Technical assistance - the thought aloud. It is interesting letter from fido7.zx.spectrum conference on the theme "On the question of standardization."

<b>Technical assistance</b> - the thought aloud. It is interesting letter from fido7.zx.spectrum conference on the theme

          Thinking out loud.



                   (C) Unknown

               (C) Time Keeper



  As it is once again looking at new messages received
in Spectrum fidoshnuyu conference fido7.zx.spectrum, I found 
quite interesting, to I think tekstovichok. Author

I unfortunately do not remember, so
that most of the request does not kick in
that the text has undergone some changes in the speech without 
a permit. Total meaning and style are met.



 ------------ Cut ------------

  I'm tired of my programs that
trying to break a drive pounding head off on his last
track, and then sometimes writing
"(C) 1982 Sinclair Research Ltd".


  On this I ask all to understand,
that the use of point of call mp-dosa # 3D13, before reading 
the new drive should call Sequential Function # 01 and

# 18! Only then will
initialized the drive and it does not
would be a mistake to consider 40
TRACK, as happens in
version of TR-Dos V5.03.


  Fleymeram with the councils to put
5.4, please go to the Orchard - I have a scorpion. And not 
just me. 

 The control buttons in the program
- Still one invents
my keyboard ...

As expected:

TRUE VIDEO (cs +3) - page up
INV. VIDEO (cs +4) - page down
GRAPH. (Cs +9) - delete
DELETE (cs +0) - back space
EXT. MODE (cs + ss) - 3-rd shift with toggle
EDIT (cs +1) - rus / lat
BREAK (cs + bs) - exit / cansel / escape / tabulate etc ...
<= (Ss + q) - begin
<> (Ss + w) - end
> = (Ss + e) - insert (insert / overwrite toggle)
AT (ss + i) - (c) symbol, or special. application
CS +5 - CURSOR LEFT
CS +6 - CURSOR RIGHT
CS +7 - CURSOR DOWN
CS +8 - CURSOR UP
CAPS (cs +2) - CAPS MODE toggle


  Most of all I do not like,
when we forget what buttons
cursor moves ...

JOYSTIKs: port # xx1f - kempston

         port # effe - sinclair 1

         port # f7fe - sinclair 2


   Not to be confused in some places
Sinclair 1 & 2! Sinclair 1 is located on the buttons 6,7,8,9,0. 
In COMPUTER MAY NOT HAVE

Joystick, the program should not
And hang on buggy!


  Further, not less serious
question - exit the program
through buttons on _klaviature_ or through the menu. Reset the 
computer after each program - MASDAY! For those who

does not understand - I advise ponazhimat
RESET button on your favorite pisyuke ...


  By exiting I
mean yield of 128 BASIC,
and not in the tr-dos! Tr-dos can be
run of 128 BASIC. For
dull:


           di

           ld bc, # 7ffd

           out (c), 0

           rst 0


  Or if there is a fear of the undocumented commands in any
wrong processor,
out (c), 0 is replaced by xor a:
out (c), a. Then it will be possible and
jp 0 else set and program
will be longer than 3 bytes long and work too slowly. :-)


  Further, as toggle the page - I do not understand, why do
as follows:

          ld bc, # 7ffd?

          ld a, # 57?

          out (c), a?


  The program tried to include 7 (!) Bank! Instead of 7
won 23 on the Pentagon-512 and
compatible. Also unclear
Why not switch out through
(# 10), a: - / This will not work.


  On port # fe also a lot of problems. To remind sklerotikov
layout of bits at reading:
0,1,2,3,4 - keyboard, 5 - DSR on
scorpion used VIKOMM MODEM as a determinant
BELL, passive state - 1.
DO NOT USE THIS BIT
READING KEYBOARD! On some computers, it is constantly
is 0. Such as digital
studio just Vistula. Bit 6 - is
connection with a tape recorder and a telephone line for modem 
vikomm. Bit 7 - not used. Bits when writing some reason has 
always mixed up in some programs, so, too, write: 0,1,2 -

Border Color, 3 - Tape (or
vicomm-modem) Output, 4 - Sound
output, 5 - Not Used in the original
car, on some machines it
strobe the printer (for example, in ancient Kaya or I was 
mistaken) or vikomm-modem is used to lifting the handset - the 
closure of the line, the active level 1. Bits 6 and 7 probably 
is not used anywhere, but what about C-DOS modem is not sure. 
DO NOT When sound leads him to TAPE OUTPUT OR 5 bits!



  Over the arrows on the screen -
why they are needed if the program
do not know what a mouse??
REALLY HARD TO BE INSERTED IN THE PROGRAM READY mouse driver??
Or why there is support and there AYMOUSE KEMPSTON MOUSE, which 
is a standard and works much better than AY?



  The most difficult case - 8 Bank
by scorpion ... WHY SHOULD ANY OF ITS Pockets [skip]??? If I
should kraknut program, it
can be done without the 8 banks. Topics
more often such zaglyuchennye program is not worth it
to break them.


  And finally, why some
program works with files
The drive is not possible to change
drive?


  ... Vobschem on normal komputerah already in 2000, and the
Spectrum is still 1982. :-( On
tapeloaderami sometimes problems
less than with TR-DOS'om ...

 ------------ Cut ------------


  The purpose of this article - to pay
readers' attention to unimportant issues raised by the author
this letter. Of course, much
here is debatable, but the basic idea is clear - the need to 
finally bring order to market products. We must adopt a single 
(as far as possible) the standard and stick it in writing

programs. Trying to push through
this idea to the masses I have already been
once made, but unfortunately beyond words did not get.


  The people had the idea to create a
Internet site devoted to the Spectrum, or to be more
precise with the definitions, then most likely it was to be
server that could be
find everything: software, news, history of
Spectrum of different models, diagrams,
various improvements, documentation, etc. But for some
reasons unknown to me it all
business boomed in the dark. A
Time is flying relentlessly forward, and
"The farther into the woods, so ...".

Standards need to enter, and the
sooner the better!


              to be continued ...