The Sinclair QL Forum

Hi, I've next to no exp with basic, but I'd like to do the Quill example in the RPM manual.

I'm needing help on how to write the control file as a Superbasic file.
I initially tried using Quill as the text editor, but It froze up RPM, I assume cos it is saved as a Quill file. Oh well.

I've now tried the Superbasic example by adding in the ROMH and Exec lines as data lines, again completely blindly! Errors coming up again.

I don't knowingly own a text editor, though doesn't one of the assembler packages have it? Obviously I've never used them as yet to know, am some way of that yet.

So am looking for help to write the following in to SuperBasic, if right:-

ROMH mdv1_quill rom,64,QUILL v 2.35
EXEC mdv1_quill,QUILL

I hope once am past this stage the process will be more straight forward within RPM, and I can proceed on my own.

open_new#3, mdv1_Control_file
print#3, "ROMH mdv1_quill rom,64,QUILL v 2.35"
print#3, "EXEC mdv1_quill,QUILL"
close#3

That's your control file for RPM with Quill.

Thankyou very much Ralf.

Should I then run RPM from mdv2_, and upload the control file, then Quill executable from mdv1_ when prompted?

You should use

EXEC mdv1_QUILL,Quill,n

in the control file if you want it resident in RAM, ROMH is just used, if you want to put that in an EPROM, which I do not think that is what you want.

("n" shlould be used, because Quill does not have an active cursor, so it run, as if it would be started via EXEC_W. This can be ommited if you use the Pointer Interface.)

Then, if you type QUILL in #0, Quill is started.

You can start RPM from wherever you want, you type in where your control file is, and it produces the rest.

It is ROM I want. And am not using PE Ralf.

I ran RPM from mdv2_
Loaded the control file from mdv1_ (entering: mdv1_control_file)

RPM then lists

1 ROMH mdv1_quill rom,64,QUILL v 2.35
2 EXEC mdv1_quill,QUILL
File not found

END with errors
Press enter to continue

What is RPM?

If you use an abbreviation, it would be nice if you put at least in the text section of the first message (optionally in brackets) the full name of the abbreviation.

Resident Program Manager (Qliberation Software)

After a couple of false starts and errors being thrown up I seem to have done it. I expecting more steps, and the manual is vague. Now I need to test it on Qemulator, it would be nice to learn how to make a rom image.

I have my eyes on a number of other apps.

And of course getting the hardware, if I could get the design of an existing one and a company that could use it to make a clone. Any suggestions if such companies exist?

Wicksy wrote: Sat Jul 05, 2025 12:21 pm I initially tried using Quill as the text editor, but It froze up RPM, I assume cos it is saved as a Quill file. Oh well.

You can use Quill as an editor, but you must not save it, but export it or create a printer driver that does not translate anything and print to a file.

Just use QED, which will run from Microdrive on a 128K QL