Rod Van Orden

INFO UPDATE There are three disk images on the website: EDT/FLR Image contains SYSTEM.FILER, SYSTEM.EDITOR, SYSTEM.PASCAL, SYSTEM.SYNTAX and MODRS232.CODE ASM/LNK Image contains SYSTEM.ASSMBLER, SYSTEM.LINKER, DSV9900.OPCODES, and 9900.ERRORS P-COMPILER Image contains SYSTEM.COMPILER, SCREENOPS.CODE, COMMANDIO.CODE, and SYSTEM.LIBRARY My problem is that I cannot extract these system files for placement on DSK1. I have used TiDir for years without difficulty. And the Message I receive there is that the DSK files I downloaded from this forum are not really DSK files. Therefore Classic-99 can't see them when the p-code card is selected. Are you able to do the file Extractions?

This is more of a file conversion problem. I can't extract the files I need from the DSK images....... It is not a Claasic-99 problem. Rod

Hello all! I have been reviewing the UCSD p-system once again. I have managed to get some success running under Classic-99. This was the result of placing the ROMS and GROM file references into the right places. The main command menu lines come up under Classic-99 V365. H for halt brings you back to the TI Powerup Screen and out of the p-system. There are some Other things it will do. However, the big problem I am having now is with the disk images. The system tries to look for this information on DSK1. And all I receive is error messages saying the files can not be located. The files in question are: SYSTEM.EDITOR SYSTEM.FILER SYSTEM.COMPILER SYSTEM.ASSMBLER SYSTEM.LINKER This information is supposed to be in the DSK files downloaded from the site. However, I have used every tool I've got to try to extract these System Files from the DSK files. And I have not met with any success. I think I have been mixing apples and oranges with the file formats. Does anyone out there in Pascal land have any suggestions? I do have the original diskettes packed away in a safe and dry place. I have all four disks (the fourth one is the Utility Diskette with the 11 utilities. After I set up a new desktop computer, I will try generating disk images of all. As I recall these originals are all SSSD. But I think the file formats aren't exactly right for DSK images. I am looking for suggestions......... Rod Van Orden San Diego, California

Hello, all! I haven't had much time to try things with TurboForth lately. However, I do want to try running the emulators and/or simulator on Android. Recently, a Windows-7 emulator was offered up to Android OS users. I am trying to fire off an EXE file with it. If I am successful, I should be able to emulate a TI-99/4a on my tablet along with TurboForth. Has anyone played with this approach? Rod Van Orden San Diego, California

Lee: I am having some difficulty setting up Classic99 with the UCSD p-System files. I have the DSK files, but I'm stuck on how to set up Pascal on the drives. The message I get when selecting the Editor is: EDITOR.SYSTEM not found. Rod

Gazoo: Thank you for the info and link on the XB V2.5 documentation. It is exactly what I was looking for...... There is a whole lot of TI stuff out here, and sometimes its hard to find the "tree" you need because the "forrest" is in the way...... The sad fact is I have been running XB V2.5 for the past 2-3 years without knowing all the enhancements that Tony Knerr had assembled...... I was using the TI XB manual, and everything worked very well..... Thanks again! Rod Van Orden San Diego, California

RE: UCSD p-System OK. I have two, 8K binary image ROM files, and one, 64K binary image GROM file. Any thoughts on what I should do with them? (Keep it clean!)

Rich: When Extended Basic V2.5 was released, was there some sort of documentation or a manual with it? Or was it just a bug fix for TI Extended Basic V1.0? You have very good documentation for RXB, by the way! Outstanding work! Rod Van Orden San Diego, California

Hi gang! I think you could probably do MULE in RXB 2012 with assembler routine interaction. However, I would strongly encourage you all to gravitate towards TurboForth. If you do TMS-9900 assembly language, do it in TurboForth..... The bitmap graphics support needs to get squared away first (or else use TI Forth). I have found that programming in Forth allows you to test and develop so much easier than the typical development cycle. And you generally have more memory to mess with. By the way, Happy New Year! Rod Van Orden San Diego, California

Howdy, All! Many thanks to the folks who worked on getting Turbo-Pasc'99 in shape. I downloaded the files from the resources here, and then proceeded to try out TP99 with emulator / simulators environments. As mentioned before, it doesn't operate with Ti994w. However, it performs like a champ with Classic99 and Win994a. I did something stooooopid and accidently trashed my Win994a simulator environment. But since I am a "backup" fanatic, I just whipped out all my CDs and restored every file, etc. That gave me an opportunity to redo the file layout and how I use Win994a. That simulator has a hard drive simulation, as well. I installed every Turbo-Pasc'99 file on HDK2, and everthing seems to work fairly well. I placed all my work with TurboForth on HDK1, and TMS-9900 assembly language files on HDK3. Any TI-Forth, or anything else, is still on the simulated "floppies". I must admit, it seems like a "throw back" to actually look at old pascal stuff again. I feel "spoiled" by doing things now in TurboForth. I am actually preferring TF to any other........ It looks like the WiPoSoFt folks put together a pretty basic system to support some, but not all, of the V9918 capabilities. In version 2.0, they delivered Text-1 and Graphics-1 modes, and no delivered support for bitmap or multicolor modes. I don't see sound, sprites and a few other things (pointers, etc). It does support arrays and a whole host of basic routines..... If we can do some in-line code within a procedure, we should be able to make up all the rest of it. But it does seem a little hard to do with only about 14K left. At least they provided a couple of peek and poke routines. That would be a start...... Good job on reviving some software from 1986.......! ROD VAN ORDEN San Diego, California

My transition to Forth programming has been a little easier because I began using an HP-35 calculator back in the late 1960's, early 1970's. Just knowing Reverse Polish Notation (RPN) and thinking in it automatically helped to make Forth a lot easier. Forth is EXTENSIBLE ------ And it (in my opinion) is more powerful than any of the C language variations, and is a lot more easier to handle than trying to do everything in assembler. Knowing RPN and assembly languages will help your efforts as Forth grows on you (and it will)......... Rod Van Orden San Diego, CA

Mark and Lee: I saw your posts here on files with the naming problem. With several emulators / simulators in use, we should all be careful to check the names. As Lee has suggested, if the TI name and the PC name match (Use TiDir and/or the Win994a Manager), then everything will run smoothly. I've caught myself several times now...... I want to name the words routine: WORDS+, not WORDS++. I worked up some fixes, as Lee suggested, and there was some improvement; however, I am strongly considering completely rewriting the WORDS+ routine. I think the original WORDS routine under Forth-83 should remain exactly the same, whenever it returns in the cart (or not). My purpose in putting WORDS+ together is to come up with a more useful tool in addition to WORDS. I have some deadlines I need to meet at work this week, so I'm totally shot until at least mid week. Back to you then. Rod

Lee: Thanks for the look / see. I will finish off the WORDS+ corrections this weekend. Have a good weekend. Rod

Lee: It looks like you and Mark have been really busy here. Things are looking good! I am uploading a file for an expanded version of the words definition. I called it WORDS+ I combined a few things, and I used some of the code you sent me. I'm in the ballpark....... but I'm not finished yet. The routine reads the TF Word Dictionary. However, so far I have not corrected the logic (or illogic) which reads passed the end of the dictionary in memory. This shows up in the last display screen of the running routine. The TF word EXIT seems to be the last word in the dictionary. I could test for that and stop the loop at that point. There may be a half dozen other ways to do this. Anyway.... take a look and let me know what you think. Rod Van Orden WORDS+.zip

Don't worry, Lee. When Einstein came up with E = M C **2, he hadn't run that yet either........... har har har.........! Rod

Lee: Thanks for the assist in installing TI Forth into Classic99 and Ti994w. I verified the problems in writing to sectors under Classic99. However, I found that Ti994w allows TI-FORTH to operate and work fine. You can read and write Forth Blocks, etc. You seem to be limited for now to the 40-column editor in Ti994w. The 64-column support, and the two Split Screen presentations don't operate...... could be the character set not being in the right place..... Everything else seems to work fine, though. I have had very good luck and operation of TI-FORTH (and TurboForth, as well) using Cory Burr's simulator, Win994a. By the way, I placed the DSK image files for all of this into the DOAD folder for Ti994w. I ran across an 80-column TI-Forth that seems to run under Ti994W using the V9938 VDP emulation. If you want this, I could upload it. However, its all in German. You might have to break out the German dictionary to figure out what is going on....... Rod Van Orden San Diego, California

Thanks for the info. I would like to see that p-code card selection in Classic99 up and working too. I have all the original docs, a p-code card and a Gram Kracker.... I find Lee Stewart's efforts in TI Forth to be outstanding (as well as in many other areas). And when your book is ready on Amazon, look out! I am going to snap one up faster then TurboForth itself! Rod Van Orden San Diego, California

Lee: I have your TI-FORTH up and running under Win994a. However, I seem to be having a lot of trouble getting it over to Ti994w and to Classic99. Come to think of it, I never ran TI Forth on any other emulator / simulator than Cory Burr's Win994a. Normally, I just bring stuff over using TiDir. I think its a file v. sector issue....... Do you know how to convert over? Rod

OK, folks. I found out where I was going wrong with Classic99 and the build TF V1.2 R-5-Oct12. Those pesky file directories are all different from one emulator to the next. Everything now is loading up just fine under Classic99, Ti994w and Win994a. There is no words definition in this build. I have verified that a zillion times. However, I'll load in a words definition from Lee around block 55 of his BLOCKS file. Except, I will be using the code as described in Post #74 here.It seems the word TERMINAL? has been removed from this build, as well.And that's fine. TERMINAL? is not in the Forth-83 Standard. Of course "pause" is borrowed from TI-FORTH (or from Lee's version). And that will make the boat float. Happy camper. Has anyone else noticed anything out of the ordinary with the new build? If not, Mark, I think you are getting really close to a V1.2 release. Mark: QUESTION. Is it possible for you to include a CD with your book? It would contain all the setups of the four big emulator / simulator environments, and basically be ready to go. All the user has to do is load up on their PC or laptop, and its TurboForthing forever....... I guess with all the different software involved you would have to get mutual cooperation and permissions from the other authors..... Especially if you want to use some of those TI ROMS...... Rod

Lee: No. I'm the one who did something wrong...... The TI names and the PC names of the files are in conflict. I messed up. But I fixed all that, and the attachment should provide what you will need....... Rod Math Word Testing.zip

Mark and Lee: I was busy during the past couple of weeks, first with jury duty, then with the IACP conference here in San Diego. I guess Detroit may be looking for a new Police Chief, huh? I agree with Lee that the five math words mentioned check out. They look good. Go for it. I have attached a file of some testing for UM* (others will follow). You can put this file under one of your disk files within either Classic-99 or Ti994w. I have internally documented what I did. By the way, Lee, I hope you had a good birthday celebration this past weekend. Happy Birthday! Rod Math Word Testing for UM-Times.zip

Lee: Here it is. I have included the Win994a TI Forth disk with Lutz's corrections, Lutz's tutorials from 1987 and a list of the corrections and screen numbers. I suspect you have all of these on your copy, and you probably found more and fixed everything previously. But double checking is the safe way to go...... ROD VAN ORDEN San Diego, California TI Forth to Lee.zip

I like to use Win994a and Ti994w. Classic99 works very nicely. We're preparing for the day when the machine will be virtualized using Windows 7+ under MS Server 2008+...... Long after the actual hardware wears out, the TI994A will live on in cyber world.....

You need to have Lutz Winkler's version of the TI Forth disk. He did all the bug fixes. I have it, and I will upload it here tomorrow. I'll put it up in Win994a. Rod

Mark: I tried out TF-V1.2-05-Oct-2012 with Classic99, Ti994w and Win994a. It worked great for Classic-99. However, in trying out the ROMS with Ti994w and Win994a, I found that WORDS is missing. WORDS does work perfectly with Classic-99. Are you tweeking the ROMS for the other emulators / simulators? (I would find that to be unlikely)..... For Ti994w and Win994a I dropped to TF-V1.2-15-Sep-2012 where things run well. Am I missing something here? Rod