WELCOME
to the
B A G O F T R I C K S
VOLUME 2
Ah yes ! The second Bag of Tricks (BT) cartridge. This is
not the number one, but the number TWO that you have in your
favourite drive. All the information you need is grouped in
this principal BAG2_doc file.
To obtain the information you require, refer to page 2 for
the Summary, then press F3, input G (for Goto) and the number
of the page in which you are interested (do not forget the
final <ENTER> !).
Here is some more good news : the program CASSE-BRIQUES
which was announced in our advertising, has not been included
on this cartridge. And what is the good news, you ask ?
Because this program has been replaced by the game
SNAKE_BYTE, which is even better ! You see, at the BT the QL
owner is always the winner...
A last point : We begin to receive contributions at the
BT, and our first happy contributor is Mr. SAYER for his
illustration of the BOOT program and for his program
'Illusions'.
But send us your programs... if are not able to use your
contribution, we will return your cartridge; if we keep your
submission for use in the BT, we will provide you with
recompense. Then : SOS programs ! not only SOS programs, but
also SOS tricks and information : So... to your keyboards!
QLically yours,
Alexander GASSMANN
('Editor-in-Chief')
page 1
S U M M A R Y
of the Bag of Tricks
NUMBER 2
To gain access to the information required, input F3, then
G, then the number of the page, then <ENTER>.
Article Page
WELCOME to BT no. 2 1
Summary 2
The BT Gazette 3
The SNAKE_BYTE Game 4
The GAME of Moulin 5
Utility : QUICK-CLONE 6
Several more SuperBASIC instructions 7
The surprise of month : THE ILLUSIONS 8
REVIEW : Vroom - Car racing Game 9
page 2
THE G A Z E T T E June 1986
The QL sails in troubled waters...
After the failure of the Sinclair importer in France,
DIRECO INTERNATIONAL, there is news that Sinclair has been
bought out by another important competitor : AMSTRAD, the new
success of the micro-computer family.
The genius creator of the QL, Sir Clive Sinclair, has just
kept the research laboratory of his former company, SINCLAIR
RESEARCH. According to some people, this will be reduced to
only three people, but I think that we can place our
confidence in the brilliant overseas inventor, which has
already brought us miniaturised radios, digital watches,
calculators (also programmables), pocket television (they are
rare, but are available ...) and also a miniature electric
car, the C5, without forgetting the micro computers, amongst
which is the legendary ZX80.
As far as the QL is concerned, the gossip factory is
alive, well, and very active : wild rumours are mostly
unfounded and contradictory.
It is almost certain that the QL has been totally
abandoned by Amstrad. Other opinions are that Amstrad may try
to resurrect the QL's name by transforming it into a more
advanced system, complete with a monitor, a single disk
drive, a professional keyboard and a better implementation.
But the problem is that all that they are all rumours.
However, we do have definite information that the English
company C.S.T., which at the moment, is making interfaces and
disk drives for the QL, is completing a 'QL Compatible'
which, without doubt, will incorporate many professional
specifications. To return to the domain of 'if', 'perhaps',
it would appear that a number of other companies are on the
point of doing the same thing.
In any event, a meeting is planned in London during June
amongst the principal manufacturers / creators who are of one
mind concerning the QL's future, for an exchange of points of
view and a presentation of new products. You will have all
the gossip in the next number of BT because PYRAMIDE has had
the honour of being invited, and your faithful servant will
be bringing back all of the latest information.
In spite of all of its early development problems, the QL
is long way from being finished.
- The QL in France -
There is an article in 'Science & Vie Micro' which paints
a very dark picture for QL owners in France. But it has
failed to take into account that PYRAMIDE is exclusively
involved with the QL. It says, for example that the
distribution of new Microdrive cartridges is in question :
PYRAMIDE has as many as you could want !
If you have not yet received a catalogue from us, send
your address to:
PYRAMIDE
page 3
8, rue de ruisseau
75018 PARIS
We will immediately send you a catalogue of all of our
products.
Note from the Translator : You can obtain information from
the English Pyramide. Write to PYRAMIDE / Rio Promotions, 28
WaVerley Grove, LONDON N3PX
page 4
Program : The SNAKE_BYTE game.
Author : Fran Moerel
Language : Basic
Type : Action Game
To run : lrun mdv1_SNAKE_BYTE_BOT
NB : Leave the BT always in mdv1_ during the
progress of the GAME.
This game is a game of action, of pure style : you control
a SNAKE_BYTE and this you feed with Metagnons, which are
small creatures who live in the soil before they die. Their
death happens once only : they are then transformed into
stone. You must eat them between the time that they appear
and the time they die. A dead Metagnon will give you
terrible indigestion... Obviously, this type of small
obstacle and other things will not help you in your task.
Once you have consummed 20 Metagnons (don't forget that
every Metagnon makes you fatter), you go to a new level of
play...
You move the SNAKE_BYTE in an unusual way : You steer it
by pressing the left or right cursor keys only. The
SNAKE_BYTE moves in a RELATIVE direction. Left signifies that
the SNAKE_BYTE must turn to its left, and right signifies the
same thing for its right.
As an example : when the SNAKE_BYTE moves towards the top
of the screen, and you press the left cursor key, movement
will occur towards the left of the screen. But if it is
moving towards the bottom of the screen and you press the
left key, it will then move towards the right of the screen.
A little practice is indispensable !
page 5
Program : The Game of Moulin
Author : A. Gassmann
Type : A game for two players.
Language : Basic
To run : lrun mdv1_the_MOULIN
After you have entered the names of the players, you will
see that the layout of the Game consists of 24 spaces, to be
linked up by draughts.
In the first phase of the Game, each player alternately
places new discs on the Gameboard. A position is selected
with the cursor keys and <SPACE>.
The point of the Game is to eliminate the adversary. To
do this, you try to set up MOULINS which form three
consecutive discs, either vertical or horizontal, but which,
in all cases, must be linked together.
.-----O-----O
! .---O---O !
! ! .-O-X ! !
X-X-X X-O-O the X shows two examples of moulins.
! ! O-O-X ! ! the 3 points (.) are NOT a moulin !
! O---O---O !
O-----O-----O
When a moulin is created, a player can go directly to take
the other player draught, on the condition that the one there
does not form a closed moulin.
One moulin is closed when the three consecutive discs are
placed, but to reactivate the moulin the player is obliged to
open it during a turn (to move one of the discs). During the
next turn, he may lose one of the discs of his moulin, if
adversary makes a moulin himself...
O-----O-----O Consider this configuration :
! O---O---X ! It allows player X to close
! ! O-O-X ! ! one moulin each turn by simply
O-O-O A-O-O displacing disc A (which make it
! ! O-O-X ! ! subject to the X discs). The one who
! O---O---X ! is successful with this exploit
O-----O-----O is on the path to victory...
The second phase of the Game, when 18 discs are placed,
consists of moving one disc per player and per turn. He may
directly move a disc to one of the next unoccupied spaces.
The last phase of the Game is reached when the one of the
players has three discs. They are then directly moved with
one disc per turn (the disc does not have to be any more
moved to a consecutive field). This will allow the one player
to block eventual moulins of the adversary, while he could
not do it as the discs were moved in the conventional way. If
one player with three discs loses one of them he has LOST.
page 6
Program : QUICK-CLONE
Author : A. Gassmann (thanks to M. Andon)
Type : File Utility
Language : Basic + assembler routine
To run : lrun mdv1_quick_clone_bot
This progame enables you to make fast backup copies with a
single loading of the master (provided there is enough space
on the destination drive). The advantages are : With minimal
typing, you are able to make a complete copy of a drive and
you are only required to answer the questions presented on
the screen.
RESTRICTIONS :
1. With this program, you are not allowed to copy files
which exceed the maximum amount of memory available to your
QL's configuration (with 128K, the files are limited to 70K
max.).
2. Files which are run with with EXEC or EXEC_W will not
copy correctly. Once your copying is complete, you must
delete the relevant files and copy with the standard
SuperBASIC COPY command.
page 7
More additions to SuperBASIC ...
Here are several small routines to supplement QL SuperBASIC
keywords.
1. FILE LENGTH
To run : adresse=RESPR(400)
LBYTES mdv1_FLEN_rsp,adresse
CALL adresse
Syntax : FLEN (#n)
This function enables you to find the size in bytes of a file
saved on microdrive or disk. In use, you have to initially
open a channel.
For example, if you wish to know the size of the file
mdv2_program type :
OPEN#3,mdv2_program (then ENTER)
PRINT FLEN(#3) "
CLOSE #3 "
One example of an application is the Quick-Clone Program.
2. WHAT IS WHERE IN A WINDOW ?
To run : adresse=RESPR(400)
LBYTES mdv1_XY_rsp,adresse
CALL adresse
Syntax : XPIXS (#n) YPIXS (#n)
XCHRS (#n) YCHRS (#n)
XPIXP (#n) YPIXP (#n)
XCHRP (#n) YCHRP (#n)
PRINT XPIXS(#1) Returns the number of pixels in X for
window #1
PRINT XCHRS(#0) Returns the number of maximum characters
on a line for #0
PRINT YPIXP(#2) Returns the actual position of the cursor
in window #2
3. Decimal / Hexadecimal : you are saved
To run : adresse=RESPR(400)
LBYTES mdv1_hex_rsp,adresse
CALL adresse
Syntax : HEX$(y,x) x = dec number
y = number_of_digits
DEC("x") x = hex number
This is a function which will automatically produce a
numerical conversion :
PRINT HEX$(8,131072) will return : 00020000
Which corresponds to the hexadecimal number : $20000
The parameter '8' will print the corresponding number of
digits.
Another example : PRINT DEC("20000") returns : 131072
Which is equivalent to the decimal number 131072 ( =
$20000)
page 8
This allows you to avoid difficult and complicated
conversions...
4. The problem of CRASHING because of missing media, is
a thing of the past!
To run : adresse=RESPR(300)
LBYTES mdv1_DRIVE_rsp,adresse
CALL adresse
Syntax : x=CATALOGUE(periph)
x=file(periph_file_name)
x=PLACE(periph_file_name)
CATALOGUE
This useful function is used as follows :
Variable=CATALOGUE(name of peripheral)
IF Variable=0, there is a cartridge or disk in the
peripheral. Otherwise the error code is returned (refer to
the values to the end of this documentation).
Example: R=CATALOGUE("MDV1_")
FILE
This useful function is used as follows :
Variable=file("device_file_name")
IF Variable=0, the file is present on the given peripheral.
Otherwise the relevant error code is returned.
Example: R=file("MDV1_program")
PLACE
This useful function is used as follows :
Variable = PLACE(name of peripheral)
To use PLACE, you first test if the peripheral is in place
with the aide of CATALOGUE. After this, using PLACE will
return the number of sectors not used on the given peripheral.
Example: R=PLACE(name$) where name$ = "mdv1_"
ERROR CODES and MESSAGES RELATED TO DRIVES :
Value English Message French Message
-1 not complete operation non terminée
-2 invalid job tache invalide
-3 out of memory Hors capacité mémoire
-4 out of range sortie des limites
-5 buffer full tampon plein
-6 channel not open canal non ouvert
-7 not found non trouve
-8 already exists existe deja
-9 in use en usage
-10 end of file fin de file
-11 drive full cartouche remplie
-12 bad name nom incorrect
-13 xmit error erreur de transmission
-14 format failed defaillance in le formatage
-15 bad parameter mauvais parametre
-16 bad medium erreur de support
page 9
-17 error in expression erreur de l'expression
-18 overflow depassement de capacite
-19 not implemented non "implementé"
-20 read only lecture uniquement
-21 bad line ligne incorrecte
page 10
The ILLUSIONS, I will leave you to discover : from BASIC,
type lrun mdv1_illusions
page 11
TEST : VVVVVRRRRROOOOOOOMMMMMMM !!!!!!
At last, a QL car racing game worthy of the name !
Alain Prost warms up his engine... looking carefully he
noticed the outline of the circuit which you have to
complete. "It is really very useful, this new procedure of
electronic card in real time", he thought. "It allows you to
see where you are at any given moment and to anticipate the
circuit bends."
Then you look towards the horizon : not too many clouds;
the track is dry, the view of the landscape is in bright
colours. Ideal to win this grand prix...
All conditions are go ! The roar of the engine, and the
car is ready. Look right, two cars have already passed you.
Be careful at the bend. Slow down! Avoid the advertising
billboard placed as a hazard, in overtaking the third car. Be
careful of the track, which narrows very shortly. You must
concentrate on the route. Ah ! The control screen shows me
that I haven't got a much time left. I have to pass a tenth
car in order to qualify... I charge forward ! Be careful of
the bend ! CRASH ! Quickly I start again, at full speed.
JUST A MINUTE ! I've got it ! I have qualified ! There it is.
I have straight to again 4 circuits... and the surroundings
change also...
The GAME is totally graphic and you are sitting inside
the racing car, with a panoramic view which passes by you.
The best car racing GAME (of course) available on the QL and
it's from PYRAMIDE !
_____________________________________________________________________________
File: C:\Users\Rich\Desktop\TESTING\Pyramide\Bag of Tricks 2\bag2_doc
Translated by Quill-View 0.5 Beta (compiled Oct 13 2008)
Copyright 2008 Mikael Strom