Apple Pugetsound Program Library Exchange (A.P.P.L.E.) has updated the manual for the popular Apple II graphics programming tool Turtlesoft: Turtle Graphics for Applesoft with a new softcover manual. Originally published in 1983 by A.P.P.L.E., the new manual features revised formatting and now includes the 15 sample programs with screenshots.
In addition to the original Turtlesoft DOS 3.3 version by Robert Gallup, John Brooks recently converted it to work with ProDOS. Both Turtlesoft disk images are available as a benefit exclusively for A.P.P.L.E. members. Besides Turtlesoft, the disk images also include the sample programs.
Availability
Turtlesoft: Turtle Graphics for Applesoft is available through the A.P.P.L.E. bookstore with production and fulfillment by Lulu.com. A disk image for the programs is available on the Apps page.
Turtlesoft Overview
Turtlesoft is a system of primitives which allows users to write Applesoft-based programs using standard Logo primitives. The system is a self contained environment which can be used by students of all ages to easily learn basic computer programming concepts using Turtle graphics.
Imagine you have a robot turtle. You might think that rather strange, but try to imagine it anyway. Imagine that this “turtle” can move around the floor in response to commands you give it such as: FORWARD and BACK, which tells the turtle to move forward or backward a certain number of steps, and RIGHT and LEFT which tells the turtle to turn a certain amount right or left.
As the turtle moves, it leaves a trail you can see. By giving the turtle the right commands, you can have it draw any shape you want.
Voila! You have Turtle graphics. Your computer screen is the floor and the turtle is a triangle visible on it.
As you experiment with trying to draw shapes using Turtle graphics you may find that thinking in “Turtle talk” is much easier for many things than thinking in the “coordinate talk” of normal graphics.
Turtlesoft Features
• 25 instructions (primitives) for controlling the turtle
• Sound routine with Turtle graphics
• Uses both Hi-Res screens
• Create your own command names
• Descriptive error messages for easy program debugging
• Error messages can be processed using ONERR
• Commands accessed through ampersand for use within a program
• Available for both DOS 3.3 and ProDOS
• Runs on all Apple II computers
Producers
Brian Wiser — Apple consultant, historian and archivist. Designer, editor, and co-producer of several books including: Cyber Jack: The Adventures of Robert Clardy and Synergistic Software, Synergistic Software: The Early Games, Nibble Viewpoints: Business Insights From the Computing Revolution, The WOZPAK Special Edition: Steve Wozniak’s Apple-1 & Apple II Computers, The Colossal Computer Cartoon Book: Enhanced Edition, and What’s Where in the Apple: Enhanced Edition. Producer/Director of the documentary film Done The Impossible: The Fans’ Tale of Firefly & Serenity, Beagle Bros and Applied Engineering webmaster. Brian also co-produced the retro iOS game Structris, and is a co-producer/writer for CallApple.org and Call-A.P.P.L.E. magazine.
Bill Martens — Apple historian and enthusiast, Programmer, President of Apple Pugetsound Program Library Exchange (A.P.P.L.E.) and co-producer of Call-A.P.P.L.E. magazine, Cyber Jack, Synergistic Software: The Early Games, Nibble Viewpoints, The WOZPAK Special Edition, and What’s Where in the Apple: Enhanced Edition. Bill also co-produced and co-programmed the retro iOS game Structris.
Publisher
Apple Pugetsound Program Library Exchange (A.P.P.L.E.) has been a global Apple user group since 1978, with membership peaking near 50,000 in 1985. Offering many services, A.P.P.L.E. is also a book publisher and game developer, and has produced over a dozen new book titles since 2013 in addition to over 100 Apple software titles.
A.PP.L.E. produced and published the The WOZPAK Special Edition – a detailed book containing Steve Wozniak’s restored handwritten notes and printouts about his Apple II computer, as well as a forward from Steve Wozniak and other Apple legends. They also published: Cyber Jack: The Adventures of Robert Clardy and Synergistic Software, Synergistic Software: The Early Games, Nibble Viewpoints: Business Insights From the Computing Revolution by Mike Harvey, What’s Where in The Apple: Enhanced Edition, The Colossal Computer Cartoon Book: Enhanced Edition by David H. Ahl, The A.P.P.L.E. 1978 and 1979 Compendiums, and the retro iOS game Structris.
Press Information is available at: www.callapple.org/press
