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General Category => CPCWiki Discussion => Topic started by: CPCIak on 09:56, 03 January 10

Title: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: CPCIak on 09:56, 03 January 10
Hi, what do you think about an AA Type-In project like the ACU one by ervin?
Most of the listings are quite short and handy. Well, there's already a listing section in the German sub.
Everyone, who wants to take part in it, is welcome.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Johnny Olsen on 11:48, 03 January 10
Yes it would be great.
There is already a aa type-ins project, but Ervin's ACU pages are nicer.

http://cpcwiki.eu/index.php/AA_Type_Ins

I will look through my collection to find aa type-ins if you start a project.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: CPCIak on 11:54, 03 January 10
You're right: There's already an AA Type-In project in the wiki. Obviously it's dead...
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Johnny Olsen on 15:51, 03 January 10
Yes but a wiki is for everyone so you could start it up again.
If I could I would do it.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: CPCIak on 16:27, 03 January 10
Quote from: Johnny Olsen on 15:51, 03 January 10
Yes but a wiki is for everyone so you could start it up again.

Sure, but first we have to collect the listings before uploading them to the wiki! No one wants buggy software.
I had problems with some type-ins: Bad quality of scan, syntax errors etc. 

Please have a look at the following post. Together we could solve the problems:
http://cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php/topic,496.0.html
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Gryzor on 10:01, 04 January 10
Ah indeed this would come in handy. If anyone wants to go ahead but they don't have the mags, I'm willing to send them at my cost...
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: CPCIak on 13:35, 10 January 10
AA Issue 108 COMPLETE
AA Issue 107 COMPLETE

AA Issue 106 INCOMPLETE
Does anyone have the original mag? Page 24 is corrupted
http://cpcwiki.eu/index.php/File:Amstrad_Action106_24.jpg
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Cpcmaniaco on 17:19, 11 January 10
Hello CPCIak.

Firstly, very good work with the AA Mags.

I uploaded the corrupted page here :

http://share.cpcwiki.eu/838117

Like I don't Know how are the rest of pages like, I send the tiff and you can convert in jpg like the others one.

And when you finished you can delete with this link :

http://share.cpcwiki.eu/838117&del=895585

Thanks Devilmarkus for filehosting, for this things is perfect.

In you or anyone need a scan of any CPC mags tell me and I'll do it, I have almost all the CPC mags.

Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: CPCIak on 17:37, 11 January 10
Thank you very much Cpcmaniaco!
The quality of scan is superb :D Now I'm able to finish the AA106 listings.
Maybe I'll need your help again...

A foretaste of what is to come↓
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: CPCIak on 20:32, 11 January 10
AA Issue 106 #COMPLETE#

Including a 2kb word processor: WOW - How big is MS WORD?!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: CPCIak on 15:54, 13 January 10
AA Issue 105 #COMPLETE#
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Ygdrazil on 11:24, 14 January 10
Great stuff..

I am really looking forward to seeing this stuff online :-)

/Ygdrazil

Quote from: CPCIak on 15:54, 13 January 10
AA Issue 105 #COMPLETE#
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: CPCIak on 13:20, 15 January 10
Could someone please rescan AA103 page 18: There's a RSX Clock listing.
I can't read it: The listing is printed in yellow on a blue background...terrible
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Cpcmaniaco on 03:36, 16 January 10
I uploaded the page here :

http://share.cpcwiki.eu/650073

I send you the page on color tiff and on scale greys tiff

And when you finished you can delete with this link :

http://share.cpcwiki.eu/650073&del=346667

Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Johnny Olsen on 10:47, 16 January 10
Why do you have the delete option?
I would like to have the page too.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: CPCIak on 12:25, 16 January 10
Sorry, Johnny ???

Thanx CPCManiaco for scanning - the greystyle one is perfect.

http://share.cpcwiki.eu/106462
http://share.cpcwiki.eu/106462&del=876076 (delete link)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Johnny Olsen on 14:02, 16 January 10
Thanks
I got the AA scan years ago from Michael Hansen
but some of the page is missing, so is just an update i wish.
I have all the AA Magazine but no scanner.
Which scanner are you using CPCManiaco?
it's very clear and nice scans you do.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Cpcmaniaco on 03:22, 17 January 10
My scanner is an Epson Stylus CX3650 (Printer,scanner, etc. all in one).

It isn't very good but it's OK for me.

Robcfg has a good scaner, for exemple he can scan a PCB well, like a photo, I can't do it.

When I scan a tape for exemple, the different between the thing part with the fat part of the tape makes that the letters writed on the tape near this part isn't clear.

Because the special Type-in project, when CPCIak need a page, I make a high quality scan of the page to help him to use an OCR program.

This High Quality of the page is very big for internet.

I put the delete link because when he finished, this page is not necesary anymore on this big format.

I don't know you are interested too, sorry.

When you or anyone need a scan of any Amstrad Mag, tell me, and when I can I will do it.

Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Gryzor on 11:51, 18 January 10
I agree with CPCManiaco - for tidying up's sake, we should delete everything that's not strictly useful... *one* mag page is not that useful apart from the purpose it was uploaded!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Johnny Olsen on 18:48, 18 January 10
I agree, but i thought it was an upgrading of the bad page.

Amstrad Action No 011 lacks the entire page 93-94 and
Amstrad Action nr 020 lacks 20-21

Plese will you scan them (normal scan).

Thanks
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Cpcmaniaco on 11:05, 20 January 10
Hello Johnny Olsen.

Here you can download the AA pages you wanted :

http://share.cpcwiki.eu/433229

and when you get them you can deleted with :

http://share.cpcwiki.eu/433229&del=369457


If you need more pages tell me.

Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Johnny Olsen on 13:51, 21 January 10
Thank you Cpcmaniaco
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: CPCIak on 15:45, 28 January 10
AA Issue 104 #COMPLETE#
AA Issue 103 #COMPLETE#

Has anyone got the program "SafeSoft Disc Archiver" from issue 101?
Well, it's a three pages long listing full of data statements :o
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Gryzor on 10:25, 29 January 10
Ahhh gotta try them at home :)

How about the relevant Wiki page, will it be updated?
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: CPCIak on 11:48, 29 January 10
Gryzor, can we make an arragement?!
My part is to type in the listings only. I'm sorry, but I haven't got enough freetime to have one's cake and eat it, too.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Gryzor on 12:06, 29 January 10
Yeah, that's more than enough. Hope I can organize myself this weekend to give it an overhaul!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: CPCIak on 12:08, 29 January 10
Thanx. Maybe someone else is used to the wiki syntax and is willing to take part in the project.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: CPCIak on 20:45, 30 January 10
AA Issue 102 #COMPLETE#
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Gryzor on 17:13, 31 January 10
I'm down with a cold... :(
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: CPCIak on 17:44, 31 January 10
Get well soon!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Ygdrazil on 18:11, 31 January 10
Hi

Maybe I can help?

/Ygdrazil
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: CPCIak on 20:45, 31 January 10
Hello Ygdrazil. We need someone who is used to the wiki syntax and is willing to upload the files.
Every AA issue I've finished so far contains a dsk file and several screenshots.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Ygdrazil on 10:25, 02 February 10
Excellent where I can make a few AA type ins pages..

Where are the screenshots and dsk files located?

I think we should go for the layout used for the ACU type ins project!  :D

/Ygdrazil


Quote from: CPCIak on 20:45, 31 January 10
Hello Ygdrazil. We need someone who is used to the wiki syntax and is willing to upload the files.
Every AA issue I've finished so far contains a dsk file and several screenshots.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: CPCIak on 11:46, 02 February 10
Quote from: Ygdrazil on 10:25, 02 February 10
Where are the screenshots and dsk files located?

The completed AA Type-Ins are located as attachments in this thread.
You are right Ygdrazil, the AA pages should look like the ACU ones:
magazines -> AA -> issue xxx -> scanned pages + Type-Ins
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: CPCIak on 19:36, 06 February 10
AA Issue 101 #COMPLETE#
Including the three pages long progy "SafeSoft Disc Archiver"
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Bryce on 15:01, 13 February 10
Hi CPClak,
        I've just got hold of some really old 3" disks from way back and some of them are full of type-ins that I was stupid enough to waste an entire weekend typing in back then, I think most of them were from AA or Computing with the Amstrad. Obviously it might save your fingers from further bleeding (some of them are extremely long), if you don't have to type them in again. But how can I tell if you have covered them yet? And if they are of use to you, what format do you need them in?

Bryce.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: CPCIak on 15:06, 13 February 10
Thank you very much Bryce!
Could you please upload the type-ins as DSK?
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Bryce on 15:13, 13 February 10
I'd love to, but they are on real 3" disks on a real CPC, what's the quickest way of gathering / sorting and converting them? I haven't ever compiled a DSK file.

Bryce.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: CPCIak on 15:16, 13 February 10
Sorry, I don't know how to transfer real discs, either.
Well, I haven't got a 3,5inch floppy nor something else to transfer files. I'm waiting for the SD-HxC Floppy Interface to be released.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Bryce on 15:26, 13 February 10
Ok, I go and find out how to do it first and get back to you....

Bryce.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zehphez on 21:35, 01 February 11
Just a question: Is the project still alive?
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Nich on 21:29, 10 February 11
Quote from: Zehphez on 21:35, 01 February 11
Just a question: Is the project still alive?
I haven't forgotten about it! I'm just taking a break from it at the moment.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: TFM on 23:51, 10 February 11
Quote from: Bryce on 15:13, 13 February 10
I'd love to, but they are on real 3" disks on a real CPC, what's the quickest way of gathering / sorting and converting them? I haven't ever compiled a DSK file.

Bryce.

Well, I would suggest the following way:

- First make a copy from 3" to a 3.5" disc (you can use the quick disc-copy of FutureOS for that).
- Second you take that 3.5" disc and put it into the drive of a real PC (that must have a disc drive)
- Third you use CPCDiscXP to read the 3.5" disc and create a .DSK file very comfortably.

The CPCDiscXP can be downloaded here:
http://www.cpcmania.com/ (http://www.cpcmania.com/)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 20:45, 20 October 13
Quote from: Nich on 21:29, 10 February 11
I haven't forgotten about it! I'm just taking a break from it at the moment.

Sorry for my first post being thread necromancy but did this project ever get completed? If not, is there any interest in continuing it? I'd love to get involved and see it through to completion.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 22:31, 21 October 13
Quote from: Zoe Robinson on 20:45, 20 October 13
Sorry for my first post being thread necromancy but did this project ever get completed? If not, is there any interest in continuing it? I'd love to get involved and see it through to completion.

Hi Zoe,

No the project gets little bites of the cherry here and there, you can find what's been done on this page (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/AA_Type_Ins).
The only problem with it is one has to type in all the type-ins from that issue and submit it there, the alternative which I've been doing (not so much with AA type-ins), is to type-in a program and sent it to CPC-Power (http://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=database), there you can find a huge database of programs. The idea there you can look up the Amstrad Action as the Publisher and see what programs are there.  :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Gryzor on 19:11, 22 October 13
...or, you know, keep it here instead of advertising rival sites.

Spoiler: ShowHide
j/k of course..



Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 19:44, 22 October 13
Thanks for the replies, guys. I've started working on the type-ins again, although I've not sent links or anything to the other site (yet?).


So far, I've only finished issue 24 (September 1987) (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_September_1987_Type-Ins). I'm rather impressed with the text editor that was in that issue - 800 lines for a decently-functioning text editor? Nice!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Bryce on 20:20, 22 October 13
I don't think I'd have the heart to type in one of those type-ins again. I'm still suffering from childhood memories of spending an entire weekend inputing meaningless Hexcode only to be presented with some obscure error message or an instant crash with no clue where the error might be (and usually it was a typo in the magazine).

Bryce.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 20:22, 22 October 13
Quote from: Bryce on 20:20, 22 October 13
I don't think I'd have the heart to type in one of those type-ins again. I'm still suffering from childhood memories of spending an entire weekend inputing meaningless Hexcode only to be presented with some obscure error message or an instant crash with no clue where the error might be (and usually it was a typo in the magazine).

Bryce.


I had a problem like that just today when the emulator I was using to generate the .dsk images crashed, taking the 800-line text editor from issue 24 with it. After that, I saved every 100 lines.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: TFM on 20:27, 22 October 13
Remembers me about one of my first games I ever typed in....


Worked on typing in a data loader for 3 and a half hours. Suddenly the electricity went off, the CPC did a reset and that was it! I got so mad I intended to throw the keyboard out of the window, but saw my parents there so I didn't do it.
Today I still save all the time ... and never did throw any keyboard btw... (Well, if I would have a c64... one can't know ;-))

Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Bryce on 20:30, 22 October 13
Quote from: Zoe Robinson on 20:22, 22 October 13

I had a problem like that just today when the emulator I was using to generate the .dsk images crashed, taking the 800-line text editor from issue 24 with it. After that, I saved every 100 lines.

That was the other problem. You'd save it to tape so that you could continue later and the bastard wouldn't load a day later and you had to start again.

Bryce.

Edit: Ooo, you've suddenly transformed from a wedding guest to being a tiger?
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Nich on 20:34, 22 October 13
Quote from: Zoe Robinson on 20:45, 20 October 13
Sorry for my first post being thread necromancy but did this project ever get completed? If not, is there any interest in continuing it? I'd love to get involved and see it through to completion.
It's a long way from being completed. A lot of the early issues have loads of type-ins in them, and nowadays I don't have the time to type them all in, test them and document all the bugs (and there are usually plenty of them).

I keep reminding myself to return to the project one day, but I never get a chance to do it! Maybe I'll try typing in the listings from later issues of Amstrad Action...
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Bryce on 20:36, 22 October 13
Can't you just OCR them?

Bryce.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 20:51, 22 October 13
Quote from: Nich on 20:34, 22 October 13
It's a long way from being completed.


By my calculations, it's 24% complete [issues 1-24 are done, as are 102-105; making 28 out of 117 issues completed]. That's pretty good going.


Quote from: Nich on 20:34, 22 October 13
A lot of the early issues have loads of type-ins in them, and nowadays I don't have the time to type them all in, test them and document all the bugs (and there are usually plenty of them).


I decided to skip documentation and just make sure the programs run, so I could get stuff uploaded quicker. I'll document later. :)

Quote from: Nich on 20:34, 22 October 13
I keep reminding myself to return to the project one day, but I never get a chance to do it! Maybe I'll try typing in the listings from later issues of Amstrad Action...


Cool. :D
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 20:56, 22 October 13
As an aside, whoever decided on the colour scheme for issue 25's type-ins pages needs a slap. Grey-on-grey? Really? *sighs*
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Bryce on 21:04, 22 October 13
They always seemed to have a bad choice of colours or even worse a picture behind the code?? I mean wtf? Was it meant to be some sort of protection against photocopying?

Bryce.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 22:03, 22 October 13
Quote from: Bryce on 21:04, 22 October 13
Was it meant to be some sort of protection against photocopying?
Oooh, good point! I hadn't considered that...

Edited to remove some weird 'size' codes that had crept in...
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: TFM on 22:28, 22 October 13
Come on for us colorblind, they used perfect color schemes.  ;)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 08:55, 23 October 13
Quote from: TFM on 22:28, 22 October 13
Come on for us colorblind, they used perfect color schemes.  ;)


They cater pretty well to us deafies, too.  :D
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 09:54, 23 October 13
Quote from: Bryce on 20:20, 22 October 13
I don't think I'd have the heart to type in one of those type-ins again. I'm still suffering from childhood memories of spending an entire weekend inputing meaningless Hexcode only to be presented with some obscure error message or an instant crash with no clue where the error might be (and usually it was a typo in the magazine).

Bryce.

You should have seen "Extended Basic Graphics Routines (http://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&num=6170)" program from "Your Computer" magazine. You type-in a small Hex Loader program and then you type in the Machine Code line by line, the good thing about that program was after you typed in the Machine Code you entered the Checksum number and if it was wrong you would have to enter that line again, which I thought was clever cause you could easily check to make sure if it was correct.  :D The "Alpine Road Race (http://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&num=6177)" Game from the same magazine was also similar to type in, though it had a bit more BASIC to it as well.

My worse experience (as well as Nich Campbell's I think), well for me at least was typing in 10 Lines of Uuencode for a Tetris game. At the time I only had a 464, so couldn't send for a Disc and the worse thing about that was the game work much better with the Caps Lock On so you could move the blocks Left of something, for a long time I thought there was something wrong with the program, though as it turned out I had correctly entered almost straight away.  :o
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 10:08, 23 October 13
Quote from: Zoe Robinson on 19:44, 22 October 13
Thanks for the replies, guys. I've started working on the type-ins again, although I've not sent links or anything to the other site (yet?).


So far, I've only finished issue 24 (September 1987) (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_September_1987_Type-Ins). I'm rather impressed with the text editor that was in that issue - 800 lines for a decently-functioning text editor? Nice!

I made another little thread here (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/programming/interesting-type-ins/) which has a couple of AA type-ins on it too though I simply made it to highlight some interesting programs which might off fallen under the radar over the years, even though one of the games I have there is perhaps better known, I think I only put it there cause it had some tricky BASIC 1.1 stuff in it which I rewritten to appear the same on a 464.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Gryzor on 18:41, 23 October 13
Regarding the colour scheme used in magazines, I think the reason might have been simple: back then magazines didn't always have colour pages throughout. When they were laying out the pages, pasting pieces of paper together, they didn't always know if it was going to be colour or not. Of course it's still not justifiable - they should have assumed the worst, but there you have it. Instead of grey on grey they may have intended for glorious red on green or something.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 19:07, 23 October 13
Issue 25 is now typed-in and available on the wiki (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_October_1987_Type-Ins). Due to the limitations of MacCPC (it didn't like loading files using BASIC and didn't like RSXes), I haven't been able to test this one as thoroughly as the last one, so if you try it out and spot any problems please let me know so I can fix them.

I'm going to keep going through these issues until they are done but I'm aiming for one issue a day during the week, maybe two a day at weekends, depending on free time; so it may be a while before they are all online. :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Gryzor on 19:08, 23 October 13
Aren't you awesome :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 20:26, 23 October 13
Ego enhancement detected!  :laugh:

Seriously though, I'm happy to help out and this is a fairly straightforward way to do it.

By the way, does anyone have that little type-ins booklet that came with (I think) AA 64? It was small, had a green cover and the intro text waffled on about how to make it Christmas every day? If so, could you scan it or take pictures of the pages or something, so we can add that to the type-ins pool as well? I seem to have lost my copy in my last house move. :(
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Gryzor on 20:33, 23 October 13
Quote from: Zoe RobinsonEgo enhancement detected!


Real Woman Test (TM) passed :D
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Nich on 21:38, 23 October 13
Quote from: Zoe Robinson on 20:26, 23 October 13
By the way, does anyone have that little type-ins booklet that came with (I think) AA 64? It was small, had a green cover and the intro text waffled on about how to make it Christmas every day? If so, could you scan it or take pictures of the pages or something, so we can add that to the type-ins pool as well? I seem to have lost my copy in my last house move. :(
This booklet came with issue 76 of Amstrad Action. I have a copy of it (which was very kindly donated to me by CPCManiaco, as I have also lost my own original copy).

If I get a chance to start working on the type-ins project again, this will have to be my first job! :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 00:59, 24 October 13
Quote from: Nich on 21:38, 23 October 13
This booklet came with issue 76 of Amstrad Action. I have a copy of it (which was very kindly donated to me by CPCManiaco, as I have also lost my own original copy).


Wow, it's a lot newer than I thought, then! No wonder I couldn't find a copy on my Google searches. :)

Quote from: Nich on 21:38, 23 October 13
If I get a chance to start working on the type-ins project again, this will have to be my first job! :)


Yay! :D
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: 00WReX on 03:19, 24 October 13
Nice work on the Issue 24 & 25 type-ins and the additional updates to the wiki AA pages.  8)

Cheers,
Shane
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 04:49, 24 October 13
Quote from: Nich on 21:38, 23 October 13
This booklet came with issue 76 of Amstrad Action. I have a copy of it (which was very kindly donated to me by CPCManiaco, as I have also lost my own original copy).

If I get a chance to start working on the type-ins project again, this will have to be my first job! :)

Explains why I don't recall this Booklet because I originally missed out on AA76, I only recall the Booklet which came with AA56 which was a sample of the Cheat Mode 2 Book they were flogging.

AA73 I thought has some interesting programs in it, though I guess it would look funny to have AA25 followed by AA73, might be better to send those programs to CPC-Power.  :D
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 12:36, 24 October 13
Quote from: AMSDOS on 04:49, 24 October 13
AA73 I thought has some interesting programs in it, though I guess it would look funny to have AA25 followed by AA73, might be better to send those programs to CPC-Power.  :D

The scans of AA26's type-ins are very difficult to read so maybe I'll do AA73 next, unless someone else gets there first. :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Nich on 18:47, 24 October 13
Quote from: AMSDOS on 04:49, 24 October 13
AA73 I thought has some interesting programs in it, though I guess it would look funny to have AA25 followed by AA73, might be better to send those programs to CPC-Power.  :D
It isn't necessary for us to complete each issue in chronological order!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 21:34, 24 October 13
It's good to see the old BASIC Art on the Wiki  :D

You might want to do a search for the Quick Format Program cause I know I've posted it on the forum in the past - might save you some typing.

You might want check out CPC-Power just in case they have something on there which is complete.  :D
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 17:16, 25 October 13
I'm going to have a look around for programs that are already typed in, so they can be loaded into this project. To that end, I'll be spending the next couple of hours trying to get together all the type-ins from the AA covertapes, so we have those ready to work with. :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 17:28, 25 October 13
Oookay... copying the type-ins off the covertape project will not be happening. The covertapes I've managed to find are all .cdt files and while it's nice to hear the old loading noise again (as a side note, wow those emulators play loading noises loudly! Even I could hear them and I'm mostly deaf these days), it will actually be quicker to type in most of these programs than it will be to find them on the damn tapes.

Still, it was worth a try! :D
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 18:02, 25 October 13
Quick question for you guys. I'm typing in "Watch" from AA73 and I have no idea what line 110 says. Can you help?

(http://www.allmousemedia.com/extras/typein.png)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: TFM on 18:04, 25 October 13
|TSET
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Gryzor on 18:19, 25 October 13
It's one of those listings that actually have checksums. You can use the checksum generator (anyone has a link)? To see which variation produces the correct code...
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Nich on 19:46, 25 October 13
Quote from: Zoe Robinson on 18:02, 25 October 13
Quick question for you guys. I'm typing in "Watch" from AA73 and I have no idea what line 110 says. Can you help?
The RSX should read |TSET, but lines 110 and 120 have been mangled. A correction was published in AA75. Lines 110 and 120 should read:

110 PRINT "|TSET,{h},{m},{s} - Set the time."
120 PRINT "|ASET,{h},{m},{s} - Set the alarm."


Clearly AA's typesetting didn't like the use of curly brackets!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 20:00, 25 October 13
Thanks, guys!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 15:40, 26 October 13
The type-ins from AA73 are now available (http://cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_October_1991_Type-Ins). This takes us to 26% completion. :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 18:37, 26 October 13
AA108 (http://cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_September_1994_Type-Ins) - the last issue with the type-ins section - is now also online. This takes us to 29% completion. :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 22:03, 26 October 13
Quote from: Zoe Robinson on 15:40, 26 October 13
The type-ins from AA73 are now available (http://cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_October_1991_Type-Ins). This takes us to 26% completion. :)

Hmmm, that's interesting that a 6128 needs to be in TAPE mode for Watch to run.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 23:27, 26 October 13
Quote from: AMSDOS on 22:03, 26 October 13
Hmmm, that's interesting that a 6128 needs to be in TAPE mode for Watch to run.


Yup. Weird. What's more, I don't see why it's necessary.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 10:08, 27 October 13
Quote from: Zoe Robinson on 23:27, 26 October 13

Yup. Weird. What's more, I don't see why it's necessary.

I'd have to disassemble the Machine Code to see what it's doing though I cannot guarantee I'd find something to explain it, I'm guessing at the moment it's using some firmware CAS instruction for some reason. How did you find out the program needed to be in Tape mode?
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 10:26, 27 October 13
Quote from: AMSDOS on 10:08, 27 October 13
I'd have to disassemble the Machine Code to see what it's doing though I cannot guarantee I'd find something to explain it, I'm guessing at the moment it's using some firmware CAS instruction for some reason. How did you find out the program needed to be in Tape mode?


The explanatory text in the issue said it needed to be.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: redbox on 12:04, 27 October 13
Quote from: Zoe Robinson on 10:26, 27 October 13
The explanatory text in the issue said it needed to be.

The program starts at &BE58 and CALL to execute it is at &BF3D.

This over-rides parts of memory on a 6128 that deal with AMSDOS (the disc operating system).  The disc motor flag is at &BE5F and the area at &BE7F is used by AMSDOS to copy routines into RAM for running.

This would explain the strange behaviour you're experiencing and why AMSDOS needs to be turned off for it to run.  I expect the program was written by the author on a 464 and not tested on a 6128 before submitting it.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 12:38, 27 October 13
That would explain a lot. Thank you. :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 13:19, 27 October 13
I've started porting the cassette files for AA covertapes to disk files, so type-ins should speed up for a while since most of them from AA80 onwards went onto the cover tapes. :)

The type-ins for AA78 are now online (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_March_1992_Type-Ins).
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: redbox on 13:35, 27 October 13
Quote from: Zoe Robinson on 13:19, 27 October 13
The type-ins for AA78 are now online (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_March_1992_Type-Ins).

It's quite weird seeing the screenshots and remembering the programs having typed them over 20 years ago  :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 13:42, 27 October 13
Quote from: redbox on 13:35, 27 October 13
It's quite weird seeing the screenshots and remembering the programs having typed them over 20 years ago  :)

I know the feeling. That last set, from AA78, really beat me with the nostalgia stick.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Gryzor on 17:28, 27 October 13
What on earth does the Oscilloscope do? :D
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 18:21, 27 October 13
Quote from: Gryzor on 17:28, 27 October 13
What on earth does the Oscilloscope do? :D

It displays the (sine?) wave of any sound files played through the tape deck, including software.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 18:25, 27 October 13
Nich Campbell has uploaded the type-ins from the "Christmas Crackers" booklet that came with AA76 (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_January_1992_Type-Ins), and also scans of the booklet itself.

Ah, the nostalgia. I lost hours playing Magazine Editor and must have lost days playing (and modding) Star Dodger. :)

Also, Nich, you're one of the Durge lot? Small world. I lurked in that group from '99-2000, started posting in 2001. Fun times. Do you venture into the IRC channel much?
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Nich on 19:01, 27 October 13
Quote from: Zoe Robinson on 18:25, 27 October 13
Also, Nich, you're one of the Durge lot? Small world. I lurked in that group from '99-2000, started posting in 2001. Fun times. Do you venture into the IRC channel much?
Yes, I am a durger, but I have never used the IRC channel (or any form of IRC). I'll send you an e-mail.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 19:17, 27 October 13
The type-ins for issue 79 (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_April_1992_Type-Ins) are now online. :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: redbox on 19:19, 27 October 13
Quote from: Zoe Robinson on 18:21, 27 October 13
It displays the (sine?) wave of any sound files played through the tape deck, including software.

That's cool, I was thinking about writing something like this to incorporate into a music playback routine and now thanks to a type-in there's the framework for one :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 19:20, 27 October 13
Quote from: redbox on 19:19, 27 October 13
That's cool, I was thinking about writing something like this to incorporate into a music playback routine and now thanks to a type-in there's the framework for one :)

That's what I love about type-ins. They're a huge repository for things you want to do yourself but haven't gotten around to yet (and now don't have to). :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 19:40, 27 October 13
The type-ins from AA issue 80 (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_May_1992_Type-Ins) are now online.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Gryzor on 18:34, 28 October 13
I had typed in some of the programs supposedly reacting to audio from tape, but they never worked... I was convinced it's really just impossible and the idea was a dead one.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: EgoTrip on 16:07, 06 November 13
I've done some type-ins for issues 40-45. They will need bug testing, although all the machine code programs are typed in correctly.

I will work on more when I get some time.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 00:28, 20 June 14
Quote from: EgoTrip on 16:07, 06 November 13
I've done some type-ins for issues 40-45. They will need bug testing, although all the machine code programs are typed in correctly.

I will work on more when I get some time.


Cool. Thank you. Sorry I didn't reply sooner, I've been away.


I'm hoping to have some more free time to work on these type-ins myself, too. Fingers crossed that the project can be finished by the end of the year. :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Gryzor on 07:02, 20 June 14
Oh, hey Zoe, welcome back! :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 09:18, 20 June 14
Thanks! It's good to be back. :D
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 22:57, 29 January 16
First of all apologies for the thread necromancy  :-[

I stumbled across this thread while looking for a few particular type ins and wanted to lend a hand. I'll PM Gryzor directly about how to add contributions to the wiki but in the meantime I have done what Zoe intended i.e. take the type ins from the covertapes and save to .dsk files.

I've done issues 81-89 with the exception of 88 and 83, because 83 was an exact reprint of 82's type-ins section!  :picard:

Maybe 2016 will be the year of the completed AA Type-Ins wiki!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 03:21, 30 January 16
Thank you for doing this, it's much appreciated!  ;D
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Gryzor on 18:36, 31 January 16
hey @robbarton (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=1172) ! No PM received here... :) Let me know whenever and I'll be glad to help you!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 19:40, 02 February 16
PM sent this time!  :)

My plan is to do AA88 and then go back to earlier issues; this type ins thread contains some links from CPCIak (AA101, AA106, AA107) and Egotrip (AA40-AA45) but that content doesn't seem to have made it to the wiki.

I'm happy to provide the content in the form of text files and screenshots if someone can advise how to turn it into wiki pages.

Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 21:52, 02 February 16
Yeah, there were a few things that never made it onto the Wiki for various reasons; mostly due to me having so little time to deal with it all of a sudden.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 22:41, 03 February 16
@Gryzor (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=1) - not sure if you got my PM?

Is this the best place to upload the files for the wiki? Please educate me if adding to this thread isn't the best way to do this:

4 x zip files, each containing: 1 x DSK image, 1 x text file, and screenshots of each program.

AA101, AA106, AA107
These are all CPCIAK's work except the text files

AA88
This one is my work (hopefully no typo's!  ::) ) Maybe some kind souls will take a look and iron out the bugs!

More to come, just need to do some screenshots.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Gryzor on 14:12, 05 February 16
Thanks so much mate :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Johnny Olsen on 11:38, 06 February 16
Quote
AA88
This one is my work (hopefully no typo's!  ::) ) Maybe some kind souls will take a look and iron out the bugs!

No need to do it the hard way, use Pat McDonalds typewriter.
type-writer &copy amstrad action (1989) (http://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&num=10932)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: EgoTrip on 14:46, 06 February 16
If someone wants to buy me a new laptop I can do some more, as well as finish off my game.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 23:29, 09 February 16
I have finally worked out how to upload to the wiki and get the screenshots and disc images to link. It seems my use of Noscript on Firefox was somewhat hampering the experience  :picard:

Now that's out of the way, I have added wiki pages for AA issues 81-88, 101, 106, 107.

The plan is to do issue 77, then  issues 89-100 so that the run from 76 to the end is complete.

Please enjoy these type ins and share any feedback.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 16:49, 11 February 16
I've added more pages to the wiki: type-ins from AA42, 43, 44 and 89.

I have now added the last few bits of "low hanging fruit" to the Type Ins wiki (i.e. other people's hard work). My task now is to knuckle down to the rest!

Obviously the speed of edits to the wiki is going to slow down for a while as I enter the programs (have been copying and pasting from PDFs and correcting the OCR, going via notepad into Winape), but I'll try to post stuff progressively rather than wait until it's all done. The inertia is overcome, now to keep up the momentum!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 18:00, 13 February 16
Following an earlier suggestion, I have gone through scans of AA issues 27-100 and listed each type in and author. Then I cross-referenced that against CPC Power and got what they had from the list.

I have uploaded AA52 and AA97 now.

I've got another source of type-in files that I need to check but hopefully some of these will be on the list and I'll be able to tick off a few more issues.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Gryzor on 18:15, 13 February 16
Thanks for your hard work mate :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 19:04, 13 February 16
Quote from: robbarton on 16:49, 11 February 16
have been copying and pasting from PDFs and correcting the OCR, going via notepad into Winape)


You've been what?  :o


Do you mean to say I was typing in all these things the hard way?  :'(


:picard2: :picard2: :picard2: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :picard: :picard: :picard:
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 20:45, 13 February 16
Quote from: Zoe Robinson on 19:04, 13 February 16

You've been what?  :o


Do you mean to say I was typing in all these things the hard way?  :'(


:picard2: :picard2: :picard2: :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: :picard: :picard: :picard:


Typing in by hand is the honourable and correct way to do it  :) , not the cheeky shortcut way that I have been employing!

Anyway the OCR is terrible on some of the scans so pretty often I end up retyping a line quicker than editing it. However it's great to be able to do a search-replace on G0T0, F0R etc. where the letter o has OCR'd as a zero.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 22:15, 13 February 16
Just had a look at a Text Version of AA44 Type-ins page on Archive.org, this was the one of the few programs I could understand, but there's errors galore!


Quote

Binary loader


A short'risweet program from Shabaz Yousaf that can load in
any binary rue, at any address {only works from tape). After
you've done this, by typing


PSXMT HEX${PEEKr.SB030)+FEEK(SBQ31)*25fi)


you can find o-i~ just where the oode is trying to go.


If you ve ever tried exploring code without being sure just
where it's supposed 10 go. yon should find this very useful,
especially for low loading programs that are tricky to handle
from Basic.






1 ' Binary Loader


2 ' By Shabaz Yousaf


3 ■ For Amstrad Action 27 Septsube* 19B8


4 ' Press TAB to load any binary file.


5 ' Type PRINT BEX? (PEEK (6B03Q)+FEEK(*B031)*256)


6 ' to find LOAD addrass-


7 <


10 FOR i=£BO00 ttO £B02F:READ a?:P0KE i, VAL("A"+aS)


: NEXT: CALL 4B000
20 DATA 01, f f, SI, 11, Oc.bO, 21, 32,^,03^0, be, 3ft, 44


,cd, le
30 DATA lijfea^l^OO^COfi.OO^l^O.^Ccd,!?,^,^!


,53,30
40 DATA b0,fi2 r 6b.cd,83 r bc,cd,7a,bc.c9,*<,53 1 6b,7$


,38,38
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 19:47, 14 February 16
@ AMSDOS: yes, that is a perfect example - I can read a PDF of the scanned AA page and understand what variables etc are being used (and I'm not even 1% of a programmer) but the OCR on some of the pages is really bad and unusable. I think it must have something to do with either the scanner resolution or the software that was used.

I've uploaded AA40, 60 and 66 today. Only 52 issues to go!  ;D I suppose that makes the completion 50.5% (53 of 105 issues as 1, 2 and 83 had no (unique) type-ins).
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: ukmarkh on 23:57, 14 February 16

Amstrad Action: Type In Christmas Cracker!

https://www.facebook.com/ClassicReplayOfficial/photos/pcb.425582047647298/425581274314042/?type=3&theater (https://www.facebook.com/ClassicReplayOfficial/photos/pcb.425582047647298/425581274314042/?type=3&theater)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 10:30, 17 February 16
For the benefit of anyone who hasn't clicked the link, the type-ins in the Christmas Crackers booklet are:

Type-Writer (Pat McDonald)
Magazine Editor (Johnnie Chan) Jul 88
Treasure Hunt (Benedict Garrett) Sep 88
Text Editor (Mark Bonshor) Sep 87
Ripples (David Carter)
Fireworks (Johnnie Chan)
Landscapes (Martyn Harrison) Feb 87
Snowstorm (Shaun Garrad) Jan 87
Dalivre (SKULL DATRSMA PD) 1991
Star Dodger (Rajiv Gatha) Jun 87
Synth (Alastair Scott) Mar 87
Merlin (David Hall) 1991

All of the above were previously published in AA and most of them are downloadable from the wiki!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 10:48, 17 February 16
AA issues 39 and 48 now uploaded.

The observant among you will have noticed that I have changed plan of attack - instead of doing the issues sequentially I got even lazier than before and have sorted the issues into number of type-ins to complete per issue. I'll work upwards from the issues with just 2 to do until I get to the issues with 8 in them!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 11:08, 17 February 16
Quote from: robbarton on 10:48, 17 February 16
AA issues 39 and 48 now uploaded.

The observant among you will have noticed that I have changed plan of attack - instead of doing the issues sequentially I got even lazier than before and have sorted the issues into number of type-ins to complete per issue. I'll work upwards from the issues with just 2 to do until I get to the issues with 8 in them!


I trust the Module Designer from AA48 is complete with missing bit of code that was posted in AA49.  :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: ukmarkh on 14:15, 17 February 16
Quote from: robbarton on 10:30, 17 February 16
For the benefit of anyone who hasn't clicked the link, the type-ins in the Christmas Crackers booklet are:

Type-Writer (Pat McDonald)
Magazine Editor (Johnnie Chan) Jul 88
Treasure Hunt (Benedict Garrett) Sep 88
Text Editor (Mark Bonshor) Sep 87
Ripples (David Carter)
Fireworks (Johnnie Chan)
Landscapes (Martyn Harrison) Feb 87
Snowstorm (Shaun Garrad) Jan 87
Dalivre (SKULL DATRSMA PD) 1991
Star Dodger (Rajiv Gatha) Jun 87
Synth (Alastair Scott) Mar 87
Merlin (David Hall) 1991

All of the above were previously published in AA and most of them are downloadable from the wiki!


Just trying to help the cause, thanks for the list  ;)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 21:36, 28 February 16
Quote from: AMSDOS on 11:08, 17 February 16

I trust the Module Designer from AA48 is complete with missing bit of code that was posted in AA49.  :)


You raise a good point here. I have added the missing line that was provided in AA49.

While going through the issues to list type-ins and authors, I made a note if there was an amendment to an earlier type-in. Then when I typed in others I went straight to the corrections and rolled them in too. All the versions that I upload will have the corrections from later issues included.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 22:03, 28 February 16
Well done with these. The list is looking good these days! :D
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 10:40, 29 February 16
Quote from: robbarton on 21:36, 28 February 16

You raise a good point here. I have added the missing line that was provided in AA49.


I might of mentioned it in the past, AA48 was the issue I could of brought from my newsagent at the time, but didn't. Because I was young at the time starting to type in Lengthy Listings from Magazines, but I had this funny idea I needed the Type-writer program from AA45 to get programs to work! AA46 & AA47 were running a Series called Discourse I think, which didn't have the Checksum alongside the Line Number, but when AA48 came out, that had finished, leaving this large Pat McDonald program full of that code, so decided not to get it. As it turned out I missed AA49 because my Newsagent always seemed to miss Birthday Issues, so in a way, I would of had an incomplete program.  :D


Sometime in that period, my brother must of typed in one of the programs which had the Checksum codes beside it and said I didn't need the Typewriter program, and the program (the Interlace Demo from AA46 I think) worked just fine. So started collecting AA50 onwards.

QuoteWhile going through the issues to list type-ins and authors, I made a note if there was an amendment to an earlier type-in. Then when I typed in others I went straight to the corrections and rolled them in too. All the versions that I upload will have the corrections from later issues included.


Yeah it can be a tricky business, when I began collecting AA magazines, solutions to problematic type-ins were printed in their Forum, Pat McDonalds Sprite Definer from AA43 had someone with their amendments published in AA46 & they also printed a correction to Typewriter  :D  And I guess some programs never got a solution like the Snake Game in AA68, which loaded some critical Binary from a Disc for the Game, I guess the author was hoping it would be on the AA Covertape. And then there's programs like Bounce from AA58, which was a game which stored Hi-scores to Disc, which had solutions published for it (in Forum I think), so 464 users could play the game from Tape.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 22:18, 05 April 16
Uploaded type ins for AA issues 41, 45, 46 and 47 today so another four chalked off the list.

Been busy with some non-CPC things these past six weeks but I'm back on track now  :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 00:54, 06 April 16
Quote from: robbarton on 22:18, 05 April 16
Uploaded type ins for AA issues 41, 45, 46 and 47 today so another four chalked off the list.

Been busy with some non-CPC things these past six weeks but I'm back on track now  :)


Welcome back.  :)


Wasn't sure if you picked up the fault with the Symboliser program from AA46. It works fine on a 464, but not so well on a 6128, which is due to a little technical difference with TXT RD CHAR (&BB60) on those systems. The problem is while a Firmware exists for it, the BASIC command was never made for BASIC 1.0, which is what the small bit Machine Code does in Symboliser. So think what happens in BASIC 1.1 is you can plot a filled square, but as soon as you move your cursor, the character reverts to its original unfilled square. On a 464 those filled squares remained filled.  :) 


I made a few alterations to Symboliser (so it works on all computers), if you want me to add it on that page, I just need to hunt it down though.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 18:53, 06 April 16
Quote from: AMSDOS on 00:54, 06 April 16

Welcome back.  :)


Wasn't sure if you picked up the fault with the Symboliser program from AA46. It works fine on a 464, but not so well on a 6128, which is due to a little technical difference with TXT RD CHAR (&BB60) on those systems. The problem is while a Firmware exists for it, the BASIC command was never made for BASIC 1.0, which is what the small bit Machine Code does in Symboliser. So think what happens in BASIC 1.1 is you can plot a filled square, but as soon as you move your cursor, the character reverts to its original unfilled square. On a 464 those filled squares remained filled.  :) 


I made a few alterations to Symboliser (so it works on all computers), if you want me to add it on that page, I just need to hunt it down though.

Thanks AMSDOS, I didn't pick up on that fault - I have only typed the listings and taken into account any corrections published in later issues of AA. I've tried to make a note on the wiki pages where the listing is only for Disk/6128/Green screen etc. to guide people who are looking at programs that they are unfamiliar with.

If you were able to find the modified (improved) version then that would be very useful - no rush - and in the meantime I will mark the wiki so as not to inadvertently annoy 464 users!

This is one of the strengths of the wiki, improving the original listings and having many eyes looking over the listings.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 12:12, 07 April 16

Quote from: robbarton on 18:53, 06 April 16
Thanks AMSDOS, I didn't pick up on that fault - I have only typed the listings and taken into account any corrections published in later issues of AA. I've tried to make a note on the wiki pages where the listing is only for Disk/6128/Green screen etc. to guide people who are looking at programs that they are unfamiliar with.


Yes I think in that situation, no corrections were made for Shabaz Yousaf's Symboliser, I don't recall seeing any in AA48 or AA49 in more recent times and back then (in 1989) lots of Character Redefining programs had been written, AA even had one going back to it's early issues, which is also in the Wiki.


QuoteIf you were able to find the modified (improved) version then that would be very useful - no rush - and in the meantime I will mark the wiki so as not to inadvertently annoy 464 users!


It's actually a 464 program rather than an 6128 program, which maybe another reason why no-one picked up the fault. Unfortunately I didn't explain the role of the Machine Code from the Symboliser program properly.
What the M/C does is read what is at the cursor current text position and returns a numerical value (representing an ASCII value).
On a 464 there is a critical difference which changes when Amstrad brought out the 664/6128 with BASIC 1.1.
In BASIC 1.1 there's copychr$(#0) which makes it 664/6128 only, copychr$(#0) works on TXT RD CHAR (&BB60), but returns the result as a String, though that's not the critical difference cause under the Firmware TXT RD CHAR (&BB60) still returns the ASCII values. 
What appears to have changed is the colours characters appear in, but on a 464 it doesn't care what the colour characters onscreen are in and reports what's there regardless. Though with BASIC 1.1, the colour of an character onscreen has become a big deal, but gets treated as nothing if it doesn't know the right PEN colour for that particular position, which is where headaches have occurred concerning TXT RD CHAR.


With Symboliser in particular, you can setup your Emulator to 464 mode, so when the program runs, you can use your cursor keys to move around the 8x8 square & TAB to plot a Red Point, move your cursor away from that spot and you will see a Red Square, but if you go back over it your cursor will cover over that spot, but if you move away, the red square will still be there. On a 6128 what happens is initially you can do all those things up to the point where you move your cursor over the Fill in Red Square and it disappears!


QuoteThis is one of the strengths of the wiki, improving the original listings and having many eyes looking over the listings.


Good news is I found my modified version of Symboliser which works on all CPC, so you can compare the old program with my altered program on a 6128 and see how your edits in the 8x8 grid will stay the same. I'll attach the file here for you to put on the Type-ins page.


In case your interested, you may want to check out the program I made a couple of years ago in this post (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/programming/basic-programming-tips/msg81806/#msg81806), it's a little bit different from the problem Symboliser has, but demonstrates how a change in PEN colour returns a different result on the different CPCs & the example I made also looks at Graphics, which is also something TXT RD CHAR can handle.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 19:48, 18 April 16
I've uploaded AA issues 49 and 61 to the wiki today, and edited issue 46's page to add the modified version of Symboliser that will work on all cpcs.

By my reckoning that's 63 of 108 now uploaded = about 58%

I'll try to keep it ticking over but now that I'm actually, you know, having to TYPE IN the type ins  ;D , the productivity rate has plummeted!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 01:03, 20 April 16
Quote from: robbarton on 19:48, 18 April 16
I've uploaded AA issues 49 and 61 to the wiki today, and edited issue 46's page to add the modified version of Symboliser that will work on all cpcs.


Thanks for that. Hope you don't mind, I've done a little edit on the AA46 Type-ins page. The Symboliser program is 464 only (yes it does occur), also the Interlace Demo does work on a Colour Monitor, just not as well as a Green Screen, so rather by saying Green Screen only, I've said Green Screen Recommended. We had a discussion about Interlace a few years ago on here and Kev was able to demonstrate that Interlace was possible on a Colour monitor, I think it was merely a matter of generating some very optimised code.




Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 21:48, 24 April 16
I don't mind the edits at all - I see this whole endeavour as a community effort and none of the code is mine (except the typos  :) ).

Uploaded issue 27 tonight - 7 programs. Again one of them (Home Accountant) has the corrections from AA29 included in the code.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 13:33, 30 April 16
Updated the wiki with typeins for issue AA63. One more done!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Gryzor on 14:11, 05 May 16
Thanks for the effort, guys!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 11:37, 09 May 16
Quote from: robbarton on 13:33, 30 April 16
Updated the wiki with typeins for issue AA63. One more done!


I'm not sure what was happening with that wiki page, the link for it was appearing as Red, even though the page existed. I went into edit and previewed the page which seemed to fixed this, but I'm unsure if it's a glitch in the Wiki or if my browser is a culprit, which would simply mean  nobody else is having that problem.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Gryzor on 12:24, 09 May 16
There's no edit by you, only by Zoe, so I'd say it was your cache.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 12:36, 09 May 16
I've not touched the wiki for a while now so whatever's going on, it's not an edit conflict.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Gryzor on 12:54, 09 May 16
Nope, don't worry about it :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 08:41, 10 May 16
Quote from: Gryzor on 12:24, 09 May 16
There's no edit by you, only by Zoe, so I'd say it was your cache.


Hmm, that's odd since @robbarton (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=1172) created that page (AA63 Typeins), I previewed the page & saved it, which didn't register. Normally I'm cleaning out the cache which I felt would of sorted out that Red Page Link, but nobody else has mentioned it (surely I'm not the only person looking at this stuff?), so can only presume it's the cache.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 11:56, 30 May 16
@ AMSDOS: I have the same issue with the cache, i.e. if I edit an issue that has never been changed before then when I return to the list the link still shows red. I have been clicking to edit the list then saving with no changes and that updates for me. It's probably not the right way to do it but it works for me. I'm on Firefox 46.0 if that makes any difference.

Update - uploaded issues 28 and 29 today.

Back on track with about 39 issues to go. Even though I'd like to fill in the gaps (100, 77, etc.) I have realised that the older AA scans seem to have OCR'd better so they are easier and quicker for me to convert. Therefore I'm going up sequentially. I reckon if I can do two issues a week then I should be done by the end of the year...  :)

Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 12:31, 30 May 16
Quote from: robbarton on 11:56, 30 May 16
@ AMSDOS: I have the same issue with the cache, i.e. if I edit an issue that has never been changed before then when I return to the list the link still shows red. I have been clicking to edit the list then saving with no changes and that updates for me. It's probably not the right way to do it but it works for me. I'm on Firefox 46.0 if that makes any difference.


Yes, I think I was clicking on the Edit page with the Red Link and saving it as well. I'm using a very new version of Safari, it doesn't appear to have a storage Cache or one which one can simply empty, under Preferences, Privacy though it has an option to Clear out the Cookies & Website Data, which is probably where the Cache resides.

QuoteUpdate - uploaded issues 28 and 29 today.


Good one. :)

QuoteBack on track with about 39 issues to go. Even though I'd like to fill in the gaps (100, 77, etc.) I have realised that the older AA scans seem to have OCR'd better so they are easier and quicker for me to convert. Therefore I'm going up sequentially. I reckon if I can do two issues a week then I should be done by the end of the year...  :)


:)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 17:38, 12 June 16
Uploaded issues 30 and 31 to the wiki today.
I reckon that's now 69 complete / 37 to do (about 65% complete?)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Gryzor on 13:35, 15 June 16
Lovely,lovely stuff :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 14:51, 18 June 16
Had Thursday off work for... well really it was for England v Wales but I used the time before and after the match productively.

Now uploaded issues 32, 33, 34 to the wiki.

I had problems with a few of the listings that required the use of lateral thinking - who puts GOTO 180 on three separate lines then doesn't even have a line 180 in the code?!  ???
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 23:05, 18 June 16
Quote from: robbarton on 17:38, 12 June 16
Uploaded issues 30 and 31 to the wiki today.


Hmmm, that's interesting the Hacker program from AA30 got republished in AA43.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 23:52, 18 June 16
Quote from: robbarton on 14:51, 18 June 16I had problems with a few of the listings that required the use of lateral thinking - who puts GOTO 180 on three separate lines then doesn't even have a line 180 in the code?!  ???



Might of been a comment line that got deleted? AA50 Type-ins had the same problems (particularly the Fracland program), think it was Adam Warning's 1st time at Type-ins, but I can understand their dilemma of having to get a program to fit onto an A4 page, which would range from meeting deadlines, getting a program to fit with other programs, limited pages allocated and trying to fill in a whole page of programs, no wonder they were saying to try and keep your programs as small as possible and of course they would of loved small programs for the odd corner that needed filling because someone's program took 95% of a page!  :D


Interesting to compare that Lean Letters program to my Condensed Text program. The differences I've noticed is the use of ORIGIN to place the characters, I'm using MOVE and have placed a formula for working out the position of XPOS.
I didn't do anything with YPOS funnily enough, the top left corner starting at 398 and the following lines down can be worked out with 398-(YPOS*16), with YPOS having a value between 1 to 24 and 0 is used for working out the top.
It's a shame the Lean Letters program doesn't assign a variable string for the user to place their words into, in that circumstance they would of needed to use MID$ to place the appropriate characters, but still I guess it's author was happy to see their program get expanded on, AA used to do that from time to time back then.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 20:28, 23 June 16
Quote from: AMSDOS on 23:52, 18 June 16



Might of been a comment line that got deleted? AA50 Type-ins had the same problems (particularly the Fracland program), think it was Adam Warning's 1st time at Type-ins, but I can understand their dilemma of having to get a program to fit onto an A4 page, which would range from meeting deadlines, getting a program to fit with other programs, limited pages allocated and trying to fill in a whole page of programs, no wonder they were saying to try and keep your programs as small as possible and of course they would of loved small programs for the odd corner that needed filling because someone's program took 95% of a page!  :D


Interesting to compare that Lean Letters program to my Condensed Text program. The differences I've noticed is the use of ORIGIN to place the characters, I'm using MOVE and have placed a formula for working out the position of XPOS.
I didn't do anything with YPOS funnily enough, the top left corner starting at 398 and the following lines down can be worked out with 398-(YPOS*16), with YPOS having a value between 1 to 24 and 0 is used for working out the top.
It's a shame the Lean Letters program doesn't assign a variable string for the user to place their words into, in that circumstance they would of needed to use MID$ to place the appropriate characters, but still I guess it's author was happy to see their program get expanded on, AA used to do that from time to time back then.



Oh my word - Fracland was the exact example! I skipped ahead to that and input it manually on the CPC while the Mrs was using the PC  :P and that was no fun! I saved it via HxC to sd card and then reimported it into WinApe to correct...

You make very fair points about the issues AA faced - lack of dedicated staff was one (probably more a problem later on) and I suppose it was much much more actual cut and paste to layout the page in the 1980s, so stuff might get cut off/overlapped at the printers. I never really gave it much thought from their side I suppose  :-[


Anyway, uploaded issues 35 and 36 to the wiki today, so only 37 and 38 to do then 1988 is complete!

I'm sure I was supposed to be doing something else important today...what was it...Euro 2016 football? No... never mind, I'm sure I'll remember in the morning ;)

Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 10:07, 24 June 16
Quote from: robbarton on 20:28, 23 June 16

Oh my word - Fracland was the exact example! I skipped ahead to that and input it manually on the CPC while the Mrs was using the PC  :P and that was no fun! I saved it via HxC to sd card and then reimported it into WinApe to correct...


Unfortunately I retain a lot of stuff from AA44,46,47, I don't know how far this extends. Ask me what programs came with AA87 Type-ins, I don't know, but have them written down. I started writing them down after an AA Reader submitted a whole list of programs since the beginning, but discovered no original account of the Hacker program (originally published March '88 I think), was on it, just when it was republished in AA43.
AA50 was riddled with problems, but had a great quantity of programs (probably why I remember it well), it was Adam Warning's first time on the type-ins page (replacing Pat McDonald), I was only typing programs up then on an Unexpanded 464 with Green Screen, so 128k Memory Swapper & Fracland, wouldn't work, eventually I would understand the Data Creator, so programs like Boggle, Fireworks & David Hall's Graphical Demos would of been typed in. The Boggle program which was also BASIC 1.1, was merely a GRAPHICS PEN replaced with PEN, was still pleasing to watch on the Green Screen. Fireworks was the only program to be corrected in AA51 & the second David Hall program was missing a line, I discovered this later when David got that program published in ACU, the AA version only switched the INK palette  :D  The last program I got around to was the Supercat program & that had problems as well (missing line numbers) & funny checksum towards the end of the program, fortunately I got the program to work, I'll hunt it down should you need it in future. But I've never entered the Dirprint Program, only because I've never had a Printer or needed a Label maker.

QuoteYou make very fair points about the issues AA faced - lack of dedicated staff was one (probably more a problem later on) and I suppose it was much much more actual cut and paste to layout the page in the 1980s, so stuff might get cut off/overlapped at the printers. I never really gave it much thought from their side I suppose  :-[ 


I guess I've seen enough of those type-ins pages to think gee, they have 4 pages to get readers programs, they would have to decide what would be useful and what people can use (e.g. sticking a whole pile of BASIC 1.1 programs will make the 464 users unhappy), type-ins would of been a bit challenging. One of the earlier bods who did the type-ins page (prior to Pat McDonald), had this way of writing up stuff about published programs, it was around the same time when programs were being published & then similar programs was published in later issues, when enhanced on the earlier program. I don't know who done those pages back then, but it was funny that while some programs were tweaked, other programs that were BASIC 1.1 weren't subjected to the same sort of thing.


QuoteAnyway, uploaded issues 35 and 36 to the wiki today, so only 37 and 38 to do then 1988 is complete!


Excellent! :)

Quote
I'm sure I was supposed to be doing something else important today...what was it...Euro 2016 football? No... never mind, I'm sure I'll remember in the morning ;)


Something about an EU?
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Gryzor on 10:23, 24 June 16
What is an EU then? Doe it require 1.1?
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 09:58, 26 June 16
I'm working on AA37 and have a problem with the New Character Sets code (this is the last prog I need for this issue).

I've double and triple checked my input so I wonder what is wrong. Could someone else please look at charset.bas and see if there is an error in the code? I've been using the AA scans off the Internet Archive (Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free Books, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine (https://archive.org)).

When I run the program it looks like it checks to line 300 then just resets. I'm using WinAPE on a regular 6128 setup (BASIC 1.1, AMSDOS, 128k).

I noticed two things that may/may not make a difference:

Line 20 sets dn=120 but line 110 sets dn=dn+10 so to me  this seems to me to skip checking line 120
Line 100 has a GOTO 2 but line 2 doesn't exist.

I tried changing line 50 to GOTO 90 which then skips the call and runs the rest of the program without error, but then obviously doesn't make the program run as it should.

All help gratefully received, thanks.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 10:50, 26 June 16
Quote from: robbarton on 09:58, 26 June 16
I'm working on AA37 and have a problem with the New Character Sets code (this is the last prog I need for this issue).

I've double and triple checked my input so I wonder what is wrong. Could someone else please look at charset.bas and see if there is an error in the code? I've been using the AA scans off the Internet Archive (Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free Books, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine (https://archive.org)).

When I run the program it looks like it checks to line 300 then just resets. I'm using WinAPE on a regular 6128 setup (BASIC 1.1, AMSDOS, 128k).

I noticed two things that may/may not make a difference:

QuoteLine 20 sets dn=120 but line 110 sets dn=dn+10 so to me  this seems to me to skip checking line 120


I check this and the data in Line 120 is definitely being poked. Line 20 should read dn=110, so when it prints checking line 120, dn will equal 120.

QuoteLine 100 has a GOTO 2 but line 2 doesn't exist.


So line 100 reports a Data error in Line xxx, the GOTO 2 looks like a misprint, I just substituted it with END or STOP can be used, so the error can be corrected.

All help gratefully received, thanks.



The program worked straight away for me:


[attachimg=1]


[attachimg=2]


[attachimg=3]


I can report the program is 464 only, the 464 only code is going to be in the Machine Code, most likely a Firmware Address (an spot in memory), which is different on a 464, as from the 664/6128. The program did the same thing as soon as I switched to 6128 mode in Winape.
Hopefully the answer is in the Firmware manual if it is that. Lots of those addresses are listed together, so you get the 464 alongside the 664/6128 equivalent. Unfortunately there is the odd 464 address which doesn't exist on the 664/6128.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 11:19, 26 June 16
Perfect, thank you. I should have checked on 464 settings - will do that in future. I will mark it 464 only on the wiki and then if/when we figure out how to rewrite it a new version can be posted.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 10:26, 27 June 16
Quote from: robbarton on 11:19, 26 June 16
Perfect, thank you. I should have checked on 464 settings - will do that in future. I will mark it 464 only on the wiki and then if/when we figure out how to rewrite it a new version can be posted.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk


I think that's what's happening with that program.


I typed this program (http://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&num=6170) in some time ago, which is 464 only. It's not specifically Font related, but it lets you create Stippled text, but wasn't able to figure out how to get it to run in BASIC 1.1.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 21:51, 29 June 16
Tonight I've updated the wiki with issues 37 and 38, so that's now the years 1985 to 1988 complete (hooray!)

Next I will either do issues 50+51 to complete 1989, or be random and do issues  77 and 100 to complete 1992 and 1994!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 01:10, 30 June 16
Quote from: robbarton on 21:51, 29 June 16
Tonight I've updated the wiki with issues 37 and 38, so that's now the years 1985 to 1988 complete (hooray!)

Next I will either do issues 50+51 to complete 1989, or be random and do issues  77 and 100 to complete 1992 and 1994!


I have NIM II & SuperBASIC from AA51 to help you get through AA51 Type-ins quicker (I might also have the EVAL program too). Re: SuperBASIC, I think there was a problem with one of the Scroll command RSXs in the published program which did nothing, unfortunately this program saves out an BINary file, and I think it's only the Binary File I've corrected (not the BASIC program unfortunately). Altering the BASIC program would involve finding the relevant opcodes and changing the Checksum at the end of that line (so a Data error doesn't occur). EDIT: I've had another look at that SuperBASIC program, the command in question, the LEFT & RIGHT commands seem to need to be doubled up (e.g. |RIGHT:|RIGHT ), for them to work, maybe that's where the fault is.  ;D  EDIT2: Hmm there's definitely something odd with SuperBASIC. In BASIC 1.1, the RIGHT command doesn't work at all, but it works on a 464, I'll just get around posting the original program.


AA77 I think was the issue that had the Apple Days game in it, which I've typed in and posted in the Interesting Type-Ins (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/programming/interesting-type-ins/) thread.


I'll also mention in AA53 came the Retriever program which I typed in a while ago, to help rescue BASIC programs with Read Errors in them on tape. I had such a program just recently I thought I'd try this program on, but found Retriever didn't like running while AMSDOS was present. I was too lazy to track down one of those programs to disable AMSDOS (they usually appeared in AA Forum section), so removed the ROM (in Winape Settings), transferred Retriever to CDT (with 2CDT), but then I discovered I had a minor typo in it, preventing me to SAVE the program!  ???  Once that was all sorted I recovered the program and could save a new one (WAV file), in Winape.  :D  So other programs from AA53 may also have been typed in, like De-Protect (to unprotect a Protected BASIC file), I might also have the RSX-Strings program (for 464 Users), I also have Worm, but converted it to work on all computers and I think SwText has also been typed-in. The people who wrote SwText also wrote Pandora, and it appears the program is already on CPC-Power (http://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&onglet=dumps&num=5286) with Pandora.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 07:19, 30 June 16
Okay, so I've managed some programs for you:


* From AA50 I typed in and attached the Supercat program in here (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/programming/supercat-aa50-type-ins/msg27412/#msg27412). But because the type-in was in such a bad way, I poked the Data in with a Memory editor and included an introductory program with all the commands in it. I know it's not the actual type-in, I simply made it more informative and it's probably better if someone wanted to use it instead of digging out AA50, though I've noticed you've added notes for type-ins which need explanation.


* From AA51, I've attached Nim II and the unmodified version of SuperBASIC.


* From AA53, I wasn't able to find the RSX Strings or the De-Protect Program, but found the treads with those programs here (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/programming/rsx-strings-464-only/msg11734/#msg11734) and here (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/programming/unprotecting-programs/msg4201/#msg4201).
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 13:17, 30 June 16
@ AMSDOS:

Thank you very much for your efforts!   :)

I decided to go with AA77 next as I found Balldozer2 on CPC Power, leaving 3 to type in. Thank you for the Apple Dayz link, that also saves me a type-in so just 2 to do.

I typed in AA77's CAT program this morning however I suspect bugs in the original code: it gives me an error in line 220 (type mismatch). Looking at the line:

220 FOR i%=&8000 to &8038:READ code%:POKE i%,code%:NEXT i%

Should we not expect READ code$ rather than code%? code% is not referred to anywhere else in the listing.

(On a side note, line 9011 has a GOTO 474 which also doesn't exist... and lines 860/870 look commented out so not sure why they are still there)

Re: AA50 and 51, I will include your versions of Supercat/Nim II on the wiki since they offer value over the original listings - I will probably include the originals anyway for posterity's sake and mark them bugged on the wiki for the unwary!

I'll now take the time to prepare these items for the wiki, and read that Interesting Type ins thread in case there are any more in there for issues that I've not yet done (and maybe search the forum for the type-ins of the remaining issues).
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 23:00, 01 July 16
Quote from: robbarton on 13:17, 30 June 16
@ AMSDOS:

Thank you very much for your efforts!   :)

I decided to go with AA77 next as I found Balldozer2 on CPC Power, leaving 3 to type in. Thank you for the Apple Dayz link, that also saves me a type-in so just 2 to do.


no worries!  :)

QuoteI typed in AA77's CAT program this morning however I suspect bugs in the original code: it gives me an error in line 220 (type mismatch). Looking at the line:

220 FOR i%=&8000 to &8038:READ code%:POKE i%,code%:NEXT i%

Should we not expect READ code$ rather than code%? code% is not referred to anywhere else in the listing.


hmm, unfortunately my copy of AA77 is packed away at the moment, so line 220 appears to be poking some machine code data to memory between &8000 and &8038. the type mismatch error is occurring from the data it's finding, so code% is defined as Integer (numbers 0-9), anything else would cause that type mismatch. if the data was hexadecimal based for example, code$ can be used, but then your poke will have to change to poke i%,val("&"+code$), i think if the data already has "&" in it, then poke i%,code$ can be used, can't remember if it needs the val in it or not, which returns those string values back to numerical values.

Quote(On a side note, line 9011 has a GOTO 474 which also doesn't exist... and lines 860/870 look commented out so not sure why they are still there)


yes I think there were a few problems with the aa77 type-ins, there was a bit of a fault with the apple days program and was unable to match the typewriter code with a particular line. I'll have a look see, to be honest I never got around typing in that cat program, maybe a lot of people didn't, so the faults didn't get addressed.

QuoteRe: AA50 and 51, I will include your versions of Supercat/Nim II on the wiki since they offer value over the original listings - I will probably include the originals anyway for posterity's sake and mark them bugged on the wiki for the unwary!

I'll now take the time to prepare these items for the wiki, and read that Interesting Type ins thread in case there are any more in there for issues that I've not yet done (and maybe search the forum for the type-ins of the remaining issues).


from what i can tell it just has the alto from aa64, which was basic 1.1, though i modified it so it would work in basic 1.0, using an array to fill in the different keys, which worked.  :)  but i think the basic 1.1 code will still be on that disc. the  pyramids game was in aa66 which has already been done, like alto I made the game so it would work in basic 1.0.


EDIT: Incidentally I forgot to add i had a number of music programs on a particular disk, some from AA. Unfortunately I cannot remember if I had Kwik Musique from AA77 on it. I would of typed it in back in the day, but I don't think I got around to it when I was typing in the other programs. Unfortunately I'll need to check what I have from AA on it, know I have Organ from AA54 and Music FX from AA58 I think it was in, along with the Alto from AA64. Tunegen from AA57 is another one I was going to have a look at.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 05:40, 02 July 16

I've had a look at the CAT program from AA77, Line 220 is for the DATA between 600-660, I found no problems with the routine in line 220, so it looks like your DATA between those lines is the culprit. I only got a Type mismatch when I replaced a number 0 with the letter o, it's Machine Code Hexadecimal Data, so 0-9 & A-F (or a-f in this case) are valid, the "&' is there to tell BASIC it's a Hexadecimal number, this is one of the old ways of Poking Machine Code to memory.




Quote
(On a side note, line 9011 has a GOTO 474 which also doesn't exist... and lines 860/870 look commented out so not sure why they are still there)


Yep, so what I could make out (from the horrible use of GOTOs in that program), is the code doesn't get to Line 9011. There's 2 NEXT b%, but even those aren't processed, instead the program goes from Line 472 to Line 9000, Line 9001 goes to Subroutine at 10000, depending on what b% has in it, that goes to another Subroutine at 880, when it returns, it finds another return depending on the IF condition met between lines 10000-10003, which returns it to Line 9001, b% gets incremented and then goes to Subroutine in 680, does what it has to there, it may return depending on the IF in Line 680 or if b% is not equal to files% it will go though this whole thing til it reaches the RETURN in line 840, which returns it to Line 9001 again to find GOTO 472, so lines 9003-9011 never get processed. Likewise you noticed 860 & 870 have been commented out, this would of been from the Author of that program and should of been deleted prior to sending the program to AA.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 22:38, 02 July 16
@AMSDOS (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=330):
Thank you - I used typerighter on CAT and found one error in a data statement  :doh: , plus another 2 or three typos elsewhere which are all now fixed and the corrected version of AA77 is uploaded to the wiki.

I have done AA50 with the exception of Super CAT which is being a pain - I have errors in some data statements which Typerighter has flagged but the scan is a bit blurry (or is it my eyes?!  :o ) so I'm having trouble with it.

If you or anyone else is able to scan AA50 page 73 in a high resolution for Super CAT I would be grateful - no rush, I have another 27 issues to do in the meantime  :)

I'm pleased that I've been able to make progress recently and hopefully I can still make the self-imposed Xmas 2016 deadline!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 03:05, 03 July 16
Quote from: robbarton on 22:38, 02 July 16@AMSDOS (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=330):Thank you - I used typerighter on CAT and found one error in a data statement  :doh:  , plus another 2 or three typos elsewhere which are all now fixed and the corrected version of AA77 is uploaded to the wiki.



Excellent! Curious to know, did you type that extra space at the end of the Kwik Musique program? I just typed it in myself yesterday after typing in the Tunegen program from AA57, for some reason I thought AA were saying not to type in that space because it wouldn't match with the Typewriter code, but found it needed that space to produce the correct code.

QuoteI have done AA50 with the exception of Super CAT which is being a pain - I have errors in some data statements which Typerighter has flagged but the scan is a bit blurry (or is it my eyes?!  :o  ) so I'm having trouble with it.

If you or anyone else is able to scan AA50 page 73 in a high resolution for Super CAT I would be grateful - no rush, I have another 27 issues to do in the meantime  :) 


I have the magazine, unfortunately I need to drag out the scanner, but am suffering a sore hip, which means I won't be able to get the scanner out!  :(  I was going to type out the data, but went back to my Binary version, I used the Data Maker from AA56 Type-ins to get the Data, but discovered it did something weird with the data, so I cleaned it up to the way it is in the magazine (unfortunately the Data is in Uppercase A to F, as opposed to the magazine which is in Lowercase a to f), and added the Data Loader from the Magazine. Line 80 is missing, but that's just a Data Error. Each DATA Line has a Checksum number, so that Line 80 could have:


80 PRINT "Error! Data Not Equal to Checksum ";t


to the user can then look for the Line with that Checksum at the end.


The other error in the program is right at the very end of the program - line 270. The Checksum number at the end what looks like a "1" after "1587", but on close examination I think it's an lowercase 'L', this was mentioned in the AA51 type-ins, so the code at the end just needs 1587 and it's fine.


I've attached a disk image of the program. Along with that program I had "Data Maker" from AA56, initially I found a bug in it, but corrected it now, I haven't checked the program with Typewriter to see if the rest is correct. It did something odd with the Data, but I think that was how the program was, as the writer wrote a number of RSX programs and their DATA lines seems to reflect the same as from their Data Maker program. I also found Squeeze, a program from AA57 Type-ins for Compressing a Screen, which asks for Screen Mode & Inks. I've also added the Tunegen program from AA57, the original program has a "CLEAR INPUT" in Line 1050, which I altered to WHILE INKEY$<>"":WEND, AA suggested removing the CLEAR INPUT in that line.


I had some other programs from AA, but had since altered them to LOAD the Binary rather than POKE to memory.


Quote
I'm pleased that I've been able to make progress recently and hopefully I can still make the self-imposed Xmas 2016 deadline!



Fingers Crossed.  :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 08:15, 03 July 16
@AMSDOS (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=330):

Again, thank you for looking through these type-ins. I'll take what I need from your disk image for the wiki.

About AA50, just get around to it whenever you can - if anyone else is reading this they may step in

Also, AA51 uploaded now - thanks to you providing 2 of 4 programs, and a nice clean scan so few errors to correct from the OCR  :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 08:24, 03 July 16

Quote from: robbarton on 08:15, 03 July 16
@AMSDOS (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=330):


Again, thank you for looking through these type-ins. I'll take what I need from your disk image for the wiki.


About AA50, just get around to it whenever you can - if anyone else is reading this they may step in


Yeah sorry, I just meant that I have included a copy of Super Cat on that Disc Image above, so it should be good to go on that page.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 13:57, 07 July 16
Today I've uploaded wiki pages for AA50 and AA62.

@ AMSDOS - thanks for your help, I saw which of the characters in the SUPERCAT data statements I had mistyped so that completed AA50.

That makes it a complete run from 1985 to 1989 (issue 52 is Jan 1990).

I think there are now 26 issues to go!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Nich on 21:56, 07 July 16
Quote from: robbarton on 13:57, 07 July 16
Today I've uploaded wiki pages for AA50 and AA62.

The AA50 Type-Ins (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_November_1989_Type-Ins) bring back some nice memories. :) Boggle and Fracland produce some really nice graphical effects!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 09:36, 08 July 16
Quote from: robbarton on 13:57, 07 July 16
Today I've uploaded wiki pages for AA50 and AA62.

Just made a small edit to the page, the Boggle program is also BASIC 1.1, though as AA suggests 464 users can get the program to work by omitting line 14. Unsure how much difference there was made to the program though as I grew up with a Green Screen 464.  :D
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 09:16, 30 July 16
Uploaded wiki pages for AA issues 53, 54, 55 and 57 today  :)

Now 22 issues to go!

Thank you to Craigsbar and AMSDOS for providing some of the typeins - that speeded things up.

Also I have new PDF software for the copying and pasting so it should be a bit quicker in future.

Only one question - AA54 has Connect Four and that program records the moves each player makes. Unfortunately the window where they are recorded overwrites the title at the top of the screen. I think I have typed it in correctly but if anyone can see a mistake, please can you post here and I'll correct it?
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Johnny Olsen on 09:57, 30 July 16
There is an error in the listing. All you have to do is replace

50 DIM co(7,6),moves(42):WINDOW#1,20,30,3,1-l:PAPER #1,0:CLS#1

With

50 DIM co(7,6),moves(42):WINDOW#1,20,30,3,11:PAPER #1,0:CLS#1

Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Gryzor on 12:40, 08 August 16
Great job, guys... thanks so much for this little treasure :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 12:30, 09 August 16
@ Johnny:  Thank you for the correction, pretty obvious but couldn't work it out!  :doh:

I have uploaded the corrected DSK image to the wiki.

I've also got issue 100 almost ready to upload so will probably do that tomorrow.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 12:57, 10 August 16
Issue 100 is now on the wiki.

That leaves 21 issues to go!

However I've just looked at AA56 and the scan of the type ins pages is not brilliant quality (sorry, it's from the download section of the website - the torrent from retropdfs) so it's going to take a while to type and debug it. May have to switch to a clearer issue and put this one to the back of the queue.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 22:02, 10 August 16
Quote from: robbarton on 12:57, 10 August 16
Issue 100 is now on the wiki.

That leaves 21 issues to go!

However I've just looked at AA56 and the scan of the type ins pages is not brilliant quality (sorry, it's from the download section of the website - the torrent from retropdfs) so it's going to take a while to type and debug it. May have to switch to a clearer issue and put this one to the back of the queue.

I can help with the scans. There was a small typo in the mastermind game which a correction was posted and the accounts program also had some additions added to it which were published in the forum.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 06:56, 11 August 16
@ AMSDOS: thank you! I've emailed you so I'm looking forward to being able to type these ones in.

It's a shame as I used to have AA issues from 18 to 98, just missing 20, 21, 23 [blame it on moving house] and 25 [birthday issue, probably too expensive for my Dad]. We stopped after 98 in 1993 because we were feeling the bite of the recession at the time and all had to make sacrifices, mine was AA  :(

If I'd kept them I would have been able to read the pages more easily... well hindsight is a wonderful thing!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 08:03, 11 August 16
Quote from: robbarton on 06:56, 11 August 16
@ AMSDOS: thank you! I've emailed you so I'm looking forward to being able to type these ones in.

It's a shame as I used to have AA issues from 18 to 98, just missing 20, 21, 23 [blame it on moving house] and 25 [birthday issue, probably too expensive for my Dad]. We stopped after 98 in 1993 because we were feeling the bite of the recession at the time and all had to make sacrifices, mine was AA  :(

If I'd kept them I would have been able to read the pages more easily... well hindsight is a wonderful thing!


That's a bummer, around that time I was gifted with a nicely varnished Wooden Chest, which is still home to many of the Amstrad Magazines I collected, out of Sight means out of mind, even the guests never queried what was in it. I remember the recession your referring too, Aust. PM at the time Paul Keating at the time said "It was the recession we had to have". By then I was on student income and was able to get AA, ACU & TAU had folded, I was able to collect up to 115, but because Aust. was behind receiving AA 116 & 117 didn't make it here. Still it was good to finally have a look at those. :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 12:21, 11 August 16
I've got some spare time today on account of how I'm laid up ill, so I'll give AA56 a try and see what I can do with it.


EDIT: I missed the bit where AMSDOS was sending you scans for that issue, so I'll leave it for now.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Gryzor on 13:28, 11 August 16
Well, get well :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 13:40, 11 August 16
Thanks. I decided to give AA99 a go. That Untitled demo is really interesting.


I hope the guy who wrote it isn't too annoyed that I corrected his spelling & grammar in it though; since he asks people to not alter his code. ;)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 18:27, 11 August 16
The type-ins for Amstrad Action issue 99 are now online (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_December_1993_Type-Ins).


I have to say that while the As Yet Untitled demo is rather good, the code for Areas could have been tightened immensely. I think it would have been possible to remove all the unnecessary duplication and render that whole thing in about a third of the code with hardly any effort whatsoever but oh well, what's done is done.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: zeropolis79 on 19:38, 11 August 16
If I supply a couple of 3" discs and return postage, could someone be kind to transfer these to real discs for me please?

Many thanks
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: TFM on 20:20, 11 August 16
Quote from: Zoe Robinson on 18:27, 11 August 16
The type-ins for Amstrad Action issue 99 are now online (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_December_1993_Type-Ins).


I have to say that while the As Yet Untitled demo is rather good, the code for Areas could have been tightened immensely. I think it would have been possible to remove all the unnecessary duplication and render that whole thing in about a third of the code with hardly any effort whatsoever but oh well, what's done is done.


Great idea, can you provide the new code? Would be interesting to see how you did it.  :) :) :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 00:39, 12 August 16
Yeah, I think I'll give it a go - after I've finished my reworking of that Star Dodger game from the Xmas type-ins booklet. :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 10:05, 12 August 16
Quote from: Zoe Robinson on 18:27, 11 August 16
The type-ins for Amstrad Action issue 99 are now online (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_December_1993_Type-Ins).


I have to say that while the As Yet Untitled demo is rather good, the code for Areas could have been tightened immensely. I think it would have been possible to remove all the unnecessary duplication and render that whole thing in about a third of the code with hardly any effort whatsoever but oh well, what's done is done.


Gee that brings back memories and it was something to relax to after frantically playing Stormlord!  :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 19:35, 12 August 16
Quote from: Zoe Robinson on 18:27, 11 August 16
The type-ins for Amstrad Action issue 99 are now online (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_December_1993_Type-Ins).


I have to say that while the As Yet Untitled demo is rather good, the code for Areas could have been tightened immensely. I think it would have been possible to remove all the unnecessary duplication and render that whole thing in about a third of the code with hardly any effort whatsoever but oh well, what's done is done.


Thank you for that  :) , saves me an issue and keeps me on track to competing the job by the end of November (about 2 issues a week to the end of September and then one a week in Oct-Nov).

Get well soon!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 09:34, 13 August 16
I've made some changes to the AA57 (July 1990) Type-ins page (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_June_1990_Type-Ins), after working out how to turn off the tune after it's played a musical sequence. I've added a new category "Tips" and placed it between Notes & Download, which I hope is okay, otherwise it seems inappropriate having it anywhere else and it seems to be a good way of recording any current day suggestions while using these old programs. I wasn't sure if there was other Type-ins pages though which had a Tips Section, I had a look around, but didn't find any, in later AAs (around the time Monthly Covertapes were the norm), the Forum was subject to Top Tips, which occasionally involved the odd type-in with Suggestion or Patch, which normally improved the program.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 10:28, 13 August 16
Yes the corrections to some of the type ins were often scattered around the magazine; sometimes in the type ins section itself, or the letters page, or the forum, or top tips, or problem attic, etc.

I used the notes section to try and keep some of the instructions for the programs in a sensible place, so the tips can be like you say for modern suggestions or something beyond the original program.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 19:01, 14 August 16
Almost completed AA56 but I am stuck with an error in Masterword. It's beginning to drive me bonkers  ???

In line 1330 I keep getting a syntax error.

The line I have typed in is:
1330 IF MID$(z$,a%,1)=MID$(w$,a%,1) THEN righ%=righ%+1:PEN 2:LOCATE 11+a%,l%:PRINT MID$(z$,a%,1);:SOUND 1,2000(a%*250),9,1,1:w$=MID$(w$,1,a%-1)+" "+MID$(w$,a%+1):d(a%)=0

Note there is a lowercase L% in there after the locate command

I've attached a scan of the page (thanks AMSDOS) in case someone else can work out where I am going wrong.

[attach=2]

If it helps I get the "typerighter" code {HvFl} which is close but not a match to {KkFl}, I think this means I have the right number of characters in the line but one or more is substituted.

Thanks in advance
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 20:00, 14 August 16
Are you sure that's an l% and not a 1%? The "l" looks a hell of a lot like a "1" to me. It's almost certainly supposed to be an "l", sure, but it does look like a 1 in the text.


Also (and I may be mis-remembering BASIC here) but shouldn't there be a * between 2000 and (a%*250)? I don't recall being able to write multiplication just as a(b*c) on a CPC.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 20:35, 14 August 16
Quote from: robbarton on 19:01, 14 August 16

In line 1330 I keep getting a syntax error.

The line I have typed in is:
1330 IF MID$(z$,a%,1)=MID$(w$,a%,1) THEN righ%=righ%+1:PEN 2:LOCATE 11+a%,l%:PRINT MID$(z$,a%,1);:SOUND 1,2000(a%*250),9,1,1:w$=MID$(w$,1,a%-1)+" "+MID$(w$,a%+1):d(a%)=0

Yes that's the line which had A typo in it, a solution was posted in the AA59 forum I think. But what it was I think was the sound command was missing a minus sign "-" between the 2000 and (a%*250), so it should have 2000-(a%*250).
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: CanonMan on 20:50, 14 August 16
I think it's the SOUND command. There should be a plus sign between the 2000 and the open bracket.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Nich on 20:43, 15 August 16
Quote from: CanonMan on 20:50, 14 August 16
I think it's the SOUND command. There should be a plus sign between the 2000 and the open bracket.

AMSDOS is correct. It should be a minus sign, i.e. 2000-(a%*250). If you do this, the correct Type-Writer code {KkFl} will be generated.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 20:46, 15 August 16
@Zoe and @CanonMan (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=455) : you are right with the syntax, there was indeed a missing operator after SOUND. And those flaming l's and 1's and I's, I wish programmers at the time had avoided using them as AA suggested!

AMSDOS was correct with it being a missing minus sign (now tell me how you remembered that after 25 years!)  I read the AA59 letters page which was basically of no use and suggested that the correspondent examine his typing, which was sad in a way as AA was not yet on the decline and a bit of proofreading of the line and checking against source would have revealed there was indeed an error.

The relief at getting the correct typerighter code was palpable believe me - I'll upload AA56 later this week as I am aiming to get AA58 done at the same time.

@ Nich: you just posted this as I was typing! Thanks anyway.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 08:45, 16 August 16
@robbarton (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=1172) I got lucky?  ;D
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 10:25, 17 August 16
I've been doing some more playing around with the Tunegen program from AA57, thought it best to post it here, rather than on the AA57 Type-ins page. The Data in Lines 200-230 holds the Tone Periods, which begins at C in Octave 1, proceeding through the Notes in Octave 0, I've kept those first twelve notes, but altered the Second 12 to a higher Period, to produce some moodier tunes between the regular notes and more base, so the top half of the screen uses the regular notes with the second half of the screen using the deeper notes in Octave -4). The information is just from the Manual Chaper 7, Part 5 of the 6128 Manual.


Here's the adjustments I made:


200 DATA 119,127,134,142,150,159,169
210 DATA 179,190,201,213,225,1911,2025
220 DATA 2145,2273,2408,2551,2703,2863,3034
230 DATA 3214,3405,3608
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 14:01, 18 August 16
Today I uploaded type ins for AA56, AA58 and AA59. That completes 1990!

So now just 1991 (9 issues) and 1993 (8 issues) to complete. I make that 17 issues to go  :) , bang on schedule to finish before Christmas.

Thanks everyone for the support as I go through these. I've learned plenty of things e.g.
- how to handle a project like this (pacing, scheduling, organising the work into copy/paste, correct, import, checksum, compress dsk, edit the wiki etc.)
- some BASIC commands (I only learned today that you can LIST 150- to restart listing from that line; previously I've always started from the beginning when verifying the checksums  :picard: )
- how to spot a machine code loader

As an adult I've got a lot from reading the type-ins; when I was younger it was all about the games whereas now the type-in games aren't so exciting but there are some useful tools (e.g. AA59's Poke-It Multiface replacement; might seem useless on an emulator but on the real machine with no Multiface it's ideal).

Anyway enough rambling, I'm going to relax for the rest of my day off!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Gryzor on 14:05, 18 August 16
Quote from: robbarton on 14:01, 18 August 16
- some BASIC commands (I only learned today that you can LIST 150- to restart listing from that line; previously I've always started from the beginning when verifying the checksums  :picard: )


Heheheh :D But this was in the manual, wasn't it?


Thanks for the great work, both in terms of quantity and quality...
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: zeropolis79 on 14:35, 18 August 16
Sounds great!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 18:31, 18 August 16
I thought the "List x-y" thing was in the manual. I'm sure I read it somewhere. Maybe I read it in a magazine? Either way yes, it's one of the more useful things in the CPC's BASIC when it comes to checking over code.


Also, well done on typing in all these listings. I know I appreciate it and I'm sure a lot of other people do, too. Let me know if you want any more help - I can probably get some of the later issues done fairly quickly, as I have copies of those to hand.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 19:45, 18 August 16
Quote from: Zoe Robinson on 18:31, 18 August 16
I thought the "List x-y" thing was in the manual. I'm sure I read it somewhere. Maybe I read it in a magazine? Either way yes, it's one of the more useful things in the CPC's BASIC when it comes to checking over code.


I should have looked it up sooner, it's a useful feature. Since I have the 6128 manual it's just pure laziness, kind of like those DIY jobs that get put off permanently.


Quote
Also, well done on typing in all these listings. I know I appreciate it and I'm sure a lot of other people do, too. Let me know if you want any more help - I can probably get some of the later issues done fairly quickly, as I have copies of those to hand.


Thank you - if it's ok with you, please start at the highest number (currently AA98) and work down, and I'll work up the list. I'll also check this thread so if anyone else wants to help then maybe if they 'claim' the issue they want to work on, then everyone else knows not to do it!

It's been a nice collective effort - I got the AA scans from the download section of the forum, I've also had new scans from @AMSDOS (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=330) for AA56, and helpful comments to correct the inevitable typos. I think seeing progress being made is a positive for everyone as well as ensuring the type ins are moved into a useful format (not much point in them being on a page or in a scanned file now).

Maybe in the future one large compressed archive of the type-ins would be a good idea for the wiki and archive.org, rather than having to download each issue individually if you want the lot?
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 20:11, 18 August 16
Also here is a plea - is anybody able to provide clearer scans of the type ins pages for AA26 please?

I noticed that there was no dsk file to download from the wiki for that issue, so I started to type them myself but it's hard going and I'm guessing some of the code as the pdf isn't clear  :o and the OCR is not perfect.

I would take a clear scan or ideally a new OCR of the pages if anyone can oblige.

Thanks
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Nich on 21:54, 18 August 16
Quote from: robbarton on 20:11, 18 August 16
Also here is a plea - is anybody able to provide clearer scans of the type ins pages for AA26 please?

I would take a clear scan or ideally a new OCR of the pages if anyone can oblige.
Here you go (http://www.cpcgamereviews.com/AmstradActionType-Ins_026.zip). I scanned the Type-Ins section this evening (6 pages in total).

Note that there are other listings elsewhere in the magazine.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 06:20, 19 August 16
Quote from: Nich on 21:54, 18 August 16
Here you go (http://www.cpcgamereviews.com/AmstradActionType-Ins_026.zip). I scanned the Type-Ins section this evening (6 pages in total).

Note that there are other listings elsewhere in the magazine.
Thank you, that is helpful. I did notice a LOT of other short bits of code throughout the issue, so after the type ins section itself I might look at the rest for the sake of completion.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 07:06, 19 August 16
Quote from: robbarton on 14:01, 18 August 16
As an adult I've got a lot from reading the type-ins; when I was younger it was all about the games whereas now the type-in games aren't so exciting but there are some useful tools (e.g. AA59's Poke-It Multiface replacement; might seem useless on an emulator but on the real machine with no Multiface it's ideal).



Actually it was quite useless on a real machine as well, it was definitely no Multiface 2 replacement. And the Letters came flooding onto the Reaction pages. I think the idea behind it was it could allow you to poke early AMSOFT games, but people were testing it out on any old thing and finding it didn't work. I did have a few AMSOFT games around then though, but I don't recall it working on things like Harrier Attack, Astro Attack, Roland in Time & Haunted Hedges. I had more luck using the Republished Hacker program from AA43 to give me Infinite Lives in Astro Attack. There was two RSXs, one to Install the thing & Small Enter to Enter the Poke (I tested it before loading the game to see if it would work), and a RUN RSX to load the program, I think the idea behind that was it gave the program more chance of working, but I think if the AMSOFT loader was written in BASIC, you had to bypass, though one needed knowledge (Start Address, Length, Execute Address), to save out the Binary with that info, probably after all that, you could use the RUN RSX to hack into the Game with Poke-It.


But as I said, I never got it to work, so it's only theory.  ;D
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 07:17, 19 August 16
Quote from: Zoe Robinson on 18:31, 18 August 16
I thought the "List x-y" thing was in the manual. I'm sure I read it somewhere. Maybe I read it in a magazine? Either way yes, it's one of the more useful things in the CPC's BASIC when it comes to checking over code.


Also, well done on typing in all these listings. I know I appreciate it and I'm sure a lot of other people do, too. Let me know if you want any more help - I can probably get some of the later issues done fairly quickly, as I have copies of those to hand.


In all the manuals there are a comprehensive list of keywords, so LIST is there. A while ago I was looking to see if I could use a list portions of a program using variables, but discovered it only took Numbers, and found that back in the Day, John Keneally must of had the same dilemma, but instead of putting it in the too-hard basket, wrote this program instead (http://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&num=10894), the only downside to it, is it's 464 only, though I tried to get it working for BASIC 1.1, but had no luck in figuring it out. So you may see, sometimes BASIC 1.0 can do stuff not possible in 1.1. :o
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Gryzor on 08:50, 19 August 16
Quote from: robbarton on 19:45, 18 August 16
Maybe in the future one large compressed archive of the type-ins would be a good idea for the wiki and archive.org, rather than having to download each issue individually if you want the lot?


Sure, why not? it wouldn't be THAT large anyhow!!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 19:08, 19 August 16
Quote from: Gryzor on 08:50, 19 August 16
Sure, why not? it wouldn't be THAT large anyhow!!

I bet we could make it that large. ;)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 11:32, 20 August 16
Quote from: robbarton on 14:01, 18 August 16
Today I uploaded type ins for AA56, AA58 and AA59. That completes 1990!



Incidentally I forgot to mention the workaround AA had for the Bounce Game from AA58. Unfortunately I don't remember which issue it was in, but was printed on their Forum pages. That workaround removed saving the High Scores for Cassette users and some BASIC 1.1 commands were replaced with 464 Equivalents, really needs to be on CDT to make it more nostalgic.  :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 09:44, 29 August 16
Today I uploaded AA64 - made easier thanks to @AMSDOS (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=330) who provided Alto and @Nich (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=53) who had previously uploaded Block Builders (aka Tetris) to nvg.

Only 17 issues left now  :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Nich on 16:07, 29 August 16
Quote from: robbarton on 09:44, 29 August 16
Today I uploaded AA64 - made easier thanks to @AMSDOS (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=330) who provided Alto and @Nich (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=53) who had previously uploaded Block Builders (aka Tetris) to nvg.

You did well to type in Musical Chords and Scales! I tried typing it in once but gave up due to the ridiculous number of spaces used and being unable to count them properly. :laugh:

I never understood why Tetris was renamed to Block-Builders in the magazine. This was well before The Tetris Company started getting litigious and suing anybody and everybody who dared to use the Tetris name.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 07:11, 15 September 16
Just a quick post to say that I have almost completed issues 65 and 69 (need checking) so they should be on the wiki at the weekend. Also in the remaining issues there are a few type ins that were lifted from the manual which I will not add, so that cuts down by another few.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 08:25, 15 September 16
Quote from: robbarton on 07:11, 15 September 16
Just a quick post to say that I have almost completed issues 65 and 69 (need checking) so they should be on the wiki at the weekend. Also in the remaining issues there are a few type ins that were lifted from the manual which I will not add, so that cuts down by another few.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk


Issue 65 - that was the issue with the Ladders game, that was a pretty cool game, even the 2 bad dudes you had to avoid worked in the game very well. Probably a good game to have a look at in terms of studying the AI for those Bad guys.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Nich on 18:47, 15 September 16
Quote from: robbarton on 07:11, 15 September 16
Just a quick post to say that I have almost completed issues 65 and 69 (need checking) so they should be on the wiki at the weekend. Also in the remaining issues there are a few type ins that were lifted from the manual which I will not add, so that cuts down by another few.

And if I remember correctly, Space Hockey in AA65 is a modified version of a listing of the same name that was published in AA42 (http://cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_March_1989_Type-Ins).
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: zeropolis79 on 22:02, 15 September 16
Quote from: robbarton on 09:44, 29 August 16
Today I uploaded AA64 - made easier thanks to @AMSDOS (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=330) who provided Alto and @Nich (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=53) who had previously uploaded Block Builders (aka Tetris) to nvg.

Only 17 issues left now  :)

Is the FTP on NVG still active? Would like to find the Ken Bond adventures I remember seeing on there in the mid 90s.. Thanks
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 03:18, 16 September 16
Quote from: zeropolis79 on 22:02, 15 September 16
Is the FTP on NVG still active? Would like to find the Ken Bond adventures I remember seeing on there in the mid 90s.. Thanks

Yes. I'm unsure how frequently its offline, not very often I think. Otherwise cpc-power should have them.


EDIT:I found 5 programs on CPC-Power here (http://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=staff&stafftype=1&lenom=Ken%20N.%20BOND).
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: zeropolis79 on 20:06, 16 September 16
Thanks!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 16:40, 18 September 16
I've uploaded issues 65 and 69 to the wiki today. Sorry for the delay, I wanted to check them thoroughly as the scans for these issues aren't as clear as some of the other ones.

I noted on issue 65's wiki page that Space Hockey was a rip-off and have not included it for that reason. Similarly I'll not include Thro' the Wall or Bomber when the time comes as these are out of the manual.

I am not sure what to do about Snake in issue 68 - I could type it if anyone can see how to amend it to avoid accessing the files it says it needs from disc. Please let me know if you want to do this.

Only 15 to go!   :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Nich on 21:19, 18 September 16
Quote from: robbarton on 16:40, 18 September 16
I am not sure what to do about Snake in issue 68 - I could type it if anyone can see how to amend it to avoid accessing the files it says it needs from disc. Please let me know if you want to do this.

The binary file that the Snake program loads contains the actual game, so it simply isn't possible to amend the program to avoid using it. :(
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Johnny Olsen on 22:56, 18 September 16
Hi Robbarton

Here a little help to the type-ins project
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 10:25, 19 September 16
Quote from: robbarton on 16:40, 18 September 16

I noted on issue 65's wiki page that Space Hockey was a rip-off and have not included it for that reason. Similarly I'll not include Thro' the Wall or Bomber when the time comes as these are out of the manual.


There was also a program called Picstore program, which was out of something else (sorry I haven't got which issue it was on hand), which was really handy for taking 4 Screens and combine them all into one.


EDIT: Sorry I was just having a look at that AA65 page. That Graphics Display I program, was that the one I had on the forum that I converted for all computers? Might be better to revert to the originals for those pages, sorry. I had a look at the screenshot and it look a bit wonky, though I converted that program to Hisoft Pascal 4t (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/programming/hisoft-pascal-4t/msg91861/#msg91861), so probably got part of the translation wrong, though HP4t handles Decimals a little differently from BASIC and that graphics program had some decimal numbers in it.

QuoteI am not sure what to do about Snake in issue 68 - I could type it if anyone can see how to amend it to avoid accessing the files it says it needs from disc. Please let me know if you want to do this.


As @Nich (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=53) mentions the game itself is loaded from Binary file - line 30. I guess the author was hoping it would go onto the AA Covertape, sadly that never happened. Other aspects of the BASIC code also deal with that Binary file, with line 890 calling the game, which will result in a crash since we don't have that fine, but other parts of the program maybe salvageable. The sound routine for example is using SQ and the routine at 470-510 is playing the data 520-600 for example, so if bits of the program can be used, that might be worthwhile extracting those bits and popping it into the Interesting Type-ins Thread (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/programming/interesting-type-ins/).
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 13:35, 19 September 16
Thanks for the above, I will amend the Graphics program to the printed version. I must have downloaded it either from the forum or Cpc Power. I'm on a roll at the moment and hope to be able to upload another two issues later this week (thanks to Johnny above!)

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk


EDIT: I've uploaded a new DSK containing the original and modified versions and amended the wiki page to reflect this
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 23:15, 19 September 16
Quote from: robbarton on 13:35, 19 September 16
Thanks for the above, I will amend the Graphics program to the printed version. I must have downloaded it either from the forum or Cpc Power. I'm on a roll at the moment and hope to be able to upload another two issues later this week (thanks to Johnny above!)

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk


EDIT: I've uploaded a new DSK containing the original and modified versions and amended the wiki page to reflect this


Yeah unfortunately while I typed in various programs from AA which use BASIC 1.1, along the way I reworked them to work in BASIC 1.0  :'(  The Graphics program was one of those that I had in the Interesting Type-ins thread, but I started off with some BASIC 1.1 stuff in the BASIC Programming Tips thread.
The Alto program (as you know) from AA64 was another one I translated. It now works in BASIC 1.0, though BASIC 1.1 seems to handle the program better, it had something to do with the use of KEY and/or KEY DEF, as a result on a 464 the notes sound clipped compared to BASIC 1.1. Running the 464 version with BASIC 1.1 presents none of those symptoms, which is why I'm saying it's handling the program better.


AA65 I think was the last Type-ins to carry the 6128 Only Warning because from AA66 onwards no 6128 Only warning was present for the Pyramids game.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 22:13, 20 September 16
Uploaded AA67, 68 and 70 to the wiki today.

By my reckoning 12 left to do - I have a good feeling about this!   :)

I think, depending how brave/bored I feel, I might take a little time for reflection once all the issues are uploaded, and contemplate going back and adding the Hot Tips/Problem Attic/ other small pieces of code dotted around the magazine.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 21:21, 21 September 16
Uploaded AA71 today - 11 issues left  :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: TFM on 21:41, 21 September 16
*LIKE*
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 11:56, 22 September 16
Quote from: robbarton on 21:21, 21 September 16
Uploaded AA71 today - 11 issues left  :)

Sadly I think I only typed-in that Thro' The Wall, which turned out to be out of the 6128 Manual, it might of been originally out of an early ACU when it was called CPC464 User, I only really recall that from the Bomber program though.
That was the issue which came with the Devpac assembler on the covertape, so was able to start playing with the example assembly program, so had more fun playing around with that, than with Technician Ted.

Later on when I got a 6128 that Bootup Delux program came in handy converting programs to load up with the CPM command, I think it could work with either Binary or BASIC programs, the BASIC program I think needed something else for it to work though.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 22:45, 24 September 16
Quote from: robbarton on 21:21, 21 September 16
Uploaded AA71 today - 11 issues left  :)


The Red Link from the AA Type-ins Page (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/AA_Type_Ins#1991) wasn't resolving itself, even after clicking on it to view the AA71 type-ins!!). So have edit/save page to resolve. This update hasn't been logged in Recent Changes (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Special:RecentChanges).
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 09:16, 25 September 16
AA75 uploaded today - 10 left!  :)

I'm moving onto issues 90-98 now as those scans are mostly clear enough to read. If anyone could post clear scans of AA72, 91 and 96 I would be grateful (just images are fine, don't need to be OCR'd as long as I know what is supposed to be typed in).
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: zeropolis79 on 09:17, 25 September 16
I'll see what I can do...
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 16:29, 01 October 16
Today I uploaded AA91 to the wiki - 9 left to go.

I've completed the rest of AA90 but I'm getting an error on Alpha-Scroll. I've used TypeChecker but when I enter the message in Alpha-Scroll I get bad command - I'm not using any special characters, I'm just putting "CPCwiki is the best"!

Is anybody aware of any corrections to that listing please? If not I'll have to dig out the magnifying glass!  :o
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 20:43, 01 October 16
Quote from: robbarton on 16:29, 01 October 16
Today I uploaded AA91 to the wiki - 9 left to go.

I've completed the rest of AA90 but I'm getting an error on Alpha-Scroll. I've used TypeChecker but when I enter the message in Alpha-Scroll I get bad command - I'm not using any special characters, I'm just putting "CPCwiki is the best"!

Is anybody aware of any corrections to that listing please? If not I'll have to dig out the magnifying glass!  :o


Maybe the problem is TypeChecker itself? I recall having this program working back in the day, it was also published in ACU too so it should be online, sorry I should of mentioned this earlier.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 20:43, 02 October 16
Actually,  :picard: the problem was an ID10T error  :picard:

After loading, the screen presents the message "Type filename to load or press ENTER to enter message".

I was typing my message and wondering why I was getting a bad command - turns out there was no file named like my message  :-[

It was late, that's my excuse! The file was actually fine once I entered the message in the appropriate place.

So that's now issue 90 uploaded to the wiki - 8 left to do (for clarification, I have issues 26 and 72 almost ready but they need checking and debugging, so really it's 6 to type and 2 to finish off).
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 09:45, 09 October 16
Uploaded AA issues 92 and 94 to the wiki this morning.

6 left to do:  93, 95, 96, 98, 26 (to check) and 72 (1 to do and then all to check).  I'm feeling quite  :) about the progress.

I've already extracted the OCR text for all these issues so it should be relatively straightforward to get these rattled off in the next few weeks - maybe before the end of October.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 10:02, 09 October 16
Great work!  :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 11:47, 11 October 16
Uploaded AA93 to the wiki today.

Now I am trying to finish AA26 - I have an error in Diskedit that I'm trying to fix (line 900 of the code keeps getting corrupted when I run the program and it sits in memory, so I must be overwriting it somehow). Otherwise it's almost ready to go.

EDIT - issue number
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 13:01, 11 October 16
Diskedit is driving me mad!

I think I've typed both listings correctly but must have made a typo somewhere. Please could fresh eyes point out my mistake?!

I've run the second listing first as instructed, which produces a binary file and as far as I can tell that is ok. But when I run diskedit.bas I am getting an error after entering drive A track 1 - it seems to be appending a value to the end of the code for some reason (poking it into memory?)

[attach=2]

It's driving me bonkers!

PS is line 500 correct or is there a colon missing before the POKE command?
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robcfg on 13:28, 11 October 16

Could it be that you're loading the binary data in the wrong place?


Or you have indeed an error in the binary file.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 13:32, 11 October 16
I assume I've made an error! I'll check the binary listing again. Thanks

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Johnny Olsen on 00:12, 12 October 16
There is a colon missing before the poke command.

If you upload both text file it will make it easier to help you.

Please do not delete "diskedit data loader" file but save it with the other two files.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 10:30, 16 October 16
Thanks Jonny - I've added the colon to the first listing and am now 99.9% sure the problem is to do with our old friend "1 and l" substitution within the second (machine code) listing, lines 50, 70 and 100...

Of course I might also have an error further down in the DATA statements too...  :-[

diskedit.bas



1 'Diskedit
2 'by Martin Schroeder
3 'Amstrad Action November 87
10 IF PEEK(&AF00)<>221 THEN LOAD"!diskedit.bin"
20 'Error Messages off & Retry Count=1
30 POKE &BE78,&FF:POKE &BE66,1
40 RESTORE 50:FOR i=1 TO 4:READ a:KEY a,CHR$(i):NEXT
50 DATA 134,132,136,130
60 DEFINT A-Z:DIM ss(10):v=1
70 GOSUB 1020:GOSUB 890
80 MODE 2:INK 0,0:BORDER 0:INK 1,26:page=1
90 GOSUB 610
100 buff=&3000
110 LOCATE 1,4:CALL &AF00,buff
120 x=7:y=4
130 GOSUB 290 ' Cursor on/off  Test key
140 a=ASC(a$)
150 IF a<10 AND a>0 THEN ON a GOTO 780,860,820,840
160 IF a=13 THEN 440 'ASCII Input
170 IF (a>239 AND a<244) THEN 350
180 IF NOT((a>64 AND a<71) OR (a>47 AND a<58)) THEN 130
190 s=VAL("&"+a$)
200 zl$=a$:LOCATE x,y:PRINT zl$:x=x+1
210 GOSUB 290:a=ASC(a$)
220 IF NOT((a>64 AND a<71) OR (a>47 AND a<58)) THEN 210
230 s=VAL("&"+a$)
240 LOCATE x,y:PRINT a$
250 g=VAL("&"+zl$+a$):POKE buff+(y-4)*16+INT((x-7)/3),g
260 IF a$=CHR$(13) THEN 120
270 LOCATE 58+INT((x-7)/3),y:PRINT CHR$(1);CHR$(g);
280 GOTO 420
290 CALL &BB81:LOCATE x,y:a$=UPPER$(INKEY$):IF a$="" THEN CALL &BB84:GOTO 290
300 CALL &BB84:IF a$="]" THEN 740  'next Page
310 IF a$="/" THEN 940 'write sector
320 IF a$="\\" THEN 70 'Track & Drive
330 RETURN
340 ' Move Cursor
350 ON (a-239) GOTO 360,380,400,420
360 y=y-1:IF y<4 THEN y=19
370 GOTO 130
380 y=y+1:IF y>19 THEN y=4
390 GOTO 130
400 d=INT((x-7)/3):x=d*3+4:IF x<7 THEN x=52:GOTO 360
410 GOTO 130
420 d=INT((x-7)/3):x=d*3+10:IF x>53 THEN x=7:GOTO 380
430 GOTO 130
440 x=INT((x-7)/3)+58
450 GOSUB 290
460 a=ASC(a$)
470 IF a=13 THEN x=(x-58)*3+7:GOTO 130 'Hex input
480 IF a<10 AND a>0 THEN hh=1:ON a GOTO 780,860,820,840
490 IF (a>239 AND a<244) THEN GOTO 520
500 LOCATE x,y:PRINT CHR$(1);CHR$(a):POKE buff+16*(y-4)+x-58,a
510 LOCATE 3*(x-58)+7,y:PRINT HEX$(a):GOTO 590
520 ON (a-239) GOTO 530,550,570,590
530 y=y-1:IF y<4 THEN y=19
540 GOTO 450
550 y=y+1:IF y>19 THEN y=4
560 GOTO 450
570 x=x-1:IF x<58 THEN x=73:GOTO 530
580 GOTO 450
590 x=x+1:IF x>73 THEN x=58:GOTO 550
600 GOTO 450
610 GOSUB 620:GOTO 660
620 LOCATE 2,2:PRINT"     Drv.:"d$"    Pag.:"page" Tra.:"HEX$(tra,2)"  ID: ";
630 IF fc THEN GOTO 1010 ELSE FOR s=1 TO diff+1:PRINT HEX$(ss(s),2);SPC(1);:NEXT:PRINT SPACE$(3);:PRINT
640 LOCATE 36+v*3,2:PRINT CHR$(24);HEX$(ss(v),2);CHR$(24);:PRINT
650 RETURN
660 MOVE 1,388:DRAW 586,388:DRAW 586,365:MOVE 585,388:DRAW 585,365:DRAW 1,365:DRAW 1,388:MOVE 2,388:DRAW 2,365
670 RESTORE 730:FOR o=1 TO 4:READ a,b,c,d:MOVE a,b:DRAW c,d:MOVE a+1,b-1:DRAW c+1,d-1:NEXT
680 CALL &BB84
690 TAG:MOVE 20,70:PRINT CHR$(240);" .. Cursor up  ";CHR$(241);" .. Cursor down  ";CHR$(243);" .. Cursor right  ";CHR$(242);" .. Cursor left";
700 MOVE 20,50:PRINT CHR$(13);" .. Hex/Ascii  ] .. Next Page    / .. Write Sector  \\ .. Track/Driv";
710 MOVE 20,30:PRINT "f6 . Sector up  f4 . Sector down  f8 . Track up      f2 . Track down";
720 TAGOFF:RETURN
730 DATA 1,1,1,85,1,85,585,85,585,85,585,1,585,1,1,1
740 'Page up/down
750 page=page+1:IF page>2 THEN page=1
760 buff=&3000+256*(page-1)
770 LOCATE 1,4:CALL &AF00,buff:fl=1:GOSUB 610:fl=0:GOTO 290
780 v=v+1
790 IF v>diff+1 THEN v=1
800 CALL &AFC6,&3000,dri,tra,ss(v)
810 GOSUB 620:LOCATE 1,4:CALL &AF00,buff:IF hh THEN hh=0:GOTO 450 ELSE 130
820 tra=tra+1:IF tra>41 THEN tra=0
830 GOSUB 890:GOTO 810
840 tra=tra-1:IF tra<0 THEN tra=41
850 GOTO 830
860 v=v-1:IF v<1 THEN v=diff+1
870 GOTO 800
880 ' Get ID & Read first SECTOR of TRACK
890 CALL &AFB0,tra,dri:POKE &A000,0:CALL &AF90,dri
900 fc=PEEK(&A000):adr%=0:CALL &AF70,@adr%
910 diff=adr%-&7001:FOR u=&7000 TO &7000+diff:ss(u-&6FFF)=PEEK(u):NEXT
920 CALL &AFC6,&3000,dri,tra,ss(v)
930 RETURN
940 ' Write sector
950 LOCATE 2,2:PRINT SPACE$(64):LOCATE 2,2:PRINT SPC(10);CHR$(7);
960 PRINT "Write  Sector:";HEX$(ss(v),2);" -  Are you sure ? (y-yes  n-no)"
970 w$="":WHILE w$<>"n" AND w$<>"y":w$=LOWER$(INKEY$):WEND
980 IF w$="n" THEN GOSUB 620:GOTO 330
990 CALL &AFCD,&3000,dri,tra,ss(v)
1000 GOSUB 620:GOTO 330
1010 PRINT"  NO FORMAT !!";CHR$(7);SPC(14):GOTO 650
1020 PRINT CHR$(4);CHR$(2);"Diskedit V1.0 (c) 1987 by M.Schroeder"
1030 LOCATE 1,3:INPUT "Drive:",d$:LOCATE 10,3:INPUT "  Track:",tra
1040 d$=UPPER$(d$):dri=ASC(d$)-65:IF dri<0 OR dri>1 THEN 1020
1050 IF tra>41 THEN 1020
1060 RETURN




diskedit.dat



1 'Diskedit (data loader)
2 'by Martin Schroeder
3 'Amstrad Action  November 87
20 MODE 2:f$=CHR$(13)+CHR$(10):adr=44800:steps=24
30 FOR loop=1 TO steps:check=0
40 FOR l=1 TO 10:READ a$:a=VAL("&"+a$)
50 POKE adr+(loop-l)*10+l-1,a:check=check+a:NEXT
60 READ checks$:checks=VAL("&"+checks$):IF checks<>check THEN 100
70 LOCATE 1,2:PRINT"checking line:";150+(loop-l)*10:NEXT
75 PRINT:PRINT CHR$(7);"Insert disc then press any key:"
80 CALL &BB18:SAVE"diskedit",b,&AF00,&100
90 END
100 errl=150+(loop-l)*10
110 PRINT CHR$(11);CHR$(13);"Error in line:";errl;CHR$(7)
120 PRINT"Press f0 to edit the line.";f$
130 KEY 128,"EDIT"+STR$(errl)+CHR$(13)
140 'MC CODE (Length:629 bytes)
150 DATA DD,66,01,DD,6E,00,06,10,C5,CD,437
160 DATA 51,AF,06,02,3E,20,CD,5A,BB,10,358
170 DATA F9,E5,06,10,C5,E5,7E,21,00,00,43D
180 DATA 6F,CD,55,AF,E1,C1,3E,20,CD,5A,567
190 DATA BB,23,10,EC,06,03,3E,20,CD,5A,368
200 DATA BB,10,F9,E1,06,10,C5,E5,7E,CD,5B0
210 DATA 5D,BB,E1,C1,23,10,F5,3E,0D,CD,4FA
220 DATA 5A,BB,3E,0A,CD,5A,BB,C1,10,B8,4C8
230 DATA C9,7C,CD,5A,AF,7D,CD,5A,AF,C9,637
240 DATA F5,1F,1F,1F,1F,CD,63,AF,F1,E6,527
250 DATA 0F,FE,0A,38,02,C6,07,C6,30,C3,3D7
260 DATA 5A,BB,DD,66,01,DD,6E,00,E5,21,4AA
270 DATA 01,70,06,40,C5,46,3A,00,70,B8,324
280 DATA 28,05,23,C1,10,F2,C5,C1,EB,E1,565
290 DATA 73,23,72,C9,DD,5E,00,16,00,21,343
300 DATA 00,70,06,24,D5,E5,C5,DF,AD,AF,554
310 DATA 30,18,C1,E1,D1,3A,51,BE,77,23,49E
320 DATA 10,EE,C9,6C,C5,07,DD,5E,00,DD,517
330 DATA 56,02,DF,C3,AF,C9,E1,E1,E1,3E,653
340 DATA 01,32,00,A0,C9,63,C7,07,CD,D4,46E
350 DATA AF,DF,E4,AF,C9,CD,D4,AF,DF,E7,800
360 DATA AF,C9,DD,66,07,DD,6E,06,DD,5E,54E
370 DATA 04,DD,56,02,DD,4E,00,C9,66,C6,459
380 DATA 07,4E,C6,07,00,00,00,00,00,00,122



Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 11:08, 16 October 16

Quote from: robbarton on 10:30, 16 October 16
Thanks Jonny - I've added the colon to the first listing and am now 99.9% sure the problem is to do with our old friend "1 and l" substitution within the second (machine code) listing, lines 50, 70 and 100...


Line 100 should be loop minus one:



100 errl=150+(loop-1)*10



Line 70 will be the same (loop minus one I mean).


I had a look at your screenshot line 50 looks it might look like this:



50 POKE adr+(loop-1)*10+l-1,a:check=check+a:NEXT



this will ensure the correct address gets poked.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 15:59, 16 October 16
Thanks @AMSDOS (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=330) , that did the trick. I tried a few substitutions but it was late (that's always my excuse  :) ) so I gave up too soon.

Thankfully that means that once I check the other type ins, issue 26 will be ready to upload.

I've also almost finished AA95 so that will leave 96, 98 and 72.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Johnny Olsen on 19:45, 16 October 16
I know it's a little late, but I've found a version here including a help file.

http://cpcrulez.fr/applications_list_disc-diskedit.htm

Maybe you can compare the two txt files and in this way find typos.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 20:57, 22 October 16
I should be able to upload issues 26, 95, 96 and 98 to the wiki tomorrow so that will just leave number 72.

I've spent a bit of time on a side project (yes already looking at the next thing!) but I'll post in the programming section so that I'm not clogging up this thread with my own stuff.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 13:49, 23 October 16
AA26 now uploaded to the wiki

Almost finished, just got a few niggles to sort out:

1) AA95 - 1 problem left: I've checked the Scatter Plot code which I think is correct but I can't get a graph to display, it endlessly asks for data points. AA have a screenshot of it working so I must have made a mistake.

2) AA96 - 1 problem left: Please can someone provide a clear scan of page 28? I have data errors in Skoda Simulator and the page is too blurry for me to correct.

3) AA98 - 1 problem left: I've checked the Dinosaur type in and despite the checksums matching, the game seems to have very bad collision detection and very slow movement - I assume I have inverted some characters somewhere so the checksum calculates the same but the code itself doesn't execute properly. I'll go over it again before upload.

4) AA72 - If anyone can provide clear scans of the type-in pages so I can check my work I would be grateful.

Thank you again to everyone who has helped.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Nich on 16:20, 23 October 16
Quote from: robbarton on 13:49, 23 October 16
2) AA96 - 1 problem left: Please can someone provide a clear scan of page 28? I have data errors in Skoda Simulator and the page is too blurry for me to correct.
I uploaded the Amstrad Action version of Skoda Simulator to CPC-POWER:

http://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&onglet=dumps&num=6507 (http://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&onglet=dumps&num=6507)

Quote3) AA98 - 1 problem left: I've checked the Dinosaur type in and despite the checksums matching, the game seems to have very bad collision detection and very slow movement - I assume I have inverted some characters somewhere so the checksum calculates the same but the code itself doesn't execute properly. I'll go over it again before upload.
I recall after typing Dinosaur when it was originally published that the game was very slow to play, so I don't think it's due to any mistakes in your typing.

Quote4) AA72 - If anyone can provide clear scans of the type-in pages so I can check my work I would be grateful.
I'll try to scan and upload them for you soon.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 17:31, 23 October 16
Quote from: Nich on 16:20, 23 October 16
I uploaded the Amstrad Action version of Skoda Simulator to CPC-POWER:

http://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&onglet=dumps&num=6507 (http://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&onglet=dumps&num=6507)



Thank you @Nich (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=53) - I'll pilfer that and include it with the rest of the AA96 type ins! I wasn't sure why I didn't find it when I searched CPC Power for Amstrad Action type ins when I started doing this project - so just checked and I would have needed to search each individual program by name as it is not tagged with Amstrad Action in the search parameters.

Quote
I recall after typing Dinosaur when it was originally published that the game was very slow to play, so I don't think it's due to any mistakes in your typing.
I'll try to scan and upload them for you soon.

Good to know it might not need any amendments.

With these two issues addressed I'll upload them to the wiki today and maybe take another look at AA95.

Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 11:20, 25 October 16
Quote from: Nich on 16:20, 23 October 16
I uploaded the Amstrad Action version of Skoda Simulator to CPC-POWER:

http://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&onglet=dumps&num=6507 (http://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&onglet=dumps&num=6507)



Well it looks like the Skoda Simulator was published in CPC Attack before Amstrad Action. CPC-Power has Acknowledged it appeared in AA and the Attached Disk Image is credited as the AA version.


The same thing also happened with David Hall's Alpha Scroll, which was originally published in ACU then followed by AA.


I've just been through a dozen or so issues of the Australian Magazine "The Amstrad User" and found a number of CPC programs in there were from AA, all credited to their original Authors. "The Amstrad User" commenced Feb '85, which had some programs from the early ACU (CPC464 User) magazine and pretty much ended (as "The PC Mag") with CPC programs from other Magazines like Your Computer "Englebert", Home Computing Weekly "Bullseye" & "Grid Warrior". I'm unsure where "The Amstrad User" source those programs, they were based here in Melbourne, I'm guessing they went to the State Library, but need to check into this.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 16:01, 29 October 16
I recall a letter to AA pointing out possible plagiarism whereby an Australian magazine was reprinting programs - however it turns out they were printed under licence with permission so it was all legit. However I don't recall which issue the letter was in so I'll have to find it... bear with me!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 21:24, 29 October 16
Quote from: robbarton on 16:01, 29 October 16
I recall a letter to AA pointing out possible plagiarism whereby an Australian magazine was reprinting programs - however it turns out they were printed under licence with permission so it was all legit. However I don't recall which issue the letter was in so I'll have to find it... bear with me!


The Australian magazine The Amstrad User (TAU) started doing this Sept '86, unsure how long this continued on for. They had a section called Cheat Mode which was still going Jan '89, but it looked as if they were publishing stuff from Australian Readers. Aug '87 appears to be the last they had a section called "Gallimaufry" which had programs from AA, they also had Hot Tips around then as well.


EDIT: Prior to that they had some AA programs Nov '86 they had the Max Headroom GIGO program.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Border_7 on 05:17, 31 October 16
ahh yes, the plagiarism... it was an interesting time in Australia. There were several UK magazines to pilfer bits and pieces from - sure, yes some was published properly under license etc. (agreements with Future Publishing and Database Publications). But there was definitely things turning up from AA / CWTA / ACU into TAU. Just edit the REM lines at the beginning of a listing and presto! you have a brand new listing! Who's gonna notice!?
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: pelrun on 12:40, 31 October 16
That was hardly restricted to TAU, though. Even Bomber from the *CPC6128 manual* ended up in one of the UK mags, iirc.  :picard2:
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Border_7 on 00:04, 01 November 16
Quote from: pelrun on 12:40, 31 October 16
That was hardly restricted to TAU, though. Even Bomber from the *CPC6128 manual* ended up in one of the UK mags, iirc.  :picard2:

Good memory jog... I actually recall something like that...might have been a UK CWTA mag.... a 1987 issue...Blitz, maybe? 
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 04:48, 01 November 16
Quote from: pelrun on 12:40, 31 October 16
That was hardly restricted to TAU, though. Even Bomber from the *CPC6128 manual* ended up in one of the UK mags, iirc.  :picard2:


Dave Town was the author of Bomber (http://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&num=3674), which was initially published in ACU (when it was known as CPC464 User), but the rip-off which made it into AA was most likely lifted from the 6128 Manual.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 20:47, 01 November 16
There was a run of AA issues which had programs lifted from the manual or plagiarised from earlier submissions:

AA70 - Bomber (manual)
AA71 - Thro' the Wall (manual)
AA72 - Picstore (Amstrad Computer User)

In addition AA68 featured Snake that required another file on the disk to be present, hence it won't work as-is. I guess that over these few months AA must have had staff turnover and the new people weren't as vigilant/knowledgeable which is why these errors crept in.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 20:50, 01 November 16
Finally got the scatter plot program on AA95 to work (by fudging one data point to -1000 to force it to compute (!)) so I have uploaded it to the wiki.

ALL DONE!  ;D

Well, technically there are other tips and bits of code in many of the issues that could go on each page... I'll maybe take this up in 2017.

Thank you to everyone who has helped and supported me on this project with scans, corrections and suggestions - all very helpful and greatly appreciated.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: robbarton on 21:03, 01 November 16
RE: Australian publications reprinting AA material

The letter I saw was in AA issue 27 on page 7, about The Amstrad User, which had permission to reprint sections from AA.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 23:31, 02 March 17
I'm a little behind on the forum scene so I just noticed that you'd finished this mega project. I have to say well done, you did us all proud. Thank you. :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 06:59, 03 March 17

Ironically I noticed this error the other day 


There was also another Dead Link in your signature, but I think you might of removed that one now.


Correction:It's the "My CPC on my Webpage" link, which is coming up as Page not found | Zoe Kirk-Robinson.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 05:40, 06 August 17
I made some small updates to the AA100 Type-ins page (http://cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_January_1994_Type-Ins), after finding a little problem with the Wot program. With all the BASIC snippets I've put together over the years (and having a Disk Image almost full of files), it seemed like a good program to make a description file of all the files.
I have only updated the WOT.BAS file on the Disk Image to correct line 425 which had "425 INPUT#1,:"",a$(x):a=LEN(a$(x))" instead of "425 INPUT#1,;"",a$(x):a=LEN(a$(x))".
I made some updates to the original Wiki page (http://cpcwiki.eu/index.php?title=Amstrad_Action_January_1994_Type-Ins&oldid=96176), as I noticed the  Wot program is also BASIC 1.1 only and the full title of The Last Lark game is "Invaders of the Lost Lark", instead of "Raiders of the Last Lark", that was named under the screenshot. I hope the updated Disk Image has worked (I used the Drag and Drop onto the page), will check.

In addition, I made some of my own modifications to the Wot program, the original program was only storing 30 Files, so I extended it to allow for the full 64. The original program wasn't very 464 friendly at all even after I replaced the CLEAR INPUT with WHILE INKEY$<>"":WEND, something that occurs on the 6128 is if the file isn't found error 32 is returned and Line 30 takes you to Line 110 where you can start Describing the files. On a 464, if a file isn't found, it reports it without Issuing an Error 32, the program comes to a grinding halt. The only way around this was to:

openout"wotfile.":write#9,"":closeout


to create a file.

Another problem in the original program is the Window in the original program was obstructing some of the Filenames in the lower half of the screen. I've added a small routine to scroll the Filenames to the Top Corner of the Screen & have adjusted the Window in the lower half of the screen to display the descriptions of the files. It seems to work fine now, though it's a little weird that when a file has been setup, you need to use the Small Enter key to go through all the Descriptions of the Files, once you get through those you can continue adding new descriptions for the files!  :D
Title: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN:DIHUNT (Sept 1992)
Post by: AMSDOS on 11:07, 16 August 17
I was flipping through some of those AA Type-ins on the CPCWiki, when I got reacquainted with DIHUNT (otherwise known as Diamond Hunt) from AA84


(https://www.cpcwiki.eu/imgs/e/e3/DIHUNT.png)






Unfortunately I found an Syntax Error in Line 300 I think (a number 1 was being used instead of a lowercase "L" in a FOR loop), I've made the necessary changes to the Disk Image, through haven't got the Disk Image on hand at the Moment to upload to the Wik!  :(  I also found another bug, though this one doesn't appear to be a typo. When the game asks if I want another game, pressing "n" I get a type mismatch error. This error seems to relate to the M/C Fade Routine at the end of the program. Another M/C routine is also within the program to generate a Sound Explosion, however that DATA uses the Ampersand ("&") in front of the Data to poke as Hexadecimal Data. The other Fading routine also uses Hexadecimal DATA, though I suspect the M/C loader tries to poke the data from the Sound Explosion Data hence generating the Type Mismatch error. For the Fade DATA routine I've added RESTORE 950 so the right DATA gets POKEd, though obviously this wasn't part of the published program in AA and I'm unsure what AA were testing it on, the program is listed as 6128 only and was using 6128 settings in Winape for this program.


Which brings me to my next point. When this program was originally published I was using a 464, I might of tried of emulating this game with the 6128 Emulator which was published in AA68, though didn't have a great understand of the COPYCHR$(#0) back then, so when I came across this program again, I decided to write it using 2D Array. The hardest part was rewriting lines 410-560 which work on printing the Diamonds and Bombs onscreen, 4 arrays are used and if a random value should fall in a position where where another Diamond or Bomb should be, it loops back until it finds an unused position. In my version the 4 arrays are removed as well as the 2 "w" FOR Loops, the arrays simply become single variables holding the random positions, that is then checked with the 2D array and if that holds either a Diamond or Bomb, it goes back to get another random position. The 2D Array simply holds the string positions for the Bombs and Diamonds, once I had that correct and could replace the COPYCHR$(#0) with checking the Array Positions with the positions of my character, it was simply a matter of replacing the "CLEAR INPUT" & "FRAME" with 464 equivalents. I also discovered I had to alter the Sound Explosion routine as each time I ran into a Bomb, the whole Sound Explosion routine was being POKEd into memory again and again!


I can attach a Disc Image or CDT of that if anyone is interested.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 08:46, 17 August 17
Please find updated DSK Image of AA84 Type-ins (http://cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_September_1992_Type-Ins), and my attached 464 Version of Diamond Hunt below (in CDT format).


EDIT: I got into playing both versions of the game which, seems to play better with the Cursor Keys as it lets you move Diagonally, for the Joystick, JOY is used which doesn't let you move those extra directions. I went back to the original 6128 version, in this game it offers a number of difficulty levels 1 is meant to be Difficult, while 15 is Easy. I got a feeling though that when I played the 464 version, moving from COPYCHR$ to an Array approach, the game is running slightly faster on Level 15 than it's 6128 counterpart. Though I think the original program is still drawing up the screen faster probably because I'm using Logical AND operators in my IF statements again which is slower than using IF <condition> THEN IF .... and so on.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 05:08, 18 March 18


Quote from: robbarton on 13:49, 23 October 16
3) AA98 - 1 problem left: I've checked the Dinosaur type in and despite the checksums matching, the game seems to have very bad collision detection and very slow movement - I assume I have inverted some characters somewhere so the checksum calculates the same but the code itself doesn't execute properly. I'll go over it again before upload.


Quote from: Nich on 16:20, 23 October 16


I recall after typing Dinosaur when it was originally published that the game was very slow to play, so I don't think it's due to any mistakes in your typing.

Quote from: robbarton on 17:31, 23 October 16

Good to know it might not need any amendments.




I made amendments to that Dinosaur game, so it plays faster now & works on all CPCs, but....it's got one of those scary CHR(164) Copyrights stamped on it at the start of the program, don't know what to do!  ???  I don't stand to profit from this program which is nearly a quarter of a century old!  :-X


While playing the original, I found a bug/cheat, which still exists in the amended version. Hold down the Shift+Left Arrow or Shift+Right Arrow and your Man jumps across the screen further. If this is done in the original version, you can jump the man out of the playing field, in the amended version the man simply disappears. I can only presume this occurs due to the way the controls are checked in the program on Line 960:



posit=posit-((INKEY(+1) AND posit>=0)*4
posit=posit+((INKEY(1)+1) AND posit<612)*4



UPDATE: I've decided to upload the file now after reading and considering what Type-ins are, which is essentially a program free for people to improve or enhance or making it function for another system. If Paul Neave wishes to have their program removed, unfortunately we'll have to comply despite the circumstances it was published in.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Skunkfish on 12:00, 19 March 18
Quote from: AMSDOS on 05:08, 18 March 18
If Paul Neave wishes to have their program removed, unfortunately we'll have to comply despite the circumstances it was published in.

He's very likely the Paul Neave of Neave Interactive - https://neave.com/

https://twitter.com/neave

You could always ask to be sure? :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: pelrun on 12:43, 19 March 18
It makes *absolutely no difference legally* whether a copyright line is present or not.


If someone asks for their personal work to be removed, do it out of basic courtesy... but why actively go looking for trouble?
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: tjohnson on 16:01, 19 March 18
Quote from: pelrun on 12:43, 19 March 18
It makes *absolutely no difference legally* whether a copyright line is present or not.


If someone asks for their personal work to be removed, do it out of basic courtesy... but why actively go looking for trouble?

Is there any suggestion that the program needs to be removed?  I can't imagine anyone would be interested in trying to protect an ancient type in program on a dead computer platform.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 10:03, 20 March 18
Hmmm, not sure we can call the Amstrad a dead computer platform with all the new Hardware/Software available.
The way I understand the concept of Type-ins programs submitted to magazines, is when an author submits/sends a program to a magazine, if the program gets published, the magazine gets the rights to the program and the author gets some exposure. I think I would be in more trouble if I was trying to profit from it or pass it off as my own program which, I haven't done. But if the author of the program should visit our site and tell me to remove it, then I'll respect their wishes.
There were a few things in the original program which had to be changed to work on the 464. The program had a FILL instruction in it which FILLed in a square box, I replaced this with a Graphics Window & CLG 11 which is a 464s way of doing GRAPHICS PAPER, the Graphics Window just needs to be extended back to the entire screen, so everything around it can be display. GRAPHICS PENs were also used which can be done on a 464 with PLOT -2,-2,col, CLEAR INPUT is just WHILE INKEY$<>"":WEND, though I also discovered this game had the same problem as what @Morri (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=95) had when coding Coolbox. When the Dinosaur's are drawn, each one is build-up and uses CHR$(10) & STRING$(4,8) to move the cursor around to draw each bit of the Dinosaur. I ended up removing those control codes and settling with LOCATE, which seems to work just fine (and work on all systems).


I've been having a look at another game I remember typing in back in the day from AA88 called Smoulder (or Before-Smoulder), just downloaded it off the Wiki and found a problem with it, no controls.  :o Line 370 needs correcting unfortunately, which had something like "370 a$=INXey$" just needs correcting to read "370 a$=INKEY$". I typed the program myself the other night and found another fault with it, if the Red plane fires towards the top and the bullet goes past the top it's Improper Argument in 580. If the Green Plane fires towards the bottom, the screen rolls!  :D
I just made some simple checks which I could leave in the Notes section for that Type-ins page which prevent Aircraft firing in either case.


560 PEN 1:FOR n=1 TO 5:IF y>=6 THEN LOCATE x,y-n:PRINT"."
610 FOR n=1 TO 5:IF y>=6 THEN LOCATE x,y-n:PRINT" ":NEXT n
630 PEN 1:FOR n=1 TO 5:IF b<=20 THEN LOCATE a,b+n:PRINT"."
660 FOR n=1 TO 5:IF b<=19 THEN LOCATE a,b+n:PRINT" ":NEXT n


I just thought I'd mention this game as simple as it is, I made a few adjustments to make it a 1UP game against the computer, which wasn't all that hard to do and the funny thing about this game, is I've some other coding ideas into what to develop it into.


EDIT: Finally got around to updating AA88 Type-ins  (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_January_1993_Type-Ins#Notes)page with revised DSK image to correct some typo problems on Smoulder. I have also added Notes to with suggested corrections to prevent Planes in Smoulder from Firing at the Top and Bottom, which prevents any chance of screen rolling or Improper Argument Error. In order to preserve the original listing which was published in AA, I haven't added those suggested corrections to the program. Likewise I thought this is a good example of a 2 Player game, which could be easily modified into a 1 Player game, but haven't added any of those suggestions to the Notes column.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: tjohnson on 00:17, 21 March 18
Commercially it is dead and has been for nearly 30 years, I don't walk into WHSmiths and see racks of game tapes for sale like a did as a kid, so while there are a still a few users like us lot, the tens of thousands/millions of mainstream users where all the money is made moved on, that's what I meant by my comment.  When I mention to a few people I'm still tinkering in Amstrad 8bits I get asked why I'm wasting my time like this!!!
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: EgoTrip on 19:27, 28 March 18
Why anyone would cause problems over a 30 year old type-in is beyond me. Only a massive dick would do such a thing.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 00:53, 30 March 18
Quote from: EgoTrip on 19:27, 28 March 18Why anyone would cause problems over a 30 year old type-in is beyond me. Only a massive dick would do such a thing.



I haven't encountered anybody facing legal proceedings because they took someones program and made some alterations for the purpose of improvement, so perhaps the real enemy here is a fear of being prosecuted, though the author still has their program. If there was something to the lines of "Don't alter this program", I wouldn't dream of touching it. There's one such example in AA88 with a Word Processor Program which has got Copyright, Public Domain & Please Don't Alter this program, which is really confusing since Public Domain is what it is and people are normally welcome to improve that code.
The same applies within the nature of the type-ins, where people are more or less welcome to improve the code and I think at one stage AA were trying to outline what submitting programs to the Type-ins would mean in terms of making your code available to others. On the odd occasion improvements of Type-in programs were usually published on the Forum pages. After AA making the Covertape a monthly thing, if a person really wanted to protect their program, send it to the covertape as a Protected BASIC file.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: ComSoft6128 on 13:53, 02 April 18

The Final Word?
Letter from Amstrad Action issue 23.

"Copyright on type-ins

When I send you a listing and you pay me for it, are you buying the copyright from me? And if you are. what does this mean for my use of the program or further use of it by you? Say you wanted to use it on a cover cassette: do I get royalties?
Tommy Daffin South Brewham, Somerset

Yes, we are buying the copyright from you, and that means you should not then submit the program to other publications (although of course you can use it yourself)- If someone wanted to sell us only first publication rights, we'd consider it - but the someone would probably find subsequent publishers less interested anyway. The idea of royalties does not apply in the magazine world, where fees are one-off: with books or records or plays, royalties consist of a small fee for each copy sold or each performance, and could dribble on for 50 years."





Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Nich on 19:54, 02 April 18
Quote from: ComSoft6128 on 13:53, 02 April 18
The Final Word?
Letter from Amstrad Action issue 23.

That was in 1987, though. I'm fairly sure AA's policy on the copyright status of type-ins was amended over the years.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 10:04, 04 April 18
So the information I was referring to from AA, appears to have only appeared in AA71,72 (August/September 1991) of the Type-ins pages, within a small oval box titled "ARE TYPE-INS PUBLIC DOMAIN?". The following reads as:

QuoteAll Type-Ins submitted to Amstrad Action automatically go into the public domain. If you don't want this to happen, make it clear when you send your program in.

This was printed at a time when AA were paying £20 per program, which resulted in a few dodgy programs being sent in.  :(

When I was hunting that down, I stumbled across AA saying something in another issue about them receiving quite a few Pacman clones, which came at a time when they were saying to keep your programs original! Still think it's a shame they never saw the light of day, guess if they were written well, it would of made for a nice BASIC tutorial.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: dthrone on 10:43, 04 April 18
I'm sure they printed Bomber from the back of the CPC manual as a type-in one issue then issued some sort of warning/apology the next issue?  Can't remember the issue numbers but it would be mid-late era.  Now that was definitely copyright infringement  :P
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 11:57, 04 April 18
Quote from: dthrone on 10:43, 04 April 18
I'm sure they printed Bomber from the back of the CPC manual as a type-in one issue then issued some sort of warning/apology the next issue?  Can't remember the issue numbers but it would be mid-late era.  Now that was definitely copyright infringement  :P


There were lots of naughty type-ins around 1991, which began with the Bomber program in AA70, Thro' the Wall in AA71 was a Breakout game lifted from the Manual (which was out of an Early ACU), a similar program also appeared in a later AA Type-ins as well, and in the following AA72 Picstore appeared which was also out of an ACU. Prior to '91, I can only recall a Space Hockey game being published in AA65. The funny thing about that was AA originally published it in AA42. I don't think it happened any earlier than that.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 11:53, 05 September 18
While I've been playing around with the AA57 Type-ins (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_June_1990_Type-Ins), I found an unusual use for the Bigprint Routine. It's possible when using the command to have the Transparent Mode on, so redefining and multicoloured characters can be used, my example is using a 8x4 redefined graphic, though had it been 8x8, the Bigprint routine could add additional colours to the graphic, allowing the use of contrasting colours - from Yellow to Dark Yellow or the Greens or Blues.


My little example is just an example of a 2 Colour Space Ship stuck in the Middle of the Screen with Left/Right Cursor Keys to move it, because of the size of the ship (being 16x8), moving it across the screen is very quick.  :)




100 SYMBOL 255,8,20,34,65,0,0,0,0:SYMBOL 254,0,8,28,62,0,0,0,0:MODE 0:INK 0,11:INK 1,26:INK 2,9:BORDER 0:ton$=CHR$(22)+CHR$(1):toff$=CHR$(22)+CHR$(0):a$=CHR$(255):b$=CHR$(254):c$=CHR$(32):x=10:y=10:PRINT ton$;
110 GOSUB 190
120 WHILE INKEY(18)<>0
130   IF INKEY(8)=0 THEN IF x>1 THEN GOSUB 180:|BIGPRINT,x,y,@c$,1,1:x=x-1:GOSUB 170:GOSUB 190
140   IF INKEY(1)=0 THEN IF x<19 THEN GOSUB 180:|BIGPRINT,x,y,@c$,1,1:x=x+1:GOSUB 170:GOSUB 190
150 WEND
160 MODE 2:END
170 PRINT ton$;:RETURN
180 PRINT toff$;:RETURN
190 |BIGPRINT,x,y,@a$,1,1:|BIGPRINT,x,y@b$,2,2:RETURN
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: scruss on 15:06, 05 September 18
There were lots of "lifts" between magazines, sometimes direct, sometimes with variations. Amstrad Action July 1992 (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_July_1992_Type-Ins) has a very close variant (adds a high score table) of Star Dodger, written for ACU September 1988 (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/ACU_September_1988_-_Type-ins). Star Dodger is itself a clone of Asterisk Tracker (http://scruss.com/blog/2018/07/05/space-acid-poisoning/), a BBC BASIC one-liner published in BEEBUG magazine in December 1984.
Type-ins and articles for ACU were published on an "all rights" basis: you transferred all rights (except for moral right, which includes the right to be recognized as the author) internationally forever in exchange for payment. I'm pretty sure that Future Publishing had the same terms, though I have more memories of sending the rights slips back to Adlington every month so I could get paid.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 23:53, 06 September 18
Quote from: scruss on 15:06, 05 September 18
There were lots of "lifts" between magazines, sometimes direct, sometimes with variations. Amstrad Action July 1992 (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_July_1992_Type-Ins) has a very close variant (adds a high score table) of Star Dodger, written for ACU September 1988 (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/ACU_September_1988_-_Type-ins). Star Dodger is itself a clone of Asterisk Tracker (http://scruss.com/blog/2018/07/05/space-acid-poisoning/), a BBC BASIC one-liner published in BEEBUG magazine in December 1984.


I remember typing in that Star Dodger from AA back in the day and having a lot of fun with it, without really knowing about the original game from ACU, though I always wondered why it had v2. Apart from the Hi-score Table which is a nice addition to the game, I think the only other difference is the Asterisks are now Green.


I'd like to try that BBC BASIC one-liner though, just to see how it goes with BBC BASIC for the CPC.

QuoteType-ins and articles for ACU were published on an "all rights" basis: you transferred all rights (except for moral right, which includes the right to be recognized as the author) internationally forever in exchange for payment. I'm pretty sure that Future Publishing had the same terms, though I have more memories of sending the rights slips back to Adlington every month so I could get paid.


The Star Dodger game created a situation where coders were adapting other peoples programmes, I'm unsure if anyone pulled up on that programme either, though it pretty much created a series of circumstances where people modify existing programmes and sent them to AA. Another controversial game being Parrot (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/File:AmstradActionType-Ins_102_Parrot.png) from AA102 Type-ins which came out of an early book (Sensational Games for the Amstrad CPC464), however the game AA published, had been modified to run in MODE 1, which on inspection with the original game took quite a bit of modifying in the code. I guess if the author had changed the Graphics to something else and retitled the game, it may had never of been suspected of being lifted.  :D
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: scruss on 00:13, 08 September 18
Quote from: AMSDOS on 23:53, 06 September 18
The Star Dodger game created a situation where coders were adapting other peoples programmes, I'm unsure if anyone pulled up on that programme either ...
AA published an "Oops" the next issue after some people (but not me, who wrote the thing) complained.
QuoteI'd like to try that BBC BASIC one-liner though, just to see how it goes with BBC BASIC for the CPC.
It sort of works, but the colour detection doesn't work as expected so the game doesn't offer any useful interaction. If you want to try it, it's easiest to dump the source one-liner to a text file (don't forget the ^Z EOF marker), transfer it to a DSK image then *EXEC the text file from BBC BASIC. That gets the very long line in with no buffer overflow problems.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 02:48, 08 September 18
Quote from: scruss on 00:13, 08 September 18
AA published an "Oops" the next issue after some people (but not me, who wrote the thing) complained.


Yeah, seemed to be more about the error AA made in republishing the same Type-ins twice.  :D

QuoteIt sort of works, but the colour detection doesn't work as expected so the game doesn't offer any useful interaction. If you want to try it, it's easiest to dump the source one-liner to a text file (don't forget the ^Z EOF marker), transfer it to a DSK image then *EXEC the text file from BBC BASIC. That gets the very long line in with no buffer overflow problems.


Was just about to post another program in the BBC BASIC thread which falls along the same lines.  :)
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 17:21, 14 September 18
Damn, I always liked Star Dodger. It was the best of the lot in that "Christmas Crackers" type-in booklet AA put on the cover one Christmas. I never realised back then that it was nicked. :(
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: scruss on 02:08, 15 September 18
There's another "Star Dodger" - unrelated - that AA published shortly before my Star Dodger appeared in ACU.
Mine was originally called 2D Star Dodge (after 3D Star Strike) but for $reasons->{'unknown'} Simon and Jeff didn't like the name and asked if I could change it to Star Dodger. I thought that 2D Star Dodge was lost forever, but I was amazed to find it on a French cracking group site. I must've shared it with penpal in Le Havre (we exchanged a tape roughly twice a year: man, there were some weird CPC stuff coming out of France back then) and he must've passed it on to someone who kept it.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 09:22, 15 September 18
Quote from: scruss on 02:08, 15 September 18
There's another "Star Dodger" - unrelated - that AA published shortly before my Star Dodger appeared in ACU.


The funniest thing about that one, is a very similar One Liner was published in the May 1986 issue of ACU. I found the one in AA21 (June '87), though as ACU had another similar programme with those short programmes, it seems likely people would come up with similar solutions for those short programs.  :D

Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: ComSoft6128 on 09:34, 15 September 18
Convergent evolution in the programming world :D
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: zeropolis79 on 22:02, 23 October 18
I seem to recall seeing AA and ACU print readers amendments to type-in programs (like a Printer option for a database and keyboard controls for SMART 2 (even though that was a covertape))
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 02:04, 24 October 18
Quote from: zeropolis79 on 22:02, 23 October 18
I seem to recall seeing AA and ACU print readers amendments to type-in programs (like a Printer option for a database and keyboard controls for SMART 2 (even though that was a covertape))


The Accounts program from AA56 Type-ins was like this and a reader amended the program to include a Print Option, which got published in the AA58 Forum.
I checked to see which version was included on the Wiki and discovered the program is BASIC 1.1 only too, with the program making use of DERR, which is a BASIC 1.1 Function for returning Disk Errors. However, the program which is on  the Wiki doesn't include the additional Print Option.


I'm so glad AA didn't include a copy of SMART 2 on every Covertape, as I recall the original program (Smart) was originally published in Type-ins before I started collecting AA, every so often some amendments/alterations were made to the program, though it was when it was making a return to the Covertape, my Newsagent failed to stock that issue, as if some mysterious force is prohibiting me from using that program?  :-\
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 08:30, 20 January 19
AA17 Type-ins page (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_February_1987_Type-Ins) has been updated on the Wiki after I noticed a Typo I made in the Landscape Graphic which didn't update the INKs, which resulted in some patterns using alternating colours.  ???
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: Fessor on 10:18, 20 January 19
Have you tried this? It installs the commands of Basic 1.1 on the 464.
http://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&num=4403
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 11:23, 20 January 19
Quote from: Fessor on 10:18, 20 January 19
Have you tried this? It installs the commands of Basic 1.1 on the 464.
http://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&num=4403 (http://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&num=4403)


That's quite an impressive one, though it's always going to be tough reproducing DERR, it doesn't seem to be part of the package.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 11:34, 16 March 19
I made an update on the AA51 Type-ins file after noticing a DATA error typo in the EVAL routine. A corrected programme was available on CPC-Power and have used that to update the DSK file here. I've also included some additional instructions on the page (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_December_1989_Type-Ins#Notes) to show how what the Command does. To be honest though, it's more of a curio that only works on 464, I don't think 664/6128 users at the time weren't missing much.
Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 11:12, 08 June 19
I've updated the DSK from AA58 Type-Ins (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_Action_July_1990_Type-Ins) after noticing an alternative version of Bounce (compatible on 464) was being used, instead of the BASIC 1.1 version which was published in the Magazine.
There was a letter published in AA60 Forum (attached below), which nearly has the whole game covered except for Line 630 which has 2 GRAPHICS PEN commands and Line 830 has a CLEAR INPUT in it. The only trouble is PEN only changes the Text Cursor PEN (not GRAPHICS) and yes I wondered if it were possible to use PEN in Text Mode, switch to Graphical Mode with TAG and PRINT the character with that PEN colour, the answer is No. :D 
I don't know if it would be worthwhile playing around with this game (coding wise), one of the annoying things about this game is it's set difficulty. The Author claims to have achieved a Hi-score of 31 and in the Game itself a Number of "Red Mines" is set as a Variable in Line 410 (nd) which has been set to 10 on line 135 and it doesn't change, so it might have been a better game if that value slowly increased with each screen.


Title: Re: Amstrad Action TYPE-IN PROJECT
Post by: AMSDOS on 03:14, 25 October 20
I've updated Richard Shephard's "Warzone", which was published in AA68 Type-Ins, so it works on all CPCs.


This game presented some interesting problems:


* When the cannons fall from the sky and hit the ground COPYCHR$(#0) was being used to detect where the ground was. The game plays in MODE 2 with 1 pixel accuracy to draw the landscape. I replaced it with a TEST within a FOR Loop to check the 8 pixel horizontal area beneath the falling cannon, if landscape is found, done = TRUE. Carrying out the operation like that, the process is slower than COPYCHR$(#0) because TEST has to carry out 8 checks, to COPYCHR$(#0) one, however the original game was slowing the process between drawing and deleting the Cannon, I moved the code around a little bit to improve the drawing sequence, which makes it look more like the original.


* When the cannons fire, and reach the other cannon, COPYCHR$(#0) is used to determine if a cannon is found. From what I could work out an array is used to store the positions of the cannons in 'frig(num)' for xpos position and 'pp(num)' for ypos. I was able to work out the firing was stored in 'x(num)' and 'y(num)', though is stored using Graphical coordinates, which meant I had to convert into a Text Coordinate position. I had no problems working out the x-coorindate forumula, though just the opposite for the y-coorinate formula. Being a MODE 2 game, the cursor is 8 pixels wide, so it was simply a matter of dividing 8 from the 'x(num)' array and adding 1. The y-coordinate on the other hand is the same as the other screen modes, with each pixel line being multiplied by 2, so a graphical cursor is 16 pixel lines in graphical height (if that makes sense), though I had trouble transposing the formula from my graphical formula, until I realised I needed to divide the graphical value by 16, I then realised I could figure it out by '<height of screen>-(<graphical value>\16)' with the <height of screen> being 25 characters and carrying out an Integer Divide I would get the y-coordinate between 1 and 25 from a Graphical coordinate.


These were the alterations I made to the game:



20 PLOT -2,-2,3:TAG:MOVE 8,14:PRINT"*WARZONE*";:TAGOFF
890 done=0:GOSUB 945
920 done=0:GOSUB 945
945 LOCATE e,1:PRINT CHR$(233)
950 FOR i=2 TO 25
951 LOCATE e,i-1:PRINT " "
952 LOCATE e,i:PRINT CHR$(233)
955 FOR mt=0 TO 7
960 IF TEST((e-1)*8+mt,398-(i*16))=1 THEN done=1
970 NEXT mt
980 IF done=1 THEN 1020
990 FOR ss=1 TO 42:NEXT
1410 MOVER -2,2:DRAWR 4,0,0:DRAWR 0,-2:DRAWR -4,0:DRAWR 0,-2:DRAWR 4,0:DRAWR 0,-2:DRAWR -4,0
1450 IF x(zz)\8+1=frig(i) THEN IF 25-(y(zz)\16)=pp(i) THEN dead(i)=1:dead=1
1650 WHILE INKEY$<>"":WEND



Since making those changes and having it working for 464 and 6128, I went back to the 6128 version and tried it on the 664, though the game Crashes (Reset back to BASIC), the problem there relates to the CALL &BC06,&40 and CALL &BC06,&C0 which this game uses to restore the Title screen, though this seems to be unacceptable on the 664, though works without problems on 464 and 6128.


So not working for all CPCs!  ???
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