Home » Archimedes archive » Acorn User » AU 1993-04.adf » !StarInfo/!Help
!StarInfo/!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 1993-04.adf |
| Filename: | !StarInfo/!Help |
| Read OK: | ✔ |
| File size: | 08B2 bytes |
| Load address: | FFFFFF44 |
| Exec address: | 6D0E74E1 |
File contents
*INFO Compiled by Dave Lawrence and Dave Acton Run this application to open a Filer window containing the programs from this month's *INFO column. !Auto is an update to the application which first appeared in October 1992's *INFO. The application allows the instant setup of personal desktop environments, and provides a new filetype, called SignPost. This has been given the user filetype number &030, although you can easily change this (in the !Sprites and !Run files) to suit your own needs. Providing !Auto has been seen, double-clicking on any SignPost file will set up the desktop according to the contents of that file. SignPost files are simply composed of text and they contain case-dependent keywords to open directory viewers, install modules and so on. See the magazine for details of the SignPost file format. 3DGraph/1 and Newton/1 are one line programs which produce pretty graphical displays. Simply double-click on the programs to run them. Dots is a simple but effective 3D display program. Double-click on the program to run it. You can move the mouse to alter the spin, and press the right mouse button to alter the shape. The middle button quits the program. FracSort and IntSort sort real and integral numbers respectively. Double-click to run them. Both programs ask for the size of the array of numbers which wil be sorted. They then show a set of random numbers, which are sorted and displayed. Lorenzo and Ribbon are two graphical demos: simply double-click on them to run. Use ESCAPE to quit the programs. The RMSave directory contains the programs which enable the Pinboard background colour to be altered, and the disc icons to be changed. Before following the instructions in the magazine, you should double-click on ThisDir to set the CSD correctly. The SpriteDemo directory contains the four demonstration programs from the sprite section of *INFO. Double-click to run them. Why? implements a 'Why?' icon on Filer error boxes to give you more help when the Filer asks you to put a certain disc in the drive. Finally, the EightBit directory contains two programs for use on the eight bit BBC range only. The programs are included here for reference. � Copyright BBC Acorn User 1993
00000000 2a 49 4e 46 4f 0a 43 6f 6d 70 69 6c 65 64 20 62 |*INFO.Compiled b| 00000010 79 20 44 61 76 65 20 4c 61 77 72 65 6e 63 65 20 |y Dave Lawrence | 00000020 61 6e 64 20 44 61 76 65 20 41 63 74 6f 6e 0a 0a |and Dave Acton..| 00000030 52 75 6e 20 74 68 69 73 20 61 70 70 6c 69 63 61 |Run this applica| 00000040 74 69 6f 6e 20 74 6f 20 6f 70 65 6e 20 61 20 46 |tion to open a F| 00000050 69 6c 65 72 20 77 69 6e 64 6f 77 20 63 6f 6e 74 |iler window cont| 00000060 61 69 6e 69 6e 67 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 6f 67 72 |aining the progr| 00000070 61 6d 73 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 74 68 69 73 20 6d 6f |ams from this mo| 00000080 6e 74 68 27 73 20 2a 49 4e 46 4f 20 63 6f 6c 75 |nth's *INFO colu| 00000090 6d 6e 2e 0a 0a 21 41 75 74 6f 20 69 73 20 61 6e |mn...!Auto is an| 000000a0 20 75 70 64 61 74 65 20 74 6f 20 74 68 65 20 61 | update to the a| 000000b0 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74 69 6f 6e 20 77 68 69 63 68 |pplication which| 000000c0 20 66 69 72 73 74 20 61 70 70 65 61 72 65 64 20 | first appeared | 000000d0 69 6e 20 4f 63 74 6f 62 65 72 20 31 39 39 32 27 |in October 1992'| 000000e0 73 20 2a 49 4e 46 4f 2e 20 54 68 65 20 61 70 70 |s *INFO. The app| 000000f0 6c 69 63 61 74 69 6f 6e 20 61 6c 6c 6f 77 73 20 |lication allows | 00000100 74 68 65 20 69 6e 73 74 61 6e 74 20 73 65 74 75 |the instant setu| 00000110 70 20 6f 66 20 70 65 72 73 6f 6e 61 6c 20 64 65 |p of personal de| 00000120 73 6b 74 6f 70 20 65 6e 76 69 72 6f 6e 6d 65 6e |sktop environmen| 00000130 74 73 2c 20 61 6e 64 20 70 72 6f 76 69 64 65 73 |ts, and provides| 00000140 20 61 20 6e 65 77 20 66 69 6c 65 74 79 70 65 2c | a new filetype,| 00000150 20 63 61 6c 6c 65 64 20 53 69 67 6e 50 6f 73 74 | called SignPost| 00000160 2e 20 54 68 69 73 20 68 61 73 20 62 65 65 6e 20 |. This has been | 00000170 67 69 76 65 6e 20 74 68 65 20 75 73 65 72 20 66 |given the user f| 00000180 69 6c 65 74 79 70 65 20 6e 75 6d 62 65 72 20 26 |iletype number &| 00000190 30 33 30 2c 20 61 6c 74 68 6f 75 67 68 20 79 6f |030, although yo| 000001a0 75 20 63 61 6e 20 65 61 73 69 6c 79 20 63 68 61 |u can easily cha| 000001b0 6e 67 65 20 74 68 69 73 20 28 69 6e 20 74 68 65 |nge this (in the| 000001c0 20 21 53 70 72 69 74 65 73 20 61 6e 64 20 21 52 | !Sprites and !R| 000001d0 75 6e 20 66 69 6c 65 73 29 20 74 6f 20 73 75 69 |un files) to sui| 000001e0 74 20 79 6f 75 72 20 6f 77 6e 20 6e 65 65 64 73 |t your own needs| 000001f0 2e 0a 0a 50 72 6f 76 69 64 69 6e 67 20 21 41 75 |...Providing !Au| 00000200 74 6f 20 68 61 73 20 62 65 65 6e 20 73 65 65 6e |to has been seen| 00000210 2c 20 64 6f 75 62 6c 65 2d 63 6c 69 63 6b 69 6e |, double-clickin| 00000220 67 20 6f 6e 20 61 6e 79 20 53 69 67 6e 50 6f 73 |g on any SignPos| 00000230 74 20 66 69 6c 65 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 73 65 74 20 |t file will set | 00000240 75 70 20 74 68 65 20 64 65 73 6b 74 6f 70 20 61 |up the desktop a| 00000250 63 63 6f 72 64 69 6e 67 20 74 6f 20 74 68 65 20 |ccording to the | 00000260 63 6f 6e 74 65 6e 74 73 20 6f 66 20 74 68 61 74 |contents of that| 00000270 20 66 69 6c 65 2e 20 53 69 67 6e 50 6f 73 74 20 | file. SignPost | 00000280 66 69 6c 65 73 20 61 72 65 20 73 69 6d 70 6c 79 |files are simply| 00000290 20 63 6f 6d 70 6f 73 65 64 20 6f 66 20 74 65 78 | composed of tex| 000002a0 74 20 61 6e 64 20 74 68 65 79 20 63 6f 6e 74 61 |t and they conta| 000002b0 69 6e 20 63 61 73 65 2d 64 65 70 65 6e 64 65 6e |in case-dependen| 000002c0 74 20 6b 65 79 77 6f 72 64 73 20 74 6f 20 6f 70 |t keywords to op| 000002d0 65 6e 20 64 69 72 65 63 74 6f 72 79 20 76 69 65 |en directory vie| 000002e0 77 65 72 73 2c 20 69 6e 73 74 61 6c 6c 20 6d 6f |wers, install mo| 000002f0 64 75 6c 65 73 20 61 6e 64 20 73 6f 20 6f 6e 2e |dules and so on.| 00000300 20 53 65 65 20 74 68 65 20 6d 61 67 61 7a 69 6e | See the magazin| 00000310 65 20 66 6f 72 20 64 65 74 61 69 6c 73 20 6f 66 |e for details of| 00000320 20 74 68 65 20 53 69 67 6e 50 6f 73 74 20 66 69 | the SignPost fi| 00000330 6c 65 20 66 6f 72 6d 61 74 2e 0a 0a 33 44 47 72 |le format...3DGr| 00000340 61 70 68 2f 31 20 61 6e 64 20 4e 65 77 74 6f 6e |aph/1 and Newton| 00000350 2f 31 20 61 72 65 20 6f 6e 65 20 6c 69 6e 65 20 |/1 are one line | 00000360 70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d 73 20 77 68 69 63 68 20 70 |programs which p| 00000370 72 6f 64 75 63 65 20 70 72 65 74 74 79 20 67 72 |roduce pretty gr| 00000380 61 70 68 69 63 61 6c 20 64 69 73 70 6c 61 79 73 |aphical displays| 00000390 2e 20 53 69 6d 70 6c 79 20 64 6f 75 62 6c 65 2d |. Simply double-| 000003a0 63 6c 69 63 6b 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 6f |click on the pro| 000003b0 67 72 61 6d 73 20 74 6f 20 72 75 6e 20 74 68 65 |grams to run the| 000003c0 6d 2e 0a 0a 44 6f 74 73 20 69 73 20 61 20 73 69 |m...Dots is a si| 000003d0 6d 70 6c 65 20 62 75 74 20 65 66 66 65 63 74 69 |mple but effecti| 000003e0 76 65 20 33 44 20 64 69 73 70 6c 61 79 20 70 72 |ve 3D display pr| 000003f0 6f 67 72 61 6d 2e 20 44 6f 75 62 6c 65 2d 63 6c |ogram. Double-cl| 00000400 69 63 6b 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 6f 67 72 |ick on the progr| 00000410 61 6d 20 74 6f 20 72 75 6e 20 69 74 2e 20 59 6f |am to run it. Yo| 00000420 75 20 63 61 6e 20 6d 6f 76 65 20 74 68 65 20 6d |u can move the m| 00000430 6f 75 73 65 20 74 6f 20 61 6c 74 65 72 20 74 68 |ouse to alter th| 00000440 65 20 73 70 69 6e 2c 20 61 6e 64 20 70 72 65 73 |e spin, and pres| 00000450 73 20 74 68 65 20 72 69 67 68 74 20 6d 6f 75 73 |s the right mous| 00000460 65 20 62 75 74 74 6f 6e 20 74 6f 20 61 6c 74 65 |e button to alte| 00000470 72 20 74 68 65 20 73 68 61 70 65 2e 20 54 68 65 |r the shape. The| 00000480 20 6d 69 64 64 6c 65 20 62 75 74 74 6f 6e 20 71 | middle button q| 00000490 75 69 74 73 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d |uits the program| 000004a0 2e 0a 0a 46 72 61 63 53 6f 72 74 20 61 6e 64 20 |...FracSort and | 000004b0 49 6e 74 53 6f 72 74 20 73 6f 72 74 20 72 65 61 |IntSort sort rea| 000004c0 6c 20 61 6e 64 20 69 6e 74 65 67 72 61 6c 20 6e |l and integral n| 000004d0 75 6d 62 65 72 73 20 72 65 73 70 65 63 74 69 76 |umbers respectiv| 000004e0 65 6c 79 2e 20 44 6f 75 62 6c 65 2d 63 6c 69 63 |ely. Double-clic| 000004f0 6b 20 74 6f 20 72 75 6e 20 74 68 65 6d 2e 20 42 |k to run them. B| 00000500 6f 74 68 20 70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d 73 20 61 73 6b |oth programs ask| 00000510 20 66 6f 72 20 74 68 65 20 73 69 7a 65 20 6f 66 | for the size of| 00000520 20 74 68 65 20 61 72 72 61 79 20 6f 66 20 6e 75 | the array of nu| 00000530 6d 62 65 72 73 20 77 68 69 63 68 20 77 69 6c 20 |mbers which wil | 00000540 62 65 20 73 6f 72 74 65 64 2e 20 54 68 65 79 20 |be sorted. They | 00000550 74 68 65 6e 20 73 68 6f 77 20 61 20 73 65 74 20 |then show a set | 00000560 6f 66 20 72 61 6e 64 6f 6d 20 6e 75 6d 62 65 72 |of random number| 00000570 73 2c 20 77 68 69 63 68 20 61 72 65 20 73 6f 72 |s, which are sor| 00000580 74 65 64 20 61 6e 64 20 64 69 73 70 6c 61 79 65 |ted and displaye| 00000590 64 2e 0a 0a 4c 6f 72 65 6e 7a 6f 20 61 6e 64 20 |d...Lorenzo and | 000005a0 52 69 62 62 6f 6e 20 61 72 65 20 74 77 6f 20 67 |Ribbon are two g| 000005b0 72 61 70 68 69 63 61 6c 20 64 65 6d 6f 73 3a 20 |raphical demos: | 000005c0 73 69 6d 70 6c 79 20 64 6f 75 62 6c 65 2d 63 6c |simply double-cl| 000005d0 69 63 6b 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 6d 20 74 6f 20 72 |ick on them to r| 000005e0 75 6e 2e 20 55 73 65 20 45 53 43 41 50 45 20 74 |un. Use ESCAPE t| 000005f0 6f 20 71 75 69 74 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 6f 67 72 |o quit the progr| 00000600 61 6d 73 2e 0a 0a 54 68 65 20 52 4d 53 61 76 65 |ams...The RMSave| 00000610 20 64 69 72 65 63 74 6f 72 79 20 63 6f 6e 74 61 | directory conta| 00000620 69 6e 73 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d 73 |ins the programs| 00000630 20 77 68 69 63 68 20 65 6e 61 62 6c 65 20 74 68 | which enable th| 00000640 65 20 50 69 6e 62 6f 61 72 64 20 62 61 63 6b 67 |e Pinboard backg| 00000650 72 6f 75 6e 64 20 63 6f 6c 6f 75 72 20 74 6f 20 |round colour to | 00000660 62 65 20 61 6c 74 65 72 65 64 2c 20 61 6e 64 20 |be altered, and | 00000670 74 68 65 20 64 69 73 63 20 69 63 6f 6e 73 20 74 |the disc icons t| 00000680 6f 20 62 65 20 63 68 61 6e 67 65 64 2e 20 42 65 |o be changed. Be| 00000690 66 6f 72 65 20 66 6f 6c 6c 6f 77 69 6e 67 20 74 |fore following t| 000006a0 68 65 20 69 6e 73 74 72 75 63 74 69 6f 6e 73 20 |he instructions | 000006b0 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 6d 61 67 61 7a 69 6e 65 2c |in the magazine,| 000006c0 20 79 6f 75 20 73 68 6f 75 6c 64 20 64 6f 75 62 | you should doub| 000006d0 6c 65 2d 63 6c 69 63 6b 20 6f 6e 20 54 68 69 73 |le-click on This| 000006e0 44 69 72 20 74 6f 20 73 65 74 20 74 68 65 20 43 |Dir to set the C| 000006f0 53 44 20 63 6f 72 72 65 63 74 6c 79 2e 0a 0a 54 |SD correctly...T| 00000700 68 65 20 53 70 72 69 74 65 44 65 6d 6f 20 64 69 |he SpriteDemo di| 00000710 72 65 63 74 6f 72 79 20 63 6f 6e 74 61 69 6e 73 |rectory contains| 00000720 20 74 68 65 20 66 6f 75 72 20 64 65 6d 6f 6e 73 | the four demons| 00000730 74 72 61 74 69 6f 6e 20 70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d 73 |tration programs| 00000740 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 74 68 65 20 73 70 72 69 74 65 | from the sprite| 00000750 20 73 65 63 74 69 6f 6e 20 6f 66 20 2a 49 4e 46 | section of *INF| 00000760 4f 2e 20 44 6f 75 62 6c 65 2d 63 6c 69 63 6b 20 |O. Double-click | 00000770 74 6f 20 72 75 6e 20 74 68 65 6d 2e 0a 0a 57 68 |to run them...Wh| 00000780 79 3f 20 69 6d 70 6c 65 6d 65 6e 74 73 20 61 20 |y? implements a | 00000790 27 57 68 79 3f 27 20 69 63 6f 6e 20 6f 6e 20 46 |'Why?' icon on F| 000007a0 69 6c 65 72 20 65 72 72 6f 72 20 62 6f 78 65 73 |iler error boxes| 000007b0 20 74 6f 20 67 69 76 65 20 79 6f 75 20 6d 6f 72 | to give you mor| 000007c0 65 20 68 65 6c 70 20 77 68 65 6e 20 74 68 65 20 |e help when the | 000007d0 46 69 6c 65 72 20 61 73 6b 73 20 79 6f 75 20 74 |Filer asks you t| 000007e0 6f 20 70 75 74 20 61 20 63 65 72 74 61 69 6e 20 |o put a certain | 000007f0 64 69 73 63 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 64 72 69 76 |disc in the driv| 00000800 65 2e 0a 0a 46 69 6e 61 6c 6c 79 2c 20 74 68 65 |e...Finally, the| 00000810 20 45 69 67 68 74 42 69 74 20 64 69 72 65 63 74 | EightBit direct| 00000820 6f 72 79 20 63 6f 6e 74 61 69 6e 73 20 74 77 6f |ory contains two| 00000830 20 70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d 73 20 66 6f 72 20 75 73 | programs for us| 00000840 65 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 65 69 67 68 74 20 62 |e on the eight b| 00000850 69 74 20 42 42 43 20 72 61 6e 67 65 20 6f 6e 6c |it BBC range onl| 00000860 79 2e 20 54 68 65 20 70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d 73 20 |y. The programs | 00000870 61 72 65 20 69 6e 63 6c 75 64 65 64 20 68 65 72 |are included her| 00000880 65 20 66 6f 72 20 72 65 66 65 72 65 6e 63 65 2e |e for reference.| 00000890 0a 0a a9 20 43 6f 70 79 72 69 67 68 74 20 42 42 |... Copyright BB| 000008a0 43 20 41 63 6f 72 6e 20 55 73 65 72 20 31 39 39 |C Acorn User 199| 000008b0 33 0a |3.| 000008b2
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