[Coco] Colorful_Sled_6ed

[Bill Pierce]

Your desires all sound like Windows built in cut and paste, multiple windows 
open at the same time and lots more features that I use forgetting that OS-9 
does not have anything close to them.



Actually, Ed 3.0 does these things. I just have a limit on the buffer size. When I'm on a roll compiling, I usually have 2-3 instances of Ed going in different windows, a 360k Ram Disk for the copy buffer for Ed allowing window to window transfers as Ed doesn't care which instance created the copy buffer, it just uses it, and my /term window for actually running the compiler. Ed will copy a marked selection to a buffer file in the ramdisk, which is usable by all other running instances. This allows me to copy/cut/paste to any running instance of Ed. The ramdisk is also used for temp storage of the temp compiler files as well, hence the large size. My Coco has a Disto 1-meg kit so I have the mem to do this (and someone said there was no real use for the 1 meg :-), though I usually use VCC for the speed factor in compiling. The transfer from VCC to Coco is just 2-3 clicks in Drivewire and costs a few seconds, so I can compile on VCC and run on the real Coco in less than one minute.
 
 So to say "OS-9 does not have anything close to them" is quite an understatement as I already have all this and use it every day!! I just want a disk oriented buffer or an editor that uses virtual memory. Hence the desire for the source. How hard would it be to impliment a virtual memory buffer that uses a 32k graphics screen (or 2) as text buffer and use get/put buffers as the means to access the text in 8k chunks. The transfer is almost seamless and instantainious as long as you do good index book-keeping. This means a program would only have to maintain an 8k buffer in it's own workspace and all the rest of the 64k for the program allowing more features. And don't say it can't be done, it has already been done long ago. Ultimuse3 is a fine example in OS9 and Projector 3-4 is another in RSDOS. Both use virtual memory and swap subroutines on the fly as well, using a simple "default" command system for the subs so as to not have to write handlers for each sub. The are a few more programs of this nature in both OS-9 and RSDOS but they just don't come to mind at the moment.

Lately, I average about 8-10 hours a day on the Coco or VCC, mostly doing work in "C". My hobby has become an obsession here lately and my wife is reminded of those days in the 80s when the Coco was in it hayday. I spent most hours after work, at my desk with the Coco, usually late into the night. Back then, my desk was in the kitchen so she at least saw me when she went in there. These days, my computers are in a building outside and she uses the cell phone to "text" me to come in and take out the garbage or come to dinner LOL

Bill P


Music from the Tandy/Radio Shack Color Computer 2 & 3
https://sites.google.com/site/dabarnstudio/
Bill Pierce
ooogalapasooo at aol.com