TI-99/4A BASIC reference manual

1984·14.8 MB·English

by  Casciato, Carol Ann

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TI-99/4A BASIC
Reference Manual
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Carol AnnCasciato and DonaldJ. Horsfall are the principals in InternationalTech
nical Communications, Inc., a computer systems research and consulting firm in the
Philadelphia area. For the last 12years, they have done managementand systems con
sulting, research, and writingforavariety ofFortune 500clients.
Their first exposure to professional writing came when they produced more than 25 G^n
manuals for a large technical documentation project. Since that time, they have written
in-depth computer industry research reports, detailed technical product analyses, and
manualsfor microcomputermanufacturers.
When not reading, writing, or consultingoncomputers, Carol Ann prepareselaborate
chocolate desserts and cares for her large collection of exotic plants. Don's interests
includesciencefiction, restoringhis Victorian home,andcollectingspaceart.
TI-99/4A BASIC
Reference Manual
Carol Ann Casciato
and
DonaldJ. Horsfall
$£3
Houjard UU. Sams & Co., Inc.
4300 WEST 62ND ST. INDIANAPOLIS. INDIANA 46268 USA
(cid:127)pn
Copyright© 1984by CarolAnnCasciato and
DonaldJ. Horsfall
FIRSTEDITION
FIRSTPRINTING—1984
All rightsreserved. No partofthisbook shallberepro
duced, stored inaretrievalsystem,ortransmittedbyany
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording,or
otherwise, without written permission fromthepublisher.
No patent liabilityisassumedwith respecttotheuseofthe
informationcontained herein.While everyprecautionhas
beentakeninthe preparationofthis book, the publisher
assumesno responsibility for errorsoromissions. Neitheris
any liabilityassumed fordamages resulting fromtheuseof
theinformationcontainedherein.
International StandardBookNumber: 0-672-22246-9
LibraryofCongressCatalog CardNumber: 83-51181
Editedby: Don Silengo
Illustratedby: D. B. demons
Printedinthe UnitedStatesofAmerica.
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Preface
This is a TI-99/4A BASIC Language Reference Manual. We wrote this
book to make the TI BASIC commands and statements more easily acces
sible toyou (and tous). The organizationisintended tomake programming
theTI-99/4Ain BASIC a more pleasant, rewarding, and productive expe
rience for you.
Chapter 1 is an introduction to BASIC, with a short review of the
as, expandedcapabilitiesoffered byExtended BASIC.
InChapters 2and3youwillfindacompleteinvestigationofTI BASIC,
the rules for formulation of expressions, and information on file
processing.
»(cid:127) But, by far the largest and the most important part of this book is
Chapter 4, the reference section. This chapter contains detailed descrip
tions ofall the commandsand statements inTI BASIC. They are arranged
inalphabetical order withcompleteexamplesanderror analysis.
r* There are more than 130sample programs included to illustrate the use
ofthe TI BASIC commands and statements. We encourage you to enter
andruntheexample programsonanyBASICinstructionsthatyoumaybe
having trouble understanding. Takethe program as presented and make
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changes to it, some of which we suggest to you. You will know you
understand whatisgoing on when you can successfullyalter a programto
make itdo whatyou want.
If you are interested in the internal workings of the TI BASIC inter
preter, Chapter 5 provides some technical insight into what is going on
when you run a BASIC program.
Finally, the Appendices provide a quick reference to detailed informa
tion required by many BASIC instructions. This includes colorand sound
tables, derived trigonometric functions, and, in the last Appendix, error
analysis designed to help you recognize and correct the programming
errors that inevitably appearineventhe best programmer'scode.
CarolAnn Casciato
DonaldJ. Horsfall
We thank Anna Marie Casciato-Sekerke for preparing the figures and
for testingsomeofthe sampleprograms in this book.
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Contents
CHAPTER1
Introduction toTI BASIC 9
BASICBackground—TI BASICFeatures—ExtendedBASIC
CHAPTER2
Data in BASIC 13
Introduction—Data Types—Data in Programs—Constants and Variables—
TI BASICExpressions
CHAPTER3
Using BASIC 35
TI BASIC Elements—Entering TI BASIC Programs—Editing TI BASIC
S3 Programs—FilesinTI BASIC
CHAPTER4
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TI BASIC Statements, Commands, and Functions 55
How Each BASIC Element Is Described—Tables and Figures—Examples—
Notation—Commands, Statements, and Functions
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CHAPTERS
TI BASICTechnical Information 258
Introduction to Hexadecimal—Internal Data Storage Formats—Inside a
TI BASICProgram
APPENDIXA
BASIC Statements, Commands, FunctionsSummary 269
APPENDIXB
Glossary 277
APPENDIXC
ReservedWords 281
APPENDIXD
Editing Keys 282
APPENDIXE
ASCII Codes 284
APPENDIXF
Graphics 285
APPENDIXG
Joysticks 287
APPENDIXH
Sound 289
APPENDIXI
DerivedTrigonometric Functions 291
APPENDIXJ
TI BASICErrors 293
Introduction—TIBASICErrors
Index 303
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CHAPTER
Introduction to TI BASIC
Thischaptergives youa briefhistory of theBASIC languageand
tells why it's a good languagefor home computers and beginning
programmers.
We tellyou abouttheTIBASIC thatis intheTI-99/4A ROM and
howyoucaneasily writeprogramsthatusetheTIsoundandgraphics
features. WepointoutwhereyoureachthelimitsofTI BASICandtell
you(briefly)whatyoucandowithExtendedBASIC.
BASICBACKGROUND
BASIC, BeginnersAll PurposeSymbolicInstructionCode, is the pro
gramming language mostoftenusedonhome computers today. Likeany
programming language, BASIC isa setof instructions andrulesthatare
used to tell yourcomputerwhat to do.
Virtuallyall home computerscome with BASICas their standard pro
gramming language. BASIC is relatively easy to learn, yet powerful
enoughthatyoucanwritesubstantial programs init. Itisusuallybuiltinto
the machine in the form of a ROM-based (Read Only Memory) BASIC
interpreter.This makes BASICa permanentpart of the computer and it
means that you need noother parts(likea disk drive)to write, or to run
programs written in BASIC.
Why BASIC? Why notLOGOorCorPL/7orFORTRAN? The answer
is the same as you will findin manyareasof computerstandardization.
BASIC was in the right place at the right time.
BASIC was developed at Dartmouth College for students learning to
programon a time-sharing mainframecomputer.Becauseitwasdesigned
to be mainly a teaching tool, it was very strong in error detection and
diagnosis. Since it had to support many students simultaneously, it was
kept simple and was implemented as an interpreter rather than as a com
r piler. An interpreter is a good deal easier to write and much easierto use
than a compiler.