AtariWiki V3.1: Quick

Quick#

Background#

Quick is a simple programming language intended to write high-performance code. It is similar to Action in basic concept, and differs primarily in its syntax. Like Action!, Quick is based on an ALGOL-like (and thus C- and Pascal-like) program structure, and like Action!, it allows variables to be assigned to specific locations in memory which makes it easy to interact with hardware registers. One might think of Quick as a public version of Action! in the same way one might consider Turbo-BASIC XL to be a (greatly improved) public version of Atari BASIC.

AtariWiki deeply thanks CharlieChaplin from AtariAge, so we can offer the following info:

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Quick had been released as a type in listing in German Atari Magazin in 1989 by Raindorf-Soft (Harald Schoenfeld and Andreas Binner). It consists of three program files, the language, a compiler and a runtime (just like TURBO-Basic XL). The listing was version 1.6, but there were also updates available (e. g. via Quick-Magazines 1-15) for version 2.0 and 2.1. Alas, the versions are not fully compatible with each other, thus code used in version 1.6 does not necessarily run in version 2.0 or 2.1 (or vice versa)...

There were also commercial sold versions, they were version 2.0 and 2.1 with printed manual and some programming examples. While Atari Magazin was German, its publisher made a deal in the 90s with Dean Garaghty in Scotland and thus some programs (like Quick, Screen Aided Management and others) are also available in English language and/or with English instructions. dgs still sells these English versions commercially...

Last but not least, Abbuc once got permission from the copyright holder (Werner Raetz) to release Quick as an Abbuc Sondermagazin (special issue), but alas, the version released by Abbuc was the oldest one 1.6. Nevertheless, since the Quick Magazines are in PD right now, it is easy to use the magazines to update version 1.6 to 2.0 and to 2.1...

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All German versions can be published here, except the English versions of 2.1 and 2.2.. These two versions have to be obtained from dgs, please see below. On the other hand, AtariWiki is free to publish the English version of 1.6 for free and there is a type in listing on the version to upgrade legally to 2.1.

ATR Images#

QUICKV16.ATR ; QUICK version 1.6 with Editor, Compiler, Runtime and DOS II Version 2.75
QIK_SHEL.atr ; Quick-Shell V1.1, includes Quick-Editor V1.3 and Quick-Compiler V1.6 in English
QIK_001.atr ; QUICKmagazin Ausgabe 1 in German language
QIK_002.atr ; QUICKmagazin Ausgabe 2 in German language
QIK_003.atr ; QUICKmagazin Ausgabe 3 in German language

We are sorry, we can't offer the ATR images of version 2.1 and 2.2 in English for free, but the right holder: dgs offers them for a cheap price. Quick version 2.2 english currently costs US$5 on its own, or US$7 when included in the full DGS commercial software pack. Both are delivered as a ZIP file containing ATR files of the disks (including two support disks), along with a PDF of the English manual.

Manual#

Quick_v2_0_Handbuch_(deutsch).pdf ; size: 563 KB ; German Quick manual ; Thank you so much Mr. Barcardi for help in this, we really appreciate this. :-)

Articles#

original Quick Articles from german Atari Magazin

Quick Programs#

TIF2PIC TIF2PIC converter by Ralf Patschke (pps)
Abbuc Magazin 73 Gametro by Ralf Patschke (pps)
Koung ; A simple PONG like game written in Quick
Quick Demo Disks

Quick Magazin#

These are the QUICK Magazin Disk 1 - 15.

We thank Andreas Magenheimer for this donations. Andreas, we are deeep, very, very deep in your debt! Please go ahead! We really appreciate your help in so many cases that much! :-)))