Also now realises realizes is just plain wrong1!
Stuart Swales has made version 4.55 of PipeDream available from the Colton Software section of his website, featuring a number of improvements to its graphics related functionality – both in terms of what it can read, and what it can save.
In terms of output, chart files created by the application take the form of Draw files – and with the new version, these apparently conform to the specifications given in the RISC OS Programmers Reference Manuals. As such, the files can be loaded by Draw, Vector and Fireworkz when the file type is set to Draw. Older versions of PipeDream, which would have therefore been saving files which don’t conform to the PRM, are still able to load the files saved by the new version.
In terms of input, the image file loader has been updated to handle files saved from Vector, sprites that include mode selectors, and there is better handling of JPEGs. ChangeFSI is used, if it has been “seen”, which means a wider range of image file formats can be (converted and) loaded.
The dictionary has also seen some work. The version now included contains words with -ise endings, rather than both -ise and -ize – though for those with a preference for the latter, the old dictionary is available on the Colton Software downloads page for PipeDream, as is an alternative that contains just the -ize endings. Both can simply be substituted for the dictionary within the application as required.
There are also a number of bugs dealt with in this release, along with other minor improvements.
For those who are unfamiliar with the software, PipeDream is a word processor with built-in spreadsheet-like facilities. The software’s origins can be traced back to View Professional on the BBC Micro, which was released under the Acornsoft banner, and even found its way onto the Cambridge Z88, a portable computer released by Sir Clive Sinclair.
- And I don’t care what the Oxford English Dictionary might have to say on the matter!
