The Sinclair QL Forum

jobdone wrote: Sun Feb 23, 2025 4:05 am Andrew, AS ql_freak pointed out above the -7 is a not found error, so if there is no ram disk set up first, you get a -7. on q-emulator this is in the menu under QL Configuration>Devices and checking the Ram disk box, or just setting one up in software first, the same way on QPC.I actually booted QPC2 with the stock *.WIN file, which has a desktop and ram disk set up. this particular ram disk seems to return the number it should?

Yes, you are right
I get -6 and then "in use"

jobdone wrote: Sun Feb 23, 2025 4:05 amOn q-emulator this is in the menu under QL Configuration>Devices and checking the Ram disk box, or just setting one up in software first, the same way on QPC.

QPC2 always has a RAMdisk enabled! This is a part of SMSQ/E.

You are of course correct.

jobdone wrote: Sun Feb 23, 2025 4:05 am Andrew, AS ql_freak pointed out above the -7 is a not found error, so if there is no ram disk set up first, ...

No, you have misunderstood me. It seems DEVICE_STATUS is expecting a string as its second parameter and not a Name (if no quotes around it is a SuperBASIC name and most extensions coerce this to a string, DEVICE_STATUS() seems not to do it). So if you pass a name instead of a string to DEVICE_STATUS(), it will not find it (it normally should abort with error "bad parameter") and so also will not open it (as with a string), so it does not have opened an internal QDOS-channel, and so the DELETE will work.

EDIT: change should return with -> should abort with error

The Turbotk.txt mention this clearly:

DEVICE_STATUS ( x , name$ )