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Computing with the Amstrad TYPE-IN PROJECT

Started by robbarton, 12:53, 28 June 20

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robbarton

Hi All,

Having enjoyed participating in the Amstrad Action type-in project to update the wiki pages a few years ago, and having recovered from the extertions  ??? I am ready to face Computing With The Amstrad. (NB I'll be sticking with the UK version for the moment).

I found the general type-ins page on the wiki here containing a few CWTA listings. I've added a link at the foot of that page to a new CWTA Type Ins page (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/CWTA_Type_Ins), as well as linking from the main CWTA page. The new page uses links to existing CWTA type ins to keep naming conventions consistent and join up with existing wiki content.

I want to avoid needlessly duplicating exactly what is on CPC Power and other sites, so in the same way as the Amstrad Action type ins, I will bundle all type ins for a month onto one DSK file.

Hopefully I'll be able to keep up some momentum on this and keep uploading regularly.

Thanks
Robert

scruss

Before anyone raves about the ACPC CWTA Typins archive (COMPUTING_WITH_THE_AMSTRAD.7z) it's mostly jpegs of the magazine tapes. There are a few disk images in there, but some seem a little corrupted.

So that 56 MB download is less impressive than one might think.

Gryzor

Lovely work. If need be I have a complete collection and I could scan stuff if available scans are not good enough...

robbarton

As a first pass I have trawled CPC Power and downloaded what I hope are about 80 of the type ins (still need to check them). After the low hanging fruit I'll then try to be systematic and start at the first issue and work forwards from there.

@Scruss - I did look at that archive and the best I could come up with from that is the cover inlays which name the programs differently to the REM statements in the listings - so I think I'll end up with both names on the wiki and probably go with the published/listing name as the "official" one and follow it with (also known as). No idea why DANCING MAN would be DANCER on the cassette!?

Also, despite the PDFs being described as OCR (technically they are), when you highlight the text it bears no resemblance to the words on the page so they are of limited use  :( .

Enough talk, back to work!

robbarton

OK, that's the page for the first issue up!

Fortunately, all the type-ins were already on CPC-Power so with a bit of judicious CPCDiskXP I was able to transfer all the relevant files to one DSK image.

The screenshots were easy enough to produce, however the Wikimedia uploader is different to last time round. I am asked to provide licensing information in a format to include Copyright Tags. I believe that all the code is PD since 1) published in magazines usually meant waiving rights and 2) it's been over 30 years since these were published.

I'd be grateful if anybody knows what the correct licence is to attribute to these screenshots - I suppose I am the creator of these specific images so I can release them for anybody to use. I noticed the warning that the images could be taken down without proper attribution so I guess I'll have to invest time in this part of the project - not something I'd anticipated!

Johnny Olsen

No need to waste your time.
Computing with The amstrad sold a disc / tape with each magazine.
CPC-Power has the entire first year of disc / tape and up to number
10 of second-year magazines.

Search cpc-power "Computing With The Amstrad" and you will find them.

So from Vol 2. No. November 11, 1985, you must collect the programs
yourself. Instead of flipping through the magazine, you can find all
the information on the page where they sell the disc.


If you need help debugging the files I will like to help.

robbarton

Thanks Johnny, I did find that page in the magazine (even better if you look at December it often has the listings for the entire year in one fell swoop).  If you would like to test the dsk images that I upload please go to the wiki, I've done the second CWTA issue today so that's two to try out.

Interestingly, the "Volumes" you mention are not tagged with the listing icon in CPC Power hence why none of them turned up in my last search - a good example of doing multiple different broader searches to find everything! I'll pillage these now and convert to dsk images and get them uploaded soon - probably will go back and put these on the pages for the first two issues for completion.

Also re: the Wikimedia uploader, I realised that last time I had put "these are someone else's works" because I was thinking of the listings and not the screenshot images I had made - so that was easy enough to change to "these are mine and I share them". Problem solved!

Johnny Olsen

Don't download single files but the entire disk.

Example:
Computing With The Amstrad Vol 1 No 02 uploaded by CPCManiaco.
Press the disk icon and download the ... dsk file
or press tape icon and download the 2 cdt files.
type the download code.

https://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&onglet=dumps&num=9507




robbarton

Thanks Johnny, got them. The CDTs need transferring to disk but mostly I can LOAD" then |DISC - SAVE. The only program I have had a problem with so far is on the CDT for issue 12 December 1985, about block 60 - "GUILD" - which I am unable to BREAK out of into basic so I can save.


I've been using WinAPE in a windows XP virtual machine (speeding up machine to 1000% speeds up this process!) but I have an M4 on my CPC 6128 so maybe there's a way to load the CDT into the 6128 then use the M4 to save it to some sort of image like DSK that I can then extract from... I have previously loaded a CDT/WAV of Fantasy World Dizzy from WinCPC to the 6128 so I know it works, so will do some experiments.


If there's a more direct way to extract files from a CDT to DSK then please do let me know!

scruss

I just used Bonzo Meddler: pop a blank disk image in, add the cdt, ramp up the emulation speed to max, then "Auto Transfer". All done in about a minute.
[attach=1]

Johnny Olsen

I just found these in my collection.
CWTA vol 2 transferred to disk



robbarton

Thanks Scruss and Johnny. I'd never used Bonzo Super Meddler before but I've just managed to do the same process as you, so I'll be able to do it for the other cdts.

robbarton

Issue 3 - March 1985 uploaded to the wiki. The page already existed so I've incorporated the existing screenshots and link to the Star Fleet disk image into the main "style".

robbarton

Issue 4 - April 1985 uploaded to the wiki.


Annoyingly the dsk image from CPC-Power had bugs in the Odds and Palindrome Tester programs; I ended up retyping and replacing them on the image, so I'd be grateful if someone would check that all the programs work as they should.

robbarton

I've updated the issue 5 wiki page but have found errors with the Mouse program. As far as I can tell the code is exactly as published in the magazine and I transferred the tape image to disk (using Bonzo, thanks Scruss!).

When the Mouse runs towards the top of the screen I get an improper argument error. I guess it's something to do with m% being = 0 and placing the mouse out of bounds but I have checked the letters pages of the following three or four issues and nobody seemed to report it as a problem or offer a solution.

I have been using Arnold, WinApe, Caprice32 and WinCPC albeit with a 6128 setup so is this a 464-only program maybe?

Any advice gratefully received so I can correct the image - I've noted the problem on the page for the moment.

AMSDOS

Quote from: robbarton on 18:44, 04 July 20
I've updated the issue 5 wiki page but have found errors with the Mouse program. As far as I can tell the code is exactly as published in the magazine and I transferred the tape image to disk (using Bonzo, thanks Scruss!).

When the Mouse runs towards the top of the screen I get an improper argument error. I guess it's something to do with m% being = 0 and placing the mouse out of bounds but I have checked the letters pages of the following three or four issues and nobody seemed to report it as a problem or offer a solution.

I have been using Arnold, WinApe, Caprice32 and WinCPC albeit with a 6128 setup so is this a 464-only program maybe?

Any advice gratefully received so I can correct the image - I've noted the problem on the page for the moment.


Mouse plays just fine on the 464, when I had a look at the source code, it looks like it's author borrowed some routines from "Sensational Games For The Amstrad" book including the troublesome CHAR CHECK routine (Lines 1230-1330), which is the 464s way of handling the COPYCHR$ function.


So it could be recoded to have some sort of an array or even TEST with direct values is faster than COPYCHR$ and work on all CPCs.
* Using the old Amstrad Languages :D   * with the Firmware :P
* I also like to problem solve code in BASIC :)   * And type-in Type-Ins! :D

Home Computing Weekly Programs
Popular Computing Weekly Programs
Your Computer Programs
Updated Other Program Links on Profile Page (Update April 16/15 phew!)
Programs for Turbo Pascal 3

robbarton

#16
Thanks Amsdos, I will edit the wiki to explain this.

Issue 7 updated today on the wiki too.


EDIT - I had missed out issue 6 so updated that too today.

Sykobee (Briggsy)

Quote from: robbarton on 19:01, 03 July 20
Issue 4 - April 1985 uploaded to the wiki.


I have fond memories of Mad Adder - creating custom levels and the like.

Gryzor

Do post links here as you go along if you can :)

robbarton

Issue 8 uploaded to the wiki.

Just for you Gryzor! :http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/CWTA_Type_Ins  is the CWTA Type Ins page, January to August 1985 should all be ok (I hope) and I know October and December 1985 are just links to a single game each so far but I'll hopefully get them updated this week.

I did wonder if it was worthwhile linking DSK files rather than bothering to zip them on the wiki, since that way they might be accessible directly from the site using the M4 board... but I think it depends on being able to connect via a specific port and I'm not sure how to set that all up.

Gryzor

Yes, I meant a link to the specific issue (I watch all the edits as they happen, almost real time, myself :D ). But no biggie, just to help people reach them!

robbarton

Ah ok then   :D   I'll try to post updates here with the link in future


Issue 9 of CWTA Type ins updated today  http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/CWTA_Issue_9_-_September_1985_-_Type-Ins




AMSDOS

I'll have a look at that Mouse game this weekend as it looks as if we're going into lockdown again, if nobody else is look at it because it's a fun little game, just a shame it only works on a 464.
* Using the old Amstrad Languages :D   * with the Firmware :P
* I also like to problem solve code in BASIC :)   * And type-in Type-Ins! :D

Home Computing Weekly Programs
Popular Computing Weekly Programs
Your Computer Programs
Updated Other Program Links on Profile Page (Update April 16/15 phew!)
Programs for Turbo Pascal 3

robbarton

I've updated issue 10:   http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/CWTA_Issue_10_-_October_1985_-_Type-Ins

Thanks Amsdos if you are able to do anything with Mouse - I am not familiar with the differences between the BASICs and how to do a conversion for 664/6128.

scruss

For some reason, I'm absolutely unable to add categories that appear to the individual pages

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