QLUSTer has recently, some will say finally!, undergone a long awaited upgrade which had been partially delayed by a year of voluntary service (servitude?) in Western New Mexico, on the Eastern Navajo Reservation, as they like to say/suggest to the potential donors.
As of mid-October 1993, the latest release version is 5.109.
The significant change which prompted the new version number was the ability to access already “made” sub-DIRectories structures.
QLUSTer requires that your QL have access to five superTOOLKIT2. Keywords: WCOPY, WDELete, SPooL, RENAME, and WSTATus.
Sub-DIRectories [ … -> ]
Access to the sub-DIRectories is performed by simply pressing the appropriate key designate as you might for an individual file. QLUSTer will determine that it is NOT a file, and go about the task of retrieving and displaying the sub-DIRectory.
The sub-DIRectory will be “in play” even if you change the device to a floppy which does not have a sub-DIRectory structure. The net result may be an empty page if no files exist with the appropriate DIRectory prefix.
Return to the main DIRectory via SELECT_DEVICE option (press ‘0’ to access). If the disk you are using has sub-DIRectories [i.e., “->”], but your QL does not have the MAKE_DIR command. then QLUSTer will, at last attempt, simply access the first file in that sub-DIRectory. Subsequent files will not be accessible other than via WCOPY or WDEL etc.
Greater “Crash” Protection
Time away from Qomputing has helped me resolve the problem of my version of TURBO (2.00) implementing file type recognition. It is believed that the only reason QLUSTer will hang-up/crash now is if the EXEctable file is corrupt and does not load properly or, if you are attempting to load binary code created by (yes, you guessed it) DIGITAL whose binary code apparently “looks” like EXEctable code to the QL.
A solution to this is to place such code in its own sub-DIRectory, e.g.: “Turbo_TK_code” has hung up my QL when testing the F(ile)TYP(e) check; so, I have placed it within its own sub-DIRectory to prevent my accidentally attempting to ‘EXEC_W’ it. Okay, I’m sure there must be another way to CRASH the program, but I’m trying to avoid thinking about it (or them).
QLUSTer 5.109 will now “ask” whether or not your printer is READY before it will attempt to send a file down the line. QLUSTer requires TK2_EXT code.
Same upgrade policy as before to anyone who has acquired a copy of QLUSTer either directly from me, through EMSOFT, or UPDATE! Just send $2.00 to cover the cost of a new disk (specify size) and the postage and handling (as they say). Send comments/ questions/ queries to :-
AL FENG
914 RIO VISTA CIR SW
ALBUQUERQUE NM 87105 USA
Happy Trails, and Computing, to You…