NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #18

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Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Path: sparky!uunet!van-bc!ubc-cs!unixg.ubc.ca!kakwa.ucs.ualberta.ca!ee.ualberta.ca!jpenne From: jpenne@ee.ualberta.ca (Jerry Penner) Subject: GEnieLamp Aug 1992 (Vol 1 No. 5) (5 parts) Message-ID: <jpenne.713864767@ee.ualberta.ca> Summary: part 2 Sender: news@kakwa.ucs.ualberta.ca Nntp-Posting-Host: eigen.ee.ualberta.ca Organization: University Of Alberta, Edmonton Canada Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1992 07:46:07 GMT Lines: 964 GEnieLamp Vol 1/Num 5 August 1, 1992 Part 2 of 5 This article first appeared on GEnie and I was asked to post it on the Internet. My GE-Mail address is J.Penner1 and my internet address is jpenne@ee.ualberta.ca if you need to discuss something regarding this posting. I don't work for GEnie or anything to do with the Internet. ----8<----8<----8<----8<----8<-- cut here --8<----8<----8<----8<----8<---- >>> MESSAGE SPOTLIGHT <<< """"""""""""""""""""""""" Best Phone Call of my A lady called up today asking about """ Tenure at Resource Central software for an old Apple. She had put """""""""""""""""""""""""" it in a garage sale last weekend for $100 and it didn't sell. She was going to lower the price to try and sell it again but she wanted to locate some software to encourage buyers. It was an Apple _I_. I double-clutched and explained to her that it was probably worth somewhere between $6,000-$10,000 if she could find a collector who knew the real value (especially since I assume it was _working_ if she was looking for more programs). That seemed to make her perk up. :) (A2-CENTRAL, CAT2, TOP7, MSG:155, M645;1) [*][*][*] While on GEnie, do you spend most of your time downloading files? If so, you may be missing out some excellent information in the Bulletin Board area. The messages listed above only scratch the surface of what's available and waiting for you in the bulletin board area. If you are serious about your APPLE II, the GEnie Lamp staff strongly urge you to give the bulletin board area a try. There are literally thousands of messages posted from people like you from all over the world. /////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE //// / "The JSR $FE1F method is the only Apple-documented way to / / detect that your program is running on a IIGS. I'd never / / seen the PEEK (65055) before. I do remember that Bill / / Basham "documented" another IIGS ID byte -- if PEEK / / (-1) = 192 then the machine is a IIGS. Be warned, / / though; that method may not work on future IIGS / / models! (Hoo hahahah, I crack myself up sometimes.) / /////////////////////////////////////////////////// QC //// [EOA] [HUM]////////////////////////////// HUMOR ONLINE / ///////////////////////////////// A Slight Misunderstanding """"""""""""""""""""""""" Ctsey. Of Terry Quinn [TQUINN] >>> THE OYSTER <<< """"""""""""""""""" The sign upon the cafe wall said, "Oysters: 50 cents" "How quaint," the blue eyed sweetheart said, with some bewilderment. "I didn't know they served such fare out here upon the plain." "Oh, sure," her cowboy date replied. "We're really quite urbane." "I guess they're Chesapeake, or Blue Point, don't you think?" "No m'am, they're mostly Hereferd cross, and usually they're pink. But I've been cold, so cold myself, that what you say could be true. And if a man looked close enough, their points could sure be blue!" She said, "I gather them myself out on the bay alone. I pluck them from the murkey depths and smash them with a stone." The cowboy winced, imagining a calf with her underneath. "Me, I use a pocket knife and yank 'em with my teeth." "Oh my," she said. "You Animal! How crude and unrefined! Your masculine assertiveness sends shivers up my spine! But I prefer a butcher knife too dull to really cut; I wedge it on either side and crack it like a nut. "I pry them out. If they resist, sometimes I use the pliers. Or even Grandpa's pruning shears, if that's what it requires!" The hair stood on the cowboys neck; his stomach did a whirl- He'd never heard such grisly talk, especially from a girl! "I like them fresh," the sweetheart said, and laid her menu down. Then ordered oysters for them both when the waiter came around. The cowboy smiled gamely, though her words stuck in his craw. But he finally fainted dead away when she said, "I'll have mine raw." [*][*][*] I just had to put this here - after all the talk about "unmentionables" - I have to confess, that it took me a few minutes to realize the kind of "oysters" that were on the menu! (COOKIE.LADY, CAT2, TOP14, MSG:293/M1150) /////////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE //// / "I truly don't understand the apparent fascination with tower / / cases. I mean, be artistic - use an old breadbox, peach / / crate, or old wood-case radio, grandfather clock, any- / / thing. <g> Heck, build it all into an old briefcase or / / portmanteau, voila - a portable!" / /////////////////////////////////////////////// M.JONES52 //// [EOA] [PRO]////////////////////////////// PROGRAMMING CORNER / ///////////////////////////////// Apple II And You """""""""""""""" By Darrel Raines [D.RAINES] >>> THE FUTURE OF APPLE II SOFTWARE <<< """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" The text before you represents the first column of a new GEnieLamp series on programming for the Apple II computer. However, this column will not be like any other that you have seen that went by a similar title. More on that subject later. I should introduce myself first. My name is Darrel Raines. I am also the author of the Computer Games article that appears elsewhere in this issue. You may want to refer to that column for a brief biography. For the purpose of a brief statement, I would say that I have many varied computer interests. One of those long term interests has been programming on the Apple II. The next order of business will be to explain why I was interested in starting a regular series on Apple II programming. I have seen more columns about programming a personal computer than I can count. Most of them started with a bang and then faded away before too long. That brings me back to why this series of articles will be different than any you have ever seen before. I want to cover a broad set of topics that will interest not only the hardcore programmer and the novice programmer, but also the person who has never diddled a bit before in their life. That means that we will cover more than just how to program. We will also cover topics like how to select and use the software that you need. If you have owned an Apple II computer for more than one year, you cannot have failed to notice the diminishing support for the computer from Apple Corp. I have been noticing it for about four and one half years now. My first reaction was one of anger and frustration. "How can Apple Corp. take my money spent on Apple II equipment and use it to shove Mac's down the throat of corporate America?" It has gotten worse over the last few years. After a while, my anger gave way to reason and I have been a happy camper for the past few years. As long as my computer does what I want it to do, I will remain content and enjoy what it CAN do. This seems to be much more productive than sitting around hating Apple for abandoning the II line. One of the reasons to stay happy is the introduction of some new software products during the last few months: two of note are Apple System Software 6.0 and Pointless (by WestCode). Granted, Apple Computer will not be doing any more software updates for the II line. That just makes this last gasp effort at product support that much sweeter. Seven Hills has a few new releases and Q-labs has some new updates and products. All of these sources are nice, but they do not represent the future of Apple software. And THAT subject is the one I want to focus on for this first article. "Where", you may ask, "do you expect future Apple II software to come from if it is not from these companies? Do you expect it to grow on trees?" I have been accused of being a raving optimist, but I am not quite so bad as to expect software to magically appear. The question still remains: what company will be the source of most future Apple II software? The answer lies at the other end of your modem. Have you played Solitaire, Euchre, or Gin Rummy with your computer lately? Have you ever printed a text file in multiple columns on your wide carriage printer? Have you sampled the power of a relational database with a sophisticated report generator? If you have done any of these activities or thousands more just like them, then you know where to look for future software. Shareware and Freeware are the future of Apple II software. I need to be absolutely clear here. I do expect to continue seeing some commercial software appear during the next few years. I applaud the efforts of the remaining Apple software companies and will try to support them through the purchase of their products. However, these developers cannot hope to provide the Apple II users with the variety of software that we have become accustomed to over the last few years. Too many of the various software manufacturers have moved over to Mac and IBM products. Beyond this fact, I believe that Apple II users will need more and different applications than can be produced by what is left of the supporting software industry. On the other hand, I have seen more powerful shareware programs over the last two years for the Apple II computer than I ever thought possible. The part-time and leisure-time programmers have put together some very nice products. One of the reasons that I believe Shareware to be our future is the continually decreasing use of the Apple II computer in school systems. The majority of software purchasers will soon be the home computer owner. The home computer owner does not traditionally buy as much software as the school or business user. Again, this points to a reduced commercial market and an increased informal distribution system. Most home computer users are not too excited about spending a lot of money on a product that they have not seen in action. Shareware offers them an opportunity to try before they buy. Of course, the good news about this situation is that GEnie users are in a prime position to receive new software straight from the producers. You are already aware of the fantastic benefits available to you by simply logging into the Apple II Library and browsing through the latest uploads for your computer. Any of these potential gems may be yours for the price of a download. Over 19,000 separate files have been placed in the Apple II Library area. Most of these files are still available and offer a rich variety of software for you to choose from. If my analysis about software production is correct, the users of Apple II software have an unprecedented chance to shape their future computer use. Most of the Shareware authors that I know have a common problem: what program do I write next? You might be surprised by how many programmers are willing and able to write good software, but do not have a specific goal in mind for a project. This situation lends itself well to a productive cross-fertilization between software users and authors. I propose that this problem can be alleviated with some simple communication between the two groups. Like most problems, once it is understood the solution can be achieved without too much trouble. In my next article, I will to address the issue of how to get these groups together. We will discuss a number of different ways to develop synergy between them. If I am correct about the future of Apple II software, then it is in everyone's best interest to keep the Shareware authors busy producing software that we want to see and buy. In future articles I will discuss how programmers can use the resources available in the A2Pro area to develop software that people want to buy. Until we get together again, why don't you sit down and register your favorite piece of Shareware. You may just help insure your computing future. ///////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE //// / "Your help in diagnosing and suggesting a solution is a big / / part of what makes GEnie so great -- people helping people, / / sharing wisdom and knowledge." / /////////////////////////////////////////////// J.SAFFER //// [EOA] [PRO]////////////////////////////// A2 PRO ROUNDTABLE / ///////////////////////////////// A2Pro News & Features """"""""""""""""""""" >>> WHAT'S GOING ON IN A2PRO? <<< """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" A2Pro Survey We need to know more about what you want from A2Pro, so """""""""""" PLEASE take a minute to complete the A2Pro Survey. It's item 7 on the A2Pro menu, and the results will help us serve you better. Thanks! The June 1992 Apple II Technical Notes in text files are here! Loaded with new file formats, 6.0 programming information and tons more useful stuff you as an Apple II developer need to know -- sparse files, documentation errors, resource formats, dealing with interrupts and more. File #2373 contains all the new Notes -- file #2759 contains just the Technical Notes and file #2762 contains just the File Type Notes. Download them and learn all kinds of things! Win FREE printed Apple II Technical Notes just for showing up to the A2Pro weekly Monday Night conference. Also, program a great Finder Extension and win a FREE WEEKEND in A2 and A2Pro. See category 1, topic 16 in the bulletin board for details. Got some time and want to beta-test ShrinkIt for the Apple IIgs? Read category 16, topic 14, message 2 and you might find yourself on the ShrinkIt Beta-Testers Honor Roll! What do you want to learn? A2 University wants your input on courses for the summer and fall. See category 1, topic 14 for the ideas so far and tell us what you'd like to know. Procyon, Inc., makers of the GNO multitasking environment (GNO/ME) now have their own category and library here in A2Pro where they answer your questions about programming under GNO and give you the latest GNO goodies. Check out category and library #30 for more details. Coming soon: Company Support, KansasFest technical summaries, New A2U categories and topics, and more. >>> ROUNDTABLE OUT-TAKES <<< """""""""""""""""""""""""""" Who Uses A2Pro? You'll get a serious argument if you contend most of """"""""""""""" the people who _use_ A2Pro are experts. A lot of the people who _post_ are, and one of our goals is to make sure everyone realizes that no one got to be an expert overnight. Lots of the people you see as "experts" learned a lot of what they know in this very roundtable. We just have to make sure everyone realizes there's plenty of room for _them._ --Matt (speaking for myself, not for Apple) (M.DEATHERAGE, CAT1, TOP14, MSG:24/M530;1) 5.25 Drive Bug Yeesh. We've been through this in detail on CompuServe, """""""""""""" and I'll try to summarize (and I'll leave out all the part about the guy who was nearly ready to file a lawsuit against Apple for obsoleting his disk drives): The new 5.25" driver tries to be clever and notice when there are actually drives connected to your 5.25" interface by turning on the motor and looking for noise on the bus. Theoretically, no drive is so quiet that it won't return noise, so the driver can only build DIBs for drives that are actually there and not give you more devices than you have drives. In reality, there are _lots_ of drives out there this quiet, and so the new 5.25" driver doesn't think you have any drive connected at all. The two ways to get around the problem are to 1) use the 5.0.4 driver, or 2) always keep a formatted disk in the drives when booting or restarting GS/OS. Engineering now accepts this as a bug and they intend to fix it. (M.DEATHERAGE, CAT8, TOP5, MSG:47/M530;1) Modula-2 Revisited Modula-2 has been available for the Apple II series """""""""""""""""" since 1984, in the form of Volition Systems' Modula-2 (later, Pecan Power System Modula-2). It features a syntax very much like Pascal's, special language elements that make low-level programming easier without sacrificing readability, maintainability or (in many cases) strong-type checking. Mostly, however, Modula-2 is centered around the concept of the module, a collection of procedures and data structures that are known to clients by a separately compilable definition section, and realized in an implementation section. Modules permit better organization of code, the implementation of opaque, abstract data types, and many more advantages that are often claimed for object-oriented languages, although Modula-2 is not itself an "object-oriented" language. Oberon, designed to succeed Modula-2, is a "minimalist" notation that retains Modula- 2's module mechanism, and also adds an inheritance mechanism that can function across modules. It is much closer to a classical "object oriented" design than Modula-2, but to draw closer to "true OOP," Oberon had to eliminate many features that were deemed "superfluous" in a minimalist design, such as enumerations, subranges, direct support for coroutines and multiprocessing, and other aspects. Modula-2 that many Pascal and Modula-2 fans liked. Oberon is still quite young, as languages go, and it will certainly be several years before a generally acceptable dialect -- perhaps reintegrating old M2 features that are now absent, while keeping Modules and cross-module inheritance -- is defined. Modula-2 is the more mature language, for which an ISO standards effort is now underway and many implementations are available, depending on your computer platform. For example, minicomputers and mainframes support Modula-3, a new language based on M2, and designed to support OOP. Macs have versions of Modula-2 that include special extensions for OOP. I believe the same is true for IBMs; there are several implementations for the IBM world, in any case. Modula-2 is available for Commodore Amiga and Atari 68000 machines, as well. Sadly, only the original (and now unsupported) Volition and Pecan M2 implementations work on the Apple II. This situation may change in the near future, however, at least for Apple IIGS owners. Stay tuned for more details. In the meantime, I hope to discuss M2 and Oberon with other Apple II programmers, especially those who used the earlier systems or those who have questions about those languages. Regards; Jim Merritt (JIM.MERRITT, CAT14, TOP4, MSG:1) Want C? Get ORCA Marc - let me make this REAL SIMPLE. I'm the Product """""""""""""""" Manager at Apple for all Apple II Developer Tools, so APW C falls under my responsibility. If you want to learn C on a IIGS, get ORCA/C! It's an ANSI C compiler (i.e.: supports function prototypes for stronger type checking) and has some other capabilities that APW C doesn't have and won't have in the future. APW C is only a "K&R" C compiler, so you don't get the stronger type checking and you're lacking a few other things that you'll find in ORCA/C (for example, ORCA/C supports a desktop environment for code development and debugging - APW C's interface is closer to what you find under MS-DOS, ugh). -Tim S. (my opinions are my own) (TIM.SWIHART, CAT4, TOP2, MSG:90/M530;1) Don't Make System Tools If memory serves, these tools are "system" tools, """"""""""""""""""""""" and third-parties writing system tools is strictly against Apple's compatibility guidelines. There are user tools for that purpose. However, you can't use _LoadOneTool or _LoadTools on user tools, so some people get lazy and write system tools. (This is the bad side to having a toolbox that does so much for you -- some programmers have no problems making things difficult for the users or in breaking compatibility guidelines if it saves them four lines of code, which is exactly the wrong attitude for programmers to have.) Anyway, StartUpTools has to know the startup _parameters_ to each tool, so it only knows about the legitimate, Apple-provided system tools. --Matt (speaking for myself, not for Apple) (M.DEATHERAGE, CAT16, TOP17, MSG:12/M530;1) Contest Extended In our A2Pro Finder Extension Contest, we neglected one """""""""""""""" little point. Until now, Finder Extension and 6.0 programming documentation hasn't been available except through ERSs, only on the 6.0 GM CD. Now that "Programmer's Reference for 6.0" is released, and _everyone_ can (and should!) get it, Finder Extensions are within the reach of every programmer. Therefore, to try to get it right the second time, we've extended the deadline for the A2Pro Finder Extension Contest to _September 1st_. You now have an extra month to read the documentation and crank out the world's greatest Finder Extra, and win a free weekend in A2/A2Pro for the effort. --Matt (I speak for A2Pro, not for Apple) ------------ (M.DEATHERAGE, CAT1, TOP16, MSG:22/M530;1) Byte Works, A Force in A2Pro Apple II Programmers have a great friend """"""""""""""""""""""""""""" at A2Pro in Mike Westerfield. Mike is the driving force behind the Byte Works, a software company specializing in programing and development aides. You can catch Mike in A2Pro answering questions and offering his views several times a week. One current discussion which has been raging is what should a Pascal compiler be capable of in conjunction with the Toolbox. If you are a regular visitor you know Mike has strong views on the matter. No matter where you fall on the issues, Mike Westerfield certainly makes A2Pro a more exciting place. The Byte Works recently released The Programmer's Reference for System 6.0. This book is the latest in the series of Apple IIGS reference books which include the Apple IIGS Toolbox Reference Volumes 1-3 and the Apple IIGS GS/OS Reference. Programmer's Reference for System 6.0 covers all of the changes, enhancements and additions to the Apple IIGS operating system since these books were published for System 5.0. This complete technical reference to System 6.0 includes: * New tool calls and tool updates * Documentation for these new tools: MIDI Synth, Media Control Tool Set, and Video Overlay Tool Set * Finder documentation * GS/OS Update * Information about the new FSTs * Sound Control Panel documentation * A complete toolbox concordance listing every page a tool is documented over all 4 volumes of the toolbox reference manuals. The Toolbox Concordance The toolbox documentation streatches across four """"""""""""""""""""""" volumes, now. Between the original documentation, error corrections, clarifications, and new features, some of the tool calls are actually documented in as many as three different books! The Toolbox Concordance lists all of the places you need to look to find information about a tool call. Every tool call in the entire suite of books is listed. You also get a comprehensive list of all of the error codes used throughout the Apple IIGS operating system, from the tools to GS/OS errors to the System errors. Includes All the Toolbox Updates System 6.0 came with a lot of new """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" features, including the new rectangle and thermometer controls, animated cursors, named resources, new dialog tools that handle all of the controls and the new Media Control Tool Set, Video Overlay Tool Set and MIDI Synth Tool Set. Programmer's Reference for System 6.0 tells you how to use these new features in your own programs. Changes to GS/OS Programmer's Reference for System 6.0 is your best """""""""""""""" source for changes to GS/OS. You'll learn about the new GS/OS calls, changes to the existing calls, and the errors in the original documentation. You will get an update to Apple IIGS GS/OS Reference, which was written for System 5.0. You'll discover the latest on the new FSTs (AppleShare FST, HFS FST, DOS 3.3 FST, and the Pascal FST), the new Initializatino Manager, and more. Finder 6.0 Our documentation of the 6.0 Finder really includes two """""""""" different kinds of information. First, it tells you how to use the Finder. It describes all of the cool new features for Finder 6.0, but it assumes you are a reasonably computer literate person, and don't need to be told which end of the disk to stick in the drive. You also get all of the technical details you need to make your programs work smoothly with Finder 6.0, including information about the new rBundle and rVersion resources, how to write Finder extensions, and how the Finder communicates with other programs. New Resource Types There are a lot of new resources, and the """""""""""""""""" Programmer's Reference for System 6.0 tells you all about them. You also get information about the changes to the system resource file, so you know about the new resources you can use from your own programs. While there are several new resource types, the major ones are the rBundle, rComment, rVersion and rFinderPath resources. You need to use these resources in all new programs, since they tell the Finder what kinds of data files your program can handle, what icons to use, what version number to display, and what to tell the user about your programs and data files. Technical Appendices Several other appendices fill in the details. You """""""""""""""""""" will learn about the new uses for the Battery RAM, get an update on how to write your own tools, and get a complete listing of the standard font characters for both the Apple IIGS and Macintosh computers. What You Get Programmer's Reference for System 6.0 comes in a 3-ring """""""""""" binder to make it easy to use. Because of the format, you can add your own notes, and we will be able to mail update chapters if the need arises. The binder includes attractive inserts, so you can quickly find the book on your shelf. The documentation itself is a whopping 478 pages of detailed technical information, following the same style as the toolbox reference manuals. This is final documentation, not beta documentation. A comprehensive table of contents makes it easy to find the information you need, and the extensive index and concordance help cross-reference information by topic Note from the Boss By the way, folks: "Programmer's Reference for System """""""""""""""""" 6.0" is _THE_ official reference for programmers using features beyond those in 5.0.2. It supersedes the ERSs and all documentation in interim form before it. If you're programming with 6.0 and want to release anything, you _need_ this book just as soon as you can get it. It's as vital a reference as the Toolbox and GS/OS manuals and you should _not_ be without it. --Matt (M.DEATHERAGE, CAT1, TOP4, MSG:10/M530;1) >>>>> Another recent release, which this author eagerly awaits Snail Mail """"" delivery of, is the Toolbox Programming in Pascal set. The course is designed to guide programmers through the ins and outs of the GS toolbox using the ORCA/Pascal development environment. The course has been broken down into 18 lessons covering all aspects of designing and writing toolbox programs: Lesson 0 - Before We Start Lesson 1 - Current Events Lesson 2 - What's on the Menu? Lesson 3 - Be Resourceful Lesson 4 - Keep Alert! Lesson 5 - Why, Yes. We Do Windows! Lesson 6 - File I/O Lesson 7 - Move Over Gutenberg Lesson 8 - Thanks for the Memory Lesson 9 - Drawing on the Front Side of the Screen Lesson 10 - Fonts Lesson 11 - TextEdit Lesson 12 - Scraps Lesson 13 - Controls, Part 1 Lesson 14 - Controls, Part 2 Lesson 15 - Meaningful Dialogs Lesson 16 - Sound Off! Lesson 17 - Professional Polish Lesson 18 - New Desk Accessories Appendix A - Abridged Toolbox Reference Manual Appendix B - Resources Used in This Course Appendix C - Where to Go for More Information Appendix D - Tips for ORCA/Pascal Geared toward intermediate and advanced programmers, "Toolbox Programming in Pascal" uses a hands on teaching approach. A long the way, the programmer will write dozens of working desktop programs, including a slide show program that views, prints (in color), and loads and saves screen dump pictures; a small text editor; a scrapbook; a music instrument sampler; and much more. "Toolbox Programming in Pascal" comes with the largest library of Pascal toolbox source code ever assembled. Four disks filled with source code are included in the package. This includes the source code to all of the examples in the book, and working solutions to every problem. The disks also include a copy of Apple's Rez resource compiler and sample data files for programs developed in the course. "Toolbox Programming in Pascal" also includes an abridged toolbox reference manual. This manual is so comprehensive that no other reference materials are needed for this course. The course fully supports Apple's latest operating system, 6.0. It uses new 6.0 features throughout the course to create up to date programs. System Requirements """"""""""""""""""" Software: ORCA/Pascal 1.4 Apple's System Disk 6.0 Hardware: (for programming in Pascal's text environment) 1.25M of memory 1 800K floppy disk drive one other disk drive of any kind (for programming in Pascal's desktop environment} 1.75M of memory hard drive Byte Works products tend to be designed conservatively, paying strict attention to industry standards and protocol. This makes it easier for programmers to use their knowledge of other systems to program the Apple II line. If you have even thought about becoming a programmer, check out Mike Westerfield in A2Pro and see what he has to say. //////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE //// / "Yes, topic derailing is wonderful, isn't it. The tangent / / usually winds up being _sooo_ much more interesting than / / the original subject matter." / ////////////////////////////////////////////// T.GIRSCH //// [EOA]#65 [FUN]////////////////////////////// ONLINE FUN / ///////////////////////////////// Search-ME! """""""""" By John Peters [GENIELAMP] SEARCH-ME! Welcome to Search-ME, our new monthly puzzle program. Each """""""""" month we will have a different theme. This month the Search-ME! puzzle contains 20 keywords taken from the Computing RoundTables here on GEnie. This month's keywords: ********************************************* * A2 AMIGA ATARI8 * * CESOFTWARE COMMODORE GENIELAMP * * GEOWORKS IBMPC IBMPROD * * LAPTOPS MAC MACPRO * * MAINFRAME PCALADDIN PORTFOLIO * * ST STALADDIN TANDY * * TI UNIX WP * ********************************************* N C X K G O P Z S N W M B J D W A K P H S C V O H O U T J Y V B S M L C A E Z A B A Y V S T Y B N K I P B Y A I N A U A E D C A M X J T V F D O R P M B I A R Q T I Q Z U X H A R 2 I E S B N B E Q S P O T P A L N C U J I P A G M Z W Z B A Q O I L O F T R O P F P P N E X R D R A S L V T S X U W U K Z O X Z R M L Z P Z S S P A A S U A G I M A T I P X D S A B J Z S K C X Z T C U Z H M N I D D A L A C P M I D R E Z Q C B A K I U E V H H F W L O J Y C E O S I Z H O O U R P P M R B N S I M F F Y K W O E Q T D M X G L I L M C C X D A G N M T O F J A F I D M O I K X 8 T A I A C D H B V E T J F F L Y X O P N U B D V N L P X T H A G W E R W B F Y H D F J E T V U S R E D V P K A Z T B H T O Y Z O Z B F C Q G O E R I Z I R Q N R B R J W G L R L C W C O P D G S Z N E P H A M J F A S N A E B H W U I N J K D D R E S Q N G Q U G H P S T A L A D D I N W P A S F G Y V Y P X Y B J Z C U L B Q F J Z M P F A D P Z P P S Y S O C GIVE UP? You will find the answers in the LOG OFF column at the end of """""""" the magazine. This column was created with a program called SEARCH ME, by Atari ST programmer, David Becker. /////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE //// / "Good news Dorothy!! I have in front of me Webster's / / Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary (copyright 1983) and / / in it, on page 653, it says "judg-ment OR judge-ment" / / so you can go back to making the same mistake with / / the rest of us peons. :-)" / ////////////////////////////////////////////// ISD //// [EOA]!!@ [WHO]////////////////////////////// WHO'S WHO / ///////////////////////////////// Who's Who In Apple II """"""""""""""""""""" >>> CHATTING WITH MATT DEATHERAGE <<< """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" GEnieLamp Can you tell us a little about how you first became interested """"""""" in the Apple II? Alan Bird My introduction to the Apple II came from Mark Simonsen who is """"""""" now the owner of Beagle Bros. He and I became acquainted while seniors at Brigham Young University and then went on to work for GTE Network Systems in Phoenix, AZ. The first time I had ever used an Apple was when Mark went on vacation for two weeks and asked me to baby-sit his Apple II Plus. I really had a lot of fun with it. GEnieLamp Can you recall any anecdotes from your first forays into """"""""" computer programming? When did you first realize that you'd like to make a career out of programming computers? Alan Bird At BYU I had a hard time declaring a major but was leaning toward accounting. One of the required accounting courses was an introductory computer programming class. We were programming in FORTRAN on IBM 360's using punch cards. We would type in one statement per card on a huge punch-card machine, take our stack of cards to a card reader where we normally had to stand in line for our turn, submit the job and wait for a printout. Then it was back to the punch-card machine to fix bugs. My back pack was always full of stacks of cards held together by rubber bands. It's hard to believe it now, but I actually enjoyed this much more than I did my accounting classes. GEnieLamp Please describe your educational background and how you came """"""""" to work at Beagle Bros. Was Bert Kersey still there when you joined the company? Alan Bird I finally declared Computer Science as my major when I was a """"""""" junior and finished the entire program in two years. Several times I took a course and its prerequisites simultaneously in order to finish quickly. After graduation, I went to work for GTE in Phoenix designing telephone switching systems. It was there that I got to know Mark Simonsen quite well. Mark wrote a program called Flex Text which he sent to Beagle Bros. Bert Kersey was the owner of Beagle Bros and he decided to sell it and soon after invited Mark to come to San Diego to take over tech support so Bert could get off the phone. After Mark write "Double Take" he was making enough off his royalties that he wanted to get off the phone, so he asked me to come take his place. I jumped at the opportunity. Bert was still running Beagle Bros out of his house. I worked at home in our apartment where Beagle Bros would forward the calls. The business got to the point where they couldn't fit it into their house anymore, so when they got an office, I actually commuted to work. After about two years, I was fired from Beagle Bros by Bert's wife over a policy dispute. By this time, however, I was making enough off the royalties from my programs that I didn't need the job anymore. It was actually a great opportunity because Mark Simonsen and I decided to start our own company which we called Software Touch. We did surprisingly well with that company and after about two years, Mark became interested in buying Beagle Bros. I had become a little frustrated at Software Touch because I would go months at a time without programming because we had to spend so much time running the business. This was another great opportunity, so I went home to program and have been doing that ever since. GEnieLamp Over the years you've independently created or contributed to """"""""" some Apple II classics: the Beagle Compiler, Program Writer, the TimeOut kernel, AppleWorks 3.0, InWords, and Pointless. Which of these do you consider your most inspired work? Which required the most creative programming work? Alan Bird Most inspired: TimeOut. Most creative programming: Beagle """"""""" Compiler. Most difficult to develop: InWords (by far). Most successful: QuickSpell. Program I wrote that I use the most: Program Writer. Program I wish I didn't have to claim writing: Fatcat. GEnieLamp Who do you consider your mentors? What about them do you """"""""" admire most? Alan Bird I would have to say first and foremost, Bert Kersey. He was a """"""""" lot of inspiration and helped me get started. Without him, I never would have been able to do this work which I love so much. Others that I have greatly admired are Steve Wozniak (for obvious reasons) and Bob Lissner (author of AppleWorks). AppleWorks is the best-designed, best-written program I have ever seen. GEnieLamp What are some of your favorite books? Favorite authors? """"""""" Alan Bird Unfortunately, most of what I read is technical manuals and """"""""" computer magazines. My wife, however, is an avid reader and is very much into Agatha Christie and Star Trek, The Next Generation books. I have greatly enjoyed some of her Star Trek books. GEnieLamp Are there any Apple II programming utilities you use on a """"""""" daily basis? Alan Bird I have always used the Merlin assembler. For AppleWorks 3.0 and """"""""" Pointless I used the MPW cross assembler (on the Macintosh). I use GSBug for debugging and have recently been using Nifty List quite a bit. For the occasional BASIC programming I need to do, I use Program Writer. GEnieLamp Jean-Louis Gassee, former Apple executive, once remarked that: """"""""" "Programming in BASIC is dangerous to the mind." Granting that this statement involves poetic exaggeration, how much underlying validity do you think there is in the statement? Alan Bird BASIC has weaknesses when compared to more modern structured """"""""" languages, but I wouldn't agree with his statement at all. BASIC is easy to learn and is great for turning out quick-and-dirty solutions when you don't have a lot of time. It is not good, however, for writing large applications. It's biggest strength is that it is interpreted instead of compiled so that changes to the program are instantaneous and you can run the program immediately after making a change. Applesoft BASIC's biggest weaknesses are variable names significant to only 2 characters and no ELSE statement. GEnieLamp Where do you see personal computers going in the next five """"""""" years? Ten years? Alan Bird The biggest change will be portability. Hand-held computers """"""""" will go with us where calculators now go. GEnieLamp What accomplishments are you most proud of? """"""""" Alan Bird I would have to say TimeOut. It gave me and several other """"""""" programmers the opportunity to let AppleWorks do almost anything. I don't think I've seen any other program with so many add-ons as AppleWorks has had. TimeOut started out as a tool I was writing to make it more convenient to use Mark Simonsen's FontWorks program. His program allowed you to print AppleWorks documents in various fonts. The biggest complaint we received from customers was that it was inconvenient to save the files, quit AppleWorks, run FontWorks, print the files, and then restart AppleWorks. From my work with AutoWorks, I knew the insides of AppleWorks quite well and was looking for a way of temporarily interrupting AppleWorks so we could run FontWorks (that is sort of where TimeOut got its name). What I stumbled into was a way of seamlessly adding virtually any utility into AppleWorks. GEnieLamp After working at Beagle Bros for several years, you co-founded """"""""" WestCode in 1990. What lead you to decide to start this publishing company? Alan Bird Actually, WestCode was started by Rob Renstrom and John """"""""" Oberrick--two good friends from Beagle Bros. Since Mark and I dissolved Software Touch, I have always been self-employed and worked as an independent. GEnieLamp Can you tell us a little about the types of things you like to """"""""" do for fun? (Speaking of "non-computer" fun, here.) Alan Bird I enjoy running (I run 10K races during the summer), gardening, """"""""" going to the San Diego Zoo and Sea World with my family, reading to our children, skiing, water-skiing, motorcycles, etc. GEnieLamp You've succeeded so well as a software developer, Alan, do you """"""""" have any aspirations to move on to hardware design? Do think microcomputer hardware can still be designed by a solitary designer these days? Alan Bird No. Software is much more fun. """"""""" GEnieLamp As a person who has produced a great deal of creative output, """"""""" can you share with us any thoughts you might have on the nature of human creativity? Any insights on ways to nourish the creative spark? Alan Bird I think one of the most valuable parts of my career is the """"""""" years I spend on the telephone as technical support at Beagle Bros and Software Touch. It gave me the opportunity to talk to customers to see what they were doing with their computers and to listen to their complaints about ours and other company's software. The two most important things about software development are: 1) choosing a program that has a market--a program that people have a need or desire for--and, 2) to write it so that it is easy and convenient to use. Both of these require that you look at things from the customer's perspective. Creativity for me means putting myself in my customer's shoes and imagining what they would want. For some reason, many of my creative thoughts come while I am taking a shower. Too bad I can't shower all day. //////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE //// / "How did you find out about it though? You must be / / either phenomenally brave or blindingly stupid to / / post that here. Don't you realize how powerful the / / networks are? They should be knocking on your door / / right about now. Sorry to see you go, Mike. Alas, / / I knew him well...<G>" / /////////////////////////////////// R.MARTIN22 //// [EOA] [KAN]////////////////////////////// KANSASFEST! / ///////////////////////////////// News & Views """""""""""" DO'N THE SHOW! The first shuttle busses have transported the Kfesters """""""""""""" to the college and I (the shuttle busser) have a few minutes to fill you in on my impressions. This KFest is better attended than last years, and the new people here are very interesting. In one BearMobile shuttle there was a contingent from down under and a lovely Southern Belle. The weather here is beautiful, a little on the cool side, and the OZians are very hospitable. -Bear (A2.BEAR, CAT44, TOP7, MSG:5/M645;1) >>> Apple Publicly Announces MS-DOS FST For Apple IIGS <<< """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" A2 CENTRAL SUMMER CONFERENCE 1992 ("KANSASFEST"), KANSAS CITY, MO., U.S.A., 1992 JUL 23 (A2 ON GENIE) -- Apple publicly announced today that they are working on an MS-DOS File System Translator (FST) for the Apple IIGS. Currently the FST is read-only, and writing ability is being worked on. It is not expected that the writing ability will be ready in time for its initial release. The MS-DOS FST is expected to ship with Apple IIGS System Software version 6.0.1. Apple IIGS System Software 6.0.1 is a maintenance release made necessary by the Apple II Ethernet Card. When the Apple II Ethernet Card ships, expected by the end of the year, System 6.0.1 will be made available. Besides bug fixes to System 6.0, the only other major change announced in System 6.0.1 is the addition of keyboard navigation to the Apple IIGS Finder. The MS-DOS FST will work on any MS-DOS volume that can be accessed by the Apple IIGS. Currently, the access of MS-DOS 3.5" disks is limited to 720K and 1.44M MS-DOS 3.5" disks read via an Apple SuperDrive or equivalent, connected to the Apple II SuperDrive Card (formerly known as the Apple II 3.5 Drive Card). Other known methods to access MS-DOS data on an Apple IIGS include MS-DOS formatted Syquest cartridges and MS-DOS 5.25" floppy disks read via an Applied Engineering Transdrive, connected to an Applied Engineering PC Transporter card. (Lunatic E'Sex, reporting for A2, the Apple II Roundtable on GEnie) \_/ |ou read it here first! More information will be forthcoming, live from KansasFest 1992! -= Lunatic (: (LUNATIC, CAT44, TOP1, MSG:2/M645;1) -- Jerry Penner jpenne@ee.ualberta.ca | "Wanna buy a duck" (Hi Joe :)