Short:        multiplication tables practice drills
Author:       Ernest Unrau
Uploader:     Ernest Unrau <ejunrau mts net>
Type:         util/rexx
Version:      1.0
Requires:     ARexx L:speak-handler DEVS:narrator.device LIBS:translator.library DEVS:DOSDRIVERS/SPEAK
Architecture: generic


Short:
-----
Series of ARexx scripts to provide multiplication tables practice drills.


Requirements:
------------         
 This distribution
 ARexx server must be active (likely the default on most classic Amiga systems)
 L:speak-handler
 DEVS:narrator.device
 LIBS:translator.library
 DEVS:DOSDRIVERS/speak

If you have not owned earlier version of AmigaOS, such as 1.3, you may not
have the above components on your system. In that case you may be out of
luck unless you can find another source, such as Aminet, for a substitute or
replacement. I suspect it may not be legal for me to supply these files
with this distribution.

Check on Aminet for the "SoftTalk.lha" distribution by R.Altmann
(http://aminet.net/util/misc/SofTalk.lha). I haven't tested it, and these
scripts may need modification to work with it, but it looks promising from
the description posted:

   "SofTalk is a new speech synthesizer that can be used on all Amiga
   operating systems. No hardware is required.  SofTalk replaces
   the narrator device and translator library on Amiga operating
   systems v1.0 thru v2.04, and should be compatible with most
   application programs that used the original Amiga speech
   capability."


Full Description:
----------------
This series of ARexx scripts was created to provide multiplication table
drill practice for our children. It helped them to increase their skill
with the "times tables". They loved to hear the audio feedback and
perception of artificial intelligence from the computer, which turned a
chore into a game :^)

These scripts should work on most any version of AmigaOS, certainly up to
OS3.9, as long as you have the components above. Provided you have the
components noted above, just double click on a script to run it. If you
find on lower versions of AmigaOS that you can't run the ARexx scripts by
doubleclicking on the icons, you can always run them from the shell with
syntax,

  rx <scriptname>

  Example:

     rx TimesTables_4

SPEAK: must be mounted. If you don't have this DosDriver file available,
then drag the supplied dosdriver file into the DEVS:DOSDRIVERS drawer, and then
it will mount automatically at boot time.

If you are running OS3.9 then you can simply leave the SPEAK dosdriver file
in SYS:Storage/Dosdrivers and the script(s) will automatically mount SPEAK
when needed. This is because the Dos "mount" command includes
SYS:Storage/Dosdrivers in its search path. I didn't know that before today;
you learn something every day! I haven't tested to see whether this works
on a lower version of AmigaOS, but give it a try.

Alternatively, simply drag the dosdriver file to some convenient place,
then mount it by doubleclicking when you want to run the times-table
practice scripts.

Have fun!