Conference 7.286::atarist

    From your description this sounds like a language plus an
    additional programming environment.  Is it a complete OS
    switch for the ST, or simply an environement?
    
    Martin H.

    Just an environment. Doesn't use GEM, though.
    
    
    It's VERY good and some software houses have expressed an interest
    in producing commercial games using STOS. It has a set of 68000-like
    commands for writing extra-fast routines. The map designer is useful.
    
    I like it.

    It encourages people with the ideas for games but the lack of
    knowledge/motivation/time to write anything to get on with it. It
    should also mean a new flow of PD games... anyone care to upload
    any STOS efforts to the net ???
    
        
    
    				Jamie.

    
    I'm in the middle of producing a game at the moment.  As soon as
    it is playable I will upload the .PRG version which the STOS
    produces.
    
    They will also be producing a complier soon for an additional 20
    pounds.  I think I will stop developing in GFA V2 and just use STOS.
    Its much cheaper, if only they would build in procedures and get rid
    of line numbers life would be great.
    
    Chris

    Hi there,
    	It does not seem that this note is getting a lot of usage. Is
    this because people have not bought it or that it is useless?
    	I have STOS and think that it is very versatile and easy to
    program. Also for thirty quid (I picked it up for 20 at a show)
    you cannot go far wrong.
    
    Anyway, to the point. I have just written a program in STOS basic
    and have tried saving it as a .PRG file. I have formatted a disk,
    used the accessory STOSCOPY.ACB to copy all the necessary STOS files
    to the new disk, loaded the basic program and then saved the .PRG
    version (as per the manual). However, when running it from GEM,
    running from an AUTO file, with or without the basic source present
    on the disk, it refuses to work. Sometimes I get two bombs, other
    times four and sometimes I even get a box with the kindly, informative
    message - TOS Error #35 - all with the same program. Now has anyone
    created a .PRG file that has worked and if so would they care to
    enlighten me on to how they did it. I have version 1.01 of STOS
    but I cannot believe that this feature would not work in the first
    versions.
    
    Any replies that would save the rest of my hair from being pulled
    out would be greatly appreciated.
    Gary.
    

    
    
    	I have the same problem trying to do this.  I also had to edit
    	STOSCOPY.ACB lines 70 and 80.
    
    
    	Chris

    
    I have since tried the same procedure on a newer 520STF (Internal
    disk drive) as I have quite an old ST. On this I found that it worked
    perfectly, first time, with no hitches. I therefore think that it
    is an incompatibility problem with the versions of TOS.
    
    If this is so a phone call to Mandarin Software for support is in
    order as there is no mention of this problem in the documentation
    and, let's face it, it is a very serious bug (sorry, undocumented
    feature).
    
    If anyone has managed to get around this problem or has already
    contacted the manufacturer then please inform me of the results.
    Cheers,
    Gary.

    Hi, I'm Kev Reid and I am new to both the ST and STOS 2 weeks each
    I have an LA100 and am driving it from the serial port. Since STOS
    only boots on reset and not by double clicking I cannot set the
    printer to be on the serial port before starting STOS. Does anyone
    know if it can be done from within STOS?
     
    Also the printer is set up XON/XOFF as is the ST but 1st Word Plus
    seems to ignore this. Any Ideas?
    
    thanks in advance
    

    
    	I though you could start STOS from GEM.  If you look in the manual
    	it says if you dont start STOS from GEM you get an extra 32 K of
    	memory.  Try the program in the auto folder rather that STOS...
    
    
    	Chris

    RE .7
    
    Hi there Kev,
    	Off the top of my head I do not know whether you can change
    to the serial port in STOS but as a temporary measure try the following
    procedure :-
    
    Boot using your language disk (supplied with the computer - if you
    have not thrown it away in disgust). Select the application to set
    up the printer from the menu. This will then enable you to use the
    serial port (and select XON/XOFF protocol) for your printer.
    Once finished with this insert your STOS basic disk and then double
    click on the file BASIC.PRG. STOS will then boot as normal.
    
    The consequences of these actions is that you lose 32k due to the
    installation of GEM and also the memory taken up by the loaded desk
    accessories, however as the saying goes 'You never get something
    for nothing.'
    
    Hope this helps out.
    Regards,
    Gary.

    Nice try! but no go!
    STOS will start by double clicking on BASIC.prg but not from Start.prg
    in the Auto folder. However it still doesn't allow me to print on
    the serial line. I think I shall have to get a parellel printer.
    
    PS. I cannot get .PRG files to work either. My 520stfm is only 4
    weeks old. TOS error 35!
    
    Has anyone called Mandarin yet?
    

    The problem is that STOSCOPY.ACB does not copy enough of each file
    into the STOS folder. If you use GEM Desktop to copy the STOS Folder
    then all is well.
    Mandarin have fixed the problem but are not shipping out a new disk
    as it is easy to work round. This doesn't explain why it works on
    later ST's though.
    
    As for printing on the serial port I have discovered that OPENing
    a file on the RS232 and dumping an ascii file to it is the only
    way to print program files onto the serial printer port.
    
    

    The cleaner work around for this problem is:-
    Load stoscopy.acb as a BASIC program and edit as follows:-
    40 Change both DIMS to dimension 14 and For statement from 10 to14
    50 change for statement from 10 to 14
    60 insert "s" in "mater" to read "master"
    70 OK
    80change for from 10 to 14
    90OK
    100OK
    110 change for from 10 to 14
    120 change whole line to read 
    DATA

    78776,2141,15976,16149,12657,2560,2304,2064,3852,2241,32034,32066,1648,968
    
    insert new line 150
    DATA "PIC.PI1","PIC.PI3","COMPACT.EXA","EDITOR.ENV"
    
    save "STOSCOPY.ACB"
    now try and all should be well except that the required .PRG will
    only run from an "AUTO" folder or from a program that has been run
    from and "AUTO" folder.
    
    Not bad an 11 line program and they got 6 of them wrong!!!!
    
    Happy stosing I lookforward to some STOS Programs on the net!!
    
    Kev.

    
    Cheers for the info Kev. I shall try out this tonight on my ST and
    let you know if this works on the older machine (bought late 86
    - I think I'll get it a walking frame!).
    
    Also whilst on the subject of cheese has anyone tried the demo game
    Bullet Train. I did and found that this also had a very major bug
    in it. It would not respond to the UP joystick movement. I traced
    it down to a line of code, using the search function for joystick
    commands, which had a replicated if-then statement (about line 12000
    mark I think).
    Let it not be said that this detracts from the beauty of STOS but
    I do feel that they could have fully tested the periphery programs
    without rush releasing them.
    Any comments.
    Gary. 

    
    Okey Cokey,
    	I have serious trouble. He no work.
    
    	I tried the mods suggested to the STOSCOPY.ACB file but on booting
    the program from the Auto folder I am greeted by bombs of varying
    size, anything in fact from two to six.
    
    	The only reason I can see for this is that the ST is just too
    old (being bought late 1986) for the program. If any ideas should
    surface you know where to post them.
    
    Onto another point. There is a STOS users club (registration card
    and blurb in box) membership fee $10. Has anyone joined this - does
    it offer value for money and more importantly what services does
    it offer ie/ can it get my %^&*#@$ .PRG file working.
    Cheers,
    Gary. 

    I just picked up STOS this past weekend. It looks real interesting.
    Worth 50 dollars just for the curiosity factor alone. Everything
    I've tried works fine ( including the demo games ). I have written
    some games in GFA basic, and it required alot of support to get
    the graphics and sound right. Half the commands were peeks, pokes,
    gets, and puts ( sound familiar? ). I'm hoping I have something
    a little more direct to work with. The only thing I think I'm going
    to miss are the control structures. I am considering writing a simple
    parser to handle labels and structures. I think I'll write a game
    first.
    
    Has anyone been able to find a way to do page flipping? Can you
    retreive the positions of the sprites after you set them in motion?
    
    More later . . . still doing research.
    
    							John.

    Answered my own questions.
    
    Page flipping is done with "SCREEN SWAP".
    Getting the sprite position is done with "=X SPRITE".
    
    Now to find out how gracefully it handles the two together.
    
    						John.

    This program is exactly what I have been looking for but the problem
    is that I own a amiga.  Is there a STOS for the amiga??? or anything
    like it????
    
    matt

    Hi,
    
    No I dont think there is a STOS for AMiga -YET, but you know what you
    have to do !
    
    Pat keane 

    Get an ST of course !
    
    Sorry
    
    Pat.

    More releases from STOS
    
    
    	STOS Maestro:
    
    		Two discs crammed with software and sounds
    
    	STOS Maestro:
    
    		As above but comes with a cartridge:
    
    
    		Powerful sampling software
    		13 additional commands to STOS basic
    		Drum machine
    
    
    	STOS Sprite:
    
    		600 ready made sprites.
    		Demo disc
    
    	STOS Complier:
    
    		Complies at 500 instructions a second
    		Single precision floating point
    		Format disc
    		Ram disc feature
    
    
    	

    HAhahahahahahahahahahahaahahahah!!!!!!!!
    
    matt 
    

    Why HAhahahahahahahahahahahaahahahah!!!!!!!! ?

    Anyone know how to detect collisions between sprites and 'fake' sprites
    created using PUT SPRITE ? Seems that COLLIDE only works between real
    sprites, and DETECT only checks against background screen. Only way I
    can see is to copy 'fake' sprites to background, but that opens up even
    more problems. This must be a common thing people want to do. Any ideas
    ? (I've just started playing with STOS).

    I have played around with the Orbit game and that uses a crude form
    of sprite detection for the bricks.
    
    It is performed with the Zone command (cannot remember exact format).
    This is triggered when the ball enters a specific zone (can have
    up to 127 zones). Thus you could put your sprite, define a zone
    around it and then use that for detection.
    To get it more accurate you could have a spare sprite, define it
    in the same image as your PUT SPRITE command and then when Sprite
    1 enters the defined zone move your spare sprite there and detect
    collision between sprites. Disadvantage :- Could be SLOW.
    
    Hope this helps.
    Gary

    STOS Complier -
    
    	Well I got my copy yesterday and found the following:
    
    
    	o It upgrades your copy of STOS basic to V2.4 and fixes some
    	  bugs and improves the speed of execution.
    	o You copy the compiler to the STOS basic disc and load it
    	  in as an accessory.
    
    	Running the complier:
    
    	o Starting the compiler you are given a menu so you can set up
    	  the source and destination this can be disc to disc, memory
    	  etc.
    	o On complie I had a few problems:
    
    		* I had to put all varaible statements at the front,
    	          as with standard compliers.  To optimize the speed
    		  with basics I have always put this code at the end
    		  of the program.
    		* Sprite movements also become jerky and you have to
    	          change code again to get a smooth movements.
    
    	o Execution is improved by at least 3 times.
    
    	Chris    

    I had problems runninng Home accounts V1 (by David Pullen)(STOS based)
    on my STe, so I mailed the hot-line. They came back within a week and
    said it's STOS interfering with TOS 1.6. They included free a disk with
    STOS upgrade that takes it to v2.5. Only trouble is I haven't got full
    STOS, so I can pull in the .BAS and run it under the new version, but I
    can't create a free-standing .PRG.
    
    Oh well, looks like I'm getting hooked into STOS!.
    
    Richard

    
    	STOS and the version of STOS which supports the 'e' fails
    	because the default screen mode for STOS is medium.  Its no
    	good even putting the resolution in the .INF file as TOS
    	ignores this also.
    
    	Nasty bug in TOS if you ask me...
    
    	(STOS are offering the fix via PD)
    
    	Chris

    Nope! medium resolution AIN'T the problem with STOS. If you refer to
    the STe note (729.0/.4) you'll see that you can modify the DESKTOP.INF
    bits to boot into med res, also I now have Atari's MEDRES.PRG which you
    can put in auto boot.
    
    No the problem I believe is STOS peeks TOS (certainly for version
    number and maybe more), and the 'e' has TOS 1.6, not the same as 1.4
    and definately not the same as 1.3.
    
    As I said in .27, I can run the STOS upgrade (which I received back
    from the help desk free) and then the program works, EVEN if I boot in
    low res (as I did first before copying medres to the disk). However, my
    problem was I couldn't re-compile a free-running version as I don't
    actually have STOS, just the upgrade and the program source.
    
    Anyway, I had a nice letter back from Dave Pullin who wrote the
    aforementioned home accounts package. He's actually produced a new
    version called Electronic Bank Statement, he included a copy for me but
    that also failed. I'm going to share my STOS upgrade prog with him, see
    if the final result will be 'e' compatible.
    
    Richard

    ALthough the error code is an odd address error,I believe the run
    time problem is that the compiler did not know about the memory bank.
    
    Chris

    RE:   <<< Note 249.7 by BAHTAT::REID >>>
    >                       -< STOS can't print on LA100!!! >-

    >Hi, I'm Kev Reid and I am new to both the ST and STOS 2 weeks each
    >I have an LA100 and am driving it from the serial port. Since STOS
    >only boots on reset and not by double clicking I cannot set the
    >printer to be on the serial port before starting STOS. Does anyone
    >know if it can be done from within STOS?
     >
    >Also the printer is set up XON/XOFF as is the ST but 1st Word Plus
    >seems to ignore this. Any Ideas?
    
    I know this is  going back a bit but having just bought 1stword+ and
    having an LA50 I've solved this problem. 1stword+ insists on using the
    ready/busy handshake over the serial line. For this I had to
    manufacture a cable with the appropriate connections and alter the dip
    switch setting in the LA50. This was documented in the installation
    instructions for 1stword+. Let me know if anyone wants the detail.
    
    Now, whether this will solve the STOS problem I dunno.
    
    	Ian (who now has an LC10 colour!)

    249.7 was written nearly 2 years ago!. I gave similar information dated
    the beginning of this year.
    
    Richard

    
    Has anyone got the PD upgrade for STOS which enables it to work
    on a STE.
    
    If so would it be possible to send me a copy or make it available
    on the net...
    
    
    It would be much appreciated...
    
    Chris

    	I need to display size 8*8 character on a mono monitor so I
    can have 80 char by 50 lines on the screen.
    
    	I know it can be done using windows but  I need graphics on
    the screen at the same time and STOS doesn't seem to support graphics
    inside windows.Renaming the char file 8*8.cr0 to .cr2 gave the right
    size characters on startup but still only displayes 25 lines,ie
    the bottom of the screen isn't used.Locate  x,(y>25) doesn't work
    and the screen scrolls at line 24.
    
    	The problem with using windows is ,if you open window 1,load
    an image to it,then open window 2.Then deleting window 2 also clears
    window 1.
    
    	Any tips appreciated..
    			Brian...                       

        To use different fonts within STOS you have to use a window, but
    you can make the window style = 0. The following command will allow
    a mono monitor to display 50 lines on the screen at one time:
    
    		windopen 1,0,0,80,50,0,2

     

    
    	Hello,
    
    		Has anyone got the PD upgrade for STOS so it works
    	on any ST ?
    
    	Chris

    
    	Hello,
    
    	Can anyone tell me using STOS how to communicate with the
    MIDI port ?
    
    
    	Cheers,
    
    	Chris

    see note .30
    
    	Brian..
    

Hi,

  Is anyone still using STOS? I'm interested in getting a copy and trying it out.
Can anyone help me - I don't even know who makes it!

Cheers,
Mark.

    Mark, 
    
    I have a copy of STOS that was given away on a magazine disk. No manual
    (obviously!). Come and see me.
    
    Tony I