Tutorial #6 - Data Tables

A very useful feature of Petit Computers BASIC is the DATA command. If you are programming a game this will allow you to set up a table filled with strings and integers to your hearts content. For example instead of manually typing IF cases for every line of text in a game, you can just store it in a data table and have your code READ what string needs to be printed and be done with it. I am going to keep this tutorial simple, but feel free to ask any questions you may have.

1. ACLS:CLEAR:CLS 'Clear our setup
2. 
   
3. RESTORE @MSGDATA 'This will load the data after @MSGDATA
4. READ MSGCOUNT 'This will read the first variable stored in DATA, and that is our message count (3)
5. FOR LOOP = 1 TO MSGCOUNT ' Loop through our data table
6.  READ MSGX, MSGY ' This will read the X and Y locations of where our message should be printed into the variables MSGX and MSGY
7.  READ MESSAGE$ ' Read the message string
8.  LOCATE MSGX, MSGY 'Set our cursor to the stored X/Y location
9.  PRINT MESSAGE$ ' Print off our message
10. NEXT LOOP
11. END
12. 
    
13. @MSGDATA 'This is the label for our data table
14. DATA 3 'This will store the #3, our message count
15. DATA 0,0,"Hello" 'This will store the x, y, and string to print
16. DATA 1,1,"How are you?"
17. DATA 4,3,"Goodbye"

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Homework

Topic 17 - Declarations and Assignment Commands

• CLEAR

Topic 21 - Read

• READ
• DATA
• RESTORE