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Mike Kerslake with some suggestions for better Atari computing and some ideas for programmers...

First off I've been taking in what some people have said in usenet and elsewhere about help files. These are normally supplied with shareware and PD software, and increasingly with commercial software, mainly because printed manuals are very expensive to produce and quickly go out of date. 
Many help files come in the ST-Guide HYP format and assuming you have the program installed, either as a desktop accessory or an application, provide a quick and easy way of getting instant help from inside a program. However, not everyone wishes to use ST-Guide and they face a problem because more often or not there is no ASCII help file provided with much new software. Trying to make sense of a HYP file is not easy without the proper viewer! Therefore, I would suggest all programmers making documentation available in HYP format for their programs should consider including ASCII documentation as well. It also helps those of us that like to print out help files - which isn't convenient from ST-Guide.

That neatly brings me on to another suggestion, how about someone coming up with a proper print utility for ST-Guide? I'm aware of the German HYP2GDOS utility which can output HYP files via GDOS but it appears unsupported and a similar utility in English would be really useful.

Staying with output options, has anyone come up with a way of getting Papyrus output into PostScript or PDF format?  Papyrus has drivers for outputting to ISS typesetters, but both these options would be useful additions for anyone trying to output Papyrus documents at commercial printers or bureau services. So, bright ideas, or better still, proper drivers, are required!

Now it's Readers' suggestion time and Stephen Strowes of Carluke in Scotland came up with the following idea which is intriguing, although I'm not sure it's workable - as usual comments or working programs are invited?

"I have thought about improvements that could be made to the Atari system (particularly STs) and have come up with this.

I thought that a small utility, probably an AUTO folder program, could be written to allow four or sixteen colours on screen at once at high res. I have always considered the desktop resolutions to be guidelines by which the ST will boot in, and that good coding can replace these routines, so surely these can be altered (I know some games use code to allow 32 colours on-screen).

This would be most useful for internet users, being able to view the pictures and be able to see the general idea of what it's meant to look like in colour if only four colours are used.

By my calculations, a 640*400 4-bit image (16 colours) would take up 128Kb of main memory which shouldn't be a problem in most cases. The only trouble is monitors. Those with an Atari hi-res specific computer will lose out. Those who have adapted VGA, SVGA, and also multisync monitors will be able to benefit.

I could understand why something like this was not released commercially because of the number of hires monitors around, but this may not be a problem for the "casual programmer" as it could benefit them too, and sales with profits of œx000 aren't necessary."

Thanks Stephen, let's see what the experts can come up with.

Finally, I've had a bit more response to the idea of a directory of people willing to assist other Atari users with help and advice. And I hope to have the first directory ready for inclusion in AC#12. However, the more offers of help we get the better the chances of the directory being useful. If you think you can spare a bit of time to help other Atari users, please get in touch with me via the usual editorial address or email me at:

** BC **
mike@ataricomputing.com
** /BC **