Collected messages concerning the NEC Starlet PC-8401 and PC-8500 from GEnie's Laptops RoundTable 1985 to May 1989 ************ Fri Oct 30, 1987 MORTIMER [.^Dave^.] Sub: Starlet NEC 8401 & E-Basic programming Comments, tips, help for programming the Starlet NEC 8401A in E-Basic and using EBAS as well as ERUN.COM. ************ ------------ Fri Oct 30, 1987 MORTIMER [.^Dave^.] Say hey thar Starlet crew! Wednesday evening I picked up an NEC 8401A, which I'd never laid eyes on afore now. Also, I've never played around with CP/M in the least bit [or byte]. This afternoon I conquered the mysteries of getting reverse video, cleared screen, and cursor positioning done from E-BASIC. Standby for some new programs for your Starlet! Would appreciate hearing from folks with Starlet E-BASIC experience that have covered the ground already. Methinks I'm ready to do some real programming, but all hints/tips would be welcomed! Lotza fun programming ... the Laptops way ... .^Dave^. ------------ Sun Feb 14, 1988 A.LAVIOLETTE WITH ONLY 32K ON THE STARLET, THERE IS NO WAY TO DOWNLOAD EBASIC.LIBR (37K). SO, IS EBAS THE ONLY WAY TO CREATE .INT FILES IN WORDSTAR? ------------ Sun Feb 14, 1988 A.LAVIOLETTE What about ERUN.COM? Can we create .INT files in Wordstar to use with ERUN.COM, without using EBAS.COM? Or is there any other way? With thanks, Andr Laviolette ------------ Sun Feb 14, 1988 MORTIMER [.^Dave^.] Andre: Nope, ERUN.COM can do it's work ONLY on the .INT files that can be prepared ONLY by the EBAS.COM program. Methinks you're rapidly finding that you need to expand your Starlet with either a disk drive or RAMpack from Node Systems. With your current capacity, ZBAS is your best bet for fooling around and creating your own programs. Forgot about size when I steered you to the EBASIC.LBR file. Within that library file is EBAS.COM at 12K; the ERUN.COM you have is 11K plus. Thus, for you to create BASIC-E programs using just the 32K that you have, you'd have to: 1) Write your program in WordStar non-document mode to have an ASCII source code. 2) Load your EBAS.COM to compile your THISUN.BAS into THISUN.INT 3) Kill EBAS.COM 4) Load your ERUN.COM and test your program with: ERUN THISUN.INT 5) First few dozen tries, your program would crash with many errors. IF NOT SUCCESS THEN 6 ELSE 9 6) Kill ERUN.COM 7) Edit your THISUN.BAS in WordStar non-document mode. 8) GOTO #2 9) Success? Wild cheers and whoops of joy! Even WITH a full 64K mode capacity, programming with EBAS requires much, much patience. That's why methinks ZBAS.COM might be better for you. By next weekend, I'm expecting to have more help files/programs here. Enjoy programming ... the Laptops way .... .^Dave^. ------------ Sat Nov 19, 1988 J.LEVINSON Is it posible to download an 8401 program to my Mac and then download it to to my 8401? Sort of using the Mac's disk for storage. ------------ Sun Nov 20, 1988 MORTIMER [.^Dave^.] J.L.: That's what I do a lot with my PC-compatible; I've had no trouble transferring files via the Starlet's TELCOM program using it's Xmodem protocol and my fast file transfer program on my PC-compatible. Thus, all you need to figure out is your Mac's set up to do the same thing. Just make sure your Mac and your Starlet agree on SETUP; I use 8 bits, no parity, one stop bit, protocol on for all my fast file transfers with the baud rate at 9600. Transferring ... the Laptops way ... .^Dave^. ------------ ************ Sun Feb 21, 1988 MORTIMER [.^Dave^.] Sub: Starlet NEC PC-8401 & ZBASIC programs For help, tips, information on programming the Starlet in ZBASIC from Zedcor. Please do not confuse the North Star-like ZBAS.COM public domain program with ZBASIC which is an advanced interactive Basic compiler. ************ ------------ Sun Feb 21, 1988 MORTIMER [.^Dave^.] Okay Starleteers! You've seen some programs up in Library 8 that have been written in ZBASIC. Now we've had a major breakthrough! Pat Harrington has come up with the solution to accessing the Starlet's clock. As we knew, it requires a machine language call. Though I could be wrong, most likely ZBASIC is the only way that the clock will be accessible. Most likely, the same means [demonstrated in ZBCLOCK.BAS] will lead us to doing graphics work of suitable quality. Please, please keep in mind that ZBASIC is totally different from, and unrelated to, the public domain program ZBAS.COM. Unfortunately, the documentation, ZBAS.DOC, uses the term ZBASIC when it means ZBAS. ZBASICing ... the Laptops way ... .^Dave^. ------------ Tue Mar 01, 1988 MORTIMER [.^Dave^.] Graphically speaking, Pat Harrington has done it again! GRAPH.COM in Library 8 shows WHAT can be done in ZBasic with graphics, while the companion GRAPH.BAS shows HOW it is done. Starlet 64K mode required; ZBASIC.COM required for playing with *.BAS files but not for running .COM files. Iteration: not ZBAS.COM. Didn't experiment to see if the demo version of ZBASIC could handle the GRAPH.BAS file - someone holler their results! Applications programs folks? Applying .... the Laptops way ... .^Dave^. ------------ Sun Jul 24, 1988 MFS Dave, After trying my luck with Zbas and E Basic, I'd like a little more info on ZBasic. I assume it has many more functions available. Could you list some of these and other advantages. I realize it is a commercial program. Is the price right? -Mark- ------------ Sun Jul 24, 1988 MORTIMER [.^Dave^.] Mark: Have you picked up ZBDEMLAP.LBR, file 1645? Methunked that had a lot of info and capabilities, except that you can't compile a program with that demonstration version. The "price is right" for ZBASIC from Zedcor IF you have expanded your RAM to at least 128K or have a disk drive so that you can use 64K mode of operation. Otherwise, you're very limited - as an example, note that ASCII.COM here will run in 32K but the parent program, STARLET.COM, requires 64K mode of operation. Hollar at me more if you've got all you can from the demo program. Lotza fun ... ZBasicing .... the Laptops way ... .^Dave^. ------------ Sun Jul 31, 1988 MFS Dave: I'll download the demo file tonight and have look. I do have the 128K ram cart, so 64K mode is available. Thanks. -Mark- ------------ Sun Nov 27, 1988 S.PLATYPUS dave, where is zbasic from?? where is it marketed and what does it cost?? I have plenty of ram carts but I am also wondering where or how we get to 64k mode on the 8500 help? platypus ------------ Mon Nov 28, 1988 MORTIMER [.^Dave^.] Dan: Maybe I'm misinformed, but I was under the impression that the 8500 was VERY like the Starlet 8401 in major matters. To switch from 32k mode to 64k mode it is necessary to have either RAM expansion or disk drive already connected and ready. With that done, you should press SHIFT-f2, the "Option" key, and then f4, the "Mode" key. If your setup is capable of 64k, you'll be advised that you'll lose internal RAM files - if okay, then you're all set. In Library 8 there is the ZBDEMLAP.LBR file with a demonstration version of Zbasic - it is fully operational except that you cannot compile .BAS programs into .COM programs the way that I've done. Full information is within that file - which needs 64k mode to use. Listening ... the Laptops way ... .^Dave^. ------------ ************ Tue Mar 15, 1988 A.LAVIOLETTE Sub: Starlet NEC PC-8401A and ZBAS.COM Comments, tips, help for programming the Starlet in ZBAS.COM. ************ ------------ Tue Mar 15, 1988 A.LAVIOLETTE ZBAS.DOC refers to North Star Basic stating that ZBAS is fully compatible with it. I would be interested in obtaining any documentation of the North Star Basic syntax. I am especially interested in the display commands (PRINT, TAB (?), punctuation (,;:)), in order to understand how to control screen output. ZBAS.DOC (File #1538 in Library 8) is silent about that. ------------ Sun May 01, 1988 MFS As a new owner of an 8500 and a beginning programmer, I would also be interested in more documentation for ZBAS, and opinions on other alternatives. -Mark- ------------ Sat Nov 19, 1988 D.WALTERS6 Does anyone know where I can get good documentation for ZBAS.COM? i HAVE the program, but only micro-documentation. HELP!!!! Sincerely, Dan Walters ------------ Sat Nov 19, 1988 MORTIMER [.^Dave^.] Dan: If you have ZBAS.DOC [file 1538] from our Library 10, that is as good as it gets - to the best of my knowledge. Perhaps you could find a library book on Northstar Basic which could help. Suggest that you take a hard look at ZBasic from Zedcor, which has no relation to ZBAS. See file 1645, ZBDEMLAP.LBR, which is a fully operational demonstation version of ZBASIC.COM except that you cannot compile programs the way I've done for you Starlet folks with the .COM programs here that are Starlet specific. ZBasic does need 64k mode, so either RAM expansion or a disk drive is necessary for use. Most of my programming has been done with Node's 128k Datapac, but I've also used the NEC 8431A disk drive. Programming ... the Laptops way ... .^Dave^. ------------ Sat Nov 19, 1988 D.WALTERS6 dave, I cannot believe you replied to my inquiry while I was online. WOW! I have an NEC 128K RAM/ROM cartridge, but don not believe it will allow 64K mode. I don't have any docs for the cartridge yet, so I'm not sure. Thanks for your help! Sincerely, Dan Walters ------------ Sat Nov 19, 1988 MORTIMER [.^Dave^.] Dan: Not familiar with the NEC cartridge, but it SHOULD permit 64k mode operation even if it only has banks of 32k. Best thing to do is TRY it! Don't need documents other than the Starlet manual. From the main system menu, press Shift/f-2 and then f-4; if you have your cartridge installed, it will let you go to 64k mode after asking if it is okay to lose the files in normal RAM. When I started this reply, you were still down here. But most likely you won't get THIS one until you return. Explicating ... the Laptops way ... .^Dave^. ------------ Prepared for GEnie's Laptops RoundTable 21-May-1989