THE SINCLAIR QL MANUAL

In no circumstances will either Sinclair Research Limited or Psion Limited be
liable for any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damage or loss
including but not limited to loss of use, stored data, profit or contracts
which may arise from any error, defect or failure of the QL hardware or the
software supplied with it.

Sinclair Research has a policy of constant development and improvement of
their products. Therefore, the right is reserved to change manuals, hardware,
software and firmware at any time and without notice.

QL User Guide First Edition

Published by Sinclair Research Limited 1984

25 Willis Road, Cambridge.

Edited by Stephen Berry (Sinclair Research Limited)

(C) Sinclair Research Limited
(C) Psion Limited

No part of this User Guide may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without
the written permission of Sinclair Research Limited.

QL, QLUB, QLNet, Qdos and QL Microdrive are trade marks of Sinclair Research
Limited.

Quill, Archive, Easel and Abacus are trade marks of Psion Limited


PLEASE READ THIS, BEFORE UNPACKING THESE PAGES
______________________________________________

Your QL user Guide is supplied unbound, to avoid damage in transit and to make
rapid updating easy. In addition to this packet containing the pages of the
Guide itself, you should also find a ring binder and then divider cards packed
with your QL.

Insert the dividers into the binder first. The recommended order is as follows:

        Position        Tab Label
        --------        ---------

        Front           Introduction
                        Beginniner's Guide
                        Keywords
                        Concepts
                        QL Quill
                        QL Abacus
                        QL Archive
                        QL Easel
        Back            Information


This will put the divider tabs in a logical order. If you wish, you may put
the sections in a different order, perhaps to put often used sections
near the front; or even miss out sections you do not expect to use.

Now look through the pages to identify the various sections; each begins with
a title page with the Sinclair logo at the top. The pages within each section
will be packed in the correct order, so be careful not to mix them up; the
individual sections, however, may be in a different order to that shown above
if a section or sections have recently been reprinted.

Once each section is placed in the binder as you like it, this sheet may be
discarded: it does not form part of the Guide.



SINCLAIR QL USER GUIDE

INTRODUCTION

BEGINNER'S GUIDE

REFERENCE GUIDE

  KEYWORDS

  CONCEPTS

APPLICATIONS SOFTWARE

  QL QUILL

  QL ABACUS

  QL ARCHIVE

  QL EASEL

INFORMATION



Sinclair Research has a policy of constant development and improvement of their
products. Therefore, the right is reserved to change manuals hardware, software
and firmware at any time and without notice.

                   OL User Guide Second Edition
            Published by Sinclair Research Limited 1984
                    25 Willis Road, Cambridge
        Edited by Stephen Berry (Sinclair Research Limited)

                  (C) Sinclair Research Limited
                        (C) Psion Limited

              Printed and bound in Great Britain by
            William Clowes Limited,Beccles and London

                    Designed and typeset by
                     Keywords,  Manchester

No part of this User Guide may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without the
written permission of Sinclair Research Limited.

QL, QLUB, QL Net, Qdos and QL Microdrive are trade marks of Sinclair Research
Limited.

Quill, Archive, Easel and Abacus are trade marks of Psion Limited




INTRODUCTION
------------

An Introduction To The QL
-------------------------

When you unpack your QL computer, you will find:

  The QL computer

  The QL User Guide

  A Power Supply

  Two Wallets
    One of which contains:
      QL Abacus
      QL Archive
      QL Easel
      QL Quill
    And the other contains:
      4 Blank QL Microdrive Cartridges

  Three Plastic Feet
    These can be fitted under the QL to tilt the keyboard for more comfortable
    typing. The pips in the top of the legs should be fitted into the holes in
    the rubber feet, twisting them to make them fit securely.

  An Aerial Lead
    About two metres long with different connectors at either end. It is used
    for connecting your QL to your television's aerial socket.

  A Network Lead
    Also about two metres long, with identical connectors at either end. It is
    used to connect your QL to other QLs so that data and messages can be sent
    between them.


A GUIDED TOUR
-------------

On the back and sides of the computer there are a series of connectors.

There are two slots on the right hand side of the computer - the two QL
Microdrlves. The cartridges for these Microdrives are used for storing
programs and data on the QL. Next to each slot there is a small light. When
the light is on the Microdrive is in use and the cartridge should not be
removed. The yellow light on the front lefthand side indicates whether the
QL is switched on.

On the right hand end of the QL there is a slot covered by a plastic strip.
This slot is for attaching up to six more QL microdrives. ZX microdrives
are not suitable for use with the QL, but blank microdrive cartridges can
be used on either machine.

The connectors at the back of the computer are for attaching the following:

  NET   - connector for the QL Network
  NET   - connector for the QL Network
  POWER - power supply for the computer
  RGB   - connection to a monochrome or colour monitor
  UHF   - connection to the aerial socket of a television set
  SERl  - RS232C serial port
  SER2  - RS232C serial port
  CTLl  - control port for joystick
  CTL2  - control port for joystick
  ROM   - QL ROM cartridge software (use reversed one to 10)

N.B. ZX ROM cartridges are not compatible with QL ROM cartridges and cannot
be used with the QL.

The slot on the left-hand side of the QL is used for adding peripherals
(equipment to expand the computer's capabilities) to the QL. One peripheral
can be plugged directly into the expansion slot.

The reset button is on the right hand end of the computer near the Microdrive
expansion slot. It is used to 'reset' the QL to its original 'switch on' state.
Any programs in the machine will be lost if reset is pressed and sometimes
data already recorded on Microdrive cartridges can be corrupted. Use reset
with caution and always remove Microdrive cartridges before doing so.


SETTING UP
----------

THE POWER SUPPLY

To make the computer operate, various connections have to be made:

Your QL power supply has two leads. One is fitted with a small rectangular
connector with three holes in it. The other is the mains lead and is supplied
with bare ends to which a suitable mains plug must be fitted.

Please do not connect the power supply lead to the computer until all other
leads and peripherals have been connected. Always connect the power supply
lead to the computer last of all.

Connect the mains plug as follows:

  *  The blue wire goes to the terminal marked N or neutral, or coloured
     blue or black.
  *  The brown wire goes to the terminal marked L or live and coloured brown
     or red
  *  The power supply is double insulated and does not need an earth
     connection.
  *  If you are using a fused plug, it must be fitted with a three amp fuse
  *  Make sure all connections are sound.

If necessary, get someone with electrical experience to help you.


THE DISPLAY

Although the QL will work once the power supply is connected, you will not
be able to see what it is doing until you add a television set or a monitor.

A monitor has a screen like a television, but it cannot receive television
signals. It usually has better resolution than a television set and so can
display more text and is therefore more expensive.

A colour television or monitor will of course be required to make use of the
QL's colour display but the computer will work perfectly well in black and
white, representing colours as shades of grey.

Most television sets in current use will be suitable for the QL provided they
are able to receive 625 line UHF transmissions, i.e. BBC2 and Channel 4.

Locate the aerial socket at the back of your TV and remove the aerial cable
that may be plugged into it. If your set has more than one socket, use the
one labelled UHF or 625. Plug in the QL's aerial lead. Use the end that looks
similar to the original aerial plug, and plug the other end into the socket
marked UHF on the back of the computer.

Plug the power supply into a mains socket and switch on. Remove any cartridges
from the Microdrive slots and push the small power supply connector into the
three pin plug marked POWER on the back of the QL. The yellow power light
below the F5 key should now be glowing and your set up should look like this:

    ------
---/  TV  \------
   |  SET |      \    ---[POWER ]--
   +------+       |  /   [SUPPLY]   \
               UHF| |                |
        ---------------------
       |                     |
       |          QL         |
       |                     |
        ---------------------

When the computer has been on for a while, the case above the Microdrives will
feel warm: this is quite normal. The QL has no on/off switch but can be turned
off by unplugging the power supply connector. Remember that any program or
data in the machine will be lost when it is turned off and should first be
saved on a Microdrive cartridge (for details of how to do this see the
Beginner's Guide and Concept sections).

If the QL is not going to be used for a while you should also switch the
power supply off at the mains.


TUNING IN

The display signal to the television set is near channel 36. If your set
has continuous tuning, tune to channel 36. If your television has push buttons,
choose an unused button and tune this to the computer's signal. You may need
to consult your dealer or the TV instruction manual to find out how to do this.

Once you are correctly tuned in you should see the copyright screen

     +-------------------------------+
     |                               |
     |                               |
     |                               |
     |                               |
     |                               |
     |                               |
     |                               |
     |          F1...MONITOR         |
     |          F2...TV              |
     |                               |
     | (C)1983 Sinclair Research Ltd |
     |                               |
     +-------------------------------+

The QL doesn't use television sound because it has its own internal
loudspeaker. You can turn the television volume down if you wish.

A coloured pattern will appear after you switch on or reset the computer;
this is the QL testing its memory. The pattern will disappear after a few
seconds to be replaced by the copyright screen.

If you cannot get a picture at all, first check that your television can
receive the normal broadcast stations. If it can then try the computer with
another television set.

If you get a fuzzy or indistinct picture check that you are tuned in
correctly, it may be possible to pick up the computer's signal in more
than one place in the tuning range. Also check that the aerial lead is firmly
plugged in, and that you are using the correct socket on your television
set (if it has more than one).

If you wish to use a monitor instead of a television set, the connections
will depend on whether it is colour or monochrome: details can be found in the
Concepts section under the heading Monitor. A monitor lead with a plug
to fit the QL's RGB socket is available from Sinclair Research. The order
form is in the Information section of this guide.

The QL needs to know if you are using a monitor or a television set. Press

  [F1] for a monitor

  or

  [F2] for a television

Microdrive 1 will run briefly and the red Microdrive light will glow: the QL
is looking for programs to load and run (this can be ignored for now).
The computer will start up and display its cursor, a flashing coloured square,
and the computer is now ready to accept commands.


USING THE QL
------------

KEYBOARD

Unlike previous Sinclair computers there is no single keyword entry on the QL.
However, various keys and groups of keys have special meanings:


ENTER

The ENTER key is used to indicate to the computer that you want it to do
something. Perhaps you have typed in a command and want the computer to execute
it, or you may want to tell the computer that you have finished typing in data.


SHIFT

The keyboard has two SHIFT keys which perform the same function. Pressing
SHIFT and an alphabetic key together will generate capital letters (upper
case characters). On non-alphabetic keys SHIFT will cause the upper engraved
character to be generated. For example:

  [SHIFT] & [5] will give %


CAPS LOCK

Pressing the CAPS LOCK key once will force alphabetic keys to generate
capital letters regardless of whether the SHIFT key is pressed. This will
remain in effect until CAPS LOCK is pressed again


DELETE

Hold down the CTRL key and then press the <- (left arrow) key. The character
to the left of the cursor will disappear and the cursor will move to the left.
Hold down CTRL and press the -> (right arrow) key. The cursor will not move:
the character it was on will disappear and text to the right will move to fill
the gap.


THE SCREEN

The QL screen may be divided into different areas, or windows, at will. Once
you have switched on (or reset) and pressd Fl or F2, the screen will look
like this:

--------0 to 511------>       -------0 to 511------->
+----------+----------+   |   +---------------------+
|          |          |   |   |                     |
|          |          |   |   |                     |
|    2     |     1    |  0 -  |       1 & 2         |
|          |          |  256  |                     |
|          |          |   |   |                     |
+----------+----------+   |   +---------------------+
|          0          |   |   |          0          |
+---------------------+   v   +---------------------+

The long thin window at the bottom is used to display commands typed into the
computer and initially will display the flashing cursor. When the cursor is
visible the QL is ready to accept commands or data: it disappears when the
computer is busy. As you type, the cursor will move along the line showing
where the next character to be typed will appear.

If the machine ever fails to respond correctly or you want to force a
SuperBASIC program to stop, hold down the CTRL key and press the space bar.

The computer should then display its cursor. If this doesn't work remove any
Microdrive cartridges and then press reset.

The message "Bad Line" appearing in the command window means that the computer
doesn't understand a command that you have typed in. Delete or correct the
line using the cursor keys.


MICRODRIVES

The two QL Microdrives are called mdvl_ on the left and mdv2_ on the right.

Cartridges must be placed correctly into the Microdrives. Hold the cartridge
by the ribbed plastic handle and remove it from its protective cover. The
cartridge's name label, or the recess for its stick-on label, should face
upwards.

Cartridges should always be treated with care. You should never turn the QL
on or off with a cartridge in the Microdrives. Take care when inserting or
removing cartridges: wait until the Microdrive lights have gone out before
removing the cartridge, be gentle but firm. Never touch the tape in the
cartridge and always return the cartridge to its protective cover.

Before a blank cartridge can be used it must go through a process called
formatting. This process erases any data or programs on a cartridge so always
be sure that all cartridges are clearly labelled with their contents and check
that cartridges to be formatted contain no useful data. Instructions for
formatting cartridges are contained in the Information section.

All magnetic storage media including Microdrive cartridges eventually suffer
from wear. Hence it is strongly recommended that all important programs
and data should be stored on at least two cartridges, that is 'backed up'.
This means that if a cartridge is damaged and the data lost, then at least
part of the data can be recovered from the relevant back up cartridge. If you
are continually adding data to a cartridge it must be backed up often:
unless you do so, you will lose everything that was added since the
last backup if the main cartridge is damaged. Instructions for backing up
cartridges are contained in the Information section.


STARTING WORK

There are several ways of using your computer and the User Guide. You can use
ready made programs such as those supplied with the QL, or you can write
your own programs in SuperBASIC.

To use the QL programs, first read the Introduction To The QL Programs later
in this introduction and then the relevant section for each program concerned.

If you are a newcomer to computing and wish to write your own programs, you
should read the Beginner's Guide. If you are familiar with BASIC programming,
you may prefer to read from Chapter 8 in the Beginner's Guide - From BASIC
to SuperBASIC. This chapter describes the major differences between BASICs
you may already be familiar with and QL SuperBASIC. Alternatively, if you are
feeling confident, the Keywords and Concepts sections should be useful.


IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM

If you have a problem using your QL or QL programs, then:

  1. Refer to the appropriate sections in the QL User Guide.

  2. Consider joining the QL Users' Bureau for assistance on the QL programs.
     Full details of the services offered by QLUB and instructions for joining
     are contained in the Information section of the QL User Guide under the
     heading QLUB.

  3. Refer to books published about the QL.

If your problems persist and you think they may be caused by a fault in either
your QL or in the QL program cartridges then refer to the Guarantee details
in the Information section of the QL User Guide.

INTRODUCTION TO THE QL PROGRAMS
-------------------------------

This introduction outlines the four programs supplied wIth the OL and
describes their common features.

The four programs are:

  QL Ouill   - a wordprocessor
  QL Abacus  - a spreadsheet
  QL Archive - a database
  QL Easel   - a graphics program

Individual sections in this guide describe each of the four programs in
detail. Don't just read them - try out the examples and experiment with
each new idea.


MICRODRIVES

Before you use any of the OL programs you should make at least one backup on
a blank cartridge and use this copy only. Keep the original program cartridge
in a safe place, and use it only for making copies. Any accidents will not
then cause permanent loss of your programs.

Each QL program has a built in duplicating routine which is used as follows.

 * Place the master cartridge in Microdrive 2

 * Place the blank cartridge, or one containing nothing that you wish to
   keep, in Microdrive 1. Type

     lrun mdv2_clone

 * Press the ENTER key and the screen will display the message

     FORMAT mdvl_  type space to continue

 * Press the space bar only when you are sure that the cartridge contains
   nothing that you wish to keep, as everything on it will be erased. The
   computer will format the cartridge and will then copy the program in
   sections, displaying the name of each one as it does so.

 * Wait until the Microdrive lights go out before removIng the master cartridge
   from Mlcrodrlve 1


LOADING

You should never use any of the original program cartridges, except when
making a copy onto a blank cartridge.

All the programs are loaded similarly. There are two ways of doing this:

Without cartridges in the Microdrives, press reset. Place your copy of
the program cartridge in Microdrive 1 and then press either Fl or F2 as
prompted. Microdrive 1 will automatically run and after a short pause
a title display will appear on the screen to confirm that the program
is being loaded. Once the program is loaded into the computer, the program
will start up by itself.

When you become more familiar wIth the programs and when using a printer
or the network, you will sometimes find that commands need to be given
to the computer before the programs start. You cannot switch off or
reset the computer in this instance because your commands would be lost.
Instead place the program cartridge in Microdrive 1 and type

  lrun mdvl_boot

press ENTER and loading will proceed as before.

In both cases the program wIll occasionally need to load extra information
from the Microdrive so keep the program cartridge in the microdrive slot
until the program has finished.


SCREEN LAYOUT

The control area at the top of the screen will guide you through each program
by displaying the options that you will need most often and prompting you
further if necessary. In many cases the program will suggest a suitable answer
when it asks for information. Press ENTER to accept this suggestion or simply
type in your own answer and the computer's suggestion will disappear.

Pressing F2 will remove this area and will make the central area larger.
Pressing F2 again will restore the control area.

The central area of the screen shows the information that you are working on,
for example, the text of a document, the contents of a card index, a graph,
or financial forecast. It is shown in the style most suitable for the
particular application.

The bottom of the screen shows the input line where, for example, commands
that you type in are displayed.

Below this is the status area which reports on the current state of work.
It displays things like the name of the data or document on which you are
working, how much unused memory remains, etc.


FUNCTION KEYS

Three of the five function keys have the same meaning in all the QL programs.
These are:

  ------------------------------------------
  Key Function
  ------------------------------------------
  F1  request help
  F2  remove or restore the control area
  F3  call up the commands for selection
  ------------------------------------------

The remaining two function keys are used for actions particular to each
program.


HELP

The first option, displayed at the top left of the control area, indicates
that help is available by pressing F1.

When you ask for HELP there will be a short pause before the display changes
to show the Help information.

Help will suggest other topics for which help is available. Type the name of
the topic and press ENTER. You do not need to type in the whole name, just
enough characters for it to be distinguished from the other topics. You can
repeat this as many times as necessary.

Pressing ENTER without selecting a topic will take you out to the previous
level. ESC will take you right out of HELP and back into the program.

Help is always available, provided that the program cartridge is in
Microdrive 1. Press F1 and the most appropriate Help information will be
displayed.


THE LINE EDITOR

You can use the line editor to change or correct a line of text that you have
typed in.

All the QL programs use the same line editor but each program uses it in a
way most suitable for that application. In QL Quill you use the line editor
for example, for editing the text in commands and QL Archive uses the editor
extensively for editing database programs.

The line editor uses the four cursor keys, together with the CTRL and SHIFT
keys. In the table below, <- and -> mean the cursor left and right arrow
keys respectively, while the cursor up and down arrow keys are represented by
<cursor up> and <cursor down> respectively.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Keys                 Action
---------------------------------------------------------------------

 <-                   Move the cursor one character to the left

 ->                   Move the cursor one character to the right

 SHIFT & <-           Move the cursor one word to the left

 SHIFT & ->           Move the cursor one word to the right

 CTRL & <-            Delete the character to the left of the cursor

 CTRL & ->            Delete the character under the cursor

 CTRL & <cursor up>   Delete the line to the left of the cursor

 CTRL & <cursor down> Delete the line to the right of the cursor

 SHIFT & CTRL & <-    Delete the word to the left of the cursor

 SHIFT & CTRL & ->    Delete the word to the right of the cursor
----------------------------------------------------------------------

The & symbol indicates that the first key should be held down while the
second is pressed. When SHIFT and CTRL are used together then hold them both
down before pressing the cursor key.


MICRODRIVE USE

The program is loaded from the cartridge in Microdrive. You must always make
sure that before using Help or using a print command that this cartridge
is in Microdrive 1. Otherwise you can remove the cartridge at any time.

Use a cartridge in Microdrive 2 - and in additional Microdrives - for storing
information, for example, Ouill documents, Archive data files, etc


FILE NAMES

Information can be stored on a cartridge in a 'file'. The file must be given
a file name to distinguish it from others on the cartridge. Use a file name
of not more than eight characters long, without spaces. It is a good idea to
use a name which describes the contents of a file: for instance, 'sales' is
obviously a better name for a file of sales figures than 'fred'!

File saving and loading will use a data cartridge which is assumed to be in
Microdrive 2 unless a different drive number is given. The simplest way of
replying to a file name request is just to type in the name by itself: for
example:

        sales

which automatically accesses Microdrive 2. If you wanted to access Microdrive
1, you would type:

        mdvl_sales

There is a third component of a file name which you do not usually see because
it is automatically added by the program. This is an extension, three letters
long which identifies which program saved the file. The extensions used are:

        QL Quill                    _doc
        QL Abacus                   _aba
        QL Easel                    _grf
        QL Archive (data file)      _dbf
        QL Archive (program file)   _prg or _pro
        QL Archive (screen layout)  _scn

If you want to transfer information between programs, a special file is
generated with the extension _exp (for export). All the programs will
recognise this extension. More information on this process is contained in
the _Information_ section under the heading _QL Program Import and Export_.

You can direct printer output to a file instead of to a printer so that you
can print the text later. This file has the extension _lis.


LISTING FILES

In all the programs except Archive you can request a list of the file names
on a cartridge whenever a command needs a file name. This is useful if you
cannot remember the exact name that you gave to the file when you first saved
it.

Every time the program is waiting for you to type in a file name, you have the
following options:

    Press ENTER to accept the name the program suggests
    Type in the file name followed by ENTER
    Press ? followed by ENTER for a list of the files on Microdrive 2

If you type in a question mark ( and ENTER ) instead of the file name, the
program displays

    mdv2_

suggesting that it should list the files on Microdrive 2. You can accept this
suggestion or you can edit the drive specifier to refer to a different
Microdrive (mdv1_) and then press ENTER to list the files When the list
is complete the program asks you to type in the file name.

Archive does not use this method. Instead there is a command (dir) which
lists the files. It allows you to type in mdvl_, mdv2_ and so on, to
specify the drive for which the list of files is needed.


ESCAPE

In general, ESC cancels the current action and will restore you to a
sensible point in the program. You can also use ESC to cancel any
numbers or text that you have typed into the input line or abort a
partially completed command.


OTHER DEVICES

Data can be loaded and saved on other devices besides a Microdrive. The device
is specified in the standard SuperBASIC way except that the device name
is preceded by an underscore (_). See the devices entry in the Concept
Reference Guide.

For example, to load and save via the network:

Before loading a QL program, each computer on the network must be given a
station number. Switch the computer on, but do not insert a program cartridge;
press Fl or F2 when prompted.

To set the station number type the command NET followed by the station number
of your choice. For example, to set the QL to station 5 type the command

    NET 5 [ENTER]

Place the program cartrIdge In Microdrive 1 and load the program by typing

    lrun mdvl_boot [ENTER]

Once the program is running, you can receive data sent along the network by
typing the LOAD command in the normal way. If the data was being sent
by station 12, you would enter

    LOAD _neti_12

This must be done before station 12 starts sending

To send data, type in the SAVE command. Assuming you were sending to station
23, you would enter

    SAVE _neto_23

Station 23 must be ready to receive before you press ENTER.
