Tyd-Bits

Poking MODE

contributed by:
P.H. Skipper

The 2068 User Manual indicates that the system variable MODE, at address 23617, specifies the cursor (K, L, C, G, or E), and that “Poking the variable will have no lasting effect.” This is not entirely correct.

First, the contents of MODE are determined as follows:

CONTENTS     BIT SET     CURSOR(S)
   0          NONE       K, L, or C
   1           0             E
   2           1             G

If the system variable MODE is zero, then the cursor (L or C) is determined by the contents of the variable FLAGS2, at the address 23658. 0 (no bit set) will give the L cursor and 8 (bit 3 set) will give a C cursor.

POKE’ing the desired value into MODE will give the desired effect long enough to provide a preselected cursor in a following INPUT statement. This permits, for example, the following BASIC code:

  10 BORDER 0: INK 6: PAPER 0: CLS
  20 INPUT "Location-  Vert: ";v;';"                Horz: ";h
  30 INPUT "Paper: ";p;';"Ink: ";i
  40 POKE 23617,2
  50 INPUT "Graphic: ";g$
  60 POKE 23617,0
  70 PRINT AT v,h; PAPER p; INK i;g$
  75 PAUSE 200
  80 GO TO 10

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HELP for TASWORD

Duncan Teague

To modify the “HELP” pages of Tasword, STOP, go to BASIC and type in the command mode, the following lines:

FOR i=0 TO 1535: POKE (33280+i),PEEK (54784+i): NEXT i

Then GOTO 20 and select “y” to return to the text file. The first of two “HELP” pages is now in the text file, and it can be edited in the normal way. When editing is complete, reverse the addresses and poke the screen back up in memory.

To edit the second “help” page, type in the following line:

FOR i=0 TO 1535: POKE (33280+i),PEEK (56320+i): NEXT i

Repeat but again reverse the addresses to POKE this screen back up into high memory.

The following POKE codes have been used to adapt the Tasword Word Processor to the Aerco parallel interface

57999     127
58001     103
58008     127
58014     219
58015     127

Special printer symbols with SYMBOL SHIFT in EXTENDED MODE:

Key   Symbol   Instead of
 y      [
 u      ]
 p      @      copyright
 a      ~      slanted quotes
 s      |      solid bar
 d      
 f      {
 g      }

Special printer symbols with SYMBOL SHIFT in the normal mode:

Key   Symbol   Instead of
 h      ^      up arrow
 x      #      pound sign