🚀 go-pugleaf

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If you have been following this group, there have been discussions about
the sad shape of the IBM BASIC Compiler, ver 2.0.  Well, the letter that
I had sent to IBM (a copy was posted here) got some response.  But, before
the response came from the IBM Consumer Relation Department I received a
copy of the latest compiler from another source.  BTW, all of the questions
that I had asked IBM have not been answered yet.  The main one being why
didn't IBM say anything publically about the compiler problem.  You know,
they still haven't made any public type of announcement about the compiler.

Anyway, the earlier versions of the patches (which were actually whole
new compiler programs) were supposidly not officially released.  One
version was supposidly refused, as delivered from MicroSoft.  But it
hit the streets anyway.  She said that it caused more problems than it fixed.
I find it hard to believe that IBM did that.  As you know, IBM won't even
tell someone something is coming, let alone let it sneak out to people.
My source, who has a direct link with the compiler group, even knew about
the bad version.  So, I don't know the real story there.

What you need to get from you IBM dealer is the latest patch diskette that
is dated 04/04/86.  When it compiles, it even gives a version number of 2.01
in the listing file.

I haven't been able to test it on some of the code that has given me trouble,
but it now works with the RBBS-PC code, which it NEVER worked with before.

A couple of other things while I am talking about the compiler.

A few of you have been having problems with getting sub-routines to work
with error trapping.  Well, RBBS-PC uses error trapping in the SUB calls
and it works just fine.  The secret is that the SB errors that you get 
are ignored.  The current version has 20 such errors.  If you would like
a copy of the source code, send me some e-mail and I will send a copy
back for you to look at and compile, to get the idea how it is done.

The last thing is to do with the BASCOM20.LIB dropping DTR when a com
line is opened or closed.  There is a patch for that and it goes as follows:

 1. Make a backup of BASCOM20.LIB
 2. DEBUG BASCOM20.LIB
 3. -S 100 FFF0 83 C2 04 32 C0
    This should give you two locations.  If not give up.  But it should
    as it has worked on all of them so far.
 4. Unassemble the two address given.  You should see:
         ADD DX,+04
	 XOR AL,AL
    and within a couple of instructions:
	 OUT DX,AL
 5. -A xxxx:nnnn
    Replace nnnn with one of the addresses given.  The xxxx can be ignored.
 6. Assemble the following at the address:
	 MOV AL,01
 7. After entering the instruction, be sure to enter RETURN again to get
    out of the assembly mode.
 8. Repeat 5 through 7 for the other address.
 9. Write the file out.
10. Quit as you are done.

The above patch was initially reported on PC bulletin boards by Jeff Porter.

BTW, if you are using the Microsoft QuickBASIC compiler, the patch works
just as well with the BCOM10.LIB file.  Actually Jeff did his research on
the Microsoft version.

Oh, before I forget.  There is a file called SMALLERR.OBJ that comes with
the latest version of the IBM Basic Compiler.  I have no idea what it is
for and I am waiting for a call from IBM to tell me what it is for.
-- 

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