[Coco] [Color Computer] Re: OS-9 as Replacement for DECB.

[Kevin Diggs]

Hi,

James Diffendaffer wrote:
> 
> Actually, most ROM routines use integers in the end.  It's not like
> you can have 100.75 items in an array or turn on pixel 55.005,34.222.
> And most loop counters step by an integer, not a floating point value.
> 
> Every time a variable is used by one of these routines it must be
> converted from float to integer.  Very time consuming!  Adding
> integers to CoCo Basic would yield a huge speedup *if* you were to
> define variables as integers where possible!  Even routines that do
> use floats like printing require some sort of conversion.  Only
> floating point math between variables wouldn't involve some sort of
> conversion.
> 
> When you use a fixed value rather than a variable in your source code
> such as "PSET(4,55)" the values are strings and the interpreter must
> convert them to integers... or worse... to floats and then to integers
> if you do something like this "PSET(X+5,55)".  That's why a partially
> compiled (P Code) interpreter would be much faster.
> 
> Just look at some BASIC source code and stop and think how many times
> per line that stuff takes place!!!  Add other interpreter overhead
> like garbage collection, keyboard polling and what not and you end up
> bringing a fast machine to a crawl.  Theres no reason a replacement
> Basic couldn't run many times faster than ECB.
> 

	Umm. Don't want to beat a dead keyboard, but doesn't a better BASIC 
already exist? I think it is called BASIC09. It has integer variables. 
It even has CORDIC transcendentals! (I don't know what it means either. 
But it sounds impressive!).

	Given the existence of OS9 (with BASIC09, C, and PASCAL), I just don't 
get why people stick with the ROM stuff? WARNING - ATTEMPT AT HUMOR - 
WARNING: Do you guys also like to play with abacci, piles of rocks, and 
sticks in loose dirt?

	My advice? Git yourself a hard drive and OS9. And be a man! Don't let 
Mark install OS9 for you! Do it yourself! Wrap your tre (except for the 
keyboard of course) and hard drive in bubble wrap and order a couple of 
kegs. Then lock yourself in a room and refuse to come out until it will 
boot!

	Then buy an "I built a bootable OS9 boot block!" Tee shirt!

					kevin