Learn to Program with Small Basic

Step 4: Let the Player Know What’s Going On
After you set the game’s parameters, you’ll need to show them to the user.
Add the UpdateUserInterface() subroutine in Listing 10-10.
1 Sub UpdateUserInterface
2 Shapes.SetText(distText, dist)
3 Shapes.SetText(arrowsText, arrows)
4 Shapes.SetText(shieldText, shield)
5 EndSub
Listing 10-10: Subroutine that updates the text
This subroutine is pretty basic (and small!). You just use the SetText()
method of the Shapes object and pass the identifier of the text shape and
the number you want to display. Recall that we saved these identifiers
when we created these text shapes in the SetUp() subroutine (lines 19–21
in Listing 10-8).
Step 5: Get the Player in the Game with GetChoice()
If you run the game now, you should see all the images and numbers in
place, but nothing will happen yet. You need to start taking the knight’s
orders, so it’s time to add the GetChoice() subroutine in Listing 10-11.
1 Sub GetChoice
2 AskAgain:
3 TextWindow.WriteLine("Select:")
4 TextWindow.WriteLine(" [1] Move 1 step forward")
5 TextWindow.WriteLine(" [2] Shoot an arrow")
6 TextWindow.WriteLine(" [3] Stab the dragon (you have to be 1 step away)")
7 TextWindow.Write(" Your choice [1-3]: ")
8
9 choice = TextWindow.ReadNumber()
10 If((choice 1) And (choice 2) And (choice 3)) Then
11 Goto AskAgain
12 EndIf
13
14 If ((choice = 2) And (arrows = 0)) Then
15 Shapes.SetText(msgText, "You ran out of arrows! Borrow some from Link.")
16 Goto AskAgain
17 EndIf
18
19 If ((choice = 3) And (dist > 1)) Then
20 Shapes.SetText(msgText, "You're too far to use your sword. Too bad
you can't train dragons.")
21 Goto AskAgain
22 EndIf
23
142 Chapter 10