Podcast: Download

This episode features HomeCard, originally released in 1985 by Antic Publishing.  It was developed by Star Systems Software.  It was written by Sparky Starks and Russ Wetmore.

HomeCard in Action

Boot

Boot splash:

 

Boot error produced when running with a cart inserted or not enough memory:

 

Credits screen.  This is displayed for a few seconds or until you press a key (whichever comes first):

 

Functions Menu

The primary functions menu (before a box or disk is loaded):

 

The primary functions menu (after a box or disk is loaded):

 

Make New Disk

First confirm the operation:

 

Insert a blank disk:

 

Decide if it should be formatted or not:

 

Give it a box name (up to 16 characters):

 

Get Another Disk

Put the disk in and confirm:

 

Card Editing (START Display)

Card box interface.  No card displayed:

 

Editing the Title card.  It has absolutely no bearing on any of the other cards:

 

Creating a new card.  The card becomes white with a red title line and blue dividers, and 8 holes at the top:

 

Editing an existing card, notice the border is now red:

 

Adding a back to the card.  You are prompted for verification:

 

Editing the new back:

 

Ripping a hole in the card:

 

Parade

Displaying the scrolling menu which is way to fast to read.  Select the type of match (similar to Find) with Any (OR condition) or Every (AND condition):

 

Selecting holes (ripping and un-ripping):

 

Browsing the results:

 

Kill

Destroy card, enter confirmation:

 

Find

Select type of find – Any (OR condition) or Every (AND condition):

 

Enter match criteria:

 

Start the search:

 

Find using holes (3rd hole is ripped):

 

Dialer

Mark entry with Dialer flag, little telephone icon:

 

Dialing in progress:

 

Options

Setting the dialer type:

 

Setting new box name:

 

Setting the output:

 

Documentation

Documentation menu:

 

When sending to the printer, it pauses at the conclusion of each page giving you the opportunity to quit:

 

When sending to the screen, it pauses at the end of each displayed page giving you the opportunity to quit:

 

Files

Contents

HomeCard uses Atari DOS 2.0.  The contents of the program disk can be read, but the data disk can not.

 

Instructions

Documentation:

https://inverseatascii.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/s3e04-prt-docs.pdf

Navigation Chart:

https://inverseatascii.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/s3e04-prt-flowchart.pdf

Show Links:

• Inverse ATASCII S2 E18 Antic Family Tree: https://inverseatascii.info/2016/06/14/s2e18-antic-publishing-the-family-tree-supplement/
• Internet Archive Side A: https://archive.org/download/Atari_8_bit_TOSEC_2012_04_23/Atari_8_bit_TOSEC_2012_04_23.zip/Atari%208%20bit%20%5BTOSEC%5D%2FApplications%2F%5BATR%5D%20%28TOSEC-v2011-08-24_CM%29%2FHomeCard%20rev%202.5%20%281985%29%28Antic%29%28Side%20A%29%5Bcr%20Black%20Pirats%20Company%5D.zip
• Internet Archive Side B: https://archive.org/download/Atari_8_bit_TOSEC_2012_04_23/Atari_8_bit_TOSEC_2012_04_23.zip/Atari%208%20bit%20%5BTOSEC%5D%2FApplications%2F%5BATR%5D%20%28TOSEC-v2011-08-24_CM%29%2FHomeCard%20rev%202.5%20%281985%29%28Antic%29%28Side%20B%29.zip

Intro music is an excerpt from a chip tune by Wizwars named 8 Bit Raceway.  It is used under Creative Common license Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States.