet another window is opened
and this has to be used to select a range of attributes. For example,
the wording on a label has to be entered in the attributes window rather
than directly on the label, and it does not appear on the card until the
attributes window has been closed.
9.11
Text has to be allocated ÉDisc spaceæ, otherwise it is liable to be
truncated and may not even fill its field on the card, but there is no
explanation of how to judge how much is required.
9.11
Cards are all a mottled grey, matching the RiscPCæs iconbar. This drab
look is explained, in a rather severely worded note, as being to
öconform to the Acorn desktop standard styleò. This, of course, is very
much a matter of taste, and some people will prefer a monochrome look,
but it seems strange that a user who has to customise every other aspect
of a database is not allowed to choose the colour of its cards. There is
always the alternative of resorting to FormEd, or a similar utility, to
edit the templates, but most other database programs do provide a colour
option at the design stage.
9.11
Relational database programs tend to be among the more expensive, and if
you do not need the relational facility, you may wish to consider
something cheaper which may offer almost everything else. For many
users, though, the ability to share data which would otherwise have to
be duplicated will fully justify the extra cost.
9.11
Impact2 is a powerful and flexible program with all the important
features needed. It is not difficult to learn and it soon becomes quick
and simple to design and create even complex databases which are very
easy to use. Users are encouraged to report any problems for immediate
attention and correction, and upgrades are available without charge.
Potential buyers can get a free demo disc from Circle Software, which
comes with a printed instruction book containing the guided tour from
the manual.
9.11
Impact2 costs ú99 +VAT from Circle Software or ú110 through Archive.áuá
9.11
Impact2 Discovered
9.11
Neil Griffiths
9.11
I came to computers in 1984 with a BBC and dot matrix printer, and since
then I have Égraduatedæ through various marks/types to my present RiscPC
600. I should add that I am fully retired and have no business
connection with Circle Software. I write this article since, so far, I
havenæt noticed a similar review in any of the computer magazines or
press. Apart from a general interest in computers, my main use over the
years has been of a personal nature Ö address lists, christmas card
lists and a perpetual diary/journal.
9.11
Initially, Mini Office served my purpose and this was soon followed by
Minerva DTO Ö a suite of five interactive programs covering word
processing, database, spreadsheet, graphs and communications. The
database has been extremely useful and was in use for over five years.
By this time, I had become the membership secretary for a private
organisation of 300 members, and I wanted something more than even the
reliable Minerva database. After searching around, I spotted an
advertisement for Impact▓ by Circle Software, at that time in Swindon.
It seemed just what I wanted, so my order went in by telephone.
9.11
The package
9.11
The package arrived promptly Ö one disc, a well-written manual and the
usual release notes and installation information. I donæt know how other
people respond, but with any new product, I simply love to work step by
step through a tutorial, or something similar, and in this respect
Impact▓ gained my confidence, especially as the manual has Chapter 1
headed ÉA Guided Touræ and Chapter 2 ÉAn Overviewæ. Following chapters
cover the more detailed procedures in setting up a database. I should
add that the disc contained several live databases which can be used for
reference in training. These, of course, can be dispensed with later if
you become stuck for space Ö and who isnæt?
9.11
Impact▓ follows the normal accepted practice of mostádatabases and, at
first, it appears a little strange. The heart of the system centres
round ÉIndexesæ, ÉFiltersæ and ÉItem Selectionsæ, which although self-
explanatory, have to be appreciated in conjunction with other facilities
which appear on the Control Panel when each database is loaded. I
suppose Iáshould have mentioned that loading of the program initially
was again simplicity itself, well described and quite easy to follow.
9.11
The Impact on Impression
9.11
It wasnæt until I reached the chapter on ÉImpression Reportsæ that I
fully appreciated the advantages of the interactive facility of Impact▓
with Impression. I think Circle Software could have made much more of
this aspect to their advantage in the advertisement Ö I will try to
explain. All the data is contained in a fairly normal sort of database,
but one of its facilities is to produce a ÉTableæ, the contents of which
are controlled by ÉIndexesæ, ÉFiltersæ and ÉItemsæ, so you can see, we
have a very powerful means of getting on the screen and on paper just
what we want from our database.
9.11
For anyone who uses Publisher/Impression/Style, Impact▓ is an absolute
must, as the resultant combination knows no limits. If you add Tablemate
and Artworks, there isnæt much we cannot cope with. To sum up, the data
is extracted from the database governed by what is contained in Indexes,
Filters and Items, it is then displayed as a table, and this table can
then be printed out via Impression.
9.11
Labels
9.11
There is also a complete chapter on printing labels, and I must add that
this is also very simple and straightforward. Any size label can be
produced in any font. Included is a standard format for all ÉAveryæ type
laser labels, but you can quite easily design your own label or any size
envelope, all of which can be Ésavedæ for future use. You can print
direct, or to file and later to printer, whichever you want.
9.11
Set up your own database
9.11
The production of your customised database is again straightforward, and
one distinct advantage of Impact▓ is the ability to change/delete an
item after you have started to use the database. I can recall the
Minerva database where, once loaded and filled with data, it was a case
of starting again. Mind you, I still keep a blank copy of any database
tucked away in case of errors or mistakes! With Impact▓, supposing you
wanted to alter a field Ö say make it longer Ö this can easily be done.
Also, adding a further field, altering the position or order of
presentation, or any other complex change, can be carried out after the
database has been brought into use. All the standard calculations can be
used, and these can also be altered later if necessary. Dates can appear
in any acceptable form, and the program appears to cater for all
personal requirements.
9.11
May I help you?
9.11
What about help, which we all need at one time or another, because even
the best of manuals sometimes fail to provide the answer? Both in
Swindon, and in their new home in Bodmin, there has always been either a
cheery voice, or an answerphone, to take your queries. John Skingley who
runs Circle Software was always most helpful and patient with my
queries, and I have to admit that there were quite a few in the early
days, mainly to do with printing. Their back-up and updating leaves
nothing to be desired Ö usually a free update if you return the original
disc, which I have done two or three times since purchasing.
9.11
I must emphasise that this is not meant to be a full review of Impact▓,
as I feel sure that I have left out essential items, but for the benefit
of other Impression users who need a database which will work in
conjunction with Impression/Merge, I consider that Impact▓ is an
absolute Émustæ. It is very reasonably priced too, at just over ú100.áuá
9.11
A new database is created by dragging the required data items onto a
blank card.
9.11
Data can be displayed on cards, as a table or (as here) both together.
9.11
A separate label printing program, with a useful set of ready designed
labels, can also be used with other applications.
9.11
!Speccy Ö Spectrum Emulator
9.11
Alex Card
9.11
Following my review of !Z80Em in Archive 9.7 p73, Iáreceived a letter
from Germany extolling the virtues of !Speccy by Carsten Witt. This
letter wasnæt from the author himself but a satisfied customer (to my
mind the best kind of recommendation). Carsten kindly sent me a review
copy.
9.11
!Z80Em from Warm Silence Software is a good program, although it
currently lacks one or two features that would make it an excellent one.
It canæt use some Spectrum file formats, it has no multitasking mode
and, at the time of my review, there was no facility for emulating a
128Kb Spectrum (though this has since been added). There are also some
other odd quirks such as the way in which emulation speed was indicated.
!Speccy deals with all these, and has a number of other useful
additions.
9.11
File formats
9.11
!Speccy is supplied with a file format converter program (!SpecConv)
which enables four filetypes to be used with the emulator. This is
particularly useful if you have the 3000 game, Speccy Sensation 2 CD-ROM
or files ported from one of the PCæs numerous Spectrum emulators.
Conversion between SNA, TAP, DOS and Speccyæs own filetype are easily
carried out and it hasnæt failed yet, although Iæve had to convert via a
two stage operation on a few occasions.
9.11
Through the square window
9.11
!Speccy is fully RISC OS compliant and opens as a window, but the mode
chosen should be fairly low-res as itæs not possible to adjust the size
of the window to anything larger than it first appears. Ideal modes
would be 15 or 21 and, on a RiscPC, 640╫480 would be the maximum usable.
If used on some hi-res modes on the RiscPC, !Speccy causes problems,
particularly with the palette. These modes are totally unsuitable
anyway, as the window will appear too small.
9.11
Personally, I much prefer running the emulator in the single-tasking,
full screen mode, but with the option of multitasking, it would have
been useful to have included an optional window displaying what each of
the keys do in Spectrum mode. Better still would have been to allow the
pointer to be used to input commands. For those who have never used a
Spectrum, if you press key ÉKæ for example, the command ÉLISTæ appears
on the screen (very confusing) Ö and other keys produce equally crazy
results! I would imagine, however, that very few users would be
interested in programming the Spectrum anyway, unless they are either
mad or masochistic!
9.11
Hardware support
9.11
The program is currently much more complete than !Z80Em in its support
of associated Spectrum hardware. Multiprint, Multiface 128, Interface 1
and Microdrive options are available.
9.11
Interface 1 option allows the serial port and cartridge files to be
used, and must be set for the Microdrive to be accessible.
9.11
Multiface is an add-on device from a company called Romantic Robot, and
is used to backup running programs to tape, disc or cartridge. For this
option to work, youæll need to have access to the appropriate ROM image,
which isnæt supplied for copyright reasons. When this is available, a
menu is pulled up by pressing the ÉPrintæ key. In any case, a snapshot
of memory can be taken at any time, so this is still of limited use.
9.11
Multiprint is also from Romantic Robot, and falls under the same
restrictions as the Multiface. It allows control of an Epson-compatible
printer, and also allows limited investigation into, and adjustment of,
Spectrum memory.
9.11
In 128Kb Spectrum mode, the icon switches to match the Ébig brotheræ
modelæs appearance. The major improvements in hardware terms over its
48k predecessor are in having 3-channel sound as opposed to single
channel, improved graphic and colour controls (noticeable that sprites
actually maintained their colour when moving over a background object)
and, of course, extra memory for running larger programs. In the last
years of Spectrum production, plenty of programs utilising 128Kb were
written (many of which are on the Speccy2 CD) and this seems to be a
perfect translation of the code. In some cases, it is too perfect, as
there was a minor glitch in sound control which is carried over to
!Speccy!
9.11
One of the things I disliked about !Z80Em was the way in which speed was
indicated Ö it took the form ö&1000000ò which was pretty meaningless.
OK, you could increase it and things happened faster, but it is a messy
way of going about it. !Speccy is much neater and easier to understand.
Itæs in the form of relative speed compared to an actual Spectrum, so
100% exactly matches and the increase/decrease buttons allow for fine
adjustment.
9.11
One niggle I have on the adjust arrows in speed and volume, for example,
is that the user is not able to input directly from the keyboard Ö all
changes are by clicking on the arrows only. Since the ARM710 often
initially sets a value of 600%, it can take some time to reduce the
speed to a more usable value. However, there is a way around this
fiddling about. It is possible to make a small modification to the !Run
file to set an initial speed. Iæd have preferred a button to default to
100%, as itæs unlikely that speeds anywhere near approaching 600% will
ever be desirable.
9.11
The usual Ésave screen as a spriteæ and Étake a snapshot of memory to
save game positionæ are both present, along with the ability to use up
to two joysticks.
9.11
On a free transfer
9.11
The serial port can be used to transfer files to the Archimedes in
conjunction with the Interface 1 option, and protected Spectrum tape
games can be directly loaded via the RS423 port using an ordinary
cassette player, switching to the so-called ÉSmooth Modeæ which disables
most of the Archimedes interrupts, and then using the load option to
directly access the tape player. Itæs still far too fiddly for me, and
Iæd thoroughly recommend the Speccy 2 CD compilation (providing, of
course, you have a CD¡ROM drive!). There are thousands of Spectrum games
around and, unlike those of the BBC ÉBæ, the Spectrum ones all appear
now to be Public Domain, so you can freely swap with friends.
9.11
All in all, !Speccy is probably the most comprehensive Spectrum Emulator
youære likely to come across. It still has the edge over the latest
version of !Z80Em from Warm Silence Software (though the gap has reduced
considerably with the new 128Kb version).
9.11
!Speccy is difficult to fault Ö it does what it sets out to do very
well, and it is a very complete emulator, but Iástill donæt have the
same strong feelings towards Spectrum games that I have for old BBC
ones. Still, if you were brought up on ÉStop The Expressæ, ÉTir Na Nogæ
or ÉAd Astraæ, !Speccy is definitely the one for you.
9.11
!Speccy, the Spectrum Emulator, is available for ú20 +p&p from Carsten
Witt, Rostocker Strasse, 45739 Oer-Erkenschwick, Germany.áuá
9.11
DrawWorks 2
9.11
Christopher Jarman
9.11
In the words of Aaron Timbrell, the producer of DrawWorks2, öIt is a
complete set of integrated applications designed to improve Draw,
Acornæs own drawing package.ò
9.11
Now, I came to computers late in life, and I only know the modern
Acorns, so unlike many long established enthusiasts, I actually started
drawing with Artworks and never spent much time with Draw. Since
installing DrawWorks2, I have had the chance to see, first of all, what
an excellent program the original Draw is, and now with this laughably
inexpensive addition (ú20 through Archive) how very impressive it can
become. I just wonder what Acornæs built-in applications would have all
been like if Aaron had been employed at the Cambridge works from the
beginning!
9.11
Believe me, this is an upgrade which takes the normal Draw, which you
all know and love, through what Iábelieve is called a quantum leap! To
begin with, there are over 60 new buttons added to the Draw window!
9.11
As with all iSV products, you get far more than you pay for. The on-
screen manual, which is presented in iSVæs house style application, is
worth the price on its own. This is no measly Help or ReadMe file, but a
proper fully-illustrated manual on screen with search and saving
abilities, which actually tells you what you want to know. It also
includes illustrated step-by-step tutorials! See opposite.
9.11
These are some of the things that the new toolbar offers:
9.11
A paper sizing menu
9.11
Immediate loading of a named file
9.11
Click on/off the grid
9.11
Instant select of text colours, fill colours, line and background
colours, etc.
9.11
Select snap to grid
9.11
Toggle portrait/landscape paper
9.11
Kern/unkern text
9.11
Convert thin lines to thick for printing
9.11
Colour filters
9.11
Merging selected paths
9.11
and many other activities which are too numerous to list.
9.11
Of course, many of these functions were already there in Draw, but not
all by any means, and it is so much more convenient, and stylish, to
have them all on a movable toolbar. There are actually eight completely
new features.
9.11
Some of the buttons have further menus attached for even more choices to
be made or pre-set, such as changing the grid to rectangular or
isometric (even Artworks canæt do that).
9.11
What is more, the original Draw toolbox has been redesigned too, and
looks great.
9.11
The new ability to select out and save colour separations is first rate.
It is much easier to do in practice than using Artworks, so I shall be
tempted to save out my Artworks files as drawfiles just for that
purpose!
9.11
The diagrams below show my Acorn Cybervillage logo separated into the
Keyfile, Cyan, Magenta and Yellow within about four minutes using the
Draw2 facility.
9.11
Then there is the DrawTrix button, which alone can give you hours of fun
just turning your images into all kinds of bulges and shapes. If you
have tried iSVs FontTrix program you will have some idea of what this
can do to your drawings.
9.11
DrawWorks2 comes on a single 800Kb floppy with the manual and over
thirty example drawfiles of the tricks and manipulations that can be
done with the application. DrawWorks 1 has been going since 1991, but
iSV say that the N║ 3 version is already being worked on! At this rate,
it may hardly be worth buying any other vector graphics program!
9.11
Order it now Ö I guarantee you wonæt be disappointed!áuá
9.11
Key
9.11
Magenta
9.11
Cyan
9.11
Yellow
9.11
Wyddfa Talking Stories
9.11
Patrick McTiernan & Pauline Barnett
9.11
This is a review of Wyddfa Softwareæs Talking Stories: öGwen goes to
Schoolò and öGwenæs Noseò. Their own introduction to the Talking
Stories, at the beginning of the supplied instructions, is probably as
good as (or better than) anything I could write:
9.11
Talking Stories is a new series of interactive electronic story books
for children (KS1). The stories range in difficulty and each emphasises
a different type of word. There are four stories in this series Ö Gwenæs
Nose (verbs,ánouns and adjectives), Gwenæs Tummy (colour adjectives),
Gwen goes to School (nouns and pronouns) and Gwen at the Fair (verbs).
The child can listen to the whole sentence on each page by clicking on
the speech bubble icon (using the select button of the mouse), or to
individual words by clicking on them. One word is missing from each
written sentence for the child to fill in from the words column on the
left of the picture. This is to encourage the child to look at the
sentence as well as listen to it.
9.11
The reviewers
9.11
I am employed as a CAD engineer, but qualified as a teacher of science
and mathematics; my seven-year-old sonæs teacher is in charge of IT at
the local infantsæ school, where I installed the Talking Stories on her
RiscPC and let her (and the children) test them in the school
environment. This review is split into two parts; the first by me,
Patrick, and then the report from the school by Mrs Barnett. It is
interesting to note the several areas of agreement between us, on what
could be improved, despite neither of us reading the otheræs text until
they were both largely completed.
9.11
What you get
9.11
The software came in ÉPrestigeæ data files, stiffened plastic wallets
with enough room for A5 printed material and two 800Kb floppy discs. The
cover and the usage instructions emphasise that the software will run on
1Mb Acorn RISC machines. Each story comes with a full-colour A5-sized
booklet of eight pages, showing each of the images in the story, and two
folded A4 sheets, giving information under the headings öTo install and
load your programò, öHowáto run Talking Storiesò, öThe iconbar menuò and
öProblem solvingò.
9.11
Installation
9.11
The ö...install and load...ò section starts with the introduction given
above, and then goes on to step-by-step installation instructions. I
felt that these could have been more clearly split between hard and
floppy installation; but otherwise, they were quite clear. Iádonæt feel
that there is any obvious Éright wayæ to help users install software for
computers, and copying RISCáOS applications to a directory is one of the
better ways. The instructions are adequate.
9.11
One section deals with how to run the program on a 1Mb Archimedes, using
a small application they supply (öFloppyFontò) to put the fonts into RAM
disc to prevent disc-swapping. Unfortunately, this didnæt work correctly
when I tried it on my RISCáOS 3.11 machine. This was, apparently, due to
a slight programming error when creating the RAM disc but Wyddfa are
looking into the problem.
9.11
The very first instruction tells you to use a 256-colour mode, and lists
a number of preferred 256-colour modes by number (which may be less
helpful for RiscPC users). On RISCáOS 3 and above, the colour-stippling
of the Draw module is so good that a 256-colour mode is not essential;
but 256 colours does make the colours brighter and more solid.
Installation on a RiscPC 600 and an old A310 (both with and without hard
disc) posed no real problems. No mention is made of RiscPC differences,
and only the differing behaviour under RISC OS 2 and 3 is mentioned. As
usual with RISCáOS machines, this was not a problem.
9.11
Try before you buy
9.11
Some readers may have already tried the demonstration version of öGwen
goes to Schoolò on the Risc Disc Volume 1 CD-ROM (or from elsewhere).
This has very similar loading instructions to those on the printed
sheet, with the addition of slightly more technical information on
required Font Cache sizes. The demo includes three of the eight pages of
öGwen goes to Schoolò, and gives a good introduction to the Talking
Stories programs. The demo version has the same program version as the
current release, having been compiled in April 1994. There are only a
few differences in the template files and !boot.
9.11
What you see and hear
9.11
The speech is in a very clear and pleasant male voice with a faint Welsh
accent. My wife thought that the speaker might even be from Birmingham!
I come from Shropshire, and Iæm convinced he was a Welsh speaker.
9.11
The format is much the same in each story: the program window, which is
the right size to nearly fill a mode 15 screen, is divided into a large,
colourful image, a text area at the bottom and a word-choice toolbox at
the left. There are eight pages. Each gives a sentence, related to the
image, with a single missing word. The missing area has a flashing text
cursor which cycles in colour. There is a choice of eight words to fill
the gap, a button containing a speech bubble (which means öspeak the
whole sentenceò), and a pair of forward/back buttons. The forward button
is initially greyed-out.
9.11
There are options to control how much of a clue is given to the child
for the words Ö either the full name, or the first letter is given as a
clue, or no clue may be given. When any word on the screen is clicked,
it is spoken after a short loading delay. When the correct word is
chosen, it appears in the sentence and the forward button is un-greyed,
allowing passage to the next page.
9.11
The images are nicely drawn, but not so startling as to distract from
the task in hand Ö learning to read. Gwen the bear is a simple figure,
without any special characteristics beyond öa red nose shaped like a
heartò (which features in öGwenæs Noseò) and a red bow tie. The teacher
in the school is obviously Indian, a small nod in the direction of
multi-cultural teaching. The scenes are very British in all other
respects (schools, cooking barbecues, having a bath). Gwen is gently
naughty.
9.11
Trial one: In the home
9.11
Does it work for its intended function? Does it help children learn to
read? I tried it out on my 4-year-old daughter, Sarah, who canæt really
read at present, and my 7-year-old son, Thomas, who is a good reader.
Sarah tried öGwenæs Noseò first. She poked at it a little randomly at
first, even with some guidance. After three pictures, she began to get
the idea. She tended to work on first letters rather than trying to
match the whole word. She was finding it straightforward to match the
word in the picture to the one in the menu at the 6th picture or so.
Throughout, she paid little attention to the sentence at the bottom,
using only the matching of the word on the picture to the ones in the
menu.
9.11
As an observer, I would say that too little attention was drawn to the
gap in the words (for the missing word). Also, the fonts were too small
for easy recognition (this was better on the RiscPC), and there was no
Ébig noiseæ when the correct word was discovered, and no highlighting of
the words or gap at any time. The gap wasnæt the same size as the word
which eventually appeared.
9.11
The competition
9.11
For comparison purposes, and to keep the children amused, I ran the demo
of öJim gets the Sneezesò from Sherston Software (and also installed it
at school). This has music, rapid highlighting of words, more complex
images (stored as compressed bitmaps), familiar characters from the
öRosie and Jimò TV series, some cartoon movements with accompanying
sounds which the user can trigger, and asks some questions which have to
be answered to move on. The sound is loaded into a cache in chunks for
each picture, so there is no loading delay for each word.
9.11
This certainly held the childrenæs attention more, on account of its
Éfunæ aspects. The dynamic highlighting of the words and more rapid
response to mouse-clicks, gives an immediate and refreshing quality
which keeps them interested. By rapidly clicking on the words, the
children get amusing öscratchingò effects which are impossible with the
Wyddfa Talking Stories, and can even make up their own sentences. Thomas
kept going long after Sarah had left the computer, making up his own
silly sentences.
9.11
Interestingly, when moved to the RiscPC, the Sherston program then
looked quite crude (because it uses bitmap images). In contrast, the
Wyddfa programs now looked a lot better, because they are produced in
Draw format.
9.11
Trial two: In the school
9.11
Most of the children in my class have had an opportunity to work with at
least one of the Talking Stories. This covers quite a wide ability
range. It has, of course, been impossible for me to work with or
supervise each child as he or she has worked with the programs. The
comments set out below, therefore, have evolved from observation, from
talking to the children (especially the more able ones), and from
discussion with my Special Education Assistants who work closely with
the less able children. I hope our contribution is of some use.
9.11
1. All the children actually enjoyed using the programs. The pictures
are bright, colourful and provide detail, which can be used to stimulate
conversation with less able children.
9.11
2. A lot of the children are confident readers. They had fun completing
the programs as they were new to them but they did not find them a
challenge. öThey are too easy!ò was the feedback from them.
9.11
I felt that, for this range of children, öRosie and Jimò provided a bit
more stimulus, as they had to respond to a command to get a result.
9.11
3. The less able children worked with a Support Assistant alongside
them. They tended to enjoy just clicking the mouse and changing the
pictures and needed support to turn the program into a structured
learning experience. These children would find it difficult to work
meaningfully on their own. They tend to click on every word until they
find the right one, without understanding the sentence at all.
9.11
To accommodate these children it would really mean devising a special
needs program with shorter, simpler sentences and perhaps concentrating
on High Frequency words which the children work on daily.
9.11
4. The middle group of children, i.e. Éaverage readersæ, coped well.
They learnt very quickly to match the given word on the screen. Further
experience, having just the initial letter of the missing word as a
clue, and then having no clue at all, would gradually increase their
independence.
9.11
In conclusion, the Stories were useful and could be the focus of further
work incorporating the ideas and vocabulary presented, which would
reinforce the childrenæs learning.
9.11
It is difficult to make some judgements in the context of our school as
we have quite a lot of able children, whereas other catchment areas are
not so fortunate. As Key Stage 1 programs, the Wyddfa Talking Stories do
not extend our more able 6-7 year olds although, to be fair, these
children are already working beyond this stage.
9.11
The Talking Stories provide a language experience that is popular with
the children, because it is fun.
9.11
I, personally, wondered about introducing a spelling function, which
would also extend skills to the use of the keyboard. Perhaps, once the
correct missing word had been found, it could be acknowledged either
visually, or by sound, and then, instead of it appearing immediately in
the given space, the child could type in the word. By doing this, the
child is made to focus even more on individual words.
9.11
Price and availability
9.11
Wyddfa Software have four talking stories about Gwen, the lovable,
mischievous bear: Gwenæs Nose, Gwenæs Tummy, Gwen goes to School and
Gwen at the Fair. These cost ú20 inclusive each, or ú50 inclusive for
all four, from Wyddfa Software.áuá
9.11
Essential Selection Demo CD-ROM
9.11
Ed Archer
9.11
This is a free CD giving a sample of eighteen different multimedia CDs.
Itæs not an easy thing to öreviewò, but Iáhave also had a chance to look
at the full versions of several of the packages at our local teachers
computer centre which was very helpful. Actually, in some cases, seeing
the full packages changed my view of the CD. This suggests that the
sample is not all that effective in giving you a flavour of the real
thing.
9.11
Having access to the demo in both PC and Acorn modes has much to commend
itself. Iátried using the demo CD on both platforms and found the Acorn
(a RiscPC with 8Mb RAM) a very much better platform for multimedia. Why?
The average PC is a lumbering beast which is dated, and only kept going
by this add-on and that add-on. The RiscPCs are, by comparison, very
easy to use.
9.11
The demo disc
9.11
Yorkshire Televisionæs demo disc covers a wide range of topics Ö
everything from Aspects of Religion to the Second World War. Iáshall
make a few brief comments on each of the eighteen demos.
9.11
The first, about the environment, is Water, a subject very much in the
public eye at the moment. Iáenjoyed some parts of the demo better than
other parts. The section on oil spills was informative and was exciting,
but the section on dolphins wasnæt very enthralling. However, the full
disc, which Iátried out at the Computer Centre, was excellent Ö the demo
just didnæt do it justice.
9.11
Science is devoted to the elements. The information about Nitrogen was
good, and it certainly made the Periodic Tables much more interesting
than when Iáwas at school. The video too was useful, but Iáwas somewhat
perplexed by the need to have so much historical information on people
such as Cavendish and Lavoisier.
9.11
Global Conflict was fairly interesting, though it did have an American
emphasis, having been compiled from American archives. The demo was
excellent, Iáliked the video on the Blitzkrieg, and the maps, although
they could have been more detailed.
9.11
Environment: Land and Air appears to have considerable potential as a
learning tool. The explanation in the overview video section was
excellent. Iáwas similarly impressed by the video clip; the demo pulled
no punches and emphasised, in a clear way, the importance of
environmental issues.
9.11
Science: Materials Ö As it was only a demo, it was difficult to choose
which material to go for. The choice of coal was sensible in that it is
a material that everybody reckons they are familiar with. The video clip
on this subject served to whet my appetite, as it was so informative
and, in this respect, the demo has obviously done its job!
9.11
World War II: Sources and Analysis Ö As a historian, Iáam keen to see
anything that could be valuable in the classroom. The demo gave me a
loud, clear message that the data was there to be made use of, in that
it could easily be exported for use in project work. The depth of the
source material was also good, and Iáwas pleased to see the inclusion of
a section on the role of the African Americans.
9.11
Climate Ö The overview video was gripping stuff, packed with interesting
material. It definitely merits an award similar to those given to other
products from Yorkshire Television.
9.11
Aspects of Religion was a truly excellent demo. Iáwas particularly
interested by the way the subject was handled, reflecting the multi-
faith world in which we live. Attention was drawn to the fact that one
could easily compare aspects of different religions. There is a Étrial
saveæ facility, which is very handy for those pupils doing research on
Religion.
9.11
Contemporary Issues is quite an apt title in that the demo concentrates
on the topical issue of Crime and Punishment. A special feature which
Iáexamined in this demo was the Éassessment manageræ that enables
teachers to test and monitor pupilsæ progress. This feature can be
altered to allow teacher help. This is to be found on the majority of
the programs and is really useful.
9.11
Max and the Machines is familiar ground for me as it is aimed at helping
young children learn how to read. From what Iácould see, this program
would do this job admirably. It would undoubtedly fire a childæs
imagination.
9.11
The demo in Conservation was a clip from the overview about global co-
operation. The only criticism Iáhad of the clip was that it was really
too short to do the job of convincing me that this was a useful CD,
although what Iádid see, held my attention.
9.11
Dwindling Resources Ö The demo clip was informative, and emphasized the
wasteful nature of Modern Man. If the rest of the CD is as good as the
demo, this is an obvious one for the classroom.
9.11
British Birds Ö The database was a strong feature of this section and
the demo showed just how good it was. For a person like myself who knows
next to nothing about birds, Iáfound it a veritable mine of information.
Other useful features Iánoticed, were the bird song facility and the
interactive quiz designed to reinforce learning.
9.11
Inventions and Inventors looked interesting, but Iáfelt that the demo
did not give me sufficient information to form much of an opinion about
its merits.
9.11
Interactive Learning Ö There is a demo of the feature which is given
away gratis with most of the CDs, Iáhave reviewed. Iáwas impressed with
the way it enables you to make a scrapbook of text, video and audio
clips. This is an important feature in that it enables pupils to create
their own multimedia programs.
9.11
En Marcha Ö this is a Spanish program which is really a utility. In the
past, Iáhave been very critical of attempts to use computers for
learning Modern Languages. However, En Marcha is something else. Itáhas
two hours of spoken Spanish, and a sound-recording facility so that you
can compare your own efforts with what is on the disc. The Lexicon is
great, as it helps you to find a word and also gives you an appropriate
context. The games Ö Exploring a Spanish Town and Tidying up the House Ö
were very useful.
9.11
The Physical World has some interesting exemplar material. It includes
an examination of coastal erosion, a look at People and the Environment,
which homes in on Amazonia, and finally a video clip showing the effects
of the great Mississippi flood of 1993. The full program would be
indispensable if it is as good as the demo.
9.11
Finally, two demos connected with the French language: En Route had a
good video display which would encourage children to learn French. The
built-in assessments for this particular program were well done.
Directions 2000 was similar in layout and design to the En Marcha
program. It was as good as En Marcha, and should encourage a great
interest in learning French.
9.11
Despite my initial reservations about demo discs, Iáwould really
recommend this one to all teachers. Remember that it can work on an
Acorn or a PC. Iáenjoyed the disc very much and it should be helpful to
those teachers seeking ideas about what CDs to buy for their schools.
9.11
Last but by no means least, itæs free! All you have to do is to write to
Yorkshire International Thomson Multimedia.áuá
9.11
Second World War, Continued...
9.11
Gabriel Swords
9.11
Over the last two months, we have been looking at how two different
products deal with the Second World War. We have seen how both approach
the subject in very different way; in the Photobase Decades collection
(9.6 p75) we have seen that Longman Logotron give you thousands of
pictures and allow you to decide what you do with them; Anglia
Multimedia, on the other hand (9.8 p77), give you fewer pictures (just
over two hundred), but more text to explain the pictures and ask
questions. This month we shall look at another source of material,
Interactive Learning Productions/Yorkshire TV.
9.11
Under review are ILPæs two Second World War CD¡ROMs: World War Two:
Global Conflict, and, World War Two: Sources and Analysis. What ILP
provide is a complete multimedia experience. There are hundreds of
photographs, video and audio clips, text and diagrams.
9.11
The packages
9.11
Both CD-ROMs are attractively packaged. They come in an A5-sized loose
leaf slip binder; inside is the CD-ROM itself, and a floppy disc
containing a Scrapbook program. The binder is made up of a user guide, a
curriculum pack, and Scrapbook guide Ö the curriculum pack contains
suggested study guides covering some of the subjects on the CDs. For
example, on the Global Conflict CD, there are studiesáon: the origins of
the conflict in Europe, Blitzkrieg, Gotterdammerung, and the war in the
FaráEast. At the end of each section, there is a questions page relating
to the study. Both CD-ROMs are aimed at the 11Ö16 age group.
9.11
Global Conflict
9.11
One very good thing about this CD-ROM is that you donæt have to read the
manual to work out how to use it. The opening screen only gives you five
option buttons to click on Ö Maps, Investigate, Index, Overview and
Credits. Once inside a subject, most of the other button icons are
reasonably self-explanatory and intuitive. You do, however, need to read
the user guide to get the most out of the Scrapbook application.
9.11
Investigate: This option takes you into the heart of the program; itæs
from here that you investigate the themes, events and causes of the
Second World War. This part is again divided into five sections,
corresponding with the study guides: Origins, Blitzkrieg,
Gotterdammerung, Far Eastern Conflict and Japanese Invasion. Each of
these sections contains a video introduction giving a kind of overview
of the subject Ö this can be stopped at any stage and further
investigation made by clicking on an Éinvestigate buttonæ.
9.11
A time-line along the top of the screen gives access to data relevant to
a date clicked on Ö this moves the video sequence to that point as well
as any text or pictures associated with it. Inside the investigate
window there is again a further range of buttons which lead into more
text, audio and photographs, giving the user an opportunity to explore
each subject by looking at themes, events and biographies. Most of the
subject matter here is accompanied by at least a photograph, always
text, and sometimes video, speech or diagrams.
9.11
What you get then is a progression from the general to the particular;
from the overview to the detail. The deeper you go, the more information
you get. This means that if you want a quick summary of, say, how and
why the war began, you can watch and listen to the video introduction.
If you then want to look at a bit more detail, say the Treaty of
Versailles, you can use the investigate button to go deeper.
9.11
TrailSave: Along the way, there may be bits you want to keep for future
reference or revision. The TrailSave allows you to save slides as you go
along. Itámeans you can skip around the CD and save out the bits that
are relevant to the subject or theme you are studying. The TrailSave
data can then be saved toádisc and loaded again as necessary.
9.11
Index: A CD-ROM can contain hundreds of megabytes of really useful
information; whether it works or not depends on how easy it is to get to
that information, and how systematic it is when you get there. Unlike a
book, which you can flick through, to see all the pictures and text,
unhelpful CD-ROMs can Éhideæ things from you. With some, there could be
heaps of information you didnæt know existed simply because you took a
wrong turn somewhere. To help overcome this problem, ILP provide a very
good index of headings and sub-headings, all of which can be viewed in
alphabetical or chronological order. Spelling isnæt a problem either Ö
if you canæt spell ÉVersaillesæ, just type Éversæ, click OK and the
index will take you to the nearest word to your spelling.
9.11
Scrapbook: is a separate application which comes on floppy disc. Its
purpose is to provide the user with another means of saving data. This
can be done by dragging text, pictures or video clips from the CD¡ROM,
or by direct editing by the user in the form of text or audio.
9.11
Also on Global Conflict, thereæs a good section of maps showing some of
the major battle zones, and diagrams of some of the more famous battles
(see summary below for more details).
9.11
Sources and Analysis
9.11
The Sources and Analysis CD-ROM adds a different dimension to the study
of the Second World War, and helps take you behind some of the events.
Its two main sections deal with Case Studies, and Themes. With the Case
Studies, you can explore in detail subjects like: Pearl Harbour, the
Blitz, Women at War, Iwo Jima, the End of the War, GIæs in Britain, the
Allied Invasion of Italy, etc. Each of the Case Study screens is divided
into a number of menus giving access to a particular part of the study.
The screen shot below shows some of the sections available in the Pearl
Harbour study.
9.11
Some of the Themes covered include: African Americans, Propaganda,
Atomic Weapons, D-Day and the Holocaust. Here, the user is not looking
so much at battles, tactics and who caused what, but at some of the
incidentals, the things that happened because of the war.
9.11
In all the studies, extensive use is made of original documents,
letters, diaries and posters. You can see pictures and read the text of
some of the actual documents, letters and memoranda written at the time
by the men who made some of the most momentous decisions of the war. You
can also read the letters of soldiers who had to carry out those
decisions.
9.11
In the section on Source Material, thereæs a Compare option which lets
you compare material about the same incident, or on the same theme, from
different points of view. You could, for example, compare side by side,
axis propaganda with allied propaganda. Or you could compare diary
extracts from soldiers on different sides, both calling the other Éthe
enemyæ and both blaming the other for the war. This allows you to see
the war from other peoplesæ points of view, enabling a Écompare and
contrastæ analysis of different aspects. This is one of the great
strengths of this CD; it allows you to Éget insideæ the minds of the
people who were involved, whether itæs a Japanese NCO or a Major General
in the American Army. It also covers aspects of the war you might not
find in a general text book. This is one of the great advantages of a
CD¡ROM Ö you can cram a vast amount of information onto one disc,
including the original documents, and make it all accessible to a wide
audience.
9.11
Conclusions
9.11
First impressions are very good. It looks and feels like a lot of time
and effort has gone into the production of these CD-ROMs. Not only is
there a wealth of information, but it is easily accessible and
interesting to use. The video clips add a certain realism to the whole
thing, and they are ones that you probably have never seen before. Good
use has been made of whole Émultimedia thingæ Ö thereæs enough happening
on these CD-ROMs to keep your attention, and to encourage you to
explore.
9.11
The language used does not Étalk-downæ to anyone; in fact, you could
argue that for an eleven year old, it might, at times, be a touch
difficult. However, one very useful feature is that unfamiliar words are
highlighted in blue, and if you click on one, it opens a window giving a
definition of the word. So, for example, you might come across the word
ÉBlitzkriegæ in a section where the term hasnæt been explained; if itæs
highlighted, you simply click on it for a definition.
9.11
These CDs are designed to help newcomers get a good overview of the war,
while at the same time, providing plenty of information to interest any
student who wants to explore in Second World War in more detail. I think
they do the job very well Ö recommended to any school, or if you can
afford them, to home users.
9.11
The CDs cost ú79.99 +VAT +p&p or ú92 through Archive. If you want to see
more of the ILP collection, they do a free preview CD-ROM see below for
details.
9.11
P.S.
9.11
One other, very encouraging thing about these CD¡ROMs is the ILP
helpline. I had a problem with my copies of the CD-ROMs Ö it was due to
my version of ARplayer which kept crashing! I called the helpline, and
although they couldnæt help me immediately, they rang back with the
answer very quickly. It was also the kind of helpline you donæt mind
doing business with; they were not condescending, nor did they expect
you to know any computer jargon Ö you tell them about your system, and
the problems, and they talk you through solving them. If only every
helpline were the same!áuá
9.11
Summary of contents
9.11
Global Conflict
9.11
Maps: This section allows you to zoom in from a map of the world down to
your selected area of interest. You can also choose from a list of
countries. The maps section contains information on the following:
Countries: Maps, statistics, background information and a summary of the
war experience of 28 countries, including the UK, the USA, Russia,
Germany, Japan, South East Asia and China. Events: Maps and a brief
description of a number of key events of the war, including the attack
on Pearl Harbour, Battle of the Atlantic, Stalingrad, Island Hopping and
the Italian campaign. Animations: Some of the events are illustrated and
clarified by animated maps. These events include German expansion,
Japanese expansion and the North African Campaign.
9.11
Overview: The overview offers information on the following areas:
Videos, Events, Biographies, Key themes, Search facility, Maps section,
Trailsave, ILP, Other titles in the series.
9.11
Investigate: using Video / Summary text / Events / Biographies / Themes,
it looks at: Origins (Origins of the war in Europe); Blitzkrieg (Poland
Ö Barbarossa); Gotterdammerung (Barbarossa Ö VE Day); Japanese expansion
(Origins of the war in the Far East); Far Eastern Conflict (Pearl
Harbour Ö VJ Day).
9.11
Index:A quick and easy way of finding a particular piece of information
from any part of the disc.
9.11
Sources and Analysis
9.11
Case Studies: Pearl Harbour; The War in North Africa; The Allied
Invasion of Italy; The Internment of Japanese Americans; Iwo Jima; GIs
in Britain; The Blitz; The Home Front; The End of the War; Women at War;
Resistance.
9.11
Themes: Propaganda; The Atom Bomb; The African Americans and the War; D-
Day; The Holocaust
9.11
Compare: By allowing two sources to be studied side by side, Compare
enables the budding historian to contrast a variety of sources on the
same subject therefore developing a more in depth understanding of the
Second World War.
9.11
Source Filter: To help you negotiate the sources is Source Filter, an
invaluable tool that will enable you to locate sources by type, year,
theme and subject.
9.11
Other: Also included with this CD-ROM is the Scrapbook application, the
Trailsave option, Overview and Index.áuá
9.11
The Serial Mouse Pen
9.11
Bob Black
9.11
I originally got the mouse pen to try out using Claud & Maude, a program
for practising letter shapes, and I was very pleased that I did. For
handwriting practice, this makes perfect sense. The mouse pen plugs into
the serial port and has a piece of software to enable it to run on a PC
or any Acorn.
9.11
In size, it is more like one of those big felt tips than a ballpoint,
but kids had little trouble manipulating it, probably for that very
reason. Although it is an adult size item, it is light, and the select
button is situated where the index finger can comfortably find it.
9.11
Any new device is difficult to use the first time out, but because of
its similarity to a pencil, this is probably easier to get used to than
a mouse or a roller ball, as itæs a familiar action. One great thing
about it is the fact that, when loaded, it does not disable the mouse,
so ordinary use can continue, and the pen can then be picked up to use
at any time that is convenient. For the kids doing their letter shapes,
it made life much simpler. It is easier to draw straight lines with this
device, and the whole process became more meaningful than when the mouse
had been the only option.
9.11
As for using it in other programs, again it proved really useful,
especially for drawing and painting packages, and it was ideal for grid-
based work and CAD. Iæm no artist, but I am forced to draw occasional
diagrams and worksheets, and had often longed for a graphics tablet to
help me draw on screen, but a decent one would set me back over ú200, so
it was out of the question, considering how little it would be used. The
mouse pen, at ú45, is a viable alternative and, given its versatility,
and the fact that it is simple to install, has to be an essential item
for any home or classroom computer.
9.11
I expect to see a lot more software companies make use of this as an
option in the near future and even without specific software like Claud
& Maude, it is a valuable tool. The Serial Mouse Pen is produced by
Fellows Computerware. The Acorn driver is by Brilliant Software and the
complete setup is available from SEMERC at ú45 +VAT.áuá
9.11
Smudge the Scientist
9.11
Bob & Lisa Ames
9.11
This package comes as three discs and three related work books and also
a program guide for supervisors. The package is aimed at 4-7 year olds,
and öpresents the general principles of scienceò.
9.11
The two characters, the dog called Smudge (from the first number-based
program called Smudge the Spaniel, reviewed by us in Archive 7.1) and a
new friend Cecily, encounter Living Processes & Decay, Electricity &
Magnetism, and Weather & Floating/Sinking, all öin everyday situationsò.
The program is not protected and is also available in the form of site
licences, for which Storm Software should be contacted direct.
9.11
The program suite really should be decompressed and installed onto a
hard disc drive; I was amazed to find the file count revealed the
unpacked size is 5.7Mb for the complete suite, including the !Fonts
directory (which is helpfully configured for RISCáOS 2 and 3). It is
important to note that both the !Fonts and !Scrap directories need to be
seen by the filer before any of the programs are run, otherwise very
strange behaviour occurs Ö I noted this in my first review. However,
there is still no real feedback to the user about missing files if the
program is run from hard disc.
9.11
There are some facilities which are described as ÉAdvancedæ, and are
described in the separate Supervisorsæ section of the manual. These
features are not available from screen menus Ö they require use of the
red function keys and, consequently, are not easily available for the
student. There is no keystrip, but Iáwouldnæt say that, for instance,
the printing out of the Studentæs Notebook pages is advanced. It should
be available from within the Notebook directly. While on the subject of
the Notebook, the limit of one page of text only is very restrictive.
9.11
The programs are self explanatory. The Workbooks are for further
investigative work away from the computer. They contain lots of ideas
for practical work. This is the best section of the package. It
encourages the student to carry out work far removed from the computer,
sometimes outdoors Ö it might even discourage computer work, as the
experiments are so interesting!
9.11
In the Life & Living booklet, there are ideas for germinating cress
seeds under different conditions; a bean sprout growing demonstration;
and other experiments on Decay. The Electricity section holds fewer
suggestions, two simple circuits being suggested, but Magnetism has more
ideas for making games and magic tricks. The Weather section has a large
number of things to do and make Ö instruments for a weather observation
station, experiments with ice, rainbow and cloud generation. I feel
these work areas help justify the price asked for the package, because
there does not seem to be enough (despite the unpacked size!) in the
software alone.
9.11
Lisa started at the beginning, after I arranged the installation work,
and continued through the set. She came off the computer after 70
minutes saying she had done it all. Fair enough, it held her attention
for that length of time in a straight line (not easy for a butterfly-
brain!) but if that was all there was to the package, I would feel
cheated. This is where the workbooks redeem the price asked, as the
subsequent work is much more involving, taking time over several days in
some cases (e.g. growing, decaying, etc.)
9.11
Generally, the package contains accurate information, as required of a
teaching package, but there are a few minor but regrettable mistakes.
9.11
Strange bits
9.11
In the programs, there is a facility to arrange the items in groups
(soft/hard, decay/wonæt decay), but the program does not decide whether
the groupings made by the child are correct or incorrect Ö I expected it
to do so. It appears from the support materials, that children are
expected to discuss their selections and correct them if necessary. This
is difficult if the child is working alone. Perhaps an optional correct/
incorrect answer response could be added?
9.11
Life Living Decay Ö With the plant naming-parts section, where the
various coloured parts are dragged from the ömenuò onto the bare outline
to complete the picture, minor misalignments resulting from unsteady
hands should be automatically adjusted. Iáhave seen Mac software which
does this, and the general effect is much better. Plants also need air
to grow, even in a closed system like the bottle garden suggested Ö this
is omitted from the fact file.
9.11
Electricity and Magnetism Ö There seems to be the usual confusion in the
authoræs mind with the word ömagneticò. In the program and the workbook,
the word magnetic is used to describe materials which are attracted by a
magnet; this is not correct! The dictionary definition for magnetic is
öexhibiting the properties of a magnetò.
9.11
In the Floating/Sinking workbook, there is the proper warning attached
to the öfloating in waterò section, about the dangers of unsupervised
ponds. However, there is no mention of the lethal nature of the mains
electricity which is usually the youngsteræs first contact with the word
electricity. There must be a warning to avoid mains sockets Ö the
student should use low voltage batteries only.
9.11
Actually, if a fresh mallory cell is short-circuited for any period of
time, the cell and certainly the conductors will get hot enough to burn
flesh quite badly, and there are records of explosions in such
situations! Care is obviously needed even with low voltage supplies, and
these warnings must be provided.
9.11
Conclusion
9.11
Generally good value, a few minor but annoying faults Ö why does it take
so much hard disc space? Perhaps further additions to the suite could
make better use of the keys and provide a keystrip Ö itæs very annoying
to have to refer to the manual each time. Overall, scores 9/10.áuá
9.11
Clicker Plus
9.11
Bob Black
9.11
I suppose that, in basic terms, there are two types of educational
software. There are programs that are written for you, which you run and
have specific contents, and there are framework programs which offer you
a method of presenting tasks in a certain way, but for which you have to
write the contents.
9.11
Most of my experience is with people using software at home and,
occasionally, with people in school who use software for specific
reasons and, for this, the former type of software is ideal. Framework
programs require a good knowledge of using computers, and a good deal of
time to learn the inæs and outæs of the particular framework program
that you are using. This is not for the faint-hearted or for people with
little time for preparation and study.
9.11
The best known of the framework programs must be My World, which allows
exercises to be built up for kids to use Ö rather like on-screen fuzzy
felt. Originally, it had a basic set of activities pre-drawn that you
could load and use, but it was soon discovered that it was not too
complex to write exercises that suited an individual child, or a group
of children, and slowly but surely, a great bank of resources was built
up so that My World could be used easily for any subject in the
curriculum Ö Massey Ferguson even used it to train their apprentices in
how to assemble engines in the workshop!
9.11
Clicker Plus is a framework program that does much more. At its most
basic, it is an on-screen Éconcept keyboardæ which allows access to the
computer without using the Qwerty keyboard Öthis in itself can be very
useful. It comprises anything up to a 100 boxes or grids which are
displayed on the screen in any size that you want.
9.11
Each of these grids can contain a variety of objects. Plain text can be
entered to make word boards, or sentence-makers, and just clicking on
the box will enter that text into any wordprocessor. At the same time,
it can contain a sound sample so that the word is spoken (or an
associated sound played) by the computer. It could contain a symbol or a
graphic instead of the word and it can also perform an action, like
closing that grid box and opening another.
9.11
Grids can be made to perform any task that can be performed with the
keyboard, like insert, delete, space etc, and the grids can be coloured,
resized and re¡shaped as required. The grids are so versatile that you
can create a background picture to the whole set of grids and then add
grids with their own graphics, sound and functions over the top. You
could even load a video sequence to illustrate a point.
9.11
So this is much more than it seems, and it is quite feasible to call it
a multimedia package, as it would be quite simple to construct your own
talking books or language tutors. The possibilities for this software
are endless. So, if you are a person with a limited budget but with a
fair amount of time on your hands to construct activities, this is an
essential piece of software.
9.11
However, I donæt know many people with a lot of spare time on their
hands, and I suspect that most teachers and parents do not fall into
this category. Iásuspect that Clicker Plus will initially appeal to the
enthusiastic, and computer literate, teacher or parent, and to the rest
of us it would be another of those great resources that sits on the
shelf because no-one has the time or the expertise to use it. There are
a small number of pre-written grids that accompany the software, but
they are little more than demonstration pieces and have very limited
value on their own.
9.11
What Clicker Plus needs is a huge library of pre-written, specific,
easy-to-use grids that could be purchased cheaply to run from the master
program, in much the same way that My World now has developed its
library of screens to cover almost any eventuality at home or in the
classroom. When that happens, if it happens soon enough, I suspect that
we shall all want to buy a copy. Until then it remains a remarkable
achievement with a limited market. Ten out of ten for quality and
reliability.
9.11
The Clicker Plus package is ú55 +VAT from Crick Computing. There is also
a switch version for those unable to use the mouse.áuá
9.11
Money Manager Pro
9.11
Dave Wilcox
9.11
Money Manager Pro from Wynded Software is a development of their Money
Manager program which has been available for a year or more. The Pro
version has been offered for review, although it is still currently in
the beta-testing stage, and is obviously not quite ready for release at
present. It even crashed completely when I was trying to enter data Ö
but I will give an overall opinion of what I have seen so far. In other
words, this is more of a preview than a review.
9.11
Package aim?
9.11
This program is designed for the management of home or business
accounts, and can best be compared to your monthly Bank Statement. The
program can handle numerous accounts, and since the original Money
Manager copes with twenty accounts, I presume Pro will expand on this
capacity. Very basically, it stores all inward, outward and sideways
movements of your cash, regardless of account, in one long list. From
this overall list, it is possible to list all or certain transactions
based on account code, or class code, etc.
9.11
The program
9.11
The program installs itself onto the iconbar in the usual manner.
Clicking on the icon presents three windows, ÉAccount Codesæ, ÉClass
Codesæ, and ÉMaináMenuæ.
9.11
ÉAccount Codesæ Ö This lets you establish any accounts you wish to
manage, and can incorporate any accounts you are likely to have; Current
Accounts, Savings Accounts, Credit Card Accounts, etc. Each account is
set up with three entries; an abbreviation for ID purposes (I used 1, 2,
3 etc), the account name (Current 1, Visa, etc) and, most importantly,
the starting balances.
9.11
ÉClass Codesæ Ö These codes are used for entry ofátheátype of
transaction. The default entry is Éx0áÖáTransfersæ, which is present to
cover transfer actions between your different accounts. Others you may
like to set up could include cheques, card purchases, cash machine
withdrawals, salary, or any others you can think of. Each entry again
has an ID code, e.g. c1 Ö Cheque. The ID code is any code of your
choice, so long as it consists of a letter followed by a number Ö this
gives plenty of scope.
9.11
The ÉMain Menuæ window gives the main control of the program. Most of
these functions Iáhave not really been able to test fully, having been
unable to enter what I would deem sufficient data for a reasonable test.
However, options will exist on the finished product for adding/editing
entries, bar/pie chart presentation of data, detailed statements,
monthly analysis, account balances, class totals, account analysis,
account statistics, VAT statements, reconciling entries and adding a new
month (only 12 months are held in the program at any time).
9.11
Two other windows which can be opened by clicking <menu> over the Main
Menu window are ÉMarksæ and ÉVAT Ratesæ. The marks window lets you
incorporate an ID tag for who is spending the money, or an ID for the
type of cost, e.g. car, clothing, etc Öáaáone character ID is used here.
The VAT Rates window I would imagine would be of little use to most
users of this program, but using the same methods, differing VAT rates
may be entered. Once the above aspects are set up, their windows are
displayed for reference purposes only.
9.11
The principal use of the ÉMain Menuæ is obviously ÉAdd/Edit Entriesæ, as
shown above. The top two rows are the control lines, with entries being
selected by the mouse. As you can see, the selected month is May. To
work, an entry needs to be selected, then one of the top row options
activated, again by clicking with the mouse.
9.11
Conclusion
9.11
I am very sceptical of money management programs, having been brought up
to use spreadsheets for this sort of application. However, this program
has a lot of potential. Data entry is fairly quick to learn, with a few
idiosyncrasies, but these cause little problem. Soáto the author, Neil
Walker, I say donæt give up! Iáwould hope that itæs not too far to the
end of the tunnel. Neil says in a text file on the disc, öThe program
was written in this manner as it is a port of a PC program, and it was
considered necessary to bend the Style Guide to make the PC user feel
comfortable with the program.ò I would say to Neil, forget the PC user,
your target market is the Acorn user. I await the finished product.
9.11
The original version, Money Manager, costs ú24.95 inclusive, and Money
Manager Pro will cost ú44.95. The upgrade from Manager to Pro will be
the difference in prices, i.e. ú20. Upgrades that cover bug fixes will
be free of charge, but if new features are added, a charge of ú5 will be
made to cover costs.áuá
9.11
A screenshot from the propaganda section showing a cartoonáfrom the
ÉBisto collectionæ.
9.11
Products Available
9.12
586 Price Drop Ö The Acorn 586 card has dropped in price to ú299 +VAT
(ú351 through Archive) if you buy it at the same time as a RiscPC, or
ú399 +VAT (ú469 through Archive) if you buy it separately.
9.12
6502Em from Warm Silence, allows you to relive all those classic games Ö
Elite, Exile, Zalaga, The Sentinel, Repton, Monsters, Snapper, MrEE,
Strykers Run, Chuckie Egg, Citadel, Castle Quest, Defender, Starship
Command, Fortress, Hopper, Revs and many more! It runs far more software
than !65Host (a copy of !65Host is required to extract the ROM images
from it). The 6502EM even emulates BBC Master and Master Compact, though
you must source your own copies of the ROM images Ö Warm Silence can
supply programs that save images to disc if run on a Master or Compact.
6502EM costs ú15 inclusive from Warm Silence Software.
9.12
Archive (Internet) Glossary Ö We have a glossary of Internet terms which
is now 9,500+ words long. (This is in addition to our original glossary
which is 11,000+ words!) These two glossaries are available on a disc in
Impression, RTF and pure text format costing ú2 through Archive. This
disc was sold for ú5, as that included free updates as the glossary
expanded. However, it has now stabilised, so we have dropped the price
to ú2 in line with our Utilities Discs.
9.12
We have also put the text version, plus the one diagram, on this monthæs
program disc.
9.12
(To increase the effectiveness of the Archive Glossary, please let me
know if there are any missing definitions, or if you disagree with any
of the definitions. Thanks, Ed.)
9.12
Artworks Tools Ö A new tool for Artworks was released recently, called
Precision. It gives Artworks users the ability to position graphics
accurately, by specifying the XY position of the graphic to absolute
page co-ordinates or relative to their previous positions. Grouped
objects can be positioned, and more control over scaling is provided.
Also available for Artworks is Arranger. Arranger gives you a tool which
allows you to Émagnetiseæ layers. When a layer is magnetised, objects
created within or outside of that layer are attracted to other objects
within or outside of that layer. Itæs a bit like having an infinitely
variable grid that you can set up for yourself.
9.12
Precision costs ú12 +VAT, Arranger costs ú29 +VAT and, bought together,
they cost ú39 +VAT. These are only available from Computer Concepts.
9.12
Barcodes price change Ö Since our mention of the Barcodes software in
last monthæs magazine, the price has dropped. Barcodes now costs ú65
inclusive from Kang Software (no VAT). A full description of the
software, and sample drawfiles of the output, can be found on the web
at: http://www. argonet.co.uk/location/works/kang.html
9.12
Batch printing Ö If you want to print multiple copies of a document to
an inkjet or similar printer, and want to do it entirely in the
background, there is a Shareware program to do it, written by Mijas
Software. There is a copy on the Archive monthly disc. The registration
fee is ú10 inclusive which they ask you to pay if you use the program
for more than 30 days.
9.12
Big IDE drives Ö Cheap!! Ö I bought ten 1.2 Gb IDE drives from a company
called Merisel (other dealers, please note, if you also use them).
Unfortunately, these drives (1.2Gb Western Digital Caviar drives) do not
work as the master drive on the RiscPC, but only as the slave Ö which is
no good, as Iáwanted to use them to replace the ACB64æs own 540Mb drive.
(They will, however, work as the master on a Yellowstone RapIDE
interface.)
9.12
Merisel refused to take back the drive that I had tested (öItæs now
secondhandò) and wanted to charge a 20% Ére-stocking feeæ for the rest.
There was no way I was going to give them almost ú300 for the privilege
of Ére-stockingæ the drives. If Iæve got to lose that much money, Iæd
rather give it to friendly Acorn people rather than not-so-friendly PC
distributors.
9.12
So, we have a limited number (some were sold via the Internet) of Caviar
1.2Gb drives at ú149 inclusive, or Caviar 1.2Gb drive + RapIDE interface
for ú279.
9.12
BitFolio 7 CD-ROM Ö After our special offer, we have had a lot of very
positive feedback and have managed to sell enough to extend the special
offer: Full price ú95 Ö offer price ú75 through Archive. This collection
of 10,000+ vector graphics images has attracted unsolicited comments
from readers such as: öquite brilliant, knocking spots off other so-
called up-market offeringsò, and öif you havenæt got a CD-ROM drive, it
would be worth buying one just for this collection.ò
9.12
Canon printer prices down again Ö The latest Archive prices for Canon
printers are: BJC70 Ö ú240, BJC210 Ö ú190, BJC4100 Ö ú260 and BJC610 Ö
ú390.
9.12
Citizen mobile printer Ö Citizen, the printer manufacturer, has
announced that its PN60 portable A4 laser quality printer, is now
compatible with the Pocket Book palmtop computer. The two new Pocket
Book connectivity kits from Citizen will allow users to print to the
PN60 directly from their Pocket Books. The printer weighs 500g, and has
dimensions of 25.4 cm ╫ 5.0 cm ╫ 4.7 cm Ö the largest dimension being
the width of a sheet of A4 paper. It can print in black and white, with
a colour option, on a range of different paper types, labels and OHP
slides.
9.12
(If you didnæt already know, the Pocket Book is based on the Psion
Series 3a palmtop computer, and incorporates a word processor,
spreadsheet, database, calculator, clock and alarm, diary, spellchecker
& thesaurus, sound and voice recorder, Plotter which plots mathematical
equations and World which shows international time zones, dialling codes
and maps. Over 18,000 Pocket Books have been sold to education to date.)
9.12
The PN60 costs ú289 +VAT or ú270 inclusive through Archive. The Pocket
Book II (256Kb) costs ú241 through Archive, and the 1Mb version is ú335.
Also, we still have a couple of the discontinued 512Kb models at ú195.
9.12
Creator v2.00 is a complete and major rewrite. It can now read seventeen
image formats (AIM, CadSoft, Clear, Degas, GIF, IFF, IMG, Irlam, JPEG,
MacPaint, MTV, PBMPlus, PCX, Pineapple, QRT, Sprite, TIFF) and write six
formats (Clear, GIF, JPEG, PBMPlus, Sprite, TIFF). All the new sprite
formats are supported. Creator 2.00 consists of nearly 100% carefully
optimized ARM code, is Évery fast, very stable, and very easy to useæ.
Creator is Shareware, so if it serves you well, you are required to
register your copy.
9.12
Creator, from John Kortink, is the first application to use ImageIO, a
major piece of carefully optimized ARM code (400Kb of source and
growing) that provides a robust, easy to use, common interface to image
files. Current versions of ImageIO have been found to be very stable.
Private and commercial interest for ImageIO is welcomed. Creator 2.00 is
available by www from: www.inter.nl.net/users/J.Kortink or by email
from: [e-mail].
9.12
DIY RiscPC Ö We are still selling large numbers of RiscPC 600s along the
lines of the article in 9.9 p9 and the follow-ups in 9.10 p3 and 9.11
p3. The prices of drives and memory are improving all the time (although
not as dramatically as at first), and Acorn have now extended the öú99
StrongARMæ offer to the end of December, so thereæs now no rush to get
your orders in by the end of August.
9.12
One point which, I apologise, has not been made clear (although it was
mentioned in Products Available 9.6) is that the ACB64 which we are
using as the basis for upgrading does not include a backplane as
standard. In other words, if you want to add any expansion cards, you
either have to add ú35 for a two-slot backplane, or ú117 for a second
slice which includes the price of a four-slot backplane. This was taken
into account in the price table in the original article, and we always
try to mention it when anyone rings to discuss buying a computer, but I
regret that we forgot to put it in print until now. Sorry.
9.12
DrawAid is an application, and a suite of procedures, that allows Basic
programmers to produce specialist drawfile-generating programs for their
own needs, with the minimum of work, and with no knowledge of the RISC
OS wimp system. The application is particularly useful for parametric
design, in which a range of geometrically similar objects are required.
Users of Draw, for example, may find it difficult to obtain accurate
drawings where curves are used, or repetitive positioning is required Ö
the drawing of items like gear wheels or instrument dials is extremely
difficult. DrawAid is designed to overcome these limitations and allow
Basic programmers to generate complex and accurate drawfiles directly
from their own programs.
9.12
The software costs ú15 and is available from Carvic Manufacturing.
9.12
EADFS module Ö The Power-tec EADFS (Extended ADFS) module is a system
extension that allows you to use large hard drives on your existing IDE
bus, but allows partitioning as well. The module integrates fully and
transparently with ADFS, and can handle up to 4Gb (512Kb partitions on
pre-RISC OS 3.6 machines, and 1Gb partitions on RISC OS 3.6 machines).
It costs ú39.95 +VAT +p&p from Alsystems or ú46 through Archive.
9.12
Formulix has been updated to v2.10. It incorporates some requested
changes, and now supports horizontal and vertical kerning, as well as
offering greater control over the quality and size of brackets and
braces. There has also been an improvement in the way fonts are handled.
Upgrades are available from Computer Concepts for ú12.77 +VAT.
9.12
Helping Hand Ö Teaching grammar from text books can be dull and
lifeless, so Chalk Soft have produced a series of programs called
ÉHelping Handæ, to try and bring life to the process of learning
grammar.
9.12
Each program is a powerful aid to better written English, with thirty
sessions of short practical activities to give carefully graded and
linked help with typical language problems. Aspects of syntax, chosen by
practising teachers for their importance and frequency of misuse, are
presented in an enjoyable and short weekly session format. This makes
for steadily improving grammar without the need for constant and time-
wasting copy writing. The computer marks, and offers help to correct,
mistakes thus freeing the teacher for other demands!
9.12
Files for each child (from 1 to 24 children) in a class are kept by the
computer, to indicate progress and areas of weakness, and these files
can be viewed on-screen or as a print-out from the disc. The programs
have been designed around Key Stages 2 and 3 of the National Curriculum,
and Scottish and NI equivalents. They lend themselves to servicing the
differing levels of need and understanding found in any class of pupils,
leaving the teacher free to do other things! The software packs are
graded for individual weekly sessions with children from Year 3 to Year
8.
9.12
Helping Hand costs ú25 +VAT for each level, from Chalksoft Ltd.
9.12
HighWay price reduction Ö We first mentioned HighWay in July (9.10 p4).
We now have notice of a price reduction and network details.
9.12
The network version comes in two parts Ö the main ÉEngineæ and the
ÉUseræ part. In a network, the ÉEngineæ part is stored once on the File
Server for the whole network to Éreadæ, and is usually in the Library or
ArthurLib directory. On a Level 4 or similar network, a copy of the
Éuseræ part of HighWay is stored in each useræs root directory. This
enables network users to save their own setup procedures. Normally, the
network manager would set up a basic user set. e.g. !System, !Fonts,
favourite applications and directories etc. This setup can then be
copied to each useræs root directory, where the user would be able to
add individual requirements, etc.
9.12
Another program called !UserCopy is available to HighWay owners at no
extra cost. This enables the network manager to copy a HighWay Éuseræ
setup (or anything else) to many user directories. It can also be set to
ÉWIPEæ if required. (Useful if you want to delete something from
everyoneæs root directory). There is an updated full description of
HighWay on the WWW at: http://www.argonet.co.uk/users/bernard.veasey/
soft.html
9.12
Highway now costs ú15, and includes a site licence for up to ten
computers on one site. Add a further ú5 per additional ten computers for
use on the same site. For order details, see 9.10 p4.
9.12
Key Franτais is a package of datafiles, and photocopiable activity
Sheets, for use with Key Plus on Acorn computers. With the datafiles
available in the Key Franτais package, there are many activities for
students at years 7, 8 and 9 (Key Stage 3) of the National Curriculum
(England and Wales) and equivalent curricula. The eleven activities are
all detailed on activity sheets which can be printed out and photocopied
by purchasing schools. Cross-referencing to all the major language
learning programmes in UK classrooms is provided.
9.12
The units range from ideas which involve creating personal dossiers,
recording data on pets and daily activities, through to recording
favourite films, shopping, holidays, lost property and meals. The French
vocabulary used throughout is supported by pictures where appropriate,
and there are further ideas, including a mapping unit on French cities
and a spreadsheet module. There are over twenty Teacher Information
sheets and Student Activity sheets, all in Draw format which means that
they can be adapted if required. The activities draw out standard IT
activities such as searching, sorting and graphing information. Help is
given on typing accented characters on English language keyboards.
9.12
Key Franτais has been developed for Anglia Multimedia by an experienced
modern languages teacher, drawing on his years of knowledge of the
motivation provided by working with the computer and the need to develop
the use of modern languages in the IT context. The ideas included in the
package extend well beyond those of data handling, as results and
conclusions can be presented by the use of other computer-based tools,
such as a DTP program. To run the datafiles, users need a copy of Key
Plus or an equivalent package which recognises the Key Plus file format
Ö see Product News below for news about Key Plus and Datapower.
9.12
Key Franτais costs ú25 +VAT from Anglia Multimedia, or ú28 through
Archive.
9.12
Larger is a pinboard program with lots of extra features that go beyond
the one supplied with RISCáOS 3. It has a virtual desktop, window map,
enhanced iconisation facilities, multiple hierarchical backdrops, full
filer functionality, configurable menu, hotkeys, window management
functions, and much more. It costs ú10 inclusive from Warm Silence
Software.
9.12
Laserjet 5L price drop Ö With increased quantity, we have managed to get
the price of the Laserjet 5L down to ú450 inclusive.
9.12
Memory prices Ö Following the trend of the PC world generally, we have
been able to drop the prices of SIMMs again. They are now: 4Mb ú40, 8Mb
ú65, 16Mb ú125, 32Mb ú250. We also take old SIMMs in part exchange,
offering: 4Mb ú10, 8Mb ú30, 16Mb ú70.
9.12
Mice and joysticks Ö Stuart Tyrrell Developments have announced the
availability of Solo, a budget joystick interface, to complement their
existing ÉNæ Interface range. Solo offers an inexpensive entry into the
world of Acorn gaming. The interface allows the use of a single standard
joystick with any Acorn RISC OS machine, and is fitted to the parallel
port. The interface is supplied with comprehensive software, which
allows the joystick to emulate keys, the mouse, or to function with any
game which supports the Acorn joystick SWIs. The ÉNæ Interface allows
the use of two Super Nintendo style joypads on Acorn machines. It is
supplied complete with a printer-through connector, and easy-to-use
software.
9.12
PS2Mouse allows the use of any PS/2 type mouse (2áor 3-button) with
Acorn machines, and acts as an interface between them and the standard
Acorn mouse port. PS2Mouse also has support for Étap¡clickingæ on
mousepads such as the ALPS Glidepoint range. Other configurable options
include the ability to swap select and adjust buttons, and three levels
of acceleration.
9.12
Solo costs ú14.95, PS2Mouse costs ú24.95 and ÉNæáInterface costs ú24.95,
all prices including p&p. See Stuart Tyrrell Developmentsæ website for
more details: http://www.busacu.co.uk/stdev.
9.12
PipeDream Ö Colton are no longer supplying PipeDream4 as a product as
such. They will, however, continue to sell PipeDream4 at a special price
as an upgrade to PipeDream3.
9.12
Precise Mousing Surface Ö What? Itæs a fancy name for a mousemat, but
donæt skip straight to the next item. This is something special. If you
donæt believe me, turn to Tony Houghtonæs review on page 21. Itæs a
special mousemat from 3M Ö scientifically designed Ö and they cost ú10
each! Sounds a lot, but Iæve got one at home and one in the office, and
I wouldnæt swap them for anything.
9.12
Pscan provides high-quality reception and transmission of all the
popular colour slow scan television modes used by radio amateurs all
over the world. It also allows reception of weather charts such as those
transmitted by the Bracknell weather centre. A simple one-chip interface
is required which can be easily built by anyone with some experience of
electronics construction. Alternatively, a cheap ready-made interface
may be bought from a number of suppliers. Full interface details are
included on the Pscan disc. As well as the basic send and receive
functions, Pscan includes a large number of text and graphics
manipulation facilities which are not available in similar programs on
other platforms. Pscan makes full use of the graphics capability of the
RiscPC but will not run on earlier Acorn computers. Pscan is shareware
and registration is ú15.
9.12
To obtain a copy, send a formatted 1.6 Mb ADFS disc and SAE to: Paul
Turner G4IJE, 61 Primley Lane, Sheering, Bishops Stortford, Herts CM22
7NH. (01279-734482)
9.12
QuickTile v1.03 from Desktop Projects Ltd, allows you to print posters
from drawfiles and sprites. It works with any RISC OS application and
will automatically generate crop marks on the individual sheets that
make up the whole poster. It needs RISCáOS 3.10 or later, and costs ú29
inclusive from Desktop Projects, or ú27 through Archive.
9.12
Romans is a follow-up to Anglia Multimediaæs Vikings CD-ROM, and
transports students back to the 2nd century AD to take part in a ÉRomanæ
multimedia experience. Arriving at the quayside you enter the Romano-
British town of Sapientum. Using a specially commissioned 3D computer
model based on the latest archaeological evidence, Romans is, according
to Anglia, öone of the most advanced educational products for Key Stage
2 History ever produced.ò
9.12
The pupilsæ task is to gain Roman citizenship by playing one of four
roles within the town. Each role has a route to success, whether it be
collecting objects or making enquiries about Roman life and customs. As
the student seeks citizenship, they meet and can talk with the
townsfolk, bargain with them or seek advice. Each character will provide
vital and accurate information about this period of history. Pictures,
text and other information can all be saved out as they are collected,
providing the perfect opportunity to develop IT capability at the same
time!
9.12
Detailed activity sheets give the teacher a host of other learning
opportunities to build around the computer. Romans is also supported by
Angliaæs on¡line service, with further material for classroom use.
Although students need never know, the town is actually based on the
Roman settlement of Venta Icenorum, Caistor by Norwich. Ventaæs ground
plan was used as the base for a 3D reconstruction of the town, and
latest archaeological evidence used to construct the houses and the
forum, the temple and the farmhouse. Even the video of the Ermine Street
Guard was shot on the site of the original Roman settlement. With the
help of Past Forward in York, and the Norfolk Archaeological Unit, the
details were pieced together, and members of Time Travellers and other
volunteers became the people who inhabit the town.
9.12
Romans costs ú40 +VAT from Anglia Multimedia, or ú45 through Archive.
9.12
Tabby graphics tablet Ö The Acorn Driver for the Tabby graphics tablet,
from R-Comp, has been re-worked and now supports Photodesk. New sales of
the tablet will include the new driver, and existing users can upgrade
for ú5, direct from R¡Comp.
9.12
Teletext+ software Ö Your computer can now remind you when your
favourite TV or radio programme is about to start, thanks to the latest
version of Teletext+ from Octopus Systems. Teletext+ software could
always search TV and radio listings for keywords, but now version 6 can
extract the time and set an audible alarm (with a 5 minute warning). It
also has advanced cacheing algorithms that learn which pages you read,
and fetch them for you every day, so you will rarely have to wait for a
Teletext page, and even sub-pages are cached so you donæt have to wait
half an hour to find the latest Acorn share price!
9.12
It now has advanced keyword searching where matches are displayed in a
separate window which effectively gives a personalised magazine of
interesting news, events and programmes. Pages can be saved as Viewdata,
sprite or text files, either manually or under the control of a script
file, and there is an option to allow all sub-pages to be saved in a
single text file. Teletext+ will work with Teletext adaptors and cards
from Morley, Computer Concepts, Ground Control, Design IT, Irlam,
Solidisk and Octopus Systems. It will be particularly attractive to
Morley users as the Morley software doesnæt work in the desktop. It can
also log share prices in a CSV file, or in a special format for the
Apricote Studiosæ Shares program, and it provides a set of standard SWI
calls for use by other programs. (See 9.7 p57 for a review.)
9.12
Teletext+ is available for ú39 + VAT from Octopus, or ú45 through
Archive.
9.12
ToolKit 1 for Pocket Book II Ö ToolKit 1, from Purple Software, is an
application pack consisting of four different applications on a single
floppy disc or SSD. The four applications are: Convert, File Manager,
PicView and ScnPrint.
9.12
The first program can Convert between foreign currencies and the home
currency; between units of length, area, volume, liquid and weight;
between units of speed, pressure, temperature and energy; between
British, European and American clothes sizes. PicView allows users to
view pictures stored in PIC, PCX, BMP and GIF file formats. They can be
converted from one to another, and printed using the built-in graphics
printing sub-system. ScnPrint prints out any screen the computer can
display; itæs compatible with Epson, IBM Proprinter, HP Laserjet and
PostScript compatible printers. File Manager is a graphical file
management system that makes organising files and discs easy. Amongst
its features are: copy, name, format and back up for an entire SSD;
copy, delete, rename and move directories and files; change file
attributes, set file dates and locate files by name, size, date,
attributes or contents; tag files individually or by matching names,
dates or attributes across directories.
9.12
For an SSD, ToolKit 1 costs ú42.51 +p&p +VAT, or ú48 through Archive.
For a disc it costs ú34 +p&p +VAT, or ú38 through Archive.
9.12
TurboDrivers Ö Computer Concepts have released a new version of their
TurboDrivers, which support Canon bubblejet printers, the BJC-210 and
BJC-4100, and recent versions of !Printers.
9.12
The BJC-210 offers mono printing quality of 720 (with smoothing) ╫ 360
dpi, and an optional colour cartridge, so the printer can be used for
occasional colour printing. The BJC¡4100 is suitable for both high
colour quality and high speed mono printing. The colour is produced
using a four colour ink tank, and offers true 720 dpi colour as well as
720 (with smoothing) ╫ 360 dpi in mono. The new version of TurboDrivers
is 4.05 and now requires !Printers 1.45 or later.
9.12
The TurboDrivers software costs ú49 +VAT from CC or ú53 through Archive.
Upgrades from TurboDrivers 4.04 is free from CC and costs ú10 +VAT from
earlier versions, also from CC.
9.12
VRview Ö  Experience photorealistic Virtual Reality on your RISC OS
machines as never before! Explore famous buildings, walk in the country,
even stroll around the Starship Enterprise. Examine the objects you find
from all angles. VRview, from Warm Silence, is a Quicktime VR renderer.
Currently, it is an Éintroductoryæ version only (though it still looks
very impressive), hence an introductory price, and the lack of printed
instructions. The final version is planned in time for the October show,
with an improved interface, better support for older machines, lower
memory usage, and improved quality whilst zoomed.
9.12
VRview is like Replay; in itself it is fairly small, but it uses big
datafiles. It comes on floppy,  but is frequently found on CD-ROM
(VRview reads the CD), as well as being available on some Web sites.
Atáthe moment, Warm Silence donæt supply tools to generate Quicktime VR
scenes, but they may think of this later. Currently, it is RiscPC only,
but coming to older machines soon.
9.12
The introductory version of VRview costs ú20 inclusive from Warm
Silence.áuá
9.12
Product News
9.12
Alternative Publishing tell us that things are going well with their
vector graphics converters. According to Majid Anwar from AP, öI can
safely say that the WMF-loader is complete, and is very comprehensive
(there are very few files that it cannot convert), fast and accurate. It
provides simple drag-and-drop of WMFs into applications that accept
drawfiles Ö in many cases, we have found it to be more reliable than
many native Windows applicationsæ own loaders!ò
9.12
Anglia Multimedia have been well-known for their large range of Key Plus
datafiles, but Iotaæs Datapower package has now been upgraded to
ensureáthat it can read more of the Key Plus file structure,
particularly in respect of graphics within files. Over 50 different
datafiles, from Minibeasts to the Periodic Table, Weather Statistics to
the Birds of Britain and Ireland, can be bought from Anglia Multimedia,
and many more are being distributed from Angliaæs web site.
9.12
As many of Angliaæs datafiles include pictures in Draw or sprite format,
this development to Datapower greatly enhances the value of the
datafiles to Datapower users. The structure adopted includes matching
Key Plusæs facility to link the same graphic to a number of records, a
technique developed by Anglia to make best use of floppy disc space.
9.12
In addition to the developments made to Datapower itself, Iota and
Anglia are working together to ensure that files loaded into Datapower
will display appropriately. Anglia will gradually be upgrading the
datafiles so that they include a layout module which Datapower will
automatically recognise. According to Peter Stibbons, Director of
Development at Anglia Multimedia, öOur commitment to Key Plus continues,
as is seen from the latest upgrade of the Windows version, but this
cooperation with Iota will enable us to supply the datafiles themselves
to a wider audience. The new datafiles which we will be distributing
free on our web sites will, of course, be a major benefit to schools and
usable on many more sites.ò
9.12
Learning Through Computing Ö Following the success of the Doorway
Classroom Pack, which is already being used on Acorn Computers in
Primary Schools throughout Fife and Borders Region, Learning Through
Computing is pleased to announce its intention to release a Switch
Access Version of the Doorway Classroom Pack to be available in
September 1996.
9.12
The Doorway Classroom Pack (see 9.8. p4) includes ten programs covering
Time and Mathematics at Key Stage Levels 1 and 2 (Scottish 5Ö14 Levels A
to C), as well as a couple of Early Literacy programs. More information
about the Doorway Classroom Pack can be found in Learning Through
Computingæs new free catalogue.
9.12
The Switch Access Version of the Doorway Classroom Pack should enable
anyone using switches with their Acorn RISC OS computer to access these
new educational programs. Further information can be obtained from
Learning Through Computing.
9.12
TopModel is being developed at-a-pace. Gemini, the new graphic engine,
is now ready and is available as a relocatable module to all developers
interested in using it in their own applications. The module is fully
StrongARM-compatible. Its performance is enhanced over the standard
TopModel engine and the rendering process is 2 to 5 times faster. Many
new features have been added (like the awaited 16 and 32 bpp screen mode
support). A new version, to be released very soon, will support the
Hydra multi-processor card. Sincronia has licensed Gemini to Clares, for
inclusion in the next releases of Composition, and to Oregan
Developments for inclusion in CineWorks. A new VRML (and TopModel 3D
file) browser, based on the new Gemini engine, has been developed and
will be available shortly at a reasonable price.
9.12
Work is in progress for the next release of TopModel, a completely
rewritten program offering full animation capability, advanced rendering
algorithms, complex construction and editing tools, multi-processor
support and much more. An upgrade scheme will be offered to all TopModel
users who will be able to to buy the new release simply for the
difference in price. Last but not least, a CD-ROM with over 600Mb of
TopModel objects, textures and utilities will be released late summer.
For further information, contact Rachelle Smith at Spacetech.áuá
9.12
Review software received...
9.12
We have received review copies of the following: ÅDrawAid (u), ÅHelping
Hand (e), ÅKey Franτais (e), ÅQuickTile (e), ÅVRview (u). (e=Education,
u=Utility)
9.12
If you would like to review any of these products, please contact the
Archive office. Potential reviewers will need to show that they would
use the product in a professional capacity or that they have some
knowledge of the particular field.áuá
9.12
Abacus Training  29 Okus Grove, Upper Stratton, Swindon, Wilts, SN2 6QA.
(01793¡723347) [01793¡723347]
9.12
Acorn-by-Post  13 Dennington Road, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 2BR.
(01933¡279300)
9.12
AcornáComputeráGroup  645áNewmarketáRoad, Cambridge, CB5á8PB.
(01223¡725000) http://www.acorn.co.uk/
9.12
AcornáNC + Acorn OM  645áNewmarketáRoad, Cambridge, CB5á8PB.
(01223¡518518) [01223¡518520]
9.12
AcornáRiscáTechnologies  645áNewmarketáRoad, Cambridge, CB5á8PB.
(01223¡577800) [01223¡577900] <[e-mail]>
9.12
ARTáCustomer Services  01223¡577876 <[e-mail]>
9.12
Alsystems  47áWinchesteráRoad, FouráMarks, Alton, Hampshire, GU34á5HG.
(01420¡561111) <[e-mail]>
9.12
AlternativeáPublishing  Suiteá1, PentagonáHouse, 38áWashingtonáStreet,
Glasgow, G3á8AZ. (0141¡248¡2322) [0141¡248¡3638]
<[e-mail]>
9.12
AngliaáMultimedia  AngliaáHouse, Norwich, NR1á3JG. (01603¡615151)
[01603¡631032]
9.12
APDL  39 Knighton Park Road, Sydenham, London, SE26 5RN. (0181-778-2659)
[0181¡488-0487] <[e-mail]>
9.12
ARMedáForces  38áMaináRoad, Littleton, Winchester, SO22á6QQ.
(01962¡880591)
9.12
AudioáDynamics  22áBroughamáEnterpriseáCentre, BroughamáTerrace,
Hartlepool, TS24á8EY. (01706-341989)
9.12
BeebugáLtd  117áHatfieldáRoad, StáAlbans, Herts, AL1á4JS. (01727¡840303)
[01727¡860263]
9.12
Carlton Software  Felmersham Road, Carlton, Bedford, MK43 7NA. (01234-
721448)
9.12
CarvicáManufacturing  MorayáPark, FindhornáRoad, Forres, Moray,
Scotland, IV36á0TP. (01309¡672793)
9.12
ChalksoftáLtd  P.O. Boxá49, Spalding, Lincs, PE11á1NZ. (01775¡769518)
[01775¡762618]
9.12
ClaresáMicroáSupplies  98áMiddlewicháRoad, Rudheath, Northwich,
Cheshire, CW9á7DA. (01606¡48511) [01606¡48512]
<[e-mail]>
9.12
ComputeráConcepts  GaddesdenáPlace, HemeláHempstead, Herts, HP2á6EX.
(01442¡351000) [01442¡351010]
9.12
DesktopáProjectsáLtd  Unitá2A, HeapridingáBusinessáPark, FordáStreet,
Stockport, SK3á0BT. (0161¡474¡0778) [0161¡474¡0781]
9.12
Eidos plc  The Boathouse, 15 Thames Street, Middlesex TW12 2EW. (0181-
941-7899) [0181-941-7895] <[e-mail]> http://www.eidos.com.
9.12
ESP  21áBeecháLane, WestáHallam, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, DE7á6GP.
á(0115¡929¡5019) [0115¡929¡5019] <[e-mail]>
9.12
ExpLAN  StáCatherineæsáHouse, 20áPlymoutháRoad, Tavistock, Devon,
PL19á8AY. (01822¡613868) [01822¡610868] <[e-mail]>á
9.12
FabisáComputing  48áCharlesáStreet, ChurcháGresley, Swadlincote,
Derbyshire, DE11á9QD. (01283¡552761) [01283¡552761]
<[e-mail]>
9.12
HCCSáLtd  575¡583áDurhamáRoad, Gateshead, NE9á5JJ. (0191¡487¡0760)
[0191¡491¡0431]
9.12
iSVáProducts  86, Turnberry, HomeáFarm, Bracknell, Berks, RG12á8ZH.
(01344¡55769)
9.12
KangáSoftware  LocationáWorks, 42áOldáComptonáStreet, LondonáW1Vá6LR.
(0171¡494¡0888) [0171¡287¡2855] http://www.argonet.co.uk/location/works/
kang.html
9.12
LearningáThrougháComputing  3áRelugasáRoad, EdinburgháEH9á2NE.
(0131¡662¡1881) [0131¡662¡1881] <[e-mail]>
9.12
LOOKsystems  Unitá1, TheáGablesáYard, PulhamáMarket, Diss, IP21á4SY.
(01379¡608585) [01379¡608575]
9.12
MijasáSoftware  WinchesteráRoad, Micheldever, Winchester, SO21á3DG.
(01962¡774352) <[e-mail]>
9.12
OctopusáSystems  9áRandwelláClose, Ipswich, IP4á5ES. (01473¡728943)
[01473¡270643] <[e-mail]>áhttp://www.octosys.co.uk/
9.12
OreganáDevelopments  36áGrosvenoráAvenue, Streetly, SuttonáColdfield,
B74á3PE. (0121¡353¡6044) [0121¡353¡6472] <[e-mail]>
9.12
PurpleáSoftware  EustonáHouse, 81-103áEustonáStreet, LondonáNW1á2EZ.
(0171¡387¡3777)
9.12
R-Comp  22áRobertáMoffat, HigháLegh, Knutsford, Cheshire,
WA16á6PSáá(01925¡755043) [01925¡757377] <[e-mail]>
9.12
ReallyáGoodáSoftwareáCompany  39áCarisbrookeáRoad, Harpenden, Herts.,
AL5á5QS.
9.12
Repair Zone  421 Sprowston Road, Norwich, NR3 4EH. (01603¡400477)
9.12
SibeliusáSoftware  75áBurleigháStreet, Cambridge, CB1á1DJ.
(01223¡302765) [01223¡351947]
9.12
Spacetech  21áWestáWools, Portland, Dorset, DT5á2EA. (01305¡822753)
[01305¡860483] <[e-mail]>
9.12
StuartáTyrrelláDevelopments  P.O. Boxá183, Oldham, OL2á8FB.
<[e-mail]>
9.12
WarmáSilenceáSoftware  StáCatherineæsáCollege, ManoráRoad, Oxford,
OX1á3UJ. (0585¡487642) <[e-mail]>á(RobináWatts)
9.12
WECC c/o KudlianáSoft  8áBarrowáRoad, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8á1EH.
(01926¡851147) <[e-mail]>
9.12
Xemplar Education  The Quorum, Barnwell Road, Cambridge, CB5 8RE.
(01223¡724724) [01223¡724324] http://www.xemplar.co.uk/
9.12
Archive Monthly Disc Ö ú2
9.12
 (Now on 1.6Mb, but available as two 800Kb discs if you ask
specifically.)
9.12
I hope that all these items will make it onto the disc, but itæs going
to be a bit of a squeeze! Ed.
9.12
u !BatchPrint Ö Shareware program from Mijas Software Ö see Printing,
page 41.
9.12
u Electronic clippings Ö Acorn news items from the Net, including an
excellent interview with HH!
9.12
u Assembly language program from Francis Crossley Ö see page 14.
9.12
u Files from Gerald Fittonæs Column Ö page 57.
9.12
u Archive Internet Glossary Ö 9,500+ words of explanation about Internet
terms.
9.12
u Scientific software (wave functions) from Chris Johnson Ö see page 13.
9.12
u SwiftJPEG and Pathway programs sent by Stuart Bell Ö see page 19.
9.12
u Operating Systems Column items from Ian Beswick Ö page 53.
9.12
u Pocket Book Column: various PD programs and screenshots Ö see page 72.
9.12
u Various items from Dave Floydæs Printing Column Ö page 41.
9.12
u Starting Basic programs from Ray Favre Ö see page 63.
9.12
u Modify your Welcome banner Ö PD sent by Sudipta Sarkar Ö see page 28.
9.12
The following is about the Christian faith, not specifically about
computing.
9.12
First of all, an apology. I have had a lengthy, but very helpful,
correspondence with a lady who is an expert in philosophy and
psychology. She has made me look again at some of the things I have said
in this Godslot and, having seen them with different eyes, it has made
me cringe at some of the things I have said.
9.12
First of all, I have implied, more than once, that those who donæt
believe as I do, are somehow being less than honest, or they are being
stupid and önot facing up to the factsò. If what I have said has come
over in that way, I can only say that I am sorry. That is certainly not
what I think. Of course, there are honest, sensible, intelligent people
who look at the evidence, and come to a very different conclusion from
me, and I respect that. In future, I will try to look at the things I
write from both sides of the fence, to avoid coming over as arrogant.
9.12
Secondly, she has shown me that some of my Élogical argumentsæ are by no
means as logical as I first thought. However, I am less repentant on
this issue. I accept that I have got some of my arguments wrong in a
technical sense, but I have been studying the Christian faith, and
defending it by logical argument, for 28 years now, and I have come,
very strongly, to this conclusion: The Christian faith, based on the
prophecies of the Old Testament, and the claims of Jesus, plus the
teachings of the apostles in the New Testament may not be true!
(Yes,áthatæs right, I said it may not be true.) However, I believe it to
be logically self-consistent. The IF statements may, as my friend points
out, go round in circles, but IF what Jesus said is true then itæs all
true.
9.12
What is more, the experience of Christians for almost 2,000 years has
been that once you Éhave faithæ, you find that Éit worksæ. Let me expand
on that. No, you cannot prove that Jesusæ claims are true, but what I
did, 28áyears ago, was to say, öLetæs work on the assumption that it is
true and see what happensò, and over those years, my personal experience
of öknowing Godò, i.e. as a person rather than just studying him and
knowing about him, has lead me to the deep, deep conviction that Jesus
really was telling us the truth.
9.12
So how do you Éhave faithæ? To me, itæs simply a case of testing it out
Ö as a scientist would. Someone has formulated a theory, and we have to
put it to the test. The trouble is, thereæs only so much you can test if
you are an outsider looking in Ö you can only really test it from the
inside Ö you have to trust Jesusæ word.
9.12
This is why (yes, sorry, I am going to say it again!!!) the Alpha course
is proving so effective. It is designed mainly for those who would class
themselves as Éoutsidersæ to the Christian faith, to give them a chance
to have a look and see what they think. As I always say, why not go and
have a look? Youæve got nothing to lose!
9.12
There is now an Alpha web site at http://ds.dial.pipex.com/htb.london/
alpha/index. Soon, they hope to have a list of participating churches
there, so that you can find your nearest Alpha course.
9.12
P.B.
9.12
Paul Beverley
9.12
Wot, no major announcements from Acorn?!?!
9.12
Itæs a sign of the times that the Énewsæ this month is that Acorn have
not made any major announcements for at least four weeks! The Éonlyæ
news is that Psion have committed to using ARM7100 and StrongARM in
their handheld computers. (See the article on page 34.) They are also
going to license this technology to other companies, so the Acorn
technology web is spreading further and further around the globe.
9.12
Domestic news...
9.12
NCS said goodbye to James Taylor this month, who is moving back to
London, this time to work for Eidos (another up-and-very-much-coming
Acorn company!), so we say thanks for his year at NCS and good luck in
the future, oh, and HELP we need a replacement!! The trouble is that
Acorn are gobbling up all the good people who have Acorn knowledge and
skills Ö they still had 15 vacancies when I last heard. But Norwich is a
wonderful place to live Ö and much less expensive than Cambridge! If you
know anyone who would be able to help us out, do get in touch, and
please bear with us Ö normal service will be resumed as soon as
possible!
9.12
Your harassed editor,
9.12
Fact-File
9.12
Key: (phone)áá[fax]áá<net>
9.12
Norwich Computer Services    96a Vauxhall Street, Norwich, NR2 2SD.
(01603-766592) [01603-764011]
9.12
<[e-mail]>  OR  <[e-mail]>  OR
<[e-mail]>
9.12
http://www.cybervillage.co.uk/acorn/archive/
9.12
Acorn Stock Clearance!
9.12
Acorn are clearing their warehouses, and there are a number of items on
special offer, while stocks last:
9.12
A5000 (2Mb/HD80) Ö ú580
9.12
A5000 (8Mb/HD120) Ö ú650
9.12
A7000 (2Mb/HD425 + CD) Ö ú650
9.12
A4 (4Mb/HD60) Ö ú990
9.12
Please ring to check availability before ordering.
9.12
Pack of 40 HD floppy discs Ö ú18
9.12
Pocket Book I Ö ú98
9.12
Pocket Book II 512Kb Ö ú195
9.12
A3010 (2Mb) Ö ú225
9.12
A4000 (2Mb/HD210) Ö ú540
9.12
Sales Engineer required
9.12
Norwich Computer Services has a vacancy for a Sales Engineer to start as
soon as possible.
9.12
The work is very varied, including dealing with technical sales
enquiries and post-sales support, mainly on the phone but also face-to-
face, collation of technical information and some work on the magazine,
such as writing up hints & tips.
9.12
Itæs a small, friendly team, so you will have the opportunity to do most
of the different jobs around the office!
9.12
Person Spec
9.12
Good general knowledge of Acorn systems Ö essential
9.12
Good interpersonal skills Ö very important
9.12
Sense of humour Ö you wonæt survive without one!
9.12
Technical writing skills Ö moderately important
9.12
Hardware/electronics knowledge Ö not essential
9.12
Programming skills Ö not essential
9.12
Age Ö candidates of any age will be considered
9.12
Salary Ö Subject to experience/negotiation and the level of
responsibility you are prepared to take on.
9.12
Send CV and/or apply for more details.
9.12
Acorn Software Engineer/Programmer
9.12
AFE Computer Services Ltd is a fast growing provider of screen based
real time financial information services in Hong Kong. With the
objective of providing the best quality service to our customers, we
invite good calibre to join our Technical Development team in Hong Kong.
9.12
The successful candidate will report to the Head of Technical
Development Department and work with other software specialists in
producting new products as well as enhancements to existing product
range. The individual for the position of Acorn Software Engineer should
possess the following qualities:
9.12
Å At least 2 years solid experience in C Programming.
9.12
Å A good broad experience in writing software on Acorn platform, with
emphasis in areas of windowing, and RISC OS.
9.12
Å Experience in data communications and real time system.
9.12
Å Knowledge of RISC assembly and C++ would be an added advantage.
9.12
Å Must be able to work independently and possess good initiative.
9.12
Interested parties, please email to [e-mail] with information on
your education background, experience, present and expected salary, and
contact telephone.
9.12
Club News
9.12
Wakefield Acorn Computer Group
9.12
West Yorkshire Sports and Social Club, Sandal Hall Close, off Walton
Lane, (A61) Barnsley Road, Sandal, Wakefield. The doors open at 7:10pm,
with the event starting at 7:30 approx. till around 9:30.
9.12
There is free car parking at the venue, and there is a Bar available.
Entrance fee is ú1 at the door. (Membership facilities are available
including corresponding membership.)
9.12
The Wakefield Acorn Computer User Group has been around since 1983. This
year has been a landmark year since we organised the new Northern Acorn
Show, the ÉWakefield Acorn Spring Showæ, in association with Acorn User
and ART on Sunday 19th May. Other events coming up are:
9.12
Wednesday, September 4th Ö Alex van Someren from ANT
9.12
Wednesday, October 2nd Ö PETER BONDAR, Technical Director of ART
9.12
Wednesday, November 6th Ö Nick Evans of Longman Logotron
9.12
Wednesday, December 4th Ö Annual Bring & Buy
9.12
Membership costs ú8 for full membership (including Corresponding
members), Juniors at ú4.
9.12
If you require further information, please email:
9.12
Chris Hughes: [e-mail] or Mike Wilson:
[e-mail]
9.12
Or phone [phone] (Mike) or 01924-379778 (Chris).áuá
9.12
Small Ads
9.12
(Small ads for Acorn 32-bit computers and related products are free for
subscribers but we reserve the right to publish all, part or none of the
material you send, as we think fit. i.e. some people donæt know what
Ésmallæ means and there are certain things, as you can imagine, that we
would not be prepared to advertise as a matter of principle. Sending
small ads (especially long ones!) on disc is helpful but not essential.)
9.12
6x TEAC CD-56E CD-ROM, with cables, two months old, works with a RiscPC
700 ú75. SCSI 2 to SCSI 1 cable, new, unused, suitable for Power-Tec
board ú16. Eddie Lord, 72046.251@compuserve .com or 01342-714905.
9.12
A310, RGB colour monitor, Panasonic KX-P1081 printer, Watford 40/80 disc
drive, loads of software, magazines etc ú500 o.n.o. Phone [phone].
9.12
A3020, 2Mb RAM, 120Mb HD, RISC OS 3.1, AKF50 hi res monitor, Citizen
Swift 24-pin printer ú450. Phone [phone].
9.12
A4000, 2Mb RAM, 80 Mb hard disc, AKF18 monitor; software includes
Easiword, some games, many fonts, PD and shareware discs ú350 o.n.o.
01473Ö328582
9.12
A420/1, 2Mb RAM, 20Mb hard disc, RISC OS 2, Acorn Monitor, Epson LQ400
24-pin dot matrix, software including: PC Emulator, Genesis, 1st Word
Plus, DTP ú250 o.n.o. Phone Andrew on 01785-817465.
9.12
A5000, 4 Mb RAM, 212 Mb HD, 486 PC card with coprocessor, numerous PD
programs ú650 negotiable. Address: Jean Richard, 28 ch de la Vuachere,
1009 Pully, Switzerland, phone: [phone], email:
[e-mail].
9.12
A5000LC, 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, 40Mb HD, Eizo 9060S-M multisync monitor,
boxed with manuals and software ú625. Phone [phone].
9.12
A5000, 4Mb RAM, 120Mb hard disc, AKF18 monitor, A5 scanner, much
software including Artworks, Impression, Pro Artisan, Euclid plus 120
PD, shareware and magazine discs, several volumes of Archive and Risc
User, ú750 o.n.o. 01473Ö328582.
9.12
A5000, 8Mb RAM (Simtec 4Mb upgrade), 25MHz, RISC OS 3.1, 120Mb and 330Mb
IDE HDs, manuals, Colour Card Gold, Samsung SyncMaster III SVGA (or a
hardly-used Acorn AKF11 monitor), PC Emulator 1.8, Squirrel, ú950 o.n.o.
Peter Bond [e-mail] or 01524-701623.
9.12
A5000LC, 8Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, 40Mb and 120Mb HDs, AKF50 monitor, FPA,
PC Emulator 1.8, fan quietener, external double speakers and adaptor,
various software ú750. Phone [phone] or [e-mail].
9.12
Acorn C/C++ in perfect condition. ú99 o.n.o. Alex on 0181-660-5353 or
a.singleton@ukonline .co.uk.
9.12
Acorn JP150 printer, with double capacity HP inkjet cartridge, sheet
feeder and Epson emulation card ú50. Phone [phone] or
[e-mail].
9.12
AKF60 Ö 14in colour monitor ú160 + carriage, 425 Mb IDE hard drive ú50
inc., Citizen 120D+ 9¡pin dot matrix ú50 inc. Phone [phone].
9.12
Alone in the Dark ú20, Animator ú50, Premier manager ú10 o.n.o., second
hand 800Kb discs 25p each or 5 for ú1, second hand 1.6Mb dics 50p or 5
for ú2, all cover discs and CD-ROMs from Acorn User and some from Acorn
Computing 30p each. Ask for Richard on: 01223-363545, fax [phone]
or [e-mail].
9.12
ARM710 processor kit ú75, Econet clock box ú25, Econet FileStore E40S
ú25, 2 ╫ A400/1 1Mb RAM sets ú25 each, 3╜ö external drive case ú25.
Richard on 01642-656271 or [e-mail] .com.
9.12
Calligraph/Qume laser printer 300 dpi, with expansion card (does not run
in a Risc PC Ö hence the sale, but you can buy one for ú130), very fast,
genuine 5ppm, newish drum, two toner refills, minor problem ú150. Peter
Bond on 01524-701623 or [e-mail].
9.12
Canon BJC 600 colour printer, new print head, 6-months on-site warranty,
plus TurboDrivers vá4.04 with cable, boxed ú249, CCæs Scanlight 256
complete ú58. Phone [phone].
9.12
Cumana SCSI-1 card, latest ROM ú75, lots of games ú5 and ú10 each, all
in original packaging. Phone Dave on 0121-745-2423.
9.12
Econet cards for RiscPC ú25 each, for Archimedes ú10 each, SJ Econet
clock box ú20, SJánew bridge ú50, Acorn and SJ used econet outlet boxes,
about 50m of unused 4-core network cable plus oddments, spares including
network driver chips. Phone [phone].
9.12
External Morley CD-ROM, 1 year old, with podule, cables and software for
A5000,  ú75.  TurboDriver for Canon Inkjets ú15. CC Colourcard Gold,
32,000 colours on A5000, allows enhanced Multimedia and graphics
performance ú50.  MráR.Bishop on 01865-62688.
9.12
HP LaserJet II printer ú150, HP 550C ú100, Irlam Replay Board ú80,
multisync monitor ú80, digitiser ú60, 486 card ú70 (trade this in for a
586 card and save ú100!), CC TurboDrivers for HP and Canon ú25 each.
Phone Russell on 0131-658-1225.
9.12
Integrex Colourjet Ö 132 colour printer for sale ú120 o.n.o. Ask for
Brian on 01625-575052.
9.12
Prolog Tutor Ö Solves convoluted logic problems with simple logic
entries in shareware Prolog. A start in artificial intelligence. Disc
obtainable for ú5 from Jim Davis, Shiptonette, Bridge Road, Downham
Market, PE38 0AE. (01366-385824)
9.12
Panasonic KX-P1081 Ö Fine on all Acorn computers. Presently fitted with
RiscPC lead, almost any offer accepted. Satisfaction guaranteed. Also
splendid A540 computer going cheap. Phone Jim Davis on 01366-385824
9.12
Philips 14ö Multisync CM8873, 0.31mm dot pitch, RGB linear & TTL, owners
and service manual and lead for A310 ú50.  Buyer collects or arranges
carriage. Phone Mike on 01293-528137.
9.12
Software, PC Emulator Shareware Collection 1 & 2 ú15, GammaPlot v2 ú15,
System Delta+ v2 ú25, Genesis v2 ú20, Investigating Local Industry ú20,
The Art Machine 1 & 2 ú20, Cheat It Again Archie ú3, Sporting Triangles
ú5, Word Up Word Down ú3, InterChart ROM ú10, InterSheet ROM ú15,
SpellMaster ROM ú20, all originals with documentation etc. Phone 01737-
832159 eves.
9.12
Surf the NET with an A3000 LC, ARM3, RISC OS 3.1, 4Mb RAM, 210Mb HD,
serial port, 1770 DFS interface, PRES monitor stand, PSU + 5╝ö drive bay
for int. CD-ROM, 2nd 3╜ò bay, two exp. slots, Colour Card Gold, USR
Sportster 14.4k fax/modem (gæteed to Dec æ99), software, manuals, boxed.
Total cost ú2,173 Ö accept ú485. Phone [phone].
9.12
Wanted Ö A540 front fascia panel (it houses the hard disc busy light and
power supply on light), also wanted 4Mb RAM card for A540. Phone John on
01257-275950 after 6.
9.12
Wanted Ö VIDC-enhancer to connect a multisync monitor to A3000, SCSI-
Minipodule (HCCS), SCSI via ECONET-socket, new or second hand.  If you
have one or know how to get one, please fax R. Geisder, Berlin, 0049-30-
3-92-40-18 (fax & phone).
9.12
Wanted Ö Working Armadillo 448b mono sampler. I already have one but
would like a spare. Stereo considered. Les May on 01706-32119.
9.12
Wanted urgently Ö A4 scanner. Less urgent but also, 17ö monitor. Phone
0116-268-53774.áuá
9.12
Help!!!!
9.12
Almanac Ö One of the programs I use quite a lot is Almanac, but it seems
that Stallion Software who produced it have disappeared. Is anyone
supporting it? My copy works fine, and I use it for bookings, personal
accounts, and as an address book, but I am worried about StrongARM
compatibility. Can anyone shed any light on this?
9.12
Colin Randall <[e-mail]>
9.12
BMFÖ>Draw Ö Does anyone know how to convert PC Corel BMF files to
drawfiles, so I can use them from Corelæs Gallery CD on my A3000.
Iápresume they are a type of Metafile.
9.12
Brian Cocksedge, W.Sussex, 01730-812-341 eves.
9.12
File encryption Ö Does anyone know of a seamless file encryption system
for the RiscPC?
9.12
Paul De Luca <[e-mail]>
9.12
Greek/Hebrew scholar wanted Ö Weáneed someone to review the Greek and
Hebrew modules for the ExpLAN Holy Bible. We had a reviewer, but he ran
out of time before going abroad, so we really need someone as soon as
possible. These modules take Bible software (and the Acorn platform) way
ahead of the opposition, so if someone were willing, they could do a
review for Archive and then offer it (perhaps in a slightly modified
form) toásome of the Christian newspapers and periodicals. I asked Paul
Richardson at ExpLAN about the qualifications of such a reviewer, and he
wrote...
9.12
öWhen selecting a reviewer, you will have to check that they actually
understand Greek or Hebrew or both. They should also understand the
difficulties raised in simultaneously using multiple languages. Ináother
words, a native English speaker running a HolyBible UK Base Pack (and
presumably an English word-processor) must know that he canæt just set
the Acorn Territory Manager or Keyboard configuration to Greek!!
9.12
öIn fact, there has been a lot of work put into the multi-lingual/
phonetic keyboard overlay system of HolyBible, in order to enter search
words, and it is this that puts us light-years ahead of the competition.
(On other platforms, I presume he means.)
9.12
öWhen you Élocateæ a suitable reviewer, we need to know if their copy of
HolyBible is a single-user or site-licensed copy, (b) if they require
fonts as well, and (d) if they need HD or DD discs.
9.12
Paul Richardson <[e-mail]>
9.12
So is there anyone out there willing to give this one a go? Remember
that, at the very least, you get the Greek and Hebrew modules for your
trouble.
9.12
Ed <[e-mail]>
9.12
Hints & Tips Ö Since James Taylor left, we have lost various hints and
tips that he was working on, so if you sent in any H&T comments, and
they have not been published, please could you send them again? Thanks.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
9.12
Ed. <[e-mail]>
9.12
PIC chips Ö Does anyone know of a PD RISC OS-based cross-assembler, or
simulator, for PIC chips? Is anyone programming these using an Acorn
machine?
9.12
Les May, 20 Crescent Road, Rochdale, OL11 3LF. (01706-32119)
9.12
Quantum 120Mb IDE hard disc available to first good cause to offer to
pay the postage. It is known to work in an A5000, on its own, or with
the original 40Mb Connor disc supplied.
9.12
Email me or write to me at: 8 Vicarage Lane, Wing, Leighton Buzzard,
Beds. LU7 0NU.
9.12
Seßn Kelly, [e-mail].
9.12
RE software Ö Liz Leydenæs plea (9.9 p54) for information about software
for RE in secondary schools has set us off on a quest to find out as
much as we can about whatæs available. This will then lead us to a
series of articles later in the year. So, if you are a developer, or
have used RE materials in education, Iáwould like to hear from you.
9.12
If you have developed materials for your own use, do let us know too,
because someone else may be able to benefit from your work, and/or take
what you have done and develop it further. Copies of materials and
information can be sent to the office address, or just email me.
9.12
Gabriel Swords <[e-mail]>
9.12
RTF facilities? Ö Please can anyone tell me where to find information
about the word processing format ÉRTFæ which I think is commonly
available on PC word processors. I have looked in the bibliographies of
most of the Acorn magazines, with little success. The only mention was
with ÉImpressionæ, which I do not have, and do not want to buy, since I
prefer TechWriter and, as far as I can tell, it does not allow input of
RTF files.
9.12
Iæd like to know where to find the definition of the RTF format, and
also what Acorn programs (preferably PD) are available to read/write it.
9.12
Kate Crennell, <[e-mail]>
9.12
Here is some information that might help... First of all, TechWriter Pro
will now read and write Microsoft Word files. Icon Technology had to do
this as part of their WP for the network computer. They were working on
the RTF capability when the NC work came along, so they had to do the
Word translation first, but they hope that TechWriter Pro will also have
RTF capability within about a month. Ed.
9.12
Scientific software Ö I have sent Paul a chemistry application called
WaveFunc for inclusion on the Archive monthly disc. This is a simple
application that displays graphically either wave functions, or the
square of the wave function, for the first ten vibrational levels of a
harmonic oscillator. Aávery simple demonstration of wave function
overlap is also available in this application.
9.12
As usual, this software will also be available on my Web site. ftp://
avogadro.che.hw.ac.uk/pub/
9.12
Chris Johnson <[e-mail]>
9.12
StrongARM compatibility Ö As soon as the StrongARM cards start to
appear, it would be helpful to begin to build up a compatibility
picture. Specifically, for each application, it would be helpful to know
whether the various versions (a) wonæt work at all, (b) work with minor
problems, (c) work with no problems or (d) are StrongARM aware, i.e
positively take advantage of the StrongARMæs architecture.
9.12
Would anyone be willing to collate this sort of information for Archive?
It will involve quite a lot of work but could be quite interesting.
Anyone offering to help, really needs to have Internet access. If youæd
like to help, drop me an email.
9.12
Ed <[e-mail]>
9.12
Screen Dump for ESC/P2 Printer
9.12
Francis Crossley
9.12
I use my RiscPC to receive weather facsimile broadcasts on short wave.
It is very useful to have a hard copy of some of these charts for
further study. There used to be a hardcopy module for Acorn computers
but it does not seem to work with the RiscPC series of machines and it
is tedious to have to save the screen image as a sprite and then use
Paint to print it out. Also, since the size is increased by printing,
the clarity of the image is decreased. Iátherefore decided to write my
own, originally in C, but I ran into difficulties regarding reading the
contents of screen memory. I know about pointers but this problem has me
beaten. If any reader has a solution, I would be pleased to hear from
them. Iáwrote the program instead in Assembler, although the available
speed is rather pointless with a printer!
9.12
My printer is an Epson ESC/P2, having 24 pins. For this series of
printers, there are two types of graphics printing available. These are
(a) bit image graphics, also present on all other Epson printers and (b)
raster graphics, only available on the ESC/P2 models.
9.12
Bit image graphics
9.12
To understand the work to be done by the program, imagine that the
memory containing the image is a rectangular array matching the paper on
which the image is to be placed. Now let the array be marked out in
columns 1 pixel wide and 8, 24 or 48 lines tall, depending on the number
of pins in the print head. Every 8 rows in the column is then coded into
a number to be sent to the printer. This process is repeated for every
column of pixels until the whole width has been sent to the printer.
Send a linefeed and carriage return and repeat for a set of lines 8, 24
or 48 lines further down the image. Writing this program represents
quite a lot work for the programmer, not to mention clarity of thought!
9.12
Better method Ö Raster graphics
9.12
This is a better method developed for the more modern range of printers.
In this mode, data is read from the memory in groups of 8 pixels
horizontally, coded into a byte and sent to the printer. This is
repeated until one line has been read, coded and sent. This is followed
by a linefeed and carriage return and then data for the next line. The
printer looks after driving the pins with the correct data. Note that
now, the programmer has a simpler job by making the printer do more work
Ö and why not?
9.12
Design of the program
9.12
I will start with the programming of the printer, which is the harder
part to understand, then describe how to find the starting address of
screen memory and the screen size.
9.12
To program the printer, it must be reset to ensure that it starts from a
known state Ö the reset command is ÉESC @æ. Next, it must be switched to
raster graphics mode with ÉESC ( G 1 0 1æ. At this stage, Iámust make a
comment on exactly what must be sent to the printer. ÉESCæ has the code
27, and this is the value which is sent. Then @, (, G are sent as their
ASCII codes (64, 40, 71 respectively), while 1 0 1 are sent as three
separate bytes having the values 1, 0 and 1, not their ASCII
representations. The ASCII values above are given in decimal.
9.12
We must now decide on the x (horizontal) and y (vertical) resolution. We
can have 180 dots/inch horizontally and vertically, 360 dots/inch for
both, or 360 in x and 180 in y. I use 180 dots/inch for x and y. The
line spacing unit must be set for this resolution using ÉESC ( U 1 0 20æ
(note that the last 3 figures are sent as these values)
9.12
The printer permits us to send data from 1, 8 or 24 lines between
linefeeds. I chose to send one line at a time. This is slightly slower
than using larger numbers of lines but requires less extra memory. (It
also worked!) The command needed is ÉESC + 2æ (note that the 2 is sent
as is).
9.12
Initialising the command
9.12
If n is the number of data bytes, then nl = n MOD 256 and nh = n INT
256. This means that nh is the whole number part when n is divided by
256 and nl is the remainder. Édataæ represents the n bytes to be sent
before a linefeed. These two values are only known at run time and must
therefore be stored in the appropriate memory locations which are
Écode_6+7æ and Écode_6+8æ, to be read before each line is processed.
9.12
Sending the command
9.12
Finally, sending the data is accomplished using ÉESCá. 0 20 20 1 nl nh
dataæ. This command has its parameters set for 180 dots/inch in x and y,
the data is sent in uncompressed form and there will be only one line of
pixels sent per linefeed. To obtain each data byte, eight pixels must be
combined and sent, followed by the next eight, until the whole line has
been sent. To avoid problems with remainders, the program assumes that
all screen modes have their horizontal resolutions divisible by eight.
If this is not true, the results, although predictable, will not be
pretty! It is obvious that several loops will be required in order to
produce the data, and the ÉESC .æetc command must be given before
starting each line, except for the data part. The data follows at the
end of the inner loop. The whole program, in Assembler, is on the
monthly disc but a fragment is given within the article.
9.12
Finding the screen memory and size
9.12
The start of screen memory can be found using an SWI Ö
OS_ReadVduVariables. This requires that the address of a list of code
numbers of the variables is in register R0, and the address of the list
of values is in register R1. The variable wanted has the number 149 and
the list is terminated by Ö1. The use of this SWI is explained in the
article ÉReceiving Weather Chartsæ, Archive 9.2 p25. To find the screen
width and height, another SWI is used Ö OS_ReadModeVariable . This SWI
needs 0 in R0 and 11 in R1, and calling the SWI returns the widthÖ1 in
R2. The height is found by putting 0 into R0, 12 into R1, and calling
the SWI puts the heightÖ1 in R2.
9.12
Writing to the printer
9.12
One way to send data to the printer is to open the printer as if it were
a file called Éprinter:æ. The SWI to use is OS_Find with &83 in R0 and
the address of the file name in R1. After calling the SWI, R0 contains
the file handle or, if the printer cannot be opened, 0. We must check
for this and terminate the program with an error message if the file
opening fails.
9.12
To send data to the printer, the SWI OS_GBPB is used. To write R0=2, R1
contains the file handle, R2 holds the address of the data to send, and
R3 has the number of bytes to send. Note that R4, after calling the SWI,
contains the new value of the file pointer, and this corruption must be
remembered if R4 is supposed to contain an important value.
9.12
Closing the file is simple. SWI OS_Find with R0=0 and R1=0 to close all
files on the current filing system, or R1 can hold the file handle to
close just the one file. If the program fails or is terminated with the
Esc key, the printer will probably not be closed, causing difficulties
next time you try to open it. To close it from the command line, type
Éprinter: closeæ.
9.12
The program consists of the blocks outlined above. There are a number of
points of interest which I will now describe.
9.12
Sending commands, many bytes
9.12
To make the program as general as possible, I devised a system in which
the number of bytes was part of the group of bytes stored in memory. The
SWI OS_GBPB needs to know the number of bytes to be transferred and the
start address of the bytes. An example will be helpful.
9.12
The command to enter the raster graphics mode is ÉESC ( G 1 0 1æ which
is stored as the numbers, É27,40,71,1,0,1æ. There are six values, so I
actually store, É6,27,40,71,1,0,1æ Ö I have called this Écode6æ. The
contents of the address of Écode6æ will be the number of bytes to send,
and the address of Écode6æ+1 will be the address the SWI wants. Exactly
the same coding will work for any number of bytes to be sent if the
number of bytes precedes them.
9.12
A macro could be written to simplify coding. A macro is a group of
commands which can take parameters, rather like a subroutine, and can be
referred to by name. In Assembler, a macro is expanded into the code in
the macro, unlike a subroutine.
9.12
Sending raster graphics data
9.12
The command needed at the beginning of each line is ÉESC .æetc. This
must be sent in parts Ö the preamble at the start of each line, followed
by the actual data after every byte, until the end of line is reached,
when hopefully the printer will agree that the correct number of bytes
has been sent.
9.12
Black or white
9.12
The program asks for a threshold value which serves two purposes: a) if
it is less than &80, any point on the screen whose value is less than
the threshold will appear as black on the printer. This is used for the
fax pictures which are black on white; b) if threshold is greater than
&80, any point on the screen whose value exceeds the threshold will
appear black on the printer. This would be useful if the screen is white
on black, since it is easier to read as black on white when on paper.
The code used is shown below.
9.12
mováá R2, #1ááááááá;preset the value                         ;to be
added
9.12
cmp threshold, &80
9.12
eorge R2, R2, #1ááá;invert value in R2
9.12
cmp value, threshold ;if threshold >=&80
9.12
eorgeááR2, R2, #1áá;invert R2 if value
9.12
*áááááááááááááááááá;   >= threshold
9.12
Processing the 8 pixels
9.12
The actual value of the pixel is only important relative to the
threshold. If it should be black on printing, it must be 1 when read by
the printer. To build up the byte sent to the printer, the first pixel
will be the most significant bit and the 8th will be the least
significant bit. This is achieved by adding 1 to the pixel accumulator,
which must be set to zero before the loop starts, then when the next
pixel is processed, double the accumulator and add the appropriate value
(1 or 0) for the latest pixel. This is continued until eight pixels have
been considered. The code follows:
9.12
mov R8,#0     ;set accumulator to zero
9.12
mov R6,#7     ;set counter for 8 bytes
9.12
ldr R4,threshold ; get threshold value
9.12
loop:
9.12
code shown above goes here
9.12
add R8, R2, R8, lsl #1
9.12
              ;new value=old value*2+R2
9.12
subs R6,R6,#1 ;decrement counter, set á
flags
9.12
bge loop      ;go to loop if R6 >= 0
9.12
mov R0,R8     ;byte to send
9.12
ldr R1,handle ;handle of file
9.12
SWI OS_BPut   ;send it
9.12
Sending a byte
9.12
To send one byte, SWI OS_BPut is used when R0=value-to-be-sent, and R1
contains the handle. When a line has been processed, a linefeed is
needed, and the same SWI is used with 13 in R0 and the handle in R1.
This is the code for a carriage return, and I rely upon the printer
supplying its own linefeed. If it does not, the program must send one,
i.e. R0=10, R1=handle and use SWI OS_BPut. See the last three lines in
the code fragment above for an example of sending a byte.
9.12
Testing for a keypress
9.12
I frequently want to have the ability to terminate a program early, and
to close all files cleanly. SWI OS_Byte with 145 in R0 and 0 in R1
returns with carry flag set if no key has been pressed. If a key has
been pressed, the carry flag is clear and the ASCII code of the key is
in R2, which can be checked, and action taken as appropriate.
9.12
Improvements
9.12
To obtain an image with the correct aspect ratio, it is necessary to
enlarge the image in one direction or shrink it in the other. Both
techniques tend to spoil the clarity of the image. I have not so far
developed a way of avoiding this. Although mixed resolution can be
applied by the printer, it is the wrong way round, making images longer
and thinner! Having just written that, it does occur to me that if I
turned the image from portrait to landscape, I might be able to do what
I want.
9.12
Conclusion
9.12
This article has described a hardcopy program which reads the mode
variables, and prints an image of the screen, and it should work with
any legal mode. I use it only with OS 3.6. The image can be black on
white, or inverted, and the program can be stopped early if desired. The
complete program is on the monthly disc as a text file and will need to
be assembled and linked. The conventions are those of the Wingpass
Assembler Vs2.11. (Is there a later version?)
9.12
If you have any comments, please write to: Dr.áFrancis Crossley, 4
Bollin Drive, Congleton, Cheshire, CW12 3SJ. If an executable version is
wanted, a formatted disc would be appreciated.áuá
9.12
Network Computer Column
9.12
Richard Bradbury
9.12
Richard has agreed to try to keep track of things on the network
computer front for us. There will obviously be cross-links with various
other columns such as: Internet (Dave Pantling), Online Media (Paul
Irwin), Operating Systems (Ian Beswick), ARM Ltd (Alex Singleton) and
Networking (Chris Johnson). All the editors of those columns are on the
net so, hopefully, theyæll keep in contact, and weæll avoid duplication!
Ed.
9.12
I recently saw a letter in the Acorn press in which the correspondent
made the point that he had never even heard of the Oracle Corporation
and Larry Ellison (its Chief Executive Officer) before the deal with
Acorn. Perhaps, then, Oracle has already reaped one reward from the NC
project Ö that of raising its own profile in the marketplace. Unless you
are involved in corporate computing, it is entirely possible that youæve
never come across what is, actually, one of the worldæs software giants,
second in size only to the inevitable Microsoft.
9.12
So what, you may well ask, does Oracle get out of this Network Computer,
particularly in light of the fact that it wonæt actually be making any
of the beasts itself? Oracleæs traditional markets are in large
corporate databases, and the servers on which they run. If the NC
concept takes off in the business world, companies are going to require
pretty hefty servers to feed the NC terminals with information, and
theyære going to want programs to run on them. Clearly, the suppliers
best positioned to provide the hardware and software stand to make a
killing, and Larry Ellison is keen that Oracle should lead where others
will follow.
9.12
Itæs funny, in a way, that with the Network Computer, the industry
appears to be turning full circle. Over the past decade, companies
across the world have been pulling the plugs on their mainframes and the
VT100 Églass teletypeæ terminals which were as ubiquitous in offices at
one time as the desktop PC is today. The trend has been away from
centralised dinosaurs and towards personal computing power on the
desktop.
9.12
Having lots of shiny PCs connected to a local area network is all very
well, of course, but when a business is shelling out to revitalise its
fleet of aging computers for the umpteenth time, with yet more memory or
the latest Pentium processor, the board of directors might wonder if
there is a better alternative.
9.12
The success of the client-server paradigm has only served to highlight
the massive over-engineering behind todayæs office PCs. A Pentium-class
multimedia PC with CD-ROM, SoundBlaster card, 24-bit graphics and Égo
fasteræ stripes may be what it takes to play Doom at home, but it smacks
of overkill when all you want to do is dash off a letter to a customer,
or turn your latest sales figures into snazzy pie charts. Ironically,
many office PCs are now relegated to running terminal emulators like DEC
Pathworks for central database access!
9.12
What the Network Computer offers businesses is a no-nonsense graphics
terminal which will run common office productivity software like word
processors, spreadsheets and the like. It will allow databases to be
browsed and updated through easy-to-use graphical interfaces and will
support communications applications like electronic mail.
9.12
To cut away the hype, the NC is an updated VT100 with nice graphics and
a mouse. But because there is now a microprocessor under the bonnet, the
power and flexibility of the NC far exceeds what was capable on a dumb,
character-based terminal. The software runs locally, but is downloaded
from the network on demand. This is basically a marriage of convenience:
the technologies behind it are not new. The clever part is assembling
the pieces to make it work.
9.12
The odd couple
9.12
The next question, then, is why a big fish like Oracle chose a small fry
like Acorn to build the prototype Network Computer. Experience of ROM-
based operating systems with modest memory requirements was quite handy.
In a product like the NC, waiting several minutes for the box to boot up
every morning is dead time, and time costs money. Acornæs high quality
graphics systems are pretty impressive too, especially the anti-aliased
font technology which makes text readable, even on low resolution
television screens. Even today, this is still way ahead of the
competition.
9.12
Acorn also has expertise in programming the ARM microprocessor, a low-
cost, low-power device with a rosy future, thanks to the StrongARM.
Early developments in set-top box technology at Online Media must also
have boosted Acornæs attractiveness. The STB was a clear demonstrator of
Acornæs ability to deliver the goods, given time and money.
9.12
The Acorn prototype NC is based around the ARM7500, previously seen in
the A7000 and the OM set-top box. This is a highly integrated chip with
memory, video and peripheral controllers, in addition to the ARM7
processor core. The ARM7500 has justifiably been termed a Émultimedia
system on a chipæ. In fact, itæs this high level of integration which
will help Acorn keep manufacturing costs down to a minimum, and stay
well below the magic $500 line. This, of course, is all thanks to those
clever chaps at ARM Limited who seem to churn out ever more complex
designs at such reasonable prices.
9.12
And, as usual, ARM hasnæt been resting on its laurels. March 31st saw
the announcement of ARMæs new road map for the next couple of years.
Aimed squarely at the fledgling NC market, the ARM7500FE adds floating
point hardware to the ARM7500 and is due to be available some time in
the autumn. Its successor, the ARM8500 will offer the same low-cost
single chip solution, but with the added power of the ARM8 processor
core. The floating point hardware is so standard that they donæt even
bother with the ÉFEæ suffix!
9.12
These new chips will be at the heart of Acornæs NC production models,
where floating point performance will prove increasingly important. They
will, at long last, enable Acorn to fight on a level playing field with
the big boys like Intel, and perhaps beat them at their own game. And
for the ultimate in computing power, just imagine what could be achieved
with the StrongARM core at the heart of a multimedia microprocessor!
9.12
The hard sell
9.12
We have already glimpsed the Acorn Network Computer in press photographs
(Archive 9.10, p.19), and it certainly looks the part. Since the
excitement surrounding the international launch of the NC specifications
in May, the provisional name NetSurfer has been quietly dropped in
favour of NetStation, the reason being that the old name could not be
developed as a global brand Ö presumably it doesnæt translate well into
foreign languages! Personally, Iáthought the prototype looked a bit
tacky, and am pleased to see the logo has been peeled off on more recent
pictures.
9.12
At the moment, Acorn has a clear technology lead, having been the first
to demonstrate a working NC prototype in May. As reported in Archive
9.11, a new company, NChannel, has been set up jointly by Acorn and one
of its founders, Hermann Hauser, with the mission of marketing the Acorn
NetStation worldwide. Key licensing deals mean that NChannel has
international distribution rights for ten years (but only until the end
of 1997 in the USA). This is a low-risk investment for Acorn, which has
a decidedly chequered history as far as marketing goes, and will
hopefully pay off if NChannel hires the right people.
9.12
In light of the potential market for the Network Computer, it seems a
little odd that Acorn will not be aiming its NC product at big business:
öAcorn will not be approaching the corporate market at this timeò.
Instead, NChannel will be targeting the consumer market, and Acorn will
have access to education through Xemplar. True, there could be a big
market in employees working from home, but why is Acorn shying away from
the juicier cherries on the corporate tree? Perhaps this is lack of
confidence in the Acorn brand, particularly when competitors like Intel
and Sun are eager to get a slice of the action.
9.12
(Thereæs an extremely interesting interview with HH on the New Zealand
IDG web site at http://www.idg.co.nz/interview/Hauser.html which gives
some of the answers to this. Iæve put a copy on the monthly disc. Ed.)
9.12
As always in the computer industry, things will become clearer with
time, as speculation gives way to hard fact. I know Iæm not the only one
eagerly awaiting the product launch this autumn. Between now and then, I
hope to look into some of the technologies which make the Network
Computer tick. And, naturally, you can rely on Archive to bring you all
the very latest news at this exciting time. If you have comments on any
of the issues Iæve discussed this month, please do not hesitate to
contact me as Richard Bradbury <[e-mail]> or through the
Archive office.áuá
9.12
JPEG Revisited
9.12
Stuart Bell
9.12
This article is written as an update to the JPEG Column series of
Archives 6.9 to 8.3, and the öJPEG in Actionò piece in 8.12, and it
outlines recent developments in the use of the JPEG image storage system
on Acorn computers.
9.12
It is commonplace to differentiate the two generations of RiscPCs by
referring to them as RiscPCs 600 and 700 respectively. While it is true
that the ARM 710 processor was the Éheadlineæ development when the
second generation RiscPC was announced, it is arguable that the other
changes were just as noteworthy and, in any case, either processor is
currently available. Apart from improvements to the sound capabilities,
the second tranche of machines brought RISC OS 3.6. In addition to many
applications being restored to ROM (Draw, Paint, etc) and the addition
of ATAPI CD ROM drivers, this latest version of the operating system saw
the introduction of built-in support for JPEG files.
9.12
ChangeFSI
9.12
Originally, the ChangeFSI utility only allowed JPEG compression and
decompression via the command line interface (i.e. you had to hit <f12>
and then type in a string of Écomputereseæ), but later versions of the
utility handle JPEG files as simply as it does sprites. In addition to
increasing the ease of use, the additional functionality of ChangeFSI
with regard to JPEG files has meant that many other applications now
routinely call it to perform file compression and decompression for
them. Thus, there is no need to Ére-invent the wheelæ each time JPEG
conversion is required. This improved capability is not limited to those
with RISC OS 3.6, although users of machines without 16 or 24-bit colour
displays will find that such files canæt be displayed using ChangeFSI.
9.12
Draw
9.12
A notable development with the arrival of RISC OS 3.6 was that Draw
would handle JPEG files without them needing to be converted to a sprite
first. However, Draw doesnæt convert the file at all, but rather renders
it on the screen as it is displayed. That is, it converts it Éon the
flyæ, and doesnæt actually store the converted image in memory. Thus, if
the image window is moved, it has to be re-rendered again. With
ChangeFSI or similar JPEG de-compression utilities, this would have
taken many seconds for a typical image, and this would have made the
facility quite unusable. However, what the software people at Acorn
managed to do with RISC OS 3.6 was to write routines which render JPEG
files so quickly that the whole process takes typically two seconds for
a 768á╫á512 pixel JPEG. It really is quite amazing! (And thatæs before
StrongARM! Ed.)
9.12
Whereas, within Draw, you donæt need to be able to alter a bit-map
image, thatæs the whole purpose of Paint, so in that application, if a
JPEG file is loaded by dragging it to Paintæs iconbar icon, the file is
converted into sprite format. Again, the time is only a couple of
seconds, depending on the number of colours being displayed.
9.12
In short, RISC OS 3.6 for the first time makes JPEG file handling almost
as easy as it is for sprites, with the massive saving in disc space
which JPEG offers.
9.12
SpriteExtend
9.12
The key to Drawæs new-found functionality is a routine added to RISC OS
3.6 and located in ROM, and called SpriteExtend. It is this module which
renders JPEG files on the fly, and which has so far restricted the
facility to users of the latest version of the operating system.
However, the presence of that module made possible the writing of
applications which would allow the very rapid display of JPEG files
without the need to load them into Draw each time. The classic example
of this is:
9.12
SwiftJPEG
9.12
The application is the answer to those who, like me, wanted the new-
found speed of Draw at rendering JPEG files to be available for the
quick display of such files without having to load them into Draw or
Paint. The consequence is the display of JPEG files in two or three
seconds rather than the twenty or more which the fastest JPEG
applications take. At its simplest, SwiftJPEG can be thought of as a
very neat front end to the SpriteExtend module, allowing JPEG files to
be dragged to SwiftJPEGæs icon, and displayed very quickly indeed. But
the author, Andrew Hodgkinson, has added much more functionality to
SwiftJPEG, offering all sorts of user-selected display options,
including a slide-show facility.
9.12
For users of RISC OS 3.6, SwiftJPEG is a quite remarkable piece of
software. However, because it is dependent on the SpriteExtend module,
it could not, until recently, be used on any earlier machine. Various
users had Éunofficiallyæ found the module in question which had appeared
by accident on the Acorn Éftpæ (File Transfer Protocol) site, and had
downloaded it in breach of copyright so that they could use SwiftJPEG on
earlier RiscPCs. However, Andrewæs attempts to persuade Acorn to allow
him legitimately to distribute the module with SwiftJPEG met with no
success.
9.12
Acorn support
9.12
That is, until Tim Caspell at ART learned of the desire of many members
of the Acorn community who use the Internet, to obtain legal copies of
SpriteExtend for use with RISC OS 3.5. After an email or two from me and
a little negotiation, within a few days, SpriteExtend appeared
officially on the Acorn ftp site, and may be downloaded from there.
9.12
One further warning: the module has not been fully tested for use with
RISC OS 3.5, and is used at your own risk (no pun intended). Also, it
must not be distributed between users. If you want a copy to use with
SwiftJPEG, you have to download it yourself, but itæs well worth doing
if you can get Internet access. Thank you, Mr Caspell.
9.12
SwiftJPEG manual
9.12
Unlike so much shareware, SwiftJPEG is extremely well documented.
Initially, this was as a text file and also as an Impression Junior
document. (Junior was given away on the first Acorn User CD-ROM.) Soon,
however, Andrew recognised the value of documentation using the ÉHTMLæ
mark-up language as used for pages on the World Wide Web. The major
advantage is that words can be marked with Éhot linksæ to other pages,
so that, for example, clicking over ÉJPEGæ can load a page which
explains what that term means. After being a little dubious, Iáwas soon
converted to this approach, and when Andrew agreed that I could put
SwiftJPEG on the Archive monthly disc, I realised that it ought to be
accompanied by the HTML manual. In turn, this meant that an HTML reader
would need to be part of the Épackageæ.
9.12
Pathway
9.12
An obvious candidate was Webster, a PD application written by Andrew
Pullan. He readily agreed to my request for permission to include
Webster, but then offered a new application, Pathway, written
specifically for off-line displaying of HTML pages, and hence smaller
than applications which are used online to access pages on the web. Itæs
very elegant and compact. So, with sincere thanks to Andrew and Neutral
Net Design, holders of the copyright to PathWay, as that too is on the
monthly disc.
9.12
Hence, there are two major applications for this monthæs disc. First is
SwiftJPEG, the JPEG file display application. Its manual, in HTML
format, is in the Émanualæ directory within the application. Second is
Pathway, which enables you to read the manual. Load Pathway onto the
iconbar, and drag to it the CONTNT_HTML file from the manual directory.
9.12
Sadly for users of older machines, SpriteExtend uses Dynamic Areas in
memory, and so it and SwiftJPEG are therefore not usable on machines
other than RiscPCs.
9.12
Other developments
9.12
Iæve been using The Big Picture from Longman for several months, and
find it an excellent and highly intuitive bit-map editing package. It
doesnæt have all the Ébells and whistlesæ of the top-end applications,
but it doesnæt have their price, either. Significantly, whilst it will
import and export a wide range of image formats using the Éliteæ version
of ImageFS which comes with it, JPEG files are supported as a major
option alongside sprites and the top level of the user interface. Iæm
completing a major project using about 350 scanned images variously
touched up, enhanced, colour-corrected and titled using The Big Picture
and JPEG files, and Iæm very impressed.
9.12
Thatæs all my JPEG news for now. The arrival of the StrongARM processor
upgrade in September should, by its sheer power and speed of conversion,
open another chapter in the use of JPEG file storage on Acorn machines.
I hope to report the reality of that in the not too distant future!
9.12
Finally, thanks again to Andrew Hodgkinson, Andrew Pullan, and Tim
Caspell at ART, without whom this article would not have been
possible.áuá
9.12
3M Precise Mousing Surface
9.12
Tony Houghton
9.12
In my quest for the perfect mouse and mat, I heard of 3Mæs Precise
Mousing Surface, claimed to be the first mouse mat designed to enhance
performance, and so I decided to give it a try. They turned out to be
rather elusive, so I made a deal with Paul that if he could get me one,
I would review it for him. He managed to track it down, so here is my
part of the bargain.
9.12
First impressions
9.12
I was a little disappointed at the size of the mat: only about 20cm by
18cm at its widest points. However, the matæs good points make it worth
getting used to making smaller movements with the mouse, even if it
means increasing the mouse speed configuration.
9.12
The whole thing is less than 2mm high and it has a curved front edge, so
you have nothing digging into the heel of your hand. Another advantage
of the low profile is that if you do run out of space on the mat, the
mouse can carry on working on the desk. The overall shape is quite curvy
and looks slightly asymmetric, but that has not turned out to be a
problem for my left-handedness.
9.12
The mat is made of two layers, the bottom being of a very soft and
sticky compound, so there is no way it will slide around the desk. This
is a good point, because I recently made the mistake of polishing my
desk, and even the foam rubber backing of more common mouse mats can
slip if Iæm not careful. The top layer consists of millions of
microscopic pyramids designed to grip the mouse ball as well as possible
without causing too much drag overall.
9.12
It claims to keep the mouse clean, but thatæs what they all say.
However, there may be some truth in it this time, because your hand
tends to make less contact than with thick, rectangular mats. On the
other hand, the rough surface might make it more difficult to clean, and
the pattern makes dirt hard to spot.
9.12
In use
9.12
The mat lives up to expectations very well. Itæs comfortable, and the
mouse moves very smoothly with a reassuring feeling of feedback that the
ball is rotating. Iæve tried it with a number of different mice, but
mainly with the Logitech-built RiscPC mouse. There is little to choose
between using the light mouse ball supplied and the heavier type of ball
you can buy separately. The light one deposits far less dirt on the
mouseæs internal rollers, but is more prone to skidding; the 3M surface
makes this rare though. Another disadvantage of the heavy ball is that
if you sweep the mouse very rapidly from left to right or top to bottom,
the ball somehow gets wedged against the inside of the mouse and stops
moving.
9.12
I also tried a Clares mouse, but it felt far less positive than the
Logitech one. This is probably nothing to do with the mat, but because
that particular mouse has had a long, hard life. I even tried a
Microsoft mouse that I rescued from some junk. Its Éfeelæ on the mat is
the best of the mice Iæve tried, probably due to its extra large ball,
but I canæt use it regularly. The lack of a middle button and the fact
that I need my only serial port for my modem are the main factors, but
there is also the problem that using a serial interface for mice is a
typical PC bodge that doesnæt work very well; the pointer tends to move
in jerks, due to the quantisation effect of the serial interface.
9.12
Conclusion
9.12
I prefer this mat to any other Iæve tried. Itæs considerably more
expensive than most ordinary mats, but I think itæs worth every penny.
Its sophisticated design alone makes it good value, but more
importantly, the design features are not just design for designæs sake;
they serve to make the 3M Precise Mousing Surface more effective and
ergonomic than any other mouse mat.
9.12
It is now available through Archive for ú10 inc VAT and carriage.áuá
9.12
I thought Iæd try one myself, but when I found they were in sealed
packs, I decided not to risk wasting ú10 if Iádidnæt like it. Then I
read Tonyæs review and decided that maybe I should try one. Iæm glad I
did Ö itæs certainly staying on my desk! The best thing for me is the
way the mouse just glides effortlessly across the surface. My mouse is
one of the old-fashioned wedge-shaped Logitech mice (I prefer it to
these modern RiscPC mice!) and it works beautifully with the PMS mat.
9.12
At first I thought I wasnæt going to like it because it was a bit
sweaty! The cloth mat I used to use tends to absorb the sweat but, of
course, that means that the mat discolours, the glue degrades, and the
cloth lifts off in due course, so I probably go through a mat a year Ö
thereæs nothing to degrade on the PMS as far as I can see.
9.12
Also, it looks to me as if Iæm going to find it more restful than the
rectangular cloth-top mat, simply because I find I rest more weight on
the heel of my hand, and move the mouse with finger-tip pressure. Itæll
be interesting to see if I avoid the mousing elbow which I seem to get
from time to time Ö like tennis elbow, but I donæt play tennis!
9.12
The small size of the mat isnæt a problem because Iágenerally keep the
heel of my hand still and, as Tony says, you can easily go over the edge
of the mat on the odd occasion that you want to go from extreme to
extreme of the screen. The shape of the mat has obviously been designed
with this in mind, because itæs longer in the directions in which my
fingers can push the mouse further. However, to get this right, I did
find that I have to position the mat with the writing across the bottom
of the mat at about 30░ to the edge of the table.
9.12
The Precise Mousing Surface (what a pretentious title!!) is a winner as
far as Iæm concerned, and Iæve even taken one to use on my machine at
home! Thanks, Tony, for finding this excellent new product.
9.12
I tell you what, in case you think this is all just sales hype, Iæll
give an unconditional money-back guarantee. If you buy one and donæt
like it, send it back and Iæll refund your ú10, even though the pack is
then unsealed! Ed.áuá
9.12
Comment Column
9.12
Acorn news items Ö Here are a number of brief news items that you may
find interesting. If more information becomes available, weæll keep you
up-to-date.
9.12
OEM magazine place Acorn in top 20 of all OEM manufacturers Ö OEM, a US
monthly magazine for OEM  manufacturers, has published a (long) article
about the top 100 OEM manufacturers in the world, and has identified the
key 20 öConvergence OEMsò as being: Acer, Apple, Cisco, Compaq, DEC,
Fujitsu, General DataComm, HP, Intel, Matsushita, M$, NEC, Netscape,
Newbridge Networks, Philips, Samsung, Sony, Sun, Thompson Consumer
Electronics, and Acorn.
9.12
Olivetti reduce shareholding Ö Olivetti have reduced their shareholding
in Acorn to 31.2% (selling 14.7%). This fits with Acornæs stated
intention of broadening its shareholder base and allows Olivetti to meet
the targets for their asset disposal programme. (This is what accounts
for Acornæs recent share price drop. Ed.)
9.12
ART has Wild Vision for the future Ö ART has acquired Wild Vision from
Computer Concepts. The exclusive two year contract, encompasses Wild
Visionæs top designer, intellectual property rights and the rights to
Wild Vision products.
9.12
Acorn Online Mediaæs set top box offers ATM over Westell ADSL interface
Ö Interactive Television takes another step forward thanks to Acorn
Online Mediaæs latest development with their second generation
interactive set top box (STB2). Acorn Online Media has joined forces
with Westell to develop an asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL)
network solution for the STB2.
9.12
Acorn Network Computing Ö The work for Oracle continues apace, and ANC
have been recruiting people to ensure that the project deadlines are
met. Many prototypes have been delivered to plan, the reference design 1
is nearing completion for delivery to manufacturing sites, and Oracle
are busy signing up licensees.
9.12
StrongARM Ö ART update Ö As you know, Acorn offered StrongARM upgrades
to the Acorn community on a first-come first-served basis and, as a
result of this, have thousands of orders (with ú50 deposits) for the
product which is to be shipped in September. StrongARM is certainly
being very well received by the market, and Xemplar have also announced
that they will be selling a StrongARM Risc PC in January.
9.12
Two new customers of ART are:
9.12
CueMaster Ö a professional teleprompter for use on Acorn RISC computers:
öCueMaster can be used to drive a Émirror deviceæ, or an Éon-camera
unitæ displaying the text on a one-way-mirror, so that the speaker can
look straight into the camera when reading the text.ò
9.12
Raytheon Corporation Ö ART have signed an agreement with Raytheon
Corporation to participate in the development of a next generation,
RISC-based, product range. (A tantalising bit of news!! Ed.)
9.12
Ed <[e-mail]>
9.12
Circle in perspective Ö I am sorry, but Iádonæt see the point of John
Mitchellæs article (Archive 9.11 p 22). If a circle in perspective is
not an ellipse Ö what is it? Johnæs diagram shows a rather Ébottom
heavyæ shape, but that is only because he has drawn it freehand, with
inevitable loss of accuracy. The shape you require, surely, is an
ellipse, produced by conical projection, as Iáhope I can demonstrate.
9.12
Start by drawing Johnæs isosceles trapezium representing a square in
perspective, ABCD in my diagram. Now draw a rectangle EFGH whose height
equals that of the trapezium, and whose width is the geometric mean of
the horizontal sides of the trapezium Ö that is EFîAB = DCîEF. You can
calculate EF, or, for this exercise, you can cheat by choosing a
trapezium which gives a convenient size for the rectangle!
9.12
Now inscribe an ellipse in the rectangle. !Draw will do this
automatically much more accurately than you can freehand Ö click on the
centre and one corner of the rectangle. Hey Presto! The ellipse touches
the four sides of the trapezium, and is the perspective view of a circle
inscribed in the square. You can now, if you wish, complete the
perspective octagon, as described in Johnæs article and shown in my
diagram. The fraction 0.41 in Johnæs diagram is, more accurately, ┌2Ö1,
i.e.á0.4142. If you draw the diagram on a full sheet of A4, the
discrepancy of 0.0042 is definitely visible. If you draw it carefully,
all the sides will be tangents to the ellipse.
9.12
This, however, is only half the story! Any group of horizontal parallel
lines converges in artistic perspective to a vanishing point on the
horizon. A square therefore exhibits two vanishing points, not one, and
the drawing is generally not symmetrical. John has shown a special case,
in which the square is viewed square-on to one of its sides, and one of
the vanishing points has vanished!
9.12
A more general example is shown in my second diagram. The square (shown
bold) has become an irregular quadrilateral, and the 0.41 intercepts no
longer apply. The lines parallel to the sides of the square meet at two
vanishing points on the horizon. The other sides of the octagon meet the
diagonals of the square at two more vanishing points, one of which is
far to the right and is not shown. This diagram must be drawn very
carefully to show the guide lines intersecting in all the expected
points, and the eight lines tangential to the ellipse. YesáÖáit is an
accurate ellipse!
9.12
Draughtsmen who read Archive may wonder what this is all about. Why have
parallel lines become convergent? Engineering drawings in perspective
use isometric projection Ö parallel, not conical Ö and a grid is
provided by Draw. My simple example of a block composed of cubes shows
that a cube in perspective is symmetrical (three ways) and parallel
lines remain parallel. Lines parallel to the three axes retain their
correct scale length (but lines in other directions do not).
9.12
Looking at this diagram, you might be deceived into thinking that the
far end of the block is bigger than the near end. It is an optical
illusion Ö but it is for precisely this reason that artists use
convergent lines. An object in the background is drawn smaller than a
similar object in the foreground. For the engineer it is more important
that parallel lines on the object be parallel in the drawing, and, where
possible, lines be the correct scale lengths. He doesnæt have a
background to worry about!
9.12
A bonus for Puzzle Corner addicts. Given a symmetrical trapezium (e.g.
ABCD in the first diagram), can you find a simple geometrical
construction for the length GH of the required rectangle, without
measurement and calculation?
9.12
And finally Ö an enigma (if Paul has room to print the drawing) Ö can
you explain these steps which lead nowhere? Every brick is correctly
drawn in isometric projection, but the result is clearly nonsense.
9.12
Colin Singleton, Sheffield
9.12
Copyright Ö Further to Nigel Caplanæs comments öShakespeare and Siliconæ
(9.11 p27), it is worth pointing out that the copyright period is no
longer 50 years but 70 years, with effect from 1/1/96. This is part of
the Éharmonisationæ of the laws of the member states within the EU.
9.12
Michael Wright, Teignmouth
9.12
EZ135 drives Ö The IDE version of the EZ135 arrived last week. The
fitting did not take long. Since I have an early RiscPC, there is quite
a lot of cutting of the case to do to open up the 5╝ö slot. Iáfind a
number of gentle scribes with a sharp craft knife soon does the job.
9.12
Since I have the Acorn IDE fully populated with the standard HD and an
Eesox 8╫ CD-ROM drive, the SyQuest was being attached to a Rapide32
interface. The mechanics were soon completed. The SyQuest was installed
as Éslaveæ to the Quantum 850Mb drive already fitted. Here was the first
problem. I spent the next couple of hours assembling and disassembling
the computer, and modifying the !boot sequence, since the machine would
not boot with the SyQuest fitted, but just hung as soon as the boot
sequence tried to access the Quantum.
9.12
I have since found that the only way to get my system to work is to make
the SyQuest the master and the Quantum the slave. With this arrangement,
everything seems to work correctly. Is this a problem with the Quantum
drive not recognising the SyQuest, or is it the Rapide32 interface?
9.12
(The NCS engineers reckon that itæs simply that IDE is not a terribly
standard Éstandardæ. In our experience, with all sorts of different
pairings of drives, you just have to suck it and see Ö try each in turn
as master/slave and see if it works! Ed.)
9.12
There have been a number of comments in PC magazines, that the faster
device should always be the master on the bus, or performance will
suffer. However, I rechecked the speed of the Quantum, using the simple
tester supplied with the Rapide32 interface, and the results were
essentially identical to those obtained when it was the only drive
attached.
9.12
Since then I have fitted an external SCSI SyQuest EZ135 to my machine at
work, via a Cumana SCSI2 interface. This was a real doddle, and it
immediately recognised media initialised on the IDE interface at home.
9.12
I thought I would do some comparisons between the two systems. Both
RiscPCs are the same early 30MHz ARM 610 versions. SyQuestæs own figures
for the two drives (not surprisingly) are identical, with a burst rate
of 4Mb/s, and 2.4Mb/s sustained, and an average access time of 13.5ms. I
used the same cartridge for the tests (the testing application has to be
on the drive it is testing), so there are no differences due to reading
and writing to different parts of the drive. What were the results?
9.12
Using the Rapide32 interface, the test routines came up with speeds of
1.1 Ö 1.4Mb/s, and on the Cumana SCSI2 interface, the corresponding
speed values were 1.5 Ö 1.6Mb/s. Both cards are in a DMA slot, so are
using the faster access. Whether the differences between the two types
of interface mean anything, Iádo not know. However, what can be said is
that the speed of the SyQuest compares very favourably with the speed of
the standard Risc PC IDE interface and 420Mb drive, which tests at 1.4 Ö
1.6Mb/s (see my other figures in Archive 9.10 p35).
9.12
In use, the Cumana interface deals with the removable media type device
better, since there is an Éejectæ option on the iconbar menu, which
actually causes the disc to spin down, and the release lever operates.
The name under the icon changes to SCSI X, depending on what drive
number the SyQuest is configured to. The Rapide32 does not allow this Ö
the disc must be dismounted and then spun down using the manual button
on the front of the SyQuest.
9.12
In my limited use so far, I have been impressed with the performance of
the EZ135.
9.12
Chris Johnson <[e-mail]>
9.12
Inkjet refills Ö I have recently read in more than one magazine (not
Archive) that BubbleJet printer manufacturers have said that, under no
conditions, should you use refills in their printers, because you will
get all sorts of problems.
9.12
My BJC-600e was purchased last year, round about November, and I use it
mainly to produce a monthly Norfolk Chess magazine. A conservative
estimate of the number of pages I have printed is at least 10,000 (yes,
ten thousand).
9.12
When producing my 75 magazines, which are seven A4 pages fully printed
on both sides, all printed with no photocopying, the printer runs for up
to three whole days, twenty four hours a day. I even get up in the
middle of the night to replenish the paper!
9.12
Now to the point. I have never purchased a new cartridge for it, ever
since day one, I have used refills which I find easy and quick to do,
and although Iáthink the black may not be quite as black as an original,
you can see from this letter that it is perfectly acceptable. (Yes, it
was fine! Ed.)
9.12
The other point is that, if I had to buy new cartridges all the time,
there is no way I could afford to produce my magazine in full colour as
I do; I would have to resort to photocopying.
9.12
When they say öDonæt use refillsò, it makes me really angry, but then,
öThey would say that wouldnæt they?ò
9.12
John Charman, Fakenham
9.12
iSVæs good service Ö I read the review of DrawWorks 2 in the last
Archive, and was impressed. On Tuesday I rang iSV to place an order, and
was a little disappointed to get an answer machine. However, within 2
hours, I had a return call from them and they were offering to send a
copy out that day, even without taking my credit card details.
9.12
The following day, the program arrived and, within minutes, I was using
it. At this point, I must agree wholeheartedly with your reviewer. It is
a superb little program that any Draw user should buy forthwith.
9.12
I rang iSV again on the Wednesday because I had a problem. Again, it was
the answer machine, but again, within hours, I got a return call. The
net result was... no problem apart from my lack of understanding.
9.12
This company should be congratulated on the way they operate, and be
wished well for the future. No wonder the Acorn community is so nice to
be associated with, in these days of horror stories in other areas!
9.12
P.S. I have had excellent service from NCS too over the years.
9.12
Steve Harratt <[e-mail]>
9.12
NCs versus PCs? Ö Iæm sorry to admit that this article is written on a
Pentium 120 running Windows95. I Édefectedæ about six months ago, and
although I donæt regret it, I wouldnæt be surprised if my next machine
is a StrongARM / RiscPC / Acorn. The two things which, for me, are
amazingly good about using Windows95 are (1) the online help / wizards /
automatic setup for beginners and (2) the fact that you are joining a
community of tens of millions of users. The two worst things are that
(1) underneath the cuddly exterior Windows95 is very, very messy and (2)
it all runs on very expensive (and not terribly fast) Intel processors.
9.12
People talk of Java and NCs as though they are knights in shining armour
who will rescue us from the dominance of the Windows/Intel monopoly.
However, if Microsoft were in charge, why did they come up with a hybrid
16/32 bit operating system like Windows95 rather than shifting everyone
to Windows NT? The reason is that the real dictators are the 50+ million
Windows users who would have just refused to upgrade because it would
mean throwing away all their 16 bit applications. I believe it is
ludicrous to think that all these same users are going to see StrongARM
powered NCs and then junk their commitment to Windows.
9.12
How are NCs going to replace PCs? According to the NC pundits, the speed
of communications is going to increase exponentially until you can load
applications as fast off the net as you can currently from a local hard
drive. The problem is that the speed and size of hard drives are also
increasing exponentially, as is the size of applications and the amount
of memory in the average PC. Therefore, I think that the people who
currently use PCs will continue to demand more power than NCs can
provide. NCs will be for consumers who canæt be bothered to learn how to
use Éproperæ computers. Sure, large corporations may buy a pack of NCs
and a big file server Ö if only to stop their employees from introducing
viruses onto their networks Ö but the people in small businesses and at
home will still need stand-alone PCs.
9.12
The problem with Windows95 machines is that they use a lot of resources
being superficially friendly to the user. There are wizards and
automated help, and tips, and plug æn play, which all made it easy for
me, even though I didnæt know a WIN.INI file from an AUTOEXEC.BAT.
However, once you have got everything working you really donæt need all
this help Ö it would be nicer if the machine ran faster and used less
memory. Worse still, if you get beyond the friendly layer, and want to
do things like get rid of the RAM drive, or a badly behaved piece of
shareware installed, then you can get into real trouble.
9.12
So why will my next machine be an Acorn? Windows machinesæ strength (and
failing) is that they are designed to be used by office staff who
require integration and reliability but who donæt often tinker with the
software. Try comparing Acorn office software capabilities with those of
(say) Microsoft Office Professional and I guarantee you will be stunned.
However, I am not an office worker. I want my computer to run
unreasonably fast (I donæt want to see the hour-glass at all!). I
delight in the power and flexibility of Impression and Artworks (I would
love to see them running on a StrongARM machine!). I am quite prepared
to do a little programming and fiddle with my machine until all is
running perfectly. In short, I suppose, Iæm an enthusiast.
9.12
I donæt actually believe that Acorn will convince all (or even a
significant proportion) of the Windows users to use ARM machines. What
they can do, however, is produce high-end performance at mid-range
prices. As long as there is sufficient software of the calibre of
Impression and Artworks, StrongARM machines are going to eat Pentiums
(and even Pentium Proæs) for breakfast. I for one am impressed with the
new direction that Acorn have taken and Iáhope they continue to produce
exciting machines.
9.12
Cain Hunt <[e-mail]>
9.12
Patterns, HTML and CD-ROMs Ö One of my hobbies, some would say
obsession, is that of tiling patterns (see the puzzle on tiling in Colin
Singletonæs corner, 9.10 p62). By such a pattern, Iámean filling the
plane with polygons according to some rule. The topic is a curious
mixture of mathematics, art, graphics and computing. It all started when
I realised that, on my old A310 without a hard disc, trying to compute
and store Mandelbrot or other fractal patterns was too difficult in both
time and storage space. In contrast, my patterns are generated quickly
from a text file description which only require hundreds of bytes of
storage.
9.12
My main program takes a description of the edges of each polygon and how
the edges fit together, and draws the pattern on the screen. The best
way to produce high quality images is by writing a drawfile, which turns
out to be very easy. Of course, the program draws the polygons in colour
which produces beautiful results Ö the samples here are in black and
white but the monthly disc contains some in colour.
9.12
Producing a publication of this material is rather difficult. I have
around 3,000 patterns, and even a selection of 300 would hardly do the
topic justice. Unfortunately, even the idea of 300 colour plates gets a
quick refusal from book publishers. Hence the CD¡ROM is the ideal
medium.
9.12
CD-ROMs are recorded at the hardware level according to an ISO standard
which implies that any computer that can read CDs at all, can read any
CD written to this standard. Hence, it is possible to produce a CD which
will work with Windows, the Apple Mac or any RISCáOS computer (of
course). Obtaining files off a CD is one thing, but presenting the
material it contains, in a usable fashion, is another. The solution is
HTML.
9.12
HTML is the standard used by the World Wide Web and is therefore
platform independent. It allows text and graphical information to be
displayed. The user can navigate their way through the information
provided by means of hypertext links (and that just means clicking on an
item to select it, which causes the HTML window to change to the
requested item).
9.12
For my application, recording HTML on a CD¡ROM seems the ideal solution.
However, one difficulty arises. HTML uses either file addresses, or the
addresses of objects located via the Internet. In my case, the Internet
is not relevant. (Indeed, my home computer has no such connection, but
HTML is very useful without!) Hence I need to use file addresses, but
these addresses are system dependent Ö the same CD is addressed
differently by RISC-OS and Windows on a RiscPC (say). The easy way round
this is simply to duplicate the textual information. This duplication
can be done automatically, and need not result in a significant loss of
space, since the largest percentage of the storage is for graphics in
JPEG or GIF format.
9.12
The cost of CD writing devices and the relative cheapness of reproducing
CDs implies that home publishing is now relatively straightforward.
Using HTML provides the means of delivering large quantities of data to
anybody with a fully-equipped PC.
9.12
Brian Wichmann, Woking
9.12
PC Exchange Ö I recently purchased Acornæs PC Exchange. I have found it
to be very useful for converting across the platforms, particularly as
the formatting of ASCII files tends to be preserved. Iáhave found this
very helpful when converting files from the Lion PC Bible Handbook for
use with ExpLANæs HolyBible. However, it may be worth pointing out to
other readers, that PC Exchange is no use for DOS programs.
9.12
Now this may be obvious to most people, but I had naively assumed that
PC Exchange would enable me to convert all PC text files, which would
have been wonderful with a DOS program such as WorshipMaster. I wonder
if anyone is working on a DOS equivalent of PC-Exchange? In the
meantime, ifáyou are thinking of purchasing PC-Exchange, please be aware
that this is a ÉWindows onlyæ piece of software.
9.12
Colin Randall <[e-mail]>
9.12
StrongARM Support from CC Ö öComputer Concepts, developer of some of the
most popular titles for the Acorn range of computers, has announced that
is working on StrongARM versions of its main titles.
9.12
öCC has been working in co-operation with ARTæs technical staff and is
now aiming to have StrongARM versions of the Impression family of
products, ArtWorks and the TurboDriver printer drivers, ready in plenty
of time for this yearæs Acorn World Show at Olympia 2, where CC will be
exhibiting.
9.12
öCharles Moir, CCæs Managing Director, is notoriously concerned (sic)
with squeezing the maximum performance from software, and expects CCæs
traditional customers to be impressed with the StrongARM upgrades: ÉWe
are excited about the dramatic improvements in performance that we
expect to obtain from our software running under StrongARMæ, said
Charles. ÉTests on the ArtWorks Renderer suggest a five to six fold
increase in performance, and since speed is still often the limiting
factor when creating graphics on a computer, this will be a real bonus.æ
9.12
öDetails on how to obtain upgrades from CC will be announced in the next
few weeks.
9.12
öFor more information, contact Kate Moir at Computer Concepts on 01442-
351000, fax 01442¡350010 or email [e-mail]. Details on the
company and all products can be found at http://www.cconcepts.co.uk/ò
9.12
David Matthewman <[e-mail]>
9.12
StrongARM tactics? Ö Iæd like to offer a comment in response to Nigel
Caplanæs item in the Comment Column in Archive 9.11 p28.
9.12
Firstly, in reply to Nigelæs statement that he had never heard of Oracle
or Larry Ellison until the deal with Acorn, Oracle are the worldæs
largest database company, bar none!! Their database (also called Oracle)
runs on just about everything with a CPU: Digitalæs VAX and Alpha-AXP
platforms; Unix; DOS/Windows. Iæm a freelance computer programmer, and
if I had experience of using Oracle, I could virtually name my fee!!
Digital even sold their own relational database product, RDB/VMS to
Oracle a few years ago. If members of the Acorn fraternity show such a
lack of knowledge of the Érealæ world of computing, they will do nothing
to improve the Éstreet credæ of Acorn or its user-base. This would be a
shame because, in my professional opinion, the only computer company
whose products come even close to Acornæs, in terms of functionality,
usefulness and overall quality, is the aforementioned Digital Equipment
Corporation (and theyæve been on a downward slope for the last six
years).
9.12
Secondly, I think that both Nigel and our illustrious editor have missed
the point about Bill Gates. What he thinks of (or rather, says about)
the Network Computer concept, at the present stage of the game, is
neither here nor there. You need to look at the past record of Gates/
Microsoft to see where the reality lies. There are plenty of instances
of products which Gates pooh-poohed when they started out... and then
bought lock, stock and barrel when they became money-earners. He has a
record of building his companyæs product base by merger/acquisition.
Indeed, I wonder exactly how many products Microsoft has actually
designed and built from scratch? FoxPro was acquired from the company of
the same name, Windows NT was mostly the work of the man who designed
VMS for Digital, and even MS-DOS was originally an acquisition from
another company and was jointly developed by IBM.
9.12
Acorn should take note of this point and beware: if the Network Computer
really does take off, and if Acorn should turn out to be the major
player in the game, then it can expect to be the subject of a hostile
takeover bid by Microsoft. If it wants to avoid this possibility, then
it ought to be planning its countermeasures right now. Make no mistake,
if Microsoft did take over Acorn, it would immediately stamp its own
mark (i.e. of McDonalds-like marketing and MFI-like quality) on every
product which Acorn produced. RISC OS would become Windows 99 (or
whatever), and would be turned into a Windows lookalike with Microsoft
trademarks all over it. Acorn-oriented 3rd parties would suddenly be
thrown into the shark-pool with the other Éindustry standardæ
developers. Worst of all, the mutual help which so characterises the
Acorn world, and on which you have commented so positively in the past,
would evaporate almost overnight.
9.12
David Hazel <[e-mail]>
9.12
TechWriter review Ö Some while ago, Iásent TechWriter Pro and EasiWriter
to someone for review. I cannot find a record of who it was and
Iáhavenæt had the review through. Could the reviewer contact me, please?
Thanks.
9.12
Ed. <[e-mail]>
9.12
Welcome banner customisation Ö Iánoted the comment last month, 9.11 p24,
of someone pretending that RISC OS 3.6 was in fact a beta-test of
Windows 97, having revamped the banner. I thought that readers might be
interested in customising the welcome banner for their own uses.
9.12
WelcomeA (on the monthly disc), by Cy Booker, will take any sprite as
input, and will output a relocatable module. If this is loaded before
the desktop starts, it will kill off the standard RISC OS 3 welcome
banner, and replace it with the sprite you have supplied it with. It can
even do an attractive animation with it (attractive, that is, on a
RiscPC, otherwise itæs ponderously slow).
9.12
The module is actually produced by running an Obey file called !Compile.
This can easily be customised in a text editor, such as Edit, and allows
you to specify the pathnames of the source sprite and module output, the
number of frames in the animation (just one frame gives no animation),
buffering to remove flicker, and the amount of memory the program will
use when compiling.
9.12
I can see this as being rather useful to schools (and companies) who
would like to see their school crest (or company logo) on screen as
their computers start up, bolstering the Écorporate identity/imageæ, not
to mention people who might want to try to fool PC users into thinking
RISC OS is the next Windows!
9.12
However, there was a snag. When I attempted to compile a module using
the nicely textured banner shown below, with its dithered crest, I found
it necessary to abandon those two particular design features because the
resulting banner always became slightly corrupted, usually at the
bottom. I have not yet been able to track down the fault, or whether or
not it is actually connected. (Having said that, it doesnæt happen with
the Windows sprite texture. Read the !Help file inside !WelcomeA for
more details.áuá
9.12
Sudipta Sarkar, Birkenhead
9.12
Puzzle Corner
9.12
Colin Singleton
9.12
Some readers clearly detest polyominoes and their ilk, whilst others
tackled the noniamonds with relish. Aáfew, confusingly, appear to belong
to both camps at once! That puzzle is now closed Ö sorry for the lack of
warning. This monthæs puzzles also have a geometric look to them Ö but
appearances can be deceptive!
9.12
The latest winner ...
9.12
(71Ö73) Ninety-nine Ö Multiple Primes Ö 1000000! Again
9.12
Several readers solved all these puzzles, and the prize goes to Geoffrey
Brown of Hermitage (Nr Newbury). Geoffrey did not offer the longest
calculation of 1000000! Ö that distinction goes to Clive Semmens who
calculated the first 23477 digits! Definitely not a quickie.
Unfortunately, a small gremlin crept into Stirlingæs Formula, published
last month Ö it should be n!ᣫá┌(2p)á╫áeÖná╫ánn+╜. Does anyone know how
Stirling discovered this formula (early in the eighteenth century)
without modern computation facilities?
9.12
... last monthæs answers ...
9.12
(70) Noniamonds
9.12
One Classics scholar suggested it should be Nonamonds. Whatever they
are, this puzzle was held over for a month, because I expected readers
might appreciate more time. I can now publish contributed solutions to
all eight tessellations, though there may be others. The winner will be
announced next month.
9.12
For each tessellation, the diagram shows a Ésupertileæ comprising two,
four or eight copies of the basic tile, suitably oriented. The infinite
plane can, in each case, be covered with repetitions of the supertile,
without rotation or reflection.
9.12
(74) Backing the Horses
9.12
This is an Egyptian Fractions puzzle Ö see issue 8.6. If there are six
horses with odds-to-one of 2, 3, 5, 7, 11 and 23, these satisfy the
Utopian requirement because 1î3á+á1î4á+á1î6á+á1î8á+á1î12á+á1î24á=á1, the
denominators being one more than the primes. This is the only solution
with six prime numbers. The puzzle asked for a prime number of horses,
so there must be seven, with odds of 2, 3, 5, 7, 19, 23, 29, or 2, 3, 5,
7, 13, 23, 83. If odds of 2:1 are not allowed, there must be 17 horses,
one possible combination of odds being 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29,
31, 41, 47, 79, 83, 89, 139, 223.
9.12
(75) Wrestling
9.12
It is well known that a knock-out tournament with N entrants requires
NÖ1 matches, irrespective of the system of byes, to determine the winner
(and the runner-up), because each match eliminates one contestant. A
Wrestling tournament with 567 entrants would need 547 bouts to determine
Gold and Silver winners in the 20 classes (two styles, ten weights
each). However, the Bronze medallist is determined by a play-off between
the losing semi-finalists, so we need N matches to determine all three
medallists from N entrants. The Wrestling tournament therefore requires
567 bouts, and you did not need to know the numbers of styles or
weights. I assumed, and perhaps should have stated, that there are at
least four contestants in each class. The Olympic Boxing tournament,
incidentally, does not have Bronze Medal deciders Ö they award two
Bronze Medals in each class. I hope this did not confuse you!
9.12
(76) Declining Multiples ...
9.12
Pencil and paper trial and error, I think. The unique answer is
3816547290.
9.12
(77) ... of Seventeen
9.12
The clue is in the question Ö more precisely the link back to declining
multiples. The answer is No, you cannot find such a number! To prove it,
assume that there is a number 7777....7774 which is a multiple of 17. We
can then subtract 34, and be sure that 7777....7740 is a multiple of 17,
then divide by 10 and deduce that 7777....774 is a multiple of 17. This
is the same form as the original number, but one digit shorter. We can
therefore repeat this process and eventually deduce that 74 is a
multiple of 17. Since this is not true, our original assumption must be
wrong Ö hence there is no number of the form 7777....7774 which is a
multiple of 17.
9.12
... this monthæs prize puzzle ...
9.12
(78) Flexatube
9.12
Now for something completely different Ö with a hint of Blue Peter. A H
Stone was a member of the Trinity Mathematical Society team at
Cambridge, which solved the famous Squared Square problem. He had moved
on to Princeton when he discovered the Flexatube, but I was introduced
to it by his successors in the TMS. You will need 16 triangles of very
stiff card Ö four squares each cut into four diagonally. I suggest
squares with about 15 cm sides. Fasten them together using Sellotape to
form a hollow square tube, as in the diagram. Leave gaps (say, 5 mm)
between the cards, so that at least two layers can be folded together.
Finally, mark the outside surface to distinguish it from the inside.
9.12
Now turn it inside out! You must only fold the taped hinges, not the
card. That is all there is to it. (Well, not quite Ö you then have to
describe in print how you did it.) Back at Trinity, I found two
solutions. Martin Gardner told me that he had been told there are three
ways to do it, but his informant kept them secret. Gardner only knew two
solutions. Good luck!
9.12
... and the quickies ...
9.12
(79) Prime Hexagons
9.12
If I tell you that a particular hexagon has each of its angles 120░, and
the lengths of its sides are 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13, but not in that
order, you will find that there are two possible solutions.
9.12
Now suppose I give you another six numbers, all primes, for the lengths
of the sides, and you again find that there are two possible
arrangements Ö what is the smallest set of six numbers I could have
named?
9.12
(80) Pandigital Sums
9.12
On Countdown (Channel 4) recently, Geoffrey Durham posed a question so
cryptically as to be almost incomprehensible. It came down to finding
two pandigital numbers whose sum is pandigital e.g.á135024679 +
2839506147 = 4197530826. Aápandigital number contains all ten digits,
once each. For this purpose, a nine digit number may be considered to be
ten digits including a leading zero, so 0123456789 is pandigital. Can
you find three (or more Ö as many as possible) different pandigital
numbers which total another pandigital? There are many solutions Ö you
donæt need to find them all.
9.12
(81) Square Package
9.12
What is the area of the largest thin rigid square plate which can be
packed inside a unit-cube box?
9.12
... And finally ...
9.12
Another four new names were added to the League Table this month Ö
welcome all! Because the Noniamonds puzzle was held over, I will publish
the updated Table next month.
9.12
Please send solutions (by Friday 13th September), contributions and
comments to me, at 41 St Quentin Drive, Sheffield, S17á4PN.áuá
9.12
Font Directory 2 and EasyFont 3
9.12
Alex Singleton
9.12
Iæm not a hoarder, but I have several thousand fonts on my computer.
Doing vast quantities of desktop publishing, I need variety ù Trinity
looks very done-on-a-home-computer, and using it every day is downright
tedious.
9.12
The trouble with all these fonts is that I find it difficult remembering
what Bracknell and Jessica look like, and whether they are from
Monotype, iSV, EFF or converted from a PostScript CD. Also, having to
select a typeface in my word processor is frustrating when I have to
scroll large distances down a pop-up menu, and it would be useful if I
could somehow compress the fonts so that they take up less space on my
hard drive without compromising the computeræs speed. Enter two products
which aim to do just this: Font Directory from LOOKsystems and EasyFont
from Fabis Computing. Initially, the former was the superior, until
Fabis launched EasyFont 3. But now that LOOKsystems has released version
two of Font Directory (previewed in Archive 9.8), have the cards been
reversed?
9.12
Font Directory 2
9.12
Font Directoryæs manual is instantly magnetic: it is not of the boring,
by-the-way type that plagues the computer world. Rather, LOOKsystems has
really gone to town with appropriate and flashy illustrations: it is
jargon-free, and is certainly the best software handbook I have ever
come across ù even though Iáam only using a laser-printed pre-release
edition. The installation program is utterly childæs play to use, even
if upgrading from a previous version.
9.12
Adding new fonts
9.12
Font Directory is made up of a number of different applications, and
each can either be run by itself or from the Font Directory applications
launcher. When this launcher is run for the first time (in a boot
sequence), it loads a module into memory, which allows word processors
and the like to access the fonts stored inside Font Directory without
any of the actual Font Directory programs being loaded.
9.12
When the launcher is run subsequently, the launcher window appears in
the middle of the screen (see picture). Adding fonts is done by clicking
on the Font Directory Filer button, which produces an icon on the
lefthand side of the iconbar. This operates just like a hard disc ù a
click on its icon produces the root directory. The filer actually gives
access to a hard disc partition hidden inside the launcheræs application
directory. This partition can store fonts more efficiently than ADFS,
thereby saving disc space without compromising speed.
9.12
In the root directory of the partition, you can create directories and
drag fonts into them. These directories act as categories from the main
Font Manager application, which we will look at later.
9.12
Certain font suppliers ù such as iSV Products ù provide a feature with
their installers to copy fonts directly into FontFS. Unlike EasyFont,
the partition does not automatically expand or contract ù it is
necessary to set exactly how big it should be, which is a little
inconvenient.
9.12
Once everything has been set up, it is necessary to quit the filer icon.
At this point, Font Directory compiles a list of the available fonts and
what categories they are in, plus creating WYSIWYG information.
9.12
The main program
9.12
The main Font Directory application, which also loads an attractive
pictogram to the left end of the iconbar, is used to control the
availability of fonts. Essentially, this consists of a window containing
a list of every font, and can be customised in a number of ways. For
example, I can choose just to view the fonts in all the categories,
none, or just some. Then I can decide in some categories just to view
the name of each font family, or to have listed each individual weight.
9.12
The display, assuming you want it to be, is now fully WYSIWYG, like
EasyFont ù in other words Sassoon is displayed in Sassoon. What is more,
it is possible to opt for individual fonts or weights to be displayed in
the desktop font (useful for symbol fonts).
9.12
The modular nature of the package works exceptionally well. From time to
time, I want to find a font for a particular headline, and to compare
fonts before making a final decision. With Font Directory, this is a
breeze, as all I have to do is to toggle on the FontView icon on the
button bar. And, as if by magic, Font Directory loads the FontView
utility and opens up a viewing window (assuming it is not already
loaded). FontView is actually very powerful indeed and, unlike
EasyFontæs, does not require reading of the manual.
9.12
EasyFont 3
9.12
I must admit to being an early fan of EasyFont, despite it never being
totally bug-free, mainly because all of its functionality is provided
from a single application, and I always found it easier to understand
than the first version of Font Directory.
9.12
Adding fonts is a simple process of dragging them into a dialogue box,
although Font Directoryæs filer is more in tune with RISC OS.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to add weights for typefaces stored in
ROM.
9.12
The main display is similar to Font Directoryæs, although it can only
display the names of font families, rather than individual weights ù
whether this is a disadvantage is debatable. A toggle is provided to
turn the WYSIWYG display on or off, but it isnæt possible to have some
fonts in WYSIWYG and some not. Usefully, there is a facility to produce
a printed brochure of all the typefaces.
9.12
One major feature of EasyFont is its ability to create new weights of
fonts. So it is possible to take Pembroke and create Pembroke.MegaBold.
Although these weights are never going to be up to the standard of those
produced by, say, Monotype, some users find being able to create bolds
of some typefaces useful.
9.12
In order to write this review, I deleted EasyFont before installing Font
Directory. Absent-mindedly, Iáforgot that EasyFontæs recently
implemented copy protection uses the increasingly popular system whereby
you are only allowed one functioning copy of the software. Why should
honest paying users, like myself, have to go to the trouble of
persuading Fabis to supply a new copy, when with other software we only
have to re-install it?
9.12
Intercepting files
9.12
When I said that Font Directoryæs module allows access to the fonts
stored inside it, I was perhaps overly brief. It offers a number of
facilities that can be issued from the command line, but it also has the
amazingly useful facility to intercept files. If you load a document
into TextEase, full of typefaces that havenæt been switched on, Font
Directoryæs module will intercept the file and turn on all the
appropriate fonts on the fly. The module can be made to intercept any
selection of filetypes automatically, and will operate on any file that
is run with <Alt> pressed.
9.12
EasyFont does not offer this facility as such, but if a file (with a
Épopularæ filetype) is dragged onto its icon, the fonts used will be
turned on, albeit more slowly. With filetypes that Font Directory
understands, it will, like EasyFont, turn on the fonts used. However, it
scores over EasyFont because, if the filetype is not understood, it will
do a Éblind searchæ whereby it takes every font installed in its
partition and sees if the name is used anywhere in the file. This will
cause an overkill if, say, you use the word öHayleyò in the text and
have a font with the same name, but nonetheless, it works a treat.
9.12
Categorising typefaces
9.12
There are pros and cons of each packageæs method of categorising fonts.
Assuming they are placed in different groups, Font Directory allows more
than one font of the same name to be stored in its partition. Thus, you
can install Baskervill from both Monotypeæs Classic Font Library and
Computer Conceptsæ ArtWorks, which, to me at least, is an essential
feature. EasyFontæs method permits a font to be placed in several
groups, even though only one copy of the font is in the partition,
although this is only really useful if you decide to categorise fonts by
use rather than company. It also allows, theoretically, an infinite
number of font families per category, while Font Directory is limited by
seventy-seven as well as Éonlyæ seventy-seven categories. Another minor
niggle with Font Directory is the inability to name categories with more
than eleven characters. All of these niggles would be instantly removed,
says LOOKsystems, if ART were to remove these limits from RISC OSæs
filecore module.
9.12
Conclusion
9.12
Font Directory 2 is simply the most sophisticated font management system
on any personal computer. I still believe EasyFont 3 to be an excellent
piece of software ù itæs just that Font Directory now, again, surpasses
it in almost every aspect. LOOKsystems is also planning a cut-down
version entitled Font Directory Lite for schools with low specification
machines.áuá
9.12
Psionæs Future
9.12
Alex Singleton
9.12
öNew products?!ò exclaimed Peter Norman, the young, dynamic Managing
Director of Psion UK. öWell, we spend about 7% of our annual turnover on
research and development, so I certainly hope we can generate some new
products with that level of expenditure!ò
9.12
ARM-based machines
9.12
The next major handheld product will be ARM¡based, as has been predicted
by industry analysts for some time. Although Peter Norman was not
prepared to confirm the date, it is most likely to be sometime in 1997.
This is also the date that Archive has been given for the release of the
Psion 4, so theyære probably one and the same. Also, Norman stated that
he didnæt expect sales of the ARM-based Psion range to become
significant until the year 2000, because it takes around three years for
a new Psion platform to become established.
9.12
When asked about speech recognition on the Psion 4, Norman suggested
that it was highly unlikely. To explain why, he said that he would never
want to buy a Newton because the handwriting recognition isnæt correct
100% of the time. Similarly, although Psion is certainly working on
speech recognition, it needs to be 100% reliable before it is released,
and thatæs still some way off. However, it will, eventually, feature in
the product line-up.
9.12
Psion Software
9.12
During July, Psion formed a subsidiary, Psion Software, to license its
core technology. What this means is that a company could come to Psion
and say, for example, öIæd like to license these bits of your operating
system, along with a basic chipset, so that Iácan make a combined
palmtop computer and mobile telephone.ò
9.12
The intention is to provide an ART-like service, to assist other
companies to bring a variety of products quickly to market. These could
include palmtops, sub-notebooks, smartphones, intelligent terminals and
mobile web browsers. Norman revealed that Digital Electronic Corporation
is one of the first licensees; but what about Acorn? In the past, Acorn
has merely sold re-badged Psion computers. Conceivably, Acorn could now
produce its own variants. However, whether they are re-badged or
licensed, Peter Bondar wants to sell ARM7100-based models, although this
very much depends on whether Xemplar would be prepared to sell them (or
if Chris Cox believes that the enthusiast market is large enough).
9.12
One thing I am pleased about is that Psionæs increasing market share
hasnæt, up until now, stifled innovation and, according to Peter Norman,
it is unlikely to do so in the future. öWe donæt look at ourselves
becoming the standard but a standard. Thereæs scope in any large market
for a diversity of standards. We are opening up our technology to other
people to allow a wider base of devices to use the technology ù you get
economies of scale that way. Itæs about getting lots of software and
resources. From that you obtain a huge diversity of devices which will
not all be competing in the same markets.ò
9.12
Some would argue that when palmtops become powerful enough to run
Windows or RISC OS, that is what they will run, but I think that is very
unlikely. If Iæm on the phone, and I want to enter an appointment into
my palmtopæs diary, the last thing Iáwant is to do is to wait twenty or
thirty seconds for it to boot up. I want to press ÉOnæ and have the PDA
ready for me Ö it has to be fast. Moreover, it has to be 100% reliable
(I donæt want to miss any important meetings), and can that be said of
Windows 95?
9.12
Amstrad
9.12
As many of you will know, Psion was recently approached by Alan Sugar to
see if they were interested in acquiring Amstrad. Although Psion entered
into talks, a price couldnæt be agreed, so the deal didnæt take place.
For Psion, this would have given it the GSM mobile phone expertise that
is in the hands of one of Amstradæs subsidiaries. Despite this,
according to Peter Norman, Psion öremain committed to using GSM
technology in our products.ò
9.12
Nokia produces a combined PDA and mobile phone called the Communicator
9000. However, Norman dismisses this on the grounds that itæs too heavy
and costs ú1350 +VAT, making it the öworst of both worldsò.
9.12
Electronic banking
9.12
Psion has joined up with Lloyds Bank to pilot an electronic banking
system. With a Psion 3a, you will be able to:
9.12
Å  Write and send Éelectronic chequesæ to anyone with a UK account
(credited same day, if to a Lloyds account)
9.12
Å  View statements
9.12
Å  Obtain balances, and forecast balances, on up to four accounts
9.12
Å  Transfer money between accounts
9.12
Å  Pay bills and salaries electronically (same day if Lloyds)
9.12
Å  View the latest interest and exchange rates
9.12
According to Psion, öinformation can be sent and received on the Psion
from anywhere in the world using a portable 3Fax modem, plugged into any
telephone socket. Details of regular payments, such as bills, can be
stored in the Psion and called up at any time to amend or send. Payments
are sent electronically to the recipientæs bank. The Psion keeps a full
audit trail of all payments, and paper records can be produced either by
connecting to a printer, or by printing to a fax machine.ò
9.12
There is also, apparently, a similar scheme taking place with CityBank.
9.12
Conclusion
9.12
Psionæs turnover used to be increasing by around 35% per annum. In each
of the last two years, it has risen by about 50%, and the same rate of
growth is predicted for this year. Clearly, it is a successful company
and not because of marketing (which Peter Norman rates at two out of
ten) but because, like Acorn, it has leading edge technology.áuá
9.12
Ovation Pro Review Ö Part 2
9.12
Gabriel Swords
9.12
Last month we looked at Ovation Pro from a Éfirst impressionæ point of
view; this month we continue by looking at some of the features not
covered last month.
9.12
Styles
9.12
Most DTP packages use the concept of styles for applying a variety of
attributes to large or small areas of text. The idea is that you can
maintain consistency of appearance without having to apply each
attribute separately, and it also means that once a style has been
applied to an area of text, any changes made to that style will be
reflected throughout a document. When you choose Edit style in OPro, you
get the main edit window, plus three buttons for text, format and tabs.
To this extent, OPro is much the same as everybody else. However, there
are a few features that Iæve not seen before on the Acorn platform.
9.12
Scope is one. Most DTP packages allow you to apply styles to a selection
of text and/or a paragraph. OPro goes one step further and gives you the
option of applying a style to a word Ö as long as the caret is somewhere
in the word, a keypress will give it the defined style. This is useful
where you need to make a single word bold or italic, for example. I know
this may not be a Ébig dealæ, but itæs a small touch which suggests that
thought has gone into it.
9.12
Something I really like is the way that the style choices are displayed.
Instead of having to open different windows to see what has been
selected, OPro displays a summary of attributes in the lower half of the
main edit style window (see overleaf). Once you understand what the
abbreviations mean, it makes sense to display the information this way,
to say nothing of it being more efficient! Not everyone will like this,
of course, but you still have the option of opening the individual
windows if you want to.
9.12
One other interesting feature of the Text and Format windows is the way
some of the attributes can be implemented. For example, italic, can be
set to one of three states: a tick sets it to on; a blank sets it to
off; a cross means it has no effect. This takes a bit of getting used
to, but it means that, if you have a bit of text that is set to bold/
italic, and you apply a style with bold crossed, italic blank, and small
caps ticked, you will get a piece of text which turns out to be: small
caps/italic. This is because small caps has been turned on (tick), bold
has been turn off (blank), and italic has not been affected (cross).
This, like many other things in OPro, gives you more flexibility in the
way you use the program; it means the present style doesnæt just add a
new attribute to the text, it can actually change existing ones. One
small gripe, however, is that it would have been better if the cross had
been used to switch attributes off rather than leave them unaffected Ö
it seems more logical.
9.12
Finally on styles, the style menu displays a list of any keypresses to
which you have given a style (which is very useful). One thing that
would be nice would be to have the style menu as a Étear-offæ menu, one
that you could place somewhere on the page for a quick reference guide
or for applying styles that do not have a short cut.
9.12
Text
9.12
This is where you choose: font, size, background & foreground colours,
horizontal scaling, tracking, vertical shift, rotate, skew, bold,
italic, underline, super & subscript, strikeout and reverse. In addition
there is a ÉSmall capsæ option; this sets a sentence to all capitals
with the start of the sentence set to a Ébig capitalæ, the rest to
Ésmall capitalsæ. A Case menu can also be used to set the text to
Normal, Title (this sets the start of each word with a capital letter),
or All caps.
9.12
Format
9.12
This sets up the left and right indents, first line indent, alignment,
space before and after a paragraph, leading, auto kerning, auto
hyphenation, and lock to grid. Additionally, thereæs provision for a
variable height drop cap, and enhanced justification. This last function
not only gives you control over how word spacing is applied when text is
fully justified, but it also gives you control over how letters should
be spaced Ö this gives more control over how justified text is formatted
in narrow columns.
9.12
Tabs
9.12
Tabs available include: left and right, centre and decimal. They can be
set manually on the ruler or via a writable field, and include a field
for a leader character.
9.12
Leading
9.12
Leading can be set in the edit style window, but there is an additional
menu option available from a text submenu. This lets you set the
vertical space between lines of text to single (20% of the text size) or
double space (120%). A writable field at the bottom of the menu allows
you to specify other values using one of three methods: absolute,
relative and incremental. Relative is the one most of us are familiar
with, and sets the leading to a percentage of the size of the text. For
example, the default leading in Impression is set to 120% of the text
size (therefore 12pt ╫ 120% equals a leading of 14.4pt). In OPro, the
default is 20%, which is the equivalent of Impressionæs 120%. Absolute
leading sets the leading to a fixed figure regardless of the text size,
and is set as a point size rather than a percentage. This makes it
possible to have text of varying sizes, within the same paragraph, but
with leading set to one size. Incremental leading is similar to absolute
leading, in that the spacing doesnæt depend on the size of the text, it
differs in the way it is implemented. Here a plus or negative figure is
entered; the leading then becomes, say, 12pt + or Ö whatever figure is
entered, e.g. 12pt + 5pt.
9.12
Master pages
9.12
When I began to use the master pages in OPro, Iáthoughtáthey seemed
quite limiting. You donæt, for example, get the collection of master
pages that come with Impression; instead you get one default page. Then,
the more I used the program, the more master pages seemed to appear
without me creating them. Em! I thought, this is a bit strange, maybe
itæs to do with bugs or something. Not so! It is, in fact, a deliberate
feature of the way master pages are created. Each time you create a new
chapter, OPro creates another master page, based on the current one, but
individual to the new chapter. This means, for example, that new
repeating chapter headings, etc, can be written to the new master page
without affecting any of the other chapters in the document. It also
means that there is no need for repeating frames to be created locally Ö
they can all be placed on the individual master pages. One other very
useful feature is the ability to make master frames Élocalæ, as per
Impression, but also, unlike Impression, make localised frames master
again.
9.12
You can also have new master pages, with or without headers and footers,
and new chapters can also be set to have headers and footers either
present or absent from the first page. A master page doesnæt have to
have any frames on it Ö they can all be created on the local page.
9.12
Colour
9.12
Although this version of OPro doesnæt have any support for colour
separations, it does have some good colour features. First impressions
are, however, disappointing because when you open the colour picker
window, there doesnæt seem to be much to it. Itæs only when you click on
an inconspicuous little button marked ÉChartæ that you begin to get
excited by the colour choices. Chart opens the Écolour chartæ, which is
made up of colour definitions, rather like those you would find if you
were using a Pantone colour chart.
9.12
There are over 900 colours in a group called ÉGenericæ Ö based on the
CMYK model Ö plus several hundred more defined by HSV. The definitions
for the colours are kept in a directory called
!OvnPro.Resources.Colours. These are no more than text files created in
Edit, so they can themselves be edited and entirely new ones can be
created. Appendix G of the manual tells you how to do this. Sooner or
later, someone is bound to define the entire Pantone range and make them
available Ö if they havenæt already done so! (Err, isnæt there a
copyright issue here? Ed.)
9.12
More miscellaneous things
9.12
Among some of the miscellaneous features Iæve found useful are:
9.12
Å Hold down <ctrl> while importing a text file, and single return
characters in it will be converted to spaces, and pairs of returns will
be converted to single returns Ö useful for importing text from email
files and other foreign file formats.
9.12
Å Undo <F8> cancels the last operation performed Ö in fact, you can keep
undoing right back to the start of your work session providing you set
the undo buffer large enough. You can even decide to save the undo
buffer so that, every time you load a document, it remembers what you
did last time.
9.12
Å Revert to saved, restores the document to the most recently saved
version.
9.12
Å Pressing <enter> on the numeric key pad adds another page and places
the caret at the top of it.
9.12
Å Stylesheets describe the format and style of a document; these can be
saved and loaded to create a new document based on an existing one.
Information saved in a stylesheet includes: defined styles and colours,
master pages and objects on them, view options, grid and zoom, toolbox
and info palette position, and preferences.
9.12
Å Styles you always want in a document can be created and saved as a new
default document of your own.
9.12
Å FontDirectory 2. My version of OPro doesnæt work properly with FD2,
but the next update will include support for it.
9.12
Future plans for Ovation Pro
9.12
We spoke to Beebugæs Éman-in-the-knowæ about what we can expect from
Ovation Pro in the future and, in particular, the question of its long-
term development. According to Beebug: öWe have every intention of
developing Ovation Pro after the autumn and have a very long list of
planned features. It is likely that most of the new features will be
implemented as applets, thus allowing users to pick and choose the
features that they require, without making the main program too big.ò
This is good news. OPro is good as it is (lack of separations excepted),
and if they do have a Élong listæ of planned features, the Acorn
platform could end up being the platform for DTP! The only drawback is
that if other developers do not respond to OProæs challenge, we will be
left, again, with just one provider of professional DTP software.
9.12
Coming up in the future
9.12
1. A free bug-fix update for all registered users by the end of August.
9.12
2. A free full release before the end of the year. Planned features
include:
9.12
Å   Full colour/spot colour separations and associated facilities
9.12
Å   Image processing
9.12
Å   Auto paragraph numbering and bulleting
9.12
Å   Local OPI i.e. handling of big images by generating lo-res versions
9.12
Å   Contents and Index generation
9.12
Some of this has already been written and will probably be implemented
as applets, so can be optional for those users whose memory is limited.
They also hope to develop the import/export filter system by adding some
additional filters.
9.12
3. They intend to write smaller useful extensions which may be sold
separately or freely distributed. Extensions come in two forms:
9.12
Scripts Ö These are written using the embedded script language. They can
be used to add simple features to Ovation Pro and can be developed by
anyone with a few programming skills. They can add new menu entries, or
can be accessed from keypresses or the button bar. Some examples are
provided on Disc 5, but they have more of them, and lots of other ideas.
9.12
Applets Ö These are proper extensions that can add tools, dialogue boxes
etc. Beebug say ögood programming skills are needed to write applets and
we will need to supply C libraries and documentation to anyone
interested. We hope third parties will be interested. We will certainly
write some applets ourselves (in fact, we already have!), so we can
guarantee that some extensions will appearò.
9.12
My personal Éwishlistæ
9.12
Iæve been using Publisher Plus for a few years now, and before that, I
used Pagemaker on an Apple Mac. When you get used to programs like those
two, there are things about them you dislike, things you like, and
things you wish they could do but canæt. So, for OPro, I would like to
see the following additions:
9.12
From Publisher, I would like the abbreviations dictionary, search and
replace on styles, and smart quotes from the keyboard. From Pagemaker, I
like colour trapping, force justify, printing of thumbnails, export of
pages as EPS files which can then be imported as graphics (maybe it
would be possible to export a page as a drawfile). I would like to be
able to print to PostScript from the menu, rather than having to set up
separate printer drivers.
9.12
For now, I think we should congratulate Ovation Proæs creators on a well
thought out, logical and open program which I hope will go from strength
to strength.
9.12
The future of DTP
9.12
What does this say for the future of DTP on the Acorn platform?
9.12
The Acorn market is well supplied with programs that can do basic DTP Ö
anything from word processing to simple page layout. With Publisher Plus
came a different level of DTP Ö itæs not what I would call seriously
professional DTP, but it is a start. With OPro, we could be entering a
new era. And so we should! With the imminent arrival of StrongARM cards,
with Photodesk 2, with image conversion from Alternative Publishing and
the like, Acorn machines should be able to compete seriously with the
professional design market. Of course, this requires serious marketing
by Acorn. It also means more stability and fewer crashes. It would be
such a waste of the RiscPCæs potential if more canæt be done to support
professional designers. To confine such power to schools, netservers and
enthusiasts would be a real shame.áuá
9.12
Complex Numbers in C
9.12
Peter Chambers
9.12
Complex numbers are one area in which the C programming language has
been weak. Users of Fortran still point to certain applications which
are more easily implemented in that language. This situation might
eventually change because work is going on to extend C to cope better
with numerical problems.
9.12
Complex numbers?
9.12
But first, what are complex numbers, and how do they appear within
computer languages?
9.12
Complex numbers are the invention of mathematicians. They are the
generalisation of Érealæ numbers to include a concept of the square root
of negative numbers. Just as real numbers are represented as floating-
point numbers, complex numbers are represented as pairs of floating-
point numbers. An example of a real number might be 1.141..., a complex
number would have a Éreal partæ and an Éimaginary partæ. Presumably, the
latter is the imagination of the mathematicians. They denoted the square
root of minus one by the symbol Éiæ, while engineers know it as Éjæ.
This is confusing, but engineers started to use the letter Éiæ for
current, a long time ago, and we are stuck with it.
9.12
So our complex numbers have two components, each a floating point
number. Usually, this is represented in what is called the Cartesian
form (after Descartes) as a pair of numbers such as (x, y) or (i, q) or
(a, b). When plotted on graph paper, an equivalent form can be drawn Ö a
length plus an angle. This is often called r-theta, after the common
symbols used for radius and angle.
9.12
These numbers are useful in some fields to represent quantities which
have both size and some sort of angle. Electrical current is a typical
example. In electrical engineering and signal processing, calculations
must preserve the mathematics of phase as well as angle. Colour
television, wireless LANs, high speed modems and long distance
transmission of electrical power would not be possible without such
calculations.
9.12
For instance, a signal arriving at a modem might be represented as:
9.12
  c = a + j.b
9.12
In this form, the carrier frequency is implied. The magnitude and phase
of the signal are:
9.12
  sqrt(a^2 + b^2)
9.12
  atan2(b, a)
9.12
However, in software, the numbers are normally stored as the pair (a,
b). Addition of such numbers is easy:
9.12
  c1 + c2 = a1 + a2 + j.(b1 + b2)
9.12
However, multiplication is not so easy. Consider the difference between
function mulc and mulr. Function mulc is written in a version of C which
supports complex numbers directly. Function mulr is written in ANSI C.
The latter also needs a user-defined structure type called complex, to
define the storage required.
9.12
complex mulc(complex a, complex b)
9.12
{b) ;
9.12
}
9.12
complex mulr(complex a, complex b)
9.12
{c ;
9.12
    c.i = a.i * b.i Ö a.q * b.q;
9.12
    c.q = a.i * b.q + a.q * b.i;
9.12
    return(c);
9.12
}
9.12
Function mulc hardly exists at all. In fact, with such a version of C,
many programs handling complex numbers are much shorter than would be
necessary with ANSI. The compilers that I used for checking the programs
for this article were GNU C/C++ 2.45 and Acorn/Norcroft C v4.0. There
are more modern versions of both available. In the GNU case, complex is
defined as:
9.12
typedef __complex__ float complex;
9.12
In the ANSI case, complex is defined as:
9.12
typedef struct
9.12
{i ;
9.12
    float q;
9.12
}complex;
9.12
In both cases, the complex number is based on a floating-point type. A
double precision variant could be used if needed.
9.12
Already we can see that dealing with complex numbers is hard work with
ANSI C. Yet we would not wish to give up the benefits of ANSI
standardisation. We may examine a case where some C is actually doing
some work. The next example is of the so-called Finite Impulse Response
(FIR) filter. Modern modems make extensive use of these, and programmers
spend much effort on getting them to run as fast as possible. When using
new processors, it is a great help if the C compiler can generate the
best object code from existing source files.
9.12
complex firc(void)
9.12
{i ;
9.12
  complex result = ZERO;  /* macro for
9.12
 complex zero */
9.12
  for (i = 0 ; i < N ; i++)
9.12
  {+ = tapData[i] *
9.12
 tapWeight[i];
9.12
  }
9.12
  return(result);
9.12
}
9.12
The function calculates the sum of products of things called tap-weights
and data. It is not obvious how such a structure manages to filter
things. A good textbook on Digital Signal Processing will explain the
theory for those who are both curious and not afraid of a little matrix
algebra.
9.12
The important thing from the programming point of view, is that a
competent C programmer can immediately see what is supposed to be going
on. And if you can understand it, you can test it, review it and sign it
off as workable.
9.12
The code for doing the same thing in ANSI C is below. This is more
involved. Note that the two components have to be processed in different
statements. This means longer code, more room for error, less
readability and less scope for an optimising compiler to do a really
good job. Note particularly, the plus and the minus in the two
expressions. Are they in the right place? They are, but it needs extra
checking. Also note how the Éiæs and æqæs are all over the place. Are
they all correct?
9.12
complex firr(void)
9.12
{i ;
9.12
  complex result;
9.12
  result.i = result.q = 0.0;
9.12
  for (i = 0 ; i < N ; i++)
9.12
  {+ = tapData[i].i *
9.12
 tapWeight[i].i Ö tapData[i].q * tapWeight[i].q;
9.12
    result.q += tapData[i].i *
9.12
 tapWeight[i].q + tapData[i].q * tapWeight[i].i;
9.12
    }
9.12
  return(result);
9.12
}
9.12
We can see that, for those people with a valid use for complex numbers,
C is not as helpful as it might be. C is very useful for strings,
characters, integers and floats. An extension to the definition of the
language would be needed to fix the above problems.
9.12
One group of people are trying to do just that. The GNU C compiler
project, and some companies involved in Digital Signal Processing, are
proposing a set of extensions called Numerical C. This project would not
lead existing C programs to Ébreakæ on new compilers. Non-numerical
programs that are compiled on Numerical C-aware compilers would behave
as normal.
9.12
Naturally, compiler vendors whose customers do traditional C projects
are not very interested. Thus far, interest seems polarised between
those who have the technology and think it valuable, and those who do
not have it and tell me that no one wants it. Possibly, too few people
want it to sway the argument. However, signal processing is very popular
lately given the surge of interest in the Internet Ö and Intel wishing
to soak up all those spare cycles on Pentiums. Numerical C would be a
natural complement to the Native Signal Processing capabilities we hear
about.áuá
9.12
Printers and Printing
9.12
Dave Floyd
9.12
HP Laserjet 5L
9.12
E Griffiths from North London writes in response to the problem with
accessing the internal fonts for this printer. He states that, by
editing a DOS file, DEFAULTS.PJL in !Edit and sending to the printer
with the command:
9.12
*copy DEFAULTS/P PRINTER:
9.12
the printer will then default to the selected font until it is switched
off. I have enclosed a copy of DEFAULTS/P for inclusion on the monthly
disc, along with a couple of other files that Mr Griffiths sent to me,
in case they may be of use to readers.
9.12
PostScript printing
9.12
Following Richard Sillarsæ problem with PostScript printing, Mike
Williams from Akalat Publishing wrote with some information which may be
of use to anyone who is experiencing problems.
9.12
Prior to version 1.52 of !Printers, it was possible to output an
oversized A4 sheet to file from Impression. Impression would pop up a
dialogue box highlighting the fact that the print area was larger than
A4, offering you the option to either override the default or crop the
image.
9.12
Since version 1.52, however, the warning message no longer appears and
the PostScript image created was limited to exactly A4. Mike contacted
ART who informed him that the method of handling paper sizes had been
changed. Previously, they relied more on luck than judgement but now use
files held in the directory !Printers.ps.Paper to dictate page size. The
files are named A0, A1, A2 etc, and provide PostScript definitions for
the corresponding paper sizes. The printer driver incorporates the
relevant information from these files into the PostScript file generated
for the document.
9.12
The official solution is to write your own definition files for
inclusion in this directory, to suit other sizes. If anybody out there
has any success in writing their own page size files, please pass them
on to me for inclusion on the monthly disc.
9.12
Mike suggests a less technical solution, which is to set the output
paper size to A3 as usually you can output a document larger than the
output device. The page will then be trimmed by the physical dimensions
of the output device.
9.12
TurboDrivers 4.05
9.12
P Boxall from Farnham is currently using TurboDrivers 4.03 with
!Printers 1.28c. He is tempted to upgrade to !Printers 1.53 and
TurboDriver 4.05 but has heard of problems regarding this combination.
If anybody has any experience of using both these versions together, and
can give any comments, positive or negative, please let me know.
9.12
Star LC24-10/Canon BJC600
9.12
N Griffiths from Gloucester has a Star LC24-10 dot matrix printer and a
Canon BJC600. He has a copy of TurboDriver for use with the Canon, and
uses the Acorn driver for the Star.
9.12
He spent many hours trying to get the software for both printers into
one program but, in the end, had to give up. The TurboDriver software
and the Acorn driver are each now kept in separate directories. It seems
that when he had both printer details loaded in one program, and loaded
the bubblejet first, the Star produced garble, whereas, if the Star was
loaded first, it would print OK and so would the bubblejet. By
separating the driver programs, all has been well for some time. Could
there be a module from the TurboDriver software which, when left loaded,
somehow interacted with the Star software?
9.12
He also uses ÉUltilabelæ from Le Computer, and ÉImpact2æ from Circle
Software but in each case has experienced printing problems when going
through Turbo Drivers. There are no problems when using Acorn Driver/
Star printer. The problem on Turbo Driver/BJC600 can be overcome by
printing to file and then from file to printer. All works well, but if
you try going direct to printer then garbage/incorrect positioning of
printing will result.
9.12
Any ideas?
9.12
Which colour inkjet?
9.12
Ian Morrison from Wirral is considering replacing his Canon BJ230 with a
colour model. The question is, which one?
9.12
From his letter, he appears to have narrowed down the options to either
the Epson Stylus II or the Canon BJC4100. He states that he was
favouring the Epson at one point, but as that would mean buying another
version of TurboDriver (he already owns one for the Canon so would only
have to upgrade) and Computer Concepts seem to be keener to develop
their drivers for the Canon rather than the Epson, he has now started to
sway towards the BJC. Whilst he could use the Acorn driver, he suspects
that it would be disappointingly slow, especially in colour.
9.12
Ideally, Ian would like to find somebody who owns both these printers
and is willing to do him some sample prints of the same image for
comparison in normal and high resolution, and on both coated and
uncoated paper. He states that if any dealer can offer this then his
money is waiting.
9.12
Small dealers in the Acorn market are understandably reluctant to
perform this kind of service as they would be left with one used machine
that they could no longer sell as new. It occurs to me that it may be
easier to find two Archive readers with the same combination of
!Printers and TurboDriver versions who would be willing to help. If so,
please let me know, not forgetting to include details of which versions
you are using, and whether you have an Stylus II or a BJC4100.
9.12
Printer test sheet
9.12
Dave Burridge sent me an interesting drawfile which can be used to
compare the capabilities of different printers. I have sent it in for
inclusion on the monthly disc, as it could prove useful to anyone who
cannot make up their mind which model to buy and who has access to more
than one, through friends or whatever. As well as Daveæs original file,
I have adapted it slightly and included another one entitled PrintTest1.
See the ReadMe file accompanying them for more information.
9.12
Multiple copies on inkjets
9.12
John Evans from Mijas Software writes in response to his own problem.
Regarding my comments about being able to print multiple copies directly
from Impression etc, he confirms that it is possible, but that it takes
so much time and computer power to produce 300 copies, that it is not
feasible.
9.12
After delving around in a text example that comes with the C package, he
came across a snippet of printer programming which he describes as Énot
a lot, but just enoughæ. From this, he has written a short utility which
will batch print any number of copies of a Printout file in the
background, leaving you to get on with other things (unless you are
still using dongled versions of Impression or Artworks which wonæt be
usable whilst the printing process is in progress).
9.12
In order to use !BatchPrnt, create a single copy Printout file, change
the printer driver back to parallel, load !BatchPrnt, drag the Printout
file into the window and select the number of copies you need. Could it
be easier? I enclose a copy of the program for inclusion on the monthly
disc.
9.12
Automatic background printing
9.12
Thanks to Edward Naish for bringing my attention to a useful printing
module entitled SpoolMod. Once loaded, the module provides two commands.
9.12
*Printfile <filename> will print a named Printout file in the
background. It is the other command which may be of more interest,
however.
9.12
Typing *PrintWatch <filename> makes the module Éwatchæ the named file.
If the file is ever closed, it will automatically print it in the
background. If the command is included in your boot file, you will only
ever have to print to file, as PrintWatch will take care of sending the
completed image to the printer in the background, which saves redefining
the printer driver and dragging the file to it.
9.12
Owing to copyright restrictions, I cannot include a copy of SpoolMod for
the monthly disc, but it can be found on either the March 1994 Acorn
User cover disc or the Acorn User CD Volume 1.
9.12
Internal laser memory
9.12
Following my theory on how to guesstimate the amount of memory you will
need in a laser printer, John Evans of Mijas Software wrote to add his
opinions on the subject. It seems that for printers containing the PCL5
language or above, the length of the Printout file will not be a
reliable guide because the file contains internal compression. For
example, a maximum size border on A4 with Impression and Acorn drivers
at 300dpi gives a printout size of 77,013 bytes. With an Artworks
picture in the same border, it is 277,493, and with a grey background,
883,354 bytes. In the laser printer, the graphics area would be
identical in all cases and presumably require the same amount of memory,
which John calculates to be 830Kb for the printable area in Impression.
9.12
John suggests that 2Mb is just enough for duplex printing. He uses 3Mb,
but 4Mb would give enough for two duplex (double-sided) sheets to be
held in the printeræs memory. Additional memory is not wasted, however,
as it can sometimes speed up printing by allowing the next page or set
of pages to be loaded while the current one is being printed, thereby
easing the bottleneck.
9.12
Epson GT-9000 with Twain
9.12
Many thanks to David Pilling who, after reading my comments on using the
Epson GT-9000 scanner with Irlamæs ProiMage software, thought to send me
a copy of his Twain driver to allow me to make a comparison. Twain
provides a link between the scanner and Image Master, ArcFax or any
other Twain-compatible software, allowing you to scan an image directly
into the package, avoiding the scan, save and drag combination. The
Twain control window is split into five different sections, each
selectable by clicking on a radio button at the top, which changes the
options available in the centre of the window.
9.12
The first choice you are offered on loading is that of type. There
appear to be fewer possibilities here than with ProiMage. Twain allows
you to select mono-chrome, monochrome dithered, grey, 8bpp colour or
24bpp colour. While this does answer my criticism of the Irlam software,
in which you had to change mode to dictate the number of colours
scanned, it does not allow you to scan in 4 or 16 greys and 4, 16 or
32,000 colours and is consequently less flexible.
9.12
The next radio button allows you to adjust the quality of the scan, by
way of sliders, for sharpness and brightness. As has already been noted
in the Comment columns of Archive 9.9 and 9.10, this is not particularly
well implemented, and David Pilling is currently looking into providing
a more intuitive interface for these functions that relates more
obviously to how the Epson scanner works.
9.12
The next option is area, which gives you the opportunity to modify the
area of the original you want to scan. Whilst easy enough to use, the
method used by the Twain driver requires you to read the dimensions of
the area from the rulers in Image Master, then input them either by
typing or clicking arrow icons. The graphical method implemented by
Irlam, in which you drag a bounding box into place on a preview image,
is far superior.
9.12
Resolution is next, and here Twain wins hands down. Having radio buttons
for both the x and y-axes from 100 to 600 in 100dpi increments, plus a
writable icon for other resolutions, is a marked improvement on the
ProiMage choices of 100, 1200 and 2400dpi plus a writable icon. Although
I do not think there is any support given within Twain for resolutions
higher than 600dpi using interpolation, this will not affect the vast
majority of users who are unlikely ever to use resolutions over 600dpi
anyway. Another nice touch with the Twain software, is that the writable
icons default to 90dpi which is, of course, the highest resolution
displayed by the monitor and saves typing if you are scanning in an
image that you will only be displaying on screen.
9.12
The final option is gamma. I am not completely certain as to what it is
meant to be used for, because although I have briefly played around with
it and been rewarded with some interesting (weird and wonderful!)
results, the option was not covered in the version of the manual that
accompanied the package. This was a shame, as it was the only part of
Twain that I actually needed documentation for, the rest being
reasonably easy to work out for myself.
9.12
As an example, I have just scanned a cover of Archive (a blue one). By
moving a control point to give full saturation for blue, the scan
emerged in shades of blue, including the white which had a light blue
tint to it. By moving the control point to the other extreme, the scan
came out in shades of green except for the parts that were originally
blue which now appeared as dark grey. With time and patience, it would
no doubt be possible to work out the subtleties of this function, but at
present I cannot think of any use I would have for it, so I cannot
justify taking too long on experimentation. It may be the kind of thing
though, that once explained to me, I would probably wonder how I managed
to survive without it. In a similar vein, one thing that I would like to
be able to do, is to automatically produce four colour-separated scans
of an original. Colour separation can be achieved by manipulating the
scanned image in certain graphics packages, but how much easier it would
be to have the scanner software do it for you. I have not yet seen a
scanning package on the Acorn which can perform this trick.
9.12
Advantages of ProiMage
9.12
Both Twain and ProiMage work in the background, allowing you to be
getting on with other tasks whilst scanning. Twain does take more
processor time, however, which may be important to you if the other
tasks you want to be getting on with are processor intensive. To put
this in perspective though, just having Impression loaded on the iconbar
slows the machine down more than either of these packages do when they
are scanning, so it is probably an irrelevance.
9.12
I had a preference for the quality of scans from ProiMage using the
default settings. While this can be rectified by adjusting the
brightness etc, in Twain, if all I want to do is quickly scan in an
original to drop into an Impression document, the less fiddling about
Iáhave to do, the better.
9.12
I also find that I rarely scan in the whole of a page. The graphical
method that Irlam have built into ProiMage to select an area of the page
to scan, is far more intuitive.
9.12
The control panel for ProiMage stays on screen until you remove it. This
may not matter if you are just scanning in one or two documents, but
when you have a large pile to scan and save, it begins to grate on the
nerves having to keep pressing <f10>, or negotiate the menu structure
for Image Master, between scanning each one using Twain.
9.12
Also on the subject of the control panel, once you have the ProiMage
panel fully open, all options available to you are visible. Where Twain
flips between five different windows, this is not the case. Iáaccept
that Twain does more, and that to have all the options visible in one
window could be confusing, but I would like the options in Twain to be
available through separate windows, of which all or some could be
visible simultaneously, depending on the useræs preference.
9.12
The image brightness controls are more intuitive in ProiMage.
9.12
ProiMage gives a greater choice for number of greys and colours,
although you do have to change mode to one that matches what you want,
if scanning in colour.
9.12
Higher resolution scans up to 2400dpi are possible using interpolation.
9.12
ProiMage has better documentation.
9.12
Advantages of Twain
9.12
If you are scanning in images which you need to save in more than one
graphics format, the combination of Twain and Image Master allows you to
do this with just one scan. ProiMage will allow you to save in a variety
of formats, but you have to specify which one you require before
scanning, thus forcing you to scan in the image separately for each.
9.12
The selection defaults for dpi are far more logical with Twain,
minimising the need to ever use the writable icons.
9.12
Twain allows you to scan in 16 million or 256 colours without having to
change mode.
9.12
Twain will automatically reduce the size of a 600dpi scan (for instance)
to fit onto an A4 page, if required. It is also possible to set up
custom sizes and defaults to suit numerous requirements.
9.12
If you are scanning in an image for use with a Twain compatible package,
it cuts out the saving and dragging process. I find this especially
useful when using ArcFax.
9.12
If my SCSI card ever developed a fault, Twain will also operate the
scanner through the parallel port. Irlam only supply either the SCSI or
the parallel software with the scanner, despite the Epson being fitted
with both interfaces as standard.
9.12
The Epson GT-9000 packaged with Image Master and Twain is cheaper.
9.12
Conclusions
9.12
The best option would be to buy the scanner with the Irlam software and
buy Twain and Image Master separately, as you will then have the best of
both worlds. Both packages are worthy and complement each other.
Frustratingly, wherever I have a quibble with one, the other performs
that particular task as Iáwould like it to be.
9.12
If I were forced to choose between the two, it would not be easy, as
both succeed in doing the job they set out to do. Most of my minor
gripes are related to the user interfaces, in one way or another, and
perhaps reflect the way I prefer to work as much as anything else. On
balance, I think I would go for the Irlam ProiMage software. I prefer to
have all the options that are available to me, visible at once, and the
graphical method of selecting an area to scan is so convenient that I
wouldnæt want to be without it. I am glad that itæs not a decision I
have to make, though.
9.12
Finally
9.12
Nothing to do with printers, but a couple of people have asked in their
letters how I work out the processor time taken by a piece of software.
I use JFUsage, a PD utility by Justin Fletcher. I enclose a copy for
inclusion on the monthly disc, should there be room.
9.12
Any printing-related problems, or suggestions for future articles,
should be sent to Dave Floyd, c/o PO Box 2795, London, NW10 9AY.áuá
9.12
Internet Column
9.12
Dave Pantling
9.12
Upgrades!
9.12
Argonet have been working on Voyager 1.08, which will have significantly
improved mail and news. The next project they intend to undertake is
frames, but itæs too early to say when it will be ready.
9.12
They have also just released a new package which gives Acorn machines
full voice mail facilities at last! Using a US Robotics Sportster Vi
modem, your computer can answer the phone and take messages in your
absence. It will be available free to existing Voyager subscribers, or
can be purchased separately for around ú20 Ö ú25. Please note that it
will not work with Sportster fax modems Ö you must have the ÉViæ
variant.
9.12
Doggysoft have done a lot of behindÇ-the-scenes work on Termite
Internet, which is now on version 1.22. The new version is much more
stable that 1.20, and a number of minor niggles have been fixed. Their
telnet client, which was by far the best on the Acorn platform, is now
even better! Scrolling has been dramatically improved, and the annoying
terminal type bug, where if the default was ANSI youæd have to remind
it, for example, has been fixed.
9.12
Cable vs. BT
9.12
I recently moved house to an area that is covered by a cable franchise.
Having a choice of who I give my money to, I investigated the pricing
structures...
9.12
CableTel, my local cable supplier, is typical of most companies in that
they charge BT rates minus 20%. This is like receiving all the discount
packages without having to pay for them.
9.12
I signed to CableTel in June.
9.12
The first notable difference was the quality of the line. I have fibre
optic cable running all the way to the distribution box at the end of
the road, about 15 feet away. From there, two co-axial cables run into
the house Ö one for telephone and one for cable TV.
9.12
I have a Sportster 28,800 modem which, on my old BT line, would usually
connect at 9,600 or 14,400 bps. On this line, it connects at 19,200 or
better!
9.12
CableTel have a Éconnectæ charge (i.e. when your call is answered) of
1.5 pence, which compares very favourably against BTæs 5 pence. During
the day, 1.5ápence is 30 seconds on CableTel, and 5 pence is about 1
minute forty seconds. As I can consistently log on, collect 5 or 6
emails and log off in 30 seconds, I save 3.5 pence every time.
9.12
My final reason for choosing a cable operator over BT is the great
potential of cable modems. These operate at the same speed as a 28,800
bps modem for outgoing data, but can manage rates of 2 MBytes a second
for incoming data. Cable modems are currently very expensive, but are
falling in price all the time.
9.12
I am led to understand that I will need an ethernet card to operate at
the speeds that the modem is capable of, and would like to hear from
anyone who might know anything more about this! The Risc PC serial port
is totally inadequate for the job because it can only operate up to
115,200 bps!
9.12
PC cards
9.12
I received a small response to my request for people accessing the
Internet using PC software on PC processors in their Risc PCs.
9.12
The reports were encouraging, however. Three people are successfully
using CompuServe, and one person is using AOL. All experienced no
particular problems as a result of using a RiscPC.
9.12
I am now looking for comments from people using Acorn software with
Service Providers like Demon, Dircon, Zynet, Argonet and other. If you
could describe how easy or difficult it was getting online, the level of
service and support you receive, and the way you use your software, Iæll
be able to compile a chart which should greatly simplify the range of
choices for new subscribers.
9.12
The future...
9.12
The Internet holds much promise, and must be seen as a system which is
currently in an embryonic form. I could write about it for months and
barely scratch the surface. Making it relevant to Acorn users is less
easy!
9.12
I would, therefore, like some feedback on what you would like to see
here. If you would like to maintain a page or section relevant to Acorn
users, please contact me so we can discuss how it will fit in.
9.12
The Archive web site has been redesigned and updated, and will now be
updated weekly, or immediately if some newsworthy event occurs. Iáwould
like it to become the first place to which people go for current
information about anything Acorn-related.
9.12
I will now also be updating the Éfor saleæ page weekly, on a Monday. If
you have anything for sale which you would like placed on the page,
please contact me.
9.12
You can email me, [e-mail], or you can write to me care of
the Editor.áuá
9.12
RSDFS Full-FS
9.12
Tim Nicholson
9.12
RSDFS Full-FS is a full filing system implementation of the RSDFS file
transfer package as reviewed in Archive 9.4 p75. It is a system for
networking two (or more) RISC OS computers via their serial ports,
either by cable, or by modems and standard telephone connections. To the
file transfer facilities offered by the previous version is added full
filing system functionality, which includes operations such as copying,
renaming, filetyping, deletion etc of remote files, as well as the
ability to double click on remote files, and run applications held on
the remote machine; in fact, anything you can do with a filer window
normally. The main limitation is the speed of transfer of data over the
serial link.
9.12
It is a client/server system where one machine (the Remote) is
essentially dumb, and all operations are initiated by the client (the
Control). This differs from the peer-to-peer system in which file
transfer etc can be initiated from either end, and both ends can Éseeæ
each otheræs files.
9.12
A computer fitted with extra serial ports, such as are offered by
Intelligent Interfaces or Atomwide, can act as a server for several
client machines simultaneously. However, it should be remembered that
since it is serial ports that are being used, the data transfer rate is
significantly lower than could be achieved using more conventional
networking techniques, e.g. ethernet, and cable lengths are much more
restricted.
9.12
(AF Software have a parallel port version in development, which promises
to be faster still for newer machines with bi-directional printer
ports.)
9.12
Although RSDFS Full-FS can support multiple users with individual access
rights etc, you are restricted, on the basic system, to two known users,
plus anonymous access. This simplifies the setting up required, and
those wishing to have all the bells and whistles, can purchase the
Multimedia option as an extra.
9.12
What you get
9.12
RSDFS-full FS is supplied on a single 800Kb floppy together with a brief
manual in a small library case. The software consists of the server
application (RS¡Remote) which replaces the old RSDFS-M, the client
application (RS-Control) which replaces the old RSDFS_S, and a number of
utilities including the Public Domain SerialDev application. The old
(nonáfull-FS) RSDFS_S is included for completeness. As purchased, you
get a licence for a single copy each of the Remote and Control
applications, and the older RSDFS_S control application which is freely
distributable by owners of the full system.
9.12
A suitable serial lead is not supplied, but available as an extra at a
nominal cost which depends upon the length required (up to 10 metres).
9.12
Installation
9.12
RSDFS Full_FS is one of those applications where installing and setting
up is probably the hardest part of using it. This is not, I hasten to
add, because it is at all difficult to set up, but because once it is up
and running, it can virtually be forgotten about. It is, after all, one
of those utilities which is a means to an end. The manual leads you
through the processes for both ends in a straightforward manner, which
is much as for the previous version. However, the RS-Control application
is slightly different and includes Username/Password settings and a
phone list of up to 20 numbers for modem/phone line connections.
(RSDFStemp is no longer required.)
9.12
The system can be used on a floppy disc only machine, although this is
only really sensible for the RS-Control end. There is no requirement for
either !System or !Scrap at either end and, once running and configured,
RS-Control does not require to see its own disc again, unless call-
logging is enabled.
9.12
The software is supplied pre-configured for a basic setup, and should
work without further adjustment using the internal serial port and
accessing the root partition of ADFS::4. Adding extra drives and setting
access options is straightforward enough, with the manual leading the
way. The only slight problem Iáencountered was that some of the
templates are not style guide compliant, in that <Cancel> buttons are
not provided, but <Restore> instead. However, these restore all the
defaults, not just those of the window you are working on, which can be
confusing.
9.12
Also, the templates have not been designed with the system font in mind
which leads to some overlapping icons ifáit is used. I also found that
the status of the öUser name and passwordò flag was ignored, and the
system always demanded these from RS-Control, although the old RSDFS-S
could be used anonymously. AF Software are aware of this bug, andáintend
to fix it. At least it is stuck in the secure position!
9.12
RS-Control requires a modest 48Kb of RAM with an additional 64Kb of
space in the RMA, so it will not unduly strain machines with limited
memory.
9.12
The Remote has a slightly greater RAM requirement of 192Kb, but again
not excessive.
9.12
In use
9.12
For local use, it is only necessary to connect the two computers, and
run the respective RS-Remote and RS-Control applications Ö both will
install themselves on the lefthand side of the iconbar. For remote use,
it is necessary to invoke the ÉDialæ option from the RS¡Control menu to
kick the modem into action, and ensure that the RS-Remote modem is in
the correct configuration. There are a couple of utilities supplied to
assist ensuring a correct configuration, but I could not make these
work. The manual suggests possible problem areas, but does not go into
great depth.
9.12
The status window can be used to monitor the progress of the connection.
Once a connection is established, by whichever means, clicking on the
Control icon will cause a window to open above the iconbar, listing the
available RSDFS drives on the other machine, and it will then open the
root directory of the first drive. These drives will, in fact, be
Évirtualæ drives which may represent only part of the actual disc space
on the server computer, depending upon the filepaths set up in the RS-
Remote application.
9.12
These Édrivesæ may then be clicked upon to open standard filer windows,
which may be used for all normal filer operations, including a free
memory display if <menu> is used over a Édriveæ. The only way that the
user will be aware of the fact that the windows do not relate to files
on the useræs own computer is the ÉRSDFS::æ filepath prefix on the filer
window title bar, and the speed of access.
9.12
It is perfectly possible to run an application over the link, but
downloading a sizeable RunImage file is not for the faint-hearted. The
system really works best for accessing data files of modest size. For
example, transferring a 100Kb file from RiscPC to RiscPC using the
115Kbaud serial port speed, took around 27secs. However, this compares
favourably with the 40secs it took to copy it from the hard drive to a
floppy, move the floppy to the other machine, and copy it back to the
hard drive.
9.12
With high speed serial cards, these times should at least halve,
although I have not had the opportunity to test the software using them.
9.12
Using the 19200 speed of an older machine, the transfer time increased
to about 1min 30secs, which although slower than doing a copy via
floppy, was a lot simpler. The system seemed quite happy running on a
variety of machines from an A3010, through an old A440, to a RiscPC 700.
9.12
As an experiment, I loaded up RS-Control on an A3010, removed the disc,
and then ran an entire session of ÉLemmings the Tribesæ from the hard
disc of an A440. Starting up was very slow as there are lots of
graphics, but once running, only modest file access is required to move
from tribe to tribe etc, and it all happened quite transparently.
9.12
Limitations
9.12
The limitations of the system are almost entirely related to the speed
of the serial link. For example, since the system is a full filing
system implementation, opening any directories containing applications
will cause them all to be Filer_Booted with loading of IconSprites etc Ö
this can all take quite a time. The manual warns to use <ctrl>-click on
unknown directories to suppress this action.
9.12
In order to avoid unnecessary data traffic down the serial line, RS-
Control caches directories, much like ADFSDirCache. As a side effect of
this, if any filer operations are carried out on the remote machine on
directories that the Control end has cached, the filer windows on the
control machine will not be updated and this can lead to an error
message as, for example, you are trying to access a deleted file. The
way round this is to flush the cache.
9.12
Unfortunately, the only way to do this is via a rather unfriendly
command line string. It would be nice if this could be achieved via a
menu option which listed cached directories and gave the option to
refresh. Having said that, the situation is unlikely to arise in simple
one to one connections, although it is much more likely if the server is
connected to several clients who wish to send files to each other via
the common remote in, for example, a classroom situation.
9.12
Alternatives
9.12
There are cheaper ways of transferring files from one machine to another
via the serial ports. At the simplest level, you can use the PD terminal
program Connector and Z-Modem transfer, but this requires transfers to
be initiated at the sending end and you then have to move files to the
required directory at the receiving end. Then there is QuickLynk (See
the review on which follows immediately. Ed.), which bears a remarkable
similarity to early versions of the old RSDFS system. Both these options
cost around ú35á(ú32 through Archive). Remote FS from Atomwide used to
be available and provided full filingásystem functionality, but it is no
longer actively supported. Lastly, there is RSDFS Full-FS at ú45
(upgrade ú15,áextra RS-Control ú15) which, although the most expensive
of the current offerings, is certainly the most fully-featured, is
backwardly compatible with the non Full-FS version, and promises more
than just filing system connectivity between RISC OS machines.
9.12
Conclusions
9.12
Without a doubt, RSDFS-Full FS works well. It is largely bug free, apart
from the slight templates problem and the password issue. There are some
features available on RS-Remote which are more appropriate to BBS use
than for a simple system. Theámanual simply mentions that these exist,
and says that some can be used with Full-FS and some canæt, without
going into any detail. This leaves me wondering what else ought to work,
and what to ignore. I felt that the manual could have been more
comprehensive, with proper explanation of some of the extended features,
such as call-logging and the monitoring windows.
9.12
The system obviously has room for lots of exciting development beyond
filing system operations, and this is reflected in the changes of name
of the applications. I had the chance to try out a version which
included the ability to reset the remote machineæs clock to that of the
controls, and even reboot the remote machine!
9.12
For anyone requiring to connect two RISC OS computers together without
the expense of a couple of Ethernet cards, RSDFS Full-FS should
certainly be on their shortlist. The system deserves to do well. Given
the current interest in network computers, here is an easy, and
affordable entry into just that kind of world. I would hope that
everyone would buy a copy if only to fund further development, and prove
just what can be achieved under RISC OS, with a modem and a phone line.
9.12
RSDFS-Full FS costs ú45 through Archive, and the original RSDFS is
ú38.áuá
9.12
QuickLynk
9.12
John Laski
9.12
When we acquired our RiscPC, the old A300 Archimedes was still going
strong. We put it on the other side of the table from the new machine,
and started using it as a resource for when the two of us both wanted to
use a machine, and for mutual backups of files.
9.12
At first, using floppies to transfer files from one machine to another
was OK, but soon we wanted something better. We thought about a little
net, but that would cost some ú300, which could be far better spent.
Then we found out about QuickLynk (öa serial port file transfer
utilityò) which precisely meets our needs, albeit with some reservations
described below. It enables transfer between two RISCáOS machines, with
a direct wire connection between their serial ports, and also via modems
and dial-up lines.
9.12
Essentially, you connect the serial ports on the machines by a suitable
cable (5m and 10m cables are supplied for an extra charge), and
configure the port on one machine, in !Quicklynkæs configuration window,
to the maximum baud rate that each of the two computers can handle. Then
you use a floppy to carry the software to the other machine, run
QuickLynk, connect, and you will get a QuickLynk window giving a
directory display of the other machine Ö and vice versa on the first
machine. Dragging files to and from these windows will copy files to and
from the underlying directories.
9.12
Describing QuickLynk is made difficult by the fact that the two machines
and two users can operate symmetrically, so it is always necessary to be
clear from whose point of view things are being described. Therefore, in
what follows, I shall assume that there is a machine (which I shall call
the Distant machine) from whose drives are being accessed from my
machine (which I shall call the Local machine). However, the user on the
Distant machine can equally well access the data on the discs of the
Local machine. The screenshot below shows QuickLynkæs windows on the
Local machine.
9.12
On your first run, in order to make the data on its various drives
available, the Distant machine user must tick these drives in the
SetDrive subwindow of the Choice window. Then, working at the Local
machine, I have made available to the Distant machine the drive
adfs::4.$ under the name John. However, I have not forced a name on
adfs::0.$, so that the Distant machine will be presented with the name
of the floppy disc that is currently in the drive. You can see this in
the SetDrive window in the screenshot.
9.12
Look now at the little Drives window. This shows that data is available
on two drives on the Distant machine: Scsidisc4 and Wk90 (the name of
the floppy in Drive 0). Clicking on Wk90 will replace ÉOn Lineæ by
ÉWk90æ in QuickLynxæs iconbar icon, and clicking on this will open a
window displaying the root directory of the floppy named Wk90. By
clicking on any subdirectory icon, I can replace this window by a window
displaying the associated subdirectory. Alternatively, I could have
clicked, in Drives, on Scsidisc4 (which had not been given a pre-emptive
name like John), and accessed instead any one (sub-)directory of the
hard disc on the Distant machine.
9.12
It is important to understand that these windows on directories are not
themselves directory displays. In particular, you can only use the icons
for the actions provided by QuickLynk, not the general uses provided by
RISCáOS. If you click <menu> on an icon in these windows, you will not
get the familiar RISCáOS Display, File,... menu, but just access to an
Info box, and a facility provided by QuickLynk, to send a message to the
other machine. Another difference is that applications show only the
blue APP sprite, not their own.
9.12
The principal use you would make of an icon in a Quicklynk window is to
drag the file/directory/application in order to copy it across the
serial link to a directory on the Local machine. Similarly, if you drag
one of your files to the QuickLynk window, it will be copied to the
Distant machine. However, changes in the Distant directory do not update
the corresponding QuickLynk window on the Local machine unless it is
closed and reopened. Note that you cannot delete files on the Distant
machine, although you could overwrite them.
9.12
An additional facility, that I have not so far tested, is that the
machines connected by QuickLynk need not be on the same site, but could
be connected via a pair of modems and a telephone wire. You can see from
the Modem window that you can configure it to supply the control strings
your modem needs.
9.12
These transfer facilities, together with the message facility referred
to above, are, essentially, all that QuickLynk provides. However, they
are certainly sufficient to make it a very valuable utility.
9.12
How QuickLynk behaves
9.12
Between an A310 and a RiscPC 610, the maximum transfer speed I achieved
in mode 43, with the port speeds set to 19,200, was reported to be some
16,600 bits per second. Short files and the end of long files slowed
things down.
9.12
I found this speed very convenient for exchanging short files, and
although long files or directories took quite some time, it didnæt
bother me, because I donæt often need to transfer large files.
9.12
QuickLynk has so far been fully reliable in use, and files seem to have
been transferred without error. However, if I do something improper,
like dragging to a window that belongs to a funny filer like Black Hole
or Memphis, I get a numbered error message. Also, if the Distant machine
crashes, the Local machine does not report this, and, more seriously, if
it goes down without leaving QuickLynk properly, if I then try to leave
the desktop, my machine freezes, and I have to use <alt-break> several
times to clear this.
9.12
Desirable extensions
9.12
QuickLynk is restricted to copying files etc, between directories on the
Distant machine, as displayed in QuickLynk windows, and directories on
the Local machine. It would be particularly useful if files on the
Distant machine could be dragged to the Local !printers application
directly, without stashing them in an holding directory in the Local
machine. Indeed, I see no reason, in principle, why a file in the
Distant directory should not be able to be dragged to an application in
the Local directory.
9.12
A final moan
9.12
The QuickLynk window uses large icons, and therefore a lot of desktop
space. Could we not have small icons? It has a vertical slide-bar, but
not a horizontal one, so you cannot squeeze it horizontally, without
hiding the rightmost icons, although, of course, the window can be
squeezed vertically to a single row. Directory windows, as they are
gradually squashed horizontally, rearrange all the file icons into one
fewer columns. The command *Filer_OpenDir should have been used by
QuickLynk to provide its image windows. !Spark is a model of how this
can be achieved.
9.12
Conclusion
9.12
Finally, I recommend this application, but only to those who need the
facilities it provides now, and cannot wait for a better user-engineered
and more flexible version, or an alternative, PD for preference.
9.12
QuickLynk costs ú28 + VAT from Desktop Projects or ú32 through
Archive.áuá
9.12
Hints and Tips
9.12
C++ Operator Summary Ö Itæs a bit late to go with my series, but C++
programmers who read Archive will probably find this information handy.
Itæs a cut down version of the table that appears in Bjarne Stroustrupæs
ÉThe C++ Programming Languageæ (2nd Edn) 1994, Addison Wesley.
9.12
::  scope resolution
9.12
::  global
9.12
.  member selection
9.12
->  member selection
9.12
[]  subscripting
9.12
()  function call
9.12
()  value construction
9.12
++  post increment
9.12
ÿ  post decrement
9.12
sizeof  size of object
9.12
sizeof  size of type
9.12
++  pre increment
9.12
ÿ  pre decrement
9.12
~  complement
9.12
!  not
9.12
-  unary minus
9.12
+  unary plus
9.12
&  address of
9.12
*  dereference
9.12
new  create (allocate)
9.12
delete  destroy (de-allocate)
9.12
delete[]  destroy array
9.12
()  cast (type conversion)
9.12
.*  member selection
9.12
->*  member selection
9.12
*  multiply
9.12
/  divide
9.12
%  remainder
9.12
+  add
9.12
-  subtract
9.12
<<  shift left
9.12
>>  shift right
9.12
<  less than
9.12
>  greater than
9.12
<=  less than or equal
9.12
>=  greater than or equal
9.12
==  equal
9.12
!=  not equal
9.12
&  bitwise AND
9.12
^  bitwise exclusive OR
9.12
|  bitwise inclusive OR
9.12
&&  logical AND
9.12
||  logical inclusive OR
9.12
?:  conditional expression
9.12
=  simple assignment
9.12
*=  multiply and assign
9.12
/=  divide and assign
9.12
%=  modulo and assign
9.12
+=  add and assign
9.12
-=  subtract and assign
9.12
<<=  shift left and assign
9.12
>>=  shift right and assign
9.12
&=  AND and assign
9.12
|=  inclusive OR and assign
9.12
^=  exclusive OR and assign
9.12
throw  throw exception
9.12
,  comma (sequencing)
9.12
Each box holds operators with the same precedence and has higher
precedence than the box below.
9.12
Unary and assignment operators are right associative.
9.12
All other operators are left associative.
9.12
Tony Houghton, <[e-mail]>
9.12
Bitfolio clipart Ö The Bitfolio Edition 7 CD¡ROM, reviewed in Archive
9.6 p9, has quite rightly come in for many plaudits. The high quality of
the images and the sheer value for money, in my view, really puts all
other collections well in the shade. Some problems have come to light
but, fortunately, aásimple workround seems to apply to nearly all cases.
A few drawfiles on the CD wonæt load (a few out of 10,000? I think we
can live with that!). However, others hit problems when dropped directly
into applications such as Artworks, Impression, Ovation, etc.
9.12
Fortunately, applying what appears to be a universal workround, is a
trivial task. Simply double-click on the drawfile icon to load the image
into Draw, call up a Save...File dialogue box and drag the Save as icon
to its destination (Artworks, Impression etc). Hey presto! Ö no Artworks
crashes, and the graphic loads into the DTP frame at exactly 100% scale;
problem solved.
9.12
Jim Nottingham <[e-mail]>
9.12
Cumana SCSI 2 upgrades Ö Whilst browsing on Acornæs FTP site, I
discovered two upgrades for the Cumana SCSIá2 card, versions 2.00 and
2.01. I tried version 2.00 first and then 2.01 Ö dated 7 June 96. Both
worked fine. However, when Iácame to use the SCSI manager program to
format and partition a new 650Mb Panasonic cartridge for my ProTeus
drive, I discovered, to my amazement, that I could obtain 8 (yes eight!)
partitions Ö the original SCSI4 to 7 plus SCSI0 to 3. There is no
mention of this in the read me files. I phoned Cumana support, who
confirmed that eight partitions were now available, in spite of !Help
and other documentation still insisting that, because of RISCáOS
restrictions, only four partitions out of a possible 64 can be obtained
with this card. Anyway, Iáhad a device, partitioned into eight sections,
running for several days without any problems.
9.12
Later, however, I encountered a small problem when switching on my
machine. It started to hang, and Iáneeded to switch on and off two or
three times before I could get the !Boot running from my ADFS HardDisc4.
After a lot of trial and error, I found a small item in the Read Me file
mentioning that some SCSI hard drives did not like SCSI resets on power
up. From the SCSI manager screen, I selected the Host and then clicked
on Set Host ID. Under SCSI Reset, I changed the selected button from
Enabled to Delayed Ö problem solved.
9.12
The upgrades can be found on the Acorn FTP site ftp://ftp.acorn.co.uk/
pub/riscos/thirdparty/cumana. Any members, who are not on the Net, can
get a copy from me at 50 Cornwall Road, Southampton, SO18 2QZ, sending a
blank formatted disc and return postage.
9.12
Ted Lacey <[e-mail]>
9.12
New TurboDrivers Ö Following an email exchange between James Taylor of
NCS and Kate Moir of Computer Concepts weæve acquired the following
information about the new versions of the TurboDrivers:
9.12
New versions of Computer Conceptsæ TurboDrivers have recently been
released.
9.12
The latest shipping version of TurboDriver (4.05) will only install to
versions 1.45, 1.52 and 1.53 of !Printers. The TurboDriver installer has
to upgrade the !RunImage file of !Printers, and Computer Concepts are
limited Ö by disc space Ö to the number of replacement !RunImages they
can offer. They decided that as versions 1.45Ö1.53 constituted the
latest versions of !Printers, it made more sense to support them and
drop support of the previous versions.
9.12
The TurboDriver uses !Printers as a öfront endò but uses its own
rendering and queueing system. The rendering system is quite different
from the standard Acorn system, and the queueing system complements and
interacts with the Acorn system, actually improving printout times from
applications which do not use the Acorn graphics output mode (i.e. Edit,
First Word Plus, etc).
9.12
As to a comparison of quality, Computer Concepts feel that the
TurboDriver is better, and certainly, the full control of halftone
angles, that the TurboDriver offers, provides the user with much greater
control over the output quality. However, assessing quality of output is
very subjective.
9.12
All the TurboDrivers have been upgraded (Epson, Canon and HP). An
existing user of, say, the Canon TurboDriver can purchase the Epson and/
or HP printer engines and definition files for an additional ú11.75each
(inclusive) from Computer Concepts.
9.12
It is possible to have two (or more) different types of TurboDriver
resident in !Printers at one time. The only requirement is that the
TurboDriver definitions be the same version, i.e. Epson TurboDriver 4.05
and Canon TurboDriver 4.05. Epson TurboDriver 4.04 will not work with
Canon TurboDriver 4.05.
9.12
When using a non-TurboDriver printer definition files with a copy of
!Printers which has had the TurboDrivers installed into it, RISCáOS
printing is via Acorn code, and queueing via TurboDriver code.
9.12
Recent improvements in speed and quality have been made to !Printers.
There has been speculation that !Printers has closed the gap, or even
overtaken, the TurboDrivers in terms of speed.
9.12
Speed of output is dependent upon too many variables to quote specifics.
An additional 100Kb of free memory can make a significant difference in
the time to output.
9.12
Computer Concepts claim that the TurboDriver is still significantly
faster than !Printers 1.53 in most areas of printing. Multiple copies of
multi-page documents will always be faster via the TurboDriver, as will
ArtWorks images and RISC OS text documents. Single bitmap (and JPEG
bitmaps) may be faster via the standard Acorn drivers.
9.12
Alex Allen <[e-mail]>
9.12
Upgrading PC cards Ö Readers who install 486-100 or pentium processors
may like to be warned; if you have already upgraded your software to
!PCx86, do not be tempted to skip installing this when you receive your
new processor package. There are bits and pieces in the latest version
without which you will have trouble, so install the lot (!PCx86, PCDos7
and all).
9.12
Colin Buckland <[e-mail]>
9.12
Operating Systems Column
9.12
Ian Beswick
9.12
Last monthæs column looked at two new pieces of hardware for extending
Operating System functionality (Hydra and ISAdaptor). This time Iæm
going to take a look at some related software issues, including some
extensions to RISCáOS.
9.12
Parallel processing
9.12
Itæs all very well having a computer with many processors capable of
running together, but itæs of no use unless we can write software to
take advantage of them! There are problems with parallel processing
which I will briefly outline before looking in more detail at the APIs
for programming the Hydra.
9.12
Design considerations
9.12
When starting to write a traditional program, the first step may be to
draw a flow chart showing the steps involved in carrying out the overall
task. Each step can be broken down into further sub-tasks, each of which
can have its own flow chart.
9.12
This process is more difficult when designing programs for parallel
processing, since several sub-tasks will be taking place together. We
need to have a means of determining which sub-tasks can be potentially
performed together, and how they can be synchronised.
9.12
Various algorithmic languages exists to enable this process to be
written down as formal equations. Mathematical rules can be used to
manipulate these equations, and can even be used to convert the
equations into code which can be compiled directly.
9.12
Communicating Sequential Processes (CSP)
9.12
One such example is the CSP design language which has many parallels
(sorry!) with the OCCAM programming language. It makes use of two main
building blocks: processes, which may run either sequentially (denoted
by ╬ ) or concurrently (denoted by || ), and events, for communication
between processes. The details of the CSP language are beyond the scope
of this article, but the following example illustrates the main
features.
9.12
Consider a process P consisting of two sub-processes (A & B) which run
in parallel, synchronising through an initial event e. This can be
written in CSP as:
9.12
 P = ( e ╬ A ) || ( e ╬ B )
9.12
This can be rewritten as:
9.12
 P = e ╬ ( A || B )
9.12
Whole pages of such equations may be written down and analysed to
determine the overall behaviour.
9.12
Deadlock
9.12
When considering complex systems of parallel processes, it is important
to ensure that the events are properly synchronised. The consequences of
incorrect synchronisation are dire, as we shall see. Rather than
illustrate the point with complex CSP equations, a nice example is that
of the ÉDining Philosophersæ:
9.12
A group of philosophers spend their days thinking deep philosophical
thoughts in their own little rooms. From time to time, they get hungry,
and go out into the communal dining room which has a large bowl of food
at the centre of a round table. Each philosopher has a large golden fork
to the right of his place mat, but the philosophers require two forks to
take the food from the bowl. They must therefore Éborrowæ their
neighbouræs fork in order to eat. When they have had their fill, they
replace the forks and return to their study...
9.12
Consider the situation when all the philosophers try to eat at the same
time. They rush to the table, pick up their own fork, and then wait for
their neighbouræs fork to be available Ö unfortunately, it never will
be. The table is in a state of deadlock, and so the philosophers will
starve! Various solutions exist to this problem, such as introducing a
coordinating Usher into the room, who will only allow the philosophers
to sit down when at least one extra place would remain vacant.
9.12
Each of the items within the room, including the philosophers, the
forks, and the usher, can be represented by CSP equations (Iæve put
these on the monthly disc). These can be manipulated to prove that the
deadlock has been removed Ö this is left as an exercise to the reader...
9.12
The Hydra API (HydraLib)
9.12
The basic API provided with the Hydra doesnæt include any special
facilities for handling deadlock (nor its more serious relation,
livelock). Instead, it provides means of allocating chunks of memory, as
Dynamic Areas, which may be shared between processors. It is left to the
programmer as to how this memory is used to coordinate the tasks. The
other purpose of HydraLib is to enable tasks to be scheduled for
execution.
9.12
The API lends itself well to several independent programs all using the
Hydra at the same time. The main problem is that it is necessary to
program it directly in ARM machine code, since the C compiler will not
produce suitable code and nor will the existing C libraries run on the
slave processors.
9.12
More information on the Hydra module, including the API specification,
can be found on the web at: http://www.wonderworks.co.uk
9.12
Multi-threading
9.12
I considered various analogies to explain the conceptsábehind multi-
threading, and eventually settled on that of sewing; almost every wall
in our house has one of my motheræs tapestries or cross-stitches on it,
so I have had plenty of opportunity to observe the process! This
requires a piece of fabric, silk thread, a needle, and a hand (or
machine) to move the needle. The material is analogous to the code being
executed, the needle is the processor, the silk represents the Éthreadæ
of execution, and the hand is the operating system running the show.
9.12
Consider the following simplistic method of sewing: thread the needle
with coloured silk; tie in to the fabric to get started; make stitches
for (say) 30áseconds; tie off the silk; unthread the needle; repeat with
next colour. This is effectively pre¡emptive multitasking Ö the
operating system decides to change tasks on a time-slice basis. Examples
include WindowsNT and Unix.
9.12
In order to improve efficiency, larger quantities of stitches may be
worked with a single colour, possibly over a wide area of the material,
without tying off and restarting. This is cooperative multitasking Ö it
is left to the thread to decide when to switch to another task, rather
than the operating system deciding. This is how both RISCáOS and
Microsoft Windows behave.
9.12
Both these methods share the same inefficiency, namely having to keep
tying off the silk every time the colour is changed. This could be
avoided by leaving the ends of the silk dangling at the back of the
fabric whilst working on other colours. I am reliably informed that this
would not be a sensible strategy with real needlework, because it would
lead to a big tangle! However, this would be analogous to a multi-
threaded application.
9.12
This latest method still requires the needle to be rethreaded with silk
when switching colours. It would save further time if several needles
were used and left dangling on the ends of the thread, although this
would be somewhat dangerous! This is like a multi¡processor system
running several threads simultaneously.
9.12
Having stretched the analogy to almost breaking point, let us quickly
move on to examine the forthcoming multi-threading library for RISCáOS.
9.12
The threads library
9.12
This is a more sophisticated means of programming the Hydra than using
HydraLib. Quite apart from all the extra features, two major advantages
it offers are that it will work without the Hydra hardware fitted (all
threads run on the single processor) and that it can easily be
programmed in C, rather than having to resort to machine code.
9.12
The SWI calls offered by the threads library provide facilities for
communications between threads, either by means of messages or
semaphores. Messages are very similar to their WIMP counterparts Ö each
thread has its own message buffer, from which it receives messages. A
thread may post a message into the buffer of another thread, thus
allowing data and synchronising information to be passed between
threads.
9.12
A semaphore is effectively a status flag, having a single (integer)
value. Semaphores are normally used to guard particular resources
against being used by several threads at the same time Ö a thread can be
made to wait until a specific semaphore becomes available. For example,
in the case of the dining philosophers, a semaphore could be used to
restrict the number of philosophers that are allowed to sit down
together.
9.12
Each thread may start new sub-threads by means of the Éforkæ instruction
Ö a new thread is started which is a child of the original. The parent
is notified (by means of a message) when all of its children have
finished.
9.12
The business of writing a multi-threaded application is a complex one,
but this module holds the promise of making that task as painless as
possible. I will certainly be using the module myself in my own
programs! As and when the module is released, I will bring you some code
examples and information on its performance.
9.12
More information on the threads module, including the proposed API
specification, can be found on the web at: http://
www.rmcs.cranfield.ac.uk/~carson/thread
9.12
Inter-application communication
9.12
Whereas multi-threading allows several parts of the same application to
work together, it is also desirable to have a way of enabling several
separate applications to cooperate. Under RISCáOS, this is accomplished
by the passing of WIMP messages, andáat present, the main protocol used
in this way is OLE (Object Linking and Embedding). This enables data to
be exported from one application, to be editedáin another, so that, for
example, a photograph may be displayed in a desktop publishing package
(e.g. Impression Publisher), but exported to a dedicated photo-
retouching package (e.g.áPhotoDesk) for editing.
9.12
Two new protocols for such inter-application communication have recently
been announced:
9.12
Plug-in Compliant Architecture (PCA)
9.12
PCA, at its simplest level, is an extension of OLE. Under OLE, each
application stores its own copy of the shared data, and the protocol
provides a means of copying it between them. With PCA, only one copy of
the data is held, in a shared dynamic area, and the protocol provides
facilities for coordinating which application has control over the data
at any time. To consider the previous example, a PCA-aware Publisher (if
such a beast were to exist) would always show the latest version of the
photograph as it was edited in a PCA-aware version of PhotoDesk (if one
existed). When working with large bitmaps, the potential for saving
memory is clearly enormous.
9.12
It doesnæt stop there though; PCA also provides for in-place editing.
Thus the editing (or Éremoteæ) application would actually use the same
region of the screen as the original (or Élocalæ) application. Taken to
its logical conclusion, this encourages the production of many mini-
applications, each of which provides specialised services to any PCA-
aware application.
9.12
Sounds familiar? Well, it certainly has more than a little in common
with the concept of Java applets, and later versions of PCA may even
include support for Java. The whole basis of the new Network Computer
(NC) is that software should be small and modularised, so that it can be
quickly loaded from a central server. PCA would therefore be an ideal
protocol for use on the NC.
9.12
The first PCA-aware application will be Claresæ Composition Ö hardly
surprising since PCA is the brainchild of Rob Davidson, the author of
Compo Ö and an early version of this was demonstrated at the Wakefield
show. Other early adopters of PCA include the TopModel and DaVinci 3D
editors. Desktop publishing applications (such as Impression Publisher
and Ovation Pro) would make ideal candidates for PCA, but only time will
tell whether this will actually happen...
9.12
More information about PCA, including the draft specification, can be
found on the web at:                http://www.stcoll.ac.uk/clares/
support/PCA.html
9.12
ART TimeCode
9.12
Just as multi-threaded applications must carefully synchronise
themselves, so it is useful if several separate applications can
synchronise with each other. For example, a multi-media setup might
require sound, animation, video, interactive questions etc, but this
would require them all to be in synchronisation with each other. Rather
than having all these facilities built into a single complex
application, there would be advantages to having many separate
applications, each being specialised at performing its own particular
task.
9.12
TimeCode provides a system-wide concept of the passage of time. The time
may be regulated by one of many sources, such as the internal clock, an
audio CD, or an external piece of MIDI or SMPTE equipment. Any
applications wishing to synchronise with the timecodes can do so to a
very high degree of precision. The real power of the system is that the
passage of time can be stopped, slowed down, or even reversed, and all
the applications will remain in step with each other.
9.12
The screenshot shows a simple ÉKaraokeæ application displaying the words
in step with an audio CD. Other applications could be used to
simultaneously display music (e.g. Sibelius), video (e.g. CineWorks,
Empire), or even control external equipment (e.g.ástage lighting). The
possibilities are practically endless!
9.12
The Skynetæs the limit
9.12
TimeCode is just one part of the ongoing Skynet project being undertaken
by ART. Other Skynet modules provide facilities for the new multi-
tasking Replay (V3). This will be completely modular and extendable to
cater for new video formats, probably including QuickTime, CinePak,
Intel Indeo, etc.
9.12
STOP PRESS:  RISCáOS 3.7 announced
9.12
Details have finally been announced of the new version of RISCáOS. The
two most significant changes over 3.6 (other than SA compatibility, of
course!) are improvements to the font manager and networking stack.
Fonts will now be anti-aliased to blend in with the actual background
colour, rather than to a fixed colour. Many network improvements are
promised, including a revised !Internet in the boot system, and an all-
new configuration application for the various networking components.
Thank you ART! Roll on September...
9.12
Full details can be found on the ART web site: http://
www.art.acorn.co.uk
9.12
(Also on the monthly disc. Ed.)
9.12
Next time...
9.12
...a more detailed look at some of the developments in store for our
favourite operating system Ö RISCáOS.
9.12
I can be contacted by email at [e-mail] or by snail-mail at 58
Eden Vale, Worsley, Manchester, M28 1YR.áuá
9.12
Geraldæs Column
9.12
Gerald Fitton
9.12
I am still getting many requests for more detail instructions for the
creation of graphs from data held in spreadsheet packages. In this
monthæs article, Iáshall try to explain how to create the type which you
find most difficult, namely a multiple Line Graph from columns of values
of X and Y. Iáhave only enough space to show how to do this using one
spreadsheet package, so Iáshall use my favourite package, PipeDream.
Iáshall demonstrate how to create similar graphs using other packages on
another occasion.
9.12
Another pair of topics which has led to much correspondence is the
mathematical concept of Infinity and its time-related counterpart,
Eternity. Itápleases me that so many of you are so interested ù
itásurprises me that Iáhave had no negative comment (perhaps it has gone
directly to Paul). Anyway, this month the philosophical bit comes at the
end, starting at the section headed ÉAcknowledgementsæ.
9.12
The infinite in a point
9.12
If Iáwere to ask you to specify your favourite function, it is very
likely that you would give me a formula for the function. With such a
formula, e.g. yá=ásin(x), you could calculate the value of y for any
value of x that Iámight care to choose.
9.12
Whilst that is a perfectly good way of specifying your function, there
is another way. Instead of having a formula which specifies directly
(through the function) the value of y for any given value of x, we can
concentrate on just one value of x and find out lots of things about
that one point. For my example, Iáshall concentrate on the single point
xá=á0.
9.12
Have a look at the fourth row of the table below. It contains everything
there is to know about my chosen function (have a look at the title and
guess the function) at the point xá=á0, and it contains nothing about
any other point. Although Iæll explain the interpretation of the numbers
in that row later, for now, Iámust tell you that Iæm cheating a bit
because, to get an accurate result for extrapolation to all possible
values of x, Iáneed a fourth row which contains an infinite number of
columns! Of course, Iácanæt have an infinite number of columns on my
computer (and neither can you on yours) so weæll have to make do with
just a few (Iæve used fifteen) and accept that the answers will be
approximate!
9.12
So, hereæs my claim: using only information about the function at xá=á0
(the information in the fourth row), plus the assumption that the
function is Éregularæ (smooth), we can use a spreadsheet to find the
value of this function for any value of x between minus infinity and
plus infinity.
9.12
The series generated from the data in row 4 is shown in the column
below. Iæll explain how the sums are done later. Only part of the table
is shown in the screenshot. The table extends to row 58 so that values
of y are calculated from xá=á0.00 to xá=á7.50.
9.12
It is said that a picture paints a thousand words (and Iánotice that
Paul is asking for more of them in Archive) so letæs delay some of the
explanation and jump to the graph of this function for values of x from
0.00 to 7.50.
9.12
The graph, produced in PipeDream but saved as a drawfile, is shown
above. Iáwould like you to note that the function appears to have a
maximum value of 1.00, a minimum value of Ö1.00 and crosses the axis
where xá=ápi. Iáwill explain how to produce this graph in some detail
later.
9.12
The swing
9.12
You may doubt the validity of the process of using lots (an infinite
amount!) of information about a point on a curve to calculate (with a
simple spreadsheet) the value of the function at any other point. Let me
try to convince you.
9.12
As an example, let me help you to construct a mathematical model of the
action of a swing. In this model x is time and y is the position of the
swing. When the swing is in the middle yá=á0; when the swing is in its
most forward position yá=á+1; and when it is as far back as it will go
then yá=áÖ1. We start the clock at xá=á0 with the swing in the yá=á0
position.
9.12
The conventional way of constructing the mathematical model is to
specify the function which allows us to calculate the position of the
swing at any time. A good approximation for this function is yá=ásin(x).
A better one would be a damped oscillation, but letæs keep it simple;
letæs choose to have our swing oscillating forever between the same
extreme positions, yá=áÖ1 and yá=á+1. It will be travelling at it
highest speed, +1 velocity units, when yá=á0. It will be subject to
maximum acceleration when yá=áÖ1 and when yá=á+1 but zero acceleration
at yá=á0.
9.12
I would like you to consider the following alternative method of
creating the mathematical model using only that information which can be
gleaned at the time xá=á0. Where is the swing? Answer, yá=á0; it is in
the middle of its swing. Now please refer back to row 4 of the original
spreadsheet; in column D (under ná=á0) you will find the value 0. The
meaning of this 0 is that yá=á0 when xá=á0. Next, how fast is it going
as it passes through the point yá=á0? Well, weæll suppose it to be +1 in
our arbitrary velocity units. Refer to column E of the spreadsheet where
youæll find the value 1. This 1 means that the velocity at time xá=á0 is
1 unit. Next, let us ask whether the swing is speeding up or slowing
down? In fact, there is no horizontal force on the swing at the lowest
point, so it is neither speeding up nor slowing down. Youæll find a 0 in
column F. However, although the acceleration at the lowest point is
zero, it is in the process of change. Yes! Iáknow this is a hard concept
to grasp but, as the swing goes through its lowest point, the force on
it changes from a Éspeeding upæ force (pulling the swing towards the
middle) to a Éslowing downæ force (being exactly zero at the lowest
point). Please accept from me that this rate of change of acceleration
is Ö1 in our rate of change of acceleration units; hence the Ö1 in slot
G4. We could continue this discussion but it does get harder to conceive
as we get to higher order Érates of changeæ.
9.12
For those of you into differential calculus, you will recognise that the
values in row 4 from column E onwards, are the first, second, third, etc
derivatives of the function yá=ásin(x) evaluated at xá=á0. You could
continue this process of evaluating higher order derivatives for ever
but you donæt need to because the pattern of 0, Ö1, 0, +1 repeats
indefinitely ù so you donæt have to keep working them out forever.
9.12
The series approximation
9.12
Whether you are into calculus or not, Iáhope that youæll recognise that,
if you know such things as position (yá=á0), speed, acceleration, rate
of change of acceleration, etc, at just the one point, xá=á0, you do
know quite a lot about what will happen to the swing in the future.
Indeed, the more you know about the situation at xá=á0 (the more columns
of row 4 you can fill in), the further into the future you can predict
the motion of the swing. Our chosen mathematical model of the swing is
that it never stops swinging; the values in row 4 keep repeating the 0,
Ö1, 0, +1 pattern infinitely.
9.12
If Iáknew everything (an infinitely long row 4) about a function at one
point, xá=á0, then (with the additional assumption of smoothness)
Iáwould be able to predict future values of y for all values of x up to
infinity! Ofácourse, if the smoothness condition is violated by somebody
interfering with the swing, pushing it harder or stopping it, or if the
rope breaks (!), then smooth extrapolation from xá=á0 breaks down.
9.12
What Iáwant to show you now is how you can use a spreadsheet to feed the
values of the derivatives in row 4 into a calculation which finds the
values in column C from which the graph is plotted. However, before Iádo
that, first let me show you a graph of yá=ásin(x) and a graph of the
function which is produced by approximating the infinitely long row 4
with just fifteen terms.
9.12
The graph below shows the Éoriginalæ function and its fifteen term
series approximation. You will see that the approximation is a fairly
good one up to about xá=á5 or 6. It would extend further if more terms
were included in row 4.
9.12
From a point to a function
9.12
The spreadsheet shown in the screenshot below is the one Iæve used to
calculate columnáC from the values in row 4. As Iáwill show you later,
you can change the values in row 4 so that row 4 represents a different
function. If you do this, all the dependent values below row 7 will
change and, if you have a live graph which plots columnáC, then the
graph will change automatically to display the new function.
9.12
The formula in slot E2 is D2+1. The formula in slot E3 is D3*E2. Both
these formulae are copied (Éreplicatedæ or Éfilledæ depending on the
spreadsheet youære using) to the right as far as you want to go. Iáhave
extended my spreadsheet to columnáS. You will see from the screenshot
that the formula in E8 is $A8^E$2/E$3*E$4. This formula can be copied
into the whole block D8S58 with the exception of D8 into which it is
better to enter the formula 1/D$3*D$4 because of the difficulty some
spreadsheets have with 0^0. The formula in C8 is sum(D8S8) and this can
be copied down the whole of columnáC.
9.12
Using the notation that fn(0) is the nth derivative of the function
yá=áf(x) evaluated at xá=á0, and that n! is factorial n (e.g.
7!á=á7*6*5*4*3*2*1), the mathematical formula for converting from
derivatives (row 4) to values of the function (column C) is:
9.12
yá=áf(0)á+áxá╫áf1(0)/1!á+áx2á╫áf2(0)/2!á+áx3á╫áf3(0)/
3!á+á.á.á.á.á+áxná╫áfn(0)/n!á+á.á.á.
9.12
Drawing the graph in PipeDream
9.12
The graph headed öA Series Expansion for Sin(x)ò has been produced using
PipeDream.
9.12
To produce a graph in PipeDream, you must first mark a block. Mark the
block C8C58. Execute the command <ctrl-CHN> (CHartáNew). You will find
yourself with a bar chartáùánot exactly what you want. Never mind; we
can easily change it.
9.12
Place the pointer over the bar chart and click <menu> to bring up the
Chart menu. Run the pointer through Gallery and then click on Scatter to
bring up the gallery of Scatter graph types.
9.12
Select the top left type of Scatter (XY) chart (it is shown in inverse
video in the screenshot) followed by the OK box. Not much will happen
but donæt worry about that.
9.12
In the spreadsheet, mark the block B8B58. These are the y values of the
function yá=ásin(x) corresponding to the values of x, A8A58, already
entered into the chart. Be careful with the next bit. Execute the
command <ctrl-CHA> (CHartáAdd), which, if you use the Chart pop up menu
(from within the spreadsheet, not with the pointer in the Chart) is
entitled öAdd to chartò. The rather blank looking chart will be
converted into a line graph of the function yá=ásin(x).
9.12
Adding the second line
9.12
We want to add the second line, the series approximation, column C, to
the chart.
9.12
First highlight (mark) the X values, A8A58, and execute <CtrláCHA>, öAdd
to chartò. Mark the Y values, C8C58, and execute öAdd to chartò again.
The second line will be drawn on the same chart.
9.12
Although, in this case, Iáhave used the same range of X values for both
lines, in PipeDream it is possible to use different X ranges on the same
chart. What you have to remember on an XY chart (misleadingly called a
Scatter chart in PipeDream) is that as you öAdd to chartò, the marked
ranges are successively X, Y, X,Y, X,Y etc.
9.12
Adding text
9.12
Adding text in PipeDream is a real pleasure compared with some other
spreadsheets.
9.12
Click the <menu> button over the chart to call up the Chart menu. Run
the pointer through New text and a Text window will appear. You can type
multi-line text into this window. To start a new line as part of the
same text object you must <select> the blue left pointing arrow just to
the right of the red cross and the green tick. (See below.) In the
screenshot, the words öSeries Approximationò (on two lines) have been
entered into the Text window. When you press <return> or click on the
green tick, the words in the window will appear on the chart. You can
move the text object about on the chart until it is positioned exactly
where you want it, using a select and drag technique.
9.12
If you find that you have made a mistake, you can select the text
object, click <menu> and then run the pointer through Selection, Text
and then Edit. After editing, press <return> to return the modified text
object to the chart. You will notice that you have an option to Delete
the text object if you wish.
9.12
If you select a text object and then Selection on the Chart menu, you
can change the Text style (font and font size), Text colour or Text
background.
9.12
Saving
9.12
Donæt forget to Save the chart separately from the spreadsheet. You will
find the files on the Archive monthly disc. Iáhave saved the spreadsheet
as [Sin_x] and the chart as [Sin_x_C]. This name for the chart uses the
convention recommended by Colton, namely adding _C to the spreadsheet
file name.
9.12
On the Archive monthly disc, Iáhave also saved the chart as a drawfile
under the filename [Sin_x_G]; G stands for Graphic.
9.12
Other functions
9.12
A quick change to the spreadsheet allows other functions to be
calculated. Have a look at the spreadsheet in the screenshot opposite.
9.12
The only difference (apart from the file name) is that Iáhave changed
all the values in row 4 to +1. This set of derivatives generates the
function yá=áexp(x). The chart used with the yá=ásin(x) was still alive
and changed appropriately to that which you see in the drawfile.
9.12
I have to confess that, when Iáfirst generated this chart, it seemed as
if there were only one line on it; the approximation was that good. So
what Iádid was to change the formulae in column C of the spreadsheet to
sum only eight (rather than fifteen) terms of the series. This makes the
approximation a little worse and ensures that there are two separate
lines displayed on the chart.
9.12
You might like to try other sets of derivatives such as the series 0, 1,
0, 1, 0, 1, etc (which generates a function you might be able to
recognise). If you are good at recognising some of the standard
functions then try 0, 1, 1! 2!, 3!, 4!, etc (i.e. use (náÖá1)! in row 4)
and try the series 0, +1, 0, Ö2!, 0, +4!, 0, Ö6!, etc; both of these
generate standard functions available in any spreadsheet or on any
calculator.
9.12
By the way, have you ever wondered how calculators (and spreadsheets)
produce values for sin(x) or exp(x)? No! They donæt hold a table of
values of sin(x) or exp(x) ù they are evaluated in the calculator using
suitably truncated infinite series.
9.12
Acknowledgements
9.12
One of the earliest philosophies by which Iátried to live my life was to
pursue Étruthæ. Nowadays, it is fashionable to believe that Étruthæ is a
relative term, so perhaps what Iáhave to say about eternal truths is
somewhat unfashionable. One of the features of mathematics which Iáfound
attractive, even whilst at Junior School, is that, once proved,
mathematical truths tend to last. In a world of changing values,
mathematical truths remained true. Iáhave often said that, if you want
to be remembered for ever, you must discover a new mathematical theorem.
At some time in the far future, when Einsteinæs Theory of Relativity
(and his name) has been long forgotten, the navigator of a lonely
spaceship will still use Pythagorasæ Theorem (about the square on the
hypotenuse) and still call it by that ancient mathematicianæs name.
9.12
At college, Iáteach nothing mathematical which is less than 100 years
old and most is 300 years old or (like complex numbers, negative numbers
and Pythagorasæ Theorem) much older. My first acknowledgement is to Sir
Isaac Newton who, one long hot summer in 1666, whilst on an extended
holiday from his ÉChairæ at Cambridge University, invented what we call
the Infinitesimal Calculus and he called his ÉTheory of Fluxionsæ. By
the way, the universityæs summer holiday was extended that year because
of The Plague. As another Éby-the-wayæ, he invented the Integral
Calculus before the Differential Calculus; nowadays we teach
differentiation before integration!
9.12
Next Iámust acknowledge that the formula
9.12
yá=áf(0)á+áxá╫áf1(0)/1!á+áx2á╫áf2(0)/2!á+áx3á╫áf3(0)/3!
á.á.á.á.á+áxná╫áfn(0)/n!á+á.á.á.
9.12
is due to a Scottish mathematician called Colin MacLaurin who was given
a ÉChairæ at Edinburgh (thanks to a recommendation by Newton a couple of
years before he died) in 1725. The so called MacLaurin expansion (the
above formula) is a simplified version of one developed by the Cambridge
mathematician Brook Taylor and originally published in 1715 in his
treatise öMethodus Incrementorumò (in those days books intended to
contain Eternal Truths were always written in Latin) in which he sets
out the method Iáhave tried to explain to you.
9.12
Mathematical Étruthsæ last a long timeáùáI believe them to be amongst
the Eternal Truths.
9.12
Finally, Iámust acknowledge that the real inspiration for the
philosophical content of this article comes not from a mathematician but
from Auguries of Innocence by the poet, William Blake (1757áùá1827) who
wrote Jerusalem and öTiger tiger burning brightò.
9.12
To see a World in a grain of sand
9.12
And a Heaven in a wild flower
9.12
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
9.12
And Eternity in an hour
9.12
Whilst Iáwould have preferred Blake in his augury to have foreseen the
nature of Infinity in a single Point and the nature of Eternity in an
infinitesimal Moment, Iáaccept that his alternatives are more poetic. My
philosophical point is that, by studying just one point (xá=á0) of a
mathematical function in great detail then, with the assumption of
regularity (smoothness), one can find the value of the function at any
other point by using the expansion of Colin MacLaurin. You donæt need
forever to understand Eternity ù simply study a Moment; at a push, any
moment will do but Iásuggest that studying one of those Eternal Moments
to which Iáreferred last month will be more productive than studying a
more humdrum moment.
9.12
Determinism
9.12
Sometimes, when Iásucceed in explaining to my students my point that the
future motion of a swing can be determined by studying in detail just
one point in its swing, Iáam asked whether Iábelieve that the future
course of the universe, and our own destinies as a part of that
universe, are predetermined by the present situation (in turn
predetermined by past events). Iáam always pleased when that question is
asked because it allows me to digress (I love digressions) into the
nature of regularity (smoothness). Iáreply that Iádo not believe that
the universe acts as if it were a regular (smooth) multi-variate
function. Iábelieve that you and Iáhave a duty to Épush the swingæ in
the right direction and change the course of future events. Iábelieve in
mind-over-matter, not as a supernatural phenomenon but as an everyday
occurrence to which we all contribute when we exercise our free will.
9.12
So that you know that Iáam aware of them, let me mention briefly the
butterfly effect, chaos theory, Werner Heisenburgæ principle of
indeterminacy, and the paradox contained within the story of Erwin
Schr÷dingeræs cat. All these convince me that disbelief in determinism
is rational though Iáaccept that they do not prove the existence of free
will.
9.12
Finally
9.12
(a) Please send a disc; (b) My address is Abacus Training; (c) Many
thanks for all your letters.áuá
9.12
Starting Basic Ö Part 13
9.12
Ray Favre
9.12
This month, we have the final steps in the ÉLoanæ project.
9.12
Expanding the action
9.12
As we said last time, we are firstly going to magnify the Égetting nearæ
area Ö and this is what happens in ÉLoan_13Aæ.
9.12
First of all, PROCaxes is modified to define, and then draw, a Ézoom
boxæ Ö that is, a small part of the screen which we can treat as a
separate graph area to magnify part of the main graph area. The chosen
location for this is on the left-hand side of the screen, starting at
the y-axis of the main graph and going right for 400 OS units, centred
vertically around the target line. The vertical scale is made 10 times
the main graph scale. The result is a zoom box of reasonable size in a
fairly unused part of the main graph, with the advantage that we can
easily relate the main and expanded views, because they share the same
target line (see below).
9.12
The zoom box definition and drawing follows the same processes as for
the main axes, so you should be able to follow the changes to PROCaxes
(lines 3940-4160) without difficulty.
9.12
When we get to PROClinePlot(), there are two criteria triggering the
plotting in the zoom box. Firstly, we donæt need to use it until we are
Égetting nearæ and, secondly, we then only want to magnify those
portions of the main graph which have x-values in the last 5% of the x-
axis (where the Égetting nearæ lines are drawn). We effect these
conditions in line 5010 of PROClinePlot(), which is located after the
main graph plot has been updated, and calls PROCzoomPlot when both
conditions exist.
9.12
We also need to set the initial starting point for each zoom box graph.
The x-value will always be the chosen zoomXorigin% value (the graph x-
origin in this case), and the y-value will be the same as the main graph
y-value at the 95%-of-x-axis point Ö but re-calculated using the
expanded scale. This is carried out starting at line 4960 in
PROClinePlot(). (As listed, this calculation is carried out whether or
not we are going to use the zoom box. It does no harm, but adding a
further condition to line 4960 would activate the calculation only when
needed.)
9.12
When called, PROCzoomPlot firstly stores the current main graph
coordinates (lines 5390 and 5400). It then moves the cursor to starting
coordinates to be used in the zoom box (which will be the above initial
values at first), draws a new section of the expanded graph, saves the
resulting zoom box cursor position as the new starting point for the
next zoom plot and moves the cursor back to the stored position on the
main graph (line 5470) Ö ready for the next go round the loop.
9.12
This rigid sequential process involving storing, updating and restoring
of Éoldæ and Énewæ points on two different plot actions seems to occur
quite frequently in graphics Ö including animations. So it is well worth
poring over.
9.12
Usefulness of PROC structure
9.12
It is also worth pausing here to reflect how relatively easy it has been
to incorporate changes into an established program when you have a good
underlying PROC structure. Indeed, you can see that these last changes
could have probably been better made by cascading the PROC structure
even further.
9.12
Further changes
9.12
With ÉLoan_13Aæ, we are very close to the end of our ÉLoanæ project.
There are only a couple of small further changes to make. Firstly, we
need to revisit the input validation process. If you have been playing
with the program, you have probably already found out that the overall
input limits we introduced in Part 6 are not good enough, particularly
when R is the unknown. We need to change the limits dynamically Ö to
respond to the first and/or second inputs made.
9.12
Secondly, the whole program ought to be put inside a REPEAT ... UNTIL
loop, so that we can continue to use it until we decide we wish to quit.
9.12
However, before starting on those, Iæd like to introduce a common
routine.
9.12
ÉRatchetingæ
9.12
Look at this Basic statement:
9.12
IF 27 > Value% THEN Value% = 27
9.12
The result is that the variable Value% ends up holding whichever is the
greater, 27 or the original value of Value%. If we change the statement
to:
9.12
IF Number% < Value% THEN Value% =
9.12
 Number%
9.12
then Value% ends up with the lesser of Number% and the original Value%.
In both cases, the contents of Value% are Ératchetedæ up (or down) if a
higher (or lower) value comes along.
9.12
There is nothing deep in this, but it is a very common construction
where a program needs to find the highest (or lowest) value from a
series of values Ö or needs to swap positions of items in a list if they
are not currently in the order wanted, e.g. in alphabetical sorting
routines, where the Ascii values of the first letter of strings are
compared to get them in the right order. Weæll use this construction
below.
9.12
Input validation revisited
9.12
As it stands, we can cause the program some headaches when R, the
interest rate, is the unknown parameter, and we input certain values for
the known items. There is a similar, but not so severe, problem when N
is the unknown. We need to prevent the user from making these
undesirable entries.
9.12
Letæs solve the R case first. When R is the unknown, any combination of
L, P and N which causes (N ╫ P) to be less than L will cause a problem Ö
because there will then not be enough money paid to meet the loan
amount, let alone interest.
9.12
There are several ways we could eliminate the problem, but as our
program always presents the Éknownæ items in the same order for
inputting, I am going to follow this same sequence for making any
adjustments to the input limits. Thus, we will not alter the limits for
the first choice (L, the loan amount), but once a value for L has been
input, we will adjust, if necessary, the limits for the value of N. In
turn, once L and N have been chosen, we will examine the limits for P.
9.12
Firstly, a Éflagæ is introduced (called RateFlag%) and set initially to
FALSE. If R is chosen as the unknown, this flag is changed to TRUE. Two
lines added near the start of DEFáPROCinputKnowns() effect this Ö and
thus give a simple means of triggering the checks on the input limits.
9.12
As soon as we choose a value for L, we need to ensure that the lowest
value in the range then made available for N exceeds the value (L/
PaymentUpper) Ö and that the highest value made available is lower than
(L/PaymentLower). Otherwise, there may not be enough payments made, or
our overall payment limits may be transgressed.
9.12
If you refer to ÉLoan_13Aæ, youæll see that, if we need to adjust the
limits for N, it needs to be done in DEF PROCinputKnowns() at line 1630,
after the L entry but before the N entry. A suitable insert is:
9.12
IF RateFlag% THEN
9.12
IF INT(L/PaymentUpper) + 1 > NumberLower THEN NumberLower = INT(L/
9.12
PaymentUpper) + 1
9.12
IF INT(L/PaymentLower) Ö 1 < NumberUpper THEN NumberUpper = INT(L/
9.12
PaymentLower) Ö 1
9.12
ENDIF
9.12
This, as you can see, uses two Ératchetingæ statements Ö one up, one
down. We need to use INT because we want N to be a whole number Ö and
the +1 in the second line ensures that we fix the new limit to the
integer above the (real number) answer to the calculation in the
brackets. As the third line is dealing with the upper limit, the Ö1 is
not strictly necessary, but it keeps things symmetrical.
9.12
We then need to insert something very similar, based on the now known
value of (L / N), after the N entry but before the P entry (at line
1670) Ö and this time we need only be concerned with the lower limit for
P. (The unchanged upper limit may produce very high interest rates, but
it will not stop the program functioning correctly.)
9.12
A similar, but much shorter, process is needed to eliminate the problem
when N is the unknown parameter. In this case, if a value for L is
chosen near the lower limit, the upper value of P may then need to be
reduced, so that a single payment a lot higher than the loan is not
chosen. So, we need a separate Éflagæ to register when N is the unknown,
plus an appropriate IF statement, after the input of the L value, but
before the input of the P value.
9.12
With these changes, the input limits will now adjust themselves
automatically, within the preset overall limits, to values which will
not stop the program working properly. I am not claiming for one moment
that these latest changes are perfect or cover the whole story Ö indeed,
a further change has deliberately been left for Éhomeworkæ Ö see later.
My main aims have been to ensure that you end up with a program which
wonæt easily break down, and to stress that input validation is an
important part of programming, which is likely to crop up in every
program requiring a user input.
9.12
ÉLoan_13Bæ, on the disc, incorporates the above, and as it involves so
few additional lines Ö and only to DEFáPROCinputKnowns() Ö you should be
able to follow the specific changes without difficulty. (ÉLoan_13Bæ also
includes the final change described in a moment. So, it will be better
to wait until you have read the next section below before you run it.)
9.12
Putting the program within a loop
9.12
At the moment, our program ends after we have used it once. Clearly, it
would be better if we could repeat it after each use, and only end when
we want to. This is easily achieved with a REPEAT ... UNTIL loop placed
around the main structure Ö lines 120-200.
9.12
We will add a message to our opening screen menu to give the user the
option to quit Ö and then ensure that the program returns to this menu
each time it finishes with a calculation. The quit option will be
exercised simply by pressing the letter ÉQæ on the keyboard, instead of
L, N, P or R.
9.12
So, we add the menu message to PROCsetUpMenuVariables and print it in
PROCmenu. Then we need to enter the REPEAT ... UNTIL loop just before
PROCmenu, and exit after PROCdisplayResults. As our exit criterion is
going to be the letter ÉQæ, we need to add this to the list of valid
keypresses in FNmenuChoice, and then enclose the normal program actions
inside an IF ... THEN ... ENDIF construction, to ensure they are
by¡passed if ÉQæ is chosen. We also need to clear the screen after each
use of the program, and this is, in fact, best done at the very start of
the REPEAT ... UNTIL loop in PROCmenu.
9.12
ÉLoan_13Bæ includes the few changes to take care of the above Ö only
eight lines to be added, plus a few blank lines for readability. The
most important changes are to the main structure between lines 120 and
250, and the remainder are in the PROC/FNs indicated above.
9.12
You may wonder why we left this last change until the very end of the
project Ö it would certainly have been a useful user feature earlier.
There are several reasons: firstly, I felt it important for beginners to
visualize the main program flow clearly before making it repeat.
Secondly, until all the Ébells and whistlesæ are incorporated, it is not
always possible to see the best places to insert the final REPEAT ...
UNTIL keywords. Thirdly, when developing a program, it is not unknown to
inadvertently introduce errors Ö and meeting these with a major loop in
place, can lead to hair-tearing endless loops.
9.12
I would therefore certainly recommend that you continue to approach your
own programs in the same way Ö get it working well before worrying about
how to repeat it.
9.12
Finally, we have left DEF PROCdisplayResults untouched Ö it still only
contains one action line, to pause the program. If we were to delete
this PROC, we would only need to introduce the pause in some other way,
and at the same place in the sequence Ö otherwise our new overall REPEAT
... UNTIL loop would take us back to the opening menu, before we have
chance to read the actual results on screen. So we might as well leave
things as they are Ö and the name of the PROC is not entirely
inappropriate in the circumstances.
9.12
Final words on ÉLoanæ project
9.12
I donæt expect to update the ÉLoanæ program further in subsequent
articles, although we will make reference to it from time to time Ö so
ÉLoan_13Bæ is the Éfinal versionæ. Remember, it was developed as a
vehicle to introduce you, the beginner, to various aspects of BBC Basic.
It is not a model of perfection, and there are certainly different ways
to achieve the same ends in all the PROC/FNs used.
9.12
Also, it is never a Éfinal versionæ, of course. Most programmers have
programs in frequent use which first saw the light of day many years
ago, and have been added to and modified every few months since. Thatæs
part of the attraction of programming Ö and also part of the bug-bear of
having to upgrade commercial software regularly.
9.12
To continue this tradition(!), can I suggest some areas for you to work
on yourself, to develop ÉLoan_13Bæ Ö and your confidence Ö further:
9.12
Ö Add a further conditional statement to prevent the user choosing a
monthly premium which is too low to meet any value of interest payment,
when N is the unknown item.
9.12
Ö Make the required accuracy of the interest rate answer a user-
determined item.
9.12
Ö Make the overall input limits adjustable by the user.
9.12
Ö Investigate the use of different line types (dotted, full, etc)
instead of colours to distinguish the Égetting nearæ graph lines (Wait
until we have a further look at PLOT).
9.12
Ö Improve the Ébracketingæ and Éconvergingæ algorithms (if you have a
mathematical bent).
9.12
Ö Change FNnumberToString to allow a wider range of decimal places to be
provided, by adding an extra parameter specifying the number of places.
This might then form a useful general FN for other programs.
9.12
These should keep you going for a while!
9.12
The only sermon I would preach is only attempt to change one item at a
time, and make your attempt on a copy of your latest version. Once you
are happy with the changed version, save it, and, then use a copy of
that to start work on the next item.
9.12
Next time
9.12
Our first project program is completed (appropriately on the first
Birthday of the series!) but the series still has some way to go.
Editor-willing, we are roughly halfway... Next time, we are going to
start looking at the various ways we can store data for our programs to
access. Those of you who have already sent a number of SAEs for the
printed listings need not worry, the series will still have listings
which will usually be too large to put in the articles. Donæt forget the
feedback, queries (and A4 SAEs for printed listings) to: 26 West Drayton
Park Avenue, West Drayton, UB7 7QA.áuá
9.12
Almost Logo
9.12
Bob Black
9.12
A slight feeling of dread always comes over me when I see another Logo
package arrive on the market.
9.12
These are not the most exciting type of program to look at and, in the
past, I have had a variety of experiences when using them with kids with
learning difficulties. The most positive experiences were when we had a
Éfloor turtleæ which is a flying-saucer-looking object that moves around
the floor, directed by the instructions entered in the computer. The
kids would make up floor mats of different scenes based on a grid,
anything from a simple town plan to a starwars mothership Ö this was
very popular, having to guide the robot to the prison where Princess Lea
was being held, without entering any space occupied by the guards!
9.12
The least motivating experiences seemed to be when just using a pointer
on the screen to create patterns and shapes. Although the more complex
patterns were often popular, the methods and language used to create
them was fairly complex, needing procedures within other procedures to
achieve anything really interesting.
9.12
Exploring the properties of shape, location, pattern and movement is an
important part of the National Curriculum these days, as well as an
important part of using computers to control objects, which is often
difficult to teach if youære not a real Étechieæ when it comes to using
computers.
9.12
Almost Logo was a great relief to me, as the instructions to make basic
movements are simple and in English Ö forward, left, right, etc. Also,
when using it on the screen, you can import ready-made backdrops to make
the exercises more exciting. It didnæt take long to create a starwars
backdrop using Draw, which improved the customer satisfaction no end.
The user guide is clear and simple as well.
9.12
Best of all, Almost Logo allows you to dig out those old Valiant and
Jessop floor turtles which have been gathering dust in the cupboard and
actually have some hands-on fun teaching control technology again. I
think this is the only RISC OS Logo package that supports these turtles
at the moment. (Does anyone know different?)
9.12
Almost Logo has other functions. For example, it can be used as a
modelling tool to create much more complex mathematical shapes, it can
construct multicoloured patterns, and it can even be used to instruct
the computer to play musical notes.
9.12
The one thing that I felt was missing was a simple choice of items to
replace the pointer Ö much better to move an animal or a character
around the screen than a plain pointy triangle.
9.12
For key stage 1, I donæt think Iæve seen a simpler, more versatile
package, and at ú25 for a single user version, itæs very good value for
money as well.
9.12
Almost Logo for RISCáOS is available from the Advisory Unit, Computers
in Education. Email [e-mail].áuá
9.12
Music Column
9.12
Alan Gibson
9.12
This month, I will cover the range of Midi interfaces which I know are
available for Acorn machines. There is some excellent news on this front
regarding a long-awaited interface... but you will have to wait until
the end of the column before I tell you!
9.12
Many people have been sending me details of their setups, some of which
are very impressive! The Éprizeæ this month has to go to Ron Pearcy from
New Zealand who emailed me a JPEG photograph of his organ (see below).
Ron has a RiscPC with the old SSES 1600 sound card which is linked to a
Technics KN100 keyboard. He also has a Roland MC50 MkII sequencer, a
Roland Sound Canvas module, a Roland HP3800 piano, and an Allen Organ
Voice Expander II module, all linked to his Rodgers C445 Digital Concert
Organ, which he is upgrading. Blimey! Can anyone beat that?
9.12
From the correspondence Iæve been getting over the past two months, it
seems that many people are desperate for a new sequencer package for
semi-professional and professional use. I am still waiting for Oregan to
send me further details on MidiWorks, and I will pass on details when I
know more.
9.12
Ian Beswick of the Opus User Group is asking about Midi card
compatibility, and which cards will work together in one machine. I know
that older cards will clash with newer cards which use the newer Midi
module. For example, the MidiMax will not work with the DMI50 at the
same time. When drivers for the new module are written for the older
cards, these problems should disappear, but if anyone who has tried two
different cards together has had any problems, we would be grateful if
you could pass details on to either Ian or myself.
9.12
Midi interfaces
9.12
Midi interfaces allow you to control external keyboards, synthesisers
and sound modules etc from a computer and vice versa. They convert the
notes which you play into digital information which can be interpreted
by any Midi compatible device, not just computers Ö there are lighting
units, for example, which can pulsate in time with Midi data. You will
need a Midi interface if you wish to input music from a keyboard into a
notation or sequencer package and subsequently play this data back to
the keyboard or sound module.
9.12
Which interface do you choose? I will try to clarify what is available,
to help you to decide the best compromise between price and facilities.
The majority of interfaces are designed as expansion cards, either full
size for the Risc PC etc, or mini cards for the A3000 range and the
A4000. PC and Mac users also have access to interfaces which plug into
the serial port or the parallel port.
9.12
If you are looking for an internal interface for an A3000, A3010, A3020
or A4000, the choice is really quite limited. The lower end of the price
range (ú69 through Archive) is the new Acorn card, which is actually an
old Morley card. This has one set of Midi ports but also includes a user
port and analogue port. Next up is the DMI30 from Audio Dynamics, at
ú105 through Archive. This is a dual port card, i.e. it has two
independent INs and OUTs (but no THRU) and a user port. Some external
sound modules, such as the Roland SC88 (now superseded) and the Yamaha
MU80, have two inputs, which allows up to 32 channels to be used. A dual
port card can therefore make use of this facility if you are writing a
large orchestral piece in Sibelius, for example. The DMI card also has
the option of being upgraded with a wavetable card (see later for
details on this).
9.12
At the top end of the price range is the Ultimate Midi Starter Pack from
HCCS (around ú145). This kit includes the multipodule, Midi micropodule,
power supply and the other bits and bobs you need to get going. This
card is upgradable later with a sound sampler and with other
micropodules, and an internal hard drive (depending on which computer
you have). If you already have a multipodule, you can add the Midi
micropodule for around ú57. Like the DMI30, this is a dual interface
with two INs and two OUTs.
9.12
For machines which take standard expansion cards, there is a little more
choice. The cheapest one again is the Acorn/Morley card which has one
IN, OUT and THRU (ú52 through Archive). Next up is the MidiMax from
Computer Concepts which has one IN, THRU and two OUTs (although they are
the same OUT, i.e. just with two sockets to make connections easier) Ö
ú84 through Archive. The Ultimate Midi Starter Pack is similar to the
previous one (same micropodule) but is cheaper than before, at around
ú88 from HCCS. There is also another Acorn card which has additional
user and analogue ports at ú96 through Archive.
9.12
At around twice the price of the basic Acorn card is the DMI50 (ú125
through Archive) which again is a dual Midi card. The advantage of this
card is that it can be upgraded with an onboard sound card to give you a
PowerWave card. This upgrade can either be an Ensoniq card which gives
you the usual 128 voices of the General Midi sound set, or the Yamaha
DB50XG which gives well over 600 voices plus special effects to modify
the sounds. This effectively gives you the facilities of an expensive
external sound module plus a dual Midi interface at less than the cost
of the sound module (ú230 for GM and ú285 for XG through Archive). The
DMI50 and PowerWave 50 cards can also have a sampler upgrade fitted as
well, giving a very competent multimedia card (ú285 for GM and ú345 for
XG through Archive).
9.12
The biggest news of the month, and possibly the year, regarding Midi
interfaces is the forthcoming parallel port interface from ESP. This is
a very important development, and not just for A4 users who, up to now,
have been Ésilentæ. How many A3010 and similar machines are there with
internal hard drives and hence no room for other interfaces? Even
single-slice RiscPCs can be filled up with other cards and will
therefore find this extremely useful. Hopefully, the interfaces should
be available in a couple of months at very roughly ú70-ish. It will be
at least a dual port device, but may be able to support, say, four
ports! Does anyone have a use for three or four ports? Please let me
know so that I can pester Andy at ESP for this! Seriously though, he is
looking at the possibility of doing this, although the breakout cable
(which provides all the actual sockets) will probably cost a fair bit.
This is welcome news indeed.
9.12
Thatæs it for this month, but keep the letters coming. Iánow have a new
email address so please use [e-mail] rather than the
Arcade one, or visit the new web site at http://www.cybervillage. co.uk/
acorn/liquid/. Iæm off to try and catch up on some sleep Ö these
Olympics are tiring!áuá
9.12
System Variables Ö Part 3
9.12
Andrew Berry
9.12
File$Path
9.12
This system variable determines the directories in which a file will be
looked for, if it is being read or executed. Each variable contains a
list of prefixes separated by commas. When a file is read, the value of
File$Path is looked up and the prefixes used in the order they appear.
The default value of File$Path is a null string (it is defined but has
no value) which means that when a file is read, it will only be looked
for in the current directory (the one displayed by É*.æ). Setting
File$Path to, for example, É,ADFS::HardDisc4.$.Filesæ, would mean that
when a file was loaded, it would first be looked for in the current
directory. If it could not be found, the directory
ADFS::HardDisc4.$.Files would be searched. Note that the leading comma
in the above example is essential, otherwise the current directory wonæt
be searched first.
9.12
Run$Path
9.12
In the same way that File$Path is used for reading files, Run$Path is
used when files are run, for example using *Run. The default value of
Run$Path is É,%.æ which means that the current directory will be
searched first, followed by the library. The result of this is that
files which are often needed can be placed in a directory which is then
defined as the library using *Lib. Any file in the library can then be
*Run, regardless of the current directory.
9.12
Setting variables
9.12
There are three different types of system variable, and each type is set
using a different command. Usually, you will only need to use *Set, but
the other two, *SetEval and *SetMacro, are also described.
9.12
*Set
9.12
The *Set command is used to assign a string to a system variable. It
takes the following form
9.12
*Set varname value
9.12
where Évarnameæ is the name of the system variable to be set (angular
brackets are not required) and Évalueæ is a string which will be
interpreted before being assigned to the variable. This command has been
used many times in the past two articles.
9.12
If you wish to set the variable to the value of another variable,
Évalueæ must be in angular brackets to show that a variable is being
named. An example of this is
9.12
*Set App$Dir <Obey$Dir>
9.12
Without the angular brackets, App$Dir would be set to öObey$Dirò rather
than the value of Obey$Dir.
9.12
*SetMacro
9.12
This is similar to *Set, except that the string is interpreted each time
the variable is read. This was used last month in the following command.
9.12
*SetMacro CLI$Prompt <Sys$Time> *
9.12
Each time CLI$Prompt is used (in other words, each time the command
prompt is displayed), the value held by CLI$Prompt is re-evaluated. This
ensures that the current time is always displayed because the new value
of Sys$Time is looked up each time. If *Set had been used instead of
*SetMacro, the value would only be evaluated once, when CLI$Prompt was
set, and would therefore hold the time at which the variable was set ù
not much use as a command prompt!
9.12
*SetEval
9.12
This command evaluates an expression before assigning the result to a
system variable.
9.12
*SetEval varname expression
9.12
For example, type the following three lines.
9.12
*Set num 2
9.12
*SetEval num num+1
9.12
*Show num
9.12
The computer will now show that the variable Énumæ has the value 3, by
displaying the line
9.12
num (Number) : 3
9.12
The ÉNumberæ in brackets shows that the variable holds the number 3 and
not the string ö3ò (ASCII 51).
9.12
Strings can also be evaluated, as shown in this example.
9.12
*Set Name_1 öAcorn ò
9.12
*Set Name_2 öRiscPCò
9.12
*SetEval FullName Name_1+Name_2
9.12
*Show FullName
9.12
In this example É+æ is the evaluation operator. Other operators can be
used in much the same way as in Basic, and a full list is given in the
PRM on page 1¡445.
9.12
*Unset
9.12
This command is used to unset any system variable, whether it has been
set using Set, SetMacro or SetEval. The syntax is
9.12
*Unset varname
9.12
Variables which have been set by other applications should never be
unset or changed while the application is running. Doing so can cause
errors due to, for instance, the application being unable to find its
resources. In any case, a program which has been written for
distribution (i.e. not just for personal use) should never interfere
with system variables set by any other program.
9.12
More information
9.12
System variables are described in the user guide (RISC OS 3.6 pages 383-
390, RISC OS 3 pages 137-144) and the RISC OS 3 PRM. Two SWI calls are
available as an alternative to using *Show, *Set, *SetEval and *SetMacro
and are the method which my !SystemVar program uses for reading, setting
and deleting system variables. The use of these calls is beyond the
scope of this article, but details are given on pages 1-309 to 1-314 of
the PRM.
9.12
Note that the description of OS_ReadVarVal on page 1-309 contains an
omission which is corrected on page 5a-661 (the supplement for RISC OS
3.6). Ifáyou do not have volume 5, you should note that when checking
for the existence or length of a variable (i.e. if bit 31 of R2 is set
on entry) then R0 is corrupted on exit.
9.12
Registering
9.12
The following information is from Alex Singleton and concerns the
registering of system variables to ensure that two different programs
donæt use the same variable. He writes...
9.12
öShould you wish to distribute software that sets any system variable,
you should register the variable with Pineapple Software, which is under
contract from Acorn. Registering a variable is free, although you do
need to be either a Clan member (ú15 to join) or an Acorn registered
developer (now only ú120). The address is not Pineappleæs normal one:
Alan Glover, PO Box 459, Cambridge, CB1 4QB.ò
9.12
Finally...
9.12
Thanks to Chris Johnson for his help in preparing these articles. If you
have any comments or corrections, please email me <[e-mail]
.co.uk> or write to me at: 39 Lancaster Avenue, Sandiacre, Nottingham,
NG10á5GW.áuá
9.12
Celebration
9.12
Richard Rymarz
9.12
Some time ago, I reviewed a simple design program, from Clares, called
ÉCardshopæ. I liked the program and recommended it as a straightforward
way of producing simple Christmas, birthday, thank you, or any other
type of card a child may wish to produce. Aimed at primary age children,
the program achieved its aims and was easily assimilated into my
classroom.
9.12
Cardshop must have been successful, since Clares have gone a stage
further and produced a suite of four programs all based around the theme
of celebrations. The author, Mark Smith, has given a great deal of
thought to the layout of the programs since they share, with a few
specific exceptions, a fairly common interface with which Cardshop users
will also be familiar.
9.12
The package and installation
9.12
Presented in a clear plastic wallet, Celebrations comes on five discs,
four of which contain the applications and a fifth, further resources. A
beautifully produced ring bound manual accompanies the programs and
leads the user through the common elements of the suite and then through
each application in turn. No complaints here Ö it is easy to read,
includes a problems and tips section, has an index, thank goodness, and
is generally very useful.
9.12
The programs can run from floppy disc, each application using less than
600Kb of memory. However, as always, installation onto a hard disc is
preferable because resources can be shared between applications.
Installation is very straightforward, with no protection procedures to
worry about. The resources are held in three folders: borders, effects
(keywords, such as Celebration, drawn in a variety of styles such as eye
shaped, arched, etc) and pictures. These are drawfiles held in folders
which can easily be enhanced by any number of commercial or home drawn
clipart examples. Consequently, children can easily personalise their
designs, adding to the programæs interest and versatility.
9.12
The Écommon interfaceæ
9.12
Three of the four programs, Gift Wrap, Certify and Calendar, look
similar. They share uniform layouts and icons which are easy to
remember. Down the lefthand side are the usual print and save icons, a
set paths icon (for resources) and a wipe clean icon. (Banner, the
fourth program, also includes these.) Across the top are font, text
entry and resource entry icons. Other functions are peculiar to each
program. All in all, the layout is well designed and easy to understand.
9.12
The programs Ö Gift Wrap
9.12
Gift Wrap allows children to design their own wrapping paper. It is
built up from two designs alternatively placed alongside each other in
one of three basic patterns: vertical, horizontal or diagonal. The
designs can be in sprite, draw or text format (up to 12 characters) and
the gaps between each design can be altered. The printout includes an
extra gap where pieces of wrapping paper can be joined together.
9.12
Extra icons show which design is active, the type of layout, the size of
the pattern and the design control window. Everything is quite logical
and the changes occur in real time. In use, Gift Wrap is very easy to
use and children have no trouble in flitting from idea to idea, design
to design until they are satisfied. Printing is a doddle and, using a
colour printer, can produce excellent results.
9.12
Calendar
9.12
The default Calendar window shows a gridded calendar taken from the Set
Clock option available from !Alarms. Of course, this will need to be set
correctly.
9.12
Two types of calendar are available: monthly and yearly, which can be
toggled using an icon. Another icon switches through six different
languages: Welsh, German, Italian, Spanish, French and English. Other
features include the ability to relocate the calendar from one side of
the page to another, set the month and the year if the current one is
not required, use the abbreviated form for days i.e. Mon instead of
Monday, as well as the shared features already mentioned. Finally, two
lines of text, each ten characters long, can be written onto each day Ö
limited, but still a very useful feature. Once again, it is the ease
with which designs can be created and modified that is so impressive.
9.12
Certify
9.12
As its title suggests, Certify allows children to design their own
certificates. All the usual shared options are available, but two extra
ones are included. One allows the child to toggle between portrait and
landscape pages and the other opens up the effects window. Clicking on
the text icon opens a window offering a header, two or four lines of
text (up to 50 characters each in landscape form and 25 in portrait
form) and a line for a name. Different fonts and a limited control over
size can be assigned to these lines of text. Effects can be added as
well as pictures and borders. Another nice feature is the ability to
create a simple list of names in CSV format which then allows batch
printing. Very useful if a number of certificates for different children
are required.
9.12
Banner
9.12
Banner is used for creating very simple... banners. These can either be
horizontal or vertical. Pictures can be scaled and mirrored, and placed
at either end of the text which itself can be scaled. Each character (up
to 255 can be used) can be shaped Ö either fattened or thinned, and
there is a centre icon which causes each character to be printed on a
separate page. Printing can be output to single sheets or continuous
paper.
9.12
Conclusions
9.12
The four programs together cost ú34.95 for a single user and ú82.25 for
a site licence (ú33 and ú78 through Archive). Each one costs a little
over ú8.50 Ö great value for money, especially since Celebrationsæ
specific aims are met, the programs are easy to use and they do not
crash (says he with fingers crossed). Children enjoy using them, and a
decent printer Ö especially colour Ö produces excellent results.
Celebrations can be used at school or at home and will not dissatisfy.
Niggles? None really. As with Card Shop, these programs are highly
recommended.áuá
9.12
Pocket Book Column
9.12
Audrey Laski
9.12
A saga
9.12
Iæve taken the plunge. Weary of hearing enthusiastic reports about
software that I couldnæt use, of fretting about whether software I could
use would overflow my memory, of having to tell correspondents I knew
nothing of the workings of Agenda, Iæve upgraded. Feeling something of a
traitor, I have gone for the 2Mb Psion 3A instead of the Pocket Book II.
It also helped that I was able to get a particularly favourable deal
from a great department store.
9.12
The bad news was that they didnæt have a 2Mb in stock, and Psion failed
to deliver fresh stock as promised. The good news was that the store
found one in their Newcastle branch. The bad news was that they were
posting it, and it was likely to be held up in the postal strike. The
good news was that it beat the strike, arriving the next day. The bad
news was that it didnæt work. Readers can imagine the expressions as
John and I wrestled with it, using an unbent paperclip to try a soft
reset, and finding that, despite a maddening little beep at the reset,
the machine remained, to all intents and purposes, dead.
9.12
Thanks to Johnæs vigorous deployment of the equipment second in his
affection to the RiscPC (the telephone) the story has a happy ending.
Psion authorised another dealer Ö not the big store, which we knew was
out of stock Ö to exchange the corpse for a living machine, tested and
proven to be so on the spot. By lunch time the next day, we were
fighting over it. Presumably, an autopsy is now taking place at Psionæs
forensic laboratory, but meanwhile, the replacement has taken on board
all the material from my dear old Pocket Book (which is going to a good
home from which I shall get frequent reports) and has room for
enormously more.
9.12
The joy of upgrading
9.12
I think if I had realised the extent of the development work that
changed Pocket Book/Psion 3 into Pocket BookII/ Psion 3A, I should have
made the move sooner. What is particularly impressive is the enormous
increase in flexibility, which means that all the basic software now
offers far more options, and opportunities for customising things. At
the most trivial level, I like having a choice between a fanfare, a
mellow chime, a peal and several other sounds for the alarm. The
enlarged screen, the brilliant Zoom facility and the stylish fonts make
writing longish documents a much more practicable and enjoyable
proposition than formerly, and the extra speed of operation given by the
Diamond key is a bonus.
9.12
Of course, there are respects in which the 3A had to catch up on ways in
which the Psion 3 fell short of the Pocket Book. It now has a
spellcheck, which the Psion 3 did not, unlike the Pocket Book. It has
added to this a very useful thesaurus. So far, I have not attempted any
recording, alerted by a previous correspondence to the limited
possibilities of this, and all attempts at dialling have failed. I hear
that success with this is very variable, and would welcome reports and
advice. My chief problem, at the moment, is that the additional
facilities are so fascinating that it is increasingly difficult to
snatch it back from John. If we were to divorce, custody of the palmtop
would be a major issue. Iæll report further as I discover more Ö there
is learning to be done here.
9.12
PocketFS conversion window
9.12
John Woodthorpe of Rugby has done it again. When a problem appears in
this column, sooner or later, a detailed answer to it arrives from him.
This time, while responding to earlier correspondence, it arrived almost
simultaneously with a letter from Christopher Murray of New Milton,
asking how he could transfer material from the palmtop to another
machine if it did not come under one of the three headings displayed in
the PocketFS conversion window (Cards/Data, Sheet/Abacus, Write/Edit).
9.12
There has always been a boring answer to this question. If you click
<adjust> rather than <select> on the PocketFS iconbar icon, you open a
directory (PocketFS::Remote) which displays all the drives and, within
them, all the directories on your palmtop. Files can then be pulled from
them to directories in your desktop machine Ö the manual documents this,
but not in a very helpful way. But John W has cracked the problem of
displaying other directories alongside those already in the conversion
window.
9.12
This is a summary of his method: with PocketFS on and the Remote
directory open, you click <menu> on the PocketFS icon and choose
Configure. This produces a window in which there is a list of column
names. Name a new column here and drag a directory to it from the Remote
directory. Choose the appropriate filetype and default conversion for
this column from those which will be offered you. Click on Save, and
Dismount and Quit PocketFS for the moment. Now open the PocketFS
application directory (shift-double click) and open the Auto
subdirectory. Create a new directory here, with the name of your new
column. Into this new directory, drag !Run and !RunImage from whichever
of the Word/Card/Abacus directories holds files of the same filetype as
you want in this directory.
9.12
Using the !Sprites file from that directory as your example, create a
!Sprites file for your new directory, with the two sprites appropriately
named (so if your column is called Ug, they will be !ug and spr_ug).
öNow the tricky bit!ò John W. writes. öLoad ConfigFile from the
Resources directory into !Edit and look for the word Éunknownæ shortly
after the directory name, and before the new column name. Change that to
the sprite name (spr_cis in [his] case) and re-save the file (better
back it up first!).ò Once this is done, you can reload PocketFS, and
when you click with <select>, your new column should come up alongside
the others in the conversion window. After a couple of false starts,
mine did.
9.12
The one snag is that this seems to work only for directories of files of
the types already present in the conversion window, which doesnæt quite
solve Christopheræs problem. What is needed now is a library of !Runs/
!RunImages for other types so that, for example, Schedule/Event, and
cunning little systems like Outline, could have their own columns in the
conversion window.
9.12
A new Pocket Book programmer
9.12
John W. also writes enthusiastically about a new programmer he has
encountered on Compuserve: ÉKonstantin Sally, a Russian who apparently
does a lot of his programming on public transport on his way to work.æ
Among his Shareware applications are Éan undelete utility for Flash (not
RAM) SSDs (Pocket Book II/Psion 3a only) and a keyboard remapper
allowing you to change the actions of keys. There is a version of this
for the original Pocket Book/S3 as well as one for the newer machines.
Registration is easy, as he has an agent in France who will accept
Sterling Payments.æ (Philippe Lebreton, 5árue Au Metre, F-78290 Croissy
Sur Seine, France. <[e-mail]>)
9.12
Endnote
9.12
Given my new machine and his excellent correspondence, John Woodthorpe
and I could fill the column between us for the next couple of months:
but Iæd like to throw the net wider.áuá
9.12
Digitising (Matters Arising)
9.12
Jim Nottingham
9.12
This month, I had planned to review the Yellowstone DeskTV system, with
particular reference to the digitiser facility. Unfortunately, its
release has been delayed, and our attempts to sneak in coverage of
another manufactureræs product have been similarly thwarted for lack of
a review copy.
9.12
However, this does give me the opportunity to cover a couple of points
readers have raised following the lead-in article (Archive 9.10 p56) and
the Vision24 review (9.11 p38).
9.12
Grabbing moving images
9.12
Firstly, with reference to the difficulty of grabbing a particular frame
from moving video, the question was asked öWhy not press Pause or Still
on the camcorder or VCR?ò. This is certainly worth trying although, in
all probability, you will run into problems with frame stability, which
shows up as horizontal noise bars, badly distorting the digitised image.
9.12
This instability will be evident in the digitiser preview window (and
the camcorder viewfinder or TV/monitor), so you can gauge the extent of
the problem prior to digitising. If your camcorder/VCR supports it, it
may be worthwhile trying to jog the video forward or backward a frame or
two, as you may find one particular frame is acceptably stable.
9.12
You may be lucky through trial-and-error but, it has to be said, only
top-end systems tend to give the sort of full stability required Ö and
we are talking serious money here. If you are out of luck, try the
method(s) discussed in the Vision24 review (Iæm sure the Keystroke
option could be mechanised to work with any digitiser system).
9.12
Frame refresh rate
9.12
The second point to revisit is the confusion which, evidently, still
exists regarding video frame refresh rates. To be frank, this isnæt
helped by product advertisements currently going the rounds which tend
to suggest the rate is 50Hz (or 50 frames/second).
9.12
To reiterate; each video frame in the PAL video standard consists of two
fields which, when interlaced, made up the frame. It takes 1/50th second
to refresh the first field and a further 1/50th second to refresh the
second field. For that reason, it takes 2 ╫ 1/50th second (or 1/25th
second) to refresh the full frame, so the PAL frame refresh rate is
effectively 25Hz (or 25 frames/second).áuá
9.12
The Maker Series
9.12
John Woodthorpe
9.12
Carlton Software is a company Iæd not heard of before receiving these
three small applications to review, but they have been Acorn and Epson
dealers since 1994. Henry Morgan of Carlton is the author of all three
programs, and each one comes on a single floppy with a slim (12 pages),
photocopied A5 manual. In addition, they all support Acornæs interactive
help, and will also load their own !Help file of release notes from the
main menu. Despite being simple and small (excluding Acornæs Toolbox
modules, only 300Kb of disc space is needed for all three!), they give
the impression that a good deal of thought has gone into the
presentation. Each one installs automatically from its own ÉSoftInstlæ
routine, including putting the Toolbox modules in the right place.
Installation can be to a hard disc or to a floppy, and the instructions
are commendably clear. Iæll deal with each of the three ÉMakersæ
separately:
9.12
MemoMaker
9.12
Really, the title describes the function: it allows you to enter
reminders of jobs to do. Often I can be concentrating on doing one thing
(preparing a report, for example), when the phone rings and Iáhave to
make a note of something else to do later. My desk is often so cluttered
that I canæt find a convenient piece of paper to jot down a note on, but
MemoMaker allows you to do that in a small window on-screen, assign it a
priority, and even link a file or application to it. For example, the
picture below shows a memo with a link to a Fireworkz document.
9.12
If I click on the ÉRun Linkæ button, that file will be loaded ready for
me to continue working on it (assuming the filer has Éseenæ Fireworkz of
course, but as it lives in my ÉAppsæ Directory, thatæs not a problem).
Memos can be saved, edited, sorted, and even exported as a TSV file to a
database on a Pocket Book. This would allow you to carry the list with
you when away from the desktop machine, make further entries, and
exchange files when you return. Importing a file into MemoMaker from a
database program is also possible, providing it is in exactly the right
format, but the easiest option seems to be to create the file in
MemoMaker in the first place.
9.12
Whilst this simple approach works pretty well, there are obviously
limitations: although you can move files around between machines, you
are restricted to using the Pocket Book database, not the Schedule (or
Psion Agenda). Thatæs a pity, because the Agenda To-Do List is very
powerful, allowing due dates and memos to be attached, neither of which
are portable using this method. Of course, you can put a due date in the
memo, but there is no facility for setting an alarm, which would make it
very useful indeed.
9.12
This linking has tremendous potential: for example, if the linked file
is from Quantumæs Keystroke, then a macro could be run to perform a
series of jobs. The stand-alone Executor equivalents work, but KeyDef
files cannot be run. However, Keystroke allows you to save an Obey file
from the ÉActionsæ menu, and this can be linked to a memo. If you want
the KeyDef file to be loaded automatically, then the following line
needs adding at the start of the Obey file:
9.12
Set KeyStroke$Load <Obey$Dir>.KeyDef
9.12
Where <Obey$Dir>.KeyDef is the correct path for the KeyDef file you want
to use. Naturally, the Keystroke file has to contain actions that make
sense when run in this way. My thanks go to Henry Morgan for pointing
that out, when I asked him if it could be done. He also says that it
does not seem possible to check if Keystroke is loaded beforehand, so
that has to be done manually. Basically, anything you can double-click
to run can be launched from MemoMaker, allowing it to form the basis of
a powerful task-oriented control centre for jumping between the most
pressing things you have to do.
9.12
As an example of the degree of thought that has gone into its creation,
when MemoMaker is run, it grabs a spot towards the far right of the
iconbar, just to the left of the Display Manager on my Risc PC. It
obviously helps if the icon is easy to find, so that you havenæt
forgotten what you wanted to write before managing to open the window.
Itæs a small point, but one that could so easily have been overlooked.
To gain maximum benefit from this consistent approach, you obviously
need to have it load up automatically when the machine is turned on.
9.12
DateMaker
9.12
The ÉPurposeæ part of the ÉInfoæ box describes this as an electronic
diary, and that sums it up really. Specifically, it is an appointment
book, able to set start times of meetings with alarms to sound as many
days in advance as you want. However, you canæt set the duration of an
appointment without making two entries for the start and finish.
9.12
You also canæt set the alarm to be, for example, fifteen minutes before
the start of an appointment, so itæs really of most use in reminding you
of birthdays and other such untimed events. The illustration above shows
the sort of display used. If there are no appointments, day is blank.
9.12
Searching for particular events is possible, as is creating a list in
TSV or Impression DDF format. This is another example of Henry Morganæs
careful planning: if you open the List Generation window and scroll the
date on the main window, the date range for the list moves in sequence.
The more I use his software, the more I like the lovely little touches
he puts in here and there. The list for the day entry above then
becomes:
9.12
1996
9.12
July
9.12
8  7:30am  Car booked in for service
9.12
8  8:00am  Department Meeting
9.12
8  10:00am  Book flight to Munich
9.12
8  11:00am  See Tony in Drawing Office about design work
9.12
8  1:15pm  Team meeting to prepare 1997 projects
9.12
8  4:00pm  Ring Sarah about mechanical testing
9.12
Using this method, you could prepare a printed diary for a particular
period with very little effort. As it stands, DateMaker is a simple
appointment manager with some lovely touches. It could be improved with
better alarm handling and the addition of a note facility. The latter is
currently being implemented, and should allow the entry of as much text
as wished for each day. I look forward to seeing it develop.
9.12
Actually, what Iæd really like to see is a RISC OS version of the Pocket
Book IIæs Schedule, so that files could be read and modified on both
machines, complete with To-Do lists, and with no need for converting
them. I put this to Henry Morgan, and he says that he is öcurrently
looking into writing an interpreter for the Pocket Book II and Psion 3a
Schedule/Agenda filesò. The Psion Agenda file format is readily
available (and is I think compatible with the Pocket Book II), so I
really hope he does this. It is one area where the Psion PsiWin transfer
software scores over PocketFS, in that it will convert Agenda files to
the format of many of the popular PCásoftware diaries. As far as Iæm
aware, what it generallyádoesnæt do is a two-way conversion, and a file-
compatible diary for the two Acorn platforms would (copyright
permitting) be an excellent addition to the RISC OS software market.
9.12
MailMaker
9.12
MailMaker allows you to setup a dedicated mailing list database, and can
work with its own file format, orádeal with files created in other
applications. TSV import and export are supported, and thereæs a little
utility called MailTSV to convert TSV files (for example, from the
Pocket Book database) into the format needed to load into MailMakeræs
pre-defined layout. Initially, I had a few difficulties in getting this
to work, but Carlton rapidly identified and solved a problem with
certain machine configurations, enabling me to see it working for
myself.
9.12
MailTSV maps the fields in the file to be imported so that they are
suitable for MailMaker. It works as long as you follow the right
procedure, which is detailed in the Help file. In particular, all the
records in the file must have the same number of fields or else things
go very awry. (I speak from experience gained before Iáread the
instructions!)
9.12
A typical view is shown above. As well as functioning as a contacts
list, it can be sorted and searched to produce mailing lists for
Christmas cards, club membership, circulation lists, etc. The exported
files can then be used in automating mailshots in conjunction with a
suitable word processor or DTP program.
9.12
Summary
9.12
Despite their small size, these are applications that could really
enhance your productivity. MemoMaker is the star for me, and the one
with the most potential, especially when used to launch applications, or
combined with Keystroke. Its uses are only limited by your imagination,
and with the addition of alarms, it could become an indispensable
application. As Iæve said earlier, moves towards handling Pocket Book II
Schedule files in something combining the functionality of MemoMaker and
DateMaker would be something I would personally greatly welcome.
9.12
Support
9.12
Carlton Software have a telephone helpline on 01234-721448 from 5pm Ö
8pm, Monday to Friday.
9.12
Minor upgrades are free to registered users on return of their program
disc. In the case of major upgrades, registered users will be notified
in a letter giving them details of pricing.
9.12
Any single program costs ú8.50 from Carlton Software. You can buy any
two for ú16.00, or all three for ú23.00 (all prices include VAT, but not
the ú2.35 p&p). They are also available for ú10 each, inc p&p, from
NCS.áuá
9.12
Picture Book 2
9.12
Rob Ives
9.12
It can be difficult to find software for very young children. Their
limited keyboard and mouse skills often exclude them for otherwise
excellent programs. Picture Book 2 adds to that small stock of programs
with a range of activities which can be used with young children.
9.12
Picture Book 2
9.12
Picture Book 2 is supplied on three high density discs with a clear
manual. The review copy came in a plastic wallet but I am told by RGSC
that purchasers will get the software in a strong plastic box.
9.12
Picture Book 2 consists of a suite of five programs and an alphabet
resource file. The alphabet is used for each of the programs, a neat
modular approach in keeping with the Acorn philosophy.
9.12
The programs, aimed at young children and early readers, are: Alphabook,
CountEm, FlashCard, Snap and SpellIt. Once loaded, most of the programs
show a closed book on the iconbar, but FlashCard shows the back of a
pack of cards. Dropping an alphabet file onto the icon either opens the
book or turns the cards over. The icons are attractive and clear, and
the open and closed book shows easily whether an alphabet is loaded.
9.12
AlphaBook
9.12
The simplest of the five programs is AlphaBook, a simple Éabcæ letters
book. When you click on the icon, the program takes over the screen, and
an apple with the word Éappleæ is displayed on the screen. Once the
program is running, typing on a letter on the keyboard will display a
picture associated with that letter. For example, Édæ for dog, Éræ for
rocket, or Épæ for pig.
9.12
The pictures are created by that well known Acorn graphic artist Walter
Briggs, and all are of a high standard. However, it should be noted that
only fifteen letters appear in the alphabet. This is due to the
constraints of disc space. The alphabet file only just squeezes onto an
800Kb disc. I can understand that RGSC want their software to work on
all machines, including older models which many schools are still using,
but perhaps a solution would be to have two half alphabet discs or the
existing file and a 1.6Mb disc for users of newer machines. Another
minor gripe is that, when you click on a key with no associated picture,
the program lets out an unpleasant rasp. Perhaps a more discrete sound
could be substituted.
9.12
Pressing <return> whilst the program is running reads out the word in a
clear recorded voice. Toáreturn to the desktop, you need to press <ctrl>
and <esc> Ö I would have preferred just <esc>. Iárealise that the two-
key combination is used to stop children returning to the desktop
accidentally, but itæs yet another key combination to remember Ö yet
another Post-It note on the wall. Perhaps an option to choose would be
possible?
9.12
Configurability
9.12
Talking of options, each of the programs has a fair amount of
configurability. There are shared choices and individual choices for
each of the programs. The shared choices can be edited for each
individual program or, using a separate program, for all of them at once
Ö nice touch!
9.12
Shared choices include things like which font to use background and text
colours, ArtWorks quality, etc.
9.12
The individual programs then each have their own set of choices.
Alphabook allows you to choose which letters are available, whether a
word is shown on the screen, and a range of controls over the sound
effects.
9.12
CountEm
9.12
CountEm is a counting game which loads in the same way as AlphaBook and,
once run, it takes over the full screen. On the screen there appears,
perhaps, three sheep and a cat. At the bottom of the screen it says
öCount the sheepò, or it might say, öHow many sheep are there?ò Pressing
the right key on the keyboard elicits a cheer from the computer and,
after a short pause, the next page appears. Type in the wrong number,
and the computer blows a raspberry at you.
9.12
The program is clear and easy to use, and again there are a good range
of choices. It is nicely thought out, with a simple idea giving a
variety of activities for the young child. One of the options is to
indicate what to count by using sound effects. For example, if the
computer baas at you, that means that you should count the sheep. On the
version that I received, there were no sound effects, but a note in the
manual did mention that later versions would. Strangely, at the top of
the CountEm choices dialogue box, it says ÉSnap choicesæ!
9.12
FlashCard
9.12
Once loaded and run, the program takes over the screen with a single
large word. The idea is that the child looks at the word and says Éfishæ
before the computer does. After a configurable time, the computer shows
a picture and reads the word. After another configurable time, the next
word is shown. Itæs good if you like that sort of thing, but it was the
one that our three year old daughter was least interested in.
9.12
Snap
9.12
Snap, however, she thought was great! It is a simple snap game for up to
three players. Each player chooses a key on the keyboard, and if the
pictures on the screen match, they press their key. Snap! Again, there
are lots of configuration possibilities, such as how many players, which
keys to use, the time limit before the computer gives up waiting and
some options for scoring the game. An interesting possibility is to not
just match pictures, but match pictures to written or spoken words or to
sound effects.
9.12
The final program in the suite is SpellIt. A picture appears on the
screen for the user to spell. Again, lots of choices are available.
There is an easy setting where the letter order doesnæt matter, the
number of allowable guesses can be changed and there are a number of
display options. Again, it is a well thought out program.
9.12
AlphaEdit
9.12
It is possible to create your own alphabets to go with Picture Book 2,
and I was sent a beta version of AlphaEdit, the tool with which this is
done. AlphaEdit will be ú15 and should be available by the time you read
this.
9.12
AlphaEdit is extemely easy to use. Add a word, edit the plural if
necessary (sheep and sheep instead of sheep and sheeps), drop a suitable
Draw or ArtWorks picture into the main window, add a sound effect and
the spoken word, and repeat for the other twenty five letters. Easy.
There is also a program called AlphaMerg which allows alphabets bigger
than the available memory to be made in small chunks then stitched
together. Like the rest of the programs, AlphaEdit is simple, clear and
well thought out. Hopefully, other people will soon start to create
third party alphabets for use with Picture Book.
9.12
Conclusions
9.12
Designing software that allows children to practice basic skills,
without dropping into Édrill and practiceæ, is difficult. It is easy to
fall into the trap of allowing children to spend time in front of a
thousand pound computer which would be better spent with a pack of
picture cards or flash cards.
9.12
I think that Picture Book has found that balance. It provides a group of
worthwhile programs which have enough flexibility to engage and interest
the young mind. Our daughter thinks itæs great!
9.12
Picture Book 2 costs ú35 inclusive (if you return the original Picture
Book disc, you get a ú5 discount), and AlphaEdit costs ú15 inclusive,
from The Really Good Software Company.áuá
9.12
Gallery
9.12
Dave Wilcox
9.12
Gallery is a helpful little program from the WECC (Warwickshire
Educational Computing Centre). It seems to have been initially designed
to work alongside Portfolio, but works equally well as a stand alone
utility. For those who have not read the review of Portfolio (Archive
9.5 p78), it is a carousel-type program for the display of sprites and
drawfiles. Gallery is used to make a hard copy catalogue of these
carousel files or, for that matter, any other directory containing
sprites and drawfiles in your clipart collection.
9.12
The package
9.12
The software comes on one disc accompanied by an A5 manual consisting of
20 pages. As I have come to expect from WECC, the manual is well written
and nicely presented, and it explains the software in a clear, concise
manner.
9.12
The disc contains !System, !Scrap and !Sysmerge, a !Fonts directory
containing Jotter, an example of a clipart directory set up as an
application in order that a sprite may be attached to it, and four
applications.
9.12
The first application is !Display (another carousel-type program), then
you have three copies of Gallery to meet different requirements. Very
basically, the difference between each is in the output Ö one will not
print at all, one will only print one page at a time, and the third
version will do everything. The idea is that the teaching staff will be
able to select a version suitable for their environment.
9.12
The program
9.12
There is no copy protection on the disc, so back it up first, or install
it to hard disc. The program can be installed anywhere on the disc you
wish. For the sake of brevity, I will refer to the full blown Gallery
program for this review.
9.12
After loading the application by double-clicking on the icon, Gallery
installs itself to the right hand side of the iconbar. The best way to
start then is to click on the iconbar icon, which causes two windows to
open; the Gallery display window and one for File Control. Select a
directory containing sprites and/or draw files, and drag the directory
icon onto one of the Gallery windows. The Gallery window represents the
printed page, and is divided into eight smaller windows, one for each
graphic, (see above). As you can probably see, the full path name of the
picture is shown Ö but these are left out if the Filenames option from
the iconbar menu is deselected. From the Gallery window, you can select
an image and double click on it to see an enlarged version. This is
ideal for checking detail because some larger graphics can become quite
difficult to see when reduced to fit these windows.
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It is possible, when dragging your directory into the Gallery program,
to drag a complete clipart directory, including subdirectories, and have
the whole collection printed in one go. Depending upon the size of your
collection, this could take a long time, a lot of paper and a lot of ink
or toner. Because your printout is only to be used as a quick index,
reduce the resolution of print a little Ö this will stretch the ink and
your bank balance a little further.
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The file control window contains three sections (see below). Starting
from the top and working down, you have the current activity window,
showing the options available and whether the file is being printed.
Next is the control panel, from which you select to print all the
graphics, count the graphics in the directory, or display the graphics.
Also in this section, you can print one sheet only, close the file, step
to the next page, open the main clipart directory or abort the whole
process. The third window shows the clipart actually displayed on the
current page, showing filename and filetype. Clicking on one of these
entries will open up the master directory so that the clip may be
utilised directly by the user.
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One final aspect of the Gallery window is that it is possible to compile
your own page layout by dragging your clips into one of the eight
individual windows. The options in this program are so obvious and easy
to use that it is a refreshing change.
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Conclusion
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This is a very good program, well presented and well thought out, no
hang ups and no crashes to date. This is ideal for the likes of the
Bitfolio Collection where everything is numbered, and a hard copy
catalogue is a must.
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WECC say that it is possible that future versions may deal with further
filetypes if there are enough requests. I have already added my name to
the list. Asáit stands, it does the job it was designed for admirably,
and is readily recommended.
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Gallery costs ú15 single user, ú15 Primary site licence, and ú25
Secondary site licence. Iæm afraid you have to add ú1 post and packaging
and VAT to these prices. The product can be obtained directly from
WECC.áuá
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