RISC OS Documentation

Links to sources of RISC OS operating system documentation:

Overview

The original PRMs (volumes 1-4) cover RISC OS 3. PRM 5 covers additions up to RISC OS 3.6, and the rarer 5a is similar, but adds information on the internet stack. The PRMs were also supplied with the PRM Index and Style Guide. Other related publications from Acorn are the Acorn Assembler Reference, Acorn Technical Publications Style Guide and Welcome Guides for various machines.

Programmer's Reference Manuals (PRMs)

Original printed manuals may be available for purchase from CJE.

StrongHelp manuals 'OS', 'Wimp', 'InetSWIs', 'MiscSWIs' and others contain a summary of PRM information. Find them on the main StrongHelp site, or read online via the sh-cgi converter (which isn't perfect).

PRMs in PDF form can be downloaded from riscos.com.

Finally, the RISC OS Open wiki is actively having the PRMs added to it.

PRM Addendums

Additions for various versions of RISC OS

• RISC OS 5 documentation
• Nested Wimp (need link)
• Plugin Specification (need link)

RISC OS Adjust CD documentation

• Docs.Apps.Paint/txt Changes to !Paint
• Docs.Audio.RateTracker/txt ReadMe file for RateTracker module (Warm Silence Software)
• Docs.Desktop.TaskManager/txt Updated TaskManager_Shutdown flags
• Docs.Desktop.WimpTextOp/txt Added bit to Wimp_TextOp 1 (R0 bit 1, Read Size of String)
• Docs.Graphics.BlendTable/txt BlendTable module SWIs: blending palette colours in arbitrary ratios (provides transparency to SpriteExtend)
• Docs.Graphics.ColourMap-DrawFile/txt` Changes to DrawFile_Render and ColourTrans transfer functions for colour mapping
• Docs.Graphics.ColourMap-Sprite/txt Colour mapping in deep sprites: API changes to OS_SpriteOp 52/56, JPEG_Plot..., transfer functions (same as ColourMap-Drawfile/txt)
• Docs.Graphics.CompressJPEG/txt CompressJPEG_WriteLineExtended, _Comment, _Transcode SWIs, module errors
• Docs.Graphics.ConvertPNG/txt ConvertPNG_Info, ConvertPNG_CreateSprite
• Docs.Graphics.GraphicsSystem/txt Overview of the RISC OS Select/Adjust graphics system
• Docs.Graphics.ImageFileRender/txt Detailed documentation of ImageFileRender system
• Docs.Graphics.InverseTable/txt Provides 8bpp tables to the graphics system. InverseTable_SpriteTable, _Calculate
• Docs.Graphics.PNG/txt PNG module "early development version" docs
• Docs.Graphics.SpriteExtend-CYMK/txt CYMK sprites and support in SpriteExtend
• Docs.Graphics.SpriteExtend-Errors/txt JPEG errors in SpriteExtend
• Docs.Graphics.SpriteExtend-Translucency/txt Translucency support in SpriteExtend (minimal notes on API changes)
• Docs.Graphics.SystemSpriteArea/txt OS_Byte 163,242,65 no longer returns the size of the system sprite area
• Docs.Input.PointerDevices/txt Scrollwheel support for mouse drives, in PointerV/EventV
• Docs.Input.WindowScroll/txt WindowScroll module, controls scrollwheel actions in the desktop
• Docs.Networking.AUNIntro/txt Brief introduction to AUN
• Docs.Networking.AutomaticConfiguration/txt *Configure InternetIP, automatic configuration of primary network interface by DHCP, AUN, or statically set in CMOS RAM.
• Docs.Networking.Pollword/txt ioctl FIOPOLLWORD sets a pollword in shared workspace on network activity

Other documentation repositories

• Acorn FTP site
• Drobe Reference material
• Theo Markettos' archive
• Robin Watts' archive
• Denis Howe's archive
• Poppyfields archive

Misc

• TIME in BASIC and other timers
• How to boot RISC OS Adjust over the network
• Stacks and TaskWindow

See Also

• How to download the PRMs