EASYEXT (famous XJ command) from EASYPTR from Albin Hessler

[ql_freak]

I',m a legal owner of EASYPTR (full version inclusive C-Library). One of the most interesting things in this software package is the SuperBASIC extension EASYEXT_RES.

I want to ask if at least this usefull peace of code may be published freely, because it has the extremly usefull XJ and RXJ commands.

With XJ you can load SuperBASIC extensions, drivers, ... to the Transient Program Area (the jobname is the file name) _A_N_D_ when you don't need the extension, driver anymore, you can it savely remove with RXJ, RJOB or the RJOB menu from QPAC2.

This is not just extremly usefull for program development, but also if you want to run a distinct program, which requires some extensions, which you normally don't use (load).

If it may be published, I would search my disks, if I found one, which is readable. I'm afraid EASYPTR itself is still proprietary, commercial software.

[mk79]

No, it isn't commercial anymore. I have released it for free a few months ago, at least all the parts I had, I never had anything to do with the C-part.

[ql_freak]

Yeah!

That are good news :-) Superb piece of software.

But are you sure, you haven't done the C-Lib? I have the original manual, and there is a chapter EASYPTR3 which is thought for C programmers. It has the same layout as the other stuff (except it is in English, the rest like SuperBASIC extensions, EASY-Menu from Jochen Merz, which was delivered with EASYPTR, is in German).

Unfortunately I haven't used it really, I think it was the last software package I've bought for the QL, shortly before I abandoned the QL (new Job). But I know I have used the XJ/RXJ commands a lot.

BTW: Another superb piece of software is DISA from Jochen Hassler (which I also own), perhaps the best disassembler ever written for any operating system.

[mk79]

Albin did the C-part, sure, but I'm not Albin I just maintained the rest. I remember when this was released, but back then I didn't do C. Nowadays it's 95% of my work...

Agree on DISA, it was and is a superb piece of software, but of course it cannot be compared to modern tools like IDA (which I use at work, too). Actually Jochen visited me a week ago, but I forgot to ask if I can release his stuff.

Cheers, Marcel

[Derek_Stewart]

Albin did the C-part, sure, but I'm not Albin I just maintained the rest. I remember when this was released, but back then I didn't do C. Nowadays it's 95% of my work...

Agree on DISA, it was and is a superb piece of software, but of course it cannot be compared to modern tools like IDA (which I use at work, too). Actually Jochen visited me a week ago, but I forgot to ask if I can release his stuff.

Cheers, Marcel

Hi Marcel,

DISA is my main disassembler on the QL, I like the interactivity of it.

The software from Jochen is the last remaining software I had to buy, it seems all the QL software I bought is now free... which is good in one way, but in another, there maybe no more development.

[pjw]

Just in passing, I see JMS'es Menu_rext distributed with once commercial programs that have been made free. Does that mean Menu_rext is now generally free to distribute?

Per

[ql_freak]

I have now had a look on Marcel's page for EASYPTR. It seems "easyext_res" is included in his package, also renamed to "easyext_cde". But I couldn't find a documentation for it. So I have translated the most important parts (especially all SuperBASIC extensions) from the original EASYPTR II manual. Here is the README.txt:

EASYEXT Toolkit from EASYPTR II from Albin Hessler

This Toolkit allows to install QDOS extensions to load
into the common heap, the resident procedure area AND
the Transient Program AREA (with XJ) AND REMOVE these
extensions (SuperBASIC extensions, drivers, tasks, ...)
savely(!).

It includes an excerpt from the original EASYPTR II
manual for "easyext_res" translated from (original)
German to English.

Copyright (c), 2016 for translation:

Peter Sulzer, Fürth, Germany

Released under the same license as the now freeware
EASYPTR (now maintained by Marcel Kilgus) except, that
the copyright notice (especially in "easyext.pdf") must
not be removed.

You can download it with the following direct link (it is not linked on my normal homepage):

http://peter-sulzer.bplaced.net/htdocs/ ... asyext.zip

Of course you may include it into other download sites (e. g. the toolkit section from
Dilwyns page), as this toolkit is not just usefull for programmers, but for everyone.

E. g. you want to start a program which requires a SuperBASIC toolkit, which you
normally has not loaded:

Just XJ the the extension before you start the program. After the program has
finished you can savely remove the extension with the RXJ command.

Sincerely

Peter

[ql_freak]

Just in passing, I see JMS'es Menu_rext distributed with once commercial programs that have been made free. Does that mean Menu_rext is now generally free to distribute?

Per

Sorry, I don't know. But I'm afraid it's not free. Most of Jochens programs are still commercial (e. g. QD). I have had bought QMenu 1990 or so, unfortunately the current version (packaged wit QPC2 seems to have a bug).

This means (perhaps!) that the code is free (so that you may deliver it with freeware programs), but the documentation (that's interessting, if you want to use it in your own programs) is not free. The parameters to the procedures and functions have a horrible lot of parameters. I've searched for the documentation (in the Net) for one function (before I have found my old manual) and couldn't find anything, and was not capable to recognize how to call it correctly without the original documentation.

[dilwyn]

This means (perhaps!) that the code is free (so that you may deliver it with freeware programs), but the documentation (that's interessting, if you want to use it in your own programs) is not free. The parameters to the procedures and functions have a horrible lot of parameters. I've searched for the documentation (in the Net) for one function (before I have found my old manual) and couldn't find anything, and was not capable to recognize how to call it correctly without the original documentation.

Several years ago an article about QMenu was written for QL Today magazine originally (I think). It shows how to use most of the QMenu extensions, although Jochen did update several commands after that article was written. http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/docs/articles/qmenu.zip