Some of the Users in the last six months have had a problem with importing from a UnQuilled or UnPawed game. There is a beta of V6.0 which corrects this problem (it has the first new feature as part of it). This version is at http://www.winpaw.com/V6/WPIDEUpdate.zip

Special Note: In the last few months I have had a lot of computer problems. Some of them required re-installing everything. This sometimes has resulted in the loss of E-Mail. I have also changed one of my E-Mail addresses during this period. I was getting swamped with spam. If anyone has sent me an E-Mail asking for help with a problem or a registration code and has not received an answer, please send it to me again at the address on the Contact Me page.

WinPaw 5.1 is releasedThis is a version which fixes a very frustrating error. If you deleted the database which WinPaw is using, it will cause problems, some of which could only be fixed by going into the registry. It could not be fixed by re-installing, because that does not fix the registry. This release fixes that problem.

It may have some other changes, because I had started working on version 6.0 before I had to quit working on WinPaw because of time constraints. After 8 months, I don't remember what I changed or added.

I will be working on WinPaw more in the coming months. Some of the changes coming:

• Saved field widths in the DataBase if you resize them.
• Duplicate words. You will be able to 'Screw the screw' if you wish.
• An AGAIN and OOPS command
• Export and import for ACE.
• Option in Packaging to include the ZIP for the Engine
• Export And Import some Adventure Settings
• Database Table Export and Import

WinPaw V5.0 is released. This version is filled with cool new features. Some Examples:

• All games must now be identified as a WinPaw game, a PAW game, or a Quill game. There is a section in Help called 'Adventure Types and Modes' which gives more information on the differences between the various types.
• It is now possible to NOT use graphics(pictures) and character sets. Again, there is more info in Help in the same section.
• A LOT of work has been done in the parser and Engine and the routines which display text. Many things that did not work or worked improperly have been corrected.
• The engine screen has been changed from 2 vertical panels to 2 horizontal panels. The picture is in the top 2/3, the text in the bottom 1/3. Each part is centered horizontally on the screen.
• Extended debugging has been added.
• The word length for WinPaw type adventures is up to 30 characters. This allows you to use complete words in the vocabulary.

A complete list of the changes is in the Version History.

I want to give a BIG Thank You to Larry Horsfield of FSF Adventures. He did a lot of testing of Version 5.0 and made some suggestions which improved WinPaw. More of his suggestions will be in the next version (V6.0).

WinPaw is now on a new site. Here are some of the new features:

• The files for the Quill and PAW snapshots, etc. will now be here.
• I have a new Installing WinPaw page. This page will soon contain information on installing WinPaw and mention some of the problems you might run into.
• I now have space to keep the utilities (UnPaws, UnQuill) and the Microsoft MDAC.

I am also close to releasing WinPaw 5.0. It should be around the end of June 2003. Watch this page for details.

I am rescinding the part about the numbering system in the last news. I am pretty sure that I can have one program that will be able to use character sets and graphics if you want them and not use them if you don't want them. It is the building of the character sets that causes the memory & CPU problems with 4.x. I have to rebuild the character set every time you change anything in it. I tried printing each character as I used it, but it was much slower than having them built beforehand.

So now I am working on Version 5 of WinPaw. All the other features mentioned in the previous note apply. When you bring up an old database or create a new one, you will have to specify whether it is a WinPaw, PAW, or Quill game and whether it has graphics or not. Imports will be defaulted to whether that game uses Graphics or not. Just remember that if you want to save memory for imported games, you will have to specify Non-Graphics. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CHANGE BETWEEN PAW & QUILL GAMES!!!

Since Version 5 will handle both Graphics & Non-Graphics games, there will no longer be a reason for having to have a Non-Graphics (3.x) and a Graphics (4.x) version of WinPaw. Versions 5 and above will be the only version.

I am starting a new version numbering system. Numbers less than 10 will refer to the non-graphics version. Numbers over 10 will be for the graphics version.

So I am starting to work on Version 15 of WinPaw. The main new feature of this version is that it will allow you to play Quill games without modifying them to be Paw games. I will have the Quill interpreter as part of the Engine. You will also be able to specify when you create a database whether this will be a Quill or PAW adventure. If an imported game or new database is Quill, you will only be able to specify Quill related information in the Editors. However, The Character Editor & Graphics Editor will be included as part of Quill games.

Once that is done, I will update the non-graphics version to 5.0, which will have everything the graphics version has except character sets and graphics.

The IF-Archive will now hold both 3.x and 4.x versions. The Downloads Page has been changed to reflect this change in location. Until I can get the new site up, only the 4.x version will be available at my site.

WinPaw 4.1 is released to www.winpaw.com. The website has also been redesigned.

I am providing 2 versions of WinPaw, 3.x and 4.x. Version 3.x does not support the original PAW/Quill/Illustrator graphics and character sets, 4.x does. The reason I am providing 2 versions is that the 4.x IDE needs a good bit more memory and CPU speed than 3.x. There is not much difference between the 2 versions as far as the Engine is concerned.

For now, 3.x will be at the IF-Archive and 4.x will be here. I am going to be moving the site in a couple months and then everything will be on the site. The site address will not change.

I am updating all versions of the Engine & IDE to 3.2.

WinPaw IDE 3.2 is released to this site. Only the IDE Update will be released. The changes don't affect the Engine. If you don't have WinPaw at all, get and install the 3.1 complete, then install the 3.2 update. Details of the changes are in Version History.

I am hard at work on Version 4.0. I have already implemented PAW character sets. You will be able to load PAW snapshots using character sets and have them used in your games as well as creating your own character sets and saving and loading them. I also have the 22 character sets available which were distributed with the original PAW.

I am working on PAW Graphics. I have already implemented the equivalents of the PAW Graphics commands ABS MOVE, PLOT, REL MOVE, LINE, TEXT, BLOCK, INK, PAPER, BRIGHT, INVERSE, OVER. I am working on SHADE & FILL. They take a good bit of code to implement, but are doable.

Don't look for 4.0 for a month or two. I still have a good bit of work to have it completed. Besides completing the graphics, it still has to be modified to accept the UnQuill & UNPAW listings.

Version 3.1 is released to the if-archive.

Version 3.1 is released to mailing list and this site. This corrects several problems with creating databases and Loading UnPaw files.

WinPaw version 3.0 is released. This version allows HTML-like tags in descriptions to change fonts, font size and ink color.

I now have space on the WinPaw site for the Updates, so the primary source will be this site. Other copies will be available at the if-archive. See the Downloads page for the links.

The WinPaw site has changed location again. It was necessary because by internet provider was bought out and the new owner changed the service. The new site gives me more space and I can keep the files on that site.

Version 3.0 is just about ready to go. Info is in the Version History. I have to get the new site organized before I will formally release 3.0. It will be released early next week.

I am also changing the Support Mailing address. It will now be support@winpaw.com

Version 2.1 is released to the IF-archive. A listing of the changes can be found on the WinPaw Version History.

The web site for WinPaw changed. There have been no changes to WinPaw since the last message in October. I am continuing to work on a WinPaw version of the Colossal Cave Adventure.

I am considering adding something to the descriptions later using html-like tags to allow changing fonts & other font attributes and background colors.

Version 2.0.0 is released to the IF-Archive. Some highlights in this version from 1.0.2 (last release to the IF-Archive)

• Brief room descriptions.
• Brief Listings.
• Partial Vocabulary and Process listings
• A Location Listing showing ALL exits.
• I was going through some of my Spectrum stuff the other day and discovered 'The Professional Adventure Writing System - A Supplement for the Spectrum - Version A16'. It mainly concerns additions to provide a facility for multiple commands to be given to PSI's. I am upgrading the program to this version.
• Added a Find Command to the Toolbar & Menu
• Enhanced the types of Exports
• Added Most Recently Used FileList.
• Enhanced Debugging

I would usually release the updated maintenance version of WinPaw around now. However, I am about to release Version 2.0.0, which contains an update to PAW A16. However, I am not completely finished testing and adding the new stuff to the Help. I will release it as soon as all that is finished, sometime before October 12th, 2001.

Version 1.0.2 is released to the IF-Archive. With this version, all planned features are completed. Future releases will be maintenance releases or additions of new features. The WinPaw Downloads Page contains a link to the Version History. See the descriptions of versions 1.0.0 thru 1.0.2 for what is in this release.

I will post the latest version to the IF-Archive around the beginning of each month. Interim versions between those dates will be sent to Registered users and anyone else on the mailing list.

For those of you who do not know, the IF-Archive has moved. It now is found at ftp.ifarchive.org/if-archive. All the links on this and the Downloads page have been changed to reflect the new location.

I will now be working on a WinPaw conversion of the original 350 point Fortran version of the Colossal Cave Adventure. Information on this will be posted periodically on this page.

I had a problem with my mail program yesterday. I lost all E-Mail which was sent to me since the beginning of August. If you requested a Registration number during that time or had any other problems which I have not replied to yet, please resend them to support@winpaw.com.

Beta 3 is released. Included in beta 3:

• Packaging of your adventure
• Running of UnQuill and UnPaw
• Contact Info added to Adventure Setup
• Condition/Actions entered using the 'Add to Conditions/Actions' fields now show what parameters are needed for the Condition/Action. Example: for the Action COPYOF the parameters will be titled 'Object' & 'Flag'.
• NOTCR, WORN, CARRIED, HERE allowed as locno+ in addition to the numbers 252 through 255 on the Process Table form.
• A couple bug fixes. See the Version History in Help for a listing.

I have decided that there will be no Beta 4. With the next version of WinPaw, it will have all the original features that I planned. Consequently, the next version released will be the first final version and will have a version number starting with 1.0. Printing and a simple Print Preview will be in the final version as well as provision for descriptions for what each extra Process Table does.

Beta 2 and Beta 2 Patch 1 are released. I discovered after uploading Beta 2 to the if-archive that there was a bug which caused a "Path not found" error. So after correcting and re-testing, Beta 2 is OK as of now. Direct links will be on the Downloads page.

Changes in beta 2
• TimeOut is now implemented. The TIME action will set the values and TIMEOUT checks for it.
• You can now take the output file which was created with the TURN SCRIP ON command and use it as an input. Use LOAD SCRIP to open the file. This will activate a Next button on the Toolbar. Clicking on that button will execute the commands that you did in the SCRIPT file one at a time.
• Debugging is now implemented. See the Engine Help (under Using the Engine) for how to use it.
• The LOAD, SAVE, RAMLOAD & RAMSAVE actions are implemented.
• There are several new interfaces on the forms which create & edit the entries in the tables.

Bug Fixes. I did not keep track of my bug fixes this time, but I will in the future. Suffice it to say that bugs were found in some of the Import routines and other areas. All the bugs I found or which were reported to me were fixed.

The WinPaw Engine, IDE and any patches, updates, or downloads related to WinPaw can now be found on the WinQuill directory at the If-Archive (ftp.ifarchive.org/if-archive/programming/quill/). Direct links will be on the Downloads page.

05/31/2001 10:25AM

Beta 1 just went to the if-archive. It may be found at the ftp.ifarchive.org/if-archive/incoming directory for now. Links to the actual files and a couple additional Microsoft packages which are needed can be found on the Downloads page. The help is not completely finished. Help is not available on most of the actual screens which create the records needed for the database. I will try to put out a release of just the Help files within about a week which will have that information.

05/25/2001 3:15PM

I am just about ready to release Beta 1. It should be going to the if-archive sometime next week. I am not sure if the Help will be completely finished, but if not, I am releasing it anyway. Announcements will be going out on the Sinclair (comp.sys.sinclair) and int-fiction (rec.arts.int-fiction and rec.games.int-fiction) newsgroups when I have the files on the if-archive.

I will have complete information on downloads on the download page. Like WinQuill, at least one install of a Microsoft download is necessary. Two downloads if you want to use Help.

WinPaw is being released as freeware, but registration will be required if you want the program to work for more than 30 days. There is no charge for registration, I just want to know who is using it. Registration will not get you any junk mail, but will place you on the WinPaw mailing list if you are not on it already.

Download and test the betas to your heart's content. I KNOW there are bugs I haven't found. ANY problems, contact me at support@winpaw.com.

05/07/2001 4:06PM

I didn't think that doing the help files would take so long. I did have about half of it written from the original manuals, but it is taking longer to modify them than I thought. Plus I have to completely rewrite some areas.

The end result of this is that it might be another week or 2 before I am able to release Beta 1. I will be able to give a better update next week.

04/20/2001 2:27PM

I am finished with the testing for now. There still are a couple minor problems I need to fix. They will be fixed before I release Beta 1.

The only major thing left to do is the Help file. I have started working on that already and hopefully it will be completed by the end of the month.

One other thing I forgot to mention which will NOT be included in Beta 1 is Timeout.

Here are my current plans for planned feature releases in the betas. Bug fixes, of course, will also be included.
• Beta 2
  • Timeout
  • Input SCRIPTing
  • Debugging
  • LOAD
  • SAVE
  • RAMLOAD
  • RAMSAVE
• Beta 3
  • Running UnPaw & UnQuill
  • Packaging your adventure
• Beta 4
  • Printing

I have updated the screen shots of the IDE and Engine.

04/11/2001 1:36PM

Sorry for the delay in an update, but I have been busier than usual lately. I have done some testing, but not enough to release the beta. I will need a couple weeks yet for testing.

Even after I finish testing, I need to create a Help file. A lot of the Help has been done for me by someone else, but it needs modified a good bit for WinPaw. I can release it without Help, but would prefer not to. If enough of you are champing at the bit to test the beta and want to try it without Help, I will release it after testing. I predict it will take an extra week to get the Help straightened out.

Here are some features which will NOT be included in beta 1.
• Printing
• Packaging of the Adventure
• Debugging in the Engine
• Running UnPaw on .SNA or .Z80 files. This option will only work if you have the UnPaw executable anyway. I do not intend to distribute UnPaw with WinPaw. I just am not satisfied with the version available of UnPaw. It doesn't work on some PAWed games and doesn't work at all on 128K versions of PAWed games. If someone ever updates the UnPaw source (it is distributed with the executable, which is on the If-Archive at ftp.ifarchive.org/if-archive/solutions/tools/unpaws01.zip) so it works on ALL PAWed games, I will consider distributing it.
• Scripting will work on output, but you will not be able to load it and execute it.
• The PAW LOAD, SAVE, RAMLOAD, & RAMSAVE Actions.

03/25/2001 11:49AM

The IDE & Engine is written enough to test them, but I have not gotten down to a good testing yet. I want to get the imports finished and then get down to REAL testing. If everything goes as planned, I will have a beta available sometime the 1st half of April 2001.

I have gotten PAW .SNA & .Z80 files from quite a few people, so the importing of UnPawed games will be included in Beta 1 of the IDE. Thanks to all of you who provided me with files.

One person wanted to be included on my Mailing List. I didn't have one then, but now I do. If you want to be included on the WinPaw mailing list, send the request to (info@winpaw.com)

03/16/2001 10:44AM

The IDE is mostly done. I have to do some touching up on some of it. The first beta will not have everything working, but will have enough so that you can create and play games.

Here are some things that are included in the IDE or will be included in the future
• Sound voices for the BEEP Action.
• Pictures using .GIF, .JPG, .BMP or anything supported by the Visual Basic Image control.
• Loading of .SCE files from Graeme Yeandle’s text version of the PAW.
• Loading of UnPAW files (if I can find a .SNA or .Z80 file I can get it to work on). If anyone knows of a .SNA or .Z80 file of an Adventure written with the PAW, let me know by email (info@winpaw.com)
• Packaging of your Adventure into a .ZIP file, with or without the Engine.
• A SCRIPT command which will put out your input and output to a text file and read it back in, executing each command in the original file one at a time as you request it.
• A listing of the Flags and what they do. Any User flags can have their own description added.

Here is a preliminary screen shot of the IDE.

I am working on the Engine. It is maybe a third done.

Things to be included in the Engine.
• Debugging when called from the IDE.
  This includes:
  • Looking at a flag value
  • Changing a flag value
  • Looking at Current Object Locations.
  • Changing an object location
• This is where you can load the SCRIPT file and execute it a line at a time.

Here is a preliminary screen shot of the Engine.

03/07/2001 2:37PM

The mail link now works. I expect to have the IDE done within a week. Then I will continue with the Engine.

This page is still VERY undeveloped. Once I get close to a beta, I will have a bit more time to develop the pages.

I still hope to have a beta by the end of the month. Keep tuned.

02/27/2001 3:29PM

This is the Home Page for the Windows Version of the Professional Adventure Writer (PAW). PAW is an adventure writing system that was released to the Sinclair Spectrum, Commodore 64, and several other computer systems in the 1970's.

At the present time, it is still in the initial writing stage. A beta version will probably be available by the end of March 2001.

Watch this page for weekly updates.

The WinPAW will include most of the features of the original PAW except for graphics drawing. Instead, graphics support will be supplied by use of the normal picture types available in Windows (JPG, GIF, BMP, etc). Email me at info@winpaw.com for more information. (As of today, this link does not work. It should within a few days. I just registered it.) I answer all emails normally within 2 working days.