Section 2 - Commodore Computers

170 COM PUTEI Moy.1982. lssue 2A
170 COMPUTE! May. 1982. Issue 24
For people who would find il it Vel)' very difficult to enter comlllands commands or use the neyboaul, keyboard, the program below prints jJrinls
messa.ges (or BASI C commands) 011 screen and allows (h e user 10 movp (l jJoinll'r (0 Ihe desiTed w OH/lIlId (' Iller it
messages (or BASIC, commands) on screen and allows the user to move a pointer to the desired word and enter it
into Ih(1 the (um/Jllft' computer. l'. It II rail can (lea/Jt accept ill/JIII input from jtorn either the I/ul I1ll1llt'r;r numeric keypad }{(7 /xJ(1 nrfrom orfrom a joystick. It II is t/('Siglll'{/ designed Io to worh work 011 on a
PET willi with 1111' the Gm/Jllin Graphics keyboard, III')'boflrt!, blll but ille the cell/r{d central idea could be arlfl/JINI adapted to any filly colI/./JlIler.
computer.
Handicapped Programming
Hilton B. Souther
Lynchburg. Lynchburg, VA
This program allows a person lO to build messages on
the screen or could even be used lO program. The
the screen or could even be used to program. The
input is made by pressing a button on ajoystick a or
by pressing g keyboard numeric pad no. 5.
When the program first comes conies up, it gives you
an option of moving a pointer with the numeric
an option or moving a pointe r with the nume ric
pad orr using the jjoystick; from then on, it responds
based on the input. The program is set up li p for the
joystick on the hi gh order bits on the user port. I I'
joystick on the high order bits on the user port. If
there is no joystick, all commands come from the
numeric pad.
Most or of the PET commands, except seldom
used ones such as CMD, , are displayed on the screen.
A pointer will be shown opposite the various COIllmands
or BASIC words aand the pointer can be
com
moved up, down, , right, or left until it is opposite
the desired word. The user then pushes the button
n
orr the no. 5. 5, depending onn the mode of operation,
and the word that is being g indicated by the pointer
is printed at the bottom bOllom of the screen. After the
item is printed, the pointer is again aCl activated i\'ated for
further entry. Atthe the bottom bOllom of the screen where
the message is being built, buill. a vertical pointer
indicates the next location for the next character
locationn orr word location. If I f one wishes to enter
information not shown in the listing of BASIC
words, put the pointer opposite the word "SCREEN"
and enter. The word will print and then erase; a
pointer al. at the lhe lOp top off the screen will then activate
and will be pointing at the alphabet and numbers
located across the lop lO p off the screen. TThe up aarrow
is used for the pointer; it can only l), move left orr
right; it will wrap around at the end. When the
pointer r is beneath the desired character, push the
nO.5 no. 5 key or button butlO n and the single character will be
added lo to the message. To change the lO topp of the
screen to special characters, etHer enter the greater than
or less than sign. The line will change, and then
youu can enter the special characters. Too return relurn to
the words. enter the @ symbol a nd the pointer will
the words, enter the (2 symbol and the pointer will
be back at the words.
When the message is completed or )'OU you wish lo to
print on a printer at Device No.4, enter the %
symbol; l; the message or basic statement will go to
the printer. The program will clear the array,
present the screen again and allow the next message
or sta tement to be entered. T o prevent the screen
or statement to be entered. To prevent the screen
from scrolling, t.h there is a limitation off 240 charac racte
rs. The program checks for the limit and. if
ters. The program checks for the limit and, if
reached, , prints the message and continues.
T he program presently goes lo a printer;
The program presently goes to a printer;
however, , it could be changed to write lo a disk or
to the cassette, or even to push out to a modem and
to the cassette, or even to push a lit to a modem and
communicate with another computer.
There is sound with each movement ofr the
pointers using the CB2 convention. All the com­
puter r needs for this program 10 to function is the
ability lo to close switches so a handicapped person
could make it work. Of course, the necessary
switches would have lo to be used in place of the
e
jjoystick. I did not mention that to enter r blanks,
enterr the shaded space. To delete characters, enter
the right bracket and the message will decrease by
one character. The program m will run on an 8SKK
machine, Original or Upgrade ROMs; however,
the REMARKS will have to be deletedlirsL first. If Ir youu
have a wedge in the 8 K and try to load , it won't fit.
have a wedge in the 8K and try to load, il won't fit.
After you load it on the 8K, you can't save unless
),ou you delete one line since youu will get aann out-of-
niemory memory message.
I have not stated in this article all of the line
numbers and their functions. I think the
UI -of­
REMARKS
numbers and their functions. I think the REMARKS
do a pretty good job j off that. The sort for sorting
the words is the SHELL sort. I read all of the vari
the wo rds is the SH ELL sort. I read a ll of the va riables
first to count them and then dimension the
array that size. The program could be changed by
using new data statements. It is presentl ), setup for
64 words on the screen in fou r rows. T he program
using new data statements. It is presently set up for
64 words on the screen in four rows. The program