🚀 go-pugleaf

anash@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu (Dana Uehara c/o Andrew Nash) writes:

$ (If this article is not in the proper newsgroup, please forward it to the
$ proper newsgroup -- thanks!)

$ Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to debug BASIC/BASICA programs
$ so the graphics commands don't lock up the computer?

$ I have an IBM-compatible computer with a CGA screen.  Most DOS and BASIC
$ programs are compatible with the computer (I think the DOS version is 2.0).

$ However, with a few computer programs written in BASIC the commands "GET"
$ and "PUT" seem to be the culprits in locking up the computer.  When deleted,
$ the programs appear to run normally.  But when kept, the commands either
$ produce strange graphics on the screen or completely lock up the computer
$ so I have to reboot the system to do any further work.

$ Is there a way to redo the statements (instead of using GET/PUT) so the
$ computer (hopefully) won't lock up?  A couple of other programs that use
$ similar statements have worked, but most haven't.

$ DEBUG.COM hasn't really been much help because I'm not familiar with machine/
$ assembly language (I'm more familiar with BASIC).  One of the commands I
$ encountered, however, when using DEBUG had a statement "LOCK".

The BASICA.COM that comes with IBM PC-DOS is intended for PC's made by
the IBM corporation.  This is one place where so-called compatibles are
not so compatible with IBM's.  If you are using IBM's BASICA, I would
things not to work.

The reason for this is that IBM's interpreter calls routines in the IBM
ROM.  These routines are not in ROMs of compatible PC's for copyright
reasons.  So the BASIC interpreter must have all the calls in software
since there is no ROM helping out.
--
        Tom Reingold
        tr@samadams.princeton.edu  OR  ...!princeton!samadams!tr
        "Warning: Do not drive with Auto-Shade in place.  Remove
        from windshield before starting ignition."