Does anyone have a TI PILOT (PHD5066) Manual?

[pixelpedant]

This is probably the least talked about language that TI actually actively promoted in the system's time.  And for fairly good reason, given it requires the p-System.  The disk survives, but it doesn't seem like we've got a manual. 

 

Does anyone here have, or has anyone ever seen, a first-party TI PILOT manual? 

 

There was also a PILOT implementation created by Thomas Weithofer usually called PILOT 99, but this is not the same product. 

 

Various vendors did list TI PILOT for sale before TI's pullout from the market, so I'm inclined to think some copies were made.  It's possible these were never delivered and the surviving disk was released to the community without any materials, but that seems unlikely. 

 

We've got a Cyc manual, but naturally that's completely reformatted in the way those are. 

 

[+9640News]

This is the only thing I have.

P-MANUAL

[Elia Spallanzani fdt]

?

[pixelpedant]

Indeed.  The most important thing to come out of that thread was Jim saying he bought the UCSD version back in the day.  So I'm inclined to assume that confirms the vendor listings weren't vaporware, and it probably just sold exceedingly few units (given the high requirements and educational purpose of the language).  Certainly would be lovely to track down the materials. 

 

 

[+Ksarul]

I have to look, as I may still have the manual around somewhere (assuming it wasn't one of the things destroyed when my apartment in Turkey got flooded over 20 years ago).

[pixelpedant]

45 minutes ago, Ksarul said:

I have to look, as I may still have the manual around somewhere (assuming it wasn't one of the things destroyed when my apartment in Turkey got flooded over 20 years ago).

 

Here's hoping!  Truly a significant lost piece of the puzzle, as far as the p-System goes!

 

[HOME AUTOMATION]

...also not what you're looking for:

 

Spoiler

.
PILOT : THE LANGUAGE.
Documentation.
.
This EXTENDED BASIC program simulates the earliest version of the
conversational language known as PILOT..
 It does NOT simulate the P Code Pilot which - in the end - TI did not manage
to release, which compared to the earliest Pilot as Extended Basic compares to
ANSI BASIC. The general form is however the same. This program will demonstrate
the essential structure of PILOT..
 When running this program, you must ENTER a line number and then (in a
separate entry) ENTER the PILOT program line.  Commands such as NEW are given
as a program line entry, after a number entry..
 Use NEW to start writing a new program..
.
COMMANDS:.
 Many commands may be used as program line entries (when they will immediately
be carried out) although some require that you first enter REQUEST mode by
typing as a line entry REQ.
.
LIST. This command will list the program lines chosen. LIST will produce a
prompt for the lines required, which are entered as a single entry in the
format of two numbers separated by a comma, eg 12,20 or for a single line 5,5.
  LIST is allowed as a program line entry, and will leave you in request mode.
To carry on entering, request EDIT with any line numbers specified. See Edit..
.
EDIT. As with list, the command EDIT will produce a prompt asking which lines,
and two numbers must be input as a single entry, separated by a comma. .
NB: The lines you choose control only the display. You may then reenter any
existing line, or enter a new line number outside the range requested..
 After typing EDIT there is a short pause while the program switches to the
correct format..
 If you wish to delete a line, enter the line number, then for the program line
enter a nul (eg just press ENTER). .
 To enter EDIT mode when you are in the middle of entering a program, type in
as a program line REQ then select EDIT..
.
RUN: Used to RUN a program for the first time after entry or after editting it.
  RUN changes the format of the information. Remember to always use RUN after
typing a program in, loading it from tape/disk, or editting it..
  RUN may be entered as a program line: the program immediately RUNs.
  Unless there is a previous E/ command in the program, the effect will be the
same as entering RUN at the end of an Extended Basic program: it keeps RUNning!.
.
REP: Once you have placed the program in RUN format, subsequent runs may be
commanded with REP, which acts more quickly. RUN may be used as often as you
wish without ill effect, but takes longer..
     DO NOT use REP after editing: not until you have first used RUN!.
.
NEW: Use after REQUEST? only. Starts a new program..
.
STOP: Returns you to TI EXTENDED BASIC. .
.
SAVE: Will save your program..
 
 
.
LANGUAGE ELEMENTS:.
.
Entering a PILOT program, you first ENTER a line number, then as a separate
entry a PILOT program line..
 Each PILOT program line comprises a command letter( or letters) followed by a
slash (/) then an optional list. Here are the available language elements,
which will be followed by a short example..
.
T/  (text)  Will print anything following the /.
            NB: The text may not contain a comma (,).
            Leading spaces are not suppressed..
.
A/  (ask)   Requests an input. Provide the prompt with A/.
            A string variable must follow the /.
            String variables are denoted by the character @.
            Samples of string variables: @A   @NAME  @IN  and so on.
             To print a string variable subsequently, use the T/ command,
            thus:  T/HELLO @NAME.
.
M/  (match) One of three comparators. Checks the last input variable (input
            with A/) against the list following the /.
            The command is for a PARTIAL match..
            If the list contains NO then any input containing N & O together
            will return TRUE eg METRONOME is true for NO..
            EVERY word in the list must be terminated with a semi colon (;)
            even if there is only one word in the list..
.
ME/ (match exactly) Similar to M/ but requires the input to match one element
            of the list EXACTLY. Only NO will match with NO. Every element in.
            the list must terminate with a semi colon (;).
            Sample use: ME/YES;OK;O.K.;Y; will return TRUE if any of these
            items was last input..
.
J/  (jump)  Jump to named routine. Routine name must follow the / and is
            preceded by an asterisk (*) as: J/*SUBROUTINE.
.
R/ (return) Used to terminate a subroutine, and pass control to line following
            J/ which entered the subroutine..
.
  NB: SUBROUTINES: Subroutines are unique in not requiring a / command. The
start of a subroutine is indicated by entering as the program line JUST the
subroutine name as in  *SUBROUTINE..
.
E/  (exit)  Stops program. ALL programs should have this element! Can be used
           more than once in a program, and can be used conditionally..
.
CONDITIONAL COMMANDS:.
 All / commands may be conditional. When M/  ME/ or CK/ (see below) have been
used a TRUE/FALSE flag is set. If a match has been made, all / commands
suffixed Y are acted on while those suffixed N are ignored. Similarly if no
match is made, all commands suffixed N are followed while those suffixed Y are
ignored. Unsuffixed commands are followed in both cases..
See sample program at end..
.
NUMERIC VARIABLES:.
 Two numeric variables have been provided, I and J. These MUST be set to zero
before use using:   C/ZJ and C/ZI respectively..
.
To place a value into a numeric variable use the following form:.
C/   (count)    C/J+6 sets J to previous value plus six.
                C/I-2 sets I to two less than its previous value..
.
CK/  (check)    Matches value of numeric variable:.
                CK/I=5 sets TRUE if I does equal five.
                CK/J>8 sets TRUE if J is greater than 8.
.
To print a numeric variable use T/ with a variable preceded by a hash (# : US
term pound) as:.
   T/@NAME HAS A SCORE OF #I POINTS.
.
SUBROUTINES ARE BEST AT THE END OF YOUR PROGRAM...labels are searched for from
the end..
.
At program start up, you are asked PROGRAM NAME? To write a new program just
press ENTER. To load from tape just type OLD..
.
Remember to enter program lines in two entries: first the line number, then the
line.  Line numbers must fall between 1 and 255 but need not be entered
sequentially..
 32k RAM will increase the capacity for a greater number of PILOT lines. .
.
TYPICAL PILOT PROGRAM:.
.
1.
  T/HELLO WHAT IS YOUR NAME?.
2.
  A/@NAME.
3.
  T/HI @NAME.
4 .
  T/LIKE TO DO THAT AGAIN?.
5.
  ME/Y;YES;YEP;OK;O.K.;YEAH;.
6.
  RY/        [no outstanding JUMP so return     ].
             [will RUN program again from line 1].
7.
  T/YOU ANSWERED IN THE NEGATIVE!.
8     .
  T/I LIKE @NAME!.
9.
  T/LETS USE A SUBROUTINE....
10.
  J/*GOODBYE.
11.
  T/THATS ALL FOLKS.
12.
  E/.
13.
  *GOODBYE.
14 .
  T/IT HAS BEEN GOOD TALKING WITH YOU.
15.
  T/PLEASE PLAY AGAIN.
16.
  R/.
17.
  E/.
18.
  RUN.
.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.
 
......................
 

 

[Bill R Sullivan]

On 4/16/2022 at 12:10 PM, Elia Spallanzani fdt said:

?

Yes, I do have TI Pilot.  Unfortunately, I moved late last year, and I'm still in process of setting up my hobby systems, so I haven't come across TI Pilot yet, and I won't have time to even look for it, for several weeks or longer, as I'm not really interested in using it.

[ti99iuc]

I should have something about it somewhere. 
There was a printed paper book with it if I  remember good. I could Scan if needed.

[ti99iuc]

no I wrong, I have checked and mine is not TI-Pilot but Pilot99 instead. sorry

[ti99iuc]

Then, I have found a version of TI PILOT Manual (1983) - this copy came to me from Mr. Ernie Pergrem.

The original I attach here is just the dirty scan I received.

TI PILOT Manual - (1983) - (Proposed Copy).pdf

 

In the ti99iuc database, instead, if you like, I've published the clean and restored version where I also added a cover trying to create one taking as base the TI LOGO cover.

https://www.ti99iuc.it/web/index.php?pageid=database_cerca&archivioid=1038

 

Hope it helps

Of course if someone have better or updated version I will be happy to have ? @Ksarul

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by ti99iuc

[pixelpedant]

That's awesome, @ti99iuc!  And it's good to have that draft copy as well.

 

But yeah, if @Ksarul has anything more or different as regard's TI Pilot, that's fantastic too.

 

A lot of TI's original advertising promotes Pilot as one of the languages of the platform, so it deserves more attention, it seems to me. 

[+Ksarul]

4 hours ago, pixelpedant said:

That's awesome, @ti99iuc!  And it's good to have that draft copy as well.

 

But yeah, if @Ksarul has anything more or different as regard's TI Pilot, that's fantastic too.

 

A lot of TI's original advertising promotes Pilot as one of the languages of the platform, so it deserves more attention, it seems to me. 

Mine was a final version of the manual Ciro has--and it was in my p-System binder, which I am still trying to locate.

[ti99iuc]

Ah nice! Please locate it, Jim! ?