{"id":183,"date":"2023-10-30T22:12:56","date_gmt":"2023-10-30T22:12:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/retrorendezvous.org\/?p=183"},"modified":"2023-11-10T17:01:27","modified_gmt":"2023-11-10T17:01:27","slug":"programming-project-space-probe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/retrorendezvous.org\/index.php\/2023\/10\/30\/programming-project-space-probe\/","title":{"rendered":"Programming Project : Space Probe"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Back in 1986 I coded a game for the ZX Spectrum that was published in Popular Computing Weekly. Remember that magazine, where you could type in Basic programs and perhaps get them to work?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this thread I’ll be working on converting this to BBC Basic <\/strong>as part of my relearning of this language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For anyone else that may have published their BASIC programs during that time, there’s two useful archives here:-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Index for Spectrum\/QL typed in scripts : http:\/\/www.users.globalnet.co.uk\/~jg27p … _names.htm<\/a>
2. This archive is from the “World of Spectrum” but the mag covers all scripts from different machines of the time. https:\/\/worldofspectrum.org\/archive\/mag … ing-weekly<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s the original mag and published page:-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Image\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Image\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I’ve been using the excellent Owlet editor on my Mac (I can type faster on a modern keyboard) and my first question is on the use of RND, which is very much prevalent in the code above which I’ll need in the BBC script.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ve noticed in Owlet that when using RND(X) it ends up giving you the\u00a0same number each time<\/strong>, unless you have some code asking for input at the beginning (providing a random time spanned event at the start).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s my finished script which ends up being better than the 1986 version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use this link<\/a> to see and run the BBC Basic script.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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