Known Bugs and Problems

  1. Extreme care must be employed in the editing, accessing or using files, since a known condition exists that can cause DOS to over-extend a file to the value of 32 megabytes. This occurs when writing to a file beneath its base limit, as in opening a file as block 10 and writing to block 9. Multiple files share this problem only when accessing under the base limits, such that your highest block file will be over extended. Fair warning!
  2. Entering the graphics modes can cause MS-Windows to abort Fig-Forth when trying to switch between applications. Fig-Forth accesses the screen directly so cannot be run in a Windows graphics emulation mode. Standard text modes do not have this problem.
  3. Switching video modes is sometimes tricky, particularly when not switching back to text mode between resolution changes. Still other cards do not return to the text mode properly, (or do not like the form of text mode selected,) such that a second call to high resolution graphics causes a lock-up. Use caution.
  4. Occasionally the midi player will hang without resolution. I don't know where this is coming from, according to the book I've done everything right. If anyone finds out, please let me know.
  5. Only 100% compatible video cards are supported, cards that utilize specific modes and ROM programming emulations of others are not compatible. (Though some may operate in VESA mode, it's not for certain.)
  6. With the advent of newer sound cards using PCI interface, Fig-Forth v2's internal sound support has been dropped. While the routines are present and functional for legacy hardware, I simply am not going to update the routines unless I really need to.


Contact Point

Send bug reports, suggestions or comments to me at progchan@aol.com.

Registrations: 5028 Powerline Rd. #B2, Olivehurst CA., 95961, USA.


Acknowledgments

  1. Chuck Moore and Liz Rather, for the Forth language.
  2. John Cassidy and the Forth Interest Group, PO Box 1105, San Carlos California, for the public release of the Forth model.
  3. PYGMY Forth by Frank C. Sergeant, for tons of ideas.
  4. PC Interrupts by Ralf Brown & Jim Kyle, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc. ISBN: 0-201-57797-6, for all the great info!
  5. The Ultimate Sound Blaster Book by Martin L. Moore, Que Corporation, ISBN: 1-56529-298-7, for filling my world.
  6. PC Game Programming Explorer by Dave Roberts, Coriolis Group Books, ISBN: 1-883577-07-1, for helping me sort out the CRTC registers.
  7. iAPX 86,88 User's Manual by the Intel Corporation, just for being there!
  8. MS-DOS, MS-WORD by Microsoft Corporation, for the operating system and support programming.
  9. Apple ][ Reference Manual, Apple Corporation, for some great concepts.
  10. VGAKIT5.0 by John Bridges, for showing me the way...
  11. Guru-Mode by Per Ole Klemetsrud, for proving it can be done!
  12. JMF Player by Jim Moore, for the median balance format.
  13. The Future Crew, for inspiring me.
  14. All my beta testers, for putting up with the errors and my constant babbling.
  15. Turbo Assembler by Borland Industries, for making me stay up long nights.
  16. Read Please 2000 by Money Tree Software, www.readplease.com, for making my proofreading efforts easier.
  17. AOL Press 2.0 by America Online Inc., for the HTML authoring.


Final Comments

I wrote this compiler primarily as a platform to support my Fig-Tree BBS software, starting on a nearly abandoned Z80 in the 80's and then graduating to the PC as the need arose. Even before the BBS closed individual users and myself were requesting more from the compiler, so it continued to expand into the creation we see contained here. However, because the original purpose was to merely interface the PC in the text mode of operation for MS-DOS modem operations, and later to offer some support to the decreasing number of legacy machines still in the field, I expect that this version of the compiler shall be the last that I will create. (Plus the fact that newer hardware cannot manage the interface employed by these older machines without additional code, changes to the formats employed and types of definitions, etc. As I keep saying to my colleagues, I'm lazy most of all.) I may get around to improving the sound interface for the newer cards if I really, really need it, but for all practical purposes this project is at an end. With the Windows platform and others of similar complexity invading every aspect of common computing, the 16 bit model of this compiler is long dead and gone.

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