Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!apple!farrier
From: farrier@Apple.COM (Cary Farrier)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: Problems for a new IIGS user
Message-ID: <5124@internal.Apple.COM>
Date: 10 Nov 89 10:43:03 GMT
References: <1134@godot.radonc.unc.edu>
Organization: Apple Computer Inc, Cupertino, CA
Lines: 56

In article <1134@godot.radonc.unc.edu> rosenman@godot.UUCP (Julian Rosenman) writes:
>I am both a new IIGS owner and a new user of comp.sys.apple so I'm
>probably going to ask some dumb questions, but here goes...

	The only dumb questions are the ones never asked.

>1) If you boot up GS/OS and click on BASIC.SYSTEM you then go into
>the AppleSoft environment. How do you get back to the OS without
>rebooting the system? (I've tried "brunning" all the system files with
>no luck. The documentation is silent on this issue).

	The command to exit from basic is called "bye".  Just
	type it in at the prompt, and you will be dropped back to
	the application you were in when you ran basic, which is probably
	the Finder.

>2) Why can't GS/OS read DOS 3.3 files and just display them like
>ProDos files? Is there a utility that does this, or do I have to
>convert them all to ProDos 16 to view them on the desk top?

	GS/OS can't read DOS 3.3 files because there is not 
	a file system translator (FST) which reads DOS 3.3 volumes.
	The way data is arranged on a disk can be different 
	between different file systems (such as ProDOS and DOS 3.3),
	and the system has to be told how to read in the data.  So
	far GS/OS only knows how to read in disks which were
	created under the ProDOS, High Sierra, or ISO 9660 file
	systems.  The system also knows how to read AppleShare
	volumes, but these volumes are encountered only on 
	networks.

>3) What programming language is recommended for the IIGS? AppleSoft is
>clearly inadequate as it does not support the sound chip, super hires
>screen, tool box, extended memory etc. Do any of the commercial
>BASIC's support these things? Which would you recommend?

	The programming language I would recommend would vary
	depending on what type of program you wanted to write.  If
	you are writing something that requires alot of speed, then
	you should probably use assembly.  If you are writing
	something that needs to be ported to other machines,
	then a higher level language (such as C or Pascal) might
	be better suited.

>4) Can the perimeter of the color monitor be altered (other than
>background color)?

	I'm not exactly sure what you mean.  If are asking whether
	you can draw into the border, it is possible with some
	tricky interrupt handling, but not easy for the beginner.

Cary Farrier
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| Cary Farrier | farrier@apple.com       |
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