#basicmonth — Public Fediverse posts

It runs! And it’s kind of disappointing. I thought it was going to do a bit more than that. It’s totally automated. I thought I was going to get to a prompt and I’d type but it would display the letters it wants so I didn’t have to type the correct keys. #BASICMonth #RetroComputing #VintageComputing

Slowly getting there. #BASICMonth #RetroComputing #VintageComputing

There’s no error there. It’s just a DATA statement. #BASICMonth #RetroComputing #VintageComputing

Of course. It wouldn’t be a true type-in experience without problems.

#BASICMonth #RetroComputing #VintageComputing

This worked! @txgx42 is a wizard! https://mastodon.social/@txgx42/116943084310029564

It amazes me how even now I’m still learning #AppleII tricks.

#BASICMonth #RetroComputing #VintageComputing

Nothing is ever easy. I can access the server, but I forgot that ProDOS has the extra meta-data so it doesn’t know what type of file it is so I can’t work with it from BASIC. #BASICMonth #RetroComputing #VintageComputing

I've managed to OCR the listings into something not too full of typos. But now I'm stuck at the same place I always am with these projects: what's the least hoops way to get the text file over to one of my retro computers? Copying the file into a disk image just feels so gross. Maybe I'll use the IIgs or the IIe which can do AppleShare so I can work directly with a folder on the server.

#BASICMonth #RetroComputing #VintageComputing

I managed to get a French DVD release of the show. The release is pretty mangled, it's only got 13 of the original 18 episodes, only 10 of them include the original English audio (the other 3 only have dubbed French), and the film-to-NTSC-to-SECAM-to-PAL makes the color come-and-go. But it's fun to be able to watch some of the episodes! Sadly, the one episode I sort of remember most where they used a mains outlet to hack a computer isn't included. 😞 #BASICMonth #RetroComputing #VintageComputing

The magazine provides versions of the program for:

• Commodore 64
• TRS-80 Model 4
• Timex/Sinclair 1000 & 1500
• Apple II
• Atari
• IBM PC
• TI-99/4A
• TRS-80 Color Computer
• TRS-80 Model III
• VIC-20

Incredibly, I have almost every one of those! I don't have a TRS-80 model 3 or 4, but I do have a model 1. But the model 1 is extremely finicky so I'll avoid that one.

Question is, which one is the most "Whiz Kids" or "RALF-like"?

#BASICMonth #RetroComputing #VintageComputing

You might have noticed that there are around a dozen different computer models called out in the program listing. While most computers ran BASIC, BASIC wasn't BASIC. It was slightly different on every computer. Most variations were because of differences in hardware capabilities. But even just the core of the language would be a little bit different depending on who wrote the BASIC interpreter.

#BASICMonth #RetroComputing #VintageComputing

This popped up in one of my feeds some time ago, and seeing Richie from Whiz Kids on the cover really jumped out at me! In 1983 computers were still new and shunned & feared by most people. It was amazing to see a TV show that featured people doing things with computers. And not just people, but kids around my age!

Since July is #BASICMonth I figured this was as good a time as any to finally try typing in the program in the magazine.

#RetroComputing #VintageComputing

#BASICMonth https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpdYBsgYF_c

@thomasfuchs July is #BASICMonth!

July is #BASICMonth and you know what that means: another type-in BASIC program contest on #RetroBattlestations! This year it's a simple RPG combat simulator. Right now the game is pretty bare bones, but maybe you can enhance it more! Show the #RetroComputing #VintageComputing community what you've got!

Full contest rules: https://redd.it/14or6lc

I have a working prototype for #BASICMonth. I want to see if I can add at least one more feature before tomorrow morning that I had been planning, but if not, this version will do.

Normally for the #BASICMonth program I put a REM at the top that says "Written by FozzTexx”. I wonder if I should say "Written by ChatGPT" this time. Of course I'm going to have to do a ton of rewriting in order to get what it gave me to work at all.

It’s interesting it was throwing in "dirty math tricks" and making formulas instead of doing lots of IF THENs. That's something I like to do too but try not to for these type-in programs because inexperienced programmers find it hard to understand.

#BASICMonth is supposed to start tomorrow and I, uh, still don't have a program ready. So I've spent the last couple of hours trying to get ChatGPT to write it for me. That has been … interesting. I think I'm having more fun arguing with ChatGPT that it's wrong though than actually trying to get the BASIC program to do what I intended.

@ChartreuseK Sadly, I've had the idea for the #BASICMonth program since the end of last year's contest and I'm just now getting started on it. 😞

It's the 23rd century and computer modems haven't been invented yet. Computers can only share data using a person to read it & relay by voice to another person to enter. You're developing a computerized RPG combat simulator for you & a friend stationed on a starbase in the next quadrant. Each turn is more complex than simple coordinates describing what piece moves where. How to encode data, keeping it wieldy for humans? (This is for the upcoming #BASICMonth.) #RetroComputing #VintageComputing