evacpod type in from apple ii

[bradhig1]

It is in vol 5.2 of HCM magazine.  I typed and got the ibm pc version working.  I typed the apple ii and it keeps giving me syntax error in 2700 which is a data statement. I can't figure out why?

type ins.DSK

[micheledipaola]

Assuming that the data statement in line 2700 has been typed in correctly, a quick look with TRACE shows that those data in line 2700 are being read by the FOR/NEXT cycle in line 380. Maybe check the syntax there?

[bradhig1]

I have checked the data statements and corrected them yet still get syntax error in 2700 why?  

type ins.DSK

[bradhig1]

Here is the listing 

https://archive.org/details/HomeComputerMagazine_Vol5_02/page/n95/mode/2up

[Iamgroot]

There is quite a bit wrong with the listing.  In a couple of lines, PRINT is used as a variable.  Although, PR can be used, PRINT will be reduced to a token.  In line #380, look at the "FOR I = 1 T"  line, the O is missing to make TO.  This listing almost looks like it was OCR'd.  You have a lot of work ahead of you to compare the listing in the magazine with what you have now.  Get the spelling errors corrected first then someone here will check the syntax.

 

[bradhig1]

1 hour ago, Iamgroot said:

There is quite a bit wrong with the listing.  In a couple of lines, PRINT is used as a variable.  Although, PR can be used, PRINT will be reduced to a token.  In line #380, look at the "FOR I = 1 T"  line, the O is missing to make TO.  This listing almost looks like it was OCR'd.  You have a lot of work ahead of you to compare the listing in the magazine with what you have now.  Get the spelling errors corrected first then someone here will check the syntax.

 

load evacpod not evacpod2.  I fixed that one.  I typed it not OCR.  Save with replace was bugged on the commodore 64 so I started saving new versions when I fixed bugs until I realized I could save with replace on IBM PC and Apple II.   Here I deleted the old versions from the disk

type ins.DSK

Edited March 31, 2023 by bradhig1

[Iamgroot]

Found errors in these lines

310,480,500,820,730,1330,2660

 

after that there is an error in your data statements with all numbers.  Can't help you there as you have the magazine listing.

[bradhig1]

Now I get a syntax error in 2760.  I fixed line 2820 if that was the error in the data statements you saw.

type ins.DSK

[nick3092]

Anytime you have a syntax error on a data line, you need to look at two things:  1) any read statements and 2) all your data lines.  In your case #1 is fine.  However, you have a data error in 2740.  You also have the filename wrong, it's saved as EVACPOD, but needs to be named EVACUPOD, as line 230 runs the program by name.

[Iamgroot]

The way to know at which point the error occurred in a data statement after a RUN, print the variable of the FOR loop that was reading the values.  The value of the variable will be the point at which the data has an error.  I find it easier to count the commas, instead of the actual values.  Some times it is easier to keep data statements in groups of 8, 10 or 16 values so it is easy to find the point of an error, or see if you missed any data lines.

 

The two most common error in data statements are:  Out of data error and trying to read ascii text when using a floating point variable.  The biggest spelling mistakes are typing an O instead of a zero and a B instead of an 8, I for a 1, S for a 5.

[bradhig1]

I think it is in line 2820 which i am not sure is correct because there are soo many repeating numbers.  I can't see anything wrong with the data statements. I was hoping someone here could look at them as well.

[Iamgroot]

Shortened the FOR/NEXT loop to FOR I = 768 TO 832, and everything runs fine now.  But you still may be missing 1 byte in lines 2740 or 2750

 

[nick3092]

No, it is in line 2740. You are missing one number there. I fixed that line and the program ran.

[magnusfalkirk]

Nick could you post thecorrected program?

[nick3092]

I'm sure this will come off the wrong way, but no.

 

The OP has a history of posting (poorly) typed in programs and seemingly wanting people to fix them for him. I'm willing to help teach how to debug. And in this case even went further than I normally would by spelling out exactly which line has the error and the fact it's one missing value.

 

But I'm not going to encourage the behavior by fixing it for him and posting a corrected disk image. It's one line. Anyone can fix it easily.

[Iamgroot]

4 hours ago, magnusfalkirk said:

Could you post thecorrected program?

The disk image from Brad above is pretty complete other than missing the 1 byte in 2740.  I just added a zero to line 2750 and it is enough to get the game working.  But still hard to figure out game play without the instructions.  You will still need the article to play.

[bradhig1]

I fixed 2740 and got it working except for the controls not working.   Evacupod is the program so far. 

type ins.DSK

[bradhig1]

6 hours ago, nick3092 said:

I'm sure this will come off the wrong way, but no.

 

The OP has a history of posting (poorly) typed in programs and seemingly wanting people to fix them for him. I'm willing to help teach how to debug. And in this case even went further than I normally would by spelling out exactly which line has the error and the fact it's one missing value.

 

But I'm not going to encourage the behavior by fixing it for him and posting a corrected disk image. It's one line. Anyone can fix it easily.

Then you type in one of these programs and get it right the first time.  I wear bifocal's and looked over the data a zillion times and still couldn't see the bug in 2740.  This magazine doesn't have a proofreader like compute . In the old days on our commodore 64 we would print out programs to find bugs. I can't do that today S and D move left and right E and X are supposed to move up and down but they don't work. T is for take off thrust.  u increases power light. i increases power med and  o increases power heavy.  J decreases power light ,k decreases power med and l decreases power heavy. I cleaned up the menu screen. No one else wants to type in these games so they can be put in the gamebase yet no one cares.

[bradhig1]

3 hours ago, Iamgroot said:

The disk image from Brad above is pretty complete other than missing the 1 byte in 2740.  I just added a zero to line 2750 and it is enough to get the game working.  But still hard to figure out game play without the instructions.  You will still need the article to play.

what byte I can't see it.

[nick3092]

I type in programs from time to time from magazines and books using my //c. Currently slowly working my way through Family Computing which has no checksum editor like Compute! does. And I almost always have typos at the end. The difference is that I debug them myself instead of posting every time I run into an issue. Personally, I find it interesting and rewarding to find and correct the issues myself. 

 

It's even easier to review and debug these programs than we did in the past. You are right, in the past before I fully understood BASIC as a kid, I would often print them out as well. Then compare them line by line to the book or magazine. If I was lucky, I had a friend or family member to help me compare the printed program while I read off line by line my program listing to find typos. Otherwise it was a slow process for me to look at both line by line. 

 

But now you can use Ciderpress to open the basic program, select all, copy, and paste it into a text editor of your choice. There it's easier to review the whole program than trying to list it on screen. And from there you can still print out the listing if you really want a hard copy to compare to a magazine or book with programs.

 

If you are really stuck and lucky enough to be working from a scanned book/magazine where the OCR worked half way decently, you can copy and paste that into a text editor that has a compare function (like Notpad++). It will still have issues, as OCR isn't perfect. But it's usually clear to see in the highlighted compare what needs to be fixed.

 

Unfortunately, this magazine did not get a very good OCR treatment. Probably partially due to this annoying vertical lines they printed in the listing. Also annoying about this magazine is the instructions are early in the magazine, and the listing towards the back.

 

All that being said, if the controls are not working as expected, then double check the lines where you see those keys being looked for. And from there, look at any variables throughout the program that it may update in those lines, or any subroutines it may call. Also look for where in the program it does a goto or go sub to those lines where it's looking for key presses and double check around there.

Edited April 1, 2023 by nick3092

[Iamgroot]

Come now Nick,  Don't be so hard on the guy.  At least he is posting stuff to keep an otherwise dead forum, alive.  And he did say he uses bi-focals.  It is hard enough to read smudged print without have to really focus using bi-focals.  It takes a person years to really get to know when code feels wrong and should be printed another way.  Especially when colons and semi-colons look the same, a zero looks like an Oh, etc.

 

This is coming across as a really neat game that I have never seen before.  And the way the background is printed is pretty cool.  I am glad it was posted here.

[nick3092]

I'm not trying to be hard on him. Like I said, my attitude is probably coming off the wrong way. I just believe in teaching to fish rather than providing a fish. Or however that old proverb/saying goes. Especially given his post history. This isn't his first rodeo. Maybe he's not aware of the modern tools available to troubleshoot? Or maybe he's not familiar enough to know how to troubleshoot? Either way, there is a learning opportunity here. 

[+OLD CS1]

@Iamgroot @nick3092 His problem here may be related to a post he made in the TI sub, specifying he has Asperger's.  Normal methods of teaching and encouragement may not work for him, and his anxiety appears to peak when he encounters something unexpectedly difficult.  Unfortunately, people like myself lack the patience to work with someone under those conditions.

[nick3092]

That's a fair observation. And I'm probably in the same boat. My patience wears thin when (from the outside) I just see him posting asking for someone to review the program every time he hits a snag.

 

Again, my objective was not to drag on him. Just simply try and help him understand how to resolve these issues on his own. Knowing this now, it's probably best I bow out. I'm willing to help teach, but if there are obstacles to learning, I'm probably not the best person to do the teaching. 

[Iamgroot]

Considering he got as far as he did by typing in the whole program, I would say he did pretty good, no matter what he claims to have.  But whether bi-focals is the problem or some other underlying condition, if you really want to help a person, show him the tools he can use.  With so many spelling mistakes it is not hard to guess he has either visual problems or poor typing skills.

 

On a Mac computer, there is a zoom function in System Preferences under Accessibility.  On a PC there should be a magnifying glass of some sort as well.  This kind of information might be of more help.