Hello, EUG! As the man responsible many years for that code displaying text files such as this, and its amalgamation with the EUG menu system, I look forward to the new monthly issues in the New Year.
I have looked at the way the program "TYPE" is constructed on the disks and think that the old CODE2 [Used since I took over! - Ed] could be replaced with CODE8 to make the code work with address &2500 and HIMEM unaltered. I know our editor does not know machine code so I am happy to help with doing this.
I may have to alter HIMEM for "TYPE" or "PRINT" but can avoid doing this in the MENU code, although it may mean even more changes to the menu system. If CODE8 will work with the new-look magazine, it will solve many of the problems - particularly with the 40-column printing option not splitting words in half. CODE8 also includes a perforation skip routine and highlights so text can be bolderised and italised.
I noted that the routine to load and print those images produced with Gus' program Diagram had been dispensed with - probably because no-one has submitted any screens which require it for such a long time. Perhaps the Electron "PRINT" problems can be sorted out now these lines can also be deleted from this program.
At first, I thought that the new method of being able to either play the game or read the instructions upon selection was irritating as it would be better if the game could be called directly after the instructions, as had previously been the case. However, the point was also put that once you know how to play the game, it is pointless that you must scroll through the instructions each time you want to play it. I do have some ideas for improvement though...
The biggest obstacle with a more efficient CODE8 menu-system is that with PAGE at &1D00 [It needs to be to ensure compatibility with Plus 3 ADFS systems - Ed], swapping files around in memory (for example, reading three reviews) occasionally gives the 'No Room' message. I have so far failed to eliminate a bug like this and so CODE2 is continuing.
However, I am confident that I will beat this in time. Perhaps the New Year will finally bring us the Menu system that never fails!
Richard Dimond
The constantly evolving EUG has retained the CODEx feature forever but, as it got more and more complicated, many members (of which I was one at the time) found that it just wouldn't work on an Electron without giving rise to a fear of crash or error - and usually this fear was well-founded. When CODE8 was even crashing my Master 128, I decided we'd get "back to basics" by reverting to CODE2.
As Richard points out, I am at a loss with machine code so if a program written in it doesn't work, I don't know why. But it's good to have members working on a substitute TYPE program as I got back very BASIC with this and any upgrade, as long as it works on the Electron pedestal, is welcome. The 40-column option included on EUG #46 was so laughable, it hasn't even made it onto this issue!
1st January 2000