Date : Fri, 30 May 2008 13:35:20 +0100
From : christopher.whytehead@... (chris whytehead)
Subject: [RE: BBC] eBay item, Listing Recogniser
Hi
<snip>
> 2. I have recently purchased some BBC magazines. I use Microsoft windows
().
> Is there a way of scanning the listings in the magazines at text files and
> then somehow spooling them on a BBC computer to be saved as Progam files
on
> a BBC/ Master? I do also have Virtual RPC, BEEBEM, and the Arculator v0.9
> Emulator available if this helps
Just run a simple test, I used Nuance/Scansoft OmniPage 15 on Windows 2000
and a Cannon Canoscan 4400F scanner. The listing was from Acorn User Oct84
(it's on a yellow background! Yuk!). I scanned one column only of a
multi-column program (ca. 40 line of BASIC), OCRed and Saved to a Text file.
Copied file to floppy and read floppy on Iyonix (RISC OS 5.13) (but could
have been any RISC OS computer with a High Density 3.5" drive) and copied
file to hard disc. Loaded file into !Edit correcting a couple of obvious
errors and saved as BASIC file. Ran it and failed "No such
Function/Procedure" (not surprising since it was not a complete program!).
Results:
1. Scan quality was OK, in spite of yellow background and dot matrix style
font. But print quality does vary noticeably between listings.
2. OCR results good, most queries due to words not in dictionary (again not
surprising for BASIC variable etc). But some problems with indirection (e.g.
block%?7 being interpreted as block4.77) and similar collections of symbols.
3. Some editing required due to line breaks in multi-line statements
resulting in spaces in middle of words (e.g.. drive% read as dri ve%)
4. Iyonix BASIC not happy with line numbering and GOTOs. But not a problem
if running on a BBC.
Finally transfer to BBC use ADFS format 3.5" floppy, if ADFS and 1770 fitted
to BBC else use a PC with a 5.25" drive and Omniflop or equitant or use a
network.
Conclusion it should work if you've got the right equipment, certainly much
quicker than typing in. BUT you will still get some errors to correct by
careful proof reading or trial and error.
Good Luck
Chris
--
How does a project get to be a year late?... One day at a time.
Chris's Acorns http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk