I hope all have had a nice Christmas and New Year - but let's get straight down to business.
This EUG, there's an improved ROM loader for the 8bit machines. I don't have access to an Electron with Sideways RAM board, so have guessed that images are loaded by simply using:
*LOAD file 8000 (RETURN)
Please someone, pass a note to me saying if otherwise and I'll change the loader program accordingly.
Also, there's a generic text entry routine, which you could incorporate into your programs to give a common user interface. It's based on the one used in the RISC OS desktop on newer 32bit machines, but written in BBC BASIC so that you can run it. It does in fact still run on the newest machine (RISC PC) because Acorn have used the same tokens for BBC BASIC V.
The observant of you will notice that the items I have for sale this issue are on a much bloated list. This is due to an influx of new stuff from Charles Spender, a member of 8 Bit Software. He's asked me to check over the equipment and then sell off any surplus parts that work. The money is being split, part of which will be going to his chosen charity, Guide Dogs for the Blind.
In EUG #31 I hope to bring you (if I ever finish!) the faster Mode 0 editor, based on the BASIC version I sent some time back now. Also, details of how to fix the Year 2000 problem on a Master 128, or indeed any other machine with a real time clock.
For those of you with internet access: http://www.york.ac.ukrps102/bbc/bbc.htm
is my BBC homepage, and not only has the most up to date For Sale list on it, but also some free software to download, including many updated versions of past programs I have submitted to EUG.
Each has a full manual too - and you can pass comments to me by emailing: rps102@york.ac.uk
Lots to look forward to. See you all next issue!
Robert Sprowson
Regarding loading ROM images on the Electron, a lot will depend on which system is being used. The most common is Slogger and the format is:
*RLOAD <rom> R<n>
Gus Donnachaidh, EUG #30