The Sinclair QL Forum

Well, I managed to get two issues into 2021! This is the latest and probably the final one for this year. What can we find in Issue 9? Well:

• QL2WIN - a utility to convert from QL line ends to Windows line ends when transferring text files between systems. This is one I wrote for myself, but these days, many Windows editors are happy to load and save in Linux format -- similar to what the QL uses.
• WIN2QL - a utility to go the other way!
• Circular Buffers - a fairly long chapter explaining how circular buffers work and some code to enable them to be used on the QL. Are they useful? You tell me!

As ever, if you only want to read the issue, grab the PDF and the code file if necessary. If you want to checkout the LaTeX and LyX source code used to build each issue, then grab the zip or bz2 file. The PDF and Code.zip files will be included so you don;t have to download them separately.

This is the link to the release: https://github.com/NormanDunbar/QLAssem ... ag/Issue_9

Cheers,
Norm.

Super! Thanks for pushing this out, Norman.

Hi Norm,

that's quite a bit of code again I couldn't read it all in detail, but regarding your circular buffers, haven't you just re-invented the vectored queue functions already available in QDOS? I.e. IOQ.SETQ, IOQ.TEST, etc.? Or what am I missing?

Cheers, Marcel

Hi Marcel.

In a word, probably! However, it was fun working on it. And also, debugging it too.

Cheers,
Norm.

Trypophobia!!!

Irrational fear of holes?

Marvelous stuff Monsieur Dunbar. I like reading your missives even though I can't understand them. The cover art to your eComic is a nice visual analogy of assembly language programming.

I can't write in assembler at the moment but I am trying to write in QPTR BASIC (that is hard enough); and mk79's reply to your post, "sounds" comic to my proletarian ears. "Re-invented vectored queues" and "circular buffer functions" sound like phrases that Douglas Adams might have used. They are even funnier when translated literally into French (my first, language).

I have thus been inspired to write my first QPTR program that generates absurd techno phrases based on words found in your eComic, mk's reply and words found in various computing adverts.

It is not a very sophisticated program at the moment and the source code is messy but it works. (well in my setup it does). It is activated by right or left clicking on the + symbol. once activated it is key controlled.

NormanDunbar wrote:Irrational fear of holes?

The art work makes my eyes go weird

tinyfpga wrote:Marvelous stuff Monsieur Dunbar. I like reading your missives even though I can't understand them. The cover art to your eComic is a nice visual analogy of assembly language programming.

Apparently the cover art makes VanPeebles' eyes go funny.

Given that you have managed to write a program that uses QPTR, you are ahead of me. I bought the toolkit years ago, tried it and gave up. So well done you.

VanPeebles wrote:The art work makes my eyes go weird

I'll see if I can find something else with fewer holes!

Cheers,
Norm.