Allan Gardner
These notes describe the new version of my Programmable
Jukebox - the original version was published by A&B Computing magazine in
November 1988. The program has been rewritten and improved for use by AMPLINEX
members.
The main improvements over the original version are:
a) The menu layout has been much improved and tidied up,
presenting a less 'cluttered' screen
b) The highlight cursor now has full wrap-around in all four
directions, making getting to the file you want much easier and quicker
c) Ten pages of on-line help are available at the press of a
key
d) The program can now present a menu from both sides of a
double-sided disc
e) There's the option of generating a 'playing sequence' of
files from all four surfaces of a double-sided dual-drive disc system
f) If desired the entire sequence can be set to auto-repeat
indefinitely
g) This Jukebox can sort the filenames into 'ASCII-betical'
order, helping you to find that elusive file.
These improvements have resulted in a complete re-coding of
the program.
All the features of the original program, including
automatic updating of the menu, programming of sequences of up to 63 files and
self-generation of 'CHAIN' words, have been retained.
However some of the keys and commands have been changed from
the original, as has the coding of the sequence buffer.
The keys and commands now used are:
CURSOR highlight filename
KEYS (no change)
KEYS (no change)
<COPY> enter file
into sequence
(no change)
(no change)
<RET> play file or
start sequence
(no change)
(no change)
<DEL> wipe
sequence/re-catalogue
(previously <r>)
(previously <r>)
<d> swap drive
on dual-drive system
(new command)
(new command)
<r> enable/disable
autoRepeat
(<r>-previously restart)
(<r>-previously restart)
<s> sort
filenames in ASCII sequence
(new command)
(new command)
<ESC> stop program
or enter command mode
(no change)
(no change)
CHAIN generate CHAIN
words on disc
(previously chaingen)
(previously chaingen)
save saves 'Jukebox' to
disc
(no change)
(no change)
"double" [ON]
to use double-sided discs
(new word)
to use double-sided discs
(new word)
"double" [OFF]
to use single-sided discs
(as above)
to use single-sided discs
(as above)
<f9> "Jukebox"
LOAD RUN
(no change)
(no change)
<f4> "Jukebox"
LOAD run
(no change: but note that a
'bug' in the original version
existed where a 'sequence' of
one file meant that function
key four was programmed to
contain "Jukebox" LOAD run
(instead of CLEAR). This is
now corrected).
(no change: but note that a
'bug' in the original version
existed where a 'sequence' of
one file meant that function
key four was programmed to
contain "Jukebox" LOAD run
(instead of CLEAR). This is
now corrected).
The writing of the sequence buffer has been altered to
include the autoRepeat feature and to add disc drive-numbers to the filenames.
This does mean that a sequence buffer written with Jukebox
version 1 is unreadable by version 2 but this will not cause any problems, as
the buffer is cleared by both versions before the programming of sequences is
begun.
Note that the program is supplied to suit single-sided
drives to avoid generating an error when trying to read the 'second' side of a single-sided
system.
The word 'double' should be edited to suit your
disc-drive(s).
P.S. if anyone can come up with a quicker sort routine - I'd
be very interested.
Published in AMPLINEX 017, May 1990
