.IF DSK1.C3 TEXTWARE, SOFTWARE, ELSEWHERE ^^^^^^^^^^^T.I. Articles and Reviews ^^^^^^^^^^^by Jack Sughrue About five or six months ago I ordered and got COMPUTE'S GUIDE TO EXTENDED BASIC HOME APPLICATIONS ON THE TI-99/4A. Exciting title, right? It came in with two other COMPUTE books I bought: 33 PROGRAMS FOR THE TI-99/4A and TI-99/4A SOUND AND GRAPHICS. I read and typed some of the 33 PROGRAMS first. Then I read and typed a few of the Sound/Graphic programs, but I never got around to doing anything at all (including reading) the XB Home Applications book, henceforth called "HA!" (because that was my reaction when I began reading). Then the HA changed to HO and the HO to OH? and the OH? to WOW! I was (and still am) most impressed with this book by Christopher Flynn (from COMPUTE! Publications, Inc., PO Box 5406, Greensboro, NC, 27403 for $12.95 plus $2.00 S&H OR from your local store, if you're lucky enough to find one that carries T.I. books. This is (except for the title) a most impressive work. It does things in ways I've not uncovered in any other book. But, first, let's examine the book. Like all COMPUTE! books it has a stiff, laminated cover and is spiral bound. (May the blessings of the gods settle ever in your electrodes, you publishers who spiral-bind computer books.) Nice, easy-to-read large, black print on white paper, chapter-separated (as always from this publisher) by stiff colored title sheets). As if all this were not user-friendly enough, there is yet more. All their books are in non-bulkly, just-perfect 6x9 size. (If you use books around your computer much, you will find all of the above nothing short of marvelous.) Inside, the publisher's grand touches abound: orderly Table of Contents, easy-to-use Index, properly-numbered program line numbers, good displays, and, most importantly, meaningful text. The content is teriffic. The 9-page intro explains why the book is all (actually, almost) written in Extended BASIC. Starting with Chapter Two, Flynn teaches how to develop XB techniques, when and how to use them: subprogramming, screen formatting, program design, error trapping, and the like. This chapter (and the final chapter called Putting It All Together) are worth twice the price of the book, even if that's all you got. But it isn't all you get; not by a longshot. Flynn ingeniously and clearly takes you through a file management system. You learn how to develop program files, data files, records, fields, and what to do with them after you do them. (No more index cards, Ma!) From data files to spreadsheets. Flynn offers two spreadsheets here, one called Tiny Plan I and the other, of course, is Tiny Plan II. They are compatible and, amazingly, require only XB and a cassette recorder. (48K & disk & printer add greatly to the possibilites.) These two plans offer some remarkable and automatic features of disk/cartridge based plans. But they are no substitute for MULTIPLAN if your spreadsheet needs are great. However, these programs are good if your needs are small (or if you want to find out what all this spreadsheet stuff is about). I could really do this entire review on these spreadsheets, but then I wouldn't be able to write about the electronic charts. Flynn's examples and instructions are as clear and straightforward as his bar-chart programs are to operate. Simplifying the complex. His Appointment Calendar is superb (again, complex problems resolved simply), but I was unhappy about not tying in a printout. It's not a small thing with me, so I'll have to work on getting the printouts I need for such an otherwise superb program. His Electronic Card File is set up (as so many things are in this book) for people with tape recorders and for people with disk drives. The separate approaches and needs are discussed. He gives lots of practices and shows, through samples, how the card file works. Believe it or not, after all these fantastic programs, the finale is the cherry on the fruit-salad sundae. The final 10-page chapter, Putting It All Together, opens up more options for ALL disk owners than any similar things I've seen to date. He puts the entire book onto one menu-driven small program for you. He has a loader and cataloguer that can give you so much direct and personal information about your disks you may replace all the other. Flynn gives you little sub or intro minis to tack here and there in your programs to open up more and more of your programs and files. If you're interested in getting away from games for a while and want to learn why the 99 is one of the best machines still around, this is the book that can do it for you. A Note About My Biases: I receive letters every so often from people who complain about my articles and reviews. (Fortunately, most of the letters do not.) The complaints fall into two categories: I don't get into the technical aspects enough or I am not critical enough. Both complaints are legitimate. But I feel I am writing for the majority of T.I. owners, and, if the majority is at all like myself, they are limited in their technical abilities (or desires). One does not have to know HOW a television set works to enjoy viewing television or how a car works to drive. One can appreciate the technical aspects of our electronic and mechanical marvels which we use for recreation and work and as essential living tools without any knowledge of technical. From the letters and comments I receive, my audience seems to be non-technical (which doesn't mean they are not growing and learning along with myself). And, as much as I consider my full system absolutely essential, the majority of TI owners still have only a tape recorder. I don't think these people should be cut off from the T.I. Community, though, of course, more and more materials will be disk oriented because more and more materials are on disk only. Because we are, as the involved members of our user groups, ignoring these Tape People (as I like to call them), they are leaving us in droves. A problem which nobody seems to be addressing. There are lots of beginners still out there, people who need to take this computer business slowly and lightly. I hope it isn't too late to get these future backbones of our international brotherhood back into the main bodies. Otherwise, we won't be able to stand up alone anymore. [Jack Sughrue, Box 459, E.Douglas, MA 01516] ******* If any newsletter editor prints these articles, please put me on your mailing list. Thanks - JS €ˆ€¬ˆ‹ÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕ€‹