The Sinclair QL Forum

Ok, so that I don't actually have to try out all of the public domain software on Dilwyn's site (a lot of which isn't all that useful/usable nowadays, but still important as an archive), what do you think are the best freely available software titles for the (original BB) QL?

Perhaps 2 categories - 1) Games and 2) Utilities/other useful stuff.

Hi,

The better software needs a memory expansion, but I would use on a BBQL with 128k:

Category 2:
EditorSE
DBAS
QMAC
QED
Qliberator
Turbo???

For me:

Gwasl assembler.
C68 compiler etc.
QED editor.


Probably others which have slipped my mind at present.


Cheers,
Norm.

For an unexpanded QL with only microdrives, not to forget : FORTH development tools.

There were principally two formerly commercial packages : the Computer One and the Digital Precision.
Because on an unexpanded QL you have only 128K ram ; 32K are used for the display, so you have only 96K-- left.

FORTH Computer One uses only 64K, Digital Precision a little more, so every thing is and remains resident all the time and microdrives are only used to load (and save) application software (that you developped).

Digital Precision is public domain now, not Computer One, but I prefer Computer One because :
Digital Precision loads only "text files" composed with an external text editor (QED) ; it has also a rudimentary "screen loader" but I use it only for a boot page - each page (or screen) being an independant file.
Computer One uses the original principle of FORTH for mass storage : SCREEN files grouping numbered "pages" of 1024 bytes : it has an internal screen file editor displaying these pages as 16 lines of 64 characters. You can use the LOAD intstruction from within a page you are loading (and so on). With a few new words I implemented the text file loader of Digital precision - with the same limitation : you cannot use the LOAD-FILE instruction from within a file you are loading.

Moreover, Digital Precision FORTH has no assembler (in fact they discourage assembler coding because they use more registers than Computer One). Computer One has an internal macro assembler and machine code is very usable, because only a few registers are mobilised by the FORTH machine.

May the FORTH be with you
POLKa

It's hard to say what the best free software is, esp. not knowing what you want to get done.

For editors:
QED2
MicroEmacs

For compilers:
Turbo
C68

For Office Suite:
Xchange

For Start Button:
Qasqade

I'm sure there are many others that other people use on a regular basis.

It's difficult to run interesting tools on an original "BB_QL",
not only because of the limited memory
but also because you cannot put much load and stress on the microdrives.

The first development tool that I bought for my unexpanded QL was the Lattice C compiler (coming in two microdrive cartridges). But before (soon) buying a Sandy SuperQboard (adding 512K ram, TK2 and 720K floppy interface) the only program that I dared to compile was the "Hello World" - and indeed it was very stressing to watch the microdrives whirr for minutes when compiling, searching the libraries and linking this ridiculous bit of code.

That's why I transfered everything to floppies, and now I come back to play with my 2 QLs because I transfer everything to CF cards in Tetroid extension boards.

Another interesting PD software that I like (but not running in a "BB_QL") is the (Edinburgh-style) Prolog.

POLKa

Editor:
QD

Compilers:
QLiberator
Turbo
planning to use C68 in the future (if I'll find time to remember C language)

Office Suite:
Xchange

File Manager:
QL Commander

Compress Utility
Zipman

What's close to a software masterpiece in my opinion is

FileInfo II

It works silently in the background but lifts QDOS to an entirely new level, allowing workflows that are much more "modern" and closer to for example how Windows or MacOS work. On my systems, it is the main enabler that makes file managers actually usable.

I think this piece of software is largely underrated and would earn way more attention. It is a bit hard to make friends with at the beginning, but once you have, it is indispensable.

Tobias

To put all the tools of the C68 runtime on only ONE! 720K floppy was difficult - but I succeeded ! So that I could use the second floppy drive for my projects...
POLKa

Hi.

For me, on not expanded QL:

-- QED
-- Psion Suite
-- Qliberator
-- Eye-Q for graphics

Off the topic, but near it, in your opinion, what is the best application for graphics in SMSQ/E with GD2?