Support for Other Languages

Eventually, 95LX programs were implemented in other languages. As mentioned, we'll discuss these languages in more depth in future issues.

Assembler --Eventually, most programmers bite the bullet and start programming in assembler. Here is just one "must-have" file from a master at bit-twiddling.

Assembler --95ASM.ZIP

Bytes: 6,827 Text file for those who want a head-start in writing an assembler, System-Manager Compliant programs. It's from Everett Kaser of HP Corvallis, and it's the next best thing to having Everett write your program for you.

UTIL Forth --Some programmers prefer the Forth Language for quick prototyping and design of programs. UTIL Forth, from Essex Marketing is one of the best implementations of Forth around. It was designed to work in a palmtop environment and is very well supported by Essex. Over the past couple of years, Chris Smith has contributed lots of sample code and has even published a Forth Newsletter. All of the exemplary Forth code that I've seen is included in the commercial package. (See page 31, Jan/Feb 92).

UTIL Forth --GRAPH.U

Bytes: 8,320 UTIL Forth Graphics words for the 95LX to load and save a graphics screen. Includes programming guidelines to create "clean" screens in the graphics mode.

UTIL Forth --PYG.ZIP

Bytes: 63,424 A small Forth programming language compiler. CIS, ON DISK (J/F 92)

UTIL Forth --TSTCOM.U

Bytes: 5,363 UTIL Forth serial communication words that use SYSMGR services on the 95LX. Test code is included for the 95LX to sever as dumb terminal for a Forth microprocessor single board computer.

UTIL Forth --UDFORT.ZIP

Bytes: 126,945 A small Forth programming language compiler. CIS, ON DISK (J/F 92)

UTIL Forth --UNEWS4.95

Bytes: 19,868 Issue #4 of the Forth Corner Newsletter includes Forth words to handle SysMgr graphics on the 95LX, a update of the Metacompiler for double numbers, bounds checking with arrays, and more.

UTIL Forth --UTIL.ANN

Bytes: 6,568 An announcement and description of UTIL Forth, a System Manager compliant Forth programming system for the 95LX.

Basic --Several people have successfully used BASIC and QuickBASIC to write 95LX programs. If this is your preferred language, then the following will give you some valuable tools.

Basic --SS95.ZIP

Bytes: 26,867 Add-in library for QuickBASIC that will let you do graphics programming on the 95LX. The file contains demo program, source code. The library is shareware.

Basic --QBCOMF.95

Bytes: 2,764 A text file containing QuickBASIC routines that will let you use the 95LX's serial port.

Swift!BASIC --It is the only language that will let you write SMC programs out of the box. It is the preferred version BASIC for this small machine. Swift!BASIC is designed exclusively for the HP 95LX. It also handles the 95LX's graphics and sound functions. Here are some files that relate to this fine commercial product. (See review, page 32, Jul/Aug 92 issue.)

Swift!BASIC --FILEMN.ZIP

Bytes: 1,556 Example of Swift! Basic allowing file selection using SysMgr file menu system calls.

Swift!BASIC --S!B_DE.LZH

Bytes: 25,049 EXMs written in Swift!Basic. Includes ASCII source codes.

Swift!BASIC --SBASIC.ANN

Bytes: 2,899 An announcement and description of Swift!Basic, an implementation of BASIC for the HP 95LX Palmtop Computer that generates system- compliant programs.

Pascal --Turbo Pascal runs on the 95LX. Version 3.02 is preferred for its small size (about 40K bytes compressed). If you want Object Oriented Programming (OOP), you will need to use Borland Pascal 5.0 or later.

Pascal --TP95.ZIP

Bytes: 6,937 Text file telling how to get Turbo Pascal 3.02A to run on the HP 95LX. It includes a sample Pascal program of Conway's Game of Life which may be loaded into the 95LX and run using the Turbo Pascal compiler. The graphics part of TP 3.02 does not work on the 95LX.

Pascal --TP5GRF.ZIP

Bytes: 2,793 Contains the source code for a Turbo Pascal unit to interface to the HP 95LX graphics routines.

Pascal --HPGRAP.ZIP

Bytes: 8,192 More graphics interface source code, but the coding is closer to that used in the ISV manual. Written for Turbo Pascal versions 4 and 5, the source code may be recompiled to work with versions 6 and 7.

AWK --Originally a UNIX pattern-matching utility, AWK grew into a powerful programming language eventually ported to the PC environment.

AWK --GCAWK1.ZIP

Bytes: 7,129 A collection of useful AWK programs for the HP 95LX, including code for an Editor, a couple of different ways to do MORE, a 40-column formatter (FAT .AWK), a Hex/Decimal/Octal calculator, and file management utilities DU and WC.

Miscellaneous --Files Several files have come to our attention that do not fit in any of the above categories.

Miscellaneous --FIXUP.ZIP

Bytes: 10,867 This file gives all the details of the FIXUP problem in the 95LX, along with suggested work-arounds (see page 5, Jan/Feb 93 issue). Also included is a utility that shows if your program contains any fixups.

Miscellaneous --FORMAT.PBK

Bytes: 2,503 CIS, ON DISK (M/A 93) FORMAT.ABK Bytes: 12,176 These two files contain descriptions of the file formats for the Phone Book and Appointment data files.

Miscellaneous --SERVER.ZIP

Bytes: 30,971 Text file containing tips on how to access the 95LX's undocumented $SERVER command. $SERVER is supposed to do a binary dump of the C drive over to a disk.