This is the documentation for BALLOONS & RAINBOWS version 5.0
(c)1992 by AssistWare
P.O. Box 13464
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-3464
On most PCs, this documentation file can be printed by issuing the
following command: print br.doc
DESCRIPTION:
This program draws a balloon and sounds a tone when any key is
hit. The balloons are a random size and color and are drawn at
random locations on the screen. Each key is assigned a different
tone (the user can play tunes by pressing the appropriate keys).
Hitting the down-arrow key causes the balloon to shrink until it
disappears.
Hitting the up-arrow key causes the balloon to grow until it
pops. After the pop, a rainbow is drawn and the first phrase of
"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" is played.
For EGA & VGA monitors, Hitting the G makes green balloons
B makes blue balloons
R makes red balloons
Y makes yellow balloons
W makes white balloons
For CGA monitors, Hitting the Y makes yellow balloons
G makes green balloons
R makes red balloons
Hitting qu (short for quit) or ALT-ESC stops the program.....
If you forget, you will have to CTL-ALT-DEL to get out.
This program can be made to work in several different ways.
- The SPACEBAR can do the same thing as the up-arrow key--make
balloons get bigger.
- The color NAMES of the balloons can be displayed when the
balloons are made.
- You can also allow only the the keys whose letters start the
name of the COLOR to make balloons.
For EGA & VGA monitors, hitting the G makes green balloons,
B makes blue balloons, R makes red balloons, Y makes yellow
balloons, W makes white balloons, P makes purple balloons,
O makes orange balloons.
For CGA monitors, Hitting the Y makes yellow balloons,
G makes green balloons, R makes red balloons.
Pressing any other key does nothing.
The program is told to do the these things by giving options on the
second screen. These options are given by typing the letters S or
N or C. Typing S causes the SPACEBAR to make the balloons get bigger
(for young hands that can't find the up-arrow key). Typing N causes
the NAMES of the balloon colors to be displayed. Typing C causes a
balloon to be draw only when the key corresponding to that COLOR is
pressed (Y draws a yellow balloon, W draws a white balloon, S does not
draw any balloons because there is no color that starts with S).
On that screen you are able to type S, N, C or any combination of
S, N, C, (for example SN or CN or SNC or SCN, etc).
If you type nothing and just press the ENTER key you will use the
base program.
S -- SPACEBAR does same thing as the up-arrow key.
N -- NAMES of balloon colors will be displayed.
C -- Make balloon only when CORRECT first letter of the COLOR is
pressed.
======================================================================
STARTING THE PROGRAM:
1) Type the following on the DOS command line: br
2) Press the enter key.
The DOS command line is the place where one types in the name of
programs. It often has a "command prompt" at the left side the
line that looks like C:> or A:>.
======================================================================
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:
- If your monitor is set to 40 column mode, set it to 80 column
color mode before the program is started.
(use the DOS command: MODE CO80).
- In order to allow a small child to continuously hold a key down
and the program run without overflowing the keyboard buffer, the
program discards all keys which are in the keyboard buffer
while the program is drawing a balloon. For slower machines
this has the following implication:
The processor may not be fast enough to discard all of the
extra keys and draw the balloon at the same time. If this
occurs, you will hear the high-pitched beep that indicates
the keyboard buffer has overflowed. Just take your hand off
of the key for an instant and the program will have time to
discard the keys in the buffer and draw the balloon. This
problem does not occur with faster machines.
- If you have a CGA monitor, the program can only draw balloons and
rainbows in 3 different colors. This restriction is due to the way
Turbo C and the CGA video card work together.
SOME PROBLEMS OTHERS HAVE ENCOUNTERED:
- Program does not work with a monochrome (single color) display.
- The program requires a color display to operate. Color
displays are often called CGA, MCGA, EGA, EGA64, or VGA
displays. In general, if a display can display 4 or more colors
at the same time and if the display indicates it is compatible
with the IBM CGA, EGA, or VGA display, this program should work.
In addition, this program will support SVGA or XVGA displays by
running in a VGA mode.
- Balloons and Rainbows starts, then stops indicating that one of the
following problems was detected:
- "Program could not detect a graphics card in your PC."
- "Program does not support the display subsystem contained in
your PC."
- "Insufficient memory to load code which creates the graphic
images."
This is similar to the above problem. The display must be a
CGA, EGA, VGA or correctly emulate one of these display types
for the program to operate. "Insufficient memory" may indicate
a lack of available memory either in the PC or on the graphic
display subsystem.
- When my child hits the PRINT SCREEN key and the printer is turned
on, the printer prints "garbage".
- The PRINT SCREEN key is a special PC key that causes DOS to try
to print what is on the screen. In the case of Balloons and
Rainbows there will be balloons displayed on the screen.
The PRINT SCREEN function does not know how to tell the printer
to print balloons or rainbows but tries anyway. The result
is often pages of "garbage". The solution is to turn off the
printer when using Balloons and Rainbows.
======================================================================
ERRORS:
If the program had an error and could not continue, try the
following:
1. Review the above list of problems that others have encountered;
the answer to your problem may be given above.
2. Run the program again, starting it with a "starting option".
A list of starting options are given by starting the program
with a ?.
- for example: br ? (The list is also given below)
Then pick the starting option that appears to best fit your
computer's monitor.
(A "starting option" is a way for you to tell the program how
you wish to start and run the program.)
Starting options: (i.e. br option)
If no option is used, the program tries to determine which
monitor your computer has and then writes directly to the video
card RAM. Writing directly to the video card RAM only works if
your system's video hardware is identical to IBM display adapters.
> I suggest that you try starting the program with no starting
> options:
> i.e. br and see if it works; use the following
> starting options only if needed.
The following table shows the valid starting options. You may wish
to use these if the program is unable to determine which monitor
your computer has.
| write directly | use DOS
Monitor | to video card | video interface
-------------------------+----------------+-----------------
CGA | CGAD | CGA
VGA | VGAD | VGA
EGA (high resolution) | EGAD | EGA
Let program decide | | DOS
Examples: - Start program for a CGA monitor writing directly to
the video card: br CGAD
- Start program and let program decide the best choice
and use the DOS video interface: br DOS
- Start program and let program decide the best choice
and write directly to the video card: br
======================================================================
MY CHILD'S EXPERIENCE:
This program was written for my son, Charles, who wanted to work
on the computer (hit on the keyboard), because he saw his parents
doing this. However, he was too young mentally and did not have
the fine motor skills necessary for programs that show A when "a"
is hit, etc. He just wanted to push the keys and see something
happen. He likes balloons and rainbows and "Twinkle, Twinkle
Little Star" was one of his favorite songs. So this program was
conceived to give him a way to hit any key and see something
happen. He learned surprisingly quickly (and remembered) where the
up and down arrow keys are and the keys that made the color of
balloons he liked (G, B and R). This program has been a very
positive experience for Charles; I hope you find that to be true
for your child as well.
As an aside, because his favorite color is green, when the
balloons are made randomly, there will be more green ones than
any other color.
PACKAGE CONTENTS:
This package contains 2 files: BR.EXE -- the program.
BR.DOC -- this file.
======================================================================
WARRANTY:
Users of BALLOONS & RAINBOWS must accept this disclaimer of warranty:
BALLOONS & RAINBOWS is supplied as is. The author disclaims all
warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, the
warranties of merchantability and fitness for any purpose. The
author assumes no liability for damage, direct or consequential,
which may result from the use of BALLOONS & RAINBOWS.
======================================================================
USE OF and DISTRIBUTION OF PROGRAM:
You can:
1) Use the program on a single machine.
2) Make a backup of this program to allow recovery in case the
original program is damaged or destroyed.
3) Transfer this program and license to use it to another person
if the person agrees to abide by the terms of this agreement
and you erase all copies of the program on your PC.
Please be honest; we have worked hard to produce and market this
program. Copying and giving the program to others violates the
spirit and letter of the law, not to mention hurting the authors.
