Forum confusion...

[erico]

Hi MrPLow.

Raising up the subject on its own original snippet topic (imho) might be better for the original coder, or new people interested on it, to check it out and fix/improve it.
It would be an herculian job to clean all code in forum and that would be only a temporary solution.

So I took this fact as a forum ´style´
Started browser bookmarking the more interesting code posts and arrange it into folders of subject,etc.
I soon found a way to use it in a good fashion and am fine with it nowadays.

This could be hard for today´s new users, but it´s manageable.
I started BASIC on 8bits back in ~86, no forums, no internet, just some magazines and books in foreign language.

The very first book I happily purchased had written horror games for many 8-bit´s basic...alas, in excitement, I didn´t realize my little computer was not in that list.
That lead to my very first experience in code outside the manual...convert trs80III/msx/spectrum basic to the tandy color computer basic (many deprecated commands between them). Without knowing english nor basic.

Anyways, the 8bit basic background and the available demos/tutorial, either on GLB and MR.Tatoad´s books, were enough to kick me in GLB.

Back on topic, old code update on the forum happens naturally once in a while. The latest I have seen is the platformer-tutorial. It got a really nice update.

Another subject is that the forum in community driven, so each of us is kind of responsible for what we post, be it a solution to a problem, a new feature or a simple snippet. Sometimes the original poster has no time or will to update some piece. But like stated by others, the logic can be understood most of the cases.

Cheers
ps: joooooiiin uuuuus! and embrace the chaotic nature of the forum!

[Ian Price]

I did pretty much the same erico, converting type-in programs in BASIC for other machines into Locomotive BASIC for the Amstrad  CPC. There were always several differences, but the workarounds helped me to gain a deeper understanding of both BASICs. The worst of the bunch was the C64 - that BASIC included weird graphical images that meant nothing to non-Commodore (C64/C16 etc.) owners!

[mentalthink]

C64 Basic it's machine Code Pokes for all sides  , the best basic in 8 bits computer Locomotive, in any manual you take about Amstrad, thay said , better than computer too much expensive like IBM "PC", I learn a lot of little thing whit Amstrad and they works in GLbasic JAAJJ after 30 years... But the manual of Amstrad I don't understand too much things well I'm only 6 years old, but I rembenber something like put -"list #8 and the printer... PORT?¿ (WTF port, I only know "El puerto de Barcelona" whit the boats CHUUUU-CHUUUU  )

[Ian Price]

LOL.

The manual that came with the Amstrad is probably the best programming manual I have ever seen. It documented absolutely everything and very clearly. It is still a wonder to behold. It's available as a free .PDF from a number of places.

[mentalthink]

Yes Ian now I say yes it's perfect, but for a child whit 6 years old I don't understood a lot of things, and you have in mind the translation if was very correct or not , I doubt  in 80's in Spain were people whit high skills in English.

Now it's easy to understand, and ASM ins't too much complex, only you have to write a lot for anything, and somecases it's really a breakhead make something, but in General it's easy to undestand and very very funny.

[Ian Price]

I understood what you meant, with you being a youngster with a potentially poorly translated manual. But even so, it showed great promise, did it not? A book of delights

[MrTAToad]

The C64 User Manual was rather basic.  However, the Programmers Reference Manual was wonderful - only the RISC OS one was better.

C64's UDG characters provided a cheap and easy way to produce some interesting graphics that other platforms would need to redefined their character set for. although the same thing could also be done on the Commodore too...

[Ian Price]

Sod pre-defined characters; UDGs were the way to go. I went through sooooo much graph paper in the 80's!

[fuzzy70]

Sod pre-defined characters; UDGs were the way to go. I went through sooooo much graph paper in the 80's!

Same here, W.H. Smiths got a good share of my pocket money 

Lee

[MrTAToad]

Yes, designing UDG's was great fun.

Especially when you forgot to take the computer out of user mode and ended up hanging the machine...  And you hadn't saved the source code... And it was in assembler...

[Ian Price]

Strangely, the CPC never had this problem.

[MrTAToad]

But then it didn't have as much memory

Or hardware sprites

[mentalthink]

Strangely, the CPC never had this problem.
Jaja it's true CPC never hang, only when the program don't use ESC key , the curious it's you can leave the computer 1 day completly working and don't warm nothing.

But then it didn't have as much memory
Or hardware sprites

And SID, It's really awesome the things can do the C64, i watch somedays ago the Turrican2, and this can be perfectly an Arcade a bit less powerfull...

Here thanks to Sinclair and Alan Sugar, else in Spaoin the computers was a dream, C64 impossible for the money and MSX I think was a very expensive computer and I think only a few guys have this computer.(Curious in Spain the MSX Scene it's really live , sinclair and CPC nothing    )

[Ian Price]

Of course the C64 also lacked any colours other than brown too.

I loved all the 8bit machines at the time - there were always games that defined each and weren't as good or even available on the others. And luckily, due to having friends with each machine I got to sample a great many of them. Happy days

[MrTAToad]

On the contrary, the C64 had many vibrant colours.  A colour output device was expected as standard