ANN: RANDO Version 2.1 with source now up for download
Bill Buckels
http://www.teacherschoice.ca/kidstuff/Rando21.pdf
RANDO(C) Version 2.1
For IBM-PC and Compatible Computers
Copyright Bill Buckels 1990-2009
All Rights Reserved.
Complete with C Source Code - Available for Download at:
http://www.teacherschoice.ca/kidstuff/rando21.zip
Program Description
-------------------
Very Large Random Letters for the Very Young.
Very Bright and Very Noisy.
Rando is a "Typing Game" and a Random Letters Recognition Game (hence the
name "Rando" which stands for "Random". I just thought that a silly word
like "Rando" would mean more to a 3 year old than a real word like
"Random".)
Rando is a very simple and very colorful game for children of around 3 - 6
years old. Music and Lots of Really Bright Colors and Large Letters make
Rando interesting even if your child can't read. (The reading will come soon
enough.)
Several activities are organized around a main menu. Rando has no time
limits, and is just a noisy and colorful and fun way for your child to learn
the alphabet.
This version of Rando is free and you are encouraged to give Rando away to
anyone you please. The more kids that enjoy Rando, the merrier! See the
licence Agreement for more details. I am distributing Rando with complete
source code for this release. Read the licencing section if you are inclined
to use source code.
History
-------
I wrote Rando for my little boy Bill, (who is long past a teenager and no
longer so little). Frankly, he hated it, and also didn't much care for
computers at all when he was that young. However, regardless of my son's
preference at that age, I still think Rando is a fun activity for a young
person who likes to "bang" on the keyboard.
It was for this reason that I decided to write this new version of Rando for
the current generation of little people to enjoy, (or to hate, depending on
their preferences).
I originally wrote Rando on the IBM-PC and the Apple II versions came after
their respective IBM-PC Versions. The only real difference between this
version of Rando and the Apple II Version 2.0 released in 2008 is the
absence of colour in Apple II textmode due to the Apple II's Hardware
Limitations. I also did not add a mouse to Rando for the Apple II.
Bill Buckels
bbuc...@mts.net
April 2009
Note: as an aside - The Apple II Version is available from the Aztec C
Website:
Documentation: http://www.aztecmuseum.ca/Rando33.pdf
Programs and Source: http://www.aztecmuseum.ca/Rando33.zip
This will run in an emulator or on a real Apple II. (disk image provided).
Bill Buckels
>Complete with C Source Code
I should note that the bsvu.c source code that I posted earlier in
theMouse's "must-have" thread and a working version are part of this Rando
Release of mine, and also a utility to embed compressed 80 column bsaved
text screens into C programs.
Whether working in MS-DOS or some equivalent, like CP/M 86 or freedos, this
technique is a reasonably effective way of providing predesigned text
screens.
If someone has an aversion to using the Microsoft compiler, my Aztec C
website has MS-DOS based compilers with samples for dealing with BSAVED text
screens on variety of platforms:
http://www.aztecmuseum.ca/compilers.htm
For MS-DOS (and CP/M 86)
http://www.aztecmuseum.ca/compilers.htm#msdos
As an aside, the Commodore 64 cross-compiler has conversion routines for IBM
BSaved Screens.
Here's an example on my Commodore 64 site:
http://www.c64classics.ca/index.htm#sdemo
Now, I did write a Wikipedia article on all of this some time ago:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BSAVE_(graphics_image_format)
This is covered in probably abit more detail in my Clipshop utility's
helpfile and samples provided:
I am considering re-releasing Clipshop with source as freeware if any
interest. Otherwise no reall point because too darned much work.
Bill