RISC OS books?

Please excuse typos – I’m listening to Sparking Daydream (Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai! theme) and singing along (badly).

Anyway, after looking at Michio Kaku’s books, I decided to see if RISC OS featured. The top of the list was Raspberry Pi for Dummies co-written by Mike Cook, so I hope RISC OS gets a nod in there.

Then there’s this: http://www.amazon.fr/RISC-OS-Jesse-Russell/dp/5511166898/ which is called “RISC OS” with no description. What’s it about? If you’re the author – a description is, you know, useful!

Then there’s this: http://www.amazon.fr/RISC-Operating-Computers-Architecture-Technology/dp/6130470657/ which at least admits to a lot of its 86 pages being sourced from online sources such as Wiki. For ~€35, are you messing with me?!?

I’m afraid I said something quite rude (in French!) when I saw PRM-1 listed for €217,56. No, I’m not joking: http://www.amazon.fr/RISC-OS-Programmers-Reference-Manual/dp/1852501103/

If you can’t cope with French (even though Amazon in any language looks the same), here are UK links:

RISC OS: http://www.amazon.co.uk/RISC-Ronald-Cohn-Jesse-Russell/dp/B007LNLB4S/

The expensive Wiki book ISBN-10 is 6130470657; Amazon.co.uk does not recognise that…?

The PRM 1, is a much more respectable £20 in the UK Amazon. The expensive dude, a new shop called “DIGITAL-FRONTIER EU” (based in America!) wants a mere £284.46 for it. Looking at their storefront, they’re away on another planet – http://www.amazon.co.uk/Encyclopedia-British-Pottery-Porcelain-Marks/dp/0257657827/ Amazon will sell you a used one for £26.86. The cloud cuckooland guy wants £614.98!
PRM-1 is expensive here too: http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/offer-listing/1852501103/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used (for pounds, divide by 150).

I think they’re from a similar stable as The 2009-2014 World Outlook for 60-Milligram Containers of Fromage Frais . Both seem to be culled from wikipedia (Russell admits it on the back cover). Apparently the reason they exist is as a troll on libraries…

The interesting thing about RISC OS on the Raspberry Pi is that the SD card image for RISC OS on the Pi just works so well. I have written a book that talks you through the steps but it really just explains each step and acts as a gentle introduction to how RISC OS works and to programming in BASIC with some web links to further information. (If you want the book then it is available from lulu.com ‘Getting Started with RISC OS on the Raspberry Pi’, price £4.50 plus nearly £3 P&P [I can do nothing about the P&P].)

The Programmers Reference Manuals (PRMs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5a and the index) are in pdf form on the SD card, as printed copies are now not so easily available (they were quite expensive originally).

What about the BBC BASIC manual? Is that available in any form?

I feel very lucky to still have my spiral bound version.

What about the BBC BASIC manual?

A good question. It was available from the foundation RISC OS Limited site in pdf form until March when it suddenly disappeared. It isn’t included with the ROOL DDE but I have both the pdf form and my original spiral-bound copy. I think this is something to pursue with ROOL – do the copyright issues allow ROOL to make this manual available on line please, now that ROL have removed it?

I feel very lucky to still have my spiral bound version.

I gave mine to a cute blonde. It didn’t have the desired effect.

In retrospect, a bottle of Lambrini and the ability to talk about something other than programming would have been a better choice.

I gave mine to a cute blonde. It didn’t have the desired effect.

In retrospect, a bottle of Lambrini and the ability to talk about something other than programming would have been a better choice.

:-)

More seriously: BBC BASIC is what many of us consider to be a killer advantage of the Raspberry Pi. But without a manual, its advantage is considerably diminished.

IMHO we need to make strenuous efforts to make that manual available on the Raspberry Pi – as part of the standard distribution.

The only problem with that is the manual is out of date. It doesn’t tell you that the modes don’t work as advertised on the Pi, and it doesn’t explain the newer versions of the COLOUR command. Having a detailed manual is one thing, but it would be nice if it reflected the actual situation… anything else just leads to frustration.

What about the BBC BASIC manual?

I have a complete html manual and I have not found a copyright (I searched briefly.).
And I have one for StrongHelp.

I think that being able to access an HTML manual for BASIC would be a bonus for those new to the platform. The contents of the manual will be copyrighted, regardless of whether or not it’s explicitly stated. But if such a manual has been floating around users for years without being challenged, then perhaps there’s some sort of acceptance of its existence by the copyright holders concerned.

Perhaps approaches could be made to likely interested parties about its release (with a copyright notice) under condition of no reproduction for profit.

There is the CD sold by Drag n Drop containing 55 BBC Micro programming books: http://www.dragdrop.co.uk/

It doesn’t tell you that the modes don’t work as advertised on the Pi, and it doesn’t explain the newer versions of the COLOUR command.

There is a one-page supplement in the ‘User Guide’ for RISC OS 3 for the Risc PC that describes the changes to MODE, COLOUR and TINT. It would be simple to twaek that for the Pi. It is also possible that the ‘BBC BASIC Reference Guide’, which was still advertised as available post-Risc PC, had been updated? In any case it would seem a really good thing to release the BBC BASIC Guide if at all possible.

The 55 BBC Micro Books contain lots of references to BBC Basic—but NOT Basic V as on current and recent systems. What’s needed is an up-to-date version of the manual, without needing to look at supplements.

StrongHelp is very useful, but also rather brief—briefer than say Windows help files tend to be (compare it, for example, with the help for BB4W).

There’s also the HELP command in BASIC itself—surprisingly useful.

StrongHelp [BASIC] is very useful, but also rather brief

Can I ask which SH BASIC manual you are using? There are 3 out there, and the one supplied with RO 5 was written 15 years ago. I maintain the current version that contains a considerable amount of information about BASIC, but it is still brief in terms of actually using BASIC to program. SH does not really lend itself to that.

The early version of the BASIC Reference Manual is still available online from http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk/docs/Acorn/OEM/AcornOEM_BBCBASICRM.pdf

This is the ARM development version from 1986/87. It covers BASIC 5 and its added/modified commands. It’s certainly better than no reference at all if you’re a newbie to RISC OS BASIC.

I think this is something to pursue with ROOL – do the copyright issues allow ROOL to make this manual [BBCBASIC] available on line please, now that ROL have removed it?

Hello guys! Is this possible please?

I think this is something to pursue with ROOL – do the copyright issues allow ROOL to make this manual [BBCBASIC] available on line please, now that ROL have removed it?
Hello guys! Is this possible please?

I’m not sure that is a copyright issue:
The rights to publish the documentation rest with the original authors or the devolved rights owners. Since castle picked up the head rights it would seem to be castle (or their authorised agents)
In short if ROOL have the information they can publish or authorise someone to publish.

I do not know exactly where I got the html manual. But it looks like my manual-book. My book is in German and was there with my RiscPC. The html is a english manual but it is the same, including the images. Maybe it was on a StrongARM-, Select- or Adjust-CD. I’m not sure.
I can send this to ROOL…

I do not know exactly where I got the html manual. But it looks like my manual-book. My book is in German and was there with my RiscPC.

Which would make it an issued item with RO machines made by Acorn – either it’s copyright passed to Castle or the stuff is in limbo. Most likely the former.

Pass the data to ROOL to make sure they have the info for checking.

Hi everyone

We plan to start a series in Drag ’N Drop on BBC Basic V in the Autumn (volume 5). Though if anyone fancies contributing examples/articles I can get the ball rolling in the upcoming vol.4 issue 4.

Chris.
www.dragdrop.co.uk

No answer from ROOL since 21.05.. No interest or no time?

No answer from ROOL since 21.05.. No interest or no time?

Check out the appeal from Chris Evans on comp.sys.acorn asking for people able to edit Ovation Pro documentation to bring the Iyonix manual up to date and make it more generic. Chris is fronting the effort with the approval of Castle/ROOL.

I do not work with Ovation Pro. Since 1992 I ‘ve been very satisfied with !TechWriter. ;-)
Maybe I’ll upload the html basic manual in the near future. I’ll still look a bit more thoroughly for a copyright.

I do not work with Ovation Pro. Since 1992 I ‘ve been very satisfied with !TechWriter. ;-)

I think it’s probably more of a task for a native english speaker, although translations might be handy later.

Maybe I’ll upload the html basic manual in the near future. I’ll still look a bit more thoroughly for a copyright.

Where was the original HTML document from? I keep all sorts of old stuff and I just may have a copy somewhere that could get an edit/update. Might be worth digging around. Alternately there’s always the copy you have.