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 .IF DSK1.C3
     ^^^^^^^^^TEXTWARE, SOFTWARE, and
 ELSEWHERE

     Goings-on in the TI Community

     ^^^^^^^^^^by Jack Sughrue


     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^TRANSLATIONS

     All our text sources are drying
 up.  Boohoo!  No more options.  And I
 do like typing in programs.  What's
 to become of me.  Alas!
     Or so the scenario is supposed to
 go for we poor orphaned types.
     But No More Options?  Never!
 We 99ers are too ingenious for such
 talk.  OPTIONS is the name of our
 game.  IGENUITY and PERSEVERANCE are
 our methods.

     This is an article about work
 ethic and possibilites and noble
 stuff like that.

     First, the reason.
     There are still zillions of books
 out there with programs in them.
 Lots of programs you and I do not
 have and may find useful or fun.
 These programs just don't happen to
 be LISTed in TI BASIC.  That's all.

     Second, the effort.
     We'll have to learn how to
 translate from other BASICs to our
 own.  Some labor and time are
 required.

     Third, the how.
     Okay, we're willing, but how do
 we go about this?
     To start with, there are some
 readily-available books around which
 can give you the resources.
     THE BEST OF 99er (1981-3,
 Emerald Valley Publishing Co.,
 Eugene, OR; $19.95) gives a couple
 tutorials on converting from Apple
 and TRS-80 to TI.
     BASIC PROGRAMMING FOR KIDS
 (by Roz Ault, 1983, Houghton Mifflin
 Co., Boston, MA; $7.95) is just as
 handy for adults wanting to learn to
 make translations from and to TI,
 Apple, Atari, Commodore, Radio Shack,
 and Timex/Sinclair.  This is probably
 the best starter of all the
 resources.
     THE BASIC BOOK: a
 cross-referenced guide to the BASIC
 language (by Harry Helms,
 McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1221 Avenue of
 the Americas, New York, NY, 10020;
 $6.95) cross-references TI, Apple,
 Atari, Commodore, IBMl, Radio Shack.
 It explains in details and clear
 charts what functions each computer
 has and how to access them and
 convert them.  This would be a good
 follow-up to the book above and kept
 handy as a guide while doing the
 actual conversion/typing of the
 "foreign"  programs.
     BASIC FUN: Computer Games,
 Puzzles, and Problems Children Can
 Write (by Susan Drake Lipscomb and
 Margaret Ann Zuanich, Avon Camelot
 Books, 959 8th Avenue, New York, NY,
 10019; $2.25) is really the first
 level of conversions.  If you're
 really wary of the attempt, this is
 the easiest and least expensive.  My
 fifth-graders had no problem with
 this book, and the programs are cute
 (sometimes cutesy).
     Four books: COMPUTER CRAZINESS,
 MONSTERS, OLYMPICS, SPACE ADVENTURES
 (by Stephen Manes and Paul Somerson,
 Hard/Soft Inc., P.O. Box 1277,
 Riverdale, NY, 10471; $4.95 each)
 offer conversions for TI, Commodore,
 Vic, Apple, IBM, Atari, TRS-80
 computers in simple, staightforward
 ways.  Programs are fun for young
 kids (7-11) and are easy to type in
 and translate with LOTS of help and
 MANY specifics.  No guess work here.
 A perfect starter series (and
 reasonably cheap for the large
 172-page, 9x12, easy-to-read format.
 Don't expect great programs, but they
 serve their pupose, which is fun.  l
     BASIC PROGRAM FOR SMALL
 COMPUTERS (by C. Regena, COMPUTE!
 Books, P.O.Box 5406, Greensboro, NC,
 27403; $12.95) is the one I
 personally found the most helpful.
 Probably because I involved myself
 more in this one than in the others.
 She is very clear and concise and
 gives precise changes.  Later in the
 book she lists specific programs for
 TI, TRS-80, MC-10, VIC-20 (with
 earlier suggestions for Timex and
 Apple).  By the time I had reached
 these later chapters, I found it was
 more fun to try and type in the
 "foreign" programs while converting
 than it was to type in the TI
 LISTings.  When these translations
 worked, I knew I was on my way to
 bigger and better things.

     But some words of warning.  Do
 not try to convert programs which are
 primarily graphic.  You're better off
 doing the non-graphic programs and
 adding your own graphics later than
 to attempt translating.  This is
 advice I got from far wiser heads
 than my own.  And I pass it on to
 you.

     Then (you may ask) What's out
 there?
     Lots.

     But I'll just give you examples
 from two authors, David H. Ahl and
 Tim Hartnell, both long-time writers,
 editors, programmers.
     Ahl: BASIC COMPUTER GAMES, MORE
 BASIC COMPUTER GAMES, BIG COMPUTER
 GAMES [about 200 games and not-quite
 games] (70s and 80s, Creative
 Computing, P.O.Box 789-M, Morristown,
 NJ, 07960; $7.95-$9.95) are all
 non-graphic (or
 non-redifined-graphic) programs just
 waiting for conversion into your
 personal BASIC (easier, still, into
 TI Extended BASIC) language.  These
 books are made for adaptation and,
 particularly in BIG COMPUTER GAMES
 are really interesting.  This last
 book contains only 12 programs, but
 they are blockbusters, including
 ELIZA.  You'd probably be better off
 to start with his other two books.
 Some are a little difficult to debug.
 First, try to follow the logic of the
 things to see if you want to attempt
 the typing.  Then do the typing with
 your conversion information in front
 of you.  Very rewarding when you
 finally get these programs up and
 working.

     Hartnell: GIANT BOOK OF COMPUTER
 GAMES, SECOND GIANT BOOK OF COMPUTER
 GAMES, CREATING ADVENTURE GAMES ON
 YOUR COMPUTER [about 100 programs,
 most larger than the Ahl programs]
 (1983-5, Ballantine Books, New York,
 NY; $7.95-$12.95) gives you, on the
 whole, better programs then the first
 two Ahl books.  Hartnell also gives
 more conversion help and more
 resources to go to for other things.
     The Hartnell programs are much
 easier to read, have better
 references within the tutorial
 sections, have more satisfying
 results.  But both authors do a fine
 job with these works.

     Both authors in their last of
 their three books spend lots of time
 and space on adventure programming.
 (Hartnell actually devotes his entire
 book to the subject.)  If you are
 really interested in learning how
 adventure programming works and how
 you can actually write your own, I
 would highly recommend Hartnell's
 Creating Adventure Games...  It is
 an unusually well done book; a highly
 readable one even if you decide not
 to do the programs within.
 Everything about understanding the
 workings of adventure programs is
 explained in short, lucid concept
 chapters: mapping the environment,
 building a travel table, moving
 about, consistency and reality,
 modular construction, and so on.
 Because each concept is presented in
 such a concise, direct way, there is
 no feeling of being overwhelmed.  And
 because each step adds a little bit
 to an actual program, a pleasant
 surprise results when you suddenly
 discover you've written a complete
 adventure.
     After that, the world's your
 oyster (providing you can discover
 the magic amulet that changes it to
 an oyster while preventing the Balrog
 from eating your monk's pet black
 widow talisman).  But your oyster,
 eventually.

     This is a start.  At the end you
 may be 300 programs richer and very
 much wiser in the ways of computering
 and how our 99 is still a long way
 from death (or even illness).

     ***********

     As an afterword: I have a TRS-80
 Model I; two Timex/Sinclair 1500s; an
 Apple II-Plus; and two TI-99/4As in
 my classroom.  Over all the years I
 had this stuff it never occurred to
 me to do conversions.
     Last year one of my fifth-grade
 students took one of my TI books home
 to convert a few programs to her
 Apple.  Then she came in and
 converted a few TRS-80 programs to
 the Timex and TI computers.  She
 helped me a lot.
     Then I bought the Regena book and
 the BASIC Book and they helped me
 more.
     Then I bought the others
 mentioned in this article and am
 still in the learning stage (the
 exciting stage) of this
 language-translation business.  Such
 fun! And hard work.

     I also have a PD conversion chart
 I got from my user group in Worcester
 (M.U.N.C.H.).  Some time soon I will
 update it and write an article about
 specific conversions which will
 include the updated chart.


     ************

     NO-NO of the Day! This outing
 brings us 
three NO-NOs: 222 BASIC
 Computer Programs for Home, School,
 and Office and MICRO ADVENTURE:
 Space Attack and, finally, THE BYTE
 BROTHERS: Input an Investigation.
 The first, put out by ARCsoft
 Publishers of Woodsboro, Maryland
 (whose books should, in general, be
 avoided), is a ripoff (a $9.95
 ripoff).  Supposedly "edited" by Don
 Roberts, this book merely xeroxes
 pages form all their old (very inane)
 books for Atari, TI, Timex, IBM,
 Apple, TRS-80, Vic-20, and lord knows
 what else.  There is no help on how
 to convert.  There isn't even a note
 that these different programs (shoved
 into this 288-page book willy-nilly)
 even 
have to beconverted! There
 isn't even a letter code to tell you
 what computer the listing is for!
 This is a useless book, absolutely of
 no help to anyone trying to learn how
 to convet (or even anyone trying to
 locate the programs they can use on
 their own computer), and is the
 biggest waste of ten bucks I've ever
 put down for textware.
     The second book (by Eileen
 BLuckholtz and Ruth Glick, Scholastic
 Inc, NY, NY; $1.95) at least is
 cheap.  It's the first of a too-long
 series of rather dull adventures.
 You are supposed to type in eight
 programs to help the novel's
 adventurers along.  The programs are
 a strain and are pretty much
 irrelevant.  (The strain grows with
 each book and could have been avoided
 by getting creative people involved
 in the project after the original
 idea - which is good - was proposed.)
     But at least there is a
 conversion chart and some very
 specific changes.  There is also a
 20-odd page reference manual at the
 back which I DO feel is worth more
 than the novel.  If it were not for
 the boring novel, this book would be
 as much on my YES-YES list as the
 Avon Camelot book above.  A very weak
 no-no.
     I guess I feel similarly to the
 BYTES BROTHERS series "written" by
 Lois and Floyd McCoy and put out (for
 $2.25) by Bantam Books of New York
 for older kids (but DUMB older kids).
 Purporting to be solve-it-yourself
 computer mysteries, the books, if
 possible, are even more boring than
 the Micro Adventure books.  The
 programs are better, but the
 reference section is pitiful.  Not
 much conversion help here.

     [Jack Sughrue, Box 459,
 E.Douglas, MA 01516]

     ************

     If any newsletter editor prints
 these articles, please put me on your
 mailing list.  Thanks - JS

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