LocoScript

From Just Solve the File Format Problem
(Difference between revisions)
Jump to: navigation, search
(Greatly expand and refresh. Move most stuff about reading 3" discs to the three inch disc page.)
Line 6: Line 6:
 
'''LocoScript''' was the word processor bundled with the Amstrad PCW. There were four major versions for the PCW, and two for MSDOS.
 
'''LocoScript''' was the word processor bundled with the Amstrad PCW. There were four major versions for the PCW, and two for MSDOS.
  
At least in the PCW versions, the [[Amstrad CP/M Plus character set]] was used for the text portions, except that the [[C1 controls]] range was used for control codes (different ones from the C1 control standard, which probably didn't exist yet) instead of the graphical characters of the CPM/PLUS set.
+
8-bit versions:
 +
* LocoScript 1 (1985) was bundled with the Amstrad PCW 8256/8512 (3" drives) and PcW 9256 and 10 (3.5" drives).
 +
* LocoScript 2 (1987) was bundled with the Amstrad PCW 9512 (3" drive) and PcW 9512+ (3.5" drive), and was a common upgrade for the other models.
 +
* LocoScript 3 (1993) was only available separately. It added semi-scalable fonts.
 +
* LocoScript 4 (1996/7) was only available separately. It added support for images (in [[MDA]] format) and colour printing.
  
== Converting LocoScript Documents ==
+
Most PCW documents, on either 3" or 3.5" floppy discs, are thus likely to be in LocoScript 1 or 2 format.
  
Probably the most difficult problem with converting LocoScript documents into more readable formats is not the conversion process itself, but the fact that the majority of LocoScript files were stored on 3-inch floppy disks, which are now difficult to access. However, there are methods of transferring data if a working PCW is available.
+
(The PcW 16 did not run LocoScript.)
  
* '''LocoLink''' (and the later 'LocoLink for Windows') is a hardware / software combination that connects a PC parallel port to the expansion connector of an Amstrad PCW, and provides the software tools for both transferring LocoScript documents to the PC, as well as converting them to RTF or TXT formats. Note that the later PcW 16 has part of LocoLink built-in, and while this means documents can be transferred from an older PCW to a PcW 16 and then onto a PC, PcW 16 computers are few and far between, making this option unlikely.
+
While standard LocoScript had a relatively wide range of characters, there were some specialised versions for particular scripts, such as [http://www.fvempel.nl/manuals/araloco.pdf Euro-Arabic LocoScript].
  
* Alternatively, it is possible to [http://fvempel.nl/3pc.html connect a 3-inch floppy drive to a PC], and read the disks from that. Conversion programs can then be used to access the transferred documents.
+
PC versions:
 +
* LocoScript PC (later LocoScript PC Easy)
 +
* LocoScript Professional
  
* A somewhat easier solution is to [http://fvempel.nl/drive.html connect a 3.5-inch floppy drive to a PCW] ([http://pcwpage.co.uk/making-a-data-cable-for-a-3-to-a-standard-3-5-drive/ another guide]), transfer the documents from 3-inch to 3.5-inch media on the PCW, and then read the documents off the disks on a PC with 3.5-inch floppy drive. Instructions for adding a second drive are available, and there are programs such as 22disk and [http://ai.ansible.uk/freebies.html CP/M copier] (listed as CPM.EXE) which can read 3.5-inch media created on a PCW.
+
== File formats ==
  
* There is also software that runs on a PCW, enabling it to read and write to 3.5-inch MSDOS floppy disks. One such program is Moonstone Computing's PCW 2-in-1.
+
Each major version of LocoScript changed the file format. Newer versions could read files from older versions, but not vice versa.
 +
 
 +
* LocoScript 1 is relatively well documented.
 +
** [https://archive.org/details/35_Schneider_PC_International_1988-01 Schneider PC International 1988/01] (pp84-97) has a fairly detailed description of the LocoScript 1 format (in German), and provides Turbo Pascal source for a program LOCOCONV to convert it (updated in the [https://archive.org/details/44_Amstrad_PC_International_1988-10 1988/10 issue], pp92-97). Versions of that program exist in various places:
 +
*** Werner Cirsovius' site ([https://web.archive.org/web/20160311002010/http://cirsovius.de/CPM/Projekte/TURBO-PASCAL/LOCO/LocoConv-en.html on Wayback machine]) had a copy. Wayback Machine doesn't have all the code, but the whole website is archived as a .7z [http://www.classiccmp.org/cpmarchives/index.php here].
 +
*** A modified/translated version is on [http://fvempel.nl/domain.html Frank van Empel's site] (search for LOCOCON).
 +
** Another, briefer description of the [https://www.seasip.info/Unix/Joyce/ls1frm.html LocoScript 1 file format] (in English)
 +
** The character encoding used for the text portions is the [[Amstrad CP/M Plus character set]], except that the [[C1 controls]] range was used for control codes (different ones from the C1 control standard, which probably didn't exist yet) instead of the box-drawing characters of the CP/M Plus set.
 +
* LocoScript 2 and up: no known descriptions (although plenty of software exists to read them). These versions had a greatly expanded character repertoire, more than can fit in a single-byte character set. They share some of the same basic structure as LocoScript 1.
 +
 
 +
LocoScript documents did not have a conventional file extension. The default filenames it prompted with on creation were <tt>DOCUMENT.000</tt>, <tt>DOCUMENT.001</tt>, etc.
 +
 
 +
== Converting LocoScript documents ==
 +
 
 +
Probably the most difficult problem with converting LocoScript documents into more readable formats is not the conversion process itself, but the fact that the majority of LocoScript files were stored on [[three inch disc|3-inch floppy disks]], which are now difficult to access. See the linked page for ideas for how to deal with this.
 +
 
 +
'''LocoLink''' (and the later 'LocoLink for Windows') is a hardware / software combination that connects a PC parallel port to the expansion connector of an Amstrad PCW, and provides the software tools for both transferring LocoScript documents to the PC, as well as converting them to RTF or TXT formats. Note that the later PcW 16 has part of LocoLink built-in, and while this means documents can be transferred from an older PCW to a PcW 16 and then onto a PC, PcW 16 computers are few and far between, making this option unlikely.
 +
 
 +
PCW LocoScript used CP/M format for its discs, so LocoScript files are likely to be found in a [[CP/M file system]].
 +
 
 +
Once you are at the stage of having individual document files:
 +
 
 +
* [https://ai.ansible.uk/ailink.html AILINK] by Ansible Information is former commercial software for Windows, now free, which can convert PCW LocoScript 1-4 documents to more modern formats such as RTF, keeping most of the formatting codes and special characters (not Greek and Cyrillic). It can do bulk conversions. If you're not trying to read actual floppy discs with it, it should work fine under modern Windows. It runs adequately on Linux under [[Wine]].
 +
* The PC versions of LocoScript could read PCW files, and had an export function to other formats, but are no longer particularly easy to acquire and run themselves.
  
 
== Links ==
 
== Links ==
 
* [http://www.locoscript.co.uk/ Publisher's website]
 
* [http://www.locoscript.co.uk/ Publisher's website]
 
** [https://web.archive.org/web/20141218181748/http://locoscript.co.uk/ 2014 archive]
 
** [https://web.archive.org/web/20141218181748/http://locoscript.co.uk/ 2014 archive]
* [http://www.seasip.info/Unix/Joyce/ls1frm.html LocoScript 1 file format]
 
* [http://cirsovius.de/CPM/Projekte/TURBO-PASCAL/LOCO/LocoConv-en.html LocoConv - Pascal source to read LocoScript documents]
 
  
 
[[Category:Amstrad]]
 
[[Category:Amstrad]]

Revision as of 05:31, 20 December 2020

File Format
Name LocoScript
Ontology

LocoScript was the word processor bundled with the Amstrad PCW. There were four major versions for the PCW, and two for MSDOS.

8-bit versions:

  • LocoScript 1 (1985) was bundled with the Amstrad PCW 8256/8512 (3" drives) and PcW 9256 and 10 (3.5" drives).
  • LocoScript 2 (1987) was bundled with the Amstrad PCW 9512 (3" drive) and PcW 9512+ (3.5" drive), and was a common upgrade for the other models.
  • LocoScript 3 (1993) was only available separately. It added semi-scalable fonts.
  • LocoScript 4 (1996/7) was only available separately. It added support for images (in MDA format) and colour printing.

Most PCW documents, on either 3" or 3.5" floppy discs, are thus likely to be in LocoScript 1 or 2 format.

(The PcW 16 did not run LocoScript.)

While standard LocoScript had a relatively wide range of characters, there were some specialised versions for particular scripts, such as Euro-Arabic LocoScript.

PC versions:

  • LocoScript PC (later LocoScript PC Easy)
  • LocoScript Professional

File formats

Each major version of LocoScript changed the file format. Newer versions could read files from older versions, but not vice versa.

  • LocoScript 1 is relatively well documented.
    • Schneider PC International 1988/01 (pp84-97) has a fairly detailed description of the LocoScript 1 format (in German), and provides Turbo Pascal source for a program LOCOCONV to convert it (updated in the 1988/10 issue, pp92-97). Versions of that program exist in various places:
      • Werner Cirsovius' site (on Wayback machine) had a copy. Wayback Machine doesn't have all the code, but the whole website is archived as a .7z here.
      • A modified/translated version is on Frank van Empel's site (search for LOCOCON).
    • Another, briefer description of the LocoScript 1 file format (in English)
    • The character encoding used for the text portions is the Amstrad CP/M Plus character set, except that the C1 controls range was used for control codes (different ones from the C1 control standard, which probably didn't exist yet) instead of the box-drawing characters of the CP/M Plus set.
  • LocoScript 2 and up: no known descriptions (although plenty of software exists to read them). These versions had a greatly expanded character repertoire, more than can fit in a single-byte character set. They share some of the same basic structure as LocoScript 1.

LocoScript documents did not have a conventional file extension. The default filenames it prompted with on creation were DOCUMENT.000, DOCUMENT.001, etc.

Converting LocoScript documents

Probably the most difficult problem with converting LocoScript documents into more readable formats is not the conversion process itself, but the fact that the majority of LocoScript files were stored on 3-inch floppy disks, which are now difficult to access. See the linked page for ideas for how to deal with this.

LocoLink (and the later 'LocoLink for Windows') is a hardware / software combination that connects a PC parallel port to the expansion connector of an Amstrad PCW, and provides the software tools for both transferring LocoScript documents to the PC, as well as converting them to RTF or TXT formats. Note that the later PcW 16 has part of LocoLink built-in, and while this means documents can be transferred from an older PCW to a PcW 16 and then onto a PC, PcW 16 computers are few and far between, making this option unlikely.

PCW LocoScript used CP/M format for its discs, so LocoScript files are likely to be found in a CP/M file system.

Once you are at the stage of having individual document files:

  • AILINK by Ansible Information is former commercial software for Windows, now free, which can convert PCW LocoScript 1-4 documents to more modern formats such as RTF, keeping most of the formatting codes and special characters (not Greek and Cyrillic). It can do bulk conversions. If you're not trying to read actual floppy discs with it, it should work fine under modern Windows. It runs adequately on Linux under Wine.
  • The PC versions of LocoScript could read PCW files, and had an export function to other formats, but are no longer particularly easy to acquire and run themselves.

Links

Personal tools
Namespaces

Variants
Actions
Navigation
Toolbox