QLCOMMANDER - testers and help needed

[Andrew]

@tofro @martyn_hill
Type_In is part of TinyToolkit, right ?
In QPC2 when I try to Lrespr tinytool_cde it just locks QPC .
The file was unzipped from the toolkit zip on QPC2

Well, I can use QUEUE% insted of TYPE_IN - the DIY toolit is loading ok. But I also need the FREAD function which is only in TinyToolkit, and I could not find any other function that loads a number of bytes into a buffer.
Any ideas on what goes wrong here ?

[martyn_hill]

Hi Andrew

I haven't used Tiny Toolkit, but TYPE_IN is available in the Turbo TK, along with the required COMMAND_LINE to effectively switch the Keyboard queue to Job-0/Chan-0.

When you say "...function that loads a number of bytes into a buffer...", can you elaborate where that plays in feeding S*BASIC a command-line? Or perhaps its needed to meet a different requirement?

M.

[Andrew]

When you say "...function that loads a number of bytes into a buffer...", can you elaborate where that plays in feeding S*BASIC a command-line? Or perhaps its needed to meet a different requirement?

M.

Different requirement
This is related to loading a image - reading an image file into a buffer.
Due to the Minerva bug LBYTES a$, 131072 crashes the QL if the file is 32k (strangely, on my QL only in mode 8 ! - in mode 4 it works) - so I want to load smaller chunks.
FREAD is the only function that does that (that I could find) - and it is part of Tinytoolkit
Is there any other function that I could use ?

[martyn_hill]

Hi Andrew

Which version of Minerva are you running? I regularly load screen-image files (32k) directly in to the Display memory area without problem.

I have also been able to load screen-images using one of your earlier versions of QLCommander - I'll play around a bit more and let you know what I find.

There was an issue with Minerva on the SGC (after it gets patched) that crashes the QL if you attempt to load from MDV, but that was fixed recently by Marcel (see elsewhere on the Forum or on Marcel's website.)

Are you quite sure that the files being loaded really are no more than 32,768 bytes in length?

I'd personally recommend investigating LBYTES further rather than trying to workaround it.

That said, I'm sure I found one of the older screen-manipulation Toolkits on Dilwyn's site that included alternatives to LBYTES specifically for loading screen-images.

[Andrew]

I have a original SGC v2.47 + Marcel's QL-SD with Minerva. I am waiting for Marcel to send me patched QL-SD .
Can the patch be applied without rewriting the ROM ?

On my QL the following program crashes
10 mode 8
20 Lbytes 'win1_firebird_scr',131072

The scr file is exactly 32k. I can use any scr mode 8 file, the result is the same. The QL loads the image and then freezes
I will test later with some different combos- I have a GC and a QL without Minerva, so I will swap the cards and see how it goes

[martyn_hill]

Hi again Andrew!

As far as i understood MK's Minerva patch, it addressed MDV access (via LBYTES) after the (S)GC ROM patches the timing-routines in Minerva.

I didn't think it was relevant for WIN (SDC) access.

Something else a-foot, I feel...

[Andrew]

So - Started to swap the cards between the QLs:
Results are:
Minerva+QL-SD+SGC - lbytes ascreen_scr, 131072 - freezes the QL after the file is loaded
Minerva+QL-SD+tetroid GC - lbytes ascreen_scr, 131072 - freezes the QL after the file is loaded
JM+SGC - lbytes ascreen_scr, 131072 - works !
JM+tetroid GC - lbytes ascreen_scr, 131072 - works !

As the JM QL has no SD, I had to use the floppy. And I noticed that my paranormal issues with the QL-SD are also present when working with floppies.
Details:
I copy some files from SD to the floppy. I check the floppy - dir flp1_
The files are listed
I view the file - it can be viewed. (tested wit several _scr files and with a 74k-long basic code. Using QLCommander View command - and also using QDOS's view command.)
Restart the QL - check the floppy - the files are no longer on the floppy !!!
From time to time 1 or 2 files were still on the disk, but not all

Tested on Minerva+Minerva+QL-SD+SGC and on Minerva+QL-SD+tetroid GC - same issue

I moved on the other QL - and I wrote on it some code and saved it on the same floppy (same drive, same disk) .
Each time the file was saved - and remained on the disk !!
(saved several files betweem 2k and 10k)
Repeated the test for both configurations: JM+SGC and JM+tetroid GC - every time it worked flawlessly

I think this issue should have it's own thread. It drives me crazy

[Martin_Head]

I copy some files from SD to the floppy. I check the floppy - dir flp1_
The files are listed
I view the file - it can be viewed. (tested wit several _scr files and with a 74k-long basic code. Using QLCommander View command - and also using QDOS's view command.)
Restart the QL - check the floppy - the files are no longer on the floppy !!!
From time to time 1 or 2 files were still on the disk, but not all

This sounds like the floppy driver is not writing the slave blocks out to the disk. You would be able to see the files until you restart, as you do. As the slave blocks would be read instead of the actual disk.

Do you only see the problem when copying from the SD drive? If you don't have the SD drive, or don't access it. Do you still get the same problem.

Could something be upsetting the interrupts, as I think the writing of slave blocks is handled by the interrupt routines.

[Andrew]

This sounds like the floppy driver is not writing the slave blocks out to the disk. You would be able to see the files until you restart, as you do. As the slave blocks would be read instead of the actual disk.

Do you only see the problem when copying from the SD drive? If you don't have the SD drive, or don't access it. Do you still get the same problem.

Could something be upsetting the interrupts, as I think the writing of slave blocks is handled by the interrupt routines.

Made some tests today - copied from flp2_ to flp1_
I can see the lights going on on flp2_ as it reads all the files (a ful disk !) the light goes on to flp1_ as it writes the data
Dir flp1_ shows all files on floppy
But after reset ... there are no files on flp1 !

So the problem is also when copying from Floppy to floppy

I only tested on my main QL - the one that has the QL-SD installed. This was a very early issued QL - AH with piggy back ROMS that needed a lot of mods to install the QL_SD . I wonder, could this be the source of all problems?
I will test on the other one when I have some time.

[Andrew]

QLCommander - new version 1.0

Thank you for all the info and advice ! Now a lot of things work as they should (or at least they seem to )
What's new:
- Compiled version - both with QLiberator (Qlc_obj) and Turbo (Qlc_exe)
- load bas files
- load XChange files to XChange
- load files into editor
- view zip archives
- unzip files
- added Redraw Screen command
- changed commands to SHIFT+key instead of ALT+
- corrected a few bugs
- updated manual;

Please play with it and send me all the bugs you find !

QLC.zip: install kit : rename qlc.zip to qlc_zip and unzip it on a QL
QLC_sources.zip : the code - (both for QLiberator and Turbo compile)
QLC_Manual -