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From: barry@rbdc (Barry Newberry)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Re: CALL FOR DISCUSSION: comp.sources.apple2
Summary: Just say 'yes'
Message-ID: <1990Jul7.061916.10161@rbdc>
Date: 7 Jul 90 06:19:16 GMT
Reply-To: barry@rbdc.UUCP (Barry Newberry)
Distribution: usa
Organization: N.C. Home for Deranged Programmers
Lines: 37

I am all for the comp.sources.apple2. I think it should function BOTH
as a place for source code and discussion of source code (programming
technique).

With respect to posting to binaries newsgroup, no binaries are received
at my site, because the admin has to pay for the long distance calls. And
if he gets the apple binaries, he'll get the binaries for Mac, IBM, Amiga,
etc. in fairness to the other users. Binscii'd 800K disks are big, and
believe me, some have been sent over binaries.

For new programmers. I started Apple II Assembly back in 1981. I was self-
taught using various manuals; it took a year to develop a good understanding
of the processor flags and operations. Now, I've taken college classes in
data structures and programming. I was surprised at the number of things
that I had done the "hard way." Having a separate newsgroup for sources and
discussion of sources would be a great help to those who are learning to
program the Apple II's. We're not on the ANSI standards (for the most part),
and this would be the place to find out about compiler bugs and Apple II
programming in general. It seems to me that much of the newsgroup discussion
is taken to Email. For example, Doug Gwyn sent the C header for the SCC 8530
(IIgs) to me; without this source it would have been impossible for me do
my serial port related programming (Assembly). I could have used BASIC or
Pascal hooks, but polling is not the way to run a serial port. I could be
overlooking some very important information, but this is the sort of stuff
(discussion) that I would expect on sources.

I don't expect the newsgroup to be a replacement for college level courses
in computer programming, but it should make Apple programming easier and
more enjoyable.


-- 
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    Remember, until there is a cure for Assembly Language Brain Fry,
      there will always be the N.C. Home for Deranged Programmers.
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