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Author Topic: Q&A with Bruce Tanner (IS-BASIC writer) (Read 334374 times)

Offline Zozosoft

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Re: Q&A with Bruce Tanner (IS-BASIC writer)
« Reply #135 on: 2013.February.22. 09:36:22 »
Quote from: BruceTanner
unfortunately I cannot remember enough details of the internal workings.
Previously you told the BCD routines come from IS-BASIC to TVC BASIC. The string routines also?
It is exist a Hungarian book of TVC ROM disassembly (only OS+BASIC, VTDOS no :-( ).
If the string routines also common, then we have some idea how it is working in the IS-BASIC.

Offline BruceTanner

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Re: Q&A with Bruce Tanner (IS-BASIC writer)
« Reply #136 on: 2013.February.22. 09:45:48 »
Quote from: Zozosoft
Previously you told the BCD routines come from IS-BASIC to TVC BASIC. The string routines also?
It is exist a Hungarian book of TVC ROM disassembly (only OS+BASIC, VTDOS no :-( ).
If the string routines also common, then we have some idea how it is working in the IS-BASIC.
Probably...but again I can't actually remember. It's unusual in a BASIC to have to declare the maximum length of a string...is this the case in TVC BASIC? If it is the case, I'm sure they used the same routines, if it isn't the case I'm sure they didn't. I wish I could remember more!

Offline Zozosoft

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Re: Q&A with Bruce Tanner (IS-BASIC writer)
« Reply #137 on: 2013.February.22. 09:59:17 »
I looked it: no STRING (and NUMERIC) variable define commands in the TVC BASIC. Only DIM for arrays.

Offline Zozosoft

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Re: Q&A with Bruce Tanner (IS-BASIC writer)
« Reply #138 on: 2013.February.22. 10:07:27 »
Quote from: BruceTanner
After IS's collapse, we set up Madge Networks on Robert Madge's mother's farm on the outskirts of London, and it was here that I finished (& maybe started?) VTDOS, and here that photo with the tree was taken in summer '86. I don't know how they sorted out the legal contracts which would have been with IS - I did not get involved with that side of things.
Now I find very interesting thing on the TVC page:
English Manual for 2.0 BASIC (this is for the latest TVC model: TVC64K+)
It is dated 13 May 1987, about 1 years later than the collapse! And the company name is: IS Systems Ltd. New company founded for finishing the TVC projects?
« Last Edit: 2013.February.22. 10:58:12 by Zozosoft »

Offline BruceTanner

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Re: Q&A with Bruce Tanner (IS-BASIC writer)
« Reply #139 on: 2013.February.22. 10:12:01 »
Quote from: Zozosoft
It is exist a Hungarian book of TVC ROM disassembly (only OS+BASIC, VTDOS no :-( ).
Thank you for posting that...I had no idea someone had done that! It's a shame I cannot read Hungarian :( because it would b quite interesting to read the comments!

Offline BruceTanner

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Re: Q&A with Bruce Tanner (IS-BASIC writer)
« Reply #140 on: 2013.February.22. 10:27:40 »
Quote from: Zozosoft
Now I find very interesting thing on the TVC page:
English Manual for 2.0 BASIC (this is for the latest TVC model: TV64K+)
It is dated 13 May 1987, about 1 years later than the collapse! And the company name is: IS Systems Ltd. New company founded for finishing the TVC projects?
Interesting! Yes I think you must be right but once again I cannot remember it...I didn't have anything to do with the legal side of things. But Videoton would have had a contract with IS, so IS would have done everything they could to make the situation seem not too bad to Videoton...hence ISS I guess! I had forgotten there was a v2!

Offline Zozosoft

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Re: Q&A with Bruce Tanner (IS-BASIC writer)
« Reply #141 on: 2013.February.22. 11:09:03 »
Quote from: BruceTanner
It's a shame I cannot read Hungarian :( because it would b quite interesting to read the comments!
This is a good reason to learn Hungarian :ds_icon_cheesygrin:

Same book series started for the Enterprise but only the first book EXOS Segment 0. released because the Hungarian Enterprise distribution prohibited the ROM disassemblies.
We have the unfinished manuscript of the EXOS Segment 1.
These are also with Hungarian comments :oops:

For the EXDOS I will write English comments for you :-)

Offline Tuby128

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Re: Q&A with Bruce Tanner (IS-BASIC writer)
« Reply #142 on: 2013.February.23. 18:51:57 »
Mr Tanner!
 Did you know about, that ENTERPRISE had other external peripheries e.g it's own monitor and printer, EP-Mouse (a corner-shaped mouse-like monster, connected to the External joystick port) and a SpeekEasy voice synthetiser? Have you ever used any of these?

Offline BruceTanner

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Re: Q&A with Bruce Tanner (IS-BASIC writer)
« Reply #143 on: 2013.February.23. 21:46:28 »
Quote from: Tuby128
Mr Tanner!
 Did you know about, that ENTERPRISE had other external peripheries e.g it's own monitor and printer, EP-Mouse (a corner-shaped mouse-like monster, connected to the External joystick port) and a SpeekEasy voice synthetiser? Have you ever used any of these?
No, I don't think I knew about these other peripherals before reading about them & seeing pics on this wonderful forum. How could anyone forget that mouse!! Were these just Hungarian (or German)? Did the voice synthesiser do anything other than English?

Offline Zozosoft

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Re: Q&A with Bruce Tanner (IS-BASIC writer)
« Reply #144 on: 2013.February.23. 21:53:03 »
Quote from: BruceTanner
Were these just Hungarian (or German)?
No, see the brochures.

Quote
Did the voice synthesiser do anything other than English?
It is with English, German, and French text to speech software.
It is use the GI SP0256 IC, which is used in many other speech extension for many other computers.

Offline Zozosoft

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Re: Q&A with Bruce Tanner (IS-BASIC writer)
« Reply #145 on: 2013.February.23. 22:10:18 »
The Speakeasy and Mouse not developed by the Enterprise Computers, these from the Aztec Software. This company also promised compiler for the IS-BASIC but never released.
Do you know anything about this project?

Offline BruceTanner

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Re: Q&A with Bruce Tanner (IS-BASIC writer)
« Reply #146 on: 2013.February.23. 22:35:45 »
Quote from: Zozosoft
The Speakeasy and Mouse not developed by the Enterprise Computers, these from the Aztec Software. This company also promised compiler for the IS-BASIC but never released.
Do you know anything about this project?
No, I have never heard of this! I am sure there would be many problems to overcome, but the first one that comes to mind is the dynamic scope of IS-BASIC variables (good discussion of dynamic scope vs. Static scope http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scope_(computer_science)#section_3. Dynamic scope is natural for an interpreter, static scope more natural for a machine code compiler (and better for programming in my opinion). A compiler though could compile to an intermediate code (p-code) which is then interpreted. It would presumably still have to use BCD maths to remain compatible.

Offline Zozosoft

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Re: Q&A with Bruce Tanner (IS-BASIC writer)
« Reply #147 on: 2013.February.23. 22:59:47 »
Could it be true, when Aztec accepted the job, thought that EP has the same simply Basic as another machines?
And later, as they found many difficulties, they gave up the project.

The only existing compiler was developed later by an EP user, and has many limitations e.g. It could handle only global variables and integers.
« Last Edit: 2013.February.23. 23:36:03 by Zozosoft »

Offline BruceTanner

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Re: Q&A with Bruce Tanner (IS-BASIC writer)
« Reply #148 on: 2013.February.23. 23:57:18 »
Quote from: Zozosoft
Could it be true, when Aztec accepted the job, thought that EP has the same simply Basic as another machines?
And later, as they found many difficulties, they gave up the project.

The only existing compiler was developed later by an EP user, and has many limitations e.g. It could handle only global variables and integers.
Yes very possible. I did not even know about that one...good start :) but local variables are such an advantage for serious programming.

Offline Tuby128

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Re: Q&A with Bruce Tanner (IS-BASIC writer)
« Reply #149 on: 2013.February.24. 00:04:44 »
There is a YouTube video about this Zzzip compiler. It shows how much faster can be a programm before and after the conversion. Zozo, could you provide a link? I didn't find that.