Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!mit-eddie!bbn!bbn.com!slackey
From: slackey@bbn.com (Stan Lackey)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Re: Help
Keywords: mouse,bload
Message-ID: <30806@bbn.COM>
Date: 13 Oct 88 20:27:59 GMT
References: <4304@bsu-cs.UUCP> <2095@udccvax1.acs.udel.EDU>
Sender: news@bbn.COM
Reply-To: slackey@BBN.COM (Stan Lackey)
Organization: Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc., Cambridge MA
Lines: 22

>In article <4304@bsu-cs.UUCP> merlin@bsu-cs.UUCP (Scott McPheeters) writes:
>>1. Can a ST mouse be used through the joystick port on a 8bit? And be controled
>>   by normal joystick comands or paddle comands?

  Some time ago, I posted a trak-ball handler which sits in page 6 and
is controlled by a timer interrupt.  I was told that the ST mouse
works the same as the trak-ball, so my program might work.  Maybe some
kind soul will re-post it from archives, as I have changed computers
and would have to re-type it in.

>>2. Is there a way to binary load a file from basic using like an XIO comand?

  I have a simple assem routine appended to the trak-ball handler in
page 6.  It is called by BASIC USR() commands, and just copies all the
parameters off the stack, sticks them into the right IOCB and calls
CIO.  It passes status back to BASIC by putting it into memory
locations 212/213.  This gives BASIC a lot more functionality, such as
copying binary data to&from disk without SLOW! single-byte PUTs and
GETs.

I just keep that page 6 stuff there all the time; I use the trak-ball
as a mouse.  One button is not enough, though.