The Sinclair QL Forum

Popopo wrote: Tue Jun 18, 2024 11:55 pm About source code, ASM is not my best shoot, but... if there is a chance to get the source code in C or another/similar language, it would be nice to look into it.

How are you going to convert Assembley Language to C?

What version of C?

Why not rewrite the programme in C based on the functionailty.

Hi

Derek_Stewart wrote: Wed Jun 19, 2024 7:09 am How are you going to convert Assembley Language to C?

I'm not. I guess there are ways to do it, if you master ASM for M68K and C, perhaps automatically. But I'm not going to do it.

Derek_Stewart wrote: Wed Jun 19, 2024 7:09 am What version of C?

For me... it doesn't matter. If that compiles for M68K, all is fine. It is more a question of paradigm than specific language/version.

Derek_Stewart wrote: Wed Jun 19, 2024 7:09 am Why not rewrite the programme in C based on the functionailty.

I like that idea and that is a very good question. In my case because it is easier than start to know how C works in that platform. In other words, to do what you suggest you need to have already a pretty good level developing for QL in C.

When I see the structure, observing how are variables, constants, etc are used, I figure out the limits or special attributes. So firstly I transform everything into something modular and scalable. That allows me to understand little differences from other environments. Later I start to change and add new things (that give me skills to master particularities of the context). Finally I am able to programing for that platform from Zero.

The other way is worse. You need more time to understand how C is applied to that context, taking you longer to learn. It is not a natural way for learning. It is the most common way to learn, but not the best. You improve/learn to speak a dialect from your mother tongue by examples.

In few words, I didn't code in C for M68K. So I'm not expert in that context. In order to increase my learning curve (make short the time for learning) it is much better with something already done.

Timbucus wrote: Tue Jun 18, 2024 9:57 pm Derek,

I have the A03 source code (written in 68K ASM I think with the Metacomco assembler but, my memory may have failed me on that) which I have since recovered from anther floppy so no real need to disassemble that version of the Quill.

I have had no luck getting the A07 version that Richard sent me running on my uQLx - the A03 image I recovered above still works fine so I don;t think it is the emulator. I did I think correctly use the unzip inside the emulator to extract the files to a virtual mdv but, it just hangs after the title screen on the EXEC_W of the binary.

My plan was to disassemble the A07 and compare the source changes to recover the A07 source.

So if anyone has another image of A07 or later it would be appreciated.

Tim

I have now sent you the version A07 as a microdrive image which will probably get it running under uQLx

Try using DEAssembler to disassemble it.

Shall be possible to do a list of know bugs with this versions? Or are of type "unexpected hang"

Do we know the copyright status of The Quill system?

If it's been released as freeware or whatever, I'd love to make it available, especially the rarer, more recent versions for QL.

I am interesting about the version already ... ready for MDVs.

About licenses, my last news tells that is is going to be free, it means Tim is going to release it in the Public Domain.
I hope Tim or the people who told it to me, will post the details here.

That is why I'm also interested about it and to study its code to try to implement new features or document it or make bugfixes, or collaborate with projects for it.

aalea wrote: Thu Jun 20, 2024 10:08 am Shall be possible to do a list of know bugs with this versions? Or are of type "unexpected hang"

I got the "changelog" of it... just I am sorry I cannot recall from where. ASAP I recall it, I will post here the link where I read it.
Unless someone do it sooner

Rich - it was your A07 MDV image that I tried under uQLx that just hangs whereas my A03 version does not. As I said I did extract the ZIP inside of the emulator from the win2_ device to a clean mdv_ device so assuming the header was present it should have worked as the file headers would have been preserved.

Dilwyn - as regards the licence I and the other authors have relaxed licence slightly as documented in the link at the bottom of Stefan's page who provides the latest versions for people to play with http://8-bit.info/the-gilsoft-adventure-systems/ so if you want to host a public copy on the archive that is fine - perhaps with that text. I do want to make it available through Stefan as well so they are all together.

Andrew - I only have uQLx setup not QEmulator so is your image that works the same one that Rich sent me? the binary reports as 17330 on A07 while my A03 reports 17176 so in the same ballpark to have had some fixes. I will dig out my real QL when I get time and try it as well.

We have never released source as yet, although we included provision for it in the relaxed licence - I will chat with Graeme, Phil and Huw to see how they feel - especially for the QL where we do have the A03 ASM code at least.

Popopo - if you have the change log please do post it as I have nothing so have no idea what is broken except when I tested A03 I found some things that did not work.

Tim

Timbucus wrote: Thu Jun 20, 2024 7:16 pm Andrew - I only have uQLx setup not QEmulator so is your image that works the same one that Rich sent me? the binary reports as 17330 on A07 while my A03 reports 17176 so in the same ballpark to have had some fixes. I will dig out my real QL when I get time and try it as well.
Tim

It's probably the same version as the one Rich sent you -
quillA07 is 17300 bytes (17330 bytes with the DOS header, which is 30 bytes long)
start is 1410 bytes (1430 bytes with the DOS header, which is 30 bytes long)

Timbucus wrote: Thu Jun 20, 2024 7:16 pm Dilwyn - as regards the licence I and the other authors have relaxed licence slightly as documented in the link at the bottom of Stefan's page who provides the latest versions for people to play with http://8-bit.info/the-gilsoft-adventure-systems/ so if you want to host a public copy on the archive that is fine - perhaps with that text. I do want to make it available through Stefan as well so they are all together.

Thank you Tim.