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From: french@caip.RUTGERS.EDU
Newsgroups: net.micro.amiga
Subject: Re: Amiga 'Intelligent User' support
Message-ID: <230@caip.RUTGERS.EDU>
Date: Sat, 26-Oct-85 19:52:01 EST
Article-I.D.: caip.230
Posted: Sat Oct 26 19:52:01 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 30-Oct-85 05:17:24 EST
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Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
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From: "french robert%d.mfenet"@LLL-MFE.ARPA

Well folks,

     I TOTALLY agree that AbasiC isn't enough for ANY serious software
development.  Not only does it have terrible, inconsistent documentation, but
it's also is full of bugs.  I don't know how many times I've gotten a "Guru
Meditation #" while writing a short program.

     Our local software store has informed me that the developer's manuals
are available now, at a price of about $100 for the complete set.  At the
moment they have to be special ordered, though.

     The CLI syntax really is in the AmigaDOS manual, which of course almost
none of us have.  If you want to see all of the commands available to you,
do this:

1) Change into the "C" directory by typing "CD C".
2) Take a directory.
3) If you want help with a command, suffix it with " ?".  For example:
   1> LIST ?
CLI will respond with a very short and cryptic help line.

     If anyone is interested, I have gone through all of the commands and
written a 7 page reference manual (VERY sketchy) with examples.  I would be
glad to send it through the digest.

     Finally, let me respond to a few of your AbasiC and OS problems:

1) The format for the shell command is:

   SHELL "command" <,input file #,output file #>

   For example, you could say SHELL"DIR" in a program, and the directory
would be displayed on the screen.  You could also do the following:

10 OPEN"O",1,"COMMANDS"
20 PRINT#1,"DIR"
30 PRINT#1,"INFO"
40 CLOSE 1
50 OPEN"I",1,"COMMANDS"
60 OPEN"O",2,"OUTPUT"
70 SHELL"",1,2
80 CLOSE

This will perform the "DIR" and "INFO" commands and send the output to
file "OUTPUT".

2) The SSHAPE command places its graphics images in an integer array.
The format is:

   SSHAPE (x1,y1 ; x2,y2),a%()

The description can be found on pages R-120 and R-121 of the ABasiC manual.

The GSHAPE command supposedly has a parameter that allows the figure to be
ORed, ANDed, etc., with figures already on the screen, but whenever I try to
include the parameter, I get a SYNTAX ERROR.

3) I tried using DIR to get a directory of the Extras disk after disconnecting
my second drive, and didn't have any problem.  Try:
   1> DIR EXTRAS:
You will be asked to insert the Workbench disk, and then the Extras disk.


          Just as frustrated as everyone else, but exploring...

                  Robert French
                  "French Robert%c.mfenet"@LLL-MFE.ARPA