The Many Faces of Go Joseki Dictionary
For Palm OS® Handhelds
Smart Games
4863 Capistrano Ave.
San Jose CA 95129
(408)985-1236
fotland@smart-games.com
Release 1.21
Many Faces of Go Palm OS Edition
Frequently Asked Questions
by Bob Felice
Last update: 21 August 2002
This file contains Frequently Asked Questions regarding the The Many Faces
of Go Joseki Dictionary, Palm OS edition.
0) What's New?
Q: What's new in version 1.21?
A: Three new features and a minor tweak.
First off, you can now flip the colors of the stones. Enter an "f" and the
black and white stones (and captures) change places.
Next, the last stone played now blinks. This can be especially useful
when you are going back through the joseki sequence to see how the joseki
developed.
Finally (and at long last), I have added support for color. Of course, your
device must also support color, or the display will be the same old black
and white it always is.
Q: What's the tweak?
A: I have once again tweaked the (non-defeatable) feedback sound. It's still
there, but it's a lot softer and a little more pleasant. Those of you who
attended too many rock concerts in their youth may not even be able to hear
it :)
Q: What happened to versions 1.17 through 1.20?
A: These were intermediate versions that were never intended for general
release.
Q: What's new in version 1.16?
A: Some bug fixes and some new features.
Q: Bugs? You found bugs?
A1: Yes. Our beta tester found a bug, which involved not displaying all
of the moves in a symmetric position.
A2: During regression testing, I found several more bugs. One bug involved
not displaying a joseki move if it was "under" a captured stone. Another bug
involved a problem with the 'retract' and 'pass' logic.
Q: What are the new features?
A1: I added a status display line to the bottom of the screen: it shows
which side is the next to move, the move number, if the library contains
any moves if the next move is a PASS, and displays the letter 'E' when
you have reached the end of the joseki.
A2: I also changed the unlocked joseki in the un-registered version from the
5-5
joseki to the 3-3 joseki, and reduced the volume of the beep.
Q: So what happened to versions 1.05 through 1.15?
A: They were intermediate versions that were never meant for general release.
Q: What else is new?
A: We have several winners in our 'Find the Longest Joseki' Contest. See
Section 4 for details.
1) The Free Trial Version of the Software
Q: Are you really giving this program away?
A: Yes we are. Of course, if you find it useful, we hope you will buy it.
Q: What's the catch?
A: All of the joseki except the 3-3 joseki have been disabled, as are the
major navigation features (pass and retract).
When you purchase the program, we will send you a registration code that
unlocks the navigation features and the entire joseki dictionary.
Q: This program is pretty cool. Can I beam a copy of it to a friend?
A: Oh yes. In fact, we are hoping that people will help us distribute the
trial version of the program by beaming it to their friends.
2) Palm OS Devices
Q: What versions of the Palm OS does the program support?
A: The program should run on devices with Palm OS Version 2.0 and higher.
This includes the Palm Pilot Personal and Professional, the Palm III series
(including the IIIc), the IBM Workpad, the Palm V series, the Palm VII series,
the entire line of devices from Handspring, as well as the new Sony CLIE,
and any other devices released in the future.
Q: I have a Handspring. Will the program run from my 8 MB Flash Module?
A: Yes.
3) Program Features
Q: What do all the letters on the board mean, and where is this documented?
A: J = a Joseki move,
F = a Follow-up (non-urgent) move,
X = a Bad move,
T = a Trick move (i.e., a Bad move that can give a good result, if the
opponent doesn't answer it properly).
This information is available within the program: to bring it up, tap on
the "Keystroke Help" menu item.
Q: At the start of the dictionary, all four corners are displayed. But once
I enter a move, only one corer is displayed. What gives?
A: Generating moves for all four corners takes longer than Bob wanted it
to. In order to give you the quick response you expect on a Palm device, he
designed the program so that it would only show subsequent moves from the
initial corner.
Q: But the start position shows 9 joseki moves in each of the four corners,
and that takes the program no time at all!
A: It's all done with smoke and mirrors. The program actually takes several
seconds to compute the opening joseki moves for each of the four corners.
But since the opening moves never vary, Bob "hard coded" the initial set of
moves into the program so that the 'Start of Dictionary' command executes
quickly.
Q: Do I have to enter the short-cut stroke to invoke the menu short-cuts?
A: You can if you want, but you don't have to. Since the program doesn't
require any character input when it's displaying the board, Bob wrote the
program to also look for just the short-cut character (making sort of a short-cut
to the short-cut :).
For example, to move to the 'About' form, you could enter either the short-cut
stroke, followed by an 'a', or just enter an 'a' and be done with it.
Q: What's the complete list of short-cuts?
A - About Form
B - Toggle marking Bad moves
F - Flip colors
H - Toggle marking Hints
K - Keystroke Map
P - Preferences Form
R - Registration Form
S - Start of Dictionary
T - Toggle marking Trick moves
Q: I bought a registration key. How do I access the pass and retract features?
A: Use the space stroke to enter a pass move, and the backspace stroke to
retract the last move.
You can optionally (and independently) map the upper scroll button to retract,
and/or the lower scroll button to pass.
Q: Are there any problems using the scroll buttons?
A: Some owners of Palm V's have experienced problems when carrying the device
in their pockets: the cover can press against the power button and turn the
device on. Worse, once the device is on, the cover can press against the scroll
buttons and cause unwanted program input.
Q: I entered a pass and an alert popped up. What happened?
A: The joseki library does not contain moves for all possible passes. Starting
with Version 1.11, the program displays a 'P' if the library contains any
pass moves in the current position.
Q: I entered a pass, followed by another pass, and an Alert popped up telling
me I had done something wrong. What happened?
A: The program prevented you from entering two passes in a row. Since the
two passes cancel each other out, they only serve to fill up the (limited)
history buffer up with moves that have no effect.
Q: What does 'show hints' do?
A: The hints show you the moves that are in the Many Faces of Go joseki
Library for the current board position. When you turn the hints off, you
are presented with a blank board, just as you would be during a real game.
Q: What does 'mark bad moves' do?
A: If the hints are off, you may pick a move in the library without realizing
that it's a bad move. When you turn on the 'mark bad moves' feature, bad plays
are marked with a tiny 'x' inside of the stone.
Q: Does 'mark trick moves' do the same thing for trick moves?
A: Yes, except the trick moves are marked with a tiny 't'. You may want
to keep these options on, even when 'show hints' is enabled, so you can keep
track of the bad or trick moves in the joseki you are exploring.
Q: How do I shut off the beep sound when I enter a move? It really annoyed
my opponents during my last tournament.
A: The beep is there to remind you not to use the program during tournaments.
This program is intended as a study aid, not as a cheating device.
Q: The program would be really cool if it [insert your favorite feature
here].
A: It probably would. Send e-mail to Bob and your idea may wind up in a
future release of the program.
4) The Joseki Library
Q: How big is the joseki library?
A: The library has over 50,000 moves, and includes all the Joseki sequences
published in English through about 1998, and many additional lines from Japanese
sources.
Q: What's the longest joseki in the library?
A: We're not telling, but our beta tester found a 35 move sequence. If
you find a longer one, send it in, and we'll add your name to the FAQ :)
Q: Has anybody besides the beta tester found a long sequence?
A: Yes. Here are the current results:
5) The Registered Version of the Software
Q: I want to register my copy of the program! How can I buy it?
A: We thought you'd never ask :)
You can register on-line using either a credit card or money in your PayPal
account at: http://www.smart-games.com
Or, you can send a check or money order for $20.00 in U.S. funds payable
to Smart Games, to:
Smart Games
4863 Capistrano Ave.
San Jose CA 95129
David will e-mail me your information, and Bob will e-mail you your user
name and registration code. To register by mail, use the handy form below:
----------------------------- [cut here]-------------------------------
Enclosed is $20.00 in US currency via check or money order, payable to Smart
Games, for one registration code to unlock the Palm OS edition of The Many
Faces of Go Joseki Dictionary. (California residents, please add the applicable
sales tax.)
Please send me a user name and a registration code via e-mail.
Thank you.
Name: _______________________________________________________
Address 1: __________________________________________________
Address 2: __________________________________________________
Town: __________________________________
State or Province: ____________ Zip or Postal Code: __________
Country (if not the USA): ___________________________________
e-mail: _____________________________________________________
(Optional)
What model Palm device are you using? ______________________
----------------------------- [cut here]-------------------------------
Q: Once the program is registered, should I beam it to my friends? Won't
I be beaming them a registered copy?
A: You can still beam the registered copy of the program to your friends.
When your friend receives the program, it will revert to the trial version
of the program.
Q: I have two Palm devices. Can I buy one registration code and use it on
both devices?
A: We would prefer that you bought a separate registration code for each
device you own. We know that we can't prevent you from using the same registration
code on more than one device, but we can offer you a volume discount for
purchasing two registration codes at the same time. This will save you some
money while you do the right thing by us. Contact David for details.
6) Product Warranty
Q: What kind of warranty comes with the program?
A: The standard kind for this industry: Although Bob made every effort to
insure that the program works the way he intended it to, neither Bob nor
David is responsible for anything that goes wrong when you run this program
on your device. Here are the formal words:
"No warranty of any sort, expressed or implied, is provided in connection
with this program, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability
or fitness for a particular purpose. Any cost, loss or damage of any sort
incurred owing to the malfunction or misuse of the program, or the inaccuracy
of the documentation, or connected with the program in any other way whatsoever
is the responsibility of the person who incurred the cost, loss or damage.
By using this program you give up any right to seek any damages against us
in connection with this program."
If it makes you feel any better, Bob uses the program daily. If there are
any major bugs in the software, they will probably take out his Palm first
:)
Q: What about upgrades?
A: You will automatically receive all future maintenance releases for the
life of the product, e-mailed to you at the address you supplied when you
registered.
7) Miscellaneous Questions
Q: I have a question about [insert your question here]. Who should I contact?
A: If you have a question about the joseki, contact David. It's his dictionary.
David's e-mail address is: fotland@smart-games.com
If you have a question about the Palm OS program, contact Bob. It's his program.
Bob's e-mail address is: bfelice@directlink.net
Q: Any last words?
A: Thanks to our beta tester, Darron Shaffer. And thank you for trying
out the Palm OS edition of The Many Faces of Go Joseki Dictionary.
-- Bob Felice and David Fotland
David Fotland's home page
Smart Games home page
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Changes last made on: September 1, 2002