Typing programs listings (A User-Simulator Tool is needed)

[eimaster]

Hello to all of MSX lovers all around the globe,

I have a suggestion to make blueMSX better and easier than other emulators.

When I read some scanned MSX magazines and find a BASIC program listing, sometimes I feel the urge to enter that program into the emulator and execute it. So, I go through a lot of painful steps trying to do so, like:

1- Taking snapshots of the listing.
2- Running an OCR program to convert it to text and save it in an ASCII file format (just like a normal notepad file).
3- Revising, spell & syntax checking, and correcting the program listing where needed
4- Saving the file again.
5- Running blueMSX and start the BASIC interpreter.
6- Entering the listing through typing which is boring, exhausting and time consuming process.

* My suggestion concerning step 6 of course, which I consider the most painful step of all.

Now, My suggestion is:

If blueMSX development team make a tool to open any text file, let's say the BASIC listing saved in step 4 and enter it directly to the BASIC interpreter exactly as if the user is typing it by hand. In fact, it is a User simulator. Then the user can save it, run it, and/or do whatever he/she wants with it.

This will greatly reduce the total time needed in the above 6 steps. Won't you agree?

You can add it to the blueMSX Tools menu as (blue Virtual User) or (blue v-User) or (blue User Simulator) or whatever you want. This tool will be very handy for blueMSX users.

Now brothers, what do you think about this suggestion? Of course you may add any ideas to enrich my suggestion in order to solve the problem of typing-in the magazines program listings.

Waiting for your comments.

Bye.
MSX-lover from Yemen,
eimaster
eimaster13@gmail.com

[(su)]

Hello, brothers

I wrote the subject that is all,
real MSX can load ASCII text BASIC program from FDD, RS-232C and other devices.
(also can save as ASCII text BASIC program)

that is not say "supported by emulators", real MSXs can do this tasks!


but back to our story.


4th step of eimaster's post, we need append character EOF(0x1a) at end of the text file before saving. this character needs for BASIC interpreter.
6th(mod), mount host directory(contains the text file) as FDD.
7th(new), load the text file as BASIC program, like ' load "textfile.txt" '.


I would like to be happy to your MSX life!

[HeXoN]

Sorry for the bump, but this is also something similar I "requested" in this thread.

http://www.vik.cc/bluemsx/blueforum/viewtopic.php?p=8916

[mars2000you]

For my part, I don't trust OCR and prefer to type the listing, just like in the old days.

But 'good' ASCII files can be read by MSX-BASIC.

So, steps 5 and 6 are more simple than you think if the ASCII file is good :

a) create a DSK file with Disk Manager
b) put the file TEST.TXT on the DSK, save the DSK and close Disk Manager
c) insert the DSK in virtual drive A of blueMSX
d) load "TEST.TXT"
e) after loading : SAVE "TEXT.BAS" to get the file in tokenized form (smaller size and faster loading), then test the program, search for eventual bugs and fix them

So, no need of a new tool in blueMSX (until now, after almost 1 year, only 2 users have asked for that).
_________________
Benoît
blueMSX co-developer and MSX blue webmaster
blueMSX- Passion MSX- MSX blue