[net.micro.amiga] A Bunch of Questions

andrew@alberta.UUCP (07/14/86)

    I have a bunch of questions, and any answers would be greatly
    appreciated.  I'm using a 512K Amiga (Great machine, guys!), 2 disk
    drives (actually 3 if you count the 5.25"), and Lattice C 3.02.


1.  First off, I was trying to use the Motorola Fast Floating Point
    library a couple of days ago, and found I was missing the files
    "mathlink.lib" and "mathlink_lib.lib", so I have no way of linking to
    the library routines.  The question :  where can I get these files?
    I've already checked with two dealers in the area, and they don't have
    them.  (The salesman didn't even know what the MFFP was.)  Just out of
    curiosity, where were they supposed to be, if anywhere?  Would it be
    possible for some kind soul mail them to me, or would this action
    bring the Net Police and the phone cops down on (me/us/everyone)?

2.  A related matter, what happened to DiskEd and ATOM and such things?
    Shouldn't they have come with Lattice C?  Or are they only for
    registered developers?

3.  Does anyone out there have a spare handler for the 5.25" disk drive,
    i.e.  one that would allow me to use it as an AmigaDOS device?  I've
    read the relevant sections of the RKM, but I thought I'd check before
    reinventing the wheel.  How about any information on using the thing to
    read other disk formats?

4.  Does anyone have any information about 3.5" disk formats more detailed
    than is found in the technical reference?  (Where on the disk is the
    root block located?  What are the actual values of the block Type and
    Secondary Type?)

5.  Does anyone out there have any documentation for microEMACS v 0.7?

6.  Has anyone tried Turbo Pascal yet? What's the verdict?

7.  Finally, what is Lattice's upgrade policy? (Who do I write to and how
    much will it cost me?)

Again, any answers would be very much appreciated.
-- 
Andrew Folkins        ...ihnp4!alberta!andrew    
 
All ideas in this message are fictional.  Any resemblance, to any idea,
living or dead, is purely coincidental.

rossi@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (Lisa Rossi) (07/17/86)

In article <17@alberta.UUCP> andrew@alberta.UUCP (Andrew Folkins) writes:
>
>    I have a bunch of questions, and any answers would be greatly
>    appreciated.  I'm using a 512K Amiga (Great machine, guys!), 2 disk
>    drives (actually 3 if you count the 5.25"), and Lattice C 3.02.
>
>
>1.  First off, I was trying to use the Motorola Fast Floating Point
>    library a couple of days ago, and found I was missing the files
>    "mathlink.lib" and "mathlink_lib.lib", so I have no way of linking to
>    the library routines.  The question :  where can I get these files?
>    I've already checked with two dealers in the area, and they don't have
>    them.  (The salesman didn't even know what the MFFP was.)  Just out of
>    curiosity, where were they supposed to be, if anywhere?  Would it be
>    possible for some kind soul mail them to me, or would this action
>    bring the Net Police and the phone cops down on (me/us/everyone)?
>
     The files mathlink.lib and mathlink_lib.lib do not exist.  You
     must open one or more of the following libraries -  mathtrans.library 
     (for FFP transcendental math functions), mathffp.library (for
     FFP basic math functions), or mathieeedoubbas.library (for IEEE
     Double precision math functions).

     I will also warn you of one other problem - The variables used
     for FFP math are defined as ints.  You can not use FLOATs because
     Lattice V3.03 converts FLOAT to DOUBLE during expression evaluation
     and when passing arguments.  The public domain Fred Fish series
     disk has a program called latffp.c which shows how to access the
     libraries and functions.  If you do not have it,  the kludge below
     will show you basically what must be done.


     The following section of code was taken from the latffp.c
     program on one of the Fred Fish public domain disks.
     here goes....

     char  st1[80] = "3.1415926535897";
     char  st2[80] = "2.718281828459045";

     int MathBase;	/* Basic FFP lib pointer  */
     int MathTransBase; /* Transcendental FFP lib pointer  */

     int   dots_good = 0;

     union kludge1
     {
	 FLOAT num1;
	 int   i1;
     } k1;

     union kludge2
     {
	 FLOAT num2;
	 int   i2;
     } k2;

     union kludge3
     {
	 FLOAT num3;
	 int   i3;
     } k3;

     show_dot() {if(++dots_good == 1000) {dots_good = 0; printf(".");}}

     show_result(num) FLOAT num; {printf("\nResult = %f",num);}

     show_result_ffp(in_val);	/*  convert to IEEE and display  */
     int in_val;
     {
        union kludge_sr
	{
	    FLOAT new_iv_f;
	    int   new_iv_il;
	} k;

	k.new_iv_i = SPTieee(in_val);
	show_result(k.new_iv_f);
     }


     main()
     {
     /*  Always test to make sure the libraries open correctly -
	 I'm being lazy.                                          */

     MathBase = OpenLibrary("mathffp.library",0);
     MathTransBase = OpenLibrary("mathtrans.library",0);

     /*  FFP SPADD                                                */
     k1.num1 = PI;           /*  V1.0 lattice C BUG!  Can't have  */
     k2.num2 = k1.num1-PIME; /*  two constant assignments in a    */
			     /*  row.  Fake it by making the      */
			     /*  second and expression.		  */
     printf("\n\n50,000 additions of %s to %s (Compiler Interface)\n",st1,st2);
     for(dots_good = 0, i = 1; i < 50000; i++)
     {
	 k3.num3 = k1.num1 + k2.num2;
	 show_dot();
     }
     show_result(k3.num3);

     k1.i1 = SPFieee(k1.i1);
     k2.i2 = SPFieee(k2.i2);

     printf("\n\n50,000 additions of %s to %s (Function Interface)\n",st1,st2);
     for(dots_good = 0, i = 1; i < 50000; i++)
     {
	 k3.i3 = SPAdd(k2.i2, k1,i1);
	 show_dot();
     }
     show_result_ffp(k3.i3);
}

    that's all there is to it ....wow


>2.  A related matter, what happened to DiskEd and ATOM and such things?
>    Shouldn't they have come with Lattice C?  Or are they only for
>    registered developers?
>
     No, they do not come with Lattice C.  They are however being 
     distributed to developers who purchase the developers kit.


>3.  Does anyone out there have a spare handler for the 5.25" disk drive,
>    i.e.  one that would allow me to use it as an AmigaDOS device?  I've
>    read the relevant sections of the RKM, but I thought I'd check before
>    reinventing the wheel.  How about any information on using the thing to
>    read other disk formats?
>
     Don't know of anyone who has done this.

>4.  Does anyone have any information about 3.5" disk formats more detailed
>    than is found in the technical reference?  (Where on the disk is the
>    root block located?  What are the actual values of the block Type and
>    Secondary Type?)
>
     The root block is the center block of the disk 880.  
     As far as I know the values of the block type and secondary type
     are undocumented.


>5.  Does anyone out there have any documentation for microEMACS v 0.7?
>
     nope.

>6.  Has anyone tried Turbo Pascal yet? What's the verdict?
>
     haven't tried it.

>7.  Finally, what is Lattice's upgrade policy? (Who do I write to and how
>    much will it cost me?)
>
     I'm not sure, your best bet would be to call Lattice.


-- 


*************************************************************************
Lisa Rossi-Siracusa		Commodore Business Machines
				uucp: {ihnp4|seismo|caip}!cbmvax!rossi
				arpa: cbmvax!rossi@seismo.css.GOV
				or    rossi@cbmvax.UUCP@{seismo|harvard}
				tel : (215) 431-9180
*************************************************************************

nick@hp-sdd.UUCP (Nick Flor) (07/17/86)

In article <17@alberta.UUCP> andrew@alberta.UUCP (Andrew Folkins) writes:
>
>1.  First off, I was trying to use the Motorola Fast Floating Point
>    library a couple of days ago, and found I was missing the files
>    "mathlink.lib" and "mathlink_lib.lib", so I have no way of linking to
>    the library routines.  The question :  where can I get these files?
>    I've already checked with two dealers in the area, and they don't have
>    them.  (The salesman didn't even know what the MFFP was.)  Just out of
>    curiosity, where were they supposed to be, if anywhere?  Would it be
>    possible for some kind soul mail them to me, or would this action
>    bring the Net Police and the phone cops down on (me/us/everyone)?
There is no mathlink.lib.  Also, you're going to have trouble using
it because of the way C pushes things on the stack/casts things.  Mail
me if you have trouble using it.

Nick
-- 
----------
Nick V. Flor 
..hplabs!hp-sdd!nick

"What's going down in this world, you got no idea.  Believe me."

The Comedian

andy@amiga.UUCP (Andy Finkel) (07/17/86)

In article <17@alberta.UUCP> andrew@alberta.UUCP (Andrew Folkins) writes:
>
>3.  Does anyone out there have a spare handler for the 5.25" disk drive,
>    i.e.  one that would allow me to use it as an AmigaDOS device?  I've
>    read the relevant sections of the RKM, but I thought I'd check before
>    reinventing the wheel.  How about any information on using the thing to
>    read other disk formats?
>

You'll be able to do things with it under 1.2.


>5.  Does anyone out there have any documentation for microEMACS v 0.7?

That sounds like a real early version of the microEmacs I'm hacking
for C/A.  We've got docs for the current version.  Not only am I
not sure how close the command set for that one is to the current
version, but I'm also not sure what the release path for it is going to be,
either (for the docs or for the program). Sorry.  Does it help it I say
the key bindings probably match Gosling's Emacs ?  Also, many (many!)
other versions of MicroEmacs have floated over the net in recent months.
Maybe there's one floating at your site...

>Andrew Folkins        ...ihnp4!alberta!andrew    


										andy

-- 

			andy finkel
			Commodore(Amiga)
			{ihnp4|seismo|allegra}!cbmvax!andy
		or	 pyramid!amiga!andy

Any expressed opinions are mine; but feel free to share.

I disclaim all responsibilities, all shapes, all sizes, all colors.

"Remember, no matter where you grow, there you are." - Buckaroo Bonsai.

kim@mips.UUCP (Kim DeVaughn) (07/19/86)

[ "Send lawyers, guns, and money ..." ]

> >6.  Has anyone tried Turbo Pascal yet? What's the verdict?
> >
>      haven't tried it.
>      Lisa Rossi-Siracusa

Andrew's question and Lisa's reply imply that TurboPascal has been released
for the Amiga.  Is this true???

As far as I know, Borland has yet to make good on their advertised "promise"
to support the Amiga with Turbo Pascal.  They have also stopped advertising
Turbo for the Amiga.

Anybody seen *anything* from them (Alpha, Beta, ...)?

/kim
-- 

UUCP:  {decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!decwrl!mips!kim
DDD:   408-720-1700 x231
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CIS:   76535,25

haddock@ti-csl (07/19/86)

/* Written 12:50 pm  Jul 14, 1986 by andrew@alberta.UUCP in ti-csl:net.micro.amiga */
/* ---------- "A Bunch of Questions" ---------- */

	>    I have a bunch of questions, and any answers would be greatly
	>    appreciated.  I'm using a 512K Amiga (Great machine, guys!), 2 disk
	>    drives (actually 3 if you count the 5.25"), and Lattice C 3.02.

I'll answer a couple of 'em.

    >3.  Does anyone out there have a spare handler for the 5.25" disk drive,
    >    i.e.  one that would allow me to use it as an AmigaDOS device?

Wait for Version 1.2.   This will be a standard feature (the ability
to use 5.25" floppies given the correct interface).

    >5.  Does anyone out there have any documentation for microEMACS v 0.7?

Hmmmm...  I thought 3.7 was the latest.

    >6.  Has anyone tried Turbo Pascal yet? What's the verdict?

In case you haven't heard, Borland has decided against porting Turbo
Pascal to the Amiga.

     >Again, any answers would be very much appreciated.

To the best of my knowledge and news sources my answers are true.


				-Rusty-

================================================================
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Rusty Haddock		ARPA:  Haddock%TI-CSL@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA
POB 226015 M/S 238	CSNET: Haddock@TI-CSL
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Dallas, Texas 75266	VOICE: (214) 995-0330

andrew@cadomin.UUCP (Andrew Folkins) (07/22/86)

In article <563@mips.UUCP> kim@mips.UUCP (Kim DeVaughn) writes:
>
>> >6.  Has anyone tried Turbo Pascal yet? What's the verdict?
>> >
>>      haven't tried it.
>>      Lisa Rossi-Siracusa
>
>Andrew's question and Lisa's reply imply that TurboPascal has been released
>for the Amiga.  Is this true???
>
>As far as I know, Borland has yet to make good on their advertised "promise"
>to support the Amiga with Turbo Pascal.  They have also stopped advertising
>Turbo for the Amiga.
>
>Anybody seen *anything* from them (Alpha, Beta, ...)?
>
>/kim

Followup from the original poster : 

My question was based entirely on an ad I saw in the July/August issue
of Amiga World.  On page 93 NorthEastern Software is advertising 
"Turbo Pascal   $42".  As everything else on the page is for the Amiga, 
it would seem that this is too.  The question : does NorthEastern actually
have this thing, or is this Yet Another Vapor Ware Product?


Disclaimer stuff : I am in no way affiliated with, indebted to, or presiding
over NorthEastern Software or Borland International.  

--

Up here in the Great White North we run SNOBOL.

-- 
Andrew Folkins        ...ihnp4!alberta!andrew    
 
"We humans think of ourselves as being rather good at reasoning, but at
best we perform about a hundred logical inferences a second.  We're
talking about future expert systems that will be doing ten million
inferences a second.  What will it be like to put a hundred years thought
in every decision?  Knowledge is power."  - Edward A. Feigenbaum