QL World File Finder Update - Wild Search

 Some time ago it was suggested here in QLHeaven that the File Finder program from QL World in 1989 was worthy of an update. At the moment there are several file finder programs on Dilwyn Jones website. QLHeaven has had a look at most of them. Many have drawbacks, some are complex and none are as simple as the original file finder program. So QLHeaven was pleased to discover that it had been updated.

The update is still a SBASIC listing that can be launched with EX. It needs SMSQE, and uses the WMAN colours. It also uses one QPTR keyword. As QPTR is now freeware and downloadable from Dilwyn Jones site this should not be an issue. The program is also FI2 capable. The advantage of it being a SBASIC listing is that it could be tweaked if need be. For example if for some reason a search pulled up more files that the arrays used in the program are designed for then they could be expanded. Although a search that pulls up more than 2k items surely cannot be a discriminating or useful search. The lists of files found may be saved as text documents for future reference if needed, and file names can be placed in the stuffer buffer.  Files can be exed or read/edited via FI2 if required.

Below are some screen shots of the program running on an Aurora system, a Q60 system and QPC2.

3D Noughts and Crosses from QLWorld July 1986

The listing has finally been completely typed in. But as ever there are bugs. Some are typing errors that need to be tracked down and fixed. Some are possibly down to the fact that smsq/e is somewhat different from QDOS. At some point the black box original QL in QL Heavens possession will need to be reassembled, fired up and used to test the program.

Ultimately the intention is to update the program and publish it in updated form on this blog. Here are some pictures to show that it is partly running.

Plodding on with SBASIC listing typing and feelings of mortality

Typing in 3D noughts and crosses from the QL World is like watching paint dry. But it is still progressing. The finished listing will be published and then any tweaks needed to update it for modern QL systems. The QL world has been quietish since the last QL Today was published. Thinner and lighter than before. Feels a bit like the last days of QL World but at least QL Today is not published by the late Robert Maxwell. Nor is there an employees pension fund to dip into. On ebay last night there are now 4 pages of QL items for sale. QLs in good condition still seem to be going for around £100 (UK). I dont know if the increase in QL items means more interest in QLing or a rush to get out before the end. Time will tell but one thing is certain which is that the end of the QL has been predicted before time and again staring when sinclair launched the QL before it was ready and then a year or so later when sinclair sold out to Amstrad. These predictions and been wrong so far but unfortunately its a bit like the mafia hit - it just need to be on the money the once and then you are dead and out while the QL has to be lucky every time.

                          Anyway here is the latest QL Today cover :

QL World Programs

Its been a while sine QL Heaven posted. In the QL cyber world there has been an update to the SerUSB drivers, Quanta magazine and QL Today have been published and the first packed QL DVD Rom has been produced by the publishers of QL Today. Definitely and achievement. Here there has been some QLing going on. Since its not clear what new programs would exite and since QL Heaven cannot decide what to write next it has been decided to try to type in some of the old QL World magazine programs and see if they could be updated for the 21st century. Unfortunately typing in listings is a bit like watching paint dry but any way some typing has been done :

10 REMark 3d noughts and crosses
20 :
30 :
40 CLEAR
50 :
60 initialise : REMark all game data and variables
70 display_board true% : REMark display empty board  - once only
80 REPeat until_no_more_games
90     init_for_new_game
100       REPeat until_end_of_game
110          IF whos_go% = you% THEN
120                move% = get_your_move
130          ELSE
140                move% = generate_my_move
150          END IF
160          update_board(move%): result%=update_game_tables (move%)
170          IF result% <> game_not_over% THEN EXIT until_end_of_game
180          whos_go% = whos_go%*-1
190       END REPeat until_end_of_game
200       new_game% = game_over (result%)
210       IF NOT new_game% THEN EXIT until_no_more_games
220       display_board false%
230 END REPeat until_no_more_games
240 CLOSE#4 : CLOSE#5 : STOP
250 :
260 :
270 DEFine FuNction generate_my_move
280 LOCal i,j,p%,sq%,my2_count%,your2_count%,val,maxval,pathv
290 CLS #5 : PRINT#5," MY MOVE":PRINT#5,"    ....KING"
300 IF move%<2 THEN
310    PAUSE 75
320    IF board%(1) = 0 THEN RETurn 1
330    IF board%(4) = 0 THEN RETurn 4
340 END IF
350 IF moves% > 4 THEN
360    p%=0
370    FOR i = 1 TO 76
380      IF pathvalue(i) = me% * 3 THEN RETurn find_square (i)
390      IF pathvalue(i) = you% * 3 THEN p% = i
400    END FOR i
410    IF p% > 0 THEN RETurn find_square (p%)
420 END IF
430 maxval = -1 : sq% = 0
440 FOR i = 1 TO 64
450    IF board%(i) = 0 THEN
500    IF pathv = 2*you% THEN your2_count%= your2_count% + 1
510    val = val +ABS(pathv) = .2 = 5E-2 * (pathv >0)
520 END IF
530 NEXT j
540    IF my2_count% > 1 THEN RETurn 1
550    IF your2_count% > 1 THEN sq% = i * -1
560    IF   val >maxval AND sq% >= 0 THEN
570       maxval = val : sq% =i
580    END IF
590 END FOR j
600 END IF
610 END FOR i
620 RETurn ABS(sq%)
630 END DEFine
640 :

There is a lot more to come.