Home » Archimedes archive » Acorn User » AU 1994-08.adf » !StarInfo_StarInfo » BurrowsH/!TextAway/!Help
BurrowsH/!TextAway/!Help
This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.
Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.
| Tape/disk: | Home » Archimedes archive » Acorn User » AU 1994-08.adf » !StarInfo_StarInfo |
| Filename: | BurrowsH/!TextAway/!Help |
| Read OK: | ✔ |
| File size: | 08A8 bytes |
| Load address: | 0000 |
| Exec address: | 0000 |
File contents
TextAway
========
...by Henry
The program is pretty self-explanatory; it
sends text scrolling away into the intersellar
distance, inspired by the start of the film
Star Wars.
The text can be found in the file 'Text'
within the !TextAway directory (hold down the
SHIFT key when double-clicking on !TextAway
to find it). Use !Edit or some similar
application to alter the file for your own
uses.
A few handy hints on text files for scrolling:
* Keep the number of words on the screen at
any one time low, and the shorter the words
the better; this is because the poor program
is having to do a lot of work to put the
words in at various scales and angles, so it
slows down when there is lots on-screen.
* Everything is automatically centred. If you
want things to come out on the left, add
spaces on the end of lines; insert spaces at
the beginning of lines to move words right.
* The program will terminate when the end of
the message is reached; if you want it to
repeat forever put a single '*' on the last
line of the message. Pressing ESCAPE is
the only way to stop it running.
* If you find the scrolling slows occasionally
it could be that the speed is set too fast.
Edit the !RunImage BASIC program and set the
'speed%' variable on line 120 to a higher
value (lower is faster but you need a really
quick machine or very little text to use
lower values). Speed 2 is the default.
* To use !TextAway in conjunction with other
programs, do the following:
Set the TextAway$Dir variable to the
directory containing your text and the
FontData file.
Call the !RunImage program.
for example:
set TextAway$Dir adfs::TextAway.$.!TextAway
*!TextAway.!RunImage
TextAway will return control to the calling
program when the message finishes (unless,
of course, the last line is a single '*').
* If you get a 'Bad Mode' error, switch to MODE
15 and re-run !TextAway.
If you're a hacker you'll be able to do lots of
other useful things like changing the colour of
the text, making the stars move about, adding a
suitably atmospheric soundtrack, or whatever.
Me, I'm happy with it as it is.
Have fun!
- Henry. 00000000 54 65 78 74 41 77 61 79 0a 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d |TextAway.=======| 00000010 3d 0a 0a 2e 2e 2e 62 79 20 48 65 6e 72 79 0a 0a |=.....by Henry..| 00000020 0a 54 68 65 20 70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d 20 69 73 20 |.The program is | 00000030 70 72 65 74 74 79 20 73 65 6c 66 2d 65 78 70 6c |pretty self-expl| 00000040 61 6e 61 74 6f 72 79 3b 20 69 74 0a 73 65 6e 64 |anatory; it.send| 00000050 73 20 74 65 78 74 20 73 63 72 6f 6c 6c 69 6e 67 |s text scrolling| 00000060 20 61 77 61 79 20 69 6e 74 6f 20 74 68 65 20 69 | away into the i| 00000070 6e 74 65 72 73 65 6c 6c 61 72 0a 64 69 73 74 61 |ntersellar.dista| 00000080 6e 63 65 2c 20 69 6e 73 70 69 72 65 64 20 62 79 |nce, inspired by| 00000090 20 74 68 65 20 73 74 61 72 74 20 6f 66 20 74 68 | the start of th| 000000a0 65 20 66 69 6c 6d 0a 53 74 61 72 20 57 61 72 73 |e film.Star Wars| 000000b0 2e 0a 0a 54 68 65 20 74 65 78 74 20 63 61 6e 20 |...The text can | 000000c0 62 65 20 66 6f 75 6e 64 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 |be found in the | 000000d0 66 69 6c 65 20 27 54 65 78 74 27 0a 77 69 74 68 |file 'Text'.with| 000000e0 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 21 54 65 78 74 41 77 61 79 |in the !TextAway| 000000f0 20 64 69 72 65 63 74 6f 72 79 20 28 68 6f 6c 64 | directory (hold| 00000100 20 64 6f 77 6e 20 74 68 65 0a 53 48 49 46 54 20 | down the.SHIFT | 00000110 6b 65 79 20 77 68 65 6e 20 64 6f 75 62 6c 65 2d |key when double-| 00000120 63 6c 69 63 6b 69 6e 67 20 6f 6e 20 21 54 65 78 |clicking on !Tex| 00000130 74 41 77 61 79 0a 74 6f 20 66 69 6e 64 20 69 74 |tAway.to find it| 00000140 29 2e 20 20 55 73 65 20 21 45 64 69 74 20 6f 72 |). Use !Edit or| 00000150 20 73 6f 6d 65 20 73 69 6d 69 6c 61 72 0a 61 70 | some similar.ap| 00000160 70 6c 69 63 61 74 69 6f 6e 20 74 6f 20 61 6c 74 |plication to alt| 00000170 65 72 20 74 68 65 20 66 69 6c 65 20 66 6f 72 20 |er the file for | 00000180 79 6f 75 72 20 6f 77 6e 0a 75 73 65 73 2e 0a 0a |your own.uses...| 00000190 41 20 66 65 77 20 68 61 6e 64 79 20 68 69 6e 74 |A few handy hint| 000001a0 73 20 6f 6e 20 74 65 78 74 20 66 69 6c 65 73 20 |s on text files | 000001b0 66 6f 72 20 73 63 72 6f 6c 6c 69 6e 67 3a 0a 0a |for scrolling:..| 000001c0 2a 20 4b 65 65 70 20 74 68 65 20 6e 75 6d 62 65 |* Keep the numbe| 000001d0 72 20 6f 66 20 77 6f 72 64 73 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 |r of words on th| 000001e0 65 20 73 63 72 65 65 6e 20 61 74 0a 20 20 61 6e |e screen at. an| 000001f0 79 20 6f 6e 65 20 74 69 6d 65 20 6c 6f 77 2c 20 |y one time low, | 00000200 61 6e 64 20 74 68 65 20 73 68 6f 72 74 65 72 20 |and the shorter | 00000210 74 68 65 20 77 6f 72 64 73 0a 20 20 74 68 65 20 |the words. the | 00000220 62 65 74 74 65 72 3b 20 74 68 69 73 20 69 73 20 |better; this is | 00000230 62 65 63 61 75 73 65 20 74 68 65 20 70 6f 6f 72 |because the poor| 00000240 20 70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d 0a 20 20 69 73 20 68 61 | program. is ha| 00000250 76 69 6e 67 20 74 6f 20 64 6f 20 61 20 6c 6f 74 |ving to do a lot| 00000260 20 6f 66 20 77 6f 72 6b 20 74 6f 20 70 75 74 20 | of work to put | 00000270 74 68 65 0a 20 20 77 6f 72 64 73 20 69 6e 20 61 |the. words in a| 00000280 74 20 76 61 72 69 6f 75 73 20 73 63 61 6c 65 73 |t various scales| 00000290 20 61 6e 64 20 61 6e 67 6c 65 73 2c 20 73 6f 20 | and angles, so | 000002a0 69 74 0a 20 20 73 6c 6f 77 73 20 64 6f 77 6e 20 |it. slows down | 000002b0 77 68 65 6e 20 74 68 65 72 65 20 69 73 20 6c 6f |when there is lo| 000002c0 74 73 20 6f 6e 2d 73 63 72 65 65 6e 2e 0a 0a 2a |ts on-screen...*| 000002d0 20 45 76 65 72 79 74 68 69 6e 67 20 69 73 20 61 | Everything is a| 000002e0 75 74 6f 6d 61 74 69 63 61 6c 6c 79 20 63 65 6e |utomatically cen| 000002f0 74 72 65 64 2e 20 20 49 66 20 79 6f 75 0a 20 20 |tred. If you. | 00000300 77 61 6e 74 20 74 68 69 6e 67 73 20 74 6f 20 63 |want things to c| 00000310 6f 6d 65 20 6f 75 74 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 6c |ome out on the l| 00000320 65 66 74 2c 20 61 64 64 0a 20 20 73 70 61 63 65 |eft, add. space| 00000330 73 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 65 6e 64 20 6f 66 20 |s on the end of | 00000340 6c 69 6e 65 73 3b 20 69 6e 73 65 72 74 20 73 70 |lines; insert sp| 00000350 61 63 65 73 20 61 74 0a 20 20 74 68 65 20 62 65 |aces at. the be| 00000360 67 69 6e 6e 69 6e 67 20 6f 66 20 6c 69 6e 65 73 |ginning of lines| 00000370 20 74 6f 20 6d 6f 76 65 20 77 6f 72 64 73 20 72 | to move words r| 00000380 69 67 68 74 2e 0a 0a 2a 20 54 68 65 20 70 72 6f |ight...* The pro| 00000390 67 72 61 6d 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 74 65 72 6d 69 6e |gram will termin| 000003a0 61 74 65 20 77 68 65 6e 20 74 68 65 20 65 6e 64 |ate when the end| 000003b0 20 6f 66 0a 20 20 74 68 65 20 6d 65 73 73 61 67 | of. the messag| 000003c0 65 20 69 73 20 72 65 61 63 68 65 64 3b 20 69 66 |e is reached; if| 000003d0 20 79 6f 75 20 77 61 6e 74 20 69 74 20 74 6f 0a | you want it to.| 000003e0 20 20 72 65 70 65 61 74 20 66 6f 72 65 76 65 72 | repeat forever| 000003f0 20 70 75 74 20 61 20 73 69 6e 67 6c 65 20 27 2a | put a single '*| 00000400 27 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 6c 61 73 74 0a 20 20 |' on the last. | 00000410 6c 69 6e 65 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 6d 65 73 73 |line of the mess| 00000420 61 67 65 2e 20 20 50 72 65 73 73 69 6e 67 20 45 |age. Pressing E| 00000430 53 43 41 50 45 20 69 73 0a 20 20 74 68 65 20 6f |SCAPE is. the o| 00000440 6e 6c 79 20 77 61 79 20 74 6f 20 73 74 6f 70 20 |nly way to stop | 00000450 69 74 20 72 75 6e 6e 69 6e 67 2e 0a 0a 2a 20 49 |it running...* I| 00000460 66 20 79 6f 75 20 66 69 6e 64 20 74 68 65 20 73 |f you find the s| 00000470 63 72 6f 6c 6c 69 6e 67 20 73 6c 6f 77 73 20 6f |crolling slows o| 00000480 63 63 61 73 69 6f 6e 61 6c 6c 79 0a 20 20 69 74 |ccasionally. it| 00000490 20 63 6f 75 6c 64 20 62 65 20 74 68 61 74 20 74 | could be that t| 000004a0 68 65 20 73 70 65 65 64 20 69 73 20 73 65 74 20 |he speed is set | 000004b0 74 6f 6f 20 66 61 73 74 2e 0a 20 20 45 64 69 74 |too fast.. Edit| 000004c0 20 74 68 65 20 21 52 75 6e 49 6d 61 67 65 20 42 | the !RunImage B| 000004d0 41 53 49 43 20 70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d 20 61 6e 64 |ASIC program and| 000004e0 20 73 65 74 20 74 68 65 0a 20 20 27 73 70 65 65 | set the. 'spee| 000004f0 64 25 27 20 76 61 72 69 61 62 6c 65 20 6f 6e 20 |d%' variable on | 00000500 6c 69 6e 65 20 31 32 30 20 74 6f 20 61 20 68 69 |line 120 to a hi| 00000510 67 68 65 72 0a 20 20 76 61 6c 75 65 20 28 6c 6f |gher. value (lo| 00000520 77 65 72 20 69 73 20 66 61 73 74 65 72 20 62 75 |wer is faster bu| 00000530 74 20 79 6f 75 20 6e 65 65 64 20 61 20 72 65 61 |t you need a rea| 00000540 6c 6c 79 0a 20 20 71 75 69 63 6b 20 6d 61 63 68 |lly. quick mach| 00000550 69 6e 65 20 6f 72 20 76 65 72 79 20 6c 69 74 74 |ine or very litt| 00000560 6c 65 20 74 65 78 74 20 74 6f 20 75 73 65 0a 20 |le text to use. | 00000570 20 6c 6f 77 65 72 20 76 61 6c 75 65 73 29 2e 20 | lower values). | 00000580 53 70 65 65 64 20 32 20 69 73 20 74 68 65 20 64 |Speed 2 is the d| 00000590 65 66 61 75 6c 74 2e 0a 0a 2a 20 54 6f 20 75 73 |efault...* To us| 000005a0 65 20 21 54 65 78 74 41 77 61 79 20 69 6e 20 63 |e !TextAway in c| 000005b0 6f 6e 6a 75 6e 63 74 69 6f 6e 20 77 69 74 68 20 |onjunction with | 000005c0 6f 74 68 65 72 0a 20 20 70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d 73 |other. programs| 000005d0 2c 20 64 6f 20 74 68 65 20 66 6f 6c 6c 6f 77 69 |, do the followi| 000005e0 6e 67 3a 0a 0a 20 20 20 20 53 65 74 20 74 68 65 |ng:.. Set the| 000005f0 20 54 65 78 74 41 77 61 79 24 44 69 72 20 76 61 | TextAway$Dir va| 00000600 72 69 61 62 6c 65 20 74 6f 20 74 68 65 0a 20 20 |riable to the. | 00000610 20 20 64 69 72 65 63 74 6f 72 79 20 63 6f 6e 74 | directory cont| 00000620 61 69 6e 69 6e 67 20 79 6f 75 72 20 74 65 78 74 |aining your text| 00000630 20 61 6e 64 20 74 68 65 0a 20 20 20 20 46 6f 6e | and the. Fon| 00000640 74 44 61 74 61 20 66 69 6c 65 2e 0a 20 20 20 20 |tData file.. | 00000650 43 61 6c 6c 20 74 68 65 20 21 52 75 6e 49 6d 61 |Call the !RunIma| 00000660 67 65 20 70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d 2e 0a 0a 20 20 20 |ge program... | 00000670 20 66 6f 72 20 65 78 61 6d 70 6c 65 3a 0a 0a 20 | for example:.. | 00000680 20 20 20 73 65 74 20 54 65 78 74 41 77 61 79 24 | set TextAway$| 00000690 44 69 72 20 61 64 66 73 3a 3a 54 65 78 74 41 77 |Dir adfs::TextAw| 000006a0 61 79 2e 24 2e 21 54 65 78 74 41 77 61 79 0a 20 |ay.$.!TextAway. | 000006b0 20 20 20 2a 21 54 65 78 74 41 77 61 79 2e 21 52 | *!TextAway.!R| 000006c0 75 6e 49 6d 61 67 65 0a 0a 20 20 20 20 54 65 78 |unImage.. Tex| 000006d0 74 41 77 61 79 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 72 65 74 75 72 |tAway will retur| 000006e0 6e 20 63 6f 6e 74 72 6f 6c 20 74 6f 20 74 68 65 |n control to the| 000006f0 20 63 61 6c 6c 69 6e 67 0a 20 20 20 20 70 72 6f | calling. pro| 00000700 67 72 61 6d 20 77 68 65 6e 20 74 68 65 20 6d 65 |gram when the me| 00000710 73 73 61 67 65 20 66 69 6e 69 73 68 65 73 20 28 |ssage finishes (| 00000720 75 6e 6c 65 73 73 2c 0a 20 20 20 20 6f 66 20 63 |unless,. of c| 00000730 6f 75 72 73 65 2c 20 74 68 65 20 6c 61 73 74 20 |ourse, the last | 00000740 6c 69 6e 65 20 69 73 20 61 20 73 69 6e 67 6c 65 |line is a single| 00000750 20 27 2a 27 29 2e 0a 0a 2a 20 49 66 20 79 6f 75 | '*')...* If you| 00000760 20 67 65 74 20 61 20 27 42 61 64 20 4d 6f 64 65 | get a 'Bad Mode| 00000770 27 20 65 72 72 6f 72 2c 20 73 77 69 74 63 68 20 |' error, switch | 00000780 74 6f 20 4d 4f 44 45 0a 20 20 31 35 20 61 6e 64 |to MODE. 15 and| 00000790 20 72 65 2d 72 75 6e 20 21 54 65 78 74 41 77 61 | re-run !TextAwa| 000007a0 79 2e 0a 0a 0a 49 66 20 79 6f 75 27 72 65 20 61 |y....If you're a| 000007b0 20 68 61 63 6b 65 72 20 79 6f 75 27 6c 6c 20 62 | hacker you'll b| 000007c0 65 20 61 62 6c 65 20 74 6f 20 64 6f 20 6c 6f 74 |e able to do lot| 000007d0 73 20 6f 66 0a 6f 74 68 65 72 20 75 73 65 66 75 |s of.other usefu| 000007e0 6c 20 74 68 69 6e 67 73 20 6c 69 6b 65 20 63 68 |l things like ch| 000007f0 61 6e 67 69 6e 67 20 74 68 65 20 63 6f 6c 6f 75 |anging the colou| 00000800 72 20 6f 66 0a 74 68 65 20 74 65 78 74 2c 20 6d |r of.the text, m| 00000810 61 6b 69 6e 67 20 74 68 65 20 73 74 61 72 73 20 |aking the stars | 00000820 6d 6f 76 65 20 61 62 6f 75 74 2c 20 61 64 64 69 |move about, addi| 00000830 6e 67 20 61 0a 73 75 69 74 61 62 6c 79 20 61 74 |ng a.suitably at| 00000840 6d 6f 73 70 68 65 72 69 63 20 73 6f 75 6e 64 74 |mospheric soundt| 00000850 72 61 63 6b 2c 20 6f 72 20 77 68 61 74 65 76 65 |rack, or whateve| 00000860 72 2e 0a 4d 65 2c 20 49 27 6d 20 68 61 70 70 79 |r..Me, I'm happy| 00000870 20 77 69 74 68 20 69 74 20 61 73 20 69 74 20 69 | with it as it i| 00000880 73 2e 0a 0a 0a 48 61 76 65 20 66 75 6e 21 0a 0a |s....Have fun!..| 00000890 0a 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 |. | 000008a0 2d 20 48 65 6e 72 79 2e |- Henry.| 000008a8
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