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DiscWorld

Aaron Timbrell rounds up the software directory

In the last few issues of Foundation RISCWorld we've published quite a few entertainment related applications as part of our "free commercial software title every issue" pledge. So this time we are going to get serious. As such we are delighted to announce that free with this issue is a full copy of Locus by Richard Sharpe.

Locus - a mathematical graph plotter

Locus is a mathematical graph plotter and data analysis tool written to provide ease of use with sophistication. It is sophisticated enough for use with 'A' level and post 'A' level students and straightforward enough to be used at late primary or early secondary level.

It has the following features:

• Formula based graph plotting in five operational modes:
  
  • Cartesian (non-parametric)
    
  • Polar (non-parametric)
    
  • Cartesian (parametric)
    
  • Polar (parametric)
    
  • Implicit
  
  
• The user can watch the graph being plotted. This is very useful and educationally important. It is also rare among desktop graph plotters.
  
• Formulae can be entered in standard algebraic notation.
  
• Functions can be input in user defined function notation.
  
• Constants can be used
  
• 'Families' of graphs can be plotted
  
• Commonly used functions in each of the five modes can be saved and edited.
  
• You can choose fully automatic axis scaling or have complete manual control.
  
• It features a drag box zoom and an automated zoom out facility.
  
• The graph can be moved up, down, right and left as required.
  
• It can analyse gradients of functions and areas under graphs and draw gradient and integral functions.
  
• Bi-variate data sets in Text, CSV or SID formats can be imported
  
• User defined transformations of datasets using matrices or descriptions can be applied.
  
• Statistical information including means, standard deviations and least squares regression lines can be calculated.
  
• Data can be saved in DrawFile, Text, CSV, SID or its own LocFile format.
  
• The user can print from the application.
  
• All user definable features can be saved as defaults.

Locus is StrongARM compatible and is suited for all 26bit versions of RISC OS.

The complete DiscWorld line up

As per usual we have our collections of the latest RISC OS applications, as well as support files for this issues articles:

2ndProc

Support materials for our article on second processors.

Iyonix

Software featured in the Iyonix column.

Letters

Software covered in the letters column.

Locus

Our full free commercial title for this issue.

PD

All the latest PD, shareware and freeware releases from the PD column.

WimpProg

Programming examples from our latest book serialisation.

ToolBox

This contains two sets of Toolbox Modules. The Castle archive contains the latest 26/32 bit neutral system components, required if you want to run a lot of new software releases on 26bit machines. The RISCOS Ltd archive contains later and improved versions of a number of modules and is suitable for all versions of RISC OS from 3.1 onwards. We have also included copies of SharedUnixLib and UnixHome as these are needed by some programs.

Aaron Timbrell