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In article <1992Aug28.092454.1412@news.Hawaii.Edu> I write:
>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).
>

Oops, I meant to say DOS 3.2, not 2.0.  I don't know if that still helps,
however...


--
===== Dana Uehara [c/o <anash@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu> (Andrew Nash)] =====
"You'll be the first kind on our block to break the *sound* barrier!"
"Come on, I've already broken the *pain* barrier..."	-- Max & PJ

In article <1992Aug28.092454.1412@news.Hawaii.Edu> anash@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu (Dana Uehara c/o Andrew Nash) writes:
>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.

This is usually caused by passing very strange parameters to the GET and
PUT functions.

If many programs by different authors fail on your computer, it is possible
that you have a hardware problem.

>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".

No one would intentionally design an instruction to lock up a computer
into an assembly language and call it that.  (They'd give it a better
name, like "HALT".)  The "LOCK" you saw is a prefix to another instruction;
it tells the CPU that the instruction is to be run without interruption.
This sort of thing is useful when dealing with interrupt handlers or
task switching.

>Any advice would be appreciated.

First, don't use DEBUG to debug a BASIC program.  BASICA is an interpreter,
not a compiler, so you are NOT going to get very far.

Second, I suggest that you look at the TRON, TROFF, STOP, GET, and PUT
entries in your BASIC manual.  TRON and TROFF let you trace the progress
of a BASIC program.  STOP lets you set a breakpoint in the middle of the
program so that you can take a look at the program's current state.  The
GET and PUT entries are important for obvious reasons.  Check out the
space requirements outlined under GET, because those are probably being
being violated.

Good luck!

   Stephen

-- 
"Beware of programmers who     Stephen Trier
 carry screwdrivers."          Network Services Engineering, IRIS/INS/Telecom
       Leonard Brandwein       Case Western Reserve University
                               trier@ins.cwru.edu

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."