Quick programming language?

[Sikor]

I red about "Quick" - programming language for little atari. Info I found on atariki: http://atariki.krap.pl/index.php/Quick - anyone knew ths about it? It is freeware, it is downloadable from any server? Can I find any description for it (in english or polish language)?

If anyone knows something about it - please, write it as comment.

[Wrathchild]

Have a look on the DGS website. Possible available elsewhere though.

[Heaven/TQA]

Quick is very good and I have programmed many tools in it in the 90s... I have coded an advanced sector editor with it. It is more lice action and very low level in terms of hardware layer. I personally found it good. Small step to assembler then but you can structure your code more...

 

Some games and apps are used Quick. But as far as I know it is not PD.

[+CharlieChaplin]

Well,

 

Quick had been released as a type-in listing in german Atari Magazin in 1989 by Raindorf-Soft (Harald Schoenfeld and Andreas Binner). It consists of three program files, the language, a compiler and a runtime (just like TB XL). The listing was version 1.6, but there were also updates available (e.g. via Quick-Magazines 1-15) for version 2.0 and 2.1. Alas, the versions are not fully compatible with each other, thus code used in version 1.6 does not nescessarily run in version 2.0 or 2.1 (or vice versa)...

 

There were also commecial sold versions, they were version 2.0 and 2.1 with printed manual and some programming examples. While Atari Magazin was german, its publisher made a deal in the 90s with Dean Garaghty in England and thus some programs (like Quick, Screen Aided Management and others) are also available in english language and/or with english instructions. DGS still sells these english versions commercially...

 

Last not least, Abbuc once got permission from the copyright holder (Werner Raetz) to release Quick as an Abbuc Sondermagazin (special issue), but alas, the version released by Abbuc was the oldest one 1.6. Nevertheless, since the Quick Magazines are PD right now, it is easy to use the magazines to update version 1.6 to 2.0 and to 2.1...

 

Attached is everything I have for/in Quick language... -Andreas Koch.

[snicklin]

It's a pretty good language. I was programming with it back in the 90s and enjoyed every moment of programming with it.

[Sikor]

Thx for info. It looks it is very interesting language, a bridge between BASIC and ACTION!. Great.

[JonnyBritish]

Thx for info. It looks it is very interesting language, a bridge between BASIC and ACTION!. Great.

 

Wow another programming language for the Atari. Does the 8-bit Atari hold the record for most programming languages with at least 6 different versions of Forth, Different Basic's, Multiple assemblers, Pilot, Action! and more

[JonnyBritish]

I ordered the CD from the UK and it turned up in 6 days or so

[dwhyte]

Well,

 

Quick had been released as a type-in listing in german Atari Magazin in 1989 by Raindorf-Soft (Harald Schoenfeld and Andreas Binner). It consists of three program files, the language, a compiler and a runtime (just like TB XL). The listing was version 1.6, but there were also updates available (e.g. via Quick-Magazines 1-15) for version 2.0 and 2.1. Alas, the versions are not fully compatible with each other, thus code used in version 1.6 does not nescessarily run in version 2.0 or 2.1 (or vice versa)...

 

There were also commecial sold versions, they were version 2.0 and 2.1 with printed manual and some programming examples. While Atari Magazin was german, its publisher made a deal in the 90s with Dean Garaghty in England and thus some programs (like Quick, Screen Aided Management and others) are also available in english language and/or with english instructions. DGS still sells these english versions commercially...

 

Last not least, Abbuc once got permission from the copyright holder (Werner Raetz) to release Quick as an Abbuc Sondermagazin (special issue), but alas, the version released by Abbuc was the oldest one 1.6. Nevertheless, since the Quick Magazines are PD right now, it is easy to use the magazines to update version 1.6 to 2.0 and to 2.1...

 

Attached is everything I have for/in Quick language... -Andreas Koch.

 

Has Dean given you permission to post versions 2.1 and 2.2 here? Last time I checked, he was still selling them. But I guess you could say now that the "cat's out of the bag", so to speak, that you're paying for the manual for the language from him now. I paid a whopping $5 for my versions 2.1 and 2.2 plus the manual.

 

I actually got into the language because I found version 2.0 buried in the Holmes Archive (Disc 2 actually) and became interested in it and paid said $5 just so I could get the manual; the newer versions were a bonus. Dean wasn't very pleased to find out that I downloaded a 2.x version not from his site.

 

I really like the easy way you can set up DLIs and VBIs with Quick. Other than that, it kind of reminds me of a dirtier, stricter form of Action!

Edited February 17, 2010 by dwhyte

[pps]

Some more infos and code snippets are located here: atari wiki - strotmann

[+CharlieChaplin]

Calm down !

 

The Quick Magazines are also part of the attachment above - and they are PD, because I bought the rights for these magazines and declared them PD ! Look here: http://www.abbuc.de/modules.php?name=DocTree&dtIsBlk=y&dtId=257

and if you cannot read/understand what it says under 2004, here is a short translation: All Quick magazines (1-15) are now PD and available in the Abbuc PD library...

 

Quick 1.6 (language, compiler, runtime) had been released in the german Atari Magazin as type-in listings, so everyone could type them in. Now, the Quick magazines contain various update programs to update Quick (language, compiler, runtime) to the newer versions 2.0 and 2.1. Thus, when I released the 2.0 and 2.1 version here, do you really bother ?!? Everyone could have taken version 1.6 and then the Quick magazines to update themselves - but since the Quick magazines are in german language, most likely not everyone would have been able to do so and thats why I did it...

 

But alright, I remove the attachment then. (On the other hand, how many attachments are there already at atari-age that are commercial programs, therefore illegal and a break of the copyright law ?!? Its kinda funny that you never complained about other illegal uploads/attachments here on atari-age and now "jump" when you see Quick uploaded.)

 

-Andreas Koch.

 

P.S.: Dean Garaghty is not the copyright-holder of Quick ! He only has a license (from former Power per post, Werner Raetz) to sell the english versions and english manual of Quick. Werner Raetz, Power per Post and Atari Magazin however are long gone, Werner sold his complete A8 shop and all his rights to Sascha Roeber - and Sascha is the one I bought the rights from for the Quick Magazines... (I have a written contract for that!)

 

 

 

Has Dean given you permission to post versions 2.1 and 2.2 here? Last time I checked, he was still selling them. But I guess you could say now that the "cat's out of the bag", so to speak, that you're paying for the manual for the language from him now. I paid a whopping $5 for my versions 2.1 and 2.2 plus the manual.

 

I actually got into the language because I found version 2.0 buried in the Holmes Archive (Disc 2 actually) and became interested in it and paid said $5 just so I could get the manual; the newer versions were a bonus. Dean wasn't very pleased to find out that I downloaded a 2.x version not from his site.

 

I really like the easy way you can set up DLIs and VBIs with Quick. Other than that, it kind of reminds me of a dirtier, stricter form of Action!

Edited February 17, 2010 by CharlieChaplin

[dwhyte]

Calm down !

 

The Quick Magazines are also part of the attachment above - and they are PD, because I bought the rights for these magazines and declared them PD ! Look here: http://www.abbuc.de/modules.php?name=DocTree&dtIsBlk=y&dtId=257

and if you cannot read/understand what it says under 2004, here is a short translation: All Quick magazines (1-15) are now PD and available in the Abbuc PD library...

 

Quick 1.6 (language, compiler, runtime) had been released in the german Atari Magazin as type-in listings, so everyone could type them in. Now, the Quick magazines contain various update programs to update Quick (language, compiler, runtime) to the newer versions 2.0 and 2.1. Thus, when I released the 2.0 and 2.1 version here, do you really bother ?!? Everyone could have taken version 1.6 and then the Quick magazines to update themselves - but since the Quick magazines are in german language, most likely not everyone would have been able to do so and thats why I did it...

 

But alright, I remove the attachment then. (On the other hand, how many attachments are there already at atari-age that are commercial programs, therefore illegal and a break of the copyright law ?!? Its kinda funny that you never complained about other illegal uploads/attachments here on atari-age and now "jump" when you see Quick uploaded.)

 

-Andreas Koch.

 

P.S.: Dean Garaghty is not the copyright-holder of Quick ! He only has a license (from former Power per post, Werner Raetz) to sell the english versions and english manual of Quick. Werner Raetz, Power per Post and Atari Magazin however are long gone, Werner sold his complete A8 shop and all his rights to Sascha Roeber - and Sascha is the one I bought the rights from for the Quick Magazines... (I have a written contract for that!)

 

 

 

Has Dean given you permission to post versions 2.1 and 2.2 here? Last time I checked, he was still selling them. But I guess you could say now that the "cat's out of the bag", so to speak, that you're paying for the manual for the language from him now. I paid a whopping $5 for my versions 2.1 and 2.2 plus the manual.

 

I actually got into the language because I found version 2.0 buried in the Holmes Archive (Disc 2 actually) and became interested in it and paid said $5 just so I could get the manual; the newer versions were a bonus. Dean wasn't very pleased to find out that I downloaded a 2.x version not from his site.

 

I really like the easy way you can set up DLIs and VBIs with Quick. Other than that, it kind of reminds me of a dirtier, stricter form of Action!

 

LOL. I was calm the whole time I wrote the response above. I was just curious if you had permission to upload 2.1 and 2.2 here. I wasn't trying to get you to remove your attachment...

[jp48]

Hi,

 

I can't find the attachment, tried from downloads but maybe I'm too fresh to download. Can someone help me with this,

this language seems extremely interesting !

 

Thanks !

 

 

-jp

 

 

 

Calm down !

 

The Quick Magazines are also part of the attachment above - and they are PD, because I bought the rights for these magazines and declared them PD ! Look here: http://www.abbuc.de/modules.php?name=DocTree&dtIsBlk=y&dtId=257

and if you cannot read/understand what it says under 2004, here is a short translation: All Quick magazines (1-15) are now PD and available in the Abbuc PD library...

 

Quick 1.6 (language, compiler, runtime) had been released in the german Atari Magazin as type-in listings, so everyone could type them in. Now, the Quick magazines contain various update programs to update Quick (language, compiler, runtime) to the newer versions 2.0 and 2.1. Thus, when I released the 2.0 and 2.1 version here, do you really bother ?!? Everyone could have taken version 1.6 and then the Quick magazines to update themselves - but since the Quick magazines are in german language, most likely not everyone would have been able to do so and thats why I did it...

 

But alright, I remove the attachment then. (On the other hand, how many attachments are there already at atari-age that are commercial programs, therefore illegal and a break of the copyright law ?!? Its kinda funny that you never complained about other illegal uploads/attachments here on atari-age and now "jump" when you see Quick uploaded.)

 

-Andreas Koch.

 

P.S.: Dean Garaghty is not the copyright-holder of Quick ! He only has a license (from former Power per post, Werner Raetz) to sell the english versions and english manual of Quick. Werner Raetz, Power per Post and Atari Magazin however are long gone, Werner sold his complete A8 shop and all his rights to Sascha Roeber - and Sascha is the one I bought the rights from for the Quick Magazines... (I have a written contract for that!)

 

 

 

Has Dean given you permission to post versions 2.1 and 2.2 here? Last time I checked, he was still selling them. But I guess you could say now that the "cat's out of the bag", so to speak, that you're paying for the manual for the language from him now. I paid a whopping $5 for my versions 2.1 and 2.2 plus the manual.

 

I actually got into the language because I found version 2.0 buried in the Holmes Archive (Disc 2 actually) and became interested in it and paid said $5 just so I could get the manual; the newer versions were a bonus. Dean wasn't very pleased to find out that I downloaded a 2.x version not from his site.

 

I really like the easy way you can set up DLIs and VBIs with Quick. Other than that, it kind of reminds me of a dirtier, stricter form of Action!

 

LOL. I was calm the whole time I wrote the response above. I was just curious if you had permission to upload 2.1 and 2.2 here. I wasn't trying to get you to remove your attachment...

[flashjazzcat]

Hi,

 

I can't find the attachment, tried from downloads but maybe I'm too fresh to download. Can someone help me with this,

this language seems extremely interesting !

 

Thanks !

Evidently it's been removed because of the lack of clarity regarding its PD status.

[jp48]

Ok, thanks letting me know ! I'm looking programming languages (800 XE/XL) which might contain

some sound extensions, if anyone knows, I would really appreciate !

 

 

-jp

 

(ps. finally I found a forum where people replies to us newbies too !

 

 

 

Hi,

 

I can't find the attachment, tried from downloads but maybe I'm too fresh to download. Can someone help me with this,

this language seems extremely interesting !

 

Thanks !

Evidently it's been removed because of the lack of clarity regarding its PD status.

[JonnyBritish]

I would recommen order the CD from the UK..takes a week os so to get it. Quick looks like fun and the UK CD has a lot of content and is worth it. It even comes with english manuals for the QUICK language. still do not understand why more people do not use it. It seems to have appeared in Germany and dissapeared just as quickly although people on this forum seem to have written some interesting code with it.

 

interesting is that you can attach code from within quick the the vertical blank so if you were writing a game you could perhaps get it running at 60 frames a second asuming your routine was quick enough.

 

Either way QUICK is another addition to the Atari 8-bit language scene.

 

Still cannot understand why there is so little Atari 800xl style coding chat on these forums as the amount of options is amazing.

[pps]

I would recommen order the CD from the UK..takes a week os so to get it. Quick looks like fun and the UK CD has a lot of content and is worth it. It even comes with english manuals for the QUICK language. still do not understand why more people do not use it. It seems to have appeared in Germany and dissapeared just as quickly although people on this forum seem to have written some interesting code with it.

 

interesting is that you can attach code from within quick the the vertical blank so if you were writing a game you could perhaps get it running at 60 frames a second asuming your routine was quick enough.

 

Either way QUICK is another addition to the Atari 8-bit language scene.

 

Still cannot understand why there is so little Atari 800xl style coding chat on these forums as the amount of options is amazing.

 

Quick is a nice tool for writing some little projects. But you can run fast out of memory. Maybee that is the reason for not so many people knowing about it. The developer of Quick did some games with it. Have a look at Rubberball f.e.

 

We (STARSOFT Berlin) wrote some programmes too with Quick. My link above has some of of our code snippets for your pleasure

 

Regarding sound, Quick has built in support for playing sample tunes, done via sound'n'sampler or ATARI Magazin sampler project.

 

Maybee, I will release some more of my code soon on atari-wiki at strotmann.de - have to recover the floppy first

[flashjazzcat]

Still cannot understand why there is so little Atari 800xl style coding chat on these forums as the amount of options is amazing.

You're not the only person to have noticed that, but the concensus is that it goes in cycles. Sometimes there's lots of technical programming talk here (and on the coding forum), but there hasn't been much for months.

[+CharlieChaplin]

Well,

some information about the status of Quick programming language:

 

1) Quick version 1.6: a) originally released as type-in listings in two or three Atari magazines, so anyone could have typed it in; b) also released on the AM reader disks named "Lazy Fingers" and these reader disks are Public Domain; thus version 1.6 is Public Domain !

 

2) Quick versions 2.0 and 2.1: a) released via the Quick Magazines as updates to the original version 1.6; the Quick Magazines were once sold commercially, but I bought the rights for them and declared them as Public Domain; thus, anyone who has the PD version 1.6 could use the Quick Magazines to update to version 2.0 and 2.1...

 

b) both versions have also been released as a fully commercial product with disk, printed manual and some examples; the fully commercial product has been available in german and later also in english language; the german version was copyright Power per Post / Werner Raetz, but Werner sold all his rights to Sascha Roeber / PD-World-Versand who still has the copyright for them; the english version has been exclusively licensed to DGS / Dean Garaghty Software (the deal was made with the author Harald Schoenfeld at one of the AMS shows and later signed by Werner Raetz); so DGS has only a license for the english version - not the copyright for Quick !

 

This means, one can easily get and copy/give-away version 1.6 since it is PD, but one can also quite easily get versions 2.0 and 2.1 by simply updating it with the german Quick magazine updates. Maybe I will also buy the rights for Quick 2.0 and 2.1 from Sascha Roeber (allthough it is not really nescessary) just to stop any confusion here, but I am quite sure, as soon as I do (and release Quick as PD or Freeware) DGS will jump in, though he has just a license (and PPP does not exist anymore). This is the problem with most commercial german A8 software, the rights have been sold several times, even dozens of licenses exist and me, if I buy the right and pay quite some money for it, I can often not easily release the software as PD or Freeware, because sooner or later someone from anywhere in the world jumps in and says he (also) has the right or a license for this software and he does not want me to publish or upload it...

 

c) Quick 2.2: seems to be an english only version, made exclusively by Harald Schoenfeld for DGS (I guess); Quick 2.2 comes with english manual and two double-sided Quick support disks that contain several articles and sources of the german Quick magazines now in english language... so DGS seems to have exclusive rights for this english version;

 

-----

 

As a sidenote:

- I have bought the rights for all KE-Soft programs (which Kemal sold several times!) and declared them as freeware,

- I have also bought the rights for all KE-Soft Zong reader-disks and declared them as PD;

- I got the heir of all AMC programs (by the spoken words of the two AMC-Verlag programmers Rainer Kothe and Holger Kurth, since the AMC boss Armin Stuermer did not write a testament and the original programmers have long left the A8 scene) and after a while I declared all the former commercial AMC programs to Freeware, the AMC-Soft disk-magazines to PD;

- I have bought the rights to all Quick Magazines from Sascha Roeber and declared them as PD

- I have bought the rights to all Diskline magazines from Sascha Roeber and declared them as PD

 

- the Computer Kontakt reader disks (numbered CK A10-A21) were sold at one point as PD by Werner Raetz himself

- the Atari Magazin reader disks (Lazy Fingers 1/1987-12/1989) were declared as PD by Werner Raetz himself in one of the later "new" Atari magazines (that were published between 1991 and 2000 by W. Raetz, then continued by Sascha Roeber until 2003 or 2004)

- the german Syzygy magazines were declared PD by Sascha Roeber who bought the rights from W. Raetz

 

-----

 

So you can see, on one hand a lot of german A8 copyrights seem clear, but on the other hand quite often it happens that rights and/or licenses were sold several times and one does not know of the other one who bought the rights or the license and this brings up confusion...

 

There is a website named "World of Spectrum" which collects information about various programs that were declared PD or Freeware by their authors or by small firms (they even contacted a lot of authors and firms and asked about the status of the programs; then quoted the original e-mail which they did send). And they have a huge list of programs that are already PD or Freeware, where you can click onto one link to download the software or onto another link to read the PD/Freeware statement by the author(s) or firm(s). Of course they also have quite some negative statements, where the author or firm did not allow their program(s) to be PD/Freeware (e.g. by First Star Software, that none of their programs like Boulder Dash, Spy vs. Spy or Astro Chase can be uploaded, since they are not PD/Freeware and still sold commercially). It would be really cool if the A8 had a similar website where one officially collects such information (the software and the official statements) and acts accordingly to the goal getting as many A8 programs PD/Freeware as possible. I have collected a dozen of official A8 freeware statements and would be happy to share it with someone making/creating such a website for the A8... -Andreas Koch.

[+CharlieChaplin]

Anyways,

 

- here is the type-in listing and PD version Quick 1.6...

- and here are all german Quick Magazines...

 

There are also various demo programs and PD/Freeware programs in Quick language available as well as some Quick sources, I will upload them at a later time when I have sorted them... Andreas Koch.

quick_version16.zip

quick_magazines.zip

[spookt]

I would recommen order the CD from the UK..takes a week os so to get it. Quick looks like fun and the UK CD has a lot of content and is worth it. It even comes with english manuals for the QUICK language. still do not understand why more people do not use it. It seems to have appeared in Germany and dissapeared just as quickly although people on this forum seem to have written some interesting code with it.

 

If you don't want to wait for the CD Dean offers products via email, including Quick. You get a zip containing the various versions and support disks and mine was in my inbox within 20 mins of ordering. The website is here.

[JonnyBritish]

Did some quick coding and wanted to try writing a routine that was run as a VBI and ended up with this that works

Of coure you have one 60th of a second to run your VBI routine so not much can happen. The .CIRCLE routine will fail as there is not enough time for example. However making it this easy to create a VBI is fun.h

=========================================================

INCLUDE
[
   D1:GRAPH.LIB
]
BYTE
[
   X
]
MAIN
   X=1
   COLOR(5)
   .GRAPHICS(
   VBI(DRAWLINE)
ENDMAIN

PROC DRAWLINE
BEGIN
   PLOT(X,50)
   X+
ENDVBI
ENDPROC

[pps]

Did some quick coding and wanted to try writing a routine that was run as a VBI and ended up with this that works

Of coure you have one 60th of a second to run your VBI routine so not much can happen. The .CIRCLE routine will fail as there is not enough time for example. However making it this easy to create a VBI is fun.h

=========================================================

INCLUDE
[
D1:GRAPH.LIB
]
BYTE
[
X
]
MAIN
X=1
COLOR(5)
.GRAPHICS(
VBI(DRAWLINE)
ENDMAIN

PROC DRAWLINE
BEGIN
PLOT(X,50)
X+
ENDVBI
ENDPROC

 

Forget those DRAW, PLOT or CIRCLE within VBI. The routines behind these orders are the OS built in ones. So they are just as "fast" as their "relatives" in ATARI BASIC.

There exist a library with much faster routines for that. They are located somewhere in the QUICK Magazin charlie Chaplin posted above.

 

You will have more fun, if you use the VBI e.g. for a short routine watching, if a special key is pressed or calling a sound routine, maybe you will find it useful to use the MOUSE order within a VBI too.