Loadstar 128 23/q23.d81/t.diskovery 23

Text File | 2022-08-28 | 6KB | 128 lines

                    D I S K O V E R Y : THE BEST POLICY

                              by Fender Tucker


     They say honesty is the best policy and last issue I was honestly
worried about finding good 80-column programs for future LOADSTAR 128s.  I
even implied that issue #32 may be the last one.  I was speaking the truth
AS I KNEW IT but now I think I was wrong.  Since then I've received a number
of very good program submissions and have found out about a potential gold
mine of programs.  This changes everything!

     But first, let's check out the issue you have in your drive right now.
Almost all of Side Two is taken up by Lee Clinton's FIDUCIARY program.  This
is the program I mentioned last issue as the best financial planner ever
written for the C-128.  Well, besides having a name change, it's now got
many new features and is even better.  It's a checkbook balancer, check
writer, household inventory keeper, budget tracker and analyzer, and more.
I have no problems at all devoting Side two to this program and its
excellent documentation, and I don't think you will, either.

     Side One has a simple, straightforward data base program in the Dick
Heckert style called FREE BASE.  If you've ever been confused trying to set
up a data base, give this one a shot -- it's designed to minimize the set up
hassle.  If you think the name is catchy, keep in mind that Dick also came
up with MASTER BASE, which was voted most memorable program title of 1993
here at Softdisk.  FREE BASE is definitely in the running for this year's
prize.

     Barbara Schulak provides a classic pencil puzzle done up for computer,
ALPHABET FILL-INS.  Of course the computer version should be better than the
paper version, and it is.  You can even make up FILL-INS of your own.

     One of the most popular games of the past five years has been Shanghai,
aka Tiles of the Dragon, aka Tiles of the Nile.  It must be popular, every
software company has a version of this match-the-tiles puzzle that uses
traditional Mah Jongg tiles.  Well, thanks to Bob Cook, we now have one, and
I think it's the best yet for the 8-bit computers.  In the LOADSTAR style,
it allows you to make up layouts of your own.

     And then there's AULD LANG SYNE.  I told you last month that Jon
Mattson's CONTROL80-C utility will make card games on the computer easy to
program and to demonstrate that I spent a week on this classic card
solitaire game.  I was inspired by a 64 program by Anthony Rose which will
appear on LS #121.  Of course, I had to make it better than the 64 version,
and except for Anthony's unparalleled artwork, I think I did.  Shouldn't all
C-128 programs be bigger and better than their C-64 counterparts?

     Programmers, be sure to check out the ZERO PAGE article on Reiner
Richter's SFX GENERATOR.  It's a sound maker that runs in the C-64 mode but
produces a relocatable ML file that can run in either mode.  I used it in
AULD LANG SYNE and plan to use it in all of my programs to come.

     So this issue turned out fine, to say the least.  I wasn't able to get
to the astronomy program I mentioned last issue but it's waiting in the
wings, along with a couple of printer utilities by e.g. bell, a super 40-
column clock program by David Zammat, a wild stock market simulation by
Reiner Richter, and a couple of more ideas I have itching to get from my
brain to disk.

     But what about this "gold mine" I mentioned earlier?  I just received
the debut issue of a new magazine for 8-bit Commodore computers called THE
UNDERGROUND - A Refuge for Commodore 64 and 128 Users.  Scott Eggleston, the
driving force behind the magazine, has amassed 30 pages of entertaining,
informative articles and type-ins, and has big plans for his bi-monthly
product.  We wish him the best of luck.

    One of the articles was about Ernest Tipton's C-128 SOFTWARE EXCHANGE.
Apparently, Ernest has collected hundreds of PD C-128 programs and will
share them with anyone who sends him blank disks and return postage.  The
disks are titled:

 Database #1
 Database #2
 Disk Utility #1
 Games #1
 Games #2
 Music/Graphics #1
 Programming #1
 Telecommunications #1
 Telecommunications #2
 Text Utilities #1

     Each disk contains about 40 archived programs, so obviously there are
no FIDUCIARY-type programs on them.  But who knows?  There may be some real
gems.  If you are interested in plowing through scores of programs why don't
you drop Ernest a line?  If you find one (or some) that have real promise or
interest, send it to me with your suggestions for improvement and maybe I
can find the right programmer to do the job.  If the author's name and
address are in the program, I may even be able to have him do an upgrade for
inclusion on LOADSTAR 128.  Write to:

     Ernest Tipton
     Route #1, Box 2257
     Kempner TX 76539

     Aladdin's Lamp BBS
     817-547-6865
     Handle: the Genie

     Notice that I'm assuming that a PD program that's packed on a disk with
40 other programs just CAN'T be up to LOADSTAR 128 quality.  I guess I'm
just spoiled by programmers like Barbara Schulak, Jon Mattson, Bob Cook,
Dick Heckert, Lee Clinton and e. g. bell, who do not release their programs
into the Public Domain.

     THE UNDERGROUND is published six times a year with a year's
subscription going for $11.00 inside the U.S. and $21.50 outside the U.S.
Single issue rates are $2.00 inside the U.S. and $3.75 outside the U.S.
Send check or money order to:

     THE UNDERGROUND
     4574 Via Santa Maria
     Santa Maria CA 93455

The debut issue is the March 1994 issue.  I'm looking forward to the May
issue.

     Programmers, keep those good 80-column programs rolling in.  I probably
shouldn't have mentioned that I was worried about getting enough programs
for LOADSTAR 128.  Programmers seem to get such a kick out of proving me
wrong.

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