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Quest Cash Trader

Started by tjohnson, 23:09, 05 June 17

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tjohnson

I came across this disk in my collection, its Quest Cash Trader looks to be some sort of financial program.  Couldn't find out much about it, appears to be something also available on the Spectrum.  Does anyone know much about it?


Terje_Norway

Hi,


I have never heard about it before, but after doing some search on the net, I came up with the following :


https://archive.org/stream/8000-plus-magazine-09/8000_Plus_09_300dpi#page/n3/mode/2up


The ad is from Amstrad PCW8000 (June 87) page 4


- Cash Trader + Analyser 148 GBP


Probably runs under CP/M Plus.


If You could upload it, it could be a nice addition to the CP/M software archive.


Yours

Terje Grind
NORWAY


PS It could also be that there is a test of it in some of the other issues of the magazine.

robcfg

It definitely would be nice to have it dumped and scanned.

Please tell us if you need any help.

Nice find!


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tjohnson

It looks like this is also available on the sinclair ql with sources available in superbasic.

What is the best way of dumping software?

Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk


GUNHED

Copy from 3" to 3.5" disc. Then dump the 3.5" with the Software for the HxC or the CPCDiskXP. To copy from 3" to 3.5" you can use Discology or FutureOS. If you don't have a 3.5" drive, then try to send disc to a friend :)

http://futureos.de --> Get the revolutionary FutureOS (Update: 2023.11.30)
http://futureos.cpc-live.com/files/LambdaSpeak_RSX_by_TFM.zip --> Get the RSX-ROM for LambdaSpeak :-) (Updated: 2021.12.26)

GeoffB17

'cash trader' implies a variant of accounts system, somewhat cut down (compared to say, the SAGE system) to suit a small business, sole trader, shop or such like, that deals mostly with cash (i.e. no invoices, no 'debtors' or 'creditors', possibly no Sales or Purchase ledger, just a reduced Nominal and record of cash in and out transactions for analysis).


If you need something doing with the disk, I can transfer to a 3.5" disk (DD or HD), or create a .DSK image which is what some people seem to like, and the Wiki archive may prefer.


Geoff

tjohnson

Right I should be able to do this as I've managed to get a 3.5" floppy working.  What is the HxC software?  I'm aware of CPCWinXP but not HxC.

tjohnson

I'll try and do something this week, my 6128 power switch is playing up.

tjohnson

#8
type run"m" to start the program.

Upon starting you'll need a blank "vendor" formatted disk - you can format a disk in this format with disckit3 - one attached.

Running utilities seems to want a password, no idea what it is.  Looking at the disk it looks like its written in basic.

GeoffB17

Interesting...


Never heard of 'vendor' format before, or is that NOT supposed to be the format name.


Looking at the disk, it doesn't seem to match any of the 'normal' formats (although I'm referring to the PCW info).   There seems to be NO directory, the disk goes right into normal blank space.   This suggests a 'data' format, but this uses specif sector numbering, and the 'vendor' disk doesn't use the correct labelling, it uses the labels for 'system' format, but it's NOT right otherwise for that.


There's no XDPB info (the first few bytes of the first sector) as used by the PCW (but maybe not by the 6128 etc ?).


As indicated, the DISCKIT3 util I assume knows about this format.   I could set one up OK using 22DISK, if needed?


I'd assume that using this format will allow the TOTAL disk capacity to be used for data files.


Geoff

tjohnson

Hi Geoff, thanks for the feedback, will this run on a PCW?  The vendor format is one of the 3 formats offered by Disckit3 (system, vendor, data) on the CPC.  When I ran up the disk it said use a data format, but that didn't work so tried vendor and it worked.  I don't understand the disk formats myself.  I had a little play with the program and wasn't overly impressed, looked quite clunky but I don't have a manual which may have helped.  I see it is available along with the source for the Sinclair QL.

GeoffB17

I don't know if the version you have will run on the PCW.   The PCW version of BASIC does NOT have a "m" option, but then the "m" might be the program name which would be OK.


The PCW recognises three 'official' formats, called PCW8256, SYSTEM and DATA, but using the data in the first sector it can handle various others as long as they are within certain limits.   The system could certainly handle the 'vendor' format, but I don't know if it would 'recognise' it.   However, when I've experimented, the system will recognise the DATA format even though THAT has no XDPB info to read, so maybe it will.   Depends on EXACTLY how the software uses the disk.   For example, the system COULD use the whole disk as a single notional file, maintain some sort of directory within the software (not on the disk).   This could be similar to how many older varieties of the FORTH language used a floppy disk, no directory, just xx 1K blocks, everything referenced via block number.


I would assume the prog (M.BAS ?) is 'encoded', so it cannot be read easily.   BUT, could get some info from looking at the file.


As I noted before, I would just use dBase II, which is available for CP/M.   Plenty of documentation available for that, also, and file you create is readily accessible outside the main prog, so no need to
use and password protected 'utilities'.   AND you can import/export data easily via SDF or CSV files (I think - I need to keep reminding myself that my greater experience with dBase III and later systems might NOT apply to dBase II !!).   YES, just checked the manual, and dBase II will handle SDF and CSF export/import.


Note also that with dBase you can use a prog to maintain the datafile/index, but then use the interactive dot prompt to interrogate the file (pretty much like you would use SQL commands on a modern system).   In fact, I think that a LOT of SQL is based on dBase, or maybe BOTH dBase and SQL are based to something else?


Did you have specific need for 'cash trader' software?   Or are just just collecting something 'interesting?


Geoff

robcfg

Quote from: tjohnson on 18:39, 10 June 17
type run"m" to start the program.

Upon starting you'll need a blank "vendor" formatted disk - you can format a disk in this format with disckit3 - one attached.

Running utilities seems to want a password, no idea what it is.  Looking at the disk it looks like its written in basic.


Is there anything on the second side of the disk? It seems the side you dumped is for CPC, and would be interesting to know if the PCW version is on the other side.


Would you be so kind to dump the other side?


Thanks,
Rob

tjohnson

Hi rob there is nothing on the other side unfortunately it actually seems to be unformatted. 

I sent the file to cpc-power and the chap there worked out the password is PASS for utilities, i guess he managed to look at the code somehow.

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GUNHED

Vendor format is exactly the same as system format with one difference: the systerm tracks do not contain a CP-M OS, so you have to add it by hand. See CPC handbook.
http://futureos.de --> Get the revolutionary FutureOS (Update: 2023.11.30)
http://futureos.cpc-live.com/files/LambdaSpeak_RSX_by_TFM.zip --> Get the RSX-ROM for LambdaSpeak :-) (Updated: 2021.12.26)

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