Link to editorial & letters Link to files
Previous disk program notes Next disk program notes
++++++++++++++
+PROGAM NOTES+
++++++++++++++
SAMSCRATCH:-
This is your free wordprocessor, so that you have no excuse
for not writing to us.
It has not been changed in any way since last issue, but for
any of you that didn't see last issue, here are a few
instructions for using it.
Typing any alpha-numeric character will print that character
on the screen. The cursor keys will move the flashing cursor
without erasing the text. You are shown 20 lines of text, but
using the UP/DOWN cursors at the top and bottom of the screen,
will scroll the text in the relevant way. Pressing "ENTER" will
take the cursor to the start of the next line, and "DELETE" will
of course delete a character.
At the bottom of the screen, you are shown which line and
column your cursor is on, and there is list of the "F" key
functions. Most of these are self explanatory.
There is no word wrap, but if anyone feels that they could
include one, I would be very interested to see it.
_______________________________________________________
CHARACTER DESIGNER:-
This is a quite useful program that will allow you to work
on 2 character sets at a time.
The both sets are displayed on the screen and you can swap
between them at any time for designing purposes. A large grid at
the left of the screen shows you an enlarged version of the
character that you are working on, and the grid will show a
character from each set at the same time, so that 2 sets could
be designed as a double height set to use in your own programs.
Use the joystick to control the cursor, and "FIRE" to
set/unset the pixels. The extra controls are shown at the bottom
of the screen and are as follows:-
G= GET A NEW CHARACTER FROM THE CURRENT SET
C=CHANGE TO THE OTHER SET TO WORK ON
L=LOAD A CHARACTER SET INTO THE CURRENT SET
S=SAVE THE CURRENT SET
Q=QUIT BACK TO THE SUPPLEMENT
There is also an indication of which set you are working on
at the bottom right of the screen.
This program was originally written for MGT, before the crash.
It was written specifically to allow the design of double height
character sets, that didn't look "blocky" as they do using the
CSIZE command. If you design all of one set as the tops of the
characters, and all the other set as the matching bottoms, it is
a very easy task in BASIC to PRINT these one above the other to
give 16x8 text in any design you like.
There is a PROCedure in the program section of this disc, that
allows you to use the new sets within your own programs.
_______________________________________________________
FLASHPATCH
A very simple program, which takes a screen$
done with FLASH, and resaves it so that it loads as a screen$
without the flashing palette that you sometimes get.
________________________________________________________
SAMCAD:- by Peter Wood
An ingenious program which allows you to design CAD type
screens and save them off for your own use. The program contains
the facilities to redefine the character set, LOAD and SAVE sets
or complete screens and has a very useful HELP facility.
There are 2 demo screens contained on this disc along with
the 2 character sets that go with them.
From within the program LOAD:- "builtset" as the characters
"cadhouse" as the screen
or LOAD:-"electset" as the characters
"cadcir" as the screen
This program could be used to design any type of line drawing
such as floor plans, garden layouts etc. Although very simple in
concept, it is only limited by the users imagination in the uses
it could be put to.
__________________________________________________________
NEW TASWORD BASIC:- by Dave Kingsnorth (added to by B.Mumford)
This is a modified BASIC for you to put on your Tasword Sam
disc. It contains the ROM fix for version 3 ROM's as well as
giving you the option to DIR the disc before a LOAD or SAVE.
There is also an ERASE facility to erase your Tasword files from
within Tasword, and the main menu now contains a line which
tells you the current drive, and gives the option of changing
drives to LOAD/SAVE/ERASE from.
Instructions for tranfering it are given in the program.
Also included on this disc is a program called "PRINT_SET". Add
this to your Tasword disc, and if you use the "Return to BASIC"
option in Tasword, you will be given the option of loading a
printer setting routine.
_______________________________________________________
SPECSCREEN by S. Wilson
A small, but useful utility, that takes MODE 1 Sam screen$, and
records them onto tape, so that the Spectrum can read them.
__________________________________________________________
TASREADER:- by D.Tonks
A small program that lets you view and print out any Tasword
file, without having to load Tasword.
Full instructions on how to SAVE it as a stand alone program for
your own use, are given in the program.
_____________________________________________________________
GRAPHS by Steve Monk
A complete program for showing in graph form, most types of
tables. E.G electricity bills over the year. There are examples
contained within the program, so you can see how it works
straight away. A very useful and well written program.
______________________________________________________________
DISC/TAPE HEADER READER by S.Wilson
A nice little utility, that will read either tape or disc
header information, and display it, either to the screen or
printer.
_____________________________________________________________
SOUND HELP by S.Wilson
This must be the most information every put together in one
article, explaining the Sam sound chip. Everything that you ever
wondered about the chip is in here. A must for the musically
minded of you out there.
This program also appeared in OUTLET
_______________________________________________________________
LAZER MAZE by D.Tonks
Another one of those "BRAIN GAMES", based on the old Spectrum
"BLACK BOX". You have to find 8 power disrupters within a 7x7
grid, by shining your lazer through the grid.
It is in mode 4, and uses the Sams extra colour etc. Full
instructions are included in the game.
________________________________________________________________
BIGPRINT by D.TONKS
This is a DEFined PROCedure, that is used in conjuntion with the
CHARACTER DESIGNER in this issue. It can be merged onto your own
programs, and used with a predefined character set, will give
8x16 characters, which are smoother than you would get with the
normal CSIZE command.
There are instructions on it's use within the program, and the
option to save just the PROCedure, for your own use.
COLOUR CLIP (PD)
This is a different sort of clip art. What it is, is a SCREEN$
of full colour characters, most of which are shown in several
stages of animation. These can be GRABbed and used within your
own programs, giving them a very professional appearance.
We shall be having one of these SCREEN$ in nearly every issue of
the mag, each with a different theme. If you have created
anything similar then please send it in and I will use it in one
of the issues.
The 2 flying birds on the instruction screen were taken off this
months SCREEN$, to show you the general idea.
________________________________________________________________
OPUS TO SAM CODE CONVERTER by G.BATES
If you own a SPectrum and Opus disc drive, then this program
will prove invaluable. Originally written to read Tasword files
straight off Opus discs, and convert them to Sam disc, it will
actually read any CODE file. I found this most useful for
Spectrum SCREEN$, which after saving onto Sam disc, will load
straight into FLASH in MODE 1.
Please read Gerry's letter in this issue, which contains some
important info on the programs use.
________________________________________________________________
COLUMNISER by D.Hall
If you've ever wanted your printouts to be layed out in neat
columns, like you see in newspapers, then this program is for
you. It will take Tasword files and split them up into 1, 2, 3
or 4 columns and resave them for your use. The program has
several useful help pages, and is very easy to use. This is only
the first of part of a much bigger project by Dave Hall.
ODDS and ENDS by various people
This is a collection of small demos, screen$ etc. which don't
really warrant a place of their own on the program menu.
I've put them all together on their own little sub-menu with the
option to return to the main menu, if you wish.
All are in BASIC, and can be broken and LISTED to see how they
were done.
This may become a regular feature, so send in those routines,
I'll find a place for them in the Supplement, no matter how
small they are.
### # # ### ### ### ##
# # # # # # # # #
# ### ## ## # # # #
# # # # # # # # #
# # # ### ### # # ##
....