Home » Archimedes archive » Acorn User » AU 1997-09 B.adf » Extras2 » CD2/!Countdown/!Help

CD2/!Countdown/!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.

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Tape/disk: Home » Archimedes archive » Acorn User » AU 1997-09 B.adf » Extras2
Filename: CD2/!Countdown/!Help
Read OK:
File size: 057A bytes
Load address: 0000
Exec address: 0000
File contents
(Wimp) Countdown Numbers      
------------------------      by John Lomas, Feb 1997

Note: If this application, the word "Countdown" and the
name "Carol Vorderman" is a mystery to you, then don't
bother reading on - just watch Countdown on Channel 4.

This is a desktop version of the Countdown numbers solver
first published in Acorn User in 1992.  It has the added
bonus of picking numbers for you, so any budding Carol
Vordermans out there can try and beat your 200 MHz StrongARM
to the solution.  Good luck - you'll need it.  You could also
try giving it some more tricky numbers (try 43,17,etc.) as long
as the 'Allow any numbers' option is selected.

The 'thinking' will only go on for a maximum period of time,
don't rush the program.  If you RiscOS>=3.5 users decide to
Alt-Break the program, then you are leaving a vital data file
open.  You will need to issue the commands:
  *ADFS    (or whatever filing system you are using)
  *CLOSE
otherwise you'll get fatal error &70 when you ask the program to
solve another problem.

Oh, and if you need instructions, ask someone.  Or contact me.

Thanks go to Richard May, for the original nifty piece of
programming; to P. Barry for the suggestion; and to Paul Wheatley
of Acorn User for coming up with the software request idea.

Me:

John Lomas
2 Oaklea
Shevington Moor
Standish
Wigan
WN6 0SL

john@lomas.demon.co.uk  (valid from about March-ish)
00000000  28 57 69 6d 70 29 20 43  6f 75 6e 74 64 6f 77 6e  |(Wimp) Countdown|
00000010  20 4e 75 6d 62 65 72 73  20 20 20 20 20 20 0a 2d  | Numbers      .-|
00000020  2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d  2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d  |----------------|
00000030  2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 20  20 20 20 20 20 62 79 20  |-------      by |
00000040  4a 6f 68 6e 20 4c 6f 6d  61 73 2c 20 46 65 62 20  |John Lomas, Feb |
00000050  31 39 39 37 0a 0a 4e 6f  74 65 3a 20 49 66 20 74  |1997..Note: If t|
00000060  68 69 73 20 61 70 70 6c  69 63 61 74 69 6f 6e 2c  |his application,|
00000070  20 74 68 65 20 77 6f 72  64 20 22 43 6f 75 6e 74  | the word "Count|
00000080  64 6f 77 6e 22 20 61 6e  64 20 74 68 65 0a 6e 61  |down" and the.na|
00000090  6d 65 20 22 43 61 72 6f  6c 20 56 6f 72 64 65 72  |me "Carol Vorder|
000000a0  6d 61 6e 22 20 69 73 20  61 20 6d 79 73 74 65 72  |man" is a myster|
000000b0  79 20 74 6f 20 79 6f 75  2c 20 74 68 65 6e 20 64  |y to you, then d|
000000c0  6f 6e 27 74 0a 62 6f 74  68 65 72 20 72 65 61 64  |on't.bother read|
000000d0  69 6e 67 20 6f 6e 20 2d  20 6a 75 73 74 20 77 61  |ing on - just wa|
000000e0  74 63 68 20 43 6f 75 6e  74 64 6f 77 6e 20 6f 6e  |tch Countdown on|
000000f0  20 43 68 61 6e 6e 65 6c  20 34 2e 0a 0a 54 68 69  | Channel 4...Thi|
00000100  73 20 69 73 20 61 20 64  65 73 6b 74 6f 70 20 76  |s is a desktop v|
00000110  65 72 73 69 6f 6e 20 6f  66 20 74 68 65 20 43 6f  |ersion of the Co|
00000120  75 6e 74 64 6f 77 6e 20  6e 75 6d 62 65 72 73 20  |untdown numbers |
00000130  73 6f 6c 76 65 72 0a 66  69 72 73 74 20 70 75 62  |solver.first pub|
00000140  6c 69 73 68 65 64 20 69  6e 20 41 63 6f 72 6e 20  |lished in Acorn |
00000150  55 73 65 72 20 69 6e 20  31 39 39 32 2e 20 20 49  |User in 1992.  I|
00000160  74 20 68 61 73 20 74 68  65 20 61 64 64 65 64 0a  |t has the added.|
00000170  62 6f 6e 75 73 20 6f 66  20 70 69 63 6b 69 6e 67  |bonus of picking|
00000180  20 6e 75 6d 62 65 72 73  20 66 6f 72 20 79 6f 75  | numbers for you|
00000190  2c 20 73 6f 20 61 6e 79  20 62 75 64 64 69 6e 67  |, so any budding|
000001a0  20 43 61 72 6f 6c 0a 56  6f 72 64 65 72 6d 61 6e  | Carol.Vorderman|
000001b0  73 20 6f 75 74 20 74 68  65 72 65 20 63 61 6e 20  |s out there can |
000001c0  74 72 79 20 61 6e 64 20  62 65 61 74 20 79 6f 75  |try and beat you|
000001d0  72 20 32 30 30 20 4d 48  7a 20 53 74 72 6f 6e 67  |r 200 MHz Strong|
000001e0  41 52 4d 0a 74 6f 20 74  68 65 20 73 6f 6c 75 74  |ARM.to the solut|
000001f0  69 6f 6e 2e 20 20 47 6f  6f 64 20 6c 75 63 6b 20  |ion.  Good luck |
00000200  2d 20 79 6f 75 27 6c 6c  20 6e 65 65 64 20 69 74  |- you'll need it|
00000210  2e 20 20 59 6f 75 20 63  6f 75 6c 64 20 61 6c 73  |.  You could als|
00000220  6f 0a 74 72 79 20 67 69  76 69 6e 67 20 69 74 20  |o.try giving it |
00000230  73 6f 6d 65 20 6d 6f 72  65 20 74 72 69 63 6b 79  |some more tricky|
00000240  20 6e 75 6d 62 65 72 73  20 28 74 72 79 20 34 33  | numbers (try 43|
00000250  2c 31 37 2c 65 74 63 2e  29 20 61 73 20 6c 6f 6e  |,17,etc.) as lon|
00000260  67 0a 61 73 20 74 68 65  20 27 41 6c 6c 6f 77 20  |g.as the 'Allow |
00000270  61 6e 79 20 6e 75 6d 62  65 72 73 27 20 6f 70 74  |any numbers' opt|
00000280  69 6f 6e 20 69 73 20 73  65 6c 65 63 74 65 64 2e  |ion is selected.|
00000290  0a 0a 54 68 65 20 27 74  68 69 6e 6b 69 6e 67 27  |..The 'thinking'|
000002a0  20 77 69 6c 6c 20 6f 6e  6c 79 20 67 6f 20 6f 6e  | will only go on|
000002b0  20 66 6f 72 20 61 20 6d  61 78 69 6d 75 6d 20 70  | for a maximum p|
000002c0  65 72 69 6f 64 20 6f 66  20 74 69 6d 65 2c 0a 64  |eriod of time,.d|
000002d0  6f 6e 27 74 20 72 75 73  68 20 74 68 65 20 70 72  |on't rush the pr|
000002e0  6f 67 72 61 6d 2e 20 20  49 66 20 79 6f 75 20 52  |ogram.  If you R|
000002f0  69 73 63 4f 53 3e 3d 33  2e 35 20 75 73 65 72 73  |iscOS>=3.5 users|
00000300  20 64 65 63 69 64 65 20  74 6f 0a 41 6c 74 2d 42  | decide to.Alt-B|
00000310  72 65 61 6b 20 74 68 65  20 70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d  |reak the program|
00000320  2c 20 74 68 65 6e 20 79  6f 75 20 61 72 65 20 6c  |, then you are l|
00000330  65 61 76 69 6e 67 20 61  20 76 69 74 61 6c 20 64  |eaving a vital d|
00000340  61 74 61 20 66 69 6c 65  0a 6f 70 65 6e 2e 20 20  |ata file.open.  |
00000350  59 6f 75 20 77 69 6c 6c  20 6e 65 65 64 20 74 6f  |You will need to|
00000360  20 69 73 73 75 65 20 74  68 65 20 63 6f 6d 6d 61  | issue the comma|
00000370  6e 64 73 3a 0a 20 20 2a  41 44 46 53 20 20 20 20  |nds:.  *ADFS    |
00000380  28 6f 72 20 77 68 61 74  65 76 65 72 20 66 69 6c  |(or whatever fil|
00000390  69 6e 67 20 73 79 73 74  65 6d 20 79 6f 75 20 61  |ing system you a|
000003a0  72 65 20 75 73 69 6e 67  29 0a 20 20 2a 43 4c 4f  |re using).  *CLO|
000003b0  53 45 0a 6f 74 68 65 72  77 69 73 65 20 79 6f 75  |SE.otherwise you|
000003c0  27 6c 6c 20 67 65 74 20  66 61 74 61 6c 20 65 72  |'ll get fatal er|
000003d0  72 6f 72 20 26 37 30 20  77 68 65 6e 20 79 6f 75  |ror &70 when you|
000003e0  20 61 73 6b 20 74 68 65  20 70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d  | ask the program|
000003f0  20 74 6f 0a 73 6f 6c 76  65 20 61 6e 6f 74 68 65  | to.solve anothe|
00000400  72 20 70 72 6f 62 6c 65  6d 2e 0a 0a 4f 68 2c 20  |r problem...Oh, |
00000410  61 6e 64 20 69 66 20 79  6f 75 20 6e 65 65 64 20  |and if you need |
00000420  69 6e 73 74 72 75 63 74  69 6f 6e 73 2c 20 61 73  |instructions, as|
00000430  6b 20 73 6f 6d 65 6f 6e  65 2e 20 20 4f 72 20 63  |k someone.  Or c|
00000440  6f 6e 74 61 63 74 20 6d  65 2e 0a 0a 54 68 61 6e  |ontact me...Than|
00000450  6b 73 20 67 6f 20 74 6f  20 52 69 63 68 61 72 64  |ks go to Richard|
00000460  20 4d 61 79 2c 20 66 6f  72 20 74 68 65 20 6f 72  | May, for the or|
00000470  69 67 69 6e 61 6c 20 6e  69 66 74 79 20 70 69 65  |iginal nifty pie|
00000480  63 65 20 6f 66 0a 70 72  6f 67 72 61 6d 6d 69 6e  |ce of.programmin|
00000490  67 3b 20 74 6f 20 50 2e  20 42 61 72 72 79 20 66  |g; to P. Barry f|
000004a0  6f 72 20 74 68 65 20 73  75 67 67 65 73 74 69 6f  |or the suggestio|
000004b0  6e 3b 20 61 6e 64 20 74  6f 20 50 61 75 6c 20 57  |n; and to Paul W|
000004c0  68 65 61 74 6c 65 79 0a  6f 66 20 41 63 6f 72 6e  |heatley.of Acorn|
000004d0  20 55 73 65 72 20 66 6f  72 20 63 6f 6d 69 6e 67  | User for coming|
000004e0  20 75 70 20 77 69 74 68  20 74 68 65 20 73 6f 66  | up with the sof|
000004f0  74 77 61 72 65 20 72 65  71 75 65 73 74 20 69 64  |tware request id|
00000500  65 61 2e 0a 0a 4d 65 3a  0a 0a 4a 6f 68 6e 20 4c  |ea...Me:..John L|
00000510  6f 6d 61 73 0a 32 20 4f  61 6b 6c 65 61 0a 53 68  |omas.2 Oaklea.Sh|
00000520  65 76 69 6e 67 74 6f 6e  20 4d 6f 6f 72 0a 53 74  |evington Moor.St|
00000530  61 6e 64 69 73 68 0a 57  69 67 61 6e 0a 57 4e 36  |andish.Wigan.WN6|
00000540  20 30 53 4c 0a 0a 6a 6f  68 6e 40 6c 6f 6d 61 73  | 0SL..john@lomas|
00000550  2e 64 65 6d 6f 6e 2e 63  6f 2e 75 6b 20 20 28 76  |.demon.co.uk  (v|
00000560  61 6c 69 64 20 66 72 6f  6d 20 61 62 6f 75 74 20  |alid from about |
00000570  4d 61 72 63 68 2d 69 73  68 29                    |March-ish)|
0000057a