i/o board

HELPING LETTER PERFECT

My favorite word processor for the Atari is Letter Perfect from LJK, but I've been frustrated by my inability to obtain a printout of the file directory on my storage disk. For some reason, LJK has customized their DOS and offset the disk directory by two sectors, compared to Atari DOS. Therefore, DOS can't find the directory. The secret is to POKE 4226,107.

Donald Nelson
Hillsborough, NC

Thanks for the tip, Donald. We used your idea to write a short, easily modifiable routine that reads an LJK-file disk directory and sends it to the printer:

10 DIM FILE$(O):POKE 4226,107
20 OPEN #l, 6, O,"D: *.*"OPEN #2, 8, 0, "P:":TRAP 100
30 FOR I=1 TO 64
40 INPUT #I, FILE$:? FILE$: ? #2;FILE$
50 NEXT I
100 POKE 4226, 105: REMBack! to normal DOS
--ANTIC ED

TRAP GRAPHICS 0 ERRORS

I've written an error-trapping subroutine for inclusion with any Graphics 0 text program that prompts the user for a response. If the user enters information that would normally cause the program to crash (e.g., non-numeric data when the program expects a number), the subroutine traps the error at the line of the input statement. It saves that line number, briefly displays an error prompt, and returns to the line that contains the input statement. Line 2 is necessary to create the TRAP.

2 TRAP 31000:REM ERROR H ANDLING ROUTINE
31000 ERRORLNE=256*PEEK(187)+PEEK(186)
310101 "YOU HAVE MADE AN ERROR!":? "CAREFULLY ENTER YOUR RESPONSE AGAIN."
31020 FOR ERROR=1 TO 150:NEXT ERROR
31020 TRAP 31000:GOTO ERROELNE

Robert R. Ambrose
North Bellmore. NY

TWO-COLOR PLAYERS

I am 12 years old. 1 recently received an Atari 800 and the 410 program recorder. I'm very interested in programming, and have recently learned about Playerl/Missile graphics. My question is, how do you make a two-color player?

Carlos Murillo
Garden City, NY

Memory location 623 controls, among other things, various Player/Missile options. If you POKE 623, PEEK(623)+32, and then overlap two players, a third color will appear where they overlap. You can combine players O and I, and players 2 and 3, to make as many as two three-color players. Our forthcoming ANTIC's Book of Games (worKing title) will include a Player/Missile Editor that allows you to experiment with this effect.

--ANTIC ED

ANCHOR ADAPTOR

Thanks in part to efforts by the ANTIC staff the Atari version of the Anchor Mark XII 1200-baud modem (reviewed in ANTIC, page IO9, February 1984) now comes equipped with a free adaptor. The adaptor lets you connect the modem directly to your 850 interface box; there is no need for additional cables or connectors. If you've already purchased a Mark XII, just return it to the factory for free installation ofthe adaptor

--ANTIC ED

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES

Thank you for the flattering treatment you gave my graphics in your January "Microscreens" column. It was also nice to see the screen dump of one of my pictures elsewhere in the same issue (Product Reviews, page 109). I've been reading ANTIC for over a year, and enjoying it very much, but it had never occurred to me that I could be a contributor.

By the way, as a result of your column Gary Koffler of Datamost called to discuss my artwork. Also, your check made it possible for me to buy Movie Maker by Reston Software.

Guy Conrad
Woodside, CA

A CHALLENGE

Interested in winning a $1000 Atari computer system? If you're one of 12 winners in the second annual Computer EdCame Challenge, sponsored by Verbatim Corp. and Scholastic Inc., that will be your prize. Simply submit a nonviolent educational game for use on the Atari 400, 6OOXL, 800, 800XL, or 1200XL computer by April 30, 1984. Contest categories include mathematics, language arts, sciences, health/nutrition, and geography/social studies. For further information, call (212) 505-3485 or write to: Computer EdGame Challenge, Scholastic Inc., 730 Broadway, New York, NY 10003.

--ANTIC ED.

IS THERE A 1025?

I've been trying to get information about the Atari 1025 printer recently -- so far without success. ANTIC's January issue featured printers, but it didn't include anything on the 1025! Why not? Is there a 1025?

Arthur R. Thom
Palm City, FL

Our most recent information from Atari indicates that the 1025 printer has not been discontinued, and is, in fact, available in most parts of the country right now. However as is the case with the 600XL and 800XL computers, distribution has been delayed in some areas.

--ANTIC ED

A VOTE FOR UTILITIES

I want to commend you on "Typer's Toolbox" (ANTIC, page 75,January 1984). It was an exceptional utility program. I just completed a program that included thirty DATA statements without making a single error! Keep up the excellent work. I hope to see more such utilities in the future.

Larry Lewandowski
West Seneca, NY

You will. In particular; keep an eye on our new department, "The Tool Box," which will feature utflity programs from the prolific workshop ofJerry White.

-ANTIC ED.

WHAT, NO MAY ISSUE?

Your next issue of ANTIC will be dated June 1984. We will not publish an issue this year with a May cover date. However we are not skipping an issue! We're simply adjusting our cover date to allow more time for distribution and to give ANTIC a longer shelf life in retail outlets.

The June issue will be Volume 3, Number 2. There will be 12 issues in this volume and all subscriptions will be automatically adjusted to ensure that you receive the proper number of issues. Distribution of the June issue will begin in early May. Subscribers should receive their copies by the middle of the month.

--ANTIC ED

LIFELINES

Because the word "computer" scares the living daylights out of nearly everyone where I live, I depend on my subscriptions to keep me informed. The only other sources of information I can depend on are the various bulletin board systems located around the country. You should see my phone bill! Keep up the good work!

David Roling
Hannibal, MO

DESPERATE TO DOWNLOAD

I recently purchased an Atari 835 directconnect modem with Telelink II software. I was very disappointed to find that this package isn't capable of uploading or downloading. Can you tell me what terminal software will allow me to upload and download with my modem?

David McMahan
Princeton, TX

You're right, the 835 can't download or upload with Telelink! II and you can't use terminal programs other than Telelink II with the 835, because the system doesn't employ an RS232 interface. However, this situation is about to change. Atari Product Support has announced the availability of a new handler for the 815. If you incorporate this handler into your own terminal program, such as JTERM or AMODEM, it will allow you to upload and download with the 835. For further information, contact Atari Product Support, P.O. Box 61657, 1312 Crossman Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 54088.

--ANTIC ED

HELPFUL HINTS

As an owner of an MPP-1100 Printer Interface from Microbits Peripheral Products, I heartily agree with your review of the product (ANTIC, page 109, November 1983). It is indeed a practical, economical product. However, it is not compatible with all software. Early versions of Zaxxon will not work with it, but Datasoft will exchange such programs for a compatible version at no charge. Also, Monkey Wrench II does not work with the MPP ROM installed. There is no known fix for this.

Also, a word of caution to those who intend to purchase AtariWriter. If you use the program with a printer that is not manufactured by Atari, you may need to buy a printer-driver program for $25 from APX (Atari Program Exchange). This lets you employ special printing functions such as underlining, boldfacing, and both super and subscripts. Or you can do without it, by embedding appropriate hexadecimal print-format codes into the text.

Here's a hint that makes that chore easier. Instead of typing in the string of codes, type in a character that isn't used in your text, such as an asterisk(*). Then use the search-and-replace function to replace each occurrence ofthat character with the code string.

Joseph E Carroll
Westminster, MD

GEMINI SCREEN DUMP

The Screen Dump program by Jerry White and Fernando Herrera in the January issue (ANTIC, Screen Dump, page 73) is great. But to get it to run properly on my Gemini 10 printer, I had to change line 120 to read as follows:

120 CLOSE #1:OPEN #1,8,O,"P:": ?#1;CHR$(27);CHR$(64);CHR$(27) ;CHR$(51);CHR$(I6)

Note the last two characters. CHR$(51) tells the printer to prepare for the n/144" line feed; CHR$(I6) sets the line feed at 16/144" (1/9"). This eliminates the extra line space created by the original program.

Jim Thompsen
Brentwood, NY

DISCOVERING ANTIC

I recently purchased an Atari 800 and a disk drive, and then discovered ANTIC. All I can say is that if I'd known about your magazine earlier, I would have purchased my Atari sooner. I consider ANTIC to be the bible for the Atari owner, and I want to compliment the entire staff. You make computing fun.

Gary Silverman
Teaneck, NJ

NOTE AND POINT

I look forward to receiving every issue of ANTIC, particularly those in which you survey peripherals (such as your January 1984 printer survey). So many different peripherals are available for Atari computers that it can be very difficult to decide which to buy. As a result, I hope that you'll continue to publish such articles. I also hope to see some articles in ANTIC about using data files on disk, and I'm especially interested in the use of random files with NOTE and POINT.

Anita Gould
White Plains, NY

Thanks for the kind words. We'll certainly continue to survey peripheral products that are of interest to Atari computer users. In fact, we're planning to publish a disc drive surzey in our June issue. By the way a tutorial by Jerry White on the use of NOTE and POINT ("Disk Update Using NOTE and POINT appears in this issue.

--ANTIC ED

A=USR REBOOT

It is a documented fact that POKE 580,1 and [SYSTEM RESET] will do a cold start boot. But did you ever wish you could do the same thing from a program? A simple A = USR (61733) will do a complete reboot of the system. This happens to be the address of the "reset" on the 6502 processor.

Vern L. Mastel
Mandam, ND