
       ICTARI USER GROUP             ISSUE 52                       APRIL 1998

              ___   ______     ___       _________   _________   ___
              \__\  \   __\    \  \__    \______  \  \   _____\  \__\
                ___  \  \       \  __\     _____\  \  \  \         ___
                \  \  \  \       \  \      \  ____  \  \  \        \  \
                 \  \  \  \_____  \  \____  \  \__\  \  \  \        \  \
                  \  \  \       \  \      \  \        \  \  \        \  \
                   \__\  \_______\  \______\  \________\  \__\        \__\

                     *   m   a   g   a   z   i   n   e   *

     =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
                       I C T A R I   U S E R   G R O U P
       G Greenway, 8 Denmark Road, Reading, Berks, RG1 5PA. 0118 9756668
                 http://www.elis.demon.co.uk/ictari/ictari.htm
     =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

                              INDEX FOR ISSUE 52                                                       
                              ==================                       
         
         HISOFT BASIC:      Lockout -Leave your computer safely unattended      
                            Password -Password protection program              
                                                                                                                                                                                           
         MISC:              IPL - GEM-based scripting language
                            Personal database program                       
                                                                                                                                                                                                               
    -------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                                   EDITORIAL
                                   =========
                                   
    I knew ICTARI 52 would arrive  late, I just didn't realize it  would
be this late ! That  being said, the new  issue of Atari Computing  took
some time  to appear.  Unfortunatly,  it's taken  this long  to  collect
enough submissions to  make this  issue worthwhile, and  it's still  not
exactly bursting at the seams.  Mathew Bacon's comments below show  that
there is still demand for assistance in programming, and that it will be
vital to ensure the future  of the platform. I  will continue to try  to
get issues of ICTARI out, and will maintain the WEB-site to ensure  that
the back issues are available to as many people as possible. I should be
able  to  upload  more  issues  soon,  they  contain  a  lot of valuable
information. I know everyone's busy, (me included) and its hard to  find
time to  code. Once  you get  started it  can be  a very  rewarding  and
creative process, in the end it can be hard to *not* find the time !  To
all those reading this, have a go, you might enjoy it !

                        Let us be optimistic,
                            See you *next* month,
                                Giles                                   
                                   
                                   

                                                                                               
    ------------------------------------------------------------------- 
                                                          
                                CORRESPONDENCE
                                ==============
                                
From:   Anthony Jaques
To:     ICTARI
Re:     STOS

Hi

here are a few answers to STOS queries/points raised in Ictari 51...

1) There  is a  limit  of 26  extensions  (A-Z), although  old  versions
(pre-STE) had a bug which limited it to 10, and then 1 less per for/next
loop depth (the extensions used the wrong memory, and used the  for/next
loop stack). It  may be possible  to extend STOS  beyond this limit,  if
necessary...

2) There are a number of extensions that allow multiple joysticks to  be
used. However,  both the  "official" joystick  extension, and  the  "STE
Extension"s routines should  be avoided as  these are incompatible  with
Falcons, and  TOS  2.xx  machines.  "The  Missing  Link"  (Top  Notch  -
registered  via  Goodmans)  provides  "p  joy"  (and  other   associated
commands) which do work on all machines. TML is recommended to any  STOS
users - not just for joystick usage. 

You may also be interested in my EJP Extension, which allows  STE/Falcon
users to use jaguar  controllers, dyna-blasters adaptors, team-taps  and
other forms of controller.

3) Paul's explanation of STOS's memory management was slightly incorrect
- although  STOS doesn't  return the  memory with  a Mshrink()  call  on
startup, simply allocating some memory before start up is not sufficient
to fix STOS to work with a  multitasking system. The reason for this  is
that STOS simply assumes that it has all the memory from the end of  the
program, to the  end of RAM.  This clearly  isn't always the  case in  a
multitasking system (and can lead to memory corruption).

I believe that Paul has replaced this routine in the loader such that it
allocates a fixed amount of RAM for STOS's own internal use. This  could
have adverse affects on some STOS programs, and so should be noted.

4) The idea of a "STOS 2000"  as you describe it would be good,  however
it will probably never (officially) happen. Some of the authors of  STOS
(and the distributors) have already been contacted with regard to *free*
distribution of STOS. Neither  wished to give  formal agreement to  this
idea, and as the  copyright is not  owned by one  person it is  unlikely
that this will ever be resolved. However, on a personal basis one of the
authors said that he wished to help in any way he could.

Also, I thought it  quite sad that  at both of  the recent Atari  shows,
pirate copies of STOS (complete with photocopied manual) were openly  on
sale (at a greater than cost price - so "someone" was making profit).

5) As you pointed out, you have  had a number of STOS related queries  -
well, I thought  that it was  worth pointing out  that the STOS  mailing
list exists, and could  always do with more  STOS questions. Email  Phil
Hough (pjh@cs.man.ac.uk)  to  subscribe. (sorry  to  take some  of  your
correspondence away :)

I hope this is of some help...

Anthony
-- 
----------------------------------------+----------------------------------
Anthony Jacques           IRC: AnthonyJ | The boy stood on the burning deck
                                        | Whence all but he had fled -
jacquesa@zetnet.co.uk                   | Twit.           
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/jacquesa/ |                  (Spike Milligan)
----------------------------------------+---------------------------------- 

    -------------------------------------------------------------------
    
From:   G Greenway
To:     ICTARI
Re:     iPL

    Just a post-script to Mark Wherry's iPL program, you now get a printed
manual when you register.    
    
    -------------------------------------------------------------------    

From:   Mathew Bacon
To:     ICTARI
Re:     Atari Authors
    
Dear Atari User,

    May I  first  introduce myself.  My  name is  Matthew  Bacon  (alias
Cadenza Software). I have been an  Atari enthusiast for more than  seven
years and am a dedicated programmer to the Atari platform. Over the past
few years, as  I am  sure you  are aware, there  has been  a decline  in
commercial companies producing software for the Atari market.

    This I believe has been both a good and bad thing. While this leaves
the Atari user  with less choice  of software the  companies/programmers
that have  remained,  are  producing  some  truly  superb  and  exciting
products.

    However, it is becoming increasingly apparent that over the next few
years, the role and demand for  programmers to produce good quality  and
up to date  software for the  Atari platform will  be greater than  ever
before.

    I learnt  to  program in  late  1995,  and have  since  written  and
released  several  programs  into  the  public  domain  (Atari  Personal
Organiser, titactoe etc.). This  has made me  realise how difficult  and
time consuming writing a program can be. With this in mind, I have setup
"Atari Authors"  (AA).  It  is  my aim  that  through  "Atari  Authors",
programmers and users alike  will be brought together  to aim towards  a
common goal.  "The survival  of  the Atari  platform and  production  of
future software".

How can I help, I hear you ask? ...

If you're a...
 
- Programmer, 
Distributor  or  Supplier  (commercial  or  otherwise)  Please  consider
writing a  brief  profile  about,  who you  are,  what  programs  you've
written, what you have planned for the future... etc. and send a copy to
me at: cadenza@cyberstrider.org so that I  may include it at the  "Atari
Authors" web page (http://www.cadenza.cyberstrider.org/aa.htm).

By doing this  you'll benefit from  exposure and users  will benefit  by
knowing there are still programmers committed to the Atari Scene!!.

- User
Please take  time  to  either  download  or  read  the  "Atari  Authors"
programmer  profiles  available   at  the  "Atari   Authors"  web   page
(http://www.cadenza.cyberstrider.org/aa.htm),   and    reply   to    the
programmer/s pledging your support or with suggestions for new projects,
comments or queries regarding the software they support.

By doing this you'll  benefit from gaining new  and up to date  software
while the programmer receives feedback and acknowledgement for all their
hard work!!

- Atari Users with web pages
Use as often as possible one of the "Atari Authors" logo's available  at
the AA  web  page (http://www.cadenza.cyberstrider.org/aa.htm),  with  a
link to  the AA  web page.  "I am  an Atari  Author", "I  support  Atari
Authors".
    
    -------------------------------------------------------------------

