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1{SHIFT-+}1z{SHIFT-+}1z PREFACE -------------------------------------------------- There are several BASIC extension programs available, and in my opinion, they all share a common problem. Once your program is written, it will only work if the extension program is loaded first. Worse, you can't SHARE your programs unless everyone owns the same BASIC extension that you own. It was this shortcoming that prompted me to write BASIC 4. What makes BASIC 4 different is that it attaches itself to your BASIC program, thus eliminating the problems mentioned above. Now you can use the full power of BASIC 4 in all of your programs, and freely distribute them to anyone. By the way, you won't find any programmer helper (i.e. RENUMBER, AUTO etc.) routines in BASIC 4. Every function and command is designed to help you write faster, more efficient code. I am especially proud of the array handling features. Now you can quickly search and sort string arrays, insert and delete array elements, and instantly sum an entire numeric array! Several new commands allow greater control over your text screens. The SCREEN command will let you save or load screens to and from disk, or to and from several buffers located in RAM under ROM. The COPY, MOVE and ERASE commands offer a new dimension in screen manipulation. I could go on raving about BASIC 4, but I think you should turn the page and discover the power for yourself. ...Rick Nash {SHIFT-+}1z -------------------------------------------------- U S I N G B A S I C 4 -------------------------------------------------- A very important concept to grasp early on is how BASIC 4 uses memory, and how it attaches itself to your program. A typical session will be as follows: 1. Load BASIC 4 with LOAD "BASIC 4",8 and type RUN. Once you do, you're in the development mode. 2. You will see a title screen and copyright notice. At this point you can write your code as usual, except that you have access to all of the new features of BASIC 4. 3. When you are satisfied with your code, issue a normal SAVE command to save your SOURCE code. This is more compact than the CSAVE which saves BASIC 4 along with your program. You MIGHT find it convenient to use the CSAVE option because then you can just LOAD your program and RUN it and you've booted both your program AND BASIC! When you load A file that you've CSAVED and type list, you will only see the BASIC 4 title screen. If you type RUN however, your program will run. You'll have to break your program in order to edit it. Steps 1-3 can be repeated as many times as necessary so that you can develop your code at different sittings (as normal BASIC allows). See appendix A for a memory map showing actual memory used by BASIC 4. -ii- {SHIFT-+}1z -------------------------------------------------- U S E R G U I D E F O R M A T -------------------------------------------------- Each new command is listed on a separate page, and includes the following information: 1. The token for each command. Advanced programmers will find this information useful. 2. The command type. Either Function or Statement. 3. The action. A general description of the command. 4. The syntax. This section shows the syntax for proper operation. Note that parameters are enclosed in <> for clarity. Do not type these characters in your program. 5) An example. A short demonstration of the command at work. -iii- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS -------------------------------------------------- STATEMENTS PAGE FUNCTIONS PAGE ' (REM) 3 ASC() 3 @ (AT) 2 BPEEK() 4 BPOKE 5 CTRL 10 CLS 6 CVF() 11 COLOR 7 CVI() 12 COPY 8 DEC() 13 CSAVE 9 DEEK() 14 DEFUSR 15 EXEC() 21 DELETE 16 HEX$() 23 DOKE 17 INLINE$() 26 DUP() 18 INSCR$() 27 ELSE 19 INSTR() 29 ERASE 20 KEY 30 FILL 22 MKF$() 31 HOME 24 MKI$() 32 IF 25 MOD() 33 INSERT() 28 PROMPT() 38 MOVE 34 QUOT() 39 ON 35 SEARCH() 46 PAUSE 36 STRING$() 48 PDELAY 37 SUM() 49 RESTORE 40 VARPTR() 50 RVS 41 XOR() 51 SCRATCH() 42 SCREEN() 43 SCROFF 44 SCRON 45 SORT() 47 MEMORY MAP 49 SCAN CODES 53 -iv- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE ' (REM) -------------------------------------------------- Token: $CF - 207 Type: Statement. Action: Shorthand notation for REMark. Syntax: ' Example: 10 REM this is an old-fashioned remark. 20 'here is the new style! 30 'which do you prefer? 40 {SHIFT-+}... program continues here ...{SHIFT--} See Also: REM (In your BASIC manual). -1- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE @ (PRINT AT) -------------------------------------------------- Token: $EF - 239 Type: Statement. Action: Moves cursor to desired screen location. This function is used with the PRINT command like the TAB or SPC commands. Screen locations can be expressed as ROW,COL or as a screen location 0 to 999. Like TAB and SPC, more than one @ can be used in a single print command. Multiple @'s in a single print command must be separated by a comma or semicolon. Syntax: PRINT@<screen pos>,<variable-list> PRINT@(<row>, <col>),<variable-list> screen pos = 0-999 row = 0-24 col = 0-39 var-list = normal PRINT command parameters. Example: 10 CLS 20 PRINT@0,"THIS IS AT LOCATION 0" 30 PRINT@(10,10),"THIS IS 10,10" 40 P=780 50 PRINT@P,"780",@P+40,"820" See Also: PRINT, TAB and SPC in your BASIC manual. -2- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE ASC -------------------------------------------------- Token: $F8 - 248 Type: Function. Action: This function works exactly like the ASC in your BASIC manual except that it fixes a bug in the original. This ASC will return a 0 for a null character whereas the old version produced an error message. Syntax: ASC(<string>) string = ascii character Example: 10 A$="" 20 A = ASC(A$) 30 PRINT "THE ASCII VALUE OF A$ IS:";A See Also: ASC in your BASIC manual. -3- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE BPEEK -------------------------------------------------- Token: $EE - 238 Type: Function. Action: BPEEK (BANK PEEK) returns the value from RAM under any ROM or I/O location. This area is located from $A000 to $FFFF. BPEEK will also return the correct value from any other location, but will be slower than the normal PEEK command. This function will give you access to the normally unused RAM areas. See BPOKE for the command to poke to these areas. Syntax: BPEEK(<memory location>) memory location = 0-65535 Example: 10 CLS 20 M=DEC("E000") 30 PRINT@(8,0),"ENTER YOUR NAME:" 40 A$=INLINE$(8,17,12) 50 IFA$=""THEN 30 60 FORI=1TOLEN(A$) 70 BPOKEM+(I-1),ASC(MID$(A$,I,1)):NEXT 80 CLS:FORI=1TOLEN(A$) 90 PRINTCHR$(BPEEK(M+(I-1)));:NEXT This program prompts you for your name, then pokes it into the RAM under ROM at address $E000. It then fetches your name, and displays it on the screen. See Also: BPOKE, PEEK and POKE. -4- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE BPOKE -------------------------------------------------- Token: $DC - 220 Type: Statement. Action: The BPOKE command will poke a value to RAM under the ROM and I/O area from $A000 to $FFFF. This command will also poke to normal ram, but will be slower than the normal POKE. Syntax: BPOKE <address>,<value> address = 0-65535 value = 0-255 Example: 10 CLS 20 M=DEC("E000") 30 PRINT@(8,0),"ENTER YOUR NAME:" 40 A$=INLINE$(8,17,12) 50 IFA$=""THEN 30 60 FORI=1TOLEN(A$) 70 BPOKEM+(I-1),ASC(MID$(A$,I,1)):NEXT 80 CLS:FORI=1TOLEN(A$) 90 PRINTCHR$(BPEEK(M+(I-1)));:NEXT This program prompts you for your name, then pokes it into the RAM under ROM at address $E000. It then fetches your name, and displays it on the screen. See Also: BPEEK, POKE and PEEK. -5- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE CLS -------------------------------------------------- Token: $CE - 206 Type: Statement. Action: The CLS command simply clears the screen. This is equivalent to PRINT CHR$(147). Syntax: CLS Example: 10 CLS 20 PRINT "NOTHIN' LIKE A CLEAN SCREEN!" See Also: HOME. -6- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE COLOR -------------------------------------------------- Token: $D7 - 215 Type: Statement. Action: The COLOR command provides an easy way to control screen border, background and character colors. Note that all three colors must be specified. Syntax: COLOR <border>,<background>,<character> border = 0-15 background = 0-15 character = 0-15 Example: 10 A=PEEK(53280):B=PEEK(53281):C=PEEK(646) 20 FORI=0TO15 30 FORJ=0TO15:CLS 40 FORK=0TO15 50 COLOR I,J,K 60 PRINT STRING$(40,"*"); 70 NEXT:FORL=1TO50:NEXT 80 NEXT:NEXT 90 CLS:COLOR A,B,C This program saves the current screen colors, then displays all combination of screen and character colors. The screen is then restored to the original colors. See Also: FILL -7- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE COPY -------------------------------------------------- Token: $D3 - 211 Type: Statement. Action: The COPY command copies lines on the screen. Color memory is moved along with the characters. The original line is unchanged. Syntax: COPY <row a> TO <row b> row a = source row (0-24). row b = destination row (0-24). Example: 10 CLS 20 PRINT STRING$(40,42) 30 PRINT@40,"*",@79,"*" 40 FORI=2TO23:COPY1TOI:NEXT 50 COPY 0TO24 60 PRINT@(8,12),"A QUICK BORDER!" 70 FORI=1TO5000:NEXT See Also: MOVE, ERASE, RVS AND FILL -8- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE CSAVE -------------------------------------------------- Token: $E6 - 230 Type: Statement. Action: The CSAVE command saves the runtime BASIC module along with your source code. This combined package will LOAD and RUN like any other BASIC program. It WILL NOT list however. For this reason, YOU MUST save your "source file" while in the development mode. Use the normal SAVE command to do this. Failure to do so will result in the loss of your work. Read the manual for more information. Syntax: CSAVE "<filename>",<device number>,<sa> filename = the combined program filename sa = optional secondary address Example: CSAVE "THISFILE",8 This command will save the current combined program as THISFILE to the disk drive number 8. -9- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE CTRL -------------------------------------------------- Token: $FC - 252 Type: Function - system variable. Action: This function acts like a system variable (eg. TI$ ST etc.). It returns the current status of the SHIFT, CONTROL and COMMODORE keys. The values returned are as follows: 1 - shift key 2 - Commodore key 4 - control key If more than one key is pressed, the value returned will be the total of all keys pressed. Syntax: CTRL Example: 10 CLS 20 PRINT"PRESS COMMODORE F1 TO CONTINUE..." 30 IF (CTRL AND 2)=0THEN30 40 IF KEY <>4 THEN 30 50 POKE198,0 This program waits for the user to press the Commodore and F1 keys together before continuing the program. See Also: KEY -10- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE CVF -------------------------------------------------- Token: $F6 - 246 Type: Function. Action: The CVF function converts a four byte string into a floating point value. The string, must have been produced by the MKF$ function. Use these functions with care if you plan on using them with disk files. Some numbers will convert to carriage returns which will mess up your sequential file. Syntax: CVF(<string>) string = 4 byte string produced by MKF$ Example: 10 CLS 20 A=56000.678 30 PRINT A:PRINT 40 A$=MKF$(A) 50 FORI=1TO4:PRINTASC(MID$(A$,I,1)):NEXT 60 PRINT:PRINTCVF(A$) This program converts a floating point value in a, into a four byte string. It then shows the contents of the string, and then converts the string back into a float again. See Also: CVI, MKI$ and MKF$ -11- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE CVI -------------------------------------------------- Token: $F5 - 245 Type: Function. Action: Converts a two byte string into an integer. The string must have been previously converted via the MKI$ function. See CVF for warnings on using the conversion commands in disk files. Syntax: CVI(<string>) Example: 10 CLS 20 PRINT "ORIGINAL",@16,+"CONVERTED" 30 FORI=0TO10:READ D 40 PRINT@(I+2,0),D:A$(I)=MKI$(D):NEXT 50 FORI=0TO10 60 PRINT@(I+2,18),CVI(A$(I)):NEXT 70 DATA -50,2000,28765,-3897,1024,14 80 DATA -4,32438,1798,290,2368 See Also: CVF, MKI$ and MKF$ -12- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE DEC -------------------------------------------------- Token: $FD - 253 Type: Function. Action: Converts a hexadecimal ASCII string into a floating point value. The upper limit is approximately 2FFFFFFF. Larger numbers may work, but will be returned as scientific notation. If non-hex characters are included in the string, DEC will return the total until the first non-hex character. For example, DEC("FAXYZ") will return 250 ($FA = 250). Syntax: DEC(<string>) string = valid hex ASCII characters (0-9, A-F) Example: 10 CLS 20 A=DEC("E473") 30 P=PEEK(A):A=A+1 40 IFP=0 THEN END 50 PRINTCHR$(P);:GOTO 30 See Also: HEX$ -13- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE DEEK -------------------------------------------------- Token: $E8 - 232 Type: Function. Action: DEEK (Double PEEK) is a 16 bit version of PEEK. It returns the 16 bit value at address and address +1. DEEK is most useful for reading system vectors. Using DEEK is the same as: PEEK(<address>)+PEEK(<address+1>)*256 Syntax: DEEK(<address>) address = 0-65534 Example: 10 CLS 20 A=DEC("0314") 30 READ D$:IFD$="END" THEN END 40 PRINT D$,TAB(10)RIGHT$(HEX$(DEEK(A)),4) 50 A=A+2:GOTO 30 60 DATA IRQ,BRK,NMI,OPEN,CLOSE,CHKIN 70 DATA CKOUT,CLRCH,CHRIN,CHROUT,STOP 80 DATA GETIN,CLALL,USER,LOAD,SAVE 90 DATA END This program uses DEEK to print the low memory vectors in the Commodore 64. See Also: DOKE, PEEK, POKE, BPEEK and BPOKE. -14- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE DEFUSR -------------------------------------------------- Token: $D8 - 216 Type: Statement. Action: The DEFUSR command sets up the USR vector at address 785-786. It is equivalent to: DOKE 785,<address> Syntax: DEFUSR(<address>) address = address of machine language routine. Example: 10 CLS 20 FORI=49152TO49155 30 READ D:POKEI,D:NEXT 40 DEFUSR(49152) 50 PRINT "50 TIMES 10 IS"USR(50) 60 END 70 DATA 32,226,186 :'JSR $BAE2 ;FAC1=FAC1*10 80 DATA 96 :'RTS ;RETURN TO BASIC This program sets up a small ML program that simply multiplies the number passed to it by 10. The result is returned to the BASIC program. See USR in your BASIC guide for more information. See Also: USR (in your basic guide). -15- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE DELETE --------------------------------------------------- Token: $E1 - 225 Type: Statement. Action: The DELETE command physically removes an element from an array. All array types are supported. However, only singly-dimensioned arrays may be used in the DELETE command. After the element is deleted, the array is shifted downward from the top of the array to the deleted element. The last element is then cleared. Syntax: DELETE (array(element)) array = string, integer or float element = element of the array to delete Example: 10 CLS:DIMA$(5) 20 PRINT " BEFORE"TAB(10)"AFTER":PRINT 30 FORI=0TO5:READA$(I) 40 PRINT I,A$(I):NEXT 50 DELETE(A$(3)) 60 FORI=0TO5 70 PRINT@(I+2,9),I;A$(I):NEXT 80 PRINT:PRINT"NOTE THAT ELEMENT 3 HAS BEEN DELETED. 90 DATA CAT,DOG,TREE,APPLE,FARM,BIRD At line 50 we specified that element 3 of array A$() was to be deleted. Note also that the last element (5 in this case) has been cleared. See Also: DUP, INSERT, SCRATCH, SEARCH, SORT and SUM. -16- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE DOKE -------------------------------------------------- Token: $D0 - 208 Type: Statement. Action: Pokes a 16 bit value to an address and address+1 in the standard 6502 notation (low byte, high byte). It is useful for installing vectors. Syntax: DOKE <address>,<value> address = 0-65534 value = 0-65535 Example: 10 CLS 20 DOKE 828,49152 30 PRINT DEEK(828) This example places the 16 bit value 49152 at 828 and 829. DEEK then reads and displays the 16 bit value. See Also: DEEK, POKE, PEEK, BPOKE and BPEEK. -17- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE DUP -------------------------------------------------- Token: $E2 - 226 Type: Statement. Action: DUP is used to fill (DUPlicate) an entire array with the same value. Any type of array with any amount of dimensions can be duplicated. Set the first element in the array to the value that you want to duplicate, then use DUP to copy it to all other elements in the array. Since string arrays are pointers to the actual text, only one string is produced, and the entire array points to it. Syntax: DUP(<array name>(0[,0]) array name = string, integer or float array specify element 0 (all elements should be 0 if multiply dimensioned) Example: 10 DIM A$(20) 20 DIM A%(3,3) 30 DIMA(2,2,2) 40 A$(0)="HELLO":DUP(A$(0)) 50 A%(0,0)=-22:DUP(A%(0,0)) 60 A(0,0,0)=176.93:DUP(A(0,0,0)) 70 CLS:FORI=0TO20:PRINTA$(I):NEXT 80 GOSUB160 90 CLS:FORI=0TO3:FORJ=0TO3 100 PRINTA%(I,J),:NEXT:NEXT 110 GOSUB160 120 CLS:FORI=0TO2:FORJ=0TO2:FORK=0TO2 130 PRINTA(I,J,K),:NEXT:NEXT:NEXT 140 GOSUB160 150 END 160 A=PROMPT(24,10,"PRESS F1 TO CONTINUE", CHR$(133)):RETURN See Also: DELETE, INSERT, SCRATCH, SEARCH, SORT and SUM. -18- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE ELSE -------------------------------------------------- Token: $CD - 205 Type: Statement. Action: Provides alternate action after an IF-THEN command in the case that the IF test fails. A colon must precede the ELSE command. Nested ELSE's are not supported. Syntax: IF <expression> THEN <statement> :ELSE <statement> expression = test that evaluates to true or false. statement = a GOTO or line number, or other legal BASIC command. Example: 10 CLS 20 A=50 30 IF A=10 THEN 50:ELSE 60 40 END 50 PRINT"LINE 50":END 60 PRINT"LINE 60":END Since the test will fail in line 30, the program will branch to line 60. -19- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE ERASE -------------------------------------------------- Token: $D1 - 209 Type: Statement. Action: The ERASE command erases a single, or range of lines on the screen. Syntax: ERASE ERASE<row> ERASE<row a> TO <row b> row = 0-24 row a = source row (0-24). row b = destination row (0-24). (The first syntax above will erase the line that the cursor is on). Example: 10 GOSUB90 20 PRINT@120,"";:ERASE 30 GOSUB110:GOSUB90 40 FORI=0TO24STEP2:ERASEI:NEXT 50 GOSUB110:GOSUB90 60 ERASE6TO18 70 GOSUB110:CLS 80 END 90 CLS:PRINTSTRING$(40,42) 100 FORI=1TO24:COPY0TOI:NEXT 110 FORI=1TO2000:NEXT:RETURN This simple program demonstrates all three forms of the ERASE command. See Also: COPY, MOVE, RVS and FILL -20- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE EXEC -------------------------------------------------- Token: $FE - 254 Type: Function. Action: This function may seem strange at first, but I'm sure you'll find some interesting uses for it. It will execute a string as if it were a line of BASIC code! Since this is a function, the BASIC code must return a value. Commands such as FOR-NEXT, GOTO, GOSUB and IF-THEN will not work inside of an EXEC call. Functions inside an EXEC call have access to variables in your program. Syntax: EXEC("<command>") command = any normal command that returns a value. Example: 10 A$(0)="CHR$(A)) 20 A$(1)="ASC(A$)) 30 A=65 40 A$=EXEC(A$(0)) 50 PRINT EXEC(A$(1)) The two strings in lines 10 and 20 are the commands that will execute. Line 30 sets variable A to 65. Line 40 executes the first string which converts the value in A into a string, and assigns it to A$. Line 50 executes the second string which converts the string value in A$ into an ASCII value which is then displayed. Whew! I told you this was strange! See Also: (nothing else even comes close to this one!) -21- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE FILL --------------------------------------------------- Token: $D6 - 214 Type: Statement. Action: The FILL command fills color memory on the entire, or partial screen, with a specified color. Syntax: FILL<color> FILL<color>,<row>,<col>,<# bytes> color = 0-15 row = 0-24 col = 0-39 # bytes = 1-40 Example: 10 LN=0:COLOR15,15,6:CLS 20 CH$=CHR$(145)+CHR$(17)+CHR$(13) 30 GOSUB150:FORI=0TO10 40 PRINT@(I+4,14),"CHOICE "+RIGHT$(" " +MID$(STR$(I),2),2) 50 NEXT 60 FILL 1,LN+4,14,10 70 ON KEY CH$; GOTO 90,100,110 80 GOTO 70 90 D=-1:GOTO120 100 D=1:GOTO120 110 PRINT@(17,8),"YOU SELECTED ITEM ";LN:END 120 FILL 6,LN+4,14,10:LN=LN+D:IFLN<0THENLN=10 130 IF LN>10 THEN LN=0 140 FILL 1,LN+4,14,10:GOTO70 150 PRINT@(23,2),"USE UP AND DOWN ARROWS TO CHOOSE":RVS23,0,40 160 PRINT@(24,5),"AND PRESS RETURN TO SELECT";:RVS24,0,40:RETURN See Also: MOVE, ERASE, RVS and COPY -22- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE HEX$ -------------------------------------------------- Token: $F2 - 242 Type: Function. Action: The HEX$ function converts a floating point number to an ASCII string. The string has leading zeros, so you can extract the precision you need with the RIGHT$ command. The maximum number allowed is 2147483647 (or $7FFFFFFF). Syntax: HEX$(<number>) number = any whole number 0-2147483647 Example: 10 CLS 20 PRINT"DEC HEX":PRINT 30 FORI=0TO15 40 PRINTRIGHT$(" "+MID$(STR$(I),2),2); 50 PRINTTAB(6);RIGHT$(HEX$(I),2) 60 NEXT See Also: DEC. -23- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE HOME -------------------------------------------------- Token: $E5 - 229 Type: Statement. Action: HOME places the cursor at row 0, col 0. It is the same as PRINT CHR$(19). Syntax: HOME Example: 10 HOME 20 PRINT"WELCOME HOME!" This example prints a message at the HOME position. See Also: CLS and PRINT@. -24- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE IF -------------------------------------------------- Token: $CC - 204 Type: Statement. Action: The IF command has been upgraded to allow the optional ELSE command. It is included in this manual because the token number has been changed. See ELSE for more information. -25- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE INLINE$ -------------------------------------------------- Token: $FB - 251 Type: Function. Action: The INLINE$ (INput LINE) function, works like the INPUT command, except that you can specify the starting position, and the maximum number of characters to accept. The only keys accepted are the ASCII characters 32-95 inclusive, the delete key, the return and stop keys. Syntax: INLINE$(<row>,<col>,<# bytes>) row = 0-24 col = 0-39 # bytes = 1-255 Example: 10 CLS 20 PRINT@(8,0),"ENTER YOUR NAME:" 30 A$=INLINE$(8,17,20) 40 CLS:N=(40-LEN(A$))/2 50 FORI=0TO6:PRINT@(I,N),A$;:NEXT 60 FORI=1TO1000:FILL MOD(I,16),MOD(I,7),0,40 70 NEXT See Also: INPUT. -26- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE INSCR$ -------------------------------------------------- Token: $EC - 236 Type: Function. Action: The INSCR$ (INput from SCReen) command reads data directly from the screen, and places it in a string variable. The bytes are converted from screen codes to ASCII codes during the transfer. Syntax: INSCR(<row>,<col>,<# bytes>) row = 0-24 col = 0-39 # bytes = 1-40 Example: 10 DIMA$(23) 20 FORI=0TO23:A$(I)=INSCR$(I,0,40):NEXT 30 CLS:PAUSE20 40 FORI=0TO23:PRINTA$(I);:NEXT 50 PAUSE50 This program reads the screen (except the last line) into a string array. The screen is erased, and after a short delay, the screen is replaced. (See the SCREEN command for a better way to deal with screen swapping). -27- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE INSERT -------------------------------------------------- Token: $E0 - 224 Type: Statement. Action: INSERT is used to insert a blank element at the specified subscript in an array. All singly dimensioned array types are supported. All elements from the specified subscript to the top of the array are moved up one position in the array. The top element is lost, and the specified element is cleared. Note: because the top element is always lost, make sure your array is larger than it needs to be. Syntax: INSERT(<array>(<subscript>)) array = String, float or integer array Example: 10 CLS:DIMA$(10) 20 DATA FLOPPY DISK, COMPUTER, PRINTER 30 DATA MODEM, SOFTWARE, BYTE 40 FORI=0TO5:READ A$(I):NEXT 50 PRINT"BEFORE";TAB(20);"AFTER" 60 FORI=0TO10 70 PRINT@(I+2,0),RIGHT$(" "+MID$(STR$(I),2),2); 80 PRINT" ";A$(I):NEXT 90 INSERT(A$(2)):A$(2)=" *CHECK IT OUT!" 100 INSERT(A$(4)):A$(4)=" *THIS IS NEW!" 110 FORI=0TO10 120 PRINT@(I+2,20),RIGHT$(" "+MID$(STR$(I),2),2); 130 PRINT" ";A$(I):NEXT This inserts two new elements into an array and displays the new array. See Also: DUP, DELETE, SCRATCH, SEARCH, SORT and SUM. -28- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE INSTR -------------------------------------------------- Token: $E7 - 231 Type: Function. Action: The main string is searched to see if it contains the sub string. If it does, the position is returned, otherwise a zero is returned. An optional starting position can be specified. If it is not, then the starting position is assumed to be the first character of the main string. Syntax: INSTR([<pos>], <main string>, <sub string>) pos = optional position to begin the search. main string = the string to search. sub string = the key to search for. 10 CLS 20 PRINT@(4,0),"PHONE:":Z$="(...) ...-...." 30 ROW=4:COL=7:LN=14 40 GOSUB 500:CLS:PRINT"YOU ENTERED "A$:END 500 FLAG=0:CT=0:P=0:PRINT@(ROW,COL),Z$ 510 A=ASC(INSCR$(ROW,COL+P,1)):IF((P<LN)AND (A<>46))THENP=P+1:GOTO510 520 CT=CT+1:IFCT=20THENFLAG=XOR(FLAG,1):CT=0:RVS ROW,COL+P,1 530 GETA$:IFA$=""THEN520 540 IFINSTR("1234567890",A$)THEN 570 550 ONINSTR(CHR$(13)+CHR$(20),A$) GOTO 600,610 560 GOTO 520 570 IFP=LNTHEN 510 580 IFFLAG=1THENRVS ROW,COL+P,1 590 PRINT@(ROW,COL+P),A$;:P=P+1:GOTO510 600 A$=INSCR$(ROW,COL,LN):RETURN 610 PRINT@(ROW,COL+P)," ";:GOTO500 This example prompts the user to enter a phone number. It uses INSTR to accept only the number keys, or <RETURN> and <DEL>. -29- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE KEY -------------------------------------------------- Token: $F7 - 247 Type: Function - system variable. Action: This function acts like a system variable (i.e. TI$, ST etc.). It returns the scan code (not ASCII) of the current key being pressed. This function is the same as PEEK(203). See appendix B for a list of scan codes. The ON command has been modified to recognize the KEY function. See ON for more information. Syntax: KEY Example: 10 CLS 20 PRINT "PRESS COMMODORE F1 TO CONTINUE..." 30 IF (CTRL AND 2)=0THEN30 40 IF KEY <> 4 THEN 30 50 POKE198,0 See Also: CTRL and ON. -30- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE MKF$ -------------------------------------------------- Token: $F4 - 244 Type: Function. Action: The MKF$ function converts a floating point value, into a 4 byte string. See CVF for warnings on using these strings in disk files. Syntax: MKF$(<float>) float = any floating point value. Example: 10 CLS 20 A = 56000.678 30 PRINT A:PRINT 40 A$=MKF$(A) 50 FORI=1TO4:PRINTASC(MID$(A$,I,1)):NEXT 60 PRINT:PRINTCVF(A$) See Also: CVF, MKI$ and CVI. -31- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE MKI$ -------------------------------------------------- Token: $F3 - 243 Type: Function. Action: The MKI$ converts any integer into a two byte string. See CVF for warnings on using these strings in disk files. Syntax: MKI$(<integer>) Example: 10 CLS:DIMA$(10) 20 PRINT"ORIGINAL",@16,"CONVERTED" 30 FORI=0TO10:READ D 40 PRINT@(I+2,0),D:A$(I)=MKI$(D):NEXT 50 FORI=0TO10 60 PRINT@(I+2,18),CVI(A$(I)):NEXT 70 DATA -50,2000,28765,-3897,1024,14 80 DATA -4,32438,1798,290,2368 See Also: MKF$, CVI and CVF. -32- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE MOD -------------------------------------------------- Token: $F1 - 241 Type: Function. Action: The MOD function returns the remainder of an integer division. Syntax: MOD(<integer a>, <integer b>) integer a = dividend. integer b = divisor. Example: 10 CLS 20 PRINT "THE REMAINDER OF 10 / 4 IS" MOD(10,4) See Also: QUOT. -33- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE MOVE -------------------------------------------------- Token: $D4 - 212 Type: Statement. Action: MOVE copies a screen row to another screen row. It then clears the original row. Syntax: MOVE <row a> TO <row b> row a = source row (0-24). row b = destination row (o-24). Example: 10 CLS 20 PRINT STRING$(40,"*"); 30 PRINT "** MOVIN' RIGHT ALONG **"; 40 PRINT STRING$(40,"*");:PAUSE10 50 FORI=0TO21:MOVEI+2TOI+3:MOVEI+1TOI+2: MOVEITOI+1:NEXT 60 FORI=24TO3STEP-1:MOVEI-2TOI-3:MOVEI-1TO I-2:MOVEITOI-1:NEXT 70 PRINT@(5,3),"HOW'S THAT FOR A MOVING MESSAGE?" This example prints a "moving message". Note that the string in line 30 is 40 characters wide. See Also: COPY, ERASE, RVS and FILL. -34- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE ON -------------------------------------------------- Token: $DE - 222 Type: Statement. Action: The ON command has been upgraded to work with the KEY command. The ON command works as before, but now you can also test for keystrokes. Please note the use of the semicolon in the syntax. Syntax: ON KEY <string> ; GOSUB / GOTO <linenumber>[,<linenumber>]... string = ASCII keys to match. Example: 10 CLS:PRINT"PRESS A-D:" 20 ON KEY "ABCD";GOTO 100,200,300,400 30 GOTO 20 100 PRINT"YOU PRESSED A":END 200 PRINT"YOU PRESSED B":END 300 PRINT"YOU PRESSED C":END 400 PRINT"YOU PRESSED D":END The example above waits for a key A-D (as specified in the literal string). When one is pressed, a message indicates which key it was. Note the semi- colon in line 20. You will get a syntax error without it. -35- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE PAUSE -------------------------------------------------- Token: $D5 - 213 Type: Statement. Action: The PAUSE command causes a delay. An optional number specifies the duration (in 1/10 second increments). If no number is given, then the delay will continue until a the <RETURN> key is pressed. Note that the <STOP> key is scanned during the delay, so you can abort long delays. The 1/10 figure is approximate. Syntax: PAUSE [<num>] num = optional number of 1/10 seconds in the delay. Example: 10 CLS 20 PRINT "A 10 SECOND DELAY..." 30 PAUSE120 40 PRINT "PAUSE UNTIL <RETURN> IS PRESSED..." 50 PAUSE -36- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE PDELAY -------------------------------------------------- Token: $D9 - 217 Type: Statement. Action: The PDELAY command sets the blink rate for the PROMPT command. If a PDELAY of 0 is specified, then the PROMPT command will not blink. Syntax: PDELAY <num> num = blink rate (0-255). 0 = no blink. Example: 10 CLS 20 PDELAY 15 30 A=PROMPT(8,10,"CONTINUE? (Y/N)","YN") 40 IF CHR$(A)="N"THEN30 See Also: PROMPT. -37- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE PROMPT -------------------------------------------------- Token: $ED - 237 Type: Function. Action: The PROMPT command will display a message at a specified location on the screen. PROMPT then waits for a key press that matches one of the characters in the validation string. Once a valid key is pressed, its ASCII value is returned by the PROMPT function. Syntax: PROMPT(<row>,<col>,<message>,<validation string>) row = 0-24 col = 0-39 message = message to display validation string = ASCII keys that are allowed, to cause the program to resume. Example: 10 CLS 20 PDELAY 15 30 A=PROMPT(8,10,"CONTINUE? (Y/N)","YN") 40 IF CHR$(A)="N"THEN30 See Also: PDELAY. -38- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE QUOT -------------------------------------------------- Token: $F0 - 240 Type: Function. Action: The QUOT function returns the quotient from an integer division. The MOD function can be used to return the remainder. Syntax: QUOT(<num a>, <num b>) num a = dividend num b = divisor Example: 10 CLS 20 PRINT "100 DIVIDED BY 6 IS";QUOT(100,6) 30 PRINT 40 PRINT "WITH A REMAINDER OF";MOD(100,6) See Also: MOD. -39- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE RESTORE -------------------------------------------------- Token: $E4 - 228 Type: Statement. Action: The RESTORE works like the normal BASIC version, except that you can specify a line number to restore to. This feature allows you to access DATA statements in any order that you wish. Syntax: RESTORE [<line number>] line number = optional line to set DATA pointer to. Example: 10 DATA SPECIFY THE LINE 20 DATA DATA POINTER TO BE SET TO. 30 DATA NOW YOU CAN 40 DATA THAT YOU WANT THE 50 CLS 60 RESTORE30:READD$:PRINTD$ 70 RESTORE10:READD$:PRINTD$ 80 RESTORE40:READD$:PRINTD$ 90 RESTORE20:READD$:PRINTD$ See Also: DATA and RESTORE in your BASIC manual. -40- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE RVS -------------------------------------------------- Token: $D2 - 210 Type: Statement. Action: The RVS command will invert the characters on a specified area of the screen. Syntax: RVS <row>,<col>,<# chars> row = 0-24 col = 0-39 # chars = 1-40 Example: 10 LN=0:COLOR15,15,6:CLS 20 CH$=CHR$(145)+CHR$(17)+CHR$(13) 30 GOSUB150:FORI=0TO10 40 PRINT@(I+4,14),"CHOICE "+RIGHT$( " "+MID$(STR$(I),2),2) 50 NEXT 60 RVS LN+4,13,11 70 ON KEY CH$; GOTO 90,100,110 80 GOTO 70 90 D=-1:GOTO120 100 D=1:GOTO120 110 PRINT@(17,8),"YOU SELECTED ITEM ";LN:END 120 RVS LN+4,13,11:LN=LN+D:IFLN<0THENLN=10 130 IF LN>10 THEN LN=0 140 RVS LN+4,13,11:GOTO70 150 PRINT@(23,2),"USE UP AND DOWN ARROWS TO CHOOSE":RVS23,0,40 160 PRINT@(24,5),"AND PRESS RETURN TO SELECT";:RVS24,0,40:RETURN This example uses the RVS command to make a nice "scrolling bar" menu. See Also: ERASE, MOVE, FILL and COPY. -41- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE SCRATCH -------------------------------------------------- Token: $E3 - 227 Type: Statement. Action: The SCRATCH command is used to delete an entire array, and return the memory back to the system. Think of the SCRATCH command as kind of an UN-DIM. If the array is of type string, then all strings are released from the string table. Syntax: SCRATCH(<array name>(0)) array name = string, float or integer array. Example: 10 CLS:PRINT"FREE MEMORY-":PRINT 20 PRINT" BEFORE DIM:" 65535-FRE(0) 30 DIMA(200) 40 PRINT" AFTER DIM:"65535-FRE(0) 50 SCRATCH(A(0)) 60 PRINT"AFTER SCRATCH:" 65535-FRE(0) 70 PRINT:PRINT "NOTE THAT ALL MEMORY HAS BEEN RETURNED." See Also: DELETE, DUP, INSERT, SEARCH, SORT and SUM. -42- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE SCREEN -------------------------------------------------- Token: $DD - 221 Type: Statement. Action: The SCREEN command is used to SAVE and LOAD text screens to/from disk. Screens can also be saved and loaded from one of four buffers under the KERNAL ROM. When using the buffers, two operations can be performed. Exchange will swap the two screens. Put will copy the source screen to the destination. Syntax: SCREEN(<operation>, <source>, <dest>) operation = E for exchange, P for put. source = 0-4 (display is 0, buffers are 1-4) dest = 0-4 (display is 0, buffers are 1-4) SCREEN(<operation>,<num>,<filename>) operation = S for save to disk, L for load. num = source number for save, destination for load. filename = any legal disk file name. Note: num can be omitted from the disk load version. In that case, the screen is put into the same buffer number from which it was saved. Example: 10 SCROFF:FORI=1TO4:CLS 20 PRINT@(I,8),"THIS IS SCREEN" I 25 PRINT:FORJ=1TO18:PRINTSTRING$(40,64+J);:NEXT 30 FILLI-1:SCREEN(P,0,I):NEXT:CLS:SCRON 40 FORI=1TO4:SCREEN(P,I,0):PAUSE60:NEXT This example stashes away 4 screens, then displays. -43- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE SCROFF -------------------------------------------------- Token: $DB - 219 Type: Statement. Action: The SCROFF command turns off the video display. This is useful for drawing screens without the user being able to see them being drawn. Care should be taken so that errors do not happen during a SCROFF, if they do, the error message will not be seen!. Press RUN-STOP/RESTORE to restore normal video if this happens. Syntax: SCROFF Example: 10 SCROFF 20 CLS 30 PRINTSTRING$(80,"*"); 40 FORI=1TO14:PRINT"**"SPC(36)"**";:NEXT 50 PRINTSTRING$(80,"*"); 60 PRINT@(8,6),"THIS WILL APPEAR INSTANTLY!" 70 SCRON:PAUSE120 See Also: SCRON. -44- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE SCRON -------------------------------------------------- Token: $DA - 218 Type: Statement. Action: The SCRON command turns on the screen after SCROFF had been used to turn it off. Syntax: SCRON Example: 10 SCROFF 20 CLS 30 PRINTSTRING$(80,"*"); 40 FORI=1TO14:PRINT"**"SPC(36)"**";:NEXT 50 PRINTSTRING$(80,"*"); 60 PRINT@(8,6),"THIS WILL APPEAR INSTANTLY!" 70 SCRON:PAUSE120 See Also: SCROFF. -45- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE SEARCH -------------------------------------------------- Token: $F9 - 249 Type: Function. Action: The SEARCH command is used to quickly search a string array for a specified search key. The array can be searched in any one of six different relational operations. If the key is found, then SEARCH returns the element number of the match. If the key is not found, then SEARCH returns -1. Syntax: SEARCH(<operator>, <array$(0)>, <key>) operator: 1 = less than 2 = equal to 3 = less than or equal to 4 = greater than 5 = not equal to 6 = greater than or equal to array = string array to be searched. key = search key. Example: 10 CLS:DIMA$(5):FORI=0TO5:READA$(I):NEXT 20 DATA ZEBRA,CAR,COMPUTER,RADIO,APPLE,TREE 30 FORI=0TO5:PRINTI,A$(I):NEXT 40 PRINT:PRINT 50 K$="TREE":GOSUB100 60 K$="CAR":GOSUB100 70 K$="AUTO":GOSUB100 80 END 100 S=SEARCH(2,A$(0),K$) 110 IFS>-1THENPRINTK$" WAS FOUND AT ELEMENT "S 120 IFS<0THENPRINTK$" WAS NOT FOUND" 130 RETURN See Also: INSERT, DELETE, DUP, SCRATCH, SORT and SUM. -46- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE SORT -------------------------------------------------- Token: $DF - 223 Type: Statement. Action: The SORT command is used to sort a string array into ascending or descending order. It uses the Shell Metzner sorting algorithm. Note that element zero is not sorted. Syntax: SORT(<direction>, <array$(0)>) direction = A for ascending. D for descending array = string array to sort. Example: 10 CLS:DIMA$(6):FORI=1TO6:READA$(I):NEXT 20 DATA RADIO,ZEBRA,COMPUTER,CAR,APPLE,TREE 30 PRINT"UNSORTED","ASCENDING","DESCENDING": PRINT 40 FORI=1TO6:PRINTA$(I):NEXT 50 SORT(A,A$(0)):PRINT@(2,0),""; 60 FORI=1TO6:PRINT ,A$(I):NEXT 70 SORT(D,A$(0)):PRINT@(2,0),""; 80 FORI=1TO6:PRINT ,,A$(I):NEXT This simple program demonstrates the SORT function. A small array is loaded with strings, it is then sorted in ascending and descending order and displayed on the screen See Also: INSERT, DELETE, DUP, SCRATCH, SEARCH and SUM. -47- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE STRING$ -------------------------------------------------- Token: $E9 - 233 Type: Function. Action: The STRING$ function returns a string of n copies of the specified character (up to 255). Syntax: STRING$(<num>,<string>) num = number of copies string = the character to copy STRING$(<num>,<ASCII number>) num = number of copies ASCII number = ASCII value of desired character. Example: 10 CLS:A$=CHR$(45) 20 PRINT STRING$(40,"-") 30 PRINT STRING$(40,45) 40 PRINT STRING$(40,A$) This program demonstrates the several ways of passing the string parameter to the STRING$ command. -48- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE SUM -------------------------------------------------- Token: $FA - 250 Type: Function. Action: The SUM function returns the sum of an entire numeric array. The array must be floating point or integer. Syntax: SUM(<array>(0)) array = an integer or float array. Example: 10 CLS:DIM A(10) 20 DATA 500,299.60,53.80,40,20,1000, 67.3,666.23,123.48,87,200 30 FORI=0TO10:READ A(I):NEXT 40 PRINT"THE SUM OF:" 50 FORI=0TO10:PRINTTAB(10)A(I):NEXT 60 PRINTTAB(10)"----------" 70 PRINT TAB(6)"IS: "SUM(A(0)) See Also: INSERT, DELETE, DUP, SCRATCH, SEARCH and SORT. -49- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE VARPTR -------------------------------------------------- Token: $EA - 234 Type: Function. Action: The VARPTR function returns the address of the specified variable. Note that strings return a pointer to the string, and its length. For more information on variables and how they are stored in memory, see TOOL KIT BASIC, by Dan Heeb, published by COMPUTE! BOOKS, or MASTERING THE COMMODORE 64 by Jones & Carpenter, published by WILEY PRESS. Syntax: VARPTR(<variable>) variable = any legal BASIC variable. Example: 10 CLS 20 DIM A$,A,B,I 30 A$="HERE IS A STRING!" 40 A = VARPTR(A$) 50 B = DEEK(A+1) 60 FORI=1TOPEEK(A):PRINTCHR$(PEEK(B+I-1));: NEXT This example uses VARPTR to locate a string variable. The string is then printed on the screen. -50- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE XOR -------------------------------------------------- Token: $EB - 235 Type: Function. Action: The XOR function performs the bitwise exclusive-or operation. Like AND or OR, XOR works on individual bits of a byte. The following truth table explains: First Bit Second Bit Result ------------------------------- 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 ------------------------------- The XOR function is useful for flipping between two characters, or flag conditions. Syntax: XOR(<value>, <value>) value = 0-32767 Example: 10 CLS:F1=0:F2=0:A$(0)="ON ":A$(1)="OFF" 20 PRINT"YOU TYPE, AND I'LL PRINT THE CHARACTERS" 30 PRINT"ON THE SCREEN. IF YOU PRESS THE * KEY" 40 PRINT"I WON'T SHOW ANY CHARACTERS UNTIL YOU" 50 PRINT"PRESS THE * KEY AGAIN." 60 GETA$:IFA$=""THEN60 70 IFF1=0THENCLS:PRINT@36,A$(F2):F1=1 80 IFA$<>"*"THEN100:ELSE F2=XOR(F2,1): POKE783,1:SYS65520 90 PRINT@36,A$(F2):POKE783,0:SYS65520:GOTO60 100 IFF2=1THEN60:ELSE PRINTA$;:GOTO 60 See Also: AND, OR and NOT in your BASIC manual. -51- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE APPENDIX A -------------------------------------------------- MEMORY MAP 00000 - $0000 = Start of RAM 02049 - $0801 = Start of Runtime module 06400 - $1900 = Approximate new start of BASIC 65535 - $FFFF = Top of RAM -52- {SHIFT-+}1z BASIC 4 USER'S GUIDE APPENDIX B -------------------------------------------------- SCAN CODES KEY CODE KEY CODE ------------------------------------------------------ INSERT/DELETE 0 9 32 RETURN 1 I 33 CURSOR RIGHT 2 J 34 F7 3 0 35 F1 4 M 36 F3 5 K 37 F5 6 O 38 CURSOR DOWN 7 N 39 3 8 + 40 W 9 P 41 A 10 L 42 4 11 - 43 Z 12 . 44 S 13 : 45 E 14 @ 46 (NOT USED) 15 , 47 5 16 BRITISH PND 48 R 17 * 49 D 18 ; 50 6 19 CLEAR/HOME 51 C 20 (NOT USED) 52 F 21 = 53 T 22 UP ARROW 54 X 23 / 55 7 24 1 56 Y 25 BACK ARROW 57 G 26 (NOT USED) 58 8 27 2 59 B 28 SPACE BAR 60 H 29 (NOT USED) 61 U 30 Q 62 V 31 RUN/STOP 63 NO KEY PRESSED 64 ------------------------------------------------------ -53- {SHIFT-+}1pc A D D E N D U M R A S T E R S Y N C BASIC 4 synchronizes certain commands with the raster line on the screen. What this means is that FILL, RVS, COPY, MOVE, SCREEN, etc. won't write to the screen while it's still being updated. This makes screen manipulation look smoother at the expense of printing to the screen seemingly slower. If you're constantly using BASIC 4 commands that manipulate the screen, you might notice the decrease in speed. It might sound hard to believe but those waits of up to a max 30th of a second can add up to to notable intervals when nested in busy screen manipulation loops. If this isn't acceptable, you can disable the wait. To disable the raster wait, put this command at the top of your program: POKE 823,0:REM DISABLE RASTER WAIT Likewise you can enable the raster wait with the following: POKE823,255:REM ENABLE RASTER WAIT NEW BUT COMPATIBLE SYNTAX FOR INLINE$ Syntax: INLINE$(<row>,<col>,<#bytes>,[<validation string]) The INLINE$ command now accepts upper/lowercase letters and numbers as a default. You can also specify which characters are acceptable through an OPTIONAL validation string which can be specified in quotes or through a string variable. For instance: INLINE$(20,14,10,"1234567890.-") This will place a cursor at row 20, column 14 and allow only 10 characters to be entered. These ten characters are specified in the validation string, "1234567890.-". Only these characters will be accepted. A null or absent validation string paramter will allow all the default characters to be entered. The maximum number of characters allowed is 81. If you'd like a different type cursor to flash while INLINE$ is in use, POKE the ASCII value of the character you'd like to flash in location 822. The maximum length of a validation string is 127. D I S A B L I N G B A S I C 4 You can disable BASIC with a simple SYS 58451. This will make everything normal except the start of BASIC. Every command used after this MUST be BASIC V2. Note: THAT THE START OF BASIC MUST BE MANUALLY MOVED BACK TO $0801. SYS2214 will will do a warm start which will reset the computer without killing fastloads. BASIC pointers will be normal but your program can't continue after this point since it will be NEWed. You are left in the immediate mode.