I/O BOARD
DISABLE BASIC
While in BASIC on an Atari XL or XE, if you type POKE 1016,1 and press [RETURN] and then press [RESET], you can disable BASIC. The computer will perform a warmstart, you'll be returned to DOS and if you try to return to BASIC, you'll be told there's no cartridge present.
Richard Durazzo
Panama
NUMBER ROUTINES
I find Number Print (Antic, August 1988) very useful, but too long. I often use the following one-line subroutine:
500 B=INT(A*100+.5)/100:A$(3)= STR$(INT(B)):X=LEN(A$):A$(3)=STR$(B): POSITION 35-X,Y:? A$:Y=Y+1:RETURN
To see this work, put it in the following program:
200 GRAPHICS 0:DIM A$(20):A$ = "$":Y=0
210 TRAP 600
215 INPUT A:GOSUB 500:TOTAL=TOTAL+VAL(A$(3)):GOTO 215
600 POSITION 15,Y:? "+ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ":Y=Y+1:A= TOTAL:GOSUB 500:POSITION 28-X,Y-1:? "TOTAL"
While on the subject of numbers, any number such that N<256 is converted to the nearest integer this way:
I=ASC(CHR$(N))
For N>255, this will give the low byte of a number. Usually you'd use "I = N-INT(N/256)*256," but the above line works fine.
Another one-line subroutine I use often is a way to get inverse characters on a graphics screen when using a special font. The font's address is always determined this way: POKE 756,(hi-byte only, lobyte=0); I use the following subroutine to invert the character set from the value it has at that time:
A=PEEK(756)*256:FOR I=0 TO 1023: POKE A+I,255-PEEK(A+I):NEXT I: RETURN
Finally, your Tech Tip for adding 32 to a graphics mode has opened a whole new field for me. As I switch between 0 and 8+ 32, I can adapt my listing and see the results. I have also spotted the possibility of a tutorial, switching between picture input and text, demanding a pupil response.
W. Walraven
Breda, Netherlands
HIGH SCORE FROM HELL
I took the Highscore program you reprinted from Page 6 magazine and I changed it to fit the program Escape from Hell! Omit Line 9 in the listing below if yow want the all-time high score on disk. Omit lines 1-3 and 2031-2034 if you want the high score to appear each time you boot the program or press [RESET].
1 OPEN #7,4,0,"D:HIGHSC"
Here are a few questions:
1. Is there a program that reads unlistable or unloadable SAVEd BASIC programs and creates listings that can be printed or LISTed to disk?
2. Is it possible to digitize sound off the program recorder? Has anyone written a program for this?
3. Is there any Print Shop-style software for the 1020 plotter?
Finally, I liked Escape From Hell! (Antic, June 1388) and Sorcerer's Apprentice (September 1988). They're the first decent BASIC games I've seen in a long time that use Player/Missile graphics.
Andy Floyd
The answer to question 1 is yes--you want a program that reconstructs the Variable Name Table. It will restore everything except original variable names. You can get this kind of program from a BBS or users group.
As for questions 2 and 3, we haven't heard of anything that will do what you want.
Some time ago I read of a "primer" being available for Atari owners who knew no more about their Ataris than how to plug them in. Where do I find such a primer?
Walter Schaut
The February 1988 Antic featured the First-Time Atari Users Handbook. Also the New Owners Column began in the March 1986 Antic and ran for most of the next 16 months. Probably the best single source of overall information for the advanced beginner is: Your Atari Computer by Lon Poole, Osborne/McGraw-Hill, 2600 Tenth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710. (415) 548-2805. $17.95, 474 pages.-- ANTIC ED
I would like to thank Charles Cherry and the rest of the Antic staff for publishing the favorable review of my Daisy-Dot II program in the July 1988 issue. Support like Antic's review and the user interest it generated encourage me to continue programming for the public domain. Thanks again.
Roy Goldman
The review of Daisy-Dot II in the July 1988 issue of Antic was so excellent that I immediately sent a money order to Roy Goldman. The response was rapid indeeal in about five days, I received a postcard saying, "Due to vacation abroad, I won't be able to attend to your letter until the end of August. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you."
I am aware that your magazine does not have control over its advertisers. However, I think it would be good for you to know that I wiII no longer purchase anything advertised in your magazine.
D. L.
Frankly, we're mystified by your reasoning that because a public domain program reviewed in Antic wasn't immediately available due to the author taking a vacation, this is somehow the fault of Antic advertisers. It seems to ANTIC ED that Roy went above and beyond the call of duty in having that postcard sent for a $10 sale. Roy does not program for a living. He does it as a hobby and as a service to the Atari community. Like you or anyone else, he's entitled to some time off. As near as we can tell, your attitude is only hurting yourself. Not only that, try finding some decent IBM software for only $10.--ANTIC ED
When I try to boot my Micro Illustrator disk for my KoalaPad, nothing happens. I called three Atari dealers in the Detroit area and they said they haven't seen a KoalaPad in years.
Gary Bayse
Unfortunately, Koala no longer makes an Atari graphics tablet. Look into the Suncom Animation Station (reviewed in Antic, November 1987). It's a Koala-compatible graphics tablet and features a version of Baudville's Blazing Paddles software (reviewed January 987).-- ANTIC ED
Antic welcomes your feedback but we regret that the large volume of mail makes it impossible for the Editors to reply to everyone. Although we do respond to as much reader correspondence as time permits, our highest priority must be to publish I/O answers to questions that are meaningful to a substantial number of readers.
Send letters to: Antic I/O Board, 544 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107.
2 INPUT #7,HS
3 CLOSE #7
9 HS=0
2026 IF SC
2029 ? :? :? : ?"9 HS=";HS
2030 ? :? :? : ?"CONT"
2031 POSITION 2,0:POKE 842,13:STOP
2032 OPEN #7,8,0,"D:HIGHSC"
2033 PRINT #7,HS
2034 CLOSE #7
2050 GOTO 9000
9005 ? ," HIGH SCORE= ";HS
9006 ? ," YOUR SCORE= ";SC
9007 ? " PRESS THE TRIGGER TO BEGIN ";
BASIC QUESTIONS
Minerva, OH
SEE JANE PROGRAM
St. Mary's, PA
DAIST-DOT REVIEW
Denver, CO
SERVICE DEMANDED
Phoenix, AZ
WANTS KOALA
Mt. Clemens, MI