Documentation for the library OXTRICKS
**************************************
These programs are written for the OSBORNE EXECUTIVE and use some of the
features peculiar to that machine. Some of them will run on the OSBORNE
1 with some modification, like E-SKETCH and TRICKS. Any of them may run
on other machines but don't count on it!
They are entered into the public domain for educational purposes only.
Please respect the spirit of this action and refrain from USING THEM FOR
COMMERCIAL PURPOSES. Please note that TRICKS uses routines copied from
two other programs in the public domain. If their authors
are unhappy about my use they may contact me and I will be happy to add
their names to the programs. That information is not available to me
at this time. Please accept my apologies for this.
For fixes and discussion please contact VANRYPER c/o MBINEX,
617-423-6985.
FINDCHAR lets you run through the full set of EXECUTIVE characters
from 0-255 and prints them for your inspection - graphics too
E-SKETCH etch-a-sketch program similar to SCRPAINT in the public
domain for the OSBORNE 1 except configured for the EXECUTIVE
- creates a subroutine file that uses the bank-switching
arrangement of the EXECUTIVE to write directly to video
memory - very fast, and incorporating improvements over
SCRPAINT such as the ability to place cursor directly anywhere
on the screen at any time
WINDOW this program creates a subroutine file that defines a
window on the screen - something that the EXECUTIVE can
do but the OSBORNE 1 cant - you specify the rows and columns
of the upper left corner and the lower right corner of the
window and the number that you want the window to be called
for future reference, and the program makes up the subroutine
which you can then merge into another program - I have had up
to 9 windows on screen concurrently....
TRICKS is a program that combines and improves upon two others,
namely OSBCARDS, published in the Portable Companion, and
BLACKJAK, author unknown - it uses the EXECUTIVE'S bank-
switching business and windowing capabilities to make an
interesting graphics-oriented blackjack game - my apologies
for the code - I am cleaning up someone else's mess and
may have an improved version in the future - but note:
the original version worked fine and the author deserves
my gratitude - it was terribly difficult to see what was
going on, though!
VIDEONUM this program just displays some of the key memory locations
corresponding to locations of the screen in video memory -
when writing to the EXECUTIVE'S video memory using the bank-
switching code, one has to be aware that the memory addressed
which is the map of the screen is different from that of the
OSBORNE 1 - this is one of the reasons that programs written
for that machine will often not run on the EXECUTIVE - also
one has to realize that the screen that you see is a sort of
upper-left corner of the total video memory, so that when you
come to the end of a line and go to the next with a carriage
return, there is a gap in the memory addresses
FUNCTION the EXECUTIVE terminal is allegedly patterned after the
Televideo 950 - according to the Reference Guide, "..and uses
many of the same screen control characters..."
well, that's quite true - some work and some don't-
this program allows you to specify the ASCII codes of the
control codes so you can see the result - useful for such
things as figuring out how to kill the cursor and make the
screen blink in a hideous parody of a meltdown display on a
reactor contol console.
