Full text of "Commander - Volume 1 Issue 10 (1983-09)(Microsystems Specialties)(US)"

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VIC

C-64

$2.95 U.S.

The Monthly Journal for Commodore Computer Users S3 - 5 ° CAN

III

SEPTEMBER 1983

nside:

TELL TIME ON THE VIC-20

VIC- 20 & C-64

SSEMBLY LANGUA
PROGRAMMING

THE BASICS OF
ASIC— PART II

,N INTRODUCTION
TO PILOT LANGUAGE

Jr/iV/AVih! UJM

li ii Vnf i lM iZI

I 74470"12426 I

V W

Tired of chasing your tail?

Ifyoure looking for Commodore 64 or VIC-20
software, look no further than Synapse!

■^N"V, y"V^,

iuinM i | jw(r"".' i i "T *'

PHARAOH'S CURSE
tune — yours for the tak-
_. But can you avoid the
ghost of Rama and the evil
mummy? Are you nimble
enough to leap the chasms
and avoid the booby traps
standing between you and
freedom?

Ball and ,
' . and Astro
Patrol. Squeeze and Harrier for the VIC-20'
Cartridge versions available soon.

Other tides available for the Atari 400 800'
computers.

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The first multi-player coop-
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Alone or with your hand-
picked crew (1 to 4 players)
you must out-maneuver the
Xenogryph fleet and destroy
their space fortresses. Can
you train yourself and' or your
crew to survive?

SHAMUS

The odor tells you the Shad-
ow's there — in one of four
levels of 32 rooms, each bris-
tling with danger. You know
it won't be a high school
prom, but there's no turning
back. Sham us — the sleu
adventure classic.

FT. APOCALYPSE
Your mission — fly your heli-
copter to capture fuel and
weapons from the Kraalthan
lords of Inner Earth, free the
enslaved masses and destroy
the fortress itself. Will you
triumph or be crushed by its
fiendish defenses? Encounter
Fort Apocalypse!

four dealer out of stock? Order
direct — send your check or
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You are the last hope! The
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Can you get your people to
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EDUCATIONAL

• Toddler Tutor *

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English Invaders
Games *

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OTHER GAMES

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Arcade Style Games are High Res Full Machine Code,
Commodore 64 and VIC 20 are Registered Trademarks of Commodore Business Machines, Inc

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS

to
Help you develop your skills and the power of your computer.

These complete development systems for the VIC 20 and the Commodore 64 computers are tools
for the professional and learning aids for the developing programmer. A must for anyone who wants
to understand the internal workings of the computer or who wants to design fast-action graphics or
other powerful machine language programs.

The Full-featured Assembler, Screen editor, Loader, Decoder and Debugger are accompanied by a
tutorial on machine language, graphics programming and sound generation programming. The book
also guides you through step-by-step instructions for the use of the tools and contains the most
complete memory map available. A complete list is included of all the internal programs in ROM and
the means by which you can call them from your own programs. Sample programs are fully
explained.

All programs support disk, tape and printer output. A special limited-feature version is available for
the 5K VIC 20.

Ask (or Devetop-20 and Oevelop-64 at your local software store.

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To order direct send $49.95 U S. funds plus $2.00 p&h to
French Silk. PO Box 207. Cannon Falls. MN 55009.
VISA/MC charges accepted (please include expiration
date). Please specity Develop-20 or Develop-64 and the
5K version for the VIC 20 if so desired Programs are
distributed on cassette or diskette Please specify your
preference.

Dealer enquiries invited.

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VIC 20 and Commodore 64 are registered TM of Commodore Business Machines inc

Circle No. 17

Call for Clubs and Newsletters Directory

To be included in the future issues of the Commander Ctubs and
Newsletters Directory, your club or publication must supply the follow-
ing information:

1. Name of organization or publication

2. Mailing address

3. Contact person and telephone number

4. Name of newsletter or publication

5. Special interests

Send your information to Clubs and Newsletters Directory, Com-
mander, PO Box 98827. Tacoma, WA 98498.

Commander— The Monthly Journal lor Commodore Computer Users is published monthly by Micro Systems
Specialties, 3418 South 90. Tacoma, WA 98409. Domestic Subscriptions, 12 issues, $22.00. Second Class
Postage pending at Tacoma, WA 98143 and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to
Commander— The Monthly Journal for Commodore Users; PO Box 98827, Tacoma, WA 98498. Entire
Contents copyright © 1983 by Micro Systems Specialties. All Rights Reserved.

2/Commander September 1983

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 10

Info-Designs

announces . . . \^ ^

Small Business Accounting
for the Commodore-64

7 A ^'^w

llnfofcra
lijfbtett

Now the power of Info-Designs
Management Accounting System
is available on the Commodore-64
in a full and faithful version!

Thousands of these quality business accounting
software packages have been sold on the CBM
computer at $595 each. Now, similar features are
available to the small business user on the new
Commodore-64 for $199 per module!

Select the accounting modules you need—

• Accounts Receivable/Billing

• Accounts Payable/Checkwriting

• General Ledger

• Inventory Management

• Payroll

• Electronic Calendar ($1 49)

Limited Introductory Offer!

Our SoftPack combination contains the "Big-3"
accounting— A/R, A/P and G/L— for only $495.
Available for immediate delivery!

Flexible Design

The accounting system will work with one or two
VIC-154i disk drives (or 2031/4040 with IEEE
interface), 1 525 printer, and color or b&w monitor
or TV.

Customer Support Plan

As part of Info-Designs ongoing effort to provide the
highest quality microcomputer applications in the
marketplace, we offer an optional telephone con-
sulting service to support installation and ongoing
operations.

Order NOW. . .for immediate delivery

See your local Commodore-64 Dealer or call us
directly at (313) 540-4010. MasterCard and Visa
accepted.

Circle No. 52

lnMD@sO

6905 Telegraph Road • Birmingham, Ml 48010 • (313) 540-4010

Master Menu

Commodore — Page 12

Bits & Pieces -Page 82

Critic's Page -Page 124

New Products — Page 143

Article Guide

Page No

VIC-20

GENERAL

C-64

GENERAL

VIC-20

COMMAND POST
by Jim Grubbs

VIC/64

A COMPREHENSIVE EDITOR/ASSEMBLER
FOR THE VIC-20 AND C-64: PART III
by Eric Giguere

GENERAL

VIC-20

GENERAL

PET

GENERAL

VIC-20
VIC-20

GENERAL
VIC/64

COVER BY: Randy "Tarkas" Hoar

"Commodore Goes to School"
With the emergence of computers in the
nation's school districts, more and more
students are learning their A,B,C's &
1,2,3's with the Commodore computers
and software.

4/Commander September 1983

87
92

98
110
124
128

Article

TELECOMMANDER
By Donald L. Stoner

COMMODORE-A COMMITMENT TO
EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE WITH
COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY

AN INTRODUCTION TO PILOT
by Richard F. Daley, PhD.

MATH AND DRAW
by Ted Jean

COMUPTER INSTALLATION TIPS
By Joe Rotello, Jr.

COMMAND POST
by Jim Grubbs

ACOMPREHENSP
FOR THE VIC-20 A
by Eric Giguere

THE BASICS OF BASIC: PART II:

THE BASIC COMMANDS IN OVERVIEW

by Tim Parker

LIVING WITH THE VIC-20
by Colin F. Thompson

MAINTENANCE: PART III
by Tony Lamartina

PHONE DIRECTORY
by Howard Rotenberg

MICRO COMPUTERS: HOW THEY
WILL AFFECT OUR HOMES TODAY
AND IN THE FUTURE
by Arthur Dudley

INTRODUCTION TO ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE
PROGRAMMING PART IX: SUBROUTINES
by Eric Gigure

VIC CLOCK

by Arthur J. Dudley

GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS
WITH THE BUSINESS MAN: PART I
by Kirk Anderson

SO YOU BOUGHT A DISK DRIVE? PART II
by R. G. Partner

THE CRITIC'S PAGE
by Eric Gigure

COUNT LINES

by Howard Rotenberg

DEPARTMENTS

6 Editorial

7 Letters

82 Bits & Pieces

132 Educational Reviews

137 Reviews for the C-64

141 News Releases

143 New Products

152 Game Contest

ACTIO

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Planet Earth is under
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Earth's fate is up to
you. If you can hold
out against the
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Earth's population will
have time to escape
and colonize a new
home planet.

Complete sprite & character graphics with 3-voice
sound. Joystick, Diskdrive & Commodore 64 required.

Available at finer Software Stores everywhere.

OR CALL (213) 50J-5845 FOR THE NAME OF YOUR LOCAL DEALER OR DISTRIBUTOR.

T&F Software Company 10902 Riverside Drive / North Hollywood, California 91602. (213) 501-5845

Editorial

STAFF

Publisher

THOMAS L. RQSENBAUM

Editor-in-Chief
LINDA L. LINDEN

Technical Editor
COLIN THOMPSON

Editorial Assistant
TERILYN M. AICHLMAYR

Deafer/Distribution

DEBBIE A. GABBARD, Manager

PAULA M. ANDERSON, Assistant

Sales/Subscription
ELIZABETH K. STEAN, Manager
CATHY A. SALZER, Assistant

Advertising

PATRICIA A. ANDERSON, Manager

Consultant
GEORGE R. GAUKEL
JOHN GABBARD
HOWARD ROTENBERG

Graphics and Production
TERRY D. CHRISTIAN
K. MICHAEL SPOTTS

Printed By
GRANGE PRINTING

COMMANDER is published monthly by:
MICRO SYSTEMS SPECIALTIES, PO Box 96827,
Tacoma, Washington 98498

The Education Boom— Or Bust?

Subscription Rates (U.S. Funds)

Per Year

U.S.

$22.00

Canadian, Mexican

$26.00

Surface Rates, Foreign

$37.00

Air Mail, Foreign

$75.00

For back issues, subscriptions, change of address or

other information, write to:

COMMANDER

PO Box 98827

Tacoma, Washington 98498

(206) 584*757

BACK ISSUES—

2 months aid— $4.50

A recent survey published by
Time magazine showed that 51%
of all personal computer software
manufacturers had a "game" in
their line of products. This is not
really much of a surprise since
everyone knows that al! computer
software manufacturers are only
interested in making games—
RIGHT? Wrong — the same survey
also showed that 46% of the
manufacturers produced some
kind of educational program!
Surely within one or two years the
educational sector of the market
will have surpassed the game
market as the predominant force
in the persona! computer soft-
ware arena.

The increase in availability of
educational software is a natural
progression of personal compu-
ter evolution. At first, very few
good programmers were available
for personal computers so they
programmed games because they
were fun. Then, as more program-
mers moved into the field, compe-
tition became more intense and
programmers were forced to pro-
vide what the users wanted in-
stead of what they thought the
users should want. The rapid de-
crease in price of the personal
computer brought millions of
first-time users with it and these
newcomers wanted something
"useful" for their new computers
to do. The logical step was into
education and the computer
manufacturers are jumping on the
bandwagon in a very big way.
Commodore, IBM, Tandy and the
other "biggies" are applying a lot
of pressure to their programmers
to produce educational software
and offering huge discounts to
school districts to induce them to
buy their computers.

The educational establishment
of the U.S. seems to have caught

"computeritis". There is an unbe-
lievable push to teach our kids
about computers and the rallying
cry is "computer literacy". To be
sure, the technology produced by
the electronic revolution seems
to be the natural path for our eco-
nomy to follow and if such is the
case there will be a need for hun-
dreds of thousands of people to
design, develop and maintain the
technology and its offspring.

So the word has come down
from on high— "Thou shalt be
computer literate". The pressure
is on and the school districts are
reacting. I pray that the results
will be better than the previous ef-
forts which have given us a gener-
ation of citizens who cannot spell
or do arithmetic without a calcu-
lator but I fear it will. Policies and
plans are being developed by peo-
ple who have never even used a
personal computer and have no
desire to learn anything about
them. There are virtually no teach-
ers trained or available to teach
computer technology in the pri-
mary and secondary school sys-
tem and no sign of a change from
this situation for many years to
come.

The gauntlet has been flung
and we must answer the chal-
lenge. But how? The reasonable
approach would be "Computer,
teach thyself". Let the computer
do all of the work through soft-
ware. But today's programmers
are writing good software and the
good teachers can't program.
Hmmm...l wonder what the
answer is. Let's get on the stick,
programmers and teachers, and
make some top notch, high qual-
ity educational programs. Let's
get together and make sure that
the promise offered by the per-
sonal computer doesn't go bust.D

6/Commander September 1983

Letters

Man Bytes Computer

Dear Colin,

Years ago, when I was a
graduate student, I happened to
visit the University computer
center. To be quite candid, I have
never been so completely and
totally intimidated by a machine
in my life! So for all these years I
have resisted any temptation to
even become mildly associated
with computers. Then I saw my
first VIC-20 about a year ago and I
remember thinking to myself,
"...a computer that size could
not possibly be vicious. And if it
is, I am still bigger than this

machine I can always smash

it before it charges me...." So
here I sit in front of my VIC with
full expansion, 40/80 adapter, disk
drive, Gemini 10 printer, and
Quick Brown Fox (thanks to your

column in COMMANDER)

Evolution works !

I do enjoy your column and
among other things, you have a
wonderful style which a rank
novice (like myself) can read and
not be confused with buzz talk
and hacker rhetoric — God bless
you for that much alone.

I have purchased TOTL.LABEL
and it is all you said it would be. I
just received my PRACTICALC
and eagerly wait to read your
review. I am not sure how I can
adapt PRACTICALC to my needs.

I have no need for a business
spreadsheet, but I am sure it can
be used for a great many jobs-
Please give your readers some
ideas on other uses of a spread-
sheet rather than the usual office-
sales-projection applications. We
beginners NEED to be hand-fed
and our diapers changed until we
"grow up" (soon I hope).

Again, keep up the excellent
job you are doing.
Sincerely yours, Joel R. Crabbe

Dear Joel,

Thanks for your supportive let-
ter. I try to explain each kind of
program before I review an exam-
ple. It sounds like we come from
similar backgrounds. I repaired
computers for 15 years and ac-
tively avoided them in my off
hours. The VIC is my third micro,
and my favorite.

I noted with interest your men-
tion of a 40/80 card. I have the
Data 20 64K Video Pak. In future
columns, I will report how each
piece of software works with this
device. Practicalc will not work.
I've talked with Sandy Ruby about
it, but he said it would be too
complex to change. Sandy will
soon have some templates avail-
able for PractiCalc. You should
write for information. Totl. Label
will work with 80 columns, but the
version you have may have prob-
lems. A fix is available, for free,
from TOTL.

I don't know exactly what you
use your VIC for, but I have a lot of
software and hardware under re-
view that you might be interested
in. In September, the column's
format will change. I'll be writing
about three or more items a
month, instead of only one. I've
enclosed the latest VIC List. It is
done on Totl. Label now, but I'm
changing it to a new Database
program called Flex File. FF is
the only "complete" database for
the VIC now. At $110 it's not
cheap, but it is the best.

Thanks again for your letter,
and if I can answer any questions,
just write.
Sincerely, Colin

If you have any

questions or

comments for the

editors of

Commander please

write to:

LETTERS
P.O. Box 98827
Tacoma, WA 98498

Commander September 1983/7

Telecommander

by Donald L. Stoner

You'll never guess how I got
"hooked" on the VIC-20. Forgive
me, but I've been a TRS-80 user
since the Model I was first intro-
duced.

About a year ago, however, I
needed a low cost computer to
use as a communications ter-
minal. The primary application
was to send electronic mail to the
Source and CompuServe. Dan,
the heir to the Stoner fortune, was
using my main computer con-
stantly for his school homework.
Most evenings, fate decreed that
we both needed the computer at
the same time.

The low cost of the VIC-20
seemed a small price to pay for
maintaining peace and tranquility
in the Stoner household. Shortly
after the transaction was con-
summated at the local K-Mart, I
began shopping for a modem to
use with the VIC. The Commo-
dore modem was out of the ques-
tion. I live in the General
Telephone service area and their
telephones do not have handset
connectors.

Several modems can be used
with the VIC-20 without requiring
the Commodore RS-232 interface.
For those not familiar with the
RS-232 specification, it mandates
that the data signals (between the
computer and modem) vary from
more than minus 3 volts (a one) to
more than plus 3 volts (a zero).
The VIC (and 64) user port is call-
ed TTL (transistor-transistor

8/Commander September 1983

logic) compatible; that is, the data
Signal varies from plus 5 volts (a
one) to zero volts (a zero).

There are no modems on the
market that are directly TTL (and
VIC) compatible with the excep-
tion of the Commodore product.
To use a conventional modem, it
is necessary to reverse the polari-
ty of the TTL signal; that is, make
a "one" zero volts and a "zero"
equivalent to five volts. This was
done by constructing a simple cir-
cuit (see Figure 1) using tran-
sistors for polarity inversion.

The modem I selected (The
MicroConnection from The Micro-
Peripheral Corp., 2565 152nd Ave.
N.E., Redmond, WA 98052) has
provision for 0-5 volt (instead of
RS-232) data signals by adding a
jumper to the DB-25 data connec-
tor. As a result, the MicroConnec-
tion can be easily interfaced to
the VIC and 64 and works like a
"charm".

If you want to go "first cabin",
the MicroConnection even has an
autodial, autoanswer option. The
money I saved by not buying the
Commodore RS-232 adapter paid
the cost of this option. My VIC-20,
with only 3585 bytes of memory,
will now dial other computers
automatically from the keyboard.
With suitable software and addi-
tional memory, the VIC and Micro-
Connection could also be used to
make an inexpensive bulletin
board system (BBS) with in-
memory messages.

Interfacing the VIC-20 to the
MicroConnection was a simple
task with a little assist from Radio
Shack. The MicroConnection has
a female DB-25 data connector on
the rear panel, while the VIC-20
(and 64) require a 24 contact card
edge connector (two rows of 12,
called a 12/24). A small perforated
construction board was used to
mount the interfacing compo-
nents (see photo— Figure 1).

Finding the mating male DB-25
connector was easy. It is Radio
Shack part number 276-1559.
However, Radio Shack does not
stock a 12/24 pin card edge con-
nector. I solved the problem by
purchasing one of their 25/50 con-
nectors (part number 276-1545)
and cutting it in half. A small
piece of plastic was glued over
the open end so the connector
could not slide back and forth on
the card edge. The contacts on
the connector must match the
card edge conductors on the
VIC-20 as closely as possible.
This modified connector was
epoxied to a piece of "perf board"
measuring 2.5 x 2.5 inches. Figure
2 shows a rear view of the con-
nector as described on page 283
of "VIC-20 Programmers Refer-
ence Guide". This is the same
view you would see looking at the
card edge from the back of the
VIC-20. Ignore the pin numbers
and letters stamped on the con-
nector you modify. Instead,
assign the designations shown in

COLOR
PROBLEMS?

Solve Them With
The Color Sharpener

$18.95

You're not alone. Thousands oi
Commodore 64 owners have
"fuzzy" color on their TV. Most
have interference lines crowd-
ing out their great graphics.
Many have bought expensive
monitors or new TVs, and often
even that hasn't helped. But,
most of us just lived with the
problem. Now the engineers at
Bytes & Pieces have a simple,
inexpensive solution . . . The
Color Sharpener. No soldering
or wiring . . . just plug the Color
Sharpener into your 64 and
PRESTO! The interference disap-
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work to your satisfaction, just
send it back and we'll refund
your purchase price in full.

DUST PROBLEMS?

Solve Them With

Matching Dust Covers

for Computer,

Tape and Disk.

$6.95-$8.95

These are the deluxe covers for
either the Commodore 64 or the
Vic 20 made of brown leather
grain Naugahyde, specially
lined with a soft non-scratch
liner, for a cover you just
can't beat.

Don't waste your money on those
cheap looking, clear plastic,
static filled covers. Get the
quality ones, custom fitted to
your Commodore computers.

Available singly or as a matched
set in beautiful brown simulated
leather.

Commodore 64 and Vic 20 are registered
trademarks of Commodore Computer Company

DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED

ORDER TODAY!

Please send me the following:

Quantity Item Amount

Color Sharpener

@ $18.95 S _^

Computer Dust
Covers @S8.95

Computer Type,

1541 Disk Dust
Covers @$7,95

Dataset Dust
Covers @S6.95

2.00

Shipping 8c Handling

5% State Tax

(Wisconsin Residents only) S .

TOTAL S ■
Check or Money Order enclosed
Charge to my VISA or MasterCard
VISA # .

MasterCard**

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Expiration Date

Signature

SHIP TO:

Name

Address

City

Stale /Zip.

BpteS OC P12CCS 550 W. 68th Street, Wauwcrtosa, WI 53213, 414/257-3562

Circle No. 90

Circle No 20

Unlock Yotst Creativity.

Commodore 64 Color Sketch F&d

Whether you're six or sixty-six, you can use high resolution graphics
and color to DOODLE! Draw up a house plan, sketch a landscape,
create a colorful masterpiece or just "doodle." On-line MENUS
make DOODLE easy to use; 100% machine language means
instant response. With your Commodore 64 and joystick or
WICO® Trackball you can:

• DRAW pictures, and PAINT with 8 "brush" sizes.

• ZOOM in to draw fine detail. • Instant BOXES and
straight LINES anywhere on your screen.

• DUPLICATE, Enlarge, Stretch, Squeeze or
Rotate any part of your doodle. • Instant
NEGATIVE or MIRROR IMAGE of a doodle

• Type in LETTERS anywhere in a doodle...
even sideways. • SAVE your doodle on a disk
LOAD it in to doodle some
more • PRINT your doodle on
many popular printers.

*39. 95

For information, your nearest dealer, or to order direct, CALL TOLL FREE!

1-800-558-1008 Sss* 1

Dealer and Distributor Inquiries Invited

City S&ftware

City Software Distributors, Inc. f^m j^^gf

735 W. Wisconsin Ave. S&' ■!£■

Milwaukee, WI 53233

© Copyright 1983 by Mark R. Rubin & OMNI Unlimited. Commodore 64 is a registered
trademark of Commodore Electronics, Ltd.

Commander September 1983/9

Figure 2. The numeric row is on
the top row while the alpha pins
are on the bottom. Note that the
pins in the alpha row do not
follow an exact A-B-C sequence.
When you epoxy the connector to
the "pert board", make sure the
alpha row is closest to the board.
The top and bottom are in the
same position as shown in
Figure 2.

Figure 1 shows a pictorial draw-
ing of how the interface compo-
nents are assembled. The circuit
consists of three transistors and
four resistors. If your modem
does not have the autodial auto-
answer option, you can eliminate
transistor Q2, plus its associated
resistor along with the "H" con-
nection to the VIC and the wire to
pin 8 of the DB-25 connector. The
wire between pin 20 of the DB-25
connector and the "E" pin to the
VIC can also be eliminated.

To make the modem cable stur-
dy, wire terminations were placed
at the edge of the board. This was

done by looping a short length of
bare tinned wire through a couple
of holes. This provides a good
junction between the compo-
nents on the board and the five
wires that go to the DB-25 con-
nector. To further insure that the
wires don't come loose, a plastic
"tie wrap" was used to lash the
cable wires to the board. Don't
skip this step because, sooner or
later, flexing of the wires will
cause one to break where it con-
nects to the board.

Note the wire between pins 4
and 7 on the DB-25 connector.
This connection puts the Micro-
Connection in the autodial mode.
If you use the modem in an auto-
answer application, this wire
should be removed. The connec-
tion between pins 1 and 7 is re-
quired to insure the MicroCon-
nection works with TTL level
signals.

The three transistors are
2N2222 general purpose NPN
types. Virtually any NPN small

signal transistor can be used. The
MPS2222 stocked by Radio Shack
(part number 276-2009) works
perfectly. The 22K ohm resistors
are their part number 271-1339 (a
package of five for 39 cents).

The five wire cable may present
a problem. Radio Shack has
antenna five conductor rotor
cable but only in 100 foot lengths.
You can probably "scrounge" a
piece from a friend who is into
electronics or make one up by
twisting five different colored
wires together.

The total cost for the com-
ponents is about $12.00, assum-
ing you already have the epoxy,
bare wire, and tools such as a
soldering iron. For those of you
not into "home brew" construc-
tion, the complete interface
(wired and tested on an epoxy cir-
cuit board) can be purchased for
$24.95 from ByteSize Computer
Products, P.O. Box 21 123, Seattle,
WA 98111. □

O
O

oc
<

Figure 1

CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

MODEM INTERFACE

FOR THE VIC 20 AND VIC 64

PIN 2

22K

VvAA/V

To be continued on page n

PIN 8

-E>

PIN 20

PIN 3
-t>

PIN 7
PIN 4
PIN 1

-0

ro
en

O
O

10/Commander September 1983

Continued from page 10

Figure 2

PICTORAL LAYOUT
MODEM INTERFACE

FOR THE VIC 20 AND VIC 64

DB25 MALE 20

oooooooooooo
iooi o o % 9I0 0000

12 3 4 5 6 7

9 10 11 12

ABCDEFHJKLMN

PIN #

TYPE

NOTE

PIN #

TYPE

NOTE

GND

^5V

100mA MAX

CB1

RESET

PB0

JOY0

PB1

JOY1

PB2

JOY2

PB3

LIGHT PEN

PB4

CASSETTE SWITCH

PB5

SERIAL ATN IN

PB6

+ 9V

100mA MAX

PB7

1 9V

CB2

GND

Figure 3

TEN ASSIGNMENTS
FOR THE USER
1/0 PORT

6522

IN/

DESCRIPTION
MODES

EIA ABV OUT

PB0

RECEIVED DATA

(BB) Sin IN 1 2

PB1

REQUEST TO SEND

(CA) RTS OUT 1*2

PB2

DATA TERMINAL READY

(CD) DTR OUT 1*2

PB3

RING INDICATOR

(CE) Rl IN 3

PB4

RECEIVED LINE SIGNAL

(CF) DCDIN 2

PB5

UNASSIGNED

( ) XXX IN 3

PB6

CLEAR TO SEND

(CB) CTS IN 3

PB7

DATA SET READY

(CC) DSR IN 2

CB1

RECEIVED DATA

(BB) Sin IN 1 2

CB2

TRANSMITTED DATA

(BA) Sout OUT 1 2

GND

PROTECTIVE GROUND

(AA) GND 1 2

GND

SIGNAL GROUND

(AB) GND 1 2 3

Commander September 1983/11

mmodore

A Commitment to Educational Excellence
With Computer Technology

As told by David Rosenwald,
Director of Education Marketing,
Commodore is more deeply com-
mitted than ever to increasing
service and support to education
users. Commodore feels the Edu-
cation Resource Center is only
one of many grass root support
systems being planned for educa-
tors. Dave Rosenwald feels teach-
er-to-teacher information ex-
change through Resource Cen-
ters will be one of the most eco-
nomical ways for teachers to gain
useful working knowledge of
computers and software pro-
grams. He further stated this pro-
gram is available to every school
that can meet our guidelines.

To qualify as a Commodore
education resource center you
must be

— A non-profit school organiza-
tion or agency (public or private)
serving students in one or more
of the following categories:

— Preschool

— K-12

— Post Secondary Educa-
tional Institution

—2 or 4 Year College or

University
—Adult Education Program

— An intermediate unit or
teacher center designated as a
teacher training organization and
given formal status by a Munici-
pal, State, County or Federal
School Authority.

12/Commander September 1983

Minimum Requirements:

—A commitment to Commo-
dore computers.

—At least five Commodore
computers. (If you do not have
five computers and believe you
can complete all other require-
ments, please prepare a short
note explaining your position and
attach it to the Application Form.

—Willing to allow educators at
reasonable intervals from other
districts or schools to:

1. Observe use of Commo-
dore equipment in
classrooms.

2. Discuss operation and
uses with teachers and
administrators.

3. Allow teachers/adminis-
trators to duplicate public
domain programs.

— Provide occasional inservice
to other educators and public.

—Assist Commodore to form
educational support user groups.

— Develop news items, arti-
cles, success stories and photo-
graphs about your computer ap-
plications for potential use in
Commodore and other publica-
tions.

— Evaluate software and hard-
ware (provided by Commodore),
as reasonably requested.

—Willing to be listed as Com-
modore Education Resource Cen-
ter.
Education Resource Center Must

Provide:

— Name, address, title and
phone number of superintendent
or other senior official as well as
similar information for the Re-
source Center Director.

—Approval by Board of Educa-
tion or similar legally designated
approval agency.
Commodore Will Provide (One
Per School Organization Or Agen-
cy):

— Certificate of Appreciation
for involvement in the Commo-
dore Education Resource Center
Program.

—VIC/64 Modem if requested
(free). (See Application Form-
Second Signature Required.)

— CompuServe subscription
(free). (The center must pay for
connect time and the telephone.
Special CompuServe password
for Resource Centers to be used
for electronic bulletin board.)

— Education Resource Center
newsletters and information up-
dates.

— Early information on pro-
ducts, software, etc.

Schools interested in becom-
ing an Education Resource Cen-
ter can write to the Education Re-
source Center Coordinator, Com-
modore Business Machines, 1200
Wilson Drive, West Chester, PA
19380.

tt»«°

du c«on «> P**

An Exclusive Instructional Aid
By the Author of Vanilla Pilot

Richard F. Daley, Ph.D.

In educational computing
circles today you hear and read
about terms like 'authoring
languages' or sometimes PILOT.
This article will introduce you to
these two terms and their mean-
ing. In addition, an introduction to
programming in PILOT will be
given.

Authoring languages in innu-
merable variations are found as a
part of many computer installa-
tions. The main point of each of
these languages is that they can
be used by teachers who want to
write computer assisted instruc-
tion, but don't want to learn the
inner workings of a typical com-
puter language. Unfortunately,
most are failures. They become
much too complicated for anyone
but computer professionals to
use.

PILOT, developed to be used as
an authoring language, avoids the
pitfalls of most other implementa-
tions. It is best used in the
development of interactive dialog
program, conversational games,
or, in modern enhancements of
the language, with added turtle
graphics features.

I am frequently asked "Why use
PILOT?" There are many, many
computer languages from which
to choose. Every computer
language has some specific
features which make it ideal for

certain types of tasks. Most
microcomputers have languages
like BASIC, FORTRAN, COBOL,
LOGO, APL, and ASSEMBLER
available. All of these languages
can be used to write interactive
dialog programs. However, PILOT
is a specialized language design-
ed for dialogs, drills, and tests
rather than the computation
handled well by general purpose
languages.

BASIC, for example, can handle
a free response dialog, but the
programmer must often make un-
wieldy arrangements for process-
ing input and for comparing
words or portions of words that
the program must recognize.

Before proceeding look at the
term 'free response dialog'.
Understanding this term can help
us in understanding how the
PILOT language can be used. To
illustrate free response dialog,
look at this simple example:

THE WEATHER FORECAST

FOR TODAY HAS A 100%

PROBABILITY OF

PRECIPITATION.

WHAT WILL WE SEE:

BLUE SKY, CLOUDS, RAIN,

SUNSHINE

As you can see there are two
possible correct responses from
the list of weather types. Precipi-
tation is synonymous with rain
and, if it rains, there are clouds.
So any program written to work

with this concept must look for
BOTH responses and handle
each appropriately.

From the programmer's view-
point, it is easier to require the
user to enter one word replies like
RAIN or CLOUDS. From the
students viewpoint an answer
such as:

IT WILL LIKELY BE CLOUDY

AND RAIN,
is much easier to work with. It is
more natural — like a conversa-
tion. As shown by this example,
free response dialog allows the
user to respond to the computer
in a normal conversational man-
ner.

Ideally, the language used in
developing an interactive dialog,
will handle such an interactive
dialog efficiently and easily. This
rules out most languages, in-
cluding BASIC, as they use slow,
complex program structures to
accomplish this.

The PILOT language is design-
ed to take the pain out of writing
an interactive dialog program.
With PILOT, just as with a spoken
language, you can express many
ideas and accomplish many tasks
by combining a handful of simple
statements.

Tamarack Software, Inc. mar-
kets a version of PILOT, called
Vanilla Pilot, for all Commodore
computers currently on the
market. I suggest you obtain a
copy of Vanilla Pilot, a bargain at

Commander September 1983/13

its suggested retail of only
$29.95, from your local computer
store before continuing this arti-
cle. It will help you appreciate the
power and ease of use of the
PILOT language.

there are four types of PILOT
statements which make up the
majority of most PILOT programs.
In fact, you can write programs of
considerable complexity using
only these four statement types.
Look at each of these statements:

The first statement is the TYPE
statement. It is much like the
PRINT statement in BASIC. It's
function is to display, or TYPE, in-
formation onto the computer
screen. The format of this, and
any other, PILOT statement is

If you wish, for example, to
display the word HELLO on the
computer screen, the TYPE state-
ment would look like this:

T:HELLO

When you run this PILOT pro-
gram line the word HELLO will be
displayed on the screen.

All PILOT program lines have
about the same format. This for-
mat consists of four separate
parts. Each program line needs a
line number. A line number may
be any whole number between
and 63999. The line number is
followed by a PILOT statement or
command. These statements con-
sist of a single character (like the
T for TYPE). Next there is a colon.
The colon is a separator between
the PILOT statement and the
operation field, or operand, which
is the fourth part of a PILOT pro-
gram line. Thus the TYPE state-
ment shown above is incomplete.
It would be better like this:

100T:HELLO

The next PILOT statement is
the ACCEPT command. The AC-
CEPT command takes input or in-
formation from the keyboard
while the program is executing or
running. When the computer
comes to an ACCEPT command,

1 4/Commander September 1983

LISTING 1

100 T

THE WEATHER FORECAST FOR TODAY

110 T

HAS A lmX PROBABILITY OF

126 T

PRECIPITATION.

130 T

140 T

WHAT WILL WE SEE'

150 T

BLUE SKY, CLOGUDS, RAIN, SUNSHINE

160 fl

170 T

188 M

CLOUD

190 TV -YES!! IT HILL BE CLOUDY.

200 M-RRIH

210 TV: RIGHT, PRECIPITIN I ON HERNS RAIN.

220 M' CLOUD, Rfl IN

230 TH:RRE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT?

240 E

LISTING 2

100 *START T^THE WEATHER FORECAST FOR TODAY

240 T-MflHT TO TRY AGAIN?

250 fl ' $

260 M : YES , V , OK , SURE , YEP , F I NE , GREAT

270 JY: START

280 E :

LISTING 3

THE WEATHER FORECAST FOR TODAY
HAS fl 100;i PROBABILITY OF
PRECIPITATION.

WHAT WILL WE SEE^

BLUE SKY, CLOOUDS, Rft IN, SUNSHINE

CLOUD

YES!! IT WILL BE CLOUDY.

RAIN

RIGHT, PRECIFTTAION MEANS RAIN.

CLOUD, RAIN

ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT?

WANT TO TRY AGAIN?

VES, V, OK, SURE, YEP, FINE, GREAT

START

1 00 #:

iTflRTT

110

120

130

140

150

160

170

ISO

190

200

210

220

236

240

250

260

270

280

LISTING 4

100 G :

CLEAR

110 G

COLOR 2

120 G

GOTO 20,20

130 G

DRAW 40

140 G

RIGHT 144

150 G

DRAW 40

160 G

RIGHT 144

170 G

DRAW 40

180 G

RIGHT 144

190 G

DRAW 40

200 G

RIGHT 144

210 G

:BRAW 40

220 G

: RIGHT 144

230 E:

LISTING 5

100

CLEAR

110

COLOR 2

120

GOTO 20,20

130

SIDE

140

SIDE

150

SIDE

160

SIDE

170

SIDE

180

190

*SIDE G

DRAW 48

206

RIGHT 144

216

E :

LISTING 6

100

G •• CLEAR

110

G : COLOR 2

120

G :GQTD 26,20

139

C :E=5

140

C :T=0

150

*LOOP U :SIDE

160

C -T=T+1

170

C :*=T

180

M :#E

190

JH-LOOP

200

E :

210

+SIDE G = DRflW 40

220

G : RIGHT 144

230

E :

it stops and waits for you to type
something on the keyboard.
There are a number of options for
the operation field of the ACCEPT
command in Vanilla Pilot; one is:

A:$

When the computer sees the
dollar sign ($), it ACCEPTS input
from the keyboard, then transfers
it to a section of memory called
the 'ANSWER FIELD'.

The third PILOT statement is
the MATCH command. Here the
PILOT program makes decisions.
Complex pattern matching is
done on the user input stored in
the ANSWER FIELD. The program
then makes decisions based on
whether or not a match was
found.

The MATCH command con-
tains a list of patterns to be
searched for and matched with
the input information stored in
the ANSWER FIELD. For exam-
ple,

M:TEST,EXAM

Suppose you wish to search
the user input for the words TEST
or its synonym EXAM. The
MATCH command works by using
what is called a 'sliding window'
match. That means that each of
the patterns in the MATCH state-
ment are scanned across the con-
tents of the ANSWER FIELD.
Thus, the word TEST found in the
above MATCH statement would
match with the sentence

THAT WAS A TOUGH TEST
WE HAD TODAY!
or the word EXAM in the sentence
WE HAVE A HISTORY EXAM
TOMORROW.

The 'sliding window' match will
match with the set of characters
contained in the ANSWER FIELD
no matter where they appear.

There are only TWO possible
outcomes of the MATCH. Either a
match will be found or one will
not be found. That is either YES or
NO. The MATCH statement will
communicate with the rest of the
PILOT program using a memory
location called the Yes/No flag.

The Yes/No flag is important.
Each PILOT statement type can

Commander September 1983/15

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have either a Y or a N between the
command letter and the colon.
The Y and N are conditionals and
the statement will be executed
ONLY if the conditional is the
same as the Yes/No flag. For ex-
ample,

TY:WE WILL HAVE A

TEST TOMORROW!

The sentence following the col-
on would only be typed if the
Yes/No flag were set to YES. If the
Yes/No flag were set to NO then
this statement would be skipped.

The final PILOT statement is
the

E:
or END statement. The END state-
ment is the last program line ex-
ecuted by the PILOT program. It
may come at any point in the pro-
gram, but must be the last line ex-
ecuted by the program.

To pull this all together study
the simple example of a PILOT
program shown in Listing 1. If you
have a copy of Vanilla Pilot
available, load it and enter the
program in Listing 1 into your
computer. Based on what we
have already talked about, study
the listing for yourself to see if
you understand the program.

Lines 100 to 150 of the program
are simply TYPE statements. The
computer will display these lines
on the screen as

THE WEATHER FORECAST

FOR TODAY HAS A 100%

PROBABILITY OF

PRECIPITATION.

WHAT WILL WE SEE:

BLUE SKY, CLOUDS, RAIN,

SUNSHINE

At this point the program will
be waiting at line 160 for an entry
from the keyboard. Remembering
the 'sliding window' of the
MATCH statement, enter a se-
quence answer. For example,

I EXPECT TO SEE SOME RAIN.

When you press the RETURN
key the computer takes the
sentence you typed on the
keyboard and places it in the
ANSWER FIELD. Next, it checks
for the match for the word CLOUD
in line 180. There is no match, so
the TY: in line 190 will not be ex-
ecuted.

There is a match with the word
RAIN in line 200, so the computer
will TYPE the words:

RIGHT, PRECIPITATION

16/Commander September 1983

Circle No. 95

If our

word processing software

is so great, why are we

giving it away?

It's our way of introducing you
to DATA 20.

As the leader in price/performance peripherals for
Commodore 64™ and VIC 20,™ we want you as a loyal cus-
tomer. So to encourage you to sample our
add-ons, we're giving away our
WORD MANAGER soft-
ware when you purchase
any DATA 20 DISPLAY
MANAGER or VIDEO PAK
to expand your Commodore to 80 columns.

What's so great about WORD MANAGER?

The table tells the tale. This DATA 20 exclusive gives you
powerful features found only on the most expensive word
processing systems including mail merge, block move,
search and replace. And we've written our word processing
in machine language for fast execution and low memory
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Compare the Top
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With our professional 80-column
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Commodore 64 and VIC 20 are trademarks of Commodore Electronics. Ltd.
Quick Brown Fox is a trademark ot Quick Brown Fox
WordPro is a registered trademark of Professional Software, Inc

MEANS RAIN.

Try it!

Now RUN the program again.
This time enter the words

I WILL SEE CLOUDS.

This time when you press
RETURN the computer will test
the input against the MATCH in
line 180. The matchstring CLOUD
matches with CLOUDS in the in-
put. So the computer will res-
pond:

YES!! IT WILL BE CLOUDY.

A word about lines 220 and 230.
The MATCH in line 220 checks
the contents of the ANSWER
FIELD to see if either RAIN or
CLOUD appears, if neither word is
there, then the Yes/No flag is set
to NO. This allows the TYPE
statement in line 230 to be ex-
ecuted. Thus, if neither RAIN nor
CLOUD appears in the ANSWER
FIELD the computer will respond:

ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT?

Try one final test of the pro-
gram. What do you expect will
happen if you enter a sentence
with BOTH the words CLOUD and
RAIN in it?

Decide what you would expect,
then try it! Type RUN, then enter
the following sentence

IT WILL PROBABLY BE

RAINY AND CLOUDY.

You should have successfully
predicted that BOTH responses

YES!! IT WILL BE CLOUDY,
and

RIGHT, PRECIPITATION

MEANS RAIN,
would be displayed.

At this point, many of you are
probably tired of typing RUN
every time you wish to try another
entry in this program. Here's how
to modify Listing 1 so you can
loop back to the start if you wish
to try again.

Begin by entering the program
lines shown in Listing 2. LIST the
program and notice that the old
line 100 has been replaced by a
new line 100. This new line con-
tains a label. A label is a way of
NAMING a program line. The
label, *START, tells the computer
that this program line is special.
Whenever you tell the computer
to search for a label, it looks
through your program until it
finds the correct label. When the

1 8/Commander September 1983

label is found, the program
begins executing that program
line.

Until now all the program lines
you have looked at have been ex-
ecuted in numeric order. Labels
in a PILOT program transfer con-
trol to different parts of a program
as needed.

The other part of the transfer of
control is found in the new line
270. This part is the J: or JUMP
command. Here you JUMP to the
label START, if the Yes/No flag is
set to YES. And the Yes/No flag is
set to YES, when the input from
line 250 contains one of the affir-
mative answers from the MATCH
statement in line 260.

When writing your own pro-
grams in Vanilla Pilot, there are
two things you need to watch for.
These are

1. Be sure you have a label for
every J: statement for the proper

transfer of control.

2. Be sure you have only one

possible destination label for
each JUMP statement. The rou-
tine to search for a label will look
at the same number of characters
in the label as there is following
the colon of the JUMP statement.
That is— J:TEST will find the
labels *TEST, 'TESTING or
*TEST5. Thus, if the label *TEST
comes after either 'TESTING or
*TEST5, you will never reach that
line with a JUMP.

There is a variation of the LIST
command you have been using in
Vanilla Pilot. Try using the com-
mand LLIST (Yes, there really
should be two L's). You should
see a listing on the screen of your
computer that looks like Listing 3.
By the way, PLIST sends the out-
put to your printer.

Now for a look at the Turtle
Graphics features of Vanilla Pilot.
Turtle Graphics means that the
computer has an 'invisible' turtle
with a pen. On a computer like the
Commodore-64, the turtle actual-
ly carries a set of 16 different col-
ored pens. One corresponding to
each of the various colors that the
computer is able to display.

The Turtle Graphics is access-
ed by the GRAPHICS command
G:. The G: command has a

number of sub-commands which
tell the computer which of the
graphics options to do.

In this article, you will look at
some of the GRAPHICS sub-
commands used on a computer
like the Commodore-64. These
commands also apply to the
VIC-20, 4032, and 8032 versions of
Vanilla Pilot. The VIC-20 version
has 8 colors and the 4032 and
8032 versions have no color
capabilities.

In the Turtle Graphics system,
the computer screen becomes
the playground for a tiny invisible
turtle, with the turtle at the center
of an invisible circle that moves
with him. This circle is divided in-
to 360 segments or angles, each
measuring one degree. The turtle
can face into any one of these
segments.

The turtle's position on the
screen is determined by a system
of coordinates. The top left hand
corner of the screen is 0,0 while
the bottom left hand corner, ex-
cept on a VIC-20, is 0,49. With a 40
column screen the center of the
screen is 39,24 and the coor-
dinates for the upper right corner
are 0,79.

Following is a description of
seven graphics sub-commands
for Vanilla Pilot. They are CLEAR,
COLOR, DRAW, GOTO, DIREC-
TION, LEFT, and RIGHT. There
are several additional sub-
commands, but these will be left
for you to learn from your Vanilla
Pilot manual.

The CLEAR sub-command in-
itializes the ' turtle. It ac-
complishes, among other things,
moving the turtle to location 0,0
and setting its direction and color
to 0. Always begin your Turtle
Graphics program with a CLEAR.

With the COLOR sub-command
you can control the color of the
pen the turtle is carrying. You
need to specify a color number, c,
from to 15 on the Commo-
dore-64 (0 to 7 on the VIC-20).

Using the DRAW z sub-
command, you can DRAW a line z
units long across the screen. This
line is drawn using the current
pen color and the turtle's current
direction.

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COMMODORE 64 and VIC 20 are Trademarks of Commodore Electronics

Circle No. 86

The GOTO x,y sub-command
places the turtle at locations x,y
in the coordinate grid of the
screen.

Change the direction the turtle
is heading using the DIRECTION
d. The value of d is in degrees and
can be any value between and
359. Direction is facing to the
right side of the screen. The value
of the direction increases in
counter-clockwise fashion.

The LEFT d sub-command ad-
justs the heading of the turtle by
d degrees to the turtle's left. This
is different from the DIRECTION
sub-command in that the change
of direction is relative to the cur-
rent direction. That is, if the turtle
is facing degrees then a LEFT
90 will turn the turtle left (counter-
clockwise) to 90 degrees.

The RIGHT d sub-command is
like the LEFT sub-command but
will adjust the turtle's heading to
the right (or clockwise). Thus, a
RIGHT 90 will turn the turtle to
270 degrees.

Now look at a simple example
of a Turtle Graphics program. The
program in Listing 4 is designed
to work on the Commodore-64
computer. The other Commodore
computers will require some ad-
justments to run properly. For the
4032 and 8032 delete line 110. For
the VIC-20 change the DRAW 40
to DRAW 25 and the GOTO 20,20
to GOTO 10,10.

Enter the program into your
computer. Try to deduce what the
figure is that will be drawn. Lines
100 to 120 simply initialize the tur-
tle, set the color of his pen to col-
or 3 (cyan) and locate the starting
point of the first line at coor-
dinates 20,20.

Remember that the turtle is fac-
ing to zero degrees or towards the
right hand side of the screen.
Draw a line 40 units long in that
direction. Now the computer will
turn to the turtle's (not your) right,
or in a clockwise direction. This
pair of actions is repeated four
more times to complete the
figure.

To check your prediction about
the shape of the figure, Listing 1
shows the figure as you should
see it on your computer screen.

Many people get tired of enter-

20/Commander September 1983

ing the same lines repeatedly in a
single program. Like most com-
puter languages, PILOT takes
care of this drudgery using a sub-
program which is called from
within the main program. This
sub-program is called a sub-
routine in some computer
languages. When the sub-pro-
gram has accomplished its task,
control is returned to the program
line immediately following the
statement which called the sub-
program.

The start of a sub-program is
marked with a label and the end is
marked with E: or END statement.
To visualize what this means,
rewrite the program in Listing 4
using sub-programs. The result of
this rewriting is shown in Listing
5.

The first thing you can see is
that, instead of repeating the
DRAW and RIGHT graphics sub-
commands, we repeat the com-
mand U:SIDE

This command operates much
like the JUMP command, but has
one important difference. The
USE command remembers its
location in the program. As soon
as the END command is found,
control is returned to the program
line immediately after the USE
command. In this case, the pro-
gram would be executed in the
following line number sequence:

100 190

110 200 190

120 210 200

130 140 etc.

Try it!

Vanilla Pilot also includes a
command called TRACE. The
TRACE command allows you to
see each line at the top of the
screen as it is being executed. To
use the TRACE command type
TRACE and then RUN. Watch the
program lines as they appear on
the screen.

When you wish to stop the
TRACE function, simply type
OFF.

Your first reaction in moving
from Listing 4 to Listing 5 was
probably that there is STILL a set
of repeating lines. No self-
respecting programmer would do
this unless there was absolutely
NO other choice.'

Well, Vanilla Pilot allows you to
keep your self-respect! Eliminate
these repeating lines by using the
COMPUTE statement. The COM-
PUTE statement allows you to do
arithmetic in PILOT. It takes the
form of

C:expression

The expression is any equation
including ONLY addition and sub-
traction. An example of this
would be in line 150 of Listing 6.
Here the expression is T = T+ 1.

There is a reserved character
used in the COMPUTE statement.
It is the dollar sign ($). The expres-
sion, in the form

$ = expression
will be evaluated and the result of
this evaluation will be placed in
the ANSWER FIELD. This transfer
to the ANSWER FIELD allows a
comparison using the MATCH
statement. A special form of the
MATCH statement allows the
contents of the ANSWER FIELD
to be compared with a numeric
variable.

Look at the program in Listing
6. It will do the same things as the
programs in Listing 4 or Listing 5.
However, there is no repetitive
typing of the same lines. We are
using a program structure called
a LOOP. Lines 150 to 200 are the
actual loop. A program loop is a
set of program lines which are ex-
ecuted until some condition is
met. In this case, when the
variable T is equal to the variable
E the loop will be terminated.

First the program draws a
single line 40 units long. Next it
adds 1 to the numeric variable T
and transfers the new value to the
ANSWER FIELD. Finally, in line
180 this value is compared to the
contents of the numeric variable
E. If there is not a match, then the
loop is repeated with the
JN:LOOP. These few lines can be
used as a general looping calcula-
tion for any type of loop in PILOT.

This is a brief overlook of the
PILOT language, using Vanilla
Pilot from Tamarack Software for
our examples. There is much,
much more that you can do with
the PILOT language. I hope that
this overview will get you as ex-
cited about the PILOT language
as I am.D

= by Ted Jean

An educational program for the
Commodore-64 that rewards correct
answers to math problems with drawing
time using a joystick.

When I brought my Commo-
dore-64 home, I didn't want it to
turn into just another game
machine. This time I wanted
some educational value from it.
On the other hand, "all work and
no play, makes Johnny a dull
boy". So, I was willing to com-
promise. I would spend a little
time with education, and then, as
an incentive, give an equal
amount of time to recreation.
These were the guidelines I used
in developing "MATH AND
DRAW".

First, I wanted the educational
value for my two daughters. This
was developed as math problems.
Simple "ADDITION" problems for
my first grader, and a little harder
"SUBTRACTION" ones for the
older, third grader.

Second, build the FUN part.
This was to use the C-64 color
capability for drawing. The idea of
KISS (Keep It Simple Susie) came
to mind, and I only used a low
resolution technique for the
screen. This turned out to be a
plus with my six year old who

Math

& Draw

would have been lost trying to
draw with a high resolution
screen.

Then, the final step was to con-
nect the two. This gave the pro-
gram a game environment. The
person using the computer would
be given five math problems. For
each right answer, he would
receive credit of one minute for
drawing. After all five problems
were done, the screen would
clear. Then, by using a joystick,
the student could draw or doodle
with the computer. When time
was up, it would be back to the
chalkboard for five more prob-
lems. Again, he would receive
credit towards drawing time for
each correct answer.

My first program went to the ex-
perts for review (my two
daughters). The response was
good but with two complaints.

1) Saving the screen between
math drills was very time consum-
ing and boring.

2) "SUBTRACTION" was a big
person's word. Their school used
the term "TAKE-AWAY" instead.

Problem #2 was quick to solve;
"SUBTRACTION" now reads
"TAKE-AWAY". Problem #1 re-
quired me to remove the BASIC
routine of PEEKS and POKES to
save the screen and color

memory with a machine language
routine. Don't worry about
understanding how it works. If
you type it in carefully and avoid
mistakes, it will work all by itself.
(Briefly, it copies the 1k of
SCREEN MEMORY starting at ad-
dress 1024, and the 1k of COLOR
NYBBLES from 55296 into the
protected RAM area just above
the BASIC ROM chip.)

With this done, the second pro-
gram received much higher
reviews from the two experts. So,
here it is for your enjoyment.

Instructions

Five math problems are given
using a Random Generator in
lines 1010 and 1015. Two tries are
allocated for each problem before
the correct answer is displayed.

During drawing, pressing the
fire button will TURN ON the
square. Pressing the SHIFT key
will TURN OFF the square. To
erase multiple squares, press the
SHIFT LOCK key.

Then, using the KISS technique
again, I eliminated worrying about
the CONTROLand COMMODORE
keys for selecting the colors for
the squares. You simply press the
number keys 1 to 8 and the cor-
responding color will replace the
current cursor color. □

Commander September 1983/21

PRCXSR£CriV€
P€RIPH€RPL/
6/OFTWAR€

THE AUTO CLOCK'

A TRUE MULTI-FUNCTION CARD

• Switch your V1C-20/64 or other AC devices on
and off under software control.

• 256 year clock/calendar.

• 2K CMOS battery backed up RAM.

• Menu driven software.

• Plugs into the buss expansion slot.

• Cartridge style case.

• 19 user accessible subroutines.

• 20 page illustrated manual with detailed
programming examples.

AUTO CLOCK $129.95

• State of the art Pro-Adventure Series for the
Commodore 64.

• Realistic sound effects and animated color
graphics

• Over eighty areas. 70 objects, and 40
commands.

• A "real-time" adventure with a user-friendly
help feature, updated constantly.

• Comprehensive, illustrated manual with a
fold-out map.

• Your success in Gothmogs Lair will depend on
your skill and resourcefulness. NOT on pure luck.

• Prepare for the most challenging adventure
you will ever undertake as you enter

GOTHMOG'S LAIR . . cassette version - $39 95
diskette version — $39.95

DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED
ORDER FROM:

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Lakewood. Colorado 80226
(303)778-1312 Qrcfe No. 58

VIC-20/C-64

From the producers of

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come 3 more winners in the No. 1
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SKRAMBLE

A space game with exciting graphics

GRIDDER

A new generation of grid game

PINBALL WIZARD

1 or 2 players; watch out, you can tilt!

^^_fi^ Snakrnan available shortly, orders accepted.
^* *■ Remaining games available soon.

All 4 games operate on joystick or
keyboard without expansion.

VIC-20 '19.95 Tape '24.95 Disk

C-64 '24.95 Tape '27.95 Disk

MCA/ISA (includes exp. date)
C.O.D. M .50 (Certified/Cash/M.O.)
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Continued from page 21

5 REM - * - * - MATH RHD DRAW - % - * -

10 REM- * - * - BY TED JEAN - * - # -

1 5 REm*mmmmmmmmmmm *********

REM*** BUILD SCREEN CONTROL TRBLE***
DIM LINE$<25>

LINE*Cl)aCHR*U9)

FOR fl — 2 TO "'S

LINE4KA) = LINE$<R-1> + CHR*<17)

NEXT fl

20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
76
80

REM*** SEND TITLE TO SCREEN ***

PGKE53280, 5 : PQKE53281 , 7

P0KE646,9:RRINT CHR$U47>

PRINT LINE$<5)3PCa2)"MATH RND DRAW"

PRINT LINE*C6)SPCC12);

FOR A=l TO 13: PRINT CHR*<183>;

PRINT LINE$C9)SPC<7)"WHAT KIND
OBLEMS ?"

85 PRINT LIHE$<14)SPCC5)"PRESS +
ADDING PROBLEMS."
90 PRINT LINEfC 16 )SPC<5> "PRESS
TAKE-AWAY PROBLEMS. "
95 PRINT LINE$<20)SPC<10)"YQUR CHOICE

NEXT
OF PR

FOR

- FOR

100

105

110

115
120
125
130
135
140
145
150
155
160
165
170

200

205
210
215
220
225
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240

REM********************************
REM*** CONSTANTS ***

ZZ=l: SC=1024: C0*54272 : CL=0

REM*** BUILD JOYSTICK TABLE ***
FOR A = TO 10: READ XY<A) : NEXT
DATA 0, -40, 40, 0, -1, -41
DATA 39, 0, 1, -39, 41

REM*** BUILD KEVBOARD TABLE

DIM KEY C 64)

FOR A = TO 64: KEV<A)=0: NEXT

***

KEY<08)=11
KEY a 9) =6
KEV<56)=1

KEY/11>=15:
KEY<24)*7 :
KEY < 59) =2

KEYU6)=5
KEY t 27) =8

REM*MACHINE
AD=49152

LANGUAGE SCREEN MOVER**

READ
POKE
GOTO
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
REM .

X = -1 THEN
AD - AD + 1

310

X: IF

AD,X:

215

162, 4, 160, 196, 32, 30,

162, 216, 160, 200, 32, 3

192, 96, 162, 196, 160, 4

32, 30, 192, 162, 200, 160

216, 32, 30, 192, 96

42, 192, 140, 45, 192
4, 162, 0, 139, 0,
0, 0, 202, 208, 247
42, 192, 238, 45, 192
208, 238, 96, -1

192

142,
160,
157,
238,
136,

SYS (. 49 152) - SAVE SCREEN

To be continued on page 24

PractiCalc 20" t and PractiCalc Plus" t :
Complete electronic spreadsheets that
turn the Commodore VIC-20 into a busi-
ness computer. ($39.95* TD and $49.95*
TD, respectively.)

PractiCalc 64": The computer spread-
sheet for the Commodore 64 with over 20
mathematical functions and the ability to
graph, sort, and search for entries.
($49.95* TD)

PS: The Programmable Spreadsheet":
Finally, a computer spreadsheet which
can handle the most complicated opera-
tions within the structure of a spreadsheet
- since you can program it with BASIC.
Available for the Commodore 64 ($79.95 D)
& Apple lie ($79.95 D).
Rabbit Base 1 " t '■ A data-file manager for the
Commodore VIC-20 with simple screen
instructions for efficient use. ($29.95 T)
Inventory 64" : A smart inventory-tracking
system for the Commodore 64 that handles
650 parts. ($39.95 D)

C-64 Analyst: A diagnostic program which
tests the Commodore 64 and its periph-
erals to detect hardware defects. An
invaluable tool for C-64 users! ($19.95 D)

t 8K RAM required - 1 16K RAM required

• Price given for tape version. Disk version slightly higher

T Available on tape - D Available on disk

Prices shown are manufacturer's retail prices.

Total Health": For fitness and health
enthusiasts, a program which monitors and
encourages proper nutrition. (For the
Commodore VIC-20; $24.95 T and C-64
$29.95 D)

AND LEARN FROM...

Math Duel" : A math program for ages 5-1 2
that combines classroom learning with
gameroom fun! Available for the
Commodore VIC-20. ($19.95 T)

Sprintyper": A typing tutorial for the
Commodore VIC-20 that encourages
speed and accuracy in both the novice
and experienced typist. ($19.95 T)
Tiny Tutor": A pre-schooler program with
fun graphics and sound to teach simple
math, ($19.95 T)

Composer": Asimple music composition
program for the Commodore VIC-20 that
teaches musical notation and allows
'melodies' to be saved to tape for later
recall. ($19.95 T)

SW COMPUTER
■B SOFTWARE

^W ASSOCIATES

50 Teed Drive, Randolph,
Massachusetts 02368

AND PLAY WITH . . .

Zeppelin Rescue": An intelligent rescue
game for the Commodore 64 with arcade-
like graphics and the greatest challenge
for those with persistence & skill. ($24.95 D)
Skramble": You're lost in enemy territory.
But before leaving for home, you can play
havoc with their airfields and oil supply.
Are you ready for the challenge? (For the
Commodore VIC-20; $19.95 T)
Barrel Jumper" t: For the Commodore
VIC-20, this game confronts you with a
pyramid of steel girders. The present King
of the Hill is an angry ape who's hurling
barrels at you. Step lively! ($19.95 T)

See your local dealer for CS A programs or
order directly by calling toll-free:

1-800-343-1078

For more information about these and
many other programs for your home
computer, write to CSA.

Programmers with programs to market are
encouraged to send copies for review to
CSA.

Dealer & distributor inquiries are welcomed by:

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Circle No. 91

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COMMODORE 64
and VIC-20"

• EXCITING ADVENTURES *

EERIE MANSION -Explore the

mansion and find the treasures but
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• FUN GAMES "

MONOPOLY - Sound and
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19 95 tape 24 95 disk

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Send for Free Catalog

MYSTIC SOFTWARE

P.O. BOX 536

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(619) 443-9776

Commodore 64'" and vie 20" are registered

trademarks of Commodore Business

Machines. Inc

Jb / Continued from page 22

T/245 REM ... SYSC 49167) = RESTORE SCREEN

J|300 REM********************************

385 REM*** GET ANSWER ***

3 1 POKE204 , : POKE 138,0

315 PRINT "?"CHR$< 157);

320 GET AN*: IF AN* O "+" AND AN$ O "-

" THEN 320

325 POKE204.1

*30 PRINT AN$

335 FOR A = 1 TO 1000: NEXT

400 REM********************************

405 REM*** INSTRUCTIONS TO SCREEN ***

410 POKE53280,8-POKE53281,5

420 PQKE646, 13= PRINT CHR$C147)

425 PRINT LINE*<4)SPC<S> H V0U WILL NOW G

ET 5 "

430 IF AN#="+"THEN PRINT LINE*C6)SPCC8)

"ADDING PROELEMS. "

435 IF AH$="-"THEN PRINT LINE$<6>SPC<8)

"TAKE-AWRV PROELEMS."

440 PRINT LINE$<S)SPCC8)"F0R EVERY RICH

t ANSWER "

445 PRINT LINEfa0)SPC<3)"YOU WILL GET

1 MINUTE"

450 PRINT LINE*a2)SPC<8)"0F DRAWING TI

ME. "

455 PRINT LINE*a6)SPC<12);

456 FOR A=1T011 'PRINT CHR$( 175) ;: NEXT
460 PRINT LINE$a7)SPC<12)CHR$<18)" GOO
D LUCK "

465 PRINT LINE$a8)SPCa2>;

466 FOR A=1T01 SPRINT C'HR*C 163) j: NEXT
470 PRINT LINE$(23)SPC(6)"PRESS ANY KEV

TO CONTINUE ";
475 POKE204 > = POKE 1 98 >
480 PRINT"?"CHR$a57>;
435 GET fl$: IF A$="" THEN 485
490 POKE 204,1

500 REM********************************
505 REM*** START OF MATH AREA ***
510 PROE=i:TL=0

515 GOSUB 1000:TRY»0:REM GET NUMBERS
600 REM********************************
605 REM**** BUILD CHALKBOARD ****
6 1 POKE53230 , 6 ■ P0KE5328 1 , 6
615 PRINT CHR*a47);CHR*(31);CHR*a8>;
620 FOR A=l TO 5
625 PRINT"

" ; = REM 40 SPACES
630 NEXT A

635 PRINT" "; :REM 3 SPACES
640 PRINT CHR$a58)CHR*<109) H

" ; : REM 20 SPACES
645 PRINT CHR$ai0)CHR$<31)" "J
:REM 3 SPACES
£60 FOR fl=l TO 10

665 PRINT"

REM 9 SPACES
'CHRf(144>;

REM 20

'CHR$<31>'

REM 9 SPACES

679 PRINT CHR*<153;"
675 PRINT"

SPACES

680 PRINT CHR$-::i58>"
" .; : REM 9 SPACES

6S5 NEXT A
690 PRINT"
695 PRINT CHR*a58>CHR$ai0>"

" , : REM 20 SPACES
700 PRINT CHR*a09>CHR$<31>" ";

:REM 9 SPACES
705 FOR A=l TO 7
710 PRINT"

" i ■ REM 40 SPACES
715 NEXT A
720 PRINT"

" .; : REM 38 SPACES

P0KE5S294, 6 : P0KE2022, 224

PGKE56295, 6 : P0KE2823, 224

POKE53281,0
740 PRINT CHR$U9> -PRINT CHR*C5)
800 REM*********if:***#******'*****'*******

fe£Z>

736
735

80S REM***

DO MATH PROBLEMS

810 PRINT LINE$(07;-SPCa0>"#"

815

820

825

830

18>'

835

865

870

!75

PR I NT L I NE* C 08 ) SPC (10) PROB

PR I NT L I NE* ( 09 > SPC < 20 ) N 1 *

PR I NT L I NE* (11) SPC ( 20 ) N2$

IF AN*="+" THEN PRINT LINE*<11)SPC(

+ "

IF AN*="~" THEN PRINT LIHE*(11)SPC(
18)"-"

840 PRINT LINE*(12>SPC<18>;
845 FOR A=1T06: PRINT CHR*(100)j: NEXT
850 PRINT LINE*a3)SPC(22>;
855 GOSUB 2000 -REM GET FIRST DIGIT
860 ANS = VAL<A*>

IF N3<10 THEN 900

GOSUB 2000: REM GET SECOND DIGIT

ANS = ANS + < VAL(A$) * 18)

IF H3C108 THEN 900

GOSUB 2000: REM GET THIRD DIGIT
890 ANS = ANS + < VAL(A$) * 100)

IF N3=ANS THEN 935

TRV=TRV+l:IF TRY=2 THEN 920
910 PRINT LINE*(15)SPC( 12)" WRONG - TRY
AGAIN"

915 FOR A=1TO2000: NEXT: GOTO g@@
920 PR I NT L I HE* ( 1 4 ) SPC C 1 ) " WRONG . "
925 PRINT LINE*(16)SPC(10)"THE ANSWER W
AS "STR*(N3)
930 GOTO 945
935 TL=TL+1

940 PRINT LINE*(15)SPC(15)"VERY GOOD!"
945 FOR A=1TO3000:NEXT
950 PROB=PROB+l:IF PROB < 6 THEN 515

875

880
885

yuy
90S

Circle No. 27

Sid says:

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VIC collection #3 - 70+ programs- Tape/Disk- $10.00
VIC collection #4 - 50+ programs - Tape/Disk - $10.00

COMMODORE 64

COMMODORE 64 #1 -25+ programs- Tape/Disk- $10.00
COMMODORE 64 #2 -25+ programs- Tape/Disk- $10.00
COMMODORE 64 #3 -25+ programs- Taps/Disk- $10.00

PET/CBM

PET/CBM - 5 Unlily - Tapes/Disks - $10.00 each

PET/CBM - 1 1 Game - Tapes/Disks - $10.00 each

PET/CBM - 6 Educational - Tapes/Disks - $10.00 each

DUSSEK Reset Switch

Works on VIC-20 or Commodore 64 - $5.00
All price include shipping and handling.

We are YOU R world wide user software connectioa
An alternative to the high cost of software.

CHECK. MONEY ORDERS,
VISA and MASTERCARD accepted.

For A Free Flyer Write:

Public Domain, Inc.

5025 S. Rangeline Rd, W. Milton, OH 45383
Phone (513) 698-5638
Circle No. 47

To be continued on page 26

Commander September 1983/25

Continued from page 25

955 P0KE53288 ,14 = PQKE5328 1 , 2

960 P0KE646.1: PRINT CHR*a47>

965 PRINT LINE$a0)SPG<10)"VOU GOT "TL"

RIGHT!"
978 PRINT LINEf(12)SPC(8'J"N0W IT IS TIM
E TO DRAW."

975 PRINT LIHE*C15>SPC<8)"USE JOYSTICK
IN CONTROL"

980 PRINT LINE$<17)SPC<8>"P0RT # 2"
985 FOR fl = 1 TO 4000: NEXT
39Q GOTO 3000

1000 REM*******************************
1005 REN*** BUILD RANDOM NUMBERS ***
1010 N1=INTC (RND(0>*99) + 1>
1015 N2=INT< CRND<0>*49O + 1)
1020 IF Nl = N2 THEN 1015
1025 IF Nl < N2 THEN N3=N1 : N1=N2: N2=N
3

1030 IF AN*= n +" THEN N3 = Nl + N2
1035 IF AN*="-" THEN H3 = Nl - N2
1040 Nil = STR$<N1>-IF NK10 THEN Nil -

" " + Nl*
1045 N2* = STR$CN2>:IF H2<10 THEN N2* =

» " + H2$
1050 RETURN

2000 REM*******************************
2005 REM*** GET 1 DIGIT FROM ANSWER ***
2010 POKE204,0: POKE 198,0
2015 PRINT"?"CHR*a57>;
2020 GET fl*: IF fl*="" THEN 2020
2025 IF fl* C "0" OR fl* > "9" THEN 2020
2030 POKE204, 1

2035 PRINT fl*.:CHR*U57>;CHR*a57>;
2040 RETURN
3000 REM*******************************

•^laClS

005 REM***

DRAWING ROUTINE

***

3010 PRINT CHR*U44>;CHR*a47;

30 1 5 P0KE53280 , 8 : P0KE5323 1,15

3020 IF ZZ THEN ZZ=0 = GOTO 3030

3025 SVS ( 49 1 67 >: REM ... RESTORE SCREEN

3030 PRINT LINE*<25>SPC<10)"TIME LEFT =

MIN.";
3035 PRINT CHR*<157>CHR*U57)CHR*C157)C
HR*U57>;

3040 TIME* = "000000"
3045 T2* = MID*< TIME*, 4, 1>
3050 T2 = TL - VflL<T2*>
3055 PRINT CHR*a57>CHR*C157)CHR*a57?;
T2;

3060 IF T2-0 THEN 3170

3 1 00 J V=PEEK < 56320 > : K V=PEEK < 1 97 > ■' SV=PEE
K | '653)

3105 FB-16-UV AND 16>:JV=15-UV AND 15
)
3110 CH=PEEK < SC ? : CC=PEEK C SC+CO >

26/Commander September 1983

3115 IF CH>127 THEN POKE SC, 171 -G0T0312
5

3129 POKE SC, 43: POKE SC+CO.CL
3125 FOR fi=l TO 100: NEXT

3130 POKE SCCH: POKE SC+CO.CC
3135 FOR fl=l TO 80: NEXT

3140 IF FB THEN POKE SCI 60: POKE SC+CO,

3145 IF SV THEN POKE SC32

3150 IF KEVCKV) THEN CL = KEV < K V > - 1

3155 SC = SC + XVCJV)

3160 IF <SC C 1024) OR (SC > 1983) THEN

SC = SC - XVUV)
3165 GOTO 3045

3170 SYS (49 152): REM ... SAVE SCREEN
3175 GOTO 400
3180 REN************ END **************

REflDV.

FOX 20:

FOXSCSOT

"Crafty Software from THE FOX"

The magazine for *VIC 20 users. On Cassette.

The all magnetic magazine with 5 or more original programs per month. Game - Educational - Utility
programs at an average cost of 88* per program. FOXTALES - our video newsletter has Articles, Hints.
Reviews and more. Delivered monthly to your door. Give your VIC 20 value and power with FOX 20.

Texas Residents add 5% Sales Tax $53/yr. U.a S63/vr. Canned* & Overseas S6.SO Singlet Back Issues

UpryteQyter 1

For the Commodore 64

The user affectionate sprite development program. Menu-driven, mono/mulitcolor sprite*, Joystick/key-
board, tape/disk, 20K w/FAST machine language routines. Over 60 commands: ROTATE (any angle 0-360), IN-
VERT/OBVERT, SHIFT, SYMMETRY, AND/OR, REVERSE, REVIEW, MOVIE (animation). Create and edit
up to 1 28 sprites per file. For programming efficiency and FUN! Include* the Game Maker - automatically
prepares a base for game development

__.._«_. _ Cauette 129.95 Disk $34.95

FOXPACS

Selected program collection* for the VIC 20 and Commodore 64 - Game*, Adventures, Educational*, Home
Utilities, Programming Utilities, etc Each FOXPAC contain* 4 program* on individual cassette* See
catalog for description*

$20.

All orders pre-paid (U.S. funds). Author and Dealer inquiries Invited. Send for our free catalog for mora
information on these and other fine product*

Don't be outFOXed - Run with

FOXS®B"B""

P.O. Box 507

Deer Park, Texas 77536

(713)473-6723

Circle No 51

A Division of Foxfire Systems, Inc.
'VIC 20 & Commodore 64 *re trademarks of Commodore Business Machines, inc.

GLOUCESTER
COMPUTER

Products for home, industry
& education

PRDMQLIEEN Write code for most
common 8-bit microprocessors, test it
in circuit, and
burn it on EP-
ROM with this
all-in-one mic-
ro development
system cart-
ridge. Power-
ful machine code editor provides com-
prehensive ROMware development sup-
port. Ideal for robotics, process control,
game development. Commodore VIC-20
host computer. Programs 2716, 2732,
2758 EPROMS and similar EPROMS.

$199.00

PRDKIQUEEN RS pack add RS-232
communications to Promqueen devel-
opment system. $69.00

PQ/&U all features of Promqueen less
mimic mode. Software enhanced to in-
clude EPROM QC utilities, RS-232 com-
munication, printouts. 28 pinZIF socket.
Reads, edits
runs and pro-
gramsall5volt
2500 and 2700
series EPROMS
plus variety of
EEPROMS all
without per-
sonality modules
host computer.
PQ/&U RS pack performs RS-232
voltage conversions for PQ/64 system.

$49.00

Commodore C-64
$299.00

GLOUCESTER SEQUENCER Con-
nect the VIC or 64 to the outside world
for robotics, control, sensing. 16 inde-
pendent inputs, 16 independent outputs
plus unique software allowing user to
define 255 "finite states." Includes 3
software timers, and stepper motor driv-
er software.
100% machine
coded soft-
ware for high
speed. All se-
quencer pro-
grams and state
definitions are ROMable. VIC-20 or C-64
host. $299.00

/**>*

ROM Packs Industrial quality circuit
cards are socketed, solder masked, fully
bypassed, and include a ground plane
for low noise operation. Includes 1
EPROM. 8K& 16K models for VIC-20 and
C-64. Specify 2732 or 2764 EPROM type.
Molded plastic case. $39.00

AM products shipped with comprehen-
sive documentation. Call our user hot-
line 617-283-7719 or write for infor-
mation: Gloucester Computer, 1 Black-
burn Center, Gloucester, MA 01930.

Introduction

Of all the areas of planning for
a computer we see, the one that
is most overlooked is the con-
sideration given to the computer
operating environment.

Things like furniture, flooring,
power supply and telephone lines
are often remembered last, or,
sometimes, forgotten entirely.
Keep some of the following ideas
in mind when it comes time to in-
stall that new computer or
change an existing installation
around.

Whether you are a personal,
business or corporate micro-
computer user, the same basic
ideas presented here apply to just
about any level of user.

Where Is It Going To Go?

The very first step is to size up
the room or area that the com-
puter system is going to be
located in. Is the area well
lighted, but not too well lighted
that glare off the CRT will become
a problem?

Is the area cooled to the extent
that the computer (and you) will
not overheat or suffer from lack of
sufficient ventilation?

Are there sufficient GROUND-
ED electrical outlets present
around the room or at least in the
area that will be specific to the
computer work zone? One of the

28/Commander September 1983

most irritating problems is to find
that the electrical outlet system
you are on is shared with many
other electrical noise producing
machines, such as air condi-
tioners, heating and cooling
devices and motor driven devices.

What happens when some of
that "dirty" power gets into the
computer system? Bad news,
that's what. Lost data, periodic
computer shutdowns and the like
can be avoided if you take the
time to survey the area, its power
outlets, and the prospects for
"clean power" BEFORE installing
the computer system.

Try to put each piece of com-
puter hardware on its own outlet,
or better yet, install a multiple
outlet with a master power
switch. The bottom line here is to
give each peripherial its OWN
outlet. Don't cram or overload the
outlet either.

Be sure to orient the cables and
power cords of the computer
system so that all safety hazards
such as exposed connections,
cords people could trip over or
that a chair or table could pinch
and the like are eliminated.

What Are We Going
To Set It On?

Next, consider the tables or
computer work stations you are
going to use.

Is each table and video monitor
platform at a proper and comfor-
table working height? Is the table
area large enough for the ter-
minal, video monitor, printer, disk
drive and other accessories that
you will be using?

If the printer will be placed on
its own table, will the table be
easy to reach when the time
comes to connect cables and
change or remove paper?

Be sure that the tables are stur-
dy. One of the most humorous (to
the person who is looking on)
sights is to see a hefty letter
quality printer rocking a flimsy
table each time the printer per-
forms a carriage return. One finds
oneself placing small wagers on
when the whole installation will
come grandly crashing to the
floor.

So be sure to get firm, well
assembled furniture. It does not
have to be expensive, just well
connected together and sturdy
once assembled. DON'T EVER
overload a table or desk
REGARDLESS of how well it may
seem to be constructed!

One last point. Always plan for
EXPANSION. Someday (and a lot
sooner than you think), you are
going to add to the present
system. Don't run out of room to-
day for something that you will do
tomorrow.

Moses

THE ASSEMBLER OF THE AGES
for the VIC 20

Why MOSES?

Programs written with MOSES run fifty to several hun-
dred times faster than programs written in BASIC. A
program that takes two minutes to execute in BASIC,
will only take two seconds (or less) to execute when writ-
ten with MOSES.

ULTRA-FAST

MOSES is written in MACHINE
LANGUAGE! MOSES assembles
dozens of times faster than
assemblers written in BASIC.

ULTRA-SOPHISTICATED

MOSES makes 3 PASSES, not
just one or two like most other
assemblers.

ULTRA-FRIENDLY

On screen menu of EASY-TO-
USE COMMANDS.

ULTRA-CONVENIENT

Comes in a CARTRIDGE with sturdy plastic case.
MOSES is easy to learn and powerful. As you enter
each line, MOSES verifies syntax, and partially

Moses

The 65C02 Assembler for the VIC 20

assembles the line thereby reducing debugging time
and conserving memory. This means an even faster
assembly. Also included with MOSES is a machine lan-
guage MONITOR with 34 powerful commands to help
you debug your programs.
Whether you program for fun or
profit, or both, you need MOSES.
You'll love the ability to program
where imagination is your only
limit.

SPECIAL OFFER!

For a limited time, we will include
a free kit to upgrade your VIC
20's outdated 6502 to the new,
enhanced 65C02A microproces-
sor, The 65C02A is totally com-
patible with all VIC 20 software
and hardware, uses 99% less
energy, and has 27 new instructions to make program-
ming easier and faster. And, of course, MOSES takes
advantage of all 27 instructions. This is a $24.95 value,
but is included free while quantities last.

8K • 16K

RAM EXPANSION

A high quality memory expansion cartridge
housed in a sturdy plastic case. This prod-
uct has an easily accessible dip switch
which gives you memory block switch-
ing ability. Use one 8K and one 16K
for 24K memory or two 1 6K cart-
ridges for a total of 32K memory.
6-Month Warranty.

64K

RAM EXPANSION

It's finally here. This highly versatile
ram cartridge allows you to store or
write programs in two separate 32K
banks that are bank selectable with
software - NO SWITCHES. This pro-
duct is power stingy using less than 200
mA current. A must for programmers.
6-Month Warranty.

VIC 20 PRODUCTS:

MOSES $59.95*

MOSES with 8K RAM expansion 99.95*

8K RAM Cartridge
16K RAM Cartridge
64K RAM Cartridge

$46.95*

69.95*

169.95*

'Manufacturer's suggested list price

Call CENTURY MICRO at (916) 920-3656 for the name of a
dealer in your area. Dealer inquiries invited.

1832 Tribute Rd., Suite 213, Sacramento, CA 95815

Circle No. 5

■■ CEMTURy
■micro

What Type of Floor?

The computer is remarkable!
Remarkably sensitive to static,
that is!

The type of flooring that will be
used in the area is very important
to the life of your system (not to
mention your sanity).

If carpeting must be used, try
to select one of non-static
material. Another method is to in-
stall a large area static mat over
the carpet that will be centered
under what one might call the
"computer zone". The plastic
static mat is grounded with a
small slender wire and is perhaps
the best safeguard against static.

An interesting option, and a
good one if static will be a pro-
blem, is to locate one or more
"static buttons" on the computer
furniture. These "buttons" or
"conductive foam" pads are
grounded and act to drain off any
static charge that you the
operator may carry when they are
touched.

Most importantly, when using
static buttons, make it a habit to
discharge yourself BEFORE
touching a piece of equipment.
Although it seems all shoes carry
some type of charge, try to NOT
wear hard rubber or hard smooth
man-made sole shoes. They seem
to be the worst as far as static is
concerned. On the other hand,
"Hush Puppy"™ or other similar
sole type shoes seem to be the
most compatible around com-
puters.

Where Do We Store Things?

Next, take a good look at how
you will store the day to day files,
printouts and new or active file
floppy disks. A clean, dust proof
environment is essential not only
to the proper operation of the
computer equipment, but to the
safety of your critical paper and
magnetic disk media as well.

Disks should be able to stand
up on shelves or in drawers.
Paper should be stacked vertical-
ly when possible so as to not curl
or bend. Remember that both
floppy disks and paper prefer a
low humidity moderate tempera-
ture environment.

Ribbons and other accessories

30/Commander September 1983

should be available without hav-
ing to tear apart a stocking area
just to find them.

Keep ALL magnetic media
away from any magnetic field.
That means do not store any disk
or tape near loudspeakers,
motors, electric typewriters, fans
or other office or home equip-
ment that generates magnetic
fields when in use.

Most importantly, the tele-
phone is a remarkable magnetic
field generator! Do NOT stack or
store disks near, under or directly
above a telephone! When the
phone rings, there goes some
data.

Reminds us of the sad story we
heard of the well known company
that stored disks on the sides of
metal cabinets using a magneti-
cally held box

Speaking of Telephones. . .

With the ever increasing use of
telephone modems, it pays to
take a close look at your
telephone and how it relates or
will relate to the computer
system.

Locate the telephone in a con-
venient spot. Not too close to the
computer system (see above!) but
within easy access.

When using a modem, be sure
that you try to have a private, non-
extension phone line. Nothing
disrupts a computer/modem
system more than having a per-
son picking up an extension
phone and thereby terminating
data transmission.

If you are in business, be sure
that the modem telephone line is
NOT part of your switchboard or
PBX type system or your com-
puter modem transmission will

suffer the same fate as that of an
extension phone.

Last but not least, make sure
that the modem and telephone
connectors are compatible and
that your local telephone com-
pany is aware that a modem will
be in use. in many locales, since
the telephone company central
switching is done through com-
puters, the phone company may
have to "condition" the central
unit to accept your modem data
properly.

Last Will and Testament

The most important item is just
about the most distant in our
minds. Always have full records
of model, serial #, date of pur-
chase and replacement cost avail-
able for each and every piece of
computer hardware, software and
accessories you own in case the
unforeseen disaster occurs. Make
MANY copies of this data, keep it
up-to-date and store a copy at the
computer site, your home and
perhaps at your bank.

DO NOT store this data in a
computer file! That is a danger-
ous mistake that we may make,
thinking that if the computer is
going to be used for data storage,

why not , well, you get the

picture!

In conclusion, installing a
micro-computer system, be it per-
sonal, small business or big cor-
poration, may take more work and
thought than originally anticipa-
ted.

In the long run, you will be glad
you took that extra hour or spent
that extra dollar! □

SPORTS STRATEGY GAMES
FOR THE VIC-20*

No Joystick Required PLAYER VS COMPUTER Cassette

BASEBALL ADVERSARY 5K $10.95

PITCHHITTERS, RELIEF PITCHERS, SACRIFICES, ETC.

FOOTBALL ADVERSARY 13K (5K plus 8K exp.) $14.95

PENALTIES, SAFETIES, STATISTICS DISPLAY, ETC.

PARR PROGRAMMING

2664 TYLER STREET
GARY, INDIANA 46407
Circle No. 57 (219) 885-0611

We pay shipping
Ind. residents add 5% sales tax
•VIC-20 is a TM of Commodore

C-64 TI99/4ATIMEX VIC 20 ATARI

Circle No. 3 T

CHILD

DEVELOPMENT

SERIES

(for the 3.5K VIC and
16K ATARI)

ADD/SUB— $16.95

Displays single or multiple

digits with or w/o pictures,

borrows, carries, scoring,

and audio/video feedback.

NUMER-BECi— $16.95

Number recognition, object

counting, object grouping,

and number/size/shape

discrimination.

BECi is composed of professionals dedicated to

providing non-trivial educational materials for the home

computer. In addition to our own software, we carry a full

line of evaluated hardware and software. Send $2

(refundable) for our catalog.

Send check or money order to:
BOSTON EDUCATIONAL COMPUTING, INC.

78 Dartmouth Street, Boston, MA 02116
(617)536-5116 "MA res. add 5% tax

See Us At THE EAST COAST COMPUTER FAIR

BEC

I 1

( aa A a\

17]

A A

-j"3

\_aaaa\_A)

,H6

*°

EXPAND YOUR

VIC-20

686%

Our board Is the only memory board your VIC
will ever need! Check these features:

• Assembled & Tested • Software Slot

• Full 27 K • Fully Guaranteed

• More Expansion Per Dollar

• Fully Assembled & Tested Board $129.95

• Kit Only 110.00

• Bare Board w/Documentation 50.00
Send check or m/o to: D. C. Circuits

C.O.D. add $1.50 7460 N - Hw V- "> Suile 35

CA Res. add 6% tax

Anderson, CA 96007

Circle No. 72

«s^H

9%1

\3V X

. <J» N

,es

>*>' >'

,>*<^

,« w ',o9"

,*^

.^9«

o*'

a<*

6 a

X>e

^e<

s v V^

»\es

\a*

Circle No. 10

Circle No. 43

For your Commodore 64

For only $12.95 each, our CURSOR
64 tapes are your best buy for the
Commodore 64. They take advantage
of the color, sound, and sprites that
make the 64 such a delight to use.
Most of our packages include three
excellent Basic programs on one cas-
sette tape. The programs are not copy
protected, so you can look at the
source code, and learn how to make
the 64 do its tricks.

We don't have room to describe all
25 of our CURSOR 64 programs here.
As a sample, you may want to order
tape 64-5 with the exciting Godzilla
program. You'll be challenged as you
try to save Tokyo from from the ram-
paging Godzilla. Or try tape 64-3 with
the popular Miser text adventure that
will take you hours to solve (even if you
cheat and read the program source).

We have super programs for the
VIC 20, such as Dungeon ($12.95), a
visual adventure for 16K VICs. Our
VIXEL programs are also popular with
VIC owners. And, we still sell all 30 of
the original CURSOR cassettes for the
original PET and CBM.

Call or write for a catalog today. Be
sure and tell us whether you have a 64,
a VIC, or a PET. We welcome credit
cards, and ship most orders the same
day they are received. Dealer inquiries
invited.

CURSOR 64, Box 6905

Santa Barbara, CA 93110

805-683-1585

ATTENTION ALL HAMS

©VINSANDER J

Magazine

is proud to announce
their monthly column
for Amateur Radio
Enthusiasts!

Command Post

= by Jim Grubbs -^^^—^^^^

The command post has always
been the hub of communications.
It is here that all information con-
verges. Decisions are made bas-
ed on all of the data that reaches
the command post. Since the first
leader organized the first govern-
ment, communications has been
one of the leading factors in suc-
cess. The person who possesses
the superior communication
skills is victorious.

The modern command post is a
myriad of communication forms.
Each generation has contributed
to communication as we know it
today. But not since the moment
when men and women first learn-
ed how to speak, and later
created written language, has
there been an advancement as far
reaching as radio. Even in the
crudest form, electro-magnetic
propagation has been used for
less than a century. Imagine the
effect the Gettysburg address
would have had on a populace
listening world wide by radio!

Radio has evolved fairly rapidly
as technology goes. From early
spark gap transmissions on low
frequencies to today's use of
radio waves approaching the mil-
limeter wavelength of light for
satellite transmission, one iden-

32/Commander September 1983

tifiable group of individuals has
been at the leading edge of vir-
tually all new developments. The
commercial operators called
them "hams", the government
called them amateur radio
operators. But they existed even
before the labels were applied.

To me an amateur radio
operator is the perennial ex-
perimenter, always trying a new
circuit or modifying an old one. In
our time though, amateur radio
has become many things. Ama-
teurs are involved in worldwide
voice, morse code, radio teletype,
slow scan television, regular TV,
facsimile, satellite communica-
tions, and such esoteric modes
as moonbounce and meteor scat-
ter propagation.

The eighties have finally
brought the power of digital com-
puters to within the easy reach of
most of us. In the fifties, ILLIAC
at the University of Illinois, a very
early forerunner of HAL, kept
many technicians busy every day
replacing vacuum tubes. It was a
massive machine, difficult to
house even in a very large barn.
Your VIC has more power than
that whole machine. Your ten
dollar calculator even has more
power!

What happened in between IL-
LIAC and VIC was the space pro-
gram. We gave ourselves a goal
and then found the way to make
the dream become reality. Scien-
tists challenged old ways of do-
ing things, formulating the
answers to the problems ever in-
creasing miniaturization pre-
sented. From all of this came the
home computer. You may not
realize it, but it was ready for you
ten years ago. The captains of
American industry though, realiz-
ed you weren't ready for a com-
puter yet. So they gave you PONG
and then more sophisticated
game machines. They designed
plug in cartridges that looked like
an eight track tape because you
understood eight track tapes. All
the while, you were being readied
for a home computer.

There were many pioneers
along the road, among them the
Heath Company who pioneered
some of the first analog and
digital computers for the ex-
perimenter. I still fondly
remember the Edmund Scientific
analog computer my junior high
math teacher bought and I
assembled.

As the market increased more
companies jumped on the band

DYNAMIC PRINTER INTERFACES
for the VIC 20 and the COMMODORE 64 s

UNLIKE ANY OTHERS THAT HAVE COME BEFORE

Ifs not quick or easy to do things right!! After B long months of research and development; RAK-Were. TYMAC CONTROLS CORP, and MICRO-WARE O.I. have
brought the world better parallel interfaces. Better because they both have the ability to provide TRUE EMULATION of the Commodore * printer. Tbafs right!!
Graphic Characters, tabbing. Dot Graphics, and the other features. A formidable task that was finally accomplished.

THE CONNECTION v — The Ultimate Parallel interface for the VIC 20 or Commodore 64. This folly intelligent interface plugs into
the disk (serial) socket just like the standard printer. It can easily be assigned any device number and it will provide virtually
TOTAL EMULATION of the Commodore " printer. Using the latest technology, this interface will display the full GRAPHIC
CHARACTERS or convert them to their equivalent representations in clear text. It supports all of the standard commands (OPEN,
PRINT* , and CLOSE), Column tabbing, dot tabbing, graphic repeat, dot addressable graphics, and the other features of the
Commodore" Printer. Software designed to operate with the Commodore" Printer will operate using "THE CONNECTION'^."
Beside this, a 2K buffer has been provided, a full printer self test, LED Status indicators. Printer Reset switch, skip over peri,
margin set and programmable line length. This interface is printer specific to take advantage of the special features of your
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wagon, some with very good pro-
ducts, but still motivated by
greed, with prices set as high as
the market would bear.

Then something happened. At
a Commodore board meeting, the
founder of the company announc-
ed that Commodore was going to
build a full color computer for
$300! The skeptics were many.
Little did they know that it was
possible and before long they
would be displaying proudly on
their "golden arches" the over
one million sold sign. The biggest
surprise is perhaps that even with
the VIC-20 in the $80 range and
the C-64 at about $200, there is
still room for a reasonable profit.

There are about 400,000
amateurs in the United States
alone. Guess where a good many
of those Commodore products
have turned up. Since the beginn-
ing of 1983, amateur operators
have been able to purchase a full
fledged computer for less than
most any other piece of equip-
ment in the station. Even
microphones and special morse
code keys cost more than a
VIC-20.

Amateur radio knows no age
limits. The youngest is perhaps
six, the oldest, who knows. The
same is true of amateurs with
computers. Most of you are aware
of the possibilities of your Com-
modore computer, few of you yet
know how to realize that poten-
tial. That is why Command Post
was created, to help realize the
possibilities. Every form of com-
munications mentioned earlier
can be enhanced or in some
cases even revolutionized with
the help of your computer. We
will discuss ideas and concepts,
look at commercially available
amateur software and compatible
hardware. We will concentrate on
connecting your computer to the
real world— your amateur station,
and programs that assist in radio
related activities that require no
interfacing.

I'd like to speak to the non-
amateurs for a moment. I'm glad
you are still reading! Perhaps the
subjects we discuss will prompt
an interest in amateur radio or
rekindle an old desire to be a
"ham". The licensing structure is

34/Commander September 1983

changing. In Canada "packet
radio" already allows some com-
puter hobbyists to exchange pro-
grams over the air eliminating
telephone costs and tying up the
family line. Perhaps you are
already a short-wave listener.
Many of the subjects we discuss
here will allow you to listen in on
teletype and code transmissions
using your home computer, hook-
ed up to your receiver. Even this
month's project falls into this
category. For the rest of you, all
of the interfacing we discuss has
applications for virtually any kind
of control. If you do not already
own one, a programmers refer-
ence guide is suggested. The
memory map and explanations
are particularly valuable. We will
be looking at the pseudo RS-232
port quite a bit also.

For those of you who are in-
terested, I have been a licensed
amateur radio operator for 22
years. I was first licensed as
KN9EIV at age eleven. My interest
in computers began about the
same time. My home built digital
computer that added and sub-
tracted from zero to 127 in binary
won me top honors for my divi-
sion in the St. Louis Science fair
in 1963. The VIC-20 is my first real
home computer. I have done a lot
of design and building of digital
control circuitry for amateur ap-
plications.

So, with any luck at all, one of
our fellow amateurs Owen Gar-
riott, W5LFL is in space aboard
the space shuttle STS-9/Spacelab
flight as this column appears. It
somehow seems appropriate for
the program that brought us our
home computers to have a
pioneer like Owen, an amateur
radio operator, aboard. In celebra-
tion of these events, let's get on
with the show!

In looking for a subject for my
first column, I asked myself
which program do I hear asked
about the most. Without a doubt I
get more inquiries about a CW
(morse code) receive program
than any other. It seems almost a
ritual that when a ham buys a new
computer one of the first things
he or she does is write a simple
morse code sending program. We
will cover that subject in future

issues and show you how to add
some very nice features to a basic
keyboard. For now though let's
concentrate on something more
fascinating, a CW receive pro-
gram.

Before we proceed let me issue
a few precautions. The receive
program to follow has very
definite limitations. Within these
limitations it does work and is a
good exercise in taking data and
having our computer analyze it. It
is a practical, simple program
with practical applications, but it
won't be everything we could
hope for. After all, we have to
save something for the future!

Our program was written for
the VIC-20. It should be easily
adaptable to the C-64 and other
machines. You will have to bear
with me for a few columns. I do
not yet have access to a C-64, but
hope to before year's end.

Machine sent morse code has
several elements that make it a
likely candidate for computer
decoding. All the information in a
morse code character is binary in
nature. The key is either open or
closed. Things get a bit more
complicated when we realize that
our on and off tones can be of two
different lengths, one length for
"dits" and another three times as
long for "dahs". Additionally we
have intra-letter spacing, inter-let-
ter spacing and word spacing. We
must be able to tell when each
character begins and ends and
when each word begins and ends.
Our program must make allow-
ances if we want it to decode
more than one sending speed.

Within the limitations of the
BASIC language and the speed of
the VIC-20 the Command Post RX
program meets these require-
ments.

Take a few minutes to type in
the program as listed and then
save it (See Figure 1). Steal your
joystick (with firebutton) back
from the kids. We are going to use
it to send code to the VIC!

When a mathematical formula
or set of formulas is used to
represent a real world situation it
is called an algorithm fal ge rith
em), our buzzword for the month!

Briefly, the program is broken

down into several parts. Lines 100
through 260 are initialization.
Lines 280 through 480 are the
meat of the program. The lines
500 and above are the data for our
look up table, RX$.

We first determine if the key is
up or down. Then we start timing
the pulse if the key is down. When
we let up on the key we do some
more timing to decide whether
the letter is finished. When you
first run Command Post RX it real-
ly doesn't know the difference
between dits and dahs, you have
to teach it. It is a quick learner
though! With the joystick plugg-
ed in use the fire button to send
T E S T in morse code. Chances
are you will get some gooble-di-
gook on the screen. Now wait just
a few seconds and try it again. If
you are sending cleanly (not the
easiest task with a joystick), by
magic your VIC-20 printsT EST
as you send the letters!

Take a look at lines 310, 350,
390, and 430. We are actually
checking the joystick FB pin to
see if the button is pushed. We
will discuss this more next- time
when we take a look at the I/O
ports and how to get information
into and out of them. The rest of
our algorithm helps us determine
dits and dahs and ultimately what
character was received. That big
long string in line 320 is our tim-
ing. It also continually adjusts for
speed variations.

Now let's look at the data table
for a minute. Notice anything
about the arrangement of the let-
ters and figures in our table?
Sound out the letters or write
down their morse equivalents. An
"e" is a single dit. It holds posi-
tion one in our table. How about
the zero-dah,dah,dah,dah,dah. It
is near the end of the table. Our
final character is the period at
position 83; notice it has six
elements, the zero had five, the
"e" only one. Look at the whole
table and you begin to see the
pattern. The shorter characters
are first, the longer ones later.
Can you spot the one confusing
thing about this? How about "a"
and "n", "d" and "u", etc. I'll let
you think about those until next
month.

The "-" is a fill character used
in the table for illegal combina-
tions of dits and dahs.

The program has two major
limitations. Command Post RX
has no way to adjust for sloppy
sending. Unlike the human ear/
brain combination, it can't guess
what you send. It does everything
in a very objective manner and
prints exactly what you send. You
can achieve some fine-tuning by
playing with the value in lines 330
and 410-.60V. Try changing the
.60 a bit one way or the other.

The other major limitation is
speed. With the execution time
necessary for BASIC this program
can only get through its loops ac-
curately to about twenty words
per minute. The obvious solution
is a machine language routine.
Who will be the first to write us
one?

The more experienced among
you have probably already figured
out how you can interface this to
your receiver. For the rest of you,
all the details come next month.
In the meantime find yourself a
567 PLL integrated circuit chip
and either a plug for the joystick
socket or a connector for the user
I/O port. Command Post RX is as
good as all of the inexpensive
software programs on the market
right now, and all it cost you was
the price of this magazine.

Finally, if you have any com-
ments, suggestions, or general
questions you can reach me at
P.O. Box 3042, Springfield, Illinois
62708. If you expect a reply in-
clude an SASE and allow time for
me to answer. In the meantime,
welcome again to Command
Post. Tell your friends! D

To be continued on page 38

a ^"'i ^S i A i A

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Circle No. 26

Commander September 1983/35

FLOPPY DISK DRIVE FOR VIC-20 AND COMMODORE 64

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patible to the model 4040, 2031 , 1 540,
and 1 541 disk drives and recognizes
programs generated on any of these
disk drives. The capacities are com-
parable to those found on the Com-
modore drives, and Super Disk
recognizes the full instruction set of the
Commodore drives. Super Disk offers
8K RAM area within the disk unit, and
a serial and an IEEE bus interface. The
following technical specifications apply
to Super Disk.

Disk Parameters: 5.25 inch single-sided, dou-
ble density diskette media; number of tracks —
35; number of sectors per track - 17 to 21
(variable); sector size — 256 bytes; number of
sectors per disk — 683.

Capacities: User sectors per disk — 667; disk
capacity — 174,648; data capacity — 168,656;
relative data capacity — 167,132; program
capacity — 168,656; directory capacity - 144
Filenames.

Electrical Interface: Power requirements — in-
put voltage — 1 10/220 volts +/- 10%; frequen-
cy — 50 or 60 Hertz; power — 30 watts. Com-
puter interface — Commodore type SERIAL bus
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System Features: 16K ROM based operating
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Power on self test diagnostics.

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MSD's CPI Parallel Interface works with either the VIC-20 or Commodore 64
and provides total feature flexibility through software commands or hardware
switches.

The CPI plugs into the serial port and directly interprets the signals generated by
the computers built in software, therefore no software needs to be loaded or
enabled. All you need is built into the CPI cartridge. This feature allows the CPI to be
compatible with most software written for the VIC-20 and Commodore 64 that utilize
1515 or 1525 printers.

The CPI is capable of twelve printing modes, specified by software or hardware
switch settings. These twelve printing modes are combinations of three options as
follows:

Line Feed, ASCII Conversion and Listing Legibility.

Line Feed: The CPI can generate a line feed if needed through software or
hardware switches.

ASCII Conversion: The CPI converts Commodore ASCII into standard ASCII
characters through software or hardware switches.

Usting Legibility: Since many printers do not support the codes/graphics that the
VIC-20 and Commodore 64 produce, program listing can become illegible if not
impossible (Printer may "hang-up"). The CPI provides three listing modes to
address this problem — Normal, Extended Tag and Abbreviated Tag.

In the Normal mode the CPI passes all commands from the computer to the
printer. The Normal code would be used for programs written by the user or
programs with commands supported by the printer.

In the Extended Tag mode the CPI will generate "tags" (neumonics) for graphics,
cursor control, print control and special characters. For any graphics characters that
are not standard ASCII, the decimal value of the graphics symbol is printed. For
instance, the "checker board" character (press the Commodore key and the plus
sign) lists as [166].

The Abbreviated Tag mode is the same as Extended Tag mode, except all the
tags are replaced by the "#" sign. This mode would be used if you wanted a
program listing to be formatted as the original program. That is without the "tags"
using several print spaces instead of one print space.

The CPI is equipped with a built-in self-test program that will check the RAM,
ROM and 1/0 hardware of its microprocessor. This test can be helpful in determining
if something is faulty or if the configuration you are using is valid. The self-test will
print information to the printer.

CPI LISTING LEGIBILITY TAGS

TAG

Is Printed For:

CD1

Cursor Down

cui

Cursor Up

CL|

Cursor Left

CR1

Cursor Right

HC|

Home Cursor

csi

Clear Screen

RV)

Reverse On

ROl

Reverse Off

[IN]

Insert

Call toll free

TAG Is Printed For:

DL] Delete
BLK] Change to Black
WHt] Change to White
RED] Change to Red
Change to Cyan
Change to Purple
Change to Green
Change to Blue
Change to Yellow

for nearest dealer

CYN]
PUR]
GRN]
BLU]
YEL]

TAG Is Printed For:

ORA] Change to Orange

BRN] Change to Brown

LTR] Change to Light Red

GY1] Change to Grey 1

GY2] Change to Grey 2

LTG] Change to Light Green

LTB] Change to Light Blue

GY3] Change to Gray 3

F1] Function Key 1

TAG

F2
F3
F4
F5
F6'
F7
F8
PI]

Is Printed For:

Function Key 2
Function Key 3
Function Key 4
Function Key 5
Function Key 6
Function Key 7
Function Key 8
Pi Symbol

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DEVELOPMENT, INC.

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11105 Shady Trail * Suite 104 * Dallas, Texas 75229

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All MSD Products Made In U.S.A.

VIC-20 and Commodore 64 are trademarks of Commodore Business
Machines, Inc. circle no. 29

Commander September 1983/37

Commodore

64™

OWNERS:

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Continued from page 35 LISTING 1

A 108 DII1 RX$<85)
IF/ 206 JS=3?137-X=0:V=0:Z=0
JK 21W FOR N=lTQS4:REFfD RX$<N>=NEXT
™ 240 POKE 37138,96

250 PRINT " [CLEAR] C REV J COMMAND POST RX-

"sPRINT

268 POKE JS,0

280 JR-PEEK CJS) RND 32: IF JR<32 THEH38

230 GOTO 280

3G0 £=0

310 JR=PEEK CJS) AND 32=S=S+10

320 IF JR=32 THEN Z=CC5*Z)+C2*S) )/6 ■ V=C

2# V ) + 1 •■ X= < 2*X ) : GOTO 330

330 IF S <.£0*Z THEN 310

340 V=C2*'t i >:X=C2*X) + 1

350 JR=PEEK CJS) AND 32=5=3+10

360 IF JR<32 THEN 350

370 Z=<4*Z+SV5

380 3=0

390 JR=PEEK CJS) AND 32:3=3+10

408 IF JR<32 THEN 300

410 IF SC60*Z THEN 390

420 GOSUE 470

438 JR=PEEK CJS) AND 32=S=S+10

440 IF JR-C32 THEN 308

450 IF S<C2*Z) THEN 430

460 PRINT" "J :G0T0 230

470 X=C2#X):P=K+V:IF P>84 THEN P=84

438 PRINT RX$CP); :X=0:V=0 : RETURN

580 DATA E,T, I, A, N,M,S,U., R, W,D, K,-G;0,H,

V*F#-

505 DATA L,.-,P,J,B#><jC#V,Z*Gj-*-*5,4*-*

518 DATA ***->-t~*l*&,- t /f"*'~*-~r<-fr?*-**
515 DATA ->S>%,-> ->->->-> ->->-> -,-,-,-,

520 DATA -, . ,-
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38/Commander September 1983

A Comprehensive

Editor/ Assembler

for the VIC-2Q

and C-64

Part III

by Eric Giguere

This Is the third and final part of my
series on EDIT/ASM, a comprehensive
editor/assembler for the VIC-20 and Com-
modore 64. It's of Interest mainly to
cassette users but I would also like the
disk users to pay attention for the first few
paragraphs as I have some changes to
make.

Changes

These changes are concerned
with the Assembler module given
last month. I noticed two prob-
lems that need to be corrected.
The first was when the program
was getting the addressing
modes it considered a label like
LABEL+1 to be totally separate
from LABEL, not just LABEL with
one added. This created problems
by giving error messages. The
second problem also arose dur-
ing the same section. The routine
that figures out the addressing
mode (lines 3175-3195) never
bothered to check if there was a
comma preceding an X or Y deno-
tation. This meant that a state-
ment such as STA LABELX would
be interpreted as STA LABEL,X,
the wrong addressing mode. To
correct these problems I've in-
cluded a list of changes to make
at the end of this article (see
Figure 1). Simply type in the lines
exactly as listed (they'll write over
some existing lines) and the pro-
blems will disappear. Save your
new version and then have fun
assembling your programs.

Assembling with Cassette

If you use a cassette recorder
you're probably wondering why

the Assembler module can
assemble to disk but not to tape.
The problem lies with the way
cassette and disk files operate.
With a disk drive you can open
what is called a program file. This
is a file that will be considered a
program and will be loaded as
such. All you have to do is open it,
send two bytes holding the start
address of the program and then
send the rest of your program,
one byte at a time. This is what
the assembler does. Unfortunate-
ly, you cannot do this on a
cassette recorder. The only type
of files it will open are data or se-
quential files. Here, too, you can
send data to the file one byte at a
time, but you can't load the file
when finished. It can only be ac-
cessed by an OPEN command,
not a LOAD command. Because
opening a file to cassette was not
the solution, I had to find another
answer to the problem.

At first I considered moving the
OPEN routine in ROM down into
RAM and make a few changes to
it. But I felt that there were two
problems with this: it would use
up too much memory and it would
be tricky to make the modifica-
tions. That is why I came up with
the two programs CASS CONV 20
(See Figure 2) and CASS CONV 64
(see Figure 3). The will load in your
data fi le from tape and then save the
data as a program which can be
loaded as usual. It's sort of a hassle,
but it does work.

How to Use CASS CONV

Before you can use CASS
CONV 20/64 it is necessary to add
a few lines to the Assembler
module. These are given at the
end of the article and simply open
a file to cassette and send a few
parameters. From then on the
assembled program will be sent
in byte form using the CHR$
statement. When finished you'll
have a data file that only needs to
be converted into a program.
REMEMBER: after the assembly
you'll have only a data file, not a
program. It will be necessary to
use CASS CONV to change it to a
program.

Once you have made the
changes and saved the Assem-
bler you can proceed to typing in
CASS CONV. (CASS CONV 20 Is
for the VIC and CASS CONV 64 is
for the C64.) Please make sure
you have the appropriate version,
as they are not interchangeable.
After typing it in be sure to save
the program, because a mistake
in the data statements could
cause the computer to lock up.
Once you're sure everything is
AOK you can run the program. Be
sure to have a data tape prepared
by the Assembler on hand. If you
don't, use the Editor to create a
simple little program and run it
through the Assembler (which we
just changed a while back).
Reload CASS CONV and place
the data tape in the recorder.

Commander September 1983/39

Now type RUN and hit
RETURN. The screen will clear
and there will be a momentary
wait. Then the MESSAGE
"ENTER FILE NAME:" ("FILE
NAME:" on the VIC) will appear.
Enter the name of the file you are
going to convert. It will auto-
matically add the suffix ".OBJ"
(example: type in TEST and it will
open TEST.OBJ). If you want to
exit simply type QUIT when asked
for the file name. It will then open
the file and jump to a machine
language routine which will load
in your data, ask you to press a
key and then save the data as a
program. When it asks to press a
key, rewind the tape or place a
new one in the recorder. The pro-
gram will then be saved under the
same name. Once finished the
computer may or may not return
to the normal "READY.", depen-
ding on where your program was
located (as defined by the ORG
statement). If it doesn't, simply
power down and up again (turn it
off and on). You may now load
your assembly language program.

A note of caution: if you ac-
cidentally stop the program never
type CONT to continue where you
left off. Instead, always RUN it
over. Also, always use CASS
CONV on a VIC with 12K or more
(8K expander or greater), never on
a regular VIC.

Moving the Cassette Buffer

CASS CONV works fine with
almost any assembly language
program. The only exceptions to
this are programs residing in the
cassette buffer. These cannot
properly be converted by CASS
CONV because it already uses
the cassette buffer when loading
in the data. Solution: moving the
Cassette buffer. This is achieved
by typing

POKE 178,0: POKE 179,30 (RTN)
This moves the cassette buffer to
7680 instead of the normal 828,
leaving you free to convert pro-
grams that normally reside there.
After the conversion you should
change it back:

POKE 178,60: POKE 179,3 (RTN)
The buffer will now be in its nor-

mal location of 828. Notice that
you should do this kind of thing
only with small programs. If you
moved the cassette buffer while
using a large program (such as
the Assembler) you could effec-
tively create a hole in the middle
of the program. Always be careful
when moving things around.

How CASS CONV Works

CASS CONV uses a machine
language routine to load and save
the data. This routine is poked in-
to the first few lines of screen
memory (starting at 4096 on the
VIC and 1024 on the C64). I chose
this location because you may
want to assemble a program in a
certain location and CASS CONV
might already be there. To avoid
this I placed the routine in screen
memory where no one will touch
it. This also explains why you
should never type CONT if you
stop the program. If you're not
careful the whole routine will
scroll off the screen and when
you try accessing it the computer
will freeze up. Be careful.

<", "THENXX-1 -OOTO320S
<","THENY-2:GOTO3205

Figure 1

ADD THE FOLLOWING LINES TO THE ASSEMBLER MODULE

3183 IFX*»"X"ANDMID*<C*,LEN<C*)-1,1)"
3190 IFX*»"V"ANDMID*CC*, LEN<C*>-1 > 1 >«
3220 V*»C* : OOSUB3000 ' C*-V*

3222 I FLEFT* C B* > 1 > - " B " ANDB*<> "BIT" THENT-9 ■ 00T03235

3223 F-0 : FOR I ■ 1 TOS V ■ I FC*-S* < I ) THEN I F V C I ) +RDC236THENOR-0 : F- 1 : 1 -8 V+ 1

3226 NEXTJIFFTHEN3230

3227 0R«4

3230 T-GR+XX+V+P+IM+1 : IF<T-6ORT«7)AND<P-0>THENT«T+1

3233 IFT-3ANDP-0THENT-T-1

3233 PC-PC+1 : IFT<40RT«9THENPOPC-1

3240 BKCQ)««T:NEXTG

3353 NEXTG : PRI NT#3, CHR* <0>; -PR I NT#4,R*" ASSEMBLY COMPLETE.":

IFSV-0THEN350

53 1 Z**R I GHT* < V* > 1 > = I FZ*« " * " 0RZ*- " ) " THENV*-LEFT* < V* , F > ■ GOTO3003

501 1 IFZ*O"X"AND2*O"Y"THEN5015

3012 IFMID*<V*,F, 1)«","THENV**LEFT$CV*,F) :GOTQ5003

READY.

MAKE THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONS FOR CASSETTE:

2680 OPENS , 1 * 2 * OF* : G0T027 1

2715 D V-OG- 1 NT < OG/256 > *256 : PR I NT#3 , CHR * < DV > ; CHR* < 00/256 > i

3245 I F0D* 1 THEND V-PC- 1 NT C PC236 > *256 : PR I NT#3 , CHR* C D V > i CHR* < PC/236 > i

READ t . To be continued on page 42

40/Commander September 1983

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Circle No. 11

As I was saying, CASS CONV
uses a machine language routine.
I've provided the assembly listing
(done on EDIT/ASM, of course) for
all you assembly language fana-
tics (see Figure 4). Basically what
it does is load in the start address
and set a pointer to this location.
(The $FFFF at line 34 is just there
as a dummy location. It is chang-
ed by lines 24 and 27.) It also
loads the ending address and
places this in memory. The com-
puter then loads each byte of the
program and stores it in memory,
incrementing the pointer each
time. When it reaches the loca-
tion pointed to by LENGTH it
stops and loads the end-of-
program pointer with this value. It
closes the file, prints a message
and saves the data as a program.
It's a simple routine that does the
job quite well.

You probably noticed that I
didn't have to use the pointer
LENGTH in my program. Instead,
I could have used ENDPRG,
which would also save me the
trouble of loading it in lines 45 to
48. The only reason I put it in was
to make the program a bit clearer.
I think it is easier to follow with
LENGTH and ENDPRG as
separate pointers. (If you want,
you could always use EDIT/ASM
to change it!)

A Final Word

I have to admit that EDIT/ASM
is a trifle slow when assembling.
This is to be expected: the pro-
gram is in BASIC. But it beats
paying $50-$150 for an assembler.
That's why I think EDIT/ASM is
quite worth typing in. But for
those cassette users who don't
want to enter all three programs
simply send me a self-addressed
(no stamps unless Canadian)
mailer and a blank cassette along
with $6 to: Eric Giguere, Box 901,
Peace River, Alberta, Canada TOH
2X0. Please be sure to include
which version you want, other-
wise I'll send you the VIC version.
If you have any questions or pro-
blems please do not hesitate to
write me at the above address.
Have fun!D

42/Commander September 1983

Continued from page 40 Fiaiire 2

5 PR I NT " [ CLEAR ] " : FOR I *0TO 1 32 : RE ABA : POKE

4036+1 ,fl: NEXT

10 P0KE36879,27

20 PR I NT " [ BLACK ] C DOWN ] [ DOWN ] [ DOWN 3 C DOWN

] C DOWN ] [ DOWN ] C R I GHT 3 [ R I GHT 3 [ R I GHT 3 ED 1 1/

ASM CASSETTE [RIGHT 3 [RIGHT] [RIGHT 3 [RIGHT

3 [RIGHT] [RIGHT] [RIGHT] [RIGHT3 [RIGHT3C0N

VERTER"

30 PR I NT " [ DOWN ] C BLUE ] F I LE NAME : " J = OPEN

1,0=1 NPUT# 1 , Nfl* : PR I NT •• CLOSE 1

35 IFNfl*="QUIT"THENEND

40 Nfl*=Nfi*+".0BJ" = PR I NT "HIT RETURN WHEN

RE AD V " : W A I T 1 97 , 64 : WA I T 1 97 , 1 3
45 PR I NT "OK."

50 OPEN 1,1,0, Nfl* : PR I NT " LOAD I NG " • SVS

4096
60 END

100 DATA 32, 192, 255, 162, 1, 32, 198,
255, 32, 207, 255, 133, 193, 141

101 DATA 38, 16, 32, 207, 255, 133, 194
, 141, 39, 16, 32, 207, 255, 133

102 DATA 251, 32, 207, 255, 13?
2, 207

103 DATA 16, 208. 3, 238,

252, 3

C-J-J >

141, 255, 255, 238, 38

39, 16, 173,
38, 16, 197, 251, 208, 235, 173

104 DATA 39, 16, 197, 252, 208, 223, 17
3, 38, 16, 133, 174, 173, 39, 16

105 DATA 133, 175, 169, 1, 32, 195, 255
, 162, 255, 232, 189, 109, 16, 240

106 DATA 5, 32, 66, 231, 208, 245, 165,
197, 201, 64, 240, 250, 169, 193

107 DATA 166, 174, 164, 175, 32, 216, 2
55, 32, 204, 255, 96, 72, 73, 84

108 DATA 32, 65, 32, 75,

63.- 89, 32, 84
, 79, 32, 83, 65, 86, 69
109 DATA 46, 46, 46, 46, 13, 0,

Figure 3
5 PR I NT " [ CLEAR 3 " : FOR I =0TO 1 32 : RE AD A : POKE
1024+ I, A: NEXT

1 POKE53280 , 3 : P0KE5328 1 , 1
20 PR I NT " [ BLACK 3 C DOWN 3 C DOWN 3 C DOWN 3 C DOWN
3 [ DOWN 3 C DOWN 3 ED I T/A3M CASSETTE CONVERTE
R[ DOWN 3 [DOWN 3"

33 PR I NT "ENTER NAME OF FILE: " ; = OPEN 1,0
: INPUTttl , Nfl* : PR I NT : CLOSE 1
35 I FNfl*= " QU I T " THENEND

40 NA*=NA*+ " . OBJ " : PR I NT " C DOWN 3 PRESS RET
URN WHEN READY . . " : Wfl I T 1 97 , 64 : Wfl I T 1 97 , 1 3
45 PR I NT "OK..."

50 OPEN 1,1,0, Nfl* : PR I NT " LOAD I NG " = SVS

1024
60 END

100 DATA 32, 192, 255, 162, 1, 32, 198,
255, 32, 207, 255, 133, 193, 141
181 DATA 38, 4, 32, 207, 255, 133, 194,

141. 39.

4. 3

2. 207. 2

'55 j 1 33 \ Jft

182 DATA

251.

32. 207.

cl-J-J. Uo. cL-Jcl.' £i \t-

2. 207. 2

55. 141. 255.

C.JJ.- {LOO J OO fflSOi

183 DATA

4. 208. 3. 238. 39. 4. 173. 38 "^*

4. 197.

251.

288. 23S

i. 173

104 DATA

39. 4

. 197. 25

i2. 288. 223. 173

33. 4.

133.

174. 173.

39. 4

105 DATA

133.

175. 169.

1. 32. 195. 255

)

162. 255. 2c

2. 189. 109. 4. 240

5. 32

. 22. 231

. 288. 245. 165.

1ST, 201

. 64.

240. 256

!. 169. 193

107 DATA

166.

174. 164.

175. 32. 216. 2

55. 32. 204. 2

55. 96. 7

"2. 73. 84

108 DATA

32. €

5. 32. 7=

i. 69. 89. 32. 84

79. 32.

CO
0*5.

65. 36. 69

109 DATA

46. 46. 46. 46. 13. 13.

Figure 4

0001

0400

0802

0400

* EDIT/AS

!M III - CASSETTE SAVER

0003

0400

0004

0400

}

0005

0400

ORG

$0400

; SCREEN MEMORY <*100O FOR VIC)

0006

0400

0007

0400

OPEN

EQU

*FFC0

.'OPEN FILE

0006

0400

CHKIN

EQU

*FFC6

;SET INPUT CHANNEL

0009

0400

CHRIN

EQU

$FFCF

J GET CHARACTER FROM FILE

0010

0400

EQU

*E716

jPRINT-$E742 FOR VIC

0011

0400

EQU

*FFC3

; CLOSE FILE

0012

0400

CLRCHN EQU

*FFCC

; CLEAR I/O CHANNELS

0013

0400

SAVE

EQU

*FFDS

J SAVE MEMORY

0014

0400

STPROG EQU

*C1

; START OF ASSEMBLY PROGRAM

0015

0400

ENDPRG EQU

*AE

;end of program

0016

0400

KEV

EQU

197

/KEYBOARD MATRIX

0017

8400

LENGTH EQU

*FB

j COMPARISON POINTER

0018

0400

0019

0400

FF START

JSR

OPEN

;make sure file is open

0020

0403

LUX

0021

0485

JSR

CHKIN

;OPEN INPUT LINE TO FILE #1

0022

0408

JSR

CHRIN

;get low-byte of start address

0023

040B

STA

STPROG

0024

0401)

STA

POINTR+1

0025

0418

JSR

CHRIN

;get high-bvte

0026

0413

STA

STPROG+1

0027

8415

STA

POINTR+2

0026

0418

JSR

CHRIN

;now get low-byte of length

0029

041B

STA

LENGTH

0030

041D

JSR

CHRIN

;get high-byte

0031

0428

STA

LENGTH* 1

0032

8422

0033

0422

FF LOOP

JSR

CHRIN

J LOOP TO STORE VALUES IN MEMORY

0034

0425

FFPOINTR STfl

♦FFFF

;as pointed to by pointr

0035

0428

INC

POINTR+1

;mqve pointr up i

0036

042B

BNE

SKIP

0037

842D

INC

POINTR+2

0038

8438

04 SKIP

LDA

POINTR+1

; compare pointr to see if it

To be continued on page 44

Commander September 1983/43

Continued from page 43

— —

0039

0433

CMP

LENGTH

.:HflS REACHED MEMORV
POINTED TO BV

0040

0435

BNE

LOOP

; LENGTH

0041

0437

LDR

POINTR+2

0042

843R

CMP

LENGTH+1

0043

043C

BNE

LOOP

;NO, GO BACK FOR MORE
CHARACTERS

9044

043E

0045

043E

LDR

POINTR+1

.: ENBPRG IS POINTER TO WHERE

0046

0441

STR

ENBPRG

;TO SAVE UP TO

0047

0443

LBR

POINTR+2

0048

0446

STR

ENBPRG+1

0049

0448

)

0050

0448

LDR

0051

044R

JSR

; CLOSE FILE #1

0052

044D

0053

044D

LBX

#255

; PR I NT MESSAGE

0054

044F

GET

I NX

0055

0450

LDR

MESSGE.X

0056

0453

BEQ

WRIT

0057

0455

JSR

0053

0458

BNE

GET

0059

045fl

0060

0458

WRIT

LDR

KEV

;WAIT FOR A KEVPRESS

0061

045C

CMP

#64

0062

045E

Ffl

BEQ

WRIT

0063

0460

0064

0460

RESflVE

LBR

#STPROG

;lorb POINTERS

0065

0462

LDX

ENBPRG

(dQ66

0464

LDV

ENBPRG+1

me?

0466

JSR

SAVE

; SAVE FROM STPROG TO ENBPRG

0068

0469

Q&69

0469

JSR

CLRCHN

;mrke sure everything is

0070

046C

EXIT

RTS

jNICE & TIDV RND LEAVE

0071

046D

0072

046D

48
20
4B
20
28
56
2E

49
41
45
54
53
45
2E

54
20
59
4F
41
2E
2E

ME8SGE

RSC

'HIT R KEV

TO SAVE....'

0073

046D

0074

046D

;TWO CRRRIRGE RETURNS

ANB A ZERO DELIMITER

0075

046D

BVT

13,13,8

0076

0470

0077

0470

;VIC VERSION HRS ONE 1

:.R. RND TWO ZEROS

SYMBOL TABLE

OPEN-

*FFC0

CHKIH

— *FFC6

CHRIN— *FFCF

PRINT— *E7 16 CLOSE— *FFC3

CLRCHN-*FFCC

SRVE-

— *FFB8

STPROG-*Cl ENDPRG-*AE KEV *C5

LENGTH~*FB START-

*0400 LOOP-

— $0422 POINTR-*0425 SKIP $0430

GET—

*044F

WRIT-

— *043A

RE8AVE-*0460

EXIT *046C MESSGE-*046B

44/Commander September 1983

v** Ba ?S «

Ot B«» S '» C

Commands in Overview

by Tim Parker

In the last column of this
series, I mentioned a few of the
ways to make BASIC programm-
ing a painless undertaking. Such
things as structuring programs,
documenting well, and using
descriptive variable names seem
like common sense, but are
seldom employed.

In this second part, as promis-
ed, we'll look at a few of the more
advanced BASIC functions that
are readily available to the Com-
modore computer user, and also
delve into a few other assorted
subjects. Once again, a reminder
that this series is not going to
teach you the fundamentals of
BASIC. For that you require a well
written book. Instead, this series
will examine a few of the "tricks"
that make BASIC programming
easy, fast, and versatile from a
programmer's point of view.
(Those that missed the first in-
stallment, can order a back copy
of Commander's June issue.)

First a word about the Com-
modore BASICs. On all Com-
modore machines I have seen,
the ability to use full screen
editing exists. That means that if
an error is made in a line, the
operator (programmer) merely has
to move the cursor to the error
and correct it on the screen.

When the RETURN key is hit, the
error will have been corrected.
The ability to employ full screen
editing is a virtue few program-
mers appreciate until they use a
computer without the function.
Many machines running a stan-
dard BASIC require either an ex-
asperatingly complex editing se-
quence to be learned, or need the
faulty line to be typed. When a
program has many bugs, that can
get to be very frustrating!

Another feature that is sported
by most Commodores is the abili-
ty to abbreviate instructions. For
example, the VICs allow a two key
sequence to replace a typed word
in most cases. This again speeds
up programming. The most useful
feature is using question marks
in place of print statements.
When these programs are LISTed,
the computer usually replaces
the abbreviation with the full
word to ease reading and debugg-
ing.

The instructions in a BASIC
version can be grouped according
to function. Some control the
machine and its workings in a
physical sense, such as RUN/
STOP, CLEAR, etc. These are
command functions. Others are
used to communicate with
storage devices, screens, and

other peripherals. These are IN-
PUT/OUTPUT commands, usually
abbreviated to I/O. There are built
in mathematical functions, and
string manipulation functions,
and there are the BASIC instruc-
tions that are used to write the
program. We'll examine the latter
first.

Statements are the controlling
aspects of any program. They
direct the machine's actions.
Although the number of state-
ments, and their syntax may be
different on certain machines,
they all share a similar "core"
series. Instructions such as
IF/THEN and GOTO are required
in all BASIC versions in order to
work. A rapid look at the Com-
modore BASIC statements
follows.

To clear a program from
memory, we know to type NEW.
NEW is not really a statement as
defined above, but is a command
function. The task of clearing all
memory except for the program
currently loaded is relegated to
the CLEAR function (sometimes
abbreviated as CLR). To under-
stand what CLEAR does, it is first
necessary to realize that BASIC
will assign a memory location for
each variable defined in a pro-
gram. If ten variables are used.

Commander September 1983/45

there will be ten "slots" reserved
in memory for the values of the
variables. These are updated
throughout the execution of the
program to new values. (Inciden-
tally, this is also involved in
memory saving: since each new
variable takes up memory, it
makes sense to use as few dif-
ferent variables as required when
memory is scarce. (More on that at
a later time.) If a subscripted array
was used (e.g. VA(10)) then the
values of all ten VA variables will
be used. CLEAR will erase the
values of the variables from
memory, allowing full use of all
the available space. This may be
required in programming from
time to time when the values of
all variables up to a certain point
are no longer needed. If they were
all set to zero with a LET state-
ment, they would still occupy
memory space, but the CLEAR
gets rid of them entirely.

While on the subject of
memory, it is useful to examine
the DIM statement. DIM will
dimension an array. An array is a
number of variables with the
same name, but different values
according to an index. For exam-
ple: A(1) is not the same variable
as A(2) or A. Each is separate. So
what good is the array? It allows
fast access in loops, routines,
and other repeated series to the
variables without a lot of coding.
For a full explanation, consult a
good BASIC instruction book.
The DIM statement will set the
number of array elements re-
quired by the program. If the in-
struction DIM A(10) is used, then
ten variables A(1) through A(10)
are set up. The default value for
an array is ten, if not otherwise
declared by a DIM statement.

Probably the least understood
BASIC instruction is the DEF FN
sequence. DEF FN represents the
command DEFine a FuNction. A
function is a series of instruc-
tions that have to be executed.
For example, if we wanted to add
ten to a number, then divide by
three to get the answer, and the
sequence was to be repeated at
several locations throughout the
program, it would be tedious and

46/Commander September 1983

memory wasting to type in the se-
quence wherever required. By
defining the function "add ten,
divide by three" and calling it
some name, whenever the func-
tion is required, we can call it by
name. This saves memory, time,
and coding. Variables can be
passed into the function, and ex-
tracted. It can be repeated as
many times as required, and
several functions can be access-
ed.

There are a few rules governing
the DEF FN function in Com-
modore BASIC. Most versions
allow only one lettertobeusedas
the name of the function, such as
FNZ, or FNC. Also, in almost all
BASICs, the definition of the
function has to be declared
before it is used. Most program-
mers define all the required func-
tions at the start of the program,
instead of interspersed through-
out. This aids in debugging, and
makes it easy to locate functions
as required.

The FOR/NEXT (STEP) function
allows looping for a certain
number of times to be achieved in
a BASIC program. A variable is
used as a counter in the loop, and
is incremented when the NEXT in-
struction is encountered. The
loop is terminated after the FOR
conditional is satisfied. The STEP
command allows control of the
way the variable is counted. It can
be incremented or decremented
by any number of steps as re-
quired by the programmer. The
STEP can be a function in some
versions of BASIC.

While on the IF/THEN loop, it
can be pointed out that some ad-
vanced versions of BASIC allow
variations on the theme. Loops of
the DO WHILE or REPEAT UNTIL
conditionals can be encountered,
but these are not usually included
in home computer versions.

Some commands don't have to
be written at all. BASIC has the
LET command to assign a value
to a variable, but almost all BASIC
versions do not require the LET to
be explicitly stated. Also, the
END statement, which is in most
BASICs, doesn't have to be in-
cluded at the conclusion of most

programs. When the program
runs out of lines, it is ENDed,
whether with the command END
or not. END is only used in a pro-
gram when an END is. part of the
way through the program, with
code following it.

Mathematical routines are in-
cluded in BASIC for the standard
functions such as sine (SIN),
cosine (COS), tangent (TAN), ex-
ponent (EXP), logarithm (LOG),
absolute value (ABS), and others.
Note that Commodore BASIC and
most others compute trigonomet-
ric values (SIN, COS and TAN) in
radians, which will require con-
version to degrees or gradiants,
as required. Also precision on the
trigonometric functions varies
widely depending on the version.
Some hyperbolic and inverse
trigonometric functions (ATN for
arctangent, etc.) are usually sup-
ported.

The logarithm function (LOG)
requires a value greater than zero
in order to avoid an error. The
LOG function computes the
natural logarithm, usually refer-
red to as 1n, instead of the base
10 logarithm. Similarly, the
square root function (SQR) re-
quires a value greater than zero to
avoid an error.

Some character manipulation
instructions are included in most
BASICs, including the Com-
modore version. For a character
string, the length of the string can
be found using the LEN com-
mand. The left most series of
characters can be accessed us-
ing LEFTS, while RIGHTS will ac-
cess the right most number of
digits required. If a sequence is
required out of the middle of the
string, the MIDS command is
used. With most of these, the
starting position for the search,
and the length of the string to be
recovered, can be specified.

These commands allow great
flexibility in program design us-
ing character string variables. A
great deal of information can be
stored in a string, and accessed
chunk by chunk as required.

A couple of commands allow
conversion from character string
to number variable, and vice ver-
sa. These are VAL and STRS, and

ENTER THE GALACTIC EXPERIENCE

WITH

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that we have the alternative. Announcing THE MAILING LISTS, the most powerful programs of their kind.

By being completely menu-driven, these programs are friendly and very easy to use. With each record containing name, address,
city, state, zip code, telephone number, and several comments, you not only have a complete mailing list but also a small data base
manager. With capabilities reaching into alphabetizing upon entry, sorting and searching on all fields, printing labels and printing
complete records, you start to feel the Galactic Experience.

Currently there are four versions to cover anybodies needs.

These are:

The mailing list
The mailing list
The mailing list
The mailing list

Circle No. 18

VIC-20*
VIC-20*

To order, send check or money order to:

Galactic Software

P.O. Box 10516
San Jose, CA 95157

or phone (408) 247-4434 for COD

see your local dealer
dealer inquiries invited

tape $25.95
Disk $27.95
tape $27.95
Disk $29.95

"VIC-20 and 64 are trade marks of Commodore Business Machines.

Circle No. 50

require careful use in order to get
the information required.

PEEK and POKE are two very
misunderstood and misused
commands. They are used to
place a value in a certain memory
location, or to go and look at the
value in a memory location. These
values can control many things
such as the color of the cursor,
screen, etc. Instead of dealing
with the two here, a future part in
this series will deal with the
memory locations of value in the
Commodore computers.

In the next part of this series,
we'll take a look at the last few
things to be addressed in the
understanding of BASIC, before
actually dealing with specific
Commodore computers and their
idiosyncrasies. These include
Boolean operators (always a fun
subject) and their related truth
tables, as well as several other
miscellaneous bits of data.U

^As SOFTWARE ON
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Circle No. 69

48/Commander September 1983

I love surprises. Recently I re-
ceived a mystery cassette tape in
the mail. No explanation of its
contents was indicated, save for
the name M. Pascall Software on
the label. I popped it into my cob-
web covered datasette and load-
ed it. The tape proved to be a mas-
terstroke of advertising genius. It
was a catalog! A program sampler
would be a more accurate des-
cription. It took 30 minutes to
completely review the tape. 21
VIC programs are previewed.
Games and other home entertain-
ment seem to make up the bulk of
the product line, with some pro-
gramming charts and dust covers
added at the end. I liked the high
resolution color graphics and
sound. Novice programmers can
find some good programming tips
in the program listings. Although
I haven't seen any of the com-
plete programs, I highly recom-
mend the catalog, which I dis-
covered costs one dollar. It's cer-
tainly worth a buck. M. Pascall
Software, Box 1143, Santee, CA
92017.

Super VIC-Kit

For a year I toyed with the idea
of buying a Programmer's Aid. I
think the name (PA) intimidated
me. Since I rarely write programs,
I really don't consider myself a
programmer. Usually I modify
commercial programs to match
my hardware. I always thought a
PA was useful only to profes-

sional programmers. Now I know
better.

PA's are available from several
companies, including Commo-
dore, Skyles and UMI. Their
primary function is to add some
extra BASIC commands that the
VIC doesn't have. All of the var-
ious PA's have some common
commands. Renumber, Append,
Delete and Decimal to Hex con-
version are typical of these extra
commands. Each PA, however,
has its own unique commands,
which means you should examine
each user's manual before you
buy. The price for each of the
three PA's listed above is $60 and
up.

They are all quality products,
and I recommend them, but they
now have some stiff competition
from a PA with a $25 price tag.

But What Does It Mean?

It means more BASIC com-
mands for your use. All VICs have
commands like PRINT, GOTO and
RND. Super VIC-Kit (SVK) adds 22
more commands and several
useful features. Take a moment
to read the new commands listed
in Figure 1.

Experienced VIC users should
notice two commands imme-
diately: DLOAD and DSAVE.
These are BASIC 4.0 disk com-
mands, not normally useable on
the BASIC 2.0 VIC. These com-
mands illustrate as well as any,

the power of SVK. This is how you
usually load a program from the
disk:

LOAD"PROGRAM NAME",8
SVK does it like this:

DLOAD"PROGRAM NAME
Notice the ",8 is missing. The
syntax for DSAVE is the same. All
disk commands are simplified.
You don't have to OPEN 1,8,15 to
send commands. SEND does it
for you, and then CLOSE'S the
channel automatically.

One feature I like is the Space
Bar/Pause option. When lines are
scrolling on the screen from the
LIST, DLIST, FIND, CATALOG and
hex dump commands, you can
pause the listing by pressing the
space bar. Scrolling continues
when it's hit again. SVK won't
scroll backwards, though. All of
the commands can be typed in
the abbreviated style like the
standard VIC commands. Type
the first letter and shift the sec-
ond letter.

Another useful feature is also a
form of abbreviation. By entering
"KEY", your keyboard comes
alive. 24 alphabet keys are now
pre-programmed function keys.
Type a shifted C, for example, and
the word CHR$ appears on the
screen. Figure 2 lists the Automa-
tic Keywords. This speeds up pro-
gram writing and really helps
when you are copying a program
from a magazine into the compu-
ter. I suggest you label each key,

Commander September 1983/49

rather than looking up the proper
key from a table. The keyword
function is not active when you
are keying inside quotes.

The British pound sign will let
you escape from the dreaded
"quotes mode" without frustra-
tion. RENUMBER will not only re-
number your program line num-
bers but will renumber all the
GOTO and GOSUB's as well. If a
bad target line is found, it will be
annotated for easy repair. A 16K
program takes about 45 seconds
to renumber. That is slow by
some standards, but it seems fast
enough for me.
Dessert

I've left my favorites for last.
CATALOG will bring in the disk
directory and scroll it onto the
screen without disturbing the pro-
gram in memory. You can't print
the directory with the CATALOG
command, but seeing it on the
screen is usually sufficient.
DLIST works just like CATALOG,
except it lists a program on the
disk while another program is in
the memory.

Machine Language,
Anyone?

Super VIC-Kit has a built in
machine language monitor,
MACH-20, for the advanced user.
It is activated by the BREAK com-
mand. A separate user's manual
for the monitor comes with SVK.
If you are not already proficient in
machine coding, the monitor
won't be of much use to you. On
the other hand, it does allow me
to keep up with Eric Giguere's ex-
cellent series "An Introduction to
Assembly Language" found every
month in Commander. The moni-
tor supports L,S,M,R,X,G,; and :
commands.

Now that I've used a Program-
mer's Aid, I would recommend it
to anyone who uses BASIC. The
new commands are not difficult
to learn or use, and are especially
useful for program writing and
disk operations. The user's man-
ual is short, clear and to the point.

Specifications

SVK is written entirely in mach-
ine language. It requires a mini-
mum of 8K and when loaded will

50/Commander September 1983

automatically relocate to the top
of available memory. No zero
page locations are altered. Al-
though no warranty is stated in
the manual, I found that the disk
will be replaced to a registered
owner at any time. Super VIC-Kit
was written by Thomas Henry and
is available on disk only for $25,
from Mantronics Software De-
signs, 360 Pierce Avenue Suite
210, No. Mankato, MN 56001, (507)
345-7048. The C-64 version will be
available in August.

3QI I ll#** + !f SSSX"— "H-'-t
■ B^kHiiSBSIIigilB^ V r-i*

The Connection—

A Parallel Printer Interface

You can have your cake and eat
it too. In this world of technologi-
cal trade-offs, it's good to see a
product that does it all, with no
compromises.

While shopping for a printer for
my VIC, I discovered that all dot
matrix printers fall into one of two
classes: slow printers with Com-
modore graphics and fast printers
without Commodore graphics. Of
course I wanted speed and gra-
phics, but since I couldn't have
both, I chose speed and bought
an NEC 8023A. The performance
and reliability of the NEC has
never disappointed me. The lack
of graphics has been a burr under
my saddle for a year.

The NEC will print graphic sym-
bols from its ROM, but the pro-
cess is overly complex and
beyond the abilities of novice pro-
grammers. One reason for the
complexity is the user's manual.
It is vague, incomplete, inac-
curate, and was written by some-
one who does not have a good
grasp of the English language.
Given all that, you can see why
I've been looking for a device that
would emulate the VIC 1525
printer at 120 Characters Per Sec-
ond.

Electronic Nirvana

The device responsible for this
miracle is called The Connection.
It will allow communication bet-
ween the VIC/64 and any printer
using the Centronics (parallel) in-
terface. Letter quality printers will

work with the device. The Con-
nection plugs into the serial (disk)
port on the VIC. It can be daisy-
chained as the last device on the
bus and can be assigned any valid
device number. Device 4 is stan-
dard.

The Connection performs many
other functions, besides graphics
emulation. There are nine modes
of operation, selected by a sec-
ondary address. For example, the
"Emulate Cursor Up Mode" can
be entered by typing OPEN4.4 or
OPEN4,4,1. The ",1" is the sec-
ondary address. This mode will
print upper case letters and gra-
phics. VIC 1525 users will already
be familiar with this concept.
Figure 3 shows the secondary ad-
dresses required to use the dif-
ferent modes.

Secondary addresses 0, 2, 4
and 7 will automatically send a
line feed following a carriage
return. Addresses 0, 3, 5, 6 and 8
will not generate a line feed. The
secondary address scheme is us-
ed by many other parallel inter-
faces, but this is the first one that
will generate Commodore gra-
phics. The reason for this is quite
simple: The Connection is intelli-
gent. It is "powered" by a 6502
microprocessor. The 6502 inter-
cepts all data sent to the printer
and acts on it according to the
secondary address it received
previously. The 6502 is aided in
this task by a ROM chip which
has been preprogrammed with all
the instructions necessary to
communicate with your printer.
ROMs are available for a wide
range of printers. My NEC uses
the ROM programmed for the C.
Itoh Prowriter.

The Emulate mode also allows
you access to several functions
unique to the VIC 1515/1525.
Figure 4 lists these useful func-
tions. Coupled with the graphics
abilities, they allow me to key in
and run programs written for the
VIC printers. The Connection also
has its own set of unique com-
mands which are implemented
from the Emulate mode. They let
you reassign the device number,
define the number of columns to

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BLK 2 switches 8k

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BLK 3 switches 8k

(Adr. 24576 to 32767)
BLK 5 allows/disallows your

8k ROM (games)

(Adr. 40960 to 491 52)
RAM switches 3k (Adr. 1 024 to 4095)
• May be used with Super Expander®
games or ANY other VIC-20
compatible cartridge.

• Built in RESET switch.

• Fuse protected.

• Totally self-contained.

• 2 duplicate extension connectors for any device
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SOFTWARE

DR. FLOYD

.APROPOS TECHNOLOGY,

Psychoanalysis by computer? — well, not quite, but Dr. Floyd will
carry on a conversation with you using psychoanalytic techniques
giving the appearance of artificial intelligence. Requires 16k RAM
or more.
$14.95 shipping included.

WORD PLAY

"WORDPLAY" is a collection of programs which allow the user to
make original stories, write a form of Japanese poetry, play the fun
game of Animal (children love this one), and create jargon. A
bonus secret message (cypher) program is also included. In a
word, "WORDPLAY" is a bargain.
Requires 16k RAM or more.
$14.95 shipping included.

TYPE FOR YOUR LIFE

With more challenge than an arcade game, learn to type up to 75+
words/min. (User selectable, but no FOOLING AROUND allowed).
TEXT IS WIDELY VARIED SINCE IT COMES FROM THE
PROGRAM TAPE. Action color graphics with sound fix your eyes
to the screen (away from your fingers - clever!) Your man rows
your boat up stream as fast as you can type. Maintain speed and
destroy the Sea Monster; slow down and he will get you. Runs on
the unexpanded VIC.
$14.95 snipping included.

All software is on high quality cassettes
and is replacement guaranteed.

VIC-20 & SUPER EXPANDER are registered ft

trademarks of Commodore Business Machines, Inc. °

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print, set a TAB and check printer
status.

All of The Connection's com-
mands may be sent from a BASIC
program. Program listings look
sharp and clear with the graphic
characters printed by my NEC.
Listings may be enhanced by us-
ing the "Total Text Mode" with
secondary address 2 or 3. This
will print keyboard control keys
as an abbreviation between
brackets like this: (CLR), (HOM),
(RED), (DWN) and (166). The 166 is
an example of a graphic symbol's
CHR$ code. By using this mode
for program listings, all the
guesswork is taken out of your in-
terpretation of the various
graphic symbols. Figure 5 lists
these mnemonic representations.
Software?

I've tried using The Connection
with many pieces of software,
and found it to be compatible
with just about everything. The
only thing that gave me trouble
was Quick Brown Fox. To print a
QBF file, I have to answer the
question "Commodore?" with a
"Y". Printer control codes sent
from the body of the text must
have two escape codes (#n027
#n027) before the letter com-
mand.

The Connection solved one big
problem for me immediately. My
NEC printer is one of those rare
ones that require a line feed sent
after a carriage return. This
means I must open a logical file
number greater than 127. Most
commercial software uses LFN 4,
requiring me to change the OPEN
statement from OPEN4.4 to

OPEN 128,4. Since The Connec-
tion already knows this, it auto-
matically adds the line feed.

Two LED indicator lights ref-
lect the status of the device, and
a push button reset will clear the
1.3K buffer. The push button will
also send a printer test to check
the operation of the interface and
the printer.

Is it worth the price? Definitely.
Now I have a printer that lists and
performs like the VIC printer, but
with clarity, high speed, and
some added formatting com-
mands. The user's manual is well
written and illustrated. A novice
user would have no trouble under-
standing it. The Connection is
available from Micro-Ware Distri-
buting, P.O. Box 113, Pompton
Plains, NJ 07444. $119.00 for the
VIC and C-64.

In the Queue

In the coming months some
very powerful software will be ex-
amined in these pages. TOTL
Software is on the verge of releas-
ing its long awaited TOTL.BUSI-
NESS package for the VIC and
C-64. I've been using it for a
month and believe it will make a
lot of small business owners very
happy. Michael Riley has already
released his ultimate database for
the VIC-64-Pet called Flex File.
I've had it under review for 6
weeks now and I'm convinced it's
the most powerful database yet
for the two smaller Commodores.

If you have a VIC and are con-
sidering "upgrading" to a C-64,
let me give you something to
think about. The two programs

ENTHUSED WITH YOUR VIC???

Members of the National VIC Association receive:

an informative bimonthly newsletter
access to our large library of
public domain software
huge member discounts
free classified ads in newsletter
. . .and ouch more!

114 for one-year membership.
Send check or money order to:

National VIC Association
9 Crabapple Lane
Nanuet, NY 109t>4

Circle No. 23

just mentioned and several more I
use, including PractiCalc and
Quick Brown Fox operate on the
VIC and the 64 with no reduction
in computing power for the VIC
version. They are the same pro-
grams.
Double Vision

This fall, I'll be adding some-
thing new to the column. I will be
reviewing the Data 20 Corpora-
tion's 40/80 column card with 64K
of bank selected memory. To date
I've found few programs are
directly compatible with this
device. What I mean is many pro-
grams will work but few take ad-
vantage of the extra screen size.
No programs will use the paged
memory. Data 20 has collected
the names of several programs
that are compatible with the
device. I will print that list here
next month. I will also report
which software I've used that
works or doesn't. Each month a
small space in the column will be
devoted to news on the 40/80 col-
umn front. In some applications I
like to use 40 columns on my VIC.
TOTL.LABEL is easier to use this
way. Some new 40/80 column de-
vices are on the market now, at af-
fordable prices. Perhaps more
software writers will take note of
this expansion explosion and pro-
vide us with expandable software.
Maybe— just maybe— this will
delay the inevitable demise of the
VIC. If you use the Data 20 card
with commercial software, please
write and let me know how well it
performs. I'll mention any new
"finds" each month. The latest
revision of TOTL.LABEL 2.1-6 will
work. QBF will work, but will need
a short transfer program to be run
first. Call QBF for the details.
QBF is directly compatible if you
use Cardco's 3 slot expansion
board and their 16K RAM card.
SVK and PractiCalc do not work
on 40/80 columns.

Next month we will look at Flex
File and, as they say around
Christmas time, "some sur-
prises". □

52/Commander September 1983

Figure 1

Summary of Commands for

Super VIC-Kit

# followed by a decimal
number, gives the hexadecimal
equivalent.

$ followed by a hexadecimal
number, gives the decimal equiv-
alent.

APPEND followed by the pro-
gram name, appends a program
from disk onto a program in mem-
ory.

AUTO followed by an incre-
ment number, generates automa-
tic line numbers when keying in a
program.

BREAK breaks to the machine
language monitor.

CATALOG lists the disk direc-
tory to the screen, but leaves the
current program in memory in-
tact.

DELETE followed by range
numbers, deletes blocks of pro-
gram lines specified by the range.

DLIST followed by a program
name, lists that program from
disk directly to the screen, leav-
ing the program in memory intact.

DLOAD followed by a program
name loads that BASIC program
from the disk.

DSAVE followed by a program
name saves that BASIC Program
to the disk.

FIND followed by a start de-
limiter, string, end delimiter and
optional range, finds any oc-
curence of the string within range
and prints that line to the screen.

HEADER followed by disk
name, comma, I and a two charac-
ter ID NEW's the disk with the
given name and ID.

INIT initializes the disk drive.

KEY toggles the automatic key-
word option.

KILL resets the computer to a
cold start.

LIST same as normal list, but
may be paused by the space bar.

NUMBER renumbers the entire
program according to your incre-
ment and default values.

OFF disables Super VIC-Kit.

OLD restores a program lost by
inadvertent use of the NEW com-
mand.

RENAME followed by an old
name, TO and new name, re-

Join the

Micro-Ed

educational
software

Send for free catalogs
Specify: Pet • VIC

• Commodore 64

telephone

us at

612-926-2292

Micro-Ed Inc.
P.O. Box 24156
Minneapolis, MN 55424

Circle No 26

Commander September 1983/53

names a disk program.

SCRATCH scratches (erases) a
program from the disk.

SEND followed by a command
string, sends that string to the
disk drive via the command chan-
nel.

SIZE returns the size of the pro-
gram in memory, exclusive of
variables. This is not the same as
FRE(O).

STATUS gives a disk error mes-
sage, or gives nothing if the disk
is OK.

Quick Brown Fox Tip

Are you tired of white on black? Try this: from the main menu, type a
shifted period. The characters on the screen will change color.
Shifted comma and question mark yields two different colors. This
should ease your eyestrain.

Figure 2

Automatic Keywords for

Super VIC-Kit

A =ASC
B = STEP
C =CHR$
D = DIM
E = END
F =GET
H =STOP
I = INPUT
J =GOTO
K =GOSUB
L = LEFTS
M = MID$
N = NEXT
=OPEN
P = POKE
Q •= PEEK
R = RIGHTS
S =STR$
T =TAB(
U =USR

V =VAL
W = DATA
X = READ

Y = RESTORE
Z =SYS

Figure 3

SECONDARY
ADDRESS FUNCTIONAL MODE

(or null) —EMULATE MODE. Same as Commodore's Cur-
sor Up mode. Prints uppercase and graphics
symbols. Automatic linefeed at end of each
line.

1 - EMULATE MODE. Same as except that there

is no automatic linefeed at the end of each line.

2 TOTAL TEXT MODE. Prints uppercase letters

and prints graphics symbols as either com-
mand mnemonics. or decimal value. Automatic
linefeed at end of each line.

3 -TOTAL TEXT MODE. Same as 2 except that

there is no automatic linefeed at the end of
each line.

4- -TOTAL TEXT MODE. Prints both lower and up-
percase letters. Otherwise same as 2.

5 - -TOTAL TEXT MODE. Same as 4 except that

there is no automatic linefeed at the end of
each line.

6- - -TRANSPARENT MODE. Sends all data directly

from the computer to the printer without any in-
tervention.

7 EMULATE MODE. Same as Commodore's Cur-
sor Down Mode. Prints both lower and upper-
case letters and graphics. Automatic linefeed
at the end of each line.

8- EMULATE MODE. Same as 7 except that there

Is no automatic linefeed at the end of each line.

Figure 4

Commodore Commands in The Emulate Mode

There are a number of special commands which are unique to the
Commodore 1515 and 1525 printers. The EMULATE MODE
duplicates all of these functions except one, inverse alpha-
numerics. All other functions, however, are supported.
Command Code Description

BS CHR$(8) Turn on graphics mode

NL CHR$(10) Scroll paper up one line

CR CHR$(13) Print line and scrolls one line

50 CHR$(14) Turn on double width printing

51 CHR$(15) Turn off double width & graphics
POS CHR$(16) Dot and column TAB
CURSOR DWN CHR$(17) Shift to lower/upper case letters
RVS ON CHR$(18) Print characters in reverse

SUB CHR$(26) Repeat graphics

ESC CHR$(27) Used with POS for dot tabbing

CURSOR UP CHR$(145) Shift to upper case letters

RVS OFF CHR$(146) Print normal characters

Figure 5

(HOM)

= HOME

(RON)

= REV ON

( UP)

= UP

(INS)

= INSERT

( F1)

= F1

(LFT)

= LEFT

( F5)

= F5

( F3)

= F3

(BLK)

= BLACK

( F7)

= F7

(PUR)

= PURPLE

(RED)

= RED

(STP)

= STOP

(BLU)

= BLUE

(CLR)

= CLEAR

(ROF)

= REV OFF

(DWN)

= DOWN

(DEL)

= DELETE

( F2)

= F2

(RHT)

= RIGHT

( F6)

= F6

( F4)

= F4

(WHT)

= WHITE

( F8)

= F8

(GRN)

= GREEN

(CYN)

= CYAN

(YEL)

= YELLOW

54/Commander September 1983

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Commodore B128 Computer 1 (128K) 895.00
MSD Single Disk Drive 7

(VIC 1541 Compatible) 395.00
Star Gemini — 10 Printer

wVcable interface 8 399.00
Star Gemini — 15 Printer

w/cable interface 8 575.00

Amdex Color I Monitor w/cable 9 340.00

CIE Cartridge (IEEE-488 for C64) 95.00

VIE Cartridge (IEEE-488 for VIC-20) 75.00

RS-232R Interface for VIC or C64 45.00

SPI Parallel Interface for VIC or C64 65.00

VPI VIC Parallel Interface 45.00

VEX-3 Expander for VIC 29.95

VEX-6 Expander for VIC 85.00

4 Slot Expander for C64 75.00

V3K Static RAM Expansion 35.00

V8K Static RAM Expansion 45.00

V16K Static RAM Expansion 85.00

V24K Static RAM Expansion 1 15.00
40/80 Col VIC Video Expander w/16K 10 175.00
40/80 Col VIC Video Expander w/64K 10 350.00

80 Col C64 Video Expander 10 149.00

Z80 Video Pak for C64 10 250.00

Light Pen for VIC or C64 25.00

VAC Audio Cassette Interface 29.95

VMC/CMC VIC 8<. C64 Monitor Cables 15.00

Joy Stick (Arcade Quality) 25.00

Atari VCS 2600 Game Adapter 79.95

C64 Software Products:

EPYX-Temple of Apshai 3

EPYX-Upper Reaches of Apshai 3

EPYX-Curse of Ra 3

EPYX-Sword of Fargoal 3

EPYX-Crush, Crumble & Chomp 3

Wordpro 3+ Wordprocessing 5

Info Designs Soft Pack (G/L,A/R,A/P) 6

Data Base for C64

Financial Spreadsheet for C64

Super Sprite Cassette 35.00

Ultra Mail 64 Cassette 20.00

Personal Finance C64

Tax Qwik/Personal Tax Program for C64 11

Quick Brown Fox C64 12

Disk
Disk
Disk
Disk
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Disk
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19.95
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29.95
29.95
75.00

475.00
95.00

135.00
35.00
25.00
75.00
75.00
55.00

VIC-20 Software Products:

VTE/CTE Terminal Program for VIC & C64

Cassette
Diskette
VT-40 VIC 40 Col Terminal Communicator

Cartridge with Downloading
VIC Super Expander 1
VIC Programmers Aid Cartridge 1
VIC Intro to Basic Part I 8<. II 1
Home Inventory 2 Cassette 12.00 Disk
Household Finance 2 Cassette 25.00 Disk
Logic Games 2 Cassette

Action Games 2 Cassette

City Bomber & Minefield 2 Cassette

dge
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Black Hole Game 2 Cartri

Trashman Game 2 Cartri

Astroblitz Game 2 Cartr

Choplifter Game 2 Cartr

Serpentine Game 2 Cartri

Apple Panic Game 2 Cartri

Terraguard Game 2 Cartri

Videomania Game 2 Cartr!

Spills 8<. Fills 2 Cartri

Pipes 2 Cartr

EPYX-lnvasion of Orion

(16K Extra) 3
EPYX-Datestones of Ryn

(16K Extra) 3
EPYX-Rescue at Rigel

(16K Extra) 3
EPYX-Crush, Crumble & Chomp

(16K Extra) 3 Cassette

EPYX-Plattermania 3 Cartridge

Heswriter for VIC-20" Cartridge

HES-MON for VIC-20 4 Cartridge

HES-Turtle Graphics" Cartridge

VIC-20 Data Base
Wordprocessing for VIC-20
Quick Brown Fox VIC-20 12

8.95
12.95

45.00
49.95
45.00
45.00
15.00
30.00
10.95
15.00
15.00
29.95
29.95
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29.95
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29.95
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Cassette 24.95

Cassette 19.95
Cassette 29.95

29.95
39.95
39.95
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39.95
75.00
49.95
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Immediate delivery on all items.
Dealer inquiries invited.

'Commodore Int.

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J EPYX Software

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payment method: Check Q Card-Exp. Date.

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Souttiwes^icroSystemsli^

Circle No. 54

by Tony Lamartina

This is part 3 of a three part
series. We've looked at warranty
service and non-warranty service.
This month we'll examine some
maintenance plans and some
maintenance steps that you can
perform without fear of voiding
your warranty or causing damage
to your equipment.

Basically, there are two types
of maintenance: preventive main-
tenance and remedial mainte-
nance. Preventive maintenance is
corrective action prior to a failure,
or a "prevention" of failure. It's
just like preventive medicine. By
performing certain maintenance
steps periodically throughout the
life of your equipment, you avoid
lengthy down times. Remedial
maintenance on the other hand, is
the corrective action taken after a
failure.

As discussed last month, reme-
dial maintenance is available thru
the manufacturer, dealer, third
party service company and na-
tional dealer service organiza-
tions. These organizations are
prepared for and in the business
of providing service as a product.
Unless you are electronically and
technically capable, never at-

56/Commander September 1983

tempt remedial maintenance
yourself. If your equipment is
under warranty and you attempt
the repair yourself, you will in all
likelihood, void the warranty. If
your unit is out of warranty, it's
your choice. I have seen users at-
tempt repairs and ultimately wind
up with a much larger repair bill
than if they had left the repair to
the experts.

Preventive maintenance can be
accomplished, however, by a
careful user or through an agree-
ment with one of the service orga-
nizations mentioned previously.
Before we get into the preventive
maintenance steps that you can
perform, let's assume for a mom-
ent that your system is not func-
tioning correctly. There are a few
steps that you should go through
prior to lugging your entire sys-
tem in for service.

1. Isolate the fault— disconnect
all peripherals (i.e. tape drive, disc
drive and printer). If the computer
resumes normal operation, then
add the peripherals one at a time
until the fault reoccurs. The pe-
ripheral that causes the fault to
reappear is probably the one that
caused the fault to begin with.

2. If the fault is not peripheral
related, use the backup copy of
your software. Also, if the fault
seems to be associated with sev-
eral peripheral devices, then sus-
pect the software. For instance, a
contaminated program diskette
may suddenly cause the printer to
spew garbage, the drive to run
continuously and the computer it-
self to hang indefinitely. If a fresh
copy of the software resumes nor-
mal operation, make a fresh back-
up and get rid of the offending
diskette. Don't try to renew the
diskette by bulk erasing. While it
may appear to be OK, someday
that very diskette will come back
to haunt you!

3. If problems become intermit-
tent in nature (they come and go),
check your line voltage. While
computers and computer periph-
erals have excellent filtering in
their power supplies, a very noisy
line can cause random and inter-
mittent problems to occur. Many
computerists may have their set
up in the basement, where the
washing machine or some other
such appliance may be on the
same circuit. Appliance motors
turning off and on can place large

spikes on the line and wreak
havoc with your computer.

4. Check all interconnecting
cables for tightness of fit and
plug orientation. One case in-
volves a person who could not get
the disc drive to respond. A
"device not present error" kept
occurring. Everything was check-
ed and checked again. The end
result was that the PET to IEEE
cable was upside down at the
computer end. Commodore does
not mark which end is up!

5. Check all switches and
switch positions. This may sound
odd but every now and then,
someone brings a unit in and the
switch was in off position! By the
same token, check the fuse. A
fuse of the same type and rating
can easily be installed by the
user. Sometimes fuses may open
due to a one time line surge (light-
ing) or simply open with age.

If the replacement fuse does
not open right away, chances are
everything is OK. If, however, the
fuse immediately opens again or
consistently fails about once a
day or once a week, the unit is in
need of service.

Besides checking and replac-
ing fuses, there are several more
preventive measures that will
help cut those repair bills down.
One step that you can take is not
to wear wool clothing while oper-
ating your computer. Wool cloth-
ing builds up static electricity
rather quickly. If you become
"statically charged" and touch a
metal switch post on your compu-
ter or peripheral, you may trans-
mit several hundred to a thousand
volts of static charge directly to
your unit causing chip and com-
ponent failures.

Never smoke around your com-
puter. Nicotine and tar, being by-
products of smoking, will be de-
posited on internal as well as ex-
ternal surfaces of the computer,
printer or drive. A particle of
smoke looks like a boulder sized
rock to the drive head as it speeds
across the disk surface. A particle
of smoke can physically jar the
drive head causing loss of data or

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MATH: 4 or 5 programs
PHONICS: 12 programs
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GRAMMAR PROGRAMS

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Nouns
Adjectives
Personal Pronouns
Indefinite Pronouns

G2 Parts of Speech II $19.95

Verbs

Helping Verbs
Adverbs

G3 Parts of Speech III $19.95

Prepositions
Conjunctions
Interjections

G4 Sentence Structure $19.95

Subjects

Predicates

Objects

G5 Capitalization

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and Synonyms $19.95

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Antonyms

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G7 Phrases, Prefixes,

and Suffixes $19.95

Phrases
Prefixes
Suffixes

COMPUTER PHONICS
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Pre- Test

Long and Short Vowels {10 programs)

Post-Test

MATH PROGRAMS

M1 Number Theory

Place Value

Reading Large Numbers

Rounding Off

Math Drills

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Inches to Feet to Yards
Pints to Quarts to Gallons
Roman to Arabit Numerals
Metrics 1.2

M3 Fractions I S19.95

Fractions to Percent Conversion
Adding Fractions (with carrying)
Subtracting Fractions (with borrowing)
Sequence Patterns

M4 Fractions I I/Decimals. . ..$19.95

Multiplying Fractions
Reducing Fractions
Adding and Subtracting Decimals
Multiplying Decimals

FUN PACKS

F1 Fun Pack I

Quarter Back Challenge
Magic Cards
Latin Magic
Haunted Mansion

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Amazing Craze
Missile Attack
Roaring Cycle

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Magic Spell
States and Capitals
Choice Hangman

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To Order Indicate program number and name quantity desired, and whether diskette
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residents add 6% sales tax. VISA and MasterCard are accepted Give Account number
and expiration date, and add3% service charge. Mail to: REES Software Laboratories.
Post Office Box 763. Cucamonga California 91 730.
For phone orders: Call the Distributor Software International. (714) 981-5925

QTY.

SERIES NO. & NAME

DISK.

CASS.

PRICE EA.

Rees Software Laboratories, Inc.

Post Office Box 763
Cucamonga CA 91 730

SUBTOTAL

Postage & handling

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CA residents 6% tax

TOTAL

$1.50

Circle No. 77

Commander September 1983/57

a read or write error. Also, the
sticky substance of tar and nico-
tine can readily gum up the me-
chanical action of keyboard keys,
printer mechanisms and print
head action.

One particular instance comes
to mind in relation to smoking
and computers. A customer
brought his computer in for
repair. The complaint was the dis-
play was very dim. After checking
all the power supply voltages and
circuitry, the problem persisted.
A careful visual perusal of the
problem revealed a display tube
face so coated with tar and nico-
tine, it was a wonder one could
see anything! Cleaning the glass
picture tube face cured the prob-
lem, maximum brightness and
clarity!

Let's look at your computer
system's components box by
box. The computer itself, or CPU
as it's sometimes called, is pro-
bably the most troublefree com-
ponent. There are no moving
parts to wear out and the elec-
tronics as a whole are very relia-
ble. About the only maintenance
that you can perform on the CPU
itself is fuse replacement and
keeping the exterior surfaces
clean. Use dust covers and avoid
dusty environments.

Also, never open your compu-
ter, especially the video display
cover. Within the display tube
compartment, there are voltages
in excess of 12,000 volts. Contact-
ing these voltages can cause ser-
ious injury. Opening the lower
computer compartment has its
hazards too. While only low volt-
ages are present, it's very easy for
the top display section of the
computer case (which is hinged
to the upper box) to get away from
you and rock backward jarring the
display tube, possibly causing a
crack in the tube and the display
cover will certainly break off. Sim-
ply put, for safety reasons and
warranty considerations, don't
open the computer unless you
have the training and are techni-
cally capable of performing re-
pairs.

58/Commander September 1983

Tape and disk drives basically
require the same considerations,
although the disk drive is much
more sensitive to these consider-
ations. The tape drive, being
mechanical in nature, depends on
proper alignment of its read/write
head for accurate operation.
Smoke, dust and foreign objects
can eventually ruin the internal
workings of a tape unit. You can
clean the heads of the tape unit
with a soft swab and denatured
alcohol. Be very careful and swab
the head of the tape drive. Allow
to air dry.

Proper alignment of the head
should be attempted only by
qualified service people. One in-
dication that your tape drive is in
need of head alignment is when a
tape recorded on your tape drive
will not load properly from ano-
ther drive. One of the two drives is
out of alignment. Usually a third
drive is needed to determine
which is at fault.

Contaminated tapes are ano-
ther source of trouble. Finger-
prints on the recorded tape can
cause contamination. The skin
oils from your fingertips can
cause disruption of the recorded
data. One sure fire prevention
method when saving any data, be
it on tape drive or disk drive, is to
make use of the verify command.
You'll always know that the just
recorded data is exactly the same
as the data in memory.

Printers can be either very relia-
ble or very unreliable. Printers are
very mechanical and not very well
protected from outside dust and
dirt. The print mechanisms are
within reach of falling objects,
curious hands, fingers and spilled
fluids. The best preventive medi-
cine here is the use of dust
covers. In fact, the use of dust
covers for all your equipment is
highly recommended.

As a user, you should be able to
clean the exterior and the print
mechanism. There are several
good printer cleaning kits on the
market. Minor lubrication can be
accomplished by the user, also.
Clean and dust the air intake

vents and clean the filters in mild
soap and water. In depth preven-
tive maintenance should be per-
formed by qualified service per-
sonnel each 6 months or 500
hours usage.

Some preventive steps you can
take are: keep it clean, change the
ribbon when print becomes light,
do not print reverse characters
too long, (reverse character print-
ing causes extreme printhead
heat and eventual failure) and
check for proper carriage align-
ment.

Disk drives are the most trou-
blesome of all computer equip-
ment. Disk drives are not very tol-
erant of dust, dirt and mis-align-
ment. Under ideal conditions, a
disk drive would run 8,000 hours
on the average between repairs!
Ideally, a disk would last for sev-
eral million passes over the same
track without any degradation in
data integrity!

In practice, however, condi-
tions are far from ideal. The disk
drive should have preventive
maintenance performed every 40
hours of operation by a qualified
service technician. As a user,
however, you could purchase s
commercially available head
cleaning disk and use it every 20
hours of operation or about once
every two to four weeks. Tandon,
Shugart and Micropolis have all
stated through memorandum that
the "proper" use of head cleaning
kits will not void the warranty.
This simple preventive mainte-
nance step can greatly expand
the life of your drive and disk
media.

The 8050 and 8250 drives, by
virtue of their format (77 track),
are more sensitive to proper drive
alignment than the 4040, 2031 or
1540/41 disk drives (40 track).

Periodically, you should run the
performance test for your drive in-
cluded on the test/demo diskette
supplied when you purchased
your equipment. These tests will
verify belt tension, motor speed
and error detection circuits and
components of the drive unit.
Avoid vibration and shock when

transporting disk drives.

Inspect diskettes frequently. If
there is any doubt, throw it out
and make a fresh backup. Disk-
ette life depends on several fac-
tors: the environment, condition
of the disk drive and quality of the
disk itself. Sometimes, it's a vic-
ious circle. A contaminated disk
can cause problems for the disk
drive, and a dirty disk drive can
contaminate and ruin a disk!

Basic preventive measures,

then, for disk drives include head
cleaning disks, clean environ-
ment, periodic performance tests
and a dust cover.
So, now you have had a look at

computer maintenance, who's in
the business, what they can and
can't do for you and what you can
do foryourself.The ever changing
computer maintenance market is
highly competitive. Do what you
can to keep your equipment up
and running, through good pre-
ventive maintenance practices
and when you do need service,
consider your options and shop
around. D

TO SOOTHE

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Circle No. 59

It's like no other music program . . . EVER!
With Musicomp, you can compose for three —
different instruments at the same time. You
can also adjust accents, pitch, and timbre —

for any song you want. Take full control of all

special effects. You can even sing along to
the printed lyrics.

The critics rave about Musicomp —
"I wish I had Musicomp'.'

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experience." L. von B., Bonn, Germany

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STOCK HELPER"

Commodore 64 and VIC-20

Stock HELPER is a tool to maintain a history of stock
prices and market indicators on diskette" to display
charts, and to calculate moving averages. Stock
HELPER was designed and written by a "weekend
investor" for other weekend investors.
Stock HELPER is available on diskette for:

Commodore 64 $30.00 ($37.00 Canadian)
VIC-20 (16K) $27.00 ($33.25 Canadian)
plus $1.25 shipping ($1.55 Canadian)

The VIC-20 version only charts 26 bi-weekly periods rather than
52 weekly periods.

(M)agreeable software, inc. s

5925 Magnolia Lane • Plymouth, MN 55442 |
(612)559-1108 I

(M)agreeable and HELPER are trademarks of (M)agreeable software, inc. ^
Commodore 64 and VIC-20 are trademarks of Commodore Electronics Ltd.

Commander September 1983/59

The following program is a per-
sonal phone directory using rela-
tive files. It is not very com-
plicated, but does show how to
use relative files in an application
that may be useful to many peo-
ple. In this example, I chose to
use only two fields, the person's
name and phone number. It may
be expanded upon if you wish.
There is one prerequisite to using
this program, and that is to initial-
ly open the relative file that we
will be using. The name of the file
used in this program is called
phones. For those who are not
familiar with the opening of this
type of files, the following is a
quick example.

Opening the File:

10 DOPEN#1, "FILENAME",

150
20 REM BASIC 4 OPEN

STATEMENT
25 REM LOGICAL FILE#
35 REM NAME OF FILE
45 REM SPECIFIES REL
55 REM LENGTH OF EACH

RECORD
60 RECORDS 1,1 00,40
70 REM ALLOCATE SPACE

FOR 100 RECORDS
80 REM GOTO END OF

RECORD

10
20
30
48
50
60
70
80
90

100
110

120
130
140

GOTO70

SAVE "08 : PH0HE #16" , 8 : STOP

GOSUB" PHONES"

RESTORE "PHONES BACKUP " TO "PHONES

READ "PHONES" TO "PHONES BACKUP"

STOP

REN

REM

SP$="

PHONE #16 *

EXAMPLE OF RELATIVE FILES *

USING A PHONE DIRECTORY *

LAST UPDATE OCTOBER 9/82 *

[CLEAR]"

1 50 DW$= " C HOME ] C BONN ] [ DOWN ] C DOWN ] C DOWN ]

C DOWN 3 C DOWN ] C DOWN ] C DOWN 3 C DOWN ] C DOWN ] C DO

WN 3 CD0WN] [DOWN]"

168 FOR#l, "PHONES"

170 IFDSTHENPRINTDSf: PRINT "PLEASE CHEC

K DISK DRIVE": END

1S0
190
208
210
220
238
240
250
260

DAT A# 1,1

INPUT#1,NR

DIM Sl*<NR+50)^S2*<HR+58)

REM

REM* MAIN MENU

REM

PR I NT " [ CLEAR 3 " T AB < 3 1 ) " PHONE D I RECTO
RV":LINE=4

270 PRINTTAB<31>" "

280 PR I NT " [ DOWN 3 C DOWN 3 C DOWN 3 C DOWN 3 [ DOWN
3 " To be continued on page 62

60/Commander September 1983

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COMPUTER

COMMODORE 64
VIC-20

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VHS or BETA FORMAT

BASIC INSTRUCTION VIDEO TAPE TOPICS INCLUDE

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IF NEW RUN EXP ASC ATN OPEN CHR$ STR$ GOSUB RETURN
ON NOT SGN FOR CLR COS PEEK CONT LOAD CLOSE RIGHTS
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COMPUTER

COMMODORE 64
VIC-20

Includes RANDOM, RELATIVE, SEQUENTIAL disk read and write.
Also explains load, save, new, copy, scratch, initialize, validate,
error channel, command channel, and rename in both the standard
and wedge syntax. Explains the verify, open, print #, input #, get #,
status BAM commands. Lesson includes several programs and
a large checkbook program.

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VIC-20 AND COMMOOORE 64 ARE TRADEMARKS OF COMMODORE BUSINESS MACHINES. INC.

Circle No. 70

Commander September 1983/61

85 PRINT#,CHR$(255)
95 CREATE ALL THOSE

RECORDS
100 DCLOSE

110 REM CLOSE THE FILE
You may, of course, choose to
make the record size larger or
smaller depending upon your
needs. After opening this file we
are now ready to use the program.

The Program:

The program when first run
comes up with a main menu with
six selections. These are:

1) INPUT A NUMBER

2) RETRIEVE A RECORD

3) DELETE RECORD

4) EDIT A RECORD

5) SORT ALL RECORDS

6) QUIT

Each of these selections has its
own subsection which we will
discuss as we get into the pro-
gram.

Input a Number:

This section allows the user to
enter the names and phone num-
bers of their choosing. When this
and any subsection is used the
current number of records is
always displayed for your infor-
mation. I chose to use the very
first record in the file to hold this
number. This section is divided
into three subsections as follows:

1) ADD TO RECORD LIST

2) FILL IN OPEN RECORDS

3) BACK TO MENU

When you add a record to the
list as in option #1, you simply
add the new record to the end of
your current phone list. Option
#2, however, allows you to fill in
any empty records that might
have been left over from deleting
names. The way this is done is as
follows: if you have previously
deleted a record and chose to
leave the record open as opposed
to updating all records, then this
record is flagged with a chr$(1).
When attempting to fill in these
records, the record numbers are
checked for this flag and dis-
played at the same time. If an
empty record is found, then it is
filled with your current name and
number you are about to enter. If
no empty records are found, then
you are informed and you go back

62/Commander September 1983

>"[ REV] I [OFF INPUT Pi NUMB

Continued from page 60

290 PRINTTRBC30

ERCBOWN]"

380 PRIHTTflB<31)"CREV]RC0FF]ETRIEVE fl R

ECQRBCBOWN]"

310 PR I HTTPB-; 3 D" [REV] DC OFF DELETE RECOR

BE DOWN]"

320 PRINTTflB<31>"CREV3ECQFF]BIT fl RECOR

DC DOWN]"

330 PRINTTRB<31>"CREV]SC0FF]0RT ALL REC

0RBSCB0WN]"

340 PRIHTTflB<31V'CREV]QC0FF]UIT"

358 PRINT

360 GETfl$ : I Ffl$= " " THEN360

370 IFR** ,, Q"THENNEXT:END

330 I Ffi*0 " I " RNBRSO " R " RNDfl$<> " B " RNDR$<

> " E " AMDfWO " S " THEN368

390 IFfi$="E ,, THEH3320

400 IFfi$="B"THEN1680

410 IFfi*="R"THENS80

420 IFfl$="S"THEN4170

430 REM

440 REM******************************

450 REM* NEW RECORD INPUT *

460 REM******************************

470 REM

480 PRINT"CCLEflR]"TflB(3i;'"NEN RECORD IN

PUT"

490 PRINTTRBC31}" "

500 DRTR#1,1

510 INPUT#1,NR

520 PRINTTflEC20V'HUMBER OF RECORBS ~"NR

" <EW> FOR MENU"

530 PR I NT " C DOWN ] C DOWN 1 C DOWN ] C DOWN ] "

540 PR I NTTflB < 3 1 ) " C DOWN ] C REV ] Fl C OFF 3 BB TO

RECORD LI ST CDOWN]"
550 PRINTTflB<31)"CREV]FC0FF]ILL IN OPEN

RECORDSC BONN]"
560 PRINTTflB<31)"CREV]BCOFF3flCK TO MENU
CDOWN]"

570 GETR$: IFfl$0"fl"flNDfl$0"B"flNDfl*0"F n
THEN57S

580 IFfl$="F"THEN2940
590 IFR*="B"THEN260
600 PRINT

610 INPUT "NAME ";N*
620 IFN$="END"THEN260
630 INPUT "PHONE ";P$
640 PRINT

650 PR I NT "NAME ";N$" PH0NE# "

iPS

662 PRINT

670 INPUT "CORRECT <V OR N) [RIGHT] CRIGH
T] CRIGHT]VCLEFT] CLEFT] CLEFT] " ; Z%
688 IFC$="N"THEN480
632 DflTfl#l,<NR+2>
700 PR I NT# 1 > N$ To be continued on page I

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into the menu. At this point you
may either add it to the end of the
list or go back to the main menu.
Before any record is entered, the
information you have entered is
redisplayed for your confirmation
before writing it to the file.

Retrieve a Record:

This section allows the user to
recall any or all records on file. It
is split up into the following sub-
sections:

1) NAME

2) PHONE NUMBER

3) ALL RECORDS

4) BACK TO MENU

From the selections, it is ob-
vious how you may choose to
recall a record. You may enter the
name of the person, the phone
number (for those of us that
remember a phone number but
forget to whom it belongs) or
choose to see all records present.
The third choice is by far the most
versatile. It allows you to display
all records present or get a hard
copy of the names and phone
numbers on hand. It has a special
feature that allows you to use pat-
tern matching. For those of you
not familiar with this term, it
simply means that you may
choose to display all names that
start with a D or any names that
start with any pattern you chose.
For example, if you chose the pat-
tern DA you would see the num-
bers of people as such: Danny
Smith, Daffy Duck, Dandy Candy
and not to forget Dear old DAD.
(ALL NAMES ARE FICTITIOUS
AND HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO
PROTECT THE INNOCENT.) If
you choose to display all or some
of the names, only twenty at a
time will be on the screen at any
one time to prevent scrolling. You
may then move on by pressing
return.

Delete Record:

This command like the others
is spread out into other subsec-
tions. These are:

1) NAME

2) PHONE NUMBER

3) SCAN

4) BACK TO MENU

Once again, you may choose to
delete a record by the person's
name or by the phone number if

64/Commander September 1983

Continued from page 62

716 DRTfi#l,<MR+2>,35

728 PRINT#1,P*

738 REM

740 REM*******************************

750 REM* UPDATE RECORD NUMBER *

768 REM*******************************

770 REM

788 I FERTHENER=9 : G0T08 1 9 : REN*EMPTV RECO

RD FILLED 30 DONT INCREMENT COUNTER**

790 BATfl#l,l

800 PRINT#1,NR+1

8 1 PR I NTTflB < 29 ) " C DOWN ] RECORD ENTERED "

820 FOR J= 1 TO2009 : NEXT : I =0 : GO T0489

830 REM

840 REM******************************

850 REM* RETRIEVE RECORDS *

860 REM******************************

870 REM

S&& PRINT" CCLERR3"TflB<31) "RETRIEVE RECO

RLS" : LINE* 1

839 PR I NTTflB < 3 1 ) " — "

990 PRINTTfiB<23;'NR" RECORDS PRESENT"

910 PRINT

920 PR I NT " C DOWN ] C DOWN ] C DOWN ] [ DOWN 3 [ DOWN

930 PR I NTTflB ( 3 1 ) " C REV ] N [ OFF ] RME C DOWN ] "

940 PR I NTTflB i 3 1 ) " t REV ] P [ OFF ] HONE NUMBER

[DOWN]"

950 PR I NTTflB ( 3 1 > " C REV 3 fl C OFF ] LL RECORDS C

DOWN 3"

Sm PRINTTRE'::31>"CREV3BCOFF3flCK TO MENU
ii

370 GETA* : I Ffl*= " " THEN979

980 IFASO " N " RNDflSO " P " RNDRtO " fl " AND A*<

>"B"THEN370

33% IFA*="B"TH.ENGGTO260

1 900 I FH$= " N" THENTM*= " NAME " = GOTO 1 369

1919 IFA$="P"THENTM*="PHONE tt"--G0T01369

1029 REM

1 039 REM******************************

1940 REM* ALL RECORDS *

1 050 REM******************************

1960 REM

1070 PR I NT "[CLEAR 3":

1080 INPUT"PRINTER OR CRT [RIGHT3 [RIGHT

3 [RIGHT3C[LEFT3 [LEFT3 [LEFT3 " ; DV$ : PRINT"

[CLEAR 3 "

1090 INPUT "PATTERN MATCHING V[LEFT3[L

EFT 3 [LEFT 3", A*

1 1 00 I FA*= " V " THEN I NPUT " TITER PATTERN

* [LEFT 3 [LEFT 3 [LEFT] " ; PM* : PM=1

1110 I FPM*= " * " THEN 1 309

1 1 20 LN=LEN ( PM* ) : V*= " Z "

1 130 IFDV*="P"THEN0PEN2, 4 : GOTO 1 159

1149 0PEN2,3

1159 PRINT#2," NAME"TflE<49> "NUMBER"
^ To be continued on page 66

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you recall it. If the record chosen
to be deleted is present, then you
are asked to confirm it before it is
actually deleted. If you decide to
delete the record then you are
given two more choices on the
method of deletion. This is the
part that was discussed earlier
during the input record when it
came to adding to the list or fill-
ing in empty records. Your two
choices are:

1) UPDATE ALL RECORDS

2) DELETE PRESENT RECORD
If you choose to update all the

records this is what happens. If
you have 20 records and you are
deleting number 10, then each
successive record is put in its
predecessor's place. This means
record number 1 1 is now in record
10's old position, record 12 is in
11's and so on down to the last
record. If you choose number 2
then the records remain intact
and that record is flagged with
the chr$(1) and remains open to
be filled in at a later time.

Choice number 2 is much
quicker, especially if you have a
large numberof records. The third
choice is to scan the records. By
this statement I mean we will se-
quentially display each record
and ask if it is the record you want
to delete until we find it or reach
the end of the file. The current
record number is always being
updated by any of our actions.
Before we go on to the next com-
mand in the menu, I would just
like to backtrack and mention
that you may not update all
records if the record chosen to
delete was the last record.

Edit a Record:

The phone directory or any file
system would not be complete
without the capability to edit your
records. The section on editing
records has 4 subsections once
more. These sections are as fol-
lows:

1) NAME

2) PHONE

3) SCAN

4) BACK TO MENU

These sections work just the
same as the preceding one on
deleting records. Once again, you
may choose to search for a record

66/Commander September 1983

Continued from page 64

1 1 60 PR I NT#2 , " " TAB -:! 40 > " [ DOW

N ] "

1176 F0RT*2TQNR+1

1180 BfiTFl#l,<T>

1190 INPUT#1,N$

1200 IFN*=CHR*< 1 )0RN**CHR*C255>THENPRIN

TTflB< 20 >" RECORD #"1+1" EMPTY " •- GOTO 1270

1210 BrTm#l,a>,35

1220 INPUT#1,P$

1 230 I FB V$= " P " THENC3J-45-LEN < N* > : GOTO 1 25

1248 C2=38-LENCN*>

1 250 I FPMTHEN I FLEFT* ( H$ , LN >=PM*THENPR I H

T#2 , N$ ; SPC i CK ') ; P$ " " 1+ 1 : V*=N$ : GOTO 1 270

1268 IFF«»0THENPRINT*2jN*;SPC(CX>;P*" "

1 + 1

1270 1 = 1 + 1 =K=K+1 : IFDV$= 1, C"THEHIFK=20THE

NIFPM=0THEN1590

1 230 I FPMTHEN I FN*>V$THENT=T+ 1 000

129Q NEKTT

1300 N=0 : 1=0 : K=0 : PN-0 : CL0SE2 : GOTO 1560

1310 REN

1 320 rem************ ********##**#*****

1330 rem* retrieval by field *

1340 REM******************************

1350 REM

1360 PRINT" C DOWN ] n TM$;

1370 INPUTRS*

1 380 I FTM*= " NAME " THENP= 1 : K=35 : N= 1

1390 IFTM*="PHONE #"THENP==35 -X-l :N=0

1460 F0RT=2T0HR+1

1410 DflTfl#l,a> J CP)

1426 INPUT#1,PR*

1430 IFPR*=RS*THEHG=T = T=HR+1000

1440 NEXTT

1450 IFT=NR+2THEHGOTO1620:REM**NOT FOUN

D**

1460 DflTfl#l,CG?.(K?

1470 PRINT

1480 INPUT#1,PN$

1 498 I FNTHENPR I NTPR*TflB i 30 > PN$

1 500 I FN=0THENPR I NTPN*TflB < 30 ) PR*

1510 REM

1 520 REM******************************

1530 REM* WAIT ROUTINES *

1 540 REM******************************

1550 REM

1560 POK:E158,0:PRINTTFIBC26> ,, I:DOWH3I:REV]

PRESS RETURN TO CONTINUECOFF]"

1 578 GETfl* = I Ffl$OCHR* a 3 > THEN 1 57S

1580 N=0:ONLINEGOTO880, 1680,3328,260

1590 POKE 153, : PRINTTRBC22) " CDOWN J CREV]

PRESS RETURN TO CONTINUE LISTINGCDOWNK

OFF]"

1600 GETfi*: IFfl*OCHR* a 3) THEN 1600

To be continued on page 68

Vanilla Pilot?

Yes, Vanilla Pilot!

What is Vanilla Pilot? C

Vanilla Pilot is a full- featured pilot
language interpreter including TURTLE
GRAPHICS for the PET or CBM 4000,
80C0, 9000 and CBM-64 series computers

At last! A Pilot interpreter for the
Commodore computers. This Pilot in-
cludes some powerful extensions to
the screen editor of the computer.
Things like FIND /CHANGE, TRACE
and DUMP enhance the programming
environment.

The TURTLE has a very powerful set
of graphics commands. You can set the
Turtle's DIRECTION and turn him LEFT
or RIGHT. The pen he carries can be
set to any of the 16 colors in the CBM-
64. He can DRAW or ERASE a Line.

What else? Vanilla Pilot is all this and
much, much more. In fact, we can't
tell you about all of the features of
the language in this small ad. So
rush down to your local Commodore
computer dealer and ask him to show
you Vanilla Pilot in action.

Tamarack Software
Darby, MT. 59829

Circle No. 42
Commander September 1983/67

to edit by a name, phone number
or sequential scan of all present
records. As with all changes that
will be reflected in your file, you
are given a chance to abort the
change before it is written to disk.
When you have finished editing a
record you are informed that the
record has been updated.
Sort All Records:

This selection unlike the other
commands has no subsections.
When the command is invoked,
the first thing that is done is the
reading of the current file into
memory. You are informed of all
operations as they are being per-
formed. If any empty record is
found, then you are informed that
the records cannot be sorted until
all records are updated. At this
point you must update all of your
records. Only when this is done
will you have an accurate count of
your records and the sorting will
be allowed. If a record is empty
then the record count is not
decremented. If all was well or
you have updated your records
then the sorting procedure
begins. While the records are be-
ing sorted I chose to print out
dashes to let the user know that
the computer is indeed working.
When the sorting procedure is
finished, you are once again in-
formed and the new file is written
to the disk.
Quit:

This is not a hard command to
figure out. It simply closes the
relative file (which incidentally is
open during the whole program)
and then ends the program.

In this phone directory, I chose
to allow 35 characters for the
name, and 15 for the phone
number. This should allow for the
longest of names and any phone
number along with the area code
to be entered. If you anticipate
needing larger fields for your file
then you must consider this when
you first open your file and also
change all the record positions at
35 to your new position.

Conclusion:

As I had mentioned at the
beginning of this article, I have
only touched upon the use of
relative files. The way they are be-

68/Commander September 1983

Continued from page 66

1610 K=0= GOTO 1290

1620 PRINTTflB<29>"[DQWN]REC0RD HOT PRES

ENT" : 1=0: GOTO 1560

1630 REN

1 640 rem******************************
1650 rem* menu for record deletion *

1660

1670 REM

1630 PRINT
D. c " : LINE = 2

1690 PRIHTTfiB<31>" "

1700 PRINT

1710 PRINTTHBC31> ,, CREV]NC0FF]flMECD0WH]"

1720 PRINTTflBOl)" ERE V3PCOFF3 HONE NUMBE

REDOUND"

1 730 PR I HTTflB i 3 1 ) u I REV ] 3 C OFF 3 CRN C DOWN 3 "

1740 PRINTTflBc:31;'"CREV3BCOFF3flCK TO MEN

1750 GETfi*

[CLEAR 3 "TAB (31)" DELETE RECOR

1768

,.--s ii ■ni

1770

#":P=35 : tf=l

IFfl$=""THEN1750

I Ffl$0 " N " RNDR$0 " P " RNDRSO " S " flNDfl*

THEN 1758

IFfi$= ,, N"THENTM$="NRME"
1 : GOTO I860

1 780 I Ffl$= *' P " THENTM$= " PHONE
:N=0: GOTO I860
1790 IFR*="S"THEN2720
1800 GOTO260
1810 REM

1820 REM******************************
1830 REM*SEflRCH FOR RECORDS TO DELETE*
1 840 REM******************************
1350 REM

I860 PRINT " [DOWN 3" TM$; :REM**LOOK FOR RE
CORDS'**
1870 INPUTRSf
1880 F0RT=2T0NR+1
1890 DRTfittl, CT>,

INPUT#1,PR*

IFPR*=RS*THEHG=T : T=NR+1000

1=1+1 : REM**COUNTER FOR RECORD NO.*

1900

1910

1920

1930

1940

NEXT T

I FT=NR+2THEN 1 620 : REM**N0T FOUND**

1950 REM
I960

1970 REM* PRINT OUT RECORD AND *

1980 REM* QUERY FOR DELETION *

1 99Q REM*****************************

2000 REM

2010 DRTflttl^OAX)

2020 PRINT

2030 INPUT#1,PN*

2040 PRINTTflBOl) "RECORD NUMBER" I

2850 PRINTTflBOD" "

2060 I FNTHENPR I NTPR$TRB C 30 ) PN$ : GOTO2O80

To be continued on page 70

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Circle No. 46

ing used here is not really direct
access since we usually have to
search for the name or number.
Only when we are editing records
etc. do we really use direct ac-
cess to replace the old record.
The real effectiveness of relative
files comes into play when you
know the record number or can
calculate it easily. When this is
the case, then you can say get
record number 55 and it will be
done. An example of an applica-
tion that needs this type of direct
access would be an inventory
package. If you want to know the
price of a certain number, you
enter the code and it immediately
gets it. In a future article I will in-
clude a direct access inventory
package that will do this. I have
not mentioned anything about
side sectors that relative files use
since this was just a taste of what
they can do. If there is interest in
how files such as these or any
other type (including programs)
are stored on disk then please
feel free to contact me through
Commander. Until next time, Hap-
py computing. □

CARDBOARD 5

Five Slot Expansion Interface
fortheC-64"

The CARDBOARD/5 (CB/5) is an enclosed
five slot, fully switch selectable, expansion
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any cartridge slot or combination of car-
tridge slots. There are twenty-two color
coded light emitting diodes to give status in-
dication. Each slot has four LEDs and two
toggle switches for indication and control.
The CARDBOARD/5 is fully fused and a
reset button is provided.

• high quality glass/epoxy circuit board

• gold plated contacts

• logic lines are switched by solid state IC
switches

• full LED status indication

• convenient toggle switches

• full support under the board to prevent
flexing

• full plastic enclosure to insure safety

• fused to protect your computer

• convenient reset button

• CARDCO, Inc.'s exclusive Lifetime
Guarantee

■■■■<M1PU SENSE":/

TO ORDER:
P.O. BOX 768
WICHITA. KS 67201
(316)263-1095

Handling charges $300

COD. (Add $2.00)

Personal checks allow 3 week delivery

Commodore 64" is a registered trademark of

Commodore Business Systems. Inc.

Prices subject to change

Lion

'PR*

Continued from page 68

2076 PR I NTPH$T AB < 30 !

2080 PRINT

2090 INPUT "DELETE THIS RECORD [RIGHT] CR

IGHT] [RIGHT] VCLEFT] CLEFT] CLEFT] " ; DR*

2180 IFDR$O"Y"THENI=0:GQTO1680

2110 INPUT "ARE YOU SURE [RIGHT] [RIGHT] [

RIGHT] Y[ LEFT] [LEFT] [LEFT] " ; DR*

2 1 20 I FDR*0 " V " THEN I =0 : GOTO 1 6S0

REN

REM******************************

REM* MINI MENU FOR DELETION *

REM******************************

REM

PR I NTT AB (. 29 > " C REV ] U C OFF ] PDFITE ALL
RECORDS [DOWN]"

2190 PRINTTflB<29)"CREV]D[0FF]ELETE PRES
ENT RECORD [DOWN]"

2200 GET A* : I F A*<> " U " ANBA*<> " D " THEN2200
2210 IFA*="U"THEN2410

2220 PR I NTTflE < 29;- "[DOWN] DELETING PRESEN
T RECORD"
2230 BATA#l,a + l;<

PRINT#l,CHR*a)

DATfl#l,a + l>,35

PRINT#l,CHR*a>

1=0 : FORJ=1TO20O0 : NEXT ; GOTO 1688

REM

REM*****************************

2138
2140
2150
2160
2170
2180

2240
2258
2260
2270
2280
2290

2300
2310
2320
2330
2340
2350
2360
2370
2330
2390
2480
2410

REM* DELETE RECORD *
REM* AND UPDATE THE EXISTING *
REM* RECORDS BY READING THE *
REM* NEXT ONE INTO THE DELETED *
REM* RECORD *

REM

REM*****************************

REM* REPLACE NAME *

REM*****************************

REM

PR I NTTRB < 29 >"[ DOWN] UPDATING ALL RE
CORD 1 -' "

2420 IFI=NRTHENPRINTTAB<18>" CANNOT UPD
ATE! THIS WAS THE LAST RECORD"
2430 I F I =NRTHENFORJ= 1 TO2000 : NEXT : I =0 : GO
TO 1680
2440 F0RT=I+2T0NR+1

DATfl#l,(T)

INPUT* 1,DN*

DATA#l,<T-n

PRINT#1,DN*

REM

REM*****************************

REM* REPLACE PHONE NUMBER *

REM*****************************

REM

Continued from page 72

2450
2460
2470
2480
2490
2500
2518
2520
2538

70/Commander September 1983

'■ ••

MMUMtiMiMM

SEND FOR OUR CATALOG OF CBM 64 SOFTWARE. Over 1 50 different pieces of software and
accessories for the CBM 64. With full descriptions and screen pictures. Send $2.00 postage and
handling.

VIC - 20 SOFTWARE

MICRO SPEC

DATA BASE MGR $49.95

HOME INVENTORY 15.95

CHECKBOOK MANAGER 39 95

DATA MANAGER 1 7.95

CALC RESULT $1 39.95

3 Dimensional Electronic Spreadsheet with: built-in
graphics, on-line help menus, full arithmetic functions.
Boolean operations, and split screen/split window
features that allow you to view up to 4 different pages
at the same time- EXCELLENT -

SYSRES $79.95

Programmer's utility package gives you AUTO-NUM-
BER, RE- NUMBER MERGE SEARCH AND REPLACE
TRACE DUMP, FULL DOS SUPPORT, and even a
non-destructive disk directory
- MANY MORE FEATURES-
PAPERCLIP $1 25.00

Professional Word Processor. Full Screen Editing,
line length up to 1 26 char, using horizontal scrolling
supports any printer, even works on 80- column board.
This program does so much we can't list it - call for
more information.

M- FILE $99.95

A truly relational data base manager. Up to 1200
records in a file, all arithmetic operations, and super
report generation using search and sort

HES

HES WRITER $31.95

6502 PROF. DEV. SYS 26.95

GRIDRUNNER 31.95

SHAMUS 31.95

64 SOFTWARE

SPELLMASTER $89.95

Proofreading software for the C-64! Now with the
PaperClip and SPELLMASTER you can have it all in
word processing convenience and power. Expand-
able and easy.

DATA 20 VIDEO PAK 80 $164.95

Gives you a full 80 column screen display, plus
terminal emulation software (use with monochrome
monitor only). Compatible with PaperClip WP.

OTHER SERIOUS SOFTWARE

VISICALC $21 995

PET/SPEED BASIC COMPILER 149.95

QUICK BROWN FOX 54.95

MICRO SPEC CHECKBOOK 39.95

MICRO SPEC MAILING LIST. 44.95

MICRO SPEC INVENTORY 79.95

MICRO SPEC GEN/LEDGER. 79.95

MICRO SPEC PAYROLL 79.95

MICRO SPEC DATA BASE MGR 74.95

MINI JINI DATA BASE (CART.) 79.95

BUSICALC 69.95

'64 TERMINAL 24.95

TOTAL

TIME MANAGEMENT $24.95

MAILING LIST & LABELS 1 7.95

RESEARCH ASST. 24.95

GAMES

INFOCOM

STARCROSS $31 .95

ZORKI 31.95

ZORK II 31.95

ZORK III 31.95

DEADLINE 41.95

SUSPENDED 41.95

EPYX/AUTOMATED SIMULATIONS

TEMPLE OF APSHAI $34.95

UPPER REACHES OF APSHAI 1 7.95

CURSE OF RA 1 7.95

JUMPMAN 31 .95

SIERRA ON LINE

FROGGER $29.95

JAWBREAKER 21 .95

ACCESS SOFTWARE

NEUTRAL ZONE $29.95

SPRITE MASTER 28.95

TIME WORKS

WALL STREET. $2 1 .95

ROBBERS OF TH E LOST TOMB 2 1 .95

COMM'DATA

CETROPODS (D/Q $1 6.95

PAKACUDA(D/C) 16.95

SKETCH & PAINT 13.95

HARDWARE & ACCESSORIES

GEMINI 10X $399. 95

WITH CARDCO INTERFACE

tfcfcf

FOR VIC-20

OR COMMODORE 64

120 C.P.S, BIDIRECTIONAL, DOT

ADDRESSABLE GRAPHICS, ITALICS,

4 DIFFERENT PITCHES

COMMODORE 64 $249

COMMODORE 1541 DISK DRIVE 259

COMMODORE 1525 PRINTER 239

1 701 COLOR MONITOR 279.

1 520 4 COLOR PLOTTER 1 99

1 600 MODEM 99.

1 530 DATASETTE 60

COMMODORE 64 REF. MANUAL 17.!

GEMINI 10 PRINTER 349.

SCM TPI PRINTER 599.

CARDCO CARD INTERFACE 69

CARDCO CASSETTE INTERFACE 34

CARDCO LIGHT PEN 24.

*PLEASE INCLUDE AN ADDITIONAL S5.00 FOR SH!

95*

.95*
95*
95 *
95

95*

PPING

SOFTWARE

560 N. Mountain Ave., Suite L • Upland, CA91786 • (714) 981-5925

TO ORDER: Send check or money order plus $3.00 ($8.00 on indicated items) postage and handling. California
residents add 6% sales tax. VISA and MasterCard are accepted. Give account number and expiration date. All orders
shipped UPS Ground. Next-Day and Second-Day Service available. Call for prices.

MMmmnn

oiiuffli

22 B MILLERSTREET.BELFAST.MAINE04915

V (207)338-1410 <om*odork64e

Sottware & Accessories for the VIC-20

CARDBOARD/6: 6 Slot Expansion VIC . $79.99

CARDPRINT: Parallel Printer Interlace (or Vic or 64 $64.99

CARDRfTER: Light Pen with 6 good programs. Vic or 6d . .. $31.99

CARDADAPTER: Play Atari VCS Games on your Vic . . . . $74.99

CARDBOARD/3S: slot exp. -fused- switched -reset button . VIC $31.99

CARDETTE'1: Use standard cassette recorders on VIC/ 64 $31.99

— NEW FROM STAR MICRONICS —
80 COLUMN THERMAL PRINTER

HOW, & PRINTER THAT YOU CAN AFFORD. 60 CPS; Friction Feed,-

Blodc Graphics; Bi Directional Print Head; A5G1 + Eiropeorv thorocien.

ONLY $179.99 Plus 18.00 Shipping and Handling

GEMINI- 10 PRINTER ONLY $329.99 n u} sio.oos + h

Imerfece coble for printer! obove 124.99
INCLUDES DRIVER LISTING

GRID RUNNER: Avoid Droids Weapons and Annihilate them . $29.99

AGGRESSOR: Space Battle - Nine Levels VIC {39.99

TURTLE GRAPHICS: Easy to Learn Computer Lang vic/64 $33.99
QUEEN'S BEDROOM: Look lor Royal Treasure - Avoid Guards . $29.99
ROBOT PANIC: Battle your way through the Cosmos . . V ' K . . $J9.99
PIRATES PERIL: Adventure - Sensational Sound & Animation $29.99
HESMON:Mach Language Monitor - Assembler . VIC/64 $29. 99
HES WRITER: Surprisingly Complete Word Processing Cart . $29.99

WE HAVE COMMODORE'S COMPLETE EDUCATION LIBRARY
FOR THE PET/CBM-64. OVER 600 PROGRAMS ON 50 DISKS.
ONLY S9.99/ DISK. SEND S2.00 FOR 18 PAGE CATALOG-

SYNAPSE
mWAkHcUKI: Avoid Roma"! Ghost & Find Lost Treasure, Vic/64. $29.'

SUKVIVOK: Mulii-Ployer Cooperative Space Adventure, Vic/64 $29.'

SHAMUS: Four Levels of 32 Rooms, Adventure Game. Vic/64 $29.'

FT. APOCALTPSL Fly Helicopter & Capture Fuel & Weapons. Vic/64. $29."
PtOTKTQ* II: Get Your People 10 SAfety os Volcanoes Erupt. Vic/64$29.

sWi

— TRONIX -
«PtON: Predatory World of Killer Worms. Dragons. Traps. Vic.

. $33.9*

DCADLT SKIES: Guide Helicopter thru $mon Bombs. Ami- Aircraft, Vic$33.9<

GOLD FIVII: A Fortune Awoits. But So Does Grave Danger, Vic $33.9'

SIDE WINDER: Fast Action Arcade Type Game. Req- 8K Exp. , Vic $34.9'

SWARM: The Fostest Arcade Gome You've Seen, Cass. Vic $24.9'

GALACTIC BLITZ: 1 5 Different Enemy PoTterm, Coss. Vic $19.9

SKYLIGHT SOFTWARE

TAPE #1 - Canon Due! - Breakout - Runaround - Stockcar - Space
TAPE #2 - Targel Pistol - Space Dud - B29 - Tank - Roadblock
TAPE #3 - Sub Hunt - Blockade - Indy 500 - UFO - Jungle Diivet
$9.99 EACH <- ALL 15 GAMES ON ONE TAPE . . $25.00

Nifil COMMODORE 64 LIBRAST-DISK ON1T $29.M

BOMBER - POKER - BIACXJACX - 3D MA7E - TREASURE

ISLE ADV — 64 DATA MANAGER — SPRITE AID

FLIGHT SIMULATOR - 3 MILE ISLAND

- COMM DATA -

PAXACUDA: Eat Smaller Fish, Watch 4 Cxtopi. Vic/64 Cos $22.99

LOGGER: Move Lumberjack Across Trails& River. 64 Cass $22.99

APE CHASE; Jump or Climb Various Structures. Avoid Bombs. 64 . . . $22.99
ESCAPE MCP: Roce thru Moie. Avoid Main Control Program, 64 . . . $22.99
CENTROPODS: Defend Against Pods. Buuers. Missiles. Soucers. 64 $22.99

MISCELLANEOUS —

QUICK BROWN FOX: Professional Word Processing Cart VIC/64 $49.99
TOTL TEXT 2.0: Cass. - Basic Won) Processor . . VIC J19.99

TOTL TEXT 2Jj: Cass. - Advanced Word Processor - Req. SK Exp. . J". 99

TOTL LABEL: Cass. - Mailing Lisl . VIC/ 64 J16.99

RrlSEARCHASSISTAm:Cass.-Nc«ekeer^lc»TermPapers.elc. . $24.99

ROAD TOAD: Cass. - Uke Frogger VIC .... (16.99

MILLIPEDE: Cass. - Like Centipede Vic ... . S16.99

SOICIRErS APPRENTICE: Super-Graphics Utility Kit. Disk 64 (39.99

WRITER'S ASSISTANT: Powerful Disk Based Word Processor. 64 . (99.99

FILING ASSISTANT: Dato Monagemenr for all your needs. .64 S99.99

SPREADSHEET ASSISTANT: Visitype software for the 64 S99.99

COMMODORE LOOO: Similar to Apple logo. 64 SS4.99

VANILLA PILOT: Easy to use longuage. VIC or 64 SJ7.99

PET EMULATOR: Run many PET programs on 64 SJ7.99

IUSINESSMAN BTCMS: General Ledger, Runs on 1 Disk.. 64 S 109.99

(III PATER BTCMS: Accounts Poyable. Aging Reports. Print ChecksSII>9.99
BILL COLLECTOR BTCMS: Accounts Receivoble. Print Statements. . .S109.99
PATMASTER BTCMS: Payroll System. Print checks. Payroll register 1109.99
OALACTICCONOUEST:Req.SKE«p.-Slralegyaame-tto6 S 9.99
MARTIAN RAIDER: Intergalactjc ships in attack on Mars Vic. . $16.99
SHARK TRAP: Snare the sharks with atomic net or die . Vic . . $16.99
MULTI-SOUND SYNTHE SISER: Compose your ow n kind ol music $ 1 6.99
| - VICTORY - "|

ANNIHILATOI. Like Defender VIC/ 64 (17.99

KONGO KONG: Uke Donkey Kong VIC/ 64 $17.99

ADVENTURE PACK I: 5 Adventures VIC/ 64 (17.99

ADVENTURE PACK II: 5 Adventures VIC/ 64 (1 7.99

GRAVE ROMIRS: Graphic Adventure VIC/ 64 $14.99

ADD $2.00 FOR SHIPPING & HANDLING

ADO S2 CO FOR SHIPPING 6 HANCLWCJ

PRCES REFLECT J
CASHDeCOUNT i

ADD 3% FOR
CREDrt CARDS

rPuwvjusmcwan

Continued from page 70

-. I 2540 BflTfltti
%[ 2550

1^2560

^ 2570
2580

(T),

INPUTri,DP$
BfiTfl#l,<T-l>,35
PRINT* 1. DP*

NEKTT:I=0

REM

REM* RESET RECORD NUMBER *

REM**************************

REM

PRINT#1,NR-1

NR=NR-1 : GOTO 1680

REM

REM******************************

REM* SCRN FOR RECORD TO DELETE *

REM******************************

REM

PRINT" CDOWNJ [DOWN] LDOWN3 "

F0RT=2T0NR+1

DRTfl#l,<T>

INPUT#1,N$

IFN$-CHR$< 1 ';<THENT=T+1 = 1 = 1 + 1 : G0T027

2590

2600

2610

2620

2630

2640

2650

266S

2670

2680

2696

2700

2710

2720

2730

2740

2756

276©

2770 BPiTR#i,a>,35

2788 INPUT* 1,P$

2790 1=1+1

2800 PR I NT " RECORD* " I ;" "; H$, SPCO0)P*

2810 INPUT" CDG1JN 3 DELETE THIS RECORDCRIG

HT] [RIGHT] CRIGHTTNCLEFT] CLEFT] CLEFT] ";B

R4>

2820 IFDR$O"V"THEN2850

2830 INPUT "ARE YOU SUREC RIGHT] [RIGHT] CR

IGHT] V CLEFT] CLEFT] CLEFT] " ; BR$

2840 I FDR** " V " THENT=NR+ i 060 ; G0T02 1 80

2850 PR IHTDW*:PRINTSP$: PRINT "CUP] CUP]":

NEXTT

2860 IFT=HR+2THEHPRINTTflBC31>"END OF FI

LE"

2370

2330

2890

2900

2910

2920

2930

2940

2958

2960

2970

2930

RD"I

2990

3000

FORJ«iTO2000:NEXT

I=0:GOTO1688

REM

REM*

SCRN FOR OPEN RECORD

REM

F0RT=2T0NR+1

DflTR*i.,m

INPUT** 1,BL*

1 = 1+1

PR I NT "[ DOWN]

PRINTTREC31>"

I FBL*=CHR* C 1 ) THENT=NR+ 1 000 : G0T03B7

Continued from page 74

TABC31; "CHECKING RECO

72/Commander September 1983

AARDVARK L.T.D.
TRS-80 COLOR COMMODORE 64 VIC-20 SINCLAIR/TIMEX TI99/4A

QUEST - A NEW IDEA IN ADVENTURE
GAMES! Different from all the others.
Quest is played on a computer generated
map of Alesia. Your job is to gather men
and supplies by combat, bargaining, explor-
ation of ruins and temples and outright
banditry. When your force is strong enough,
you attack the Citadel of Moorlock in a
life or death battle to the finish. Playable
in 2 to 5 hours, this one is different every
time. TRS-80 Color, and Sinclair, 13K VIC-
20. Extended BASIC required for TRS-80
Color and T199/A. $19.95 each.

32K TRS 80 COLOR Version $29.95.
Adds a second level with dungeons and
more Questing.

Wizards!

WIZARDS TOWER - This is very similar to
Quest (see above). We added wizards, magic,
dragons, and dungeons to come up with a
Quest with a D&D flavor. It requires 16k
extended color BASIC. 13k VIC, Commo-
dore 64, TRS-80 16k Extended BASIC,
T199/A extended BASIC. $19.95 Tape,
$24.95 Disk.

Authors — Aardvark pays the highest com-
missions in the industry and gives programs
the widest possible advertising coverage.
Send a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope
for our Authors Information Package.

v- %m

ZEUS — It's fast and furious as you become
the WIZARD fighting off the Thurderbolts
of an angry ZEUS. Your Cone of Cold will
destroy a thunderbolt and your shield will
protect you — for a while. This is the best
and highest speed arcade action we have
ever done. Difficulty increases in wave after
wave, providing hours of challenging fun
and a game that you may never completely
master. Commodore 64, Vic20 (16k ex-
pander), and 16k TRS-80 Color Computer.
(ALL MACHINE CODE!)

$24.95 tape $29.95 disk. (Tape will not
transfer to disk.)

SEAWOLFE - ALL MACHINE CODE In
this high speed arcade game, you lay out
patterns of torpedoes ahead of the attacking
PT boats. Requires Joysticks, at least 13k
RAM, and fast reflexes. Lots of Color and
Sound. A fun game. Tape or Disk for Vic20,
Commodore 64, and TRS-80 Color. NOTE:
tape will not transfer to disk!
$24.95 Tape — $29.95 Disk.

ADVENTURES!!!

The Adventures below are written in BASIC,
are full featured, fast action, full plotted ad-
ventures that take 30-50 hours to play. (Ad-
ventures are interactive fantasies. It's like
reading a book except that you are the main
character as you give the computer, com-
mands like "Look in the Coffin" and "Light
the torch.")

Adventuring requires 16k on Sinclair,
and TRS-80 Color. They require 8k on OSI
and 13k on VIC-20. Now available for TI99.
Any Commodore 64.

$19.95 Tape - $24.95 Disk.

ESCAPE FROM MARS

(by Rodger Olsen)
This ADVENTURE takes place on the RED
PLANET. You'll have to explore a Martian
city and deal with possibly hostile aliens to
survive this one. A good first adventure.

PYRAMID (by Rodger Olsen)
This is our most challenging ADVENTURE.
It is a treasure hunt in a pyramid full of
problems. Exciting and tough !

Dungeons of Death — This is the first D&D
type game good enough to qualify at Aard-
vark. This is serious D&D that allows 1 to 6
players to go on a Dragon Hunting, Monster
Killing, Dungeon Exploring Quest. Played
on an on-screen map, you get a choice of
race and character (Human, Dwarf, Soldier,
Wizard, etc.), a chance to grow from game
to game, and a 15 page manual. 16k Ex-
tended TRS-80 Color, 13k VIC, Commo-
dore 64. At the normal price for an Adven-
ture ($19.95 tape, $24.95 disk), this is a
give-away.

Dealers — We have a line of about 100 origi-
nal programs for the machines listed here.
We have High speed Arcades, Quality Ad-
ventures, Word processors and Business
Software for Small machines. Better yet,
we have excellent Dealer support. Phone for
information.

Send $1 .00 for Complete Catalogue - Please specify system on all orders - $2.00 Shipping Charge on each order

AARDVARK L.T.D. 1-800-624-4327
2352 S. Commerce, Walled Lake, Ml 48088 / (313) 669-3110
Phone Orders Accepted 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST. Mon.-Fri.

M °sterCc

COMMAND-BOARD

Show us how you command your
favorite computer game. We want
you to put your best effort on
record in the COMMAND-
BOARD. To show the Com-
modore world your best score
send your entries to:

COMMAND-BOARD
P.O. Box 98827
Tacoma, WA 98498

All entries must be received by the
first of the month to be eligible for
the following month.

SCORE PLAYER
KEY QUEST

74,798 * Darrell Eastman, Tacoma, WA

24,962 Nick Blenkush, Santa Monica,

CA
VIDEO VERMIN
10,164,437 * Richard Seemayer, Fresh

Meadows, N.Y.
2,150,836 Darrell Eastman, Tacoma, WA

GRIDDER
45,678 * Nick Blenkush, Santa Monica, CA

FROGGEE
65,425 * Keith Floyd, Belt, MT

WANTED!

Game
Programmers

Enter your original

Recreational Listings to

COMMANDER and receive

CASH

MERCHANDISE

PEER RECOGNITION

Enter as many games as you
like: Submit your game(s) on
cassette tape or disk to
Games, Commander Maga-
zine, P.O. Box 98827, Tacoma,
WA 98498.

74/Commander September 1983

Continued irosr. page 72

3010 PRINT" CUP] CUP] CUP] CUP]"
3026 NEXTT
3030 PR I NT "C DOWN]"

3040 PR I NT " C DOWN ]" TAB < 23) "NO EMPTY RECO
RDS PRESENT" : 1=0
3050 FOR J= 1 TO3O00 : NEXT
3060 G0T0488
3070 REM

3030 REM******************************
3090 REM* FILL IN EMPTY RECORDS *
3 1 00 REM******************************
3110 REM

3120 PR I NT " C CLEAR ]" TAB i 22)" RECORD BEING
PLACED INTO RECORD #"I

3 1 30 PR I NT TAB ( 22 ) " ~~

3140 INPUT"NAME";N$

3150 IFN$="END ,, THENI=0:GOTO260

3160 INPUT"PHONE";P*

3170 PRINT

3130 PR I NT "NAME ";H$" PH0NE# "

' P$

3190 PRINT

3200 INPUT "CORRECT <Y OR N) [RIGHT] [RIG

HT] CRIGHT]YCLEFT] CLEFT] CLEFT] " ; C$

32 1 I FC*<> " Y " THENGOT03 1 20

3220 DATA#1,U + 1>

3230 PRINT#1,N$

3240 DAT A# 1 , < I + 1 ) , 35

3250 PRINT#1,P$

3260 ER=1 •' GOTO730

3270 REM

3230 REM******************************

3290 REM* MENU FOR EDITING RECORDS *

3300 REM******************************

3310 REM

3320 PRINT"CCLEAR]"TAB';31)"EDIT RECORDS

":LINE=3

3330 PRINTTAE<31)" "

3340 PRINT

3350 PR I NTT ABC 31 )" CREV]NC OFF ]RMEC DOWN]"

3360 PRINTTAB<31)"CREV]PC0FF]H0NECD0WN]
ii

3370 PR I NT TAB C3 1 ) " C REV ] S C OFF ] CAN C DOWN ] "

3330 PRINTTABC31)"CREV3BCOFF]ACK TO MEN

3390 GET A* : I FA$= " " THEN3399

3400 I F A$0 " N " ANDASO " P " AND fl$<> " S " AND A$

O"B"THEN3320

3410 PRINT

3420 IFA$="N"THENTM$-"NAME" : P=l : X=35 = N=

l:GOTO3460

3430 I FA$= " P " THENTM** " PHONE " : P=35 : X= 1 : H

=0 = GOTO3460

3440 IFA$="S"THEN3770

3450 GOTO260 To be continued on page 76

^jfm^smm^

zxsmtt

&W*

Ofak jfebL Akfe JMfe j^A f

•^p*mm**^*timt*4m

■

^t7T5^

"»

• 'V.

ndhabolical Ninjas have

. irea" -the- Master and his

A - .' daughter!

-, ^.h<.'«>" -^%J%ust avenge the foul
f' ••»5*Sk& A'-X'Vv crime!

■ pghj^yaur way through
cCessive doors to
different worlds

>,rent weapons!
._Hbcis arcade action
i^*?J<^^ ; O animation!
is'-- i< IT - k v '"Tfom ttie master of liqht,
l A -S^'^ . sound-.and action!
\V Joystick required.

■•".-.'•v>.

ZiSf&g-'jffil

'.■..V..14; :•"£..*
.•. v .^:. , ^

$ J4.95

Just released for the Commodore 64® Also available - Surf, and Particle Beam War.
See your local dealer, or order direct from:

PHANTOM

Software

1116-A8th St.

* - ■ f « -vj ** :

Suite 155 • Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 • (213)379-8686
Send Check or Money Order.
Specify Tape or Disk. Add $2.00 for shipping. Calif, residents add 6.5% tax

mbk*"-*-. :-.■-:«?*,-

;(PnMm*ft .

VIAC/VAAB

VIAC-VIC INTERFACE to ANY CASSETTE

This adapter will allow you to connect most any
audio tape recorder to the VIC-20. COM-64 or any
Commodore computer with a cassette interlace.
Although the VIAC is a low cost alternative to the
Datasette. you may want a VIAC even if you already
own a Datasette because it can be a powerful
enhancement to your system providing new and
exciting capabilities.

• Make backup copies of any tape directly with
another cassette that will be compatable with the
Datasette due to our unique polarity switching
feature.

Rf.cord verbal remarks directly on program tape
and playback under program control.

• Has audio earphone jack and LED data mdicatoi
Can be used as an external controller lor low

voltage/current switching applications.
Emulates all the leatures of the Datasette but C3n
do so much more! You can pay more or less for
other cassette adapters but you can not buy
another unit with all the features and capabilities of
the VIAC. Full money back guarantee if not
completely satisfied. The VIAC is only available ful
ly assembled for $44.95.

************************
VAAB-VIDEO AUDIO ADAPTER BOX
Provides easy access to Video/Audio Dm Jack of
the VIC-20, COM-64, TI99/4 and Atari 800 even
with TV modulator plugged in.

Record & playback audio/video directly from
computer to external audio or video recorder.

• Provide easy connec'ion to monitor with
standard RCA plugs eliminating need lor ex
pensive video adapter cable.

• When used in conjunction with the VIAC, you
can playback your own voice recorded on your
program tapes through the TV speaker.
You will find many more innovative applications
(or this versatile device.

The VAAB is only $24.95, KM: $15.95, Plans only
$5.95. Combo Special VIAC/VAAB $64.95
Include $2.50 shipping per order. Check, Money
Order, COD (+ 2.00), Visa/MC(+4%).CaliH + 6% tax)

INTEGRATED CONTROLS (714)641-0181

1240-L LOGAN AVE. Dealer Inquiries Invited

COSTA MESA. CA 92626

Circle No. 87

COMMODORE 64
OWNERS ONLY

• SHARE • LEARN • ENJOY •

• Monthly Newsletter

• Public Domain Software

• Reports of Recent 64 Articles

• Local Chapter Meetings

• Product Discounts

• Service Advice

• Bi-Monthly Magazine

• Advice on Training

• Annual Convention

• Member Bulletin Board

Send Name, address,

phone no. and annual

dues ($25) to:

The Commodore 64 Users Group

Suite 100, Corporate West

4200 Commerce Court

Lisle, Illinois 60532

Or Call:

(312) 369-6525 (Weekdays
9:00am— 5:00pm— Central Time)

MASTERCARD OR VISA ACCEPTED
"An Independent not-for-profit organization".

Continued from page 74

3468
3470
3480
3490
3500
3510
3520
3530
3540
3550
3560
3570
3530
3530
3600
3610
3620
3630
3640
3650
3666
3670

REM

REM* EDIT BY FIELD *

REM*********:***************;*****

REM

PRINT 1, ED0UN]"TM$;

INPUTRS*

F0RT=2TQNR+1

DflTfi#i,<T>.. <p:>

INPUT#1,PR$

IFPR$~RS$THENG=T : T=NR+1000

1 = 1 + 1

NEXTT

IFT=NR+2THEN162B

DftTfl#l^C),<X>

INPUT#1,PN*

PRINTTflBOl ) "RECORD NUMBER" I

PRINTTflB<31>" "

I FNTHENPR I NTPRSTFlB C 30 > PH* : GOTO3660

PRINTPN*TflB(30)PR*

INPUT "EDIT THIS RECORBLRIGHTHRIGH
T]V CLEFT] CLEFT] CLEFT] " ; ER$
3680 I FER$<> " Y " THEN I «8 : GOTG3320
3690 INPUT "ARE YOU SURE ERIGHTK RIGHT] Y
CLEFT] CLEFT] CLEFT] " ; ER*

3700 IFER*0"Y
GOTO3390
REM

'THENI=0:GGTQ3

3710

3720

3730

3740

3750

3760

3770

3780

3790

3800

3310

3320

3S30

3840

3850

3860

REM* SCAN FOR RECORD TO EDIT

REM

PR I NT " C DOWN H DOWN]"

F0RT-2T0NR+1

DflTB#l#<T>

INPUT#1,N*

IFN*=CHR$< 1 >THENT«T+1

DflTfl#l,CT),35

INPUT#1,P*

1=1 + 1

PR I NT "RECORD* "I;

I-I+1'G0T037

INPUT" t DOWN] ED IT

1 ";N$,SPC<10>P$
THIS REC0RDERIGHT

] CRIGHT]NCLEFT] CLEFT] CLEFT] " j ER$
3879 IFER*O"Y"THEN3900

76/Commander September 1983

3880 INPUT "ARE VOU SURE [RIGHT] [RIGHT ]VC

LEFT] [LEFT H LEFT] " ; ER*

3890 I FER$= " V " THENT=NR+ 1 000 : G0T0399S

3380 PRIHTDUf •■FRINTSP$:FRIHT"uUP][UP]" :

NEXTT

3910 IFT=NR+2THEHPRINTTflE(31>"EHD OF FI

LE"

3920

3930

3940

3950

3960
3970

3990

4000

4010

4020

4830

FQRJ=1TG2000:NEXT

I~0:GUTO3320

REM

REM* EDIT RECORD *

REM*****************************

REM

INPUT" NAME M ;H»

I FN*= " END " THEN I =0 : GOTO3320

INPUT "PHONE ";P$

PR I NT" NAME ";N*" PHONEtt '

INPUT "CORRECT CV OR H) [RIGHT] [RIGH
T ] V[ LEFT ][ LEFT ][ LEFT ]".;C$
4040 IFC$C>"V" THEN 1=0 : GOTO3320

PR I NTTflB <31 ) "RECORD UPDATED"

FORJ=1TQ2000:NEXTJ

DflTfl#l,<I+l)

PRINT#1,N$

DflTflttl, CI+D/35

PRINT#1,P$

I=0:GOTO3320

REM

REM*****^*********************'***

REM* READ IN RECORDS FOR SORT *

REM****'*******'******i********#****

REM

PR I NT " [ CLEAR ] " : PR I NTTflB < 32 > " [ UP 3 C U
P][ REV] READING FILEC0FF3"
4180 Ol :F0RT=2T0NR+1
4190 DRTfi#l,Cn
4200 I NPUTtt 1 , N$ : S 1 $ <C > =H$
42 1 I FNf =CHR* C 1 > THENPR I NTTflB < 29 ) " RECOR
D #"1 + 1" EMPTY" :EM=l:T=NR+1000--GOTO4240
4220 BATfl#i,<T>,35

INPUT#1 J P$:S2$<C>=P$

1 = 1 + 1 -X=C+1

NEXTT

N*0-.I«0-K«0

I FEMTHENPR I NTTflB C 16 V [ DOWN ] [ RE V ]CFl

SORT UNTIL EMPTY RECORDS UPDATED CO

4056
4060
4070
4030
4090

4100

4110
4120
4130
4140
4150
4160
4170

4230
4240
4250
4260
4270
NNOT
FF3"

To be continued on page 80

ft commodore

SUPER-MART

••••••••••••••

SSS SAVE TIME & MONEY SSS

HANNA ENTERPRISES

1303 COLUMBIA DR suite 207
Richardson Texas 75081

TO ORDER CALL (214)

231-2645 [IN TEXAS)

800-527-1738 (OUTSIDE TEXAS)

MasterCard & Visa accepted

add 3% surcharge for credit cards

F.O B. Dallas. Texas

9:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. (m-f)

10:30 a m. - 2:30 p m. sat

COMMODORE COMPUTERS

B-500-128k $777.20

PET 64 $627.50

8032 $627.50

8096 $876.25

9000 Super Pet $1071.25

c-64 $233.00
Executive 64 Dortable CALL

COMMODORE
DISK DRIVES

1541 (170k) $250.50

2031 $311.00

4040 (340k) $657.85

8050 (1mg) $981.90

8250 (2mg) $1226.50

9060 hard disk (5mg) $2040.00

9090 hard disk (7.5mg) $2290.00

COMMODORE PRINTERS

1525(30cps) $238.75

1526(100cps) $343.95

4023 CBM (100cps) $330.95

8023(160cps) $537.95

6400 daisy wheel CBM $1417.75

new! 1520 plotter printer $178.50

COMMODORE
PERIPHERALS

1701 color monitor $249.95

d 600 modem $59.30

C1650 automatic modem $94.50

Datasette 1530 $58.50

CBM 64k memory board $246.95

Super Pet upgrade board $488.95

Cables PET-IEEE $34.95

Cables IEEE-IEEE $42.95

COMMODORE
SOFTWARE FOR CMB

Wordpro4t or 5^ $305.00

Visicalc (Expanded) $195.00

BPI G/L A/R A/P Inv. etc $320 ea.

MANAGER (database) $195.00
C64 SOFTWARE:

Easy script $99.95

Easy mail $49.95

Word/name machine $29.95

Logo $99.95

Pilot $99.95

Music machine $29.95

Music composer $29.95

«r#

Continued from page 77

428Q IFEMTHENEM=0 : GOTO 1568

4298 REM

4300 REM******************************

4310 REM* SORT ALL RECORDS *

4320 REM******************************

4339 REM

4340 PR I NTT AB < 35 > " C REV ] C DOWN 3 SORT I HO C OF
F3CDOWN3"

4350 C=C-l:REM CORRECT FOR LAST TIME TH

ROUGH LOOP

4368 FORJ-lTOC-1

4370 FORK-J+1TOC

43S0 IFS 1 $< J ) <S 1 $ < K > GOTO4420

4390 T1*=S1$<J>:T2$=S2$U):REM SRVE TWO

TEMP STRINGS
4408 Sl*<J>*Sl*<fO:S2*<J>*S2*0O: REM S
WITCH VALUES
4410 S1*(K)=T1*:S2*(K)*T2* = REM RESTORE

TEMP
4420 NEXTK

4430 PR I NT " -" ; : NEXT J : K*0
4440 REM

4450 REM*******************************
**
4460 REM* UPDATE SORTED LIST TO FILE

*
4470 REM*******************************
**

4480 REM

4490 PR I NT : PR I NTTflB < 30 > " C DOWN 3 [ RE V ] OR I T
ING NEW FILE [OFF 3"
4500 F0RT=2TQNR+1
4510 DATAttlAT;-
4528 PRINT#1,S1$<T-1)
4530 DATA#l,a;<,35
4540 PRINT#1,S2$<T-1>
4550 MEXTt

4560 PRINTTABC21 > " C DOWN 3 C DOWN 3 C REV 3 -ECO
RDS SORTED AND WRITTEN TO FILECOFF3CDOW
N3"
4570 GOTO 1560

READV.

80/Commander September 1983

24K

MEMORY

EXPANSION

BOARD

\& VIC-20"

ORDER FACTORY DIRECT

$119.95

ADD $2.00 FOR POSTAGE & HANDLING
TEXAS RESIDENTS ADD 5% SALES TAX

PLUGS INSIDE VIC-20
LEAVES EXPANSION SLOT FREE
- USES HIGHEST QUALITY PARTS
90 DAY WARRANTY
COMPLETELY ASSEMBLED
NO SOLDERING

Dunamic Technologies

2104 CHALICE ROAD
ARLINGTON, TEXAS 76014

(817) 261-8363

VIC-20 is a registered TM of Commodore Business Machines

Circle No. 93

CANT MAKE ENDS MEET?

We couldn't either. At least, not until 1978 when we
began connecting RS-232 devices to IEEE-488
computers with our family of serial interfaces. Three
units available for use with Commodore's PET/CBM,
the HP-85, Osborne-1 and others, plus our auto-
answer/auto-dial 103 Modem, automatic calling unit
(Operator), and data communications software. All with
cabinet, one-year warranty, documentation. Priced
from $129-389. Details from George Masters:

#TNW

Dept. C, 3444 Hancock St., San Diego, CA 921 10

(619) 296-21 15 • TWX 910-335-1194

VISWMasterCard • Dealer Inquiries Welcome

Circle No. 73

FLOPPY DISK STORAGE

PROTECT AND STORE FILE BOX

UNIQUE DESIGN WITH PULL OUT
DRAWER FOR FILING EASE

STORES 5" DISKS
MODULAR DESIGN
LABELS INCLUDED
STACKABLE

RETAIL PRICE

ORDER ONE FOR
GET 2ND FOR

2 FOR ONLY

$19.95

$19.95
9.95

$29.95

A $39.95 VALUE

DEALERS INQUIRIES WELCOME

TO ORDER PHONE
OR WRITE

"DISKETTES**

DOUBLE DENSITY

VERBATIM DATALIFE

FIVE YEAR WARRANTY

ONLY $25.00 BOX OF 10

C.O.D. Orders add $3.00

LYNN COMPUTER SERVICE

6831 West 1 57th Street Tinley Park, Illinois 60477
(312)429-1915

- — ^^^^ ^^^^ \

|| BankAmericard J

master charge J

, pi ,v/sa..

b ^b^m

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Circle No. 70

Commander September 1983/81

Memorial

We at Commander would like
to dedicate our September issue
to the memory of Mr. Neil
Omvedt. Neil was one of our first
writers on staff and made many
valuable contributions to Com-
mander Magazine. His experience
and knowledge will be missed by
many.

1541 Disk Drive

Dear Sir:

The article in your July 1983
issue (page 40) about the Com-
modore 1540/1541 disk drive writ-
ten by R. G. Partner of Federal
Way, Washington was well writ-
ten and very welcome reading
material for a lot of us frustrated
owners. I hope that the expres-
sion of possible follow-on articles
comes true.

I have been using the 1541 with
my Commodore 64 constantly
since the beginning of the year
and am quite pleased with it.

Your readers should be aware
that the Commodore 1541 User's
Manual ranks as one of the worst
computer technical publications I
have seen. It is full of typos, er-
rors and just plain confusion. My
recommendation is that it be read
for some rather good ideas but
that it should be taken with a
grain of salt. It starts in the begin-
ning of the manual with the state-
ment that one should never
remove the disk when the green

82/Commander September 1983

light is on (the power indicator), is
badly written throughout and
ends with contradictory descrip-
tions of the directory header lay-
out.

My advice is to read all of the
user submitted articles you can
get your hands on, starting with
"So You Bought a Disk Drive!?"
To save some confusion, al-
though the article mentioned the
ability to perform a directory com-
mand with only "$" or "$0", I've
found that, at least with the 64, I
must prefix it with the ">" or the
"@". Also the article states that
in loading a machine code pro-
gram at its original address, one
must use the LOAD "program
name",8,1 command. Using "@"
or" %" will perform the function
nicely, e.g., % program name.
While that command may be used
with the DOS shorthand, I have
not found an equivalent for
VERIFY "program name",8.
Sincerely,
David CampbellD

White Flashes

Dear Commander,

In regards to the "white flash-
es" in the C-64, I found the
answer to my problem in the
schematic of the Programmer's
Guide. After studying the video
circuit, I bought a 220 pf capacitor
from Radio Shack (2/39<p) and in-
serted it. My "white flashes" are
gone forever.

Incidentally, I have one of the
latest mother boards that has
holes for one or two (future?)
chips so I am sure the "white
flashes" are not restricted only to
older boards.

Sincerely, Toshiro KatsuraD
Dear Editor,

In your June issue, two letters
were published stating that my
problem with white flashes on the
C-64 screen should be referred
back to the dealer. I did just that
and was given a new C-64, pre-
tested by the dealer in 5 days.
There was no exchange fee of any
sort— just sympathy and prompt
handling of the problem.

My dealer was Professional
Micro Service of Baltimore, MD,
who also introduced me to Com-
mander Magazine.
Thank you!
Vincent J. Mooney, Jr.

Recorded Phone Messages
Give VIC-20 Advice

You can get help for your Commodore
VIC-20 by dialing a series of recorded
voice messages at (206) 935-7032. Twenty
different messages are available. Each
time you hang up and redlal you get a dif-
ferent message. In addition, the entire
series is changed every week.

In addition to advice, space is available
for your own personal messages on this
hotline. If you have a Computer product or
service to sell, mall a cassette recording
of your own message to Gazaway, VIC-20
Computer Club, 790634th Ave. S.W., Seat-
tle, WA 98126 and the club will try to in-
clude your message on the recorded
message hotline. There is no charge for
this service. □

Microcomputers: How They Will

Affect Our Homes Today

And In the Future

by Arthur J. Dudley

With the advent of the micro-
processor, we have been thrust
into a technological revolution.
Within the next few years, we will
witness advances in the micro-
computing industry which will
significantly affect not only our
work environment but our lives at
home. I believe computers will
cause significant changes in
three general areas relating to the
home environment. They are 1)
education, 2) data retrieval, and 3)
financial transactions.

Current predictions forecast
that by 1985, approximately 85%
of the homeowners will own
some brand of microcomputer.
Using price and product quality
as a basis, it seems highly pro-
bable that this prediction will
come true. Prices are dropping at
a staggering rate with little or no
sacrifice in quality. Hardware and
software companies are coming
into being on a daily basis, and
many are meeting with success.
This demonstrates a truly com-
petitive market; a market that will
continue to grow and prosper in
the years to come.

Education

Microcomputers will continue
to play a major role in education,
both in school and at home. Soft-
ware presently on the market will

make learning less tedious and
more enjoyable. In addition, the
teacher's needs are also the con-
cern of software developers.
Teachers will be able to purchase
software packages which will
assist them in areas of exam
preparation, student evaluation,
and curriculum development all
at a touch of a few buttons.

If you have children and are
wondering what to do with your
Commodore computer, the an-
swer is simple. Use it as a learn-
ing tool. For some strange and in-
explicable reason, the younger
generation seems to have a
strong affinity for the computer.
They can relate to it, they accept
it, and by all means they will use
it. So as a parent, here is your
chance to teach your child
without all the pain and anguish.
One word of caution. Before you
purchase educational software,
gather all the information you can
on the product to insure it meets
your needs. This rule of thumb
should be applied to all your soft-
ware purchases whether for per-
sonal or business applications.

We are going to see the day
when a student can take an exam,
research a term paper, or attend
class in the comfort of his home.

Data Retrieval

Huge integrated data bases
and artificial intelligence (a pro-
cess by which computers will
simulate human reasoning) are
around the corner. These two
areas are receiving large amounts
of attention from computer spe-
cialists and government officials.
One reason for their interest is
the realization that the Japanese
are also making significant gains
in the same two areas. The in-
volvement of the Japanese and
United States in computer
technology further demonstrates
the intense competition charac-
teristic of the computer industry.

Integrated data bases and arti-
ficial intelligence will affect our
lives in many ways. To name a
few. . .

1) We will be able to research
topics and collect data at our
home in a matter of minutes. No
longer will visiting the library and
searching through endless card
files be necessary.

2) High level programming lan-
guages based on our own English
language will be available. Users
will not have to learn how to pro-
gram to develop custom applica-
tions; all that will be necessary is
literally to tell the computer what
is needed in everyday ter-

Commander September 1983/83

minology and the program will be
created automatically.

3) We will see advanced speech
understanding systems. This in-
cludes voice input, speaker iden-
tification, and speech response.
The keyboard will become obso-
lete.

4) Applied picture and image
understanding systems will be
available. We will be able to store
and retrieve images of three
dimensional objects with a com-
puterized system.

5) Access to an endless wealth
of information such as travel in-
formation, federal and local news,
weather reports, sports informa-
tion, job opportunities, scientific
data. . .Newspapers as we know
them today will become a thing of
the past.

When will all this come into
play? It is happening now. There
are services currently available
such as CompuServe, Omnet,
NewsNet, Dow Jones News/Ret-
rieval Service. . .that allow us ac-
cess to large data bases for a
reasonable fee. Even as impres-
sive as these services are, they
are still in their infancy. I believe
by the late 1990's we will reach a
stage that accessing huge data
bases will be as common place as
using the telephone is today. Fur-
thermore, as telecommunication
methods improve and as com-
puters become more common in
the home, a gradual shift in the
workplace will occur. Profes-
sionals will be able to perform
their routine and everyday tasks
at the breakfast table via their ter-
minal. As a result, we as a society
will have greater flexibility, will
become more efficient, and will
be able to accomplish a great
deal more in our profession and
daily activities.
Financial Transactions

Of all the various computer ap-
plications, this is the most con-
troversial. Imagine a society in
which all transactions are done
electronically without the need
for paper money and checks. To
some people this is disturbing; to
others, a convenience. This ap-
plication is downstream a bit, not
because of technology but pri-

84/Commander September 1983

marily because of cost. A conver-
sion from our present system to a
computerized system will be
done gradually over a period of
time.

Let us take a look at some of
the advantages and disadvan-
tages of "electronic money".

Disadvantages:

1. Since all transactions will be
done electronically, access to our
financial affairs can be more easi-
ly obtained by individuals or
organizations. Regulations will
need to be established defining
guidelines and restrictions, but
consumers will still experience a
loss of privacy from a financial
perspective.

2. Sophisticated computerized
fraud is extremely difficult to
detect. Complex computer sys-
tems will be understood only by a
few; therefore, crimes dealing
with money transactions will be
committed only by a few of those
individuals who understand the
system. The Federal Government
realizes the significance of this
problem and is currently taking
positive steps towards its preven-
tion.

3. Detecting and correcting
transaction errors may be dif-
ficult. This is evident in our pre-
sent day systems. However, with
proper planning and systems
design, this can be avoided.

4. Since all transactions will be
recorded, we may lose more pri-
vacy than realized. You can gain
large amounts of information on
an individual by knowing what
he/she purchases. Strict federal
controls must be established on
this matter.

Advantages

1. Since paper money will
become obsolete and products
coded, theft, robbery, and burg-
lary will be reduced considerably.

2. Federal and local law en-
forcement agencies will easily be
able to apprehend fugitives by
gaining access to their com-
puterized transaction records.

3. Consumers will be able to
obtain loans faster and easier.
Major purchases such as buying a
car or home could be accomplish-
ed in a fraction of the time.

4. Sophisticated and effective
financial management packages
will be made available to help the
consumer stay within their bud-
get.

5. Businesses will not lose
money because of bad credit, bad
checks, or non payment of bills.

6. Consumers will not have to
be concerned with the payment of
bills— this will be done auto-
matically.

With any newfound concept or
idea, there are advantages and
disadvantages. From an overall
standpoint, computers do pose
problems. But their ability to help
with everyday tasks and make
lives easier far outweigh any
disadvantages. A computer is a
tool, a bit complex maybe, but
still a tool. As long as it is
remembered that we are the con-
trolling force, problems will be
minimized and our living stan-
dards will be improved. If you
have just purchased a Commo-
dore computer, you will soon
realize its applications are end-
less, and as a result, life a little
easier. □

Intelligent Software For
Commodore Computers

Copycalc Is an affordable electronic
spread-sheet which turns your video screen
Into a window on a matrix of numbers. Cur-
sor around the matrix, enter numbers; the
totals reflect the changes. You can save the
matrix to disk or tape, or print It or your
printer. For S20 (S 1 5 with another program),
this program might justify the cost of your
computer. Requires 6k RAM; smaller version
available for a standard VIC.

Word Processor Plus was not designed
to be an expensive toy; It was designed
solely to facilitate, correspondence, for a
wide range of personal and business uses,
quickly and easily, with a minimum of train-
ing and frustration on the part of its user,
and at the least possible cost, both In hard-
ware and software. The most thoroughly
tested, useable word processor available
at anywhere near the price, $25; 10k RAM,
printer req'd.; RS-232C version available for
VIC and 64.

Also available: Baseball Manager, a
sports-documentation program; and Inven-
tory, a perpetual Inventory control program
for a small retail business (various reports,
multiple vendors); $30 each; 10k RAM
req'd., printer suggested.

All programs will load and run on any
Commodore computer; all support tape,
disk, and printer.

Prices include documentation and ship-
ping; Calif, residents add 6%. Please
specify hardware configuration when
ordering. Sorry, no games available.

Wllkwi Bobbin*. Sox 374S. San total, CA 94912

Circle No. 21

Relieve it or not,.

THE ACCODNTING SYSTEM YOO NEVER ODT GROW

GOLDEN ACCOUNTING SYSTEMS - foe the Commodore 8032

Start with one Commodore 8032, one 8050 disk drive, and one
printer, and grow to sixteen Computers, six floppy or
Winchester (mix or match) disk drives, and two printers.

99 locations (or funds)

99 departments

12 digit account numbers

No account predefined

Open year accounting system

Full year detail may be on line

Full detail postings

All modules interlock

All files user defined

Fill in the blanks screens

Operator instructions on screen

On screen curser control

Job Queing

Output spooling

Dealers inquiries invited

Corporate & Funded Versions

General ledger

Accounts Receivable

Accounts Payable

Payrol 1

Purchase Order

Util ity Bill ing

Corporate only
Inventory (lot based)
Point of Sale
Client Write up
Job Costing
Time Accounting
Route Sales Inventory

B.E.B. Systems, Inc.
11430 Bissonnet, C-l
Houston Texas, 77099
713 - 530 - 2515

Circle No. 68

THE VIC 4C/8C VI DEC CARTRIDGES

Quantum Data. Inc. produces two 40/80 Video Cartridges for the Commodore V1C-20 computer. The Video
Cartridge which does not contain memory, and the Video Combo Cartridge which contains 16K
composed of eight 6116 CMOS memory chips.

The 40/80 Video Cartridge or the 40/80 Video Combo Cartridge Is the means to upgrade the VIC-
computer to a 40 * 24 or an 80 * 24 character display, (black and white composite video). This provides a
wealth of new uses for the VIC-20 and with the appropriate software you con now accomplish quality word
processing and various business functions that previously were difficult to achieve with only the VIC s
standard £2 character video display. These Cartridges are compatible with QUICK 8ROUUN FOX and TOR
Text 2.5 word processing programs. Both Cartridges feature screen printing routine and a terminal emulator
routine which ore written in BASIC so that you con odd these capabilities to your programs.

ether Cartridges can be plugged Into the memory expansion port of the VIC- 20 or an expansion chassis. The
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Circle No 36

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Subroutines

toy £r/c Giguere

Part IX

In many ways an assembly lan-
guage program may resemble a
BASIC program. Probably the
most prevalent is their use of
subroutines. Subroutines are fre-
quently used blocks of code set
off from and called by the main
code of the program. When it is
finished executing it returns to
the part of the program that called
it. Subroutines are used to save
memory and clarify the program.
In BASIC a subroutine is called by
the instruction GOSUB (for GOto
SUBroutine) and a line number. In
assembly language it is called by
the instruction

JSR address
JSR stands for Jump to Subrou-
tine and 'address' represents the
memory location the subroutine
starts at. Upon encountering the
JSR the computer would start ex-
ecuting the code at 'address' until
it was told to return to where it
came from. In BASIC we use the
statement RETURN whereas
assembly language uses

RTS
or Return from Subroutine. This is
basically all you need to know on
how to call and return from a
subroutine— just use a JSR and
end the subroutine with an RTS.
Let's explore some uses for
subroutines.

Uses of Subroutines

When is a subroutine useful?
Usually when a routine is ex-
ecuted more than once or twice.
At this time it may be advan-
tageous to move the routine
somewhere else in memory and
call it as a subroutine. For exam-
ple, say you wanted to display the
message "Hit any Key to Con-
tinue" on the screen and wait for
the user to hit a key. If you didn't
use a subroutine you might end
up with a couple of hundred bytes
of identical code spread through-
out the program. Executing it as a
subroutine saves memory and
makes your program more effi-
cient. Each time you needed the
message displayed you simply
use a JSR to the proper location.
It sure saves a lot of hassle.

Subroutines may also call other
subroutines to execute other
functions. Our previous example
of a message-displaying subrou-
tine could perhaps call another
subroutine to display the
message and would only do the
other half itself (wait for a key to
be pressed). It's all up to the pro-
grammer to decide how the sub-
routines should work.

The KERNAL

No, we're not talking about
fried chicken. The KERNAL is a

table at the top of memory in all
Commodore machines that ac-
cesses certain functions in the
computers, mostly input/output.
A JSR to any of these locations
will execute that function and
then return to the calling pro-
gram. For example, one of the
most used routines is the one at
$FFD2 (65490 decimal). This
routine prints the ASCII value of
the accumulator to the screen at
the present cursor location. This
means that if the accumulator
holds $41 (65) and you do a JSR
$FFD2 the character 'A' will be
printed to the screen, just as if
you did a PRINT ASC(65) from
BASIC. All of these locations are
the same in every Commodore
computer to provide compatibility
between machines. Several of the
most useful routines you can call
are:

CHROUT ($FFD2)— outputs the
ASCII value of the accumulator to
the screen

CLOSE ($FFC3) — close a
specified logical file (number of
file in accumulator')

GETIN ($FFE4)-get the next
character in the keyboard buffer

OPEN ($FFC0)— open a logical
file

READST ($FFB7)— read the
status variable ST

Commander September 1983/87

STOP ($FFE1)— check to see if
STOP key is pressed
There are a whole bunch more
routines but these require detail-
ed explanations (check the VIC-20
or C64 Programmer's Reference
Guide). The routines given above
are the most common.
Examples of Subroutines

Let's say we wanted to keep a
numeric counter of some kind in
memory— we won't define any
specific use for it. We could code
it as such:

INCR INC COUNTR
BNE EXIT

INCRHI INC COUNTR+1

EXIT RTS

In this subroutine COUNTR is the
low byte of the counter and
COUNTR+1 is the high byte. A
JSR to INCR would increase the
low byte by one. It would then
check to see if the byte has rolled
over to zero. If it isn't zero yet it
simply branches to the RTS
which returns the computerto the
main program. But if COUNTR
has rolled over this means that we
should also add one to the high
byte, lest our counter be inac-
curate. The INC COUNTR + 1 ac-
complishes this. It then returns to
the calling program. Nothing
spectacular about this code, but
it does the job.

You've probably noticed the
three labels in our example. INCR
is the entry point of the sub-
routine and EXIT indicates the ex-
it point. But what is INCRHI there
for? Suppose we suddenly
wanted to increase our counter by
256. We could call INCR 256
times OR we could simply call IN-
CRHI instead of INCR. INCRHI
would automatically increment
the high byte by one and return.
Each increment of the high byte
adds 256 to the whole counter
(remember our discussions about
high and low bytes?). This shows
us that a subroutine does not
need to be called from its beginn-
ing. You can jump only to what-
ever part of the subroutine you
need.

Another example would be a
subroutine to print out a mes-

88/Commander September 1983

sage. How would you accomplish
this? Try and figure out a way,
then examine the following exam-
ple:

PRMESG LDX#0

NEXT LDA MESSGE,X

BEQ EXIT

PRINT JSR CHROUT
;CHROUT = $FFD2

INX

JMP NEXT

EXIT RTS

MESSGE ACS 'HIT ANY KEY

TO CONTINUE'

BYTO
This example might seem a trifle

complicated but it does work.
PRMESG is the start of the sub-
routine and here we initialize the
X-register by loading it with zero.
NEXT gets the next character
from location MESSGE plus the
X-register. If the character is zero
the subroutine returns via EXIT.
Otherwise the character is sent to
CHROUT which prints it to the
screen. After returning from this
subroutine we increment the
X-register to point it to the next
character and JuMP (go) to NEXT
to continue until we reach a zero.
This routine shows some of the
advantages of using the KERNAL
table at the top of memory. Again,
another useful application for a
subroutine.

The Stack

Remember back in February
when we talked about registers
and I mentioned something call-
ed the stack? I skimmed the sub-
ject because it was over our
heads, unnecessary at the time.
But in reality it is a very useful
part of the computer. Think about
this: how does the computer
know where to return to after ex-
ecuting a subroutine and encoun-
tering an RTS? That information
has to be kept somewhere. This is
what the stack is for. It serves as
a temporary storage area for the
computer. It is always located on
page 1 ($0100-$01FF) of memory,
so never place any data here
unless you're absolutely sure of
what you are doing, because you
could mess things up pretty bad-
ly-

The stack pointer is a register
used by the computer to point to
the next free memory location on
the stack. Strangely enough, the
stack starts at $01 FF and goes
down to $0100. This means that
any data placed on the stack is
placed beginning at the top of
page 1 and going down. For this
reason incrementing the stack
pointer decreases the amount of
information on the stack (see
figure 1). Decrementing the
pointer actually adds to the data
already on the stack. This is a fact
you cannot forget when dealing
with the stack.

To know where to return after a
JSR statement the computer
uses the stack in this way: it
places its present location in
memory plus 2 (to point to the
next instruction following the
JSR) onto the stack and then
jumps to the subroutine. Upon
hitting an RTS it takes the loca-
tion back off the stack and starts
execution from there. It's not too
complicated when you think
about it.

PHA and PLA

Remember I said the stack was
a temporary storage area. We can
place and retrieve information on
it in the same manner the
JSR/RTS pair does. The two in-
structions to accomplish this are
PHA (Push Accumulator onto
stack) and PLA (Pull contents of
Accumulator from stack). PHA
will place the current value of the
accumulator onto the next
available stack location. PLA
does the opposite, retrieving that
value and placing it back into the
accumulator. These instructions
are needed only when you have to
store data temporarily. But care
must be taken when using them.
If you don't push or pull the cor-
rect amount of bytes off the stack
you could cause havoc when the
computer encounters an RTS. Ex-
ample:

SUBRTN PHA
PHA

PLA
RTS

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Circle No. 18

GALACTIC SOFTWARE • P.O.Box10516 • San Jose, CA 951 57 • (408)247-4434

RTS
If you call SUBRTN via a JSR it
will execute normally but the RTS
won't jump back to the proper
location in memory. Why? Be-
cause we did two PHA's but in the
end we only did one PLA. When
the RTS is encountered the com-
puter will first see your value and

then the high byte of the correct
location, effectively sending it
where it shouldn't go. Caution is
needed here.
PHP and PLP

These two instructions are
identical to PHA and PLA except
that they push or pull the Status

Next month we're taking a look
at the masking instructions—
AND, EOR and ORA. Until then
have fun applying what you learn-
ed today in your own programs. □

by
Michael
RILEY

DATA BASE MANAGER
NEW FOR VIC-20, C64, PET/CBM

FLEX FILE 2.1 is the iost versatile and powerful calcu-
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Dealer enquiries invited.

THE VERY BASIC BOOK FOR VIC20
By C. 5. Webber. Teaches prograaaing on all Coaaodore
coaputers. 8.5 X 11", 90 pp. $14.95 postpaid.

UlEZBtBEIFt SOFTWARE

BOX 9, Southeastern PA 19399
(215) 687-5607 „ , N 1A

Circle No. 74

Figu

re 1: The Stack '

add to stack:
$01 FF

$01 FF
01 FE
01 FD

$0100

^sll

Stack pointer

$FE $01FE
$01 FD
$01 FC

$FE
$FD

taking from stack is
the exact opposite

Circle

' JOURKAL/20

• PUBLSWD EVBH TWO WtSCS * _

Jgr-JSa gglgj^

jKjEysza.

SJTJT^T^r L^-iSJE— -

^~J~~

SKEST "£T-£ir

EsSirsssi

ssslr |ff?sgr

r^lf-f^rL

P-- ^p31

^77"

JOURNAL/20

A publication that shares your
enthusiasm for the VIC-20.*
Published every two weeks for
$12 per year, JOURNAL/20 has
up-to-date news, reviews, and
practical tips on hardware and
software. Send check or money-
order to:

JOURNAL 20

PO Box 1149

Van Alstyne, TX 75095

90/Commander September 1983

VIC 20 OWNERS

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I chutes open and then they drift down to earth. If this weren't enough the
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I howitzer pumping shells. This game really show off the sound and graphic
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SPACE PAK Can you survive? 3 space games with the sights and sounds of
I an arcade. The excitement builds as the action is unending. lBlast away at
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COLOR . GRAPHICS . SOUND
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COMPUTERMAT

Box 1664 . Dept. M • Lake Havasu City, Az. 86403
(602) 855-3357 circle no 12

Commander September 1983/91

VIC with use of 3K Super Expander by CoMModo

The listed program will demon-
strate some of the strengths and
weaknesses of the Super Ex-
pander cartridge and at the same
time help teach first and second
graders how to tell time. If you do
not have a Super Expander cart-
ridge and are interested in runn-
ing this program, try borrowing
one from a friend. It may prove
worthwhile.
Instructions

The first display you will see
after entering RUN is a user
menu. Below is a breakdown of
each section:

■1- SELECT The clock will in-
dicate any time you input as long
as it is an increment of five (i.e.
1:05, 12:05, 10:15, 3:45. . .). Times
such as 1:03, 3:42, 12:06, etc., can-
not be entered. After the entry is
made, there is no need to hit
RETURN; however, each entry
must be four characters long. If
the time consists of three digits,
the first must be a SPACE. For ex-
ample: To enter 1:15, press
SPACE, 1, 1, and 5 (Do not enter
the colon). After you have made
your entries the correct time will
be displayed in the upper right
hand corner of the screen.

■2- BY 5 Each time the SPACE
BAR is pressed the clock will in-

92/Commander September 1983

crement by five minutes. If the
SPACE BAR is held down, the
hands will continue to rotate until
the SPACE BAR is released.

DRILLS Times will be selected
at random and displayed on the
clock face. The operator will then
enter the time he feels is
displayed on the clock in the
same fashion as in section one. If
the entered time is correct, an
alarm will sound with the entered
time displayed in the upper right
hand corner. A new problem will
then be displayed. If the entered
time is incorrect, a buzzer will
sound. You have one more
chance to answer correctly
before the correct time is dis-
played in digital format. Even
after the correct time is
displayed, it must be entered via
keyboard for the program to con-
tinue. The four problem sections
are as follows:

-3- HR Times displayed will be
based on the hour (i.e. 1:00, 3:00,
12:00,4:00...)

■4- VfeHR Times displayed will
be based on the half-hour (i.e.
1:00,3:30,4:00,5:30...)

-5- 1/4 HR Times displayed will
be based on the quarter-hour (i.e.
1:00, 2:45,3:15, 5:30...)

-6- 5 MIN Times displayed will

be based on 1/12th of an hour (i.e.
1:00, 4:50, 12:05, 4:35, 6:30,
7:25...)

•7- END This will end the pro-
gram.

Notes

1. To enter a section, enter the
appropriate SECTION NUMBER
and press RETURN.

2. To exit a section and return
to the menu, press an X (no need
to hit return).

3. When exiting a problem sec-
tion, the number of problems
answered correctly and incorrect-
ly will be displayed prior to return-
ing to the menu.

4. All entered times must be
four characters long and be in-
crements of five. If this format is
not followed the program will not
accept your entry.

5. The dot below the digital
time in the upper right hand cor-
ner is a place keeper. Since you
cannot see your entered time un-
til after all four characters are
entered, this is a handy way of
keeping track of where you are.

The following is a guide you
may follow to teach your child to
tell time. Remember, progress to
higher levels only after the child
becomes proficient at the current
level.

VIC 20 Printers/Etc. COMMODORE

1541 DISK DRIVE $239

1701 Color Monitor . {255 1530 Recorder $59

1525 Printer $239 1600 Modem $59

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GORILLA . .

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City Bomber (R) $20

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LITTLE WIZARD

Pro Football (C) $15

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Viccalc(C) $36

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NEC

8023 AC $409

3510 $1375

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Color I
V300 . .
V300A .
Color II .

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MODEMS

Budget & Bill Payer (C) $15
Accounts Payable (C) $36

MadBomber(C) $10

MIS

Vic Vango(C) $10

Galactic Crossfire (C) $1 1

Checkbook (C) $14

Frultfly(C) $10

Alien Soccer(C) $11

NUFEKOP
Kra*ryKong(C) . . $11

3-D Man (C) $17

Exterminator (C) $20

ON LINE

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umma(C) $14

QUICK BROWN FOX

Prof. Word. Proc. . .
SIRIUS

Snake Byte (R)

Fly Wars(R)

Type Attack (R) . .

Fast Eddy (R)

Deadly Duck(R)
Turmoil (R) .
Plasmania(R) ...
Spider City (R) ... .
Squish 'Em (R) .
Final Orbit(R) ... .
Bumper Bash(R) . . .
SPECTRAVISION
Cave In (R)
Number Crunch (R)
ReaganomicsfR)
Gold Mme(D> . . .
Ape Escape (D) . ,
STARTECH
Asteroids |C) . . .
Backgammon {C) .
Ski Run (C)
Meteor (C)
VicMen(C)
Vic Panic (C)
SYNAPSE
Harrier (C) .
Squeeze (C)
Astro Patrol (C)
TAYLORMADE
Fun Fractions (C) . . .
Vic Lemonade (C) . . .
Teh Typing Tutor (C) . .
TAP SOFTWARE
Word Search (C) .
SporisSearchfC)
Arcade Search (Ci . .
TOTL

Mailing List(C)

Time Management (C)
Research Assi. (C)
THORN EMI
River Rescue (R)
Vic Music Comp. (R)
Submarine Comm. |R)

Mutant Herd(R)

Fourth Encounter (R)
TRONIX
Galactic BMz(C) .

Swarm (C)

Sidewmder(C)

Scorpion (R)

Gold Fever (R)

Deadly Skies (R)

UMI

Video Vermin (R) .

Amok(C/R)

Outworld(R)

Satellites & Met. (R) . .

Subchase(C)

Kosmic Kamikaze(C) .
Meteor Shower (C) . . .
Super Hangman (C) . .
Spiders of Mars (R) . . .

Meteor Run (R)

Vicalc(C)

ViTerm A (C)

ViCat(C)

Vi Check (C)

Alien Blitz (C/R)

Sky Math (C)

Space Division (C) . .

The Alien (C)

Grand Master (C) . . .
Renaissance (R)

Cloud Burst (R)

Skibbereen(R)

Wordcraft 20 (R) . . .
VICTORY
Adv. Pak I (C) ...
Adv. Pak II (C) . .
Annihilator(C)
Grave Robbers (C)
Kongo Kong (C)
Trek(C)

HAYES

Smartmodem . . .

$209

Smartmodem 1200

. $498

Micromodem II . . .

. $259

ANCHOR AUTOMATION

Mark I or II Modem

$78

<$ .&

* 1 /

o &

NOVATION
J-Cat . .

Apple Cal II
Deal . . .

. . $99

$259

. $149

$14
$14
$14

$14
$22
$22

$29
$29
$29
$29
$29

. $17
$20
. $20
. $27
. $27
. $27

$27

$20

. $27

. $17

. $11

. $14

. $27

. $11

. $14

$17

. $20

. $11

$11

$17

. $27

. $33

. $20

$20

. $65

. $14
$14
. $18
. $12
. $18
. $12

SPECIALS

Gemini'lOX Printer $289

Prowriter D rinter $359

Gorilla Banana Printer $199

Card ? Printer Interface $60

The Connection Printer Interface $85

1541 Disk Drive $239

Koala Graphics Tablet $69

Flip N' File Diskette Box $21

Elephant Disks (10) $21

The Boss Joystick (Wico) $15

Wico Joystick $23

Wico Trackball $49

COSMIC
COMPUTERS

UNLIMITED

727 BREA CANYON RD., SUITE 16
WALNUT, CA 91789

ORDER LINES OPEN M0N-SAT 8 am - 6 pm

(714) 861-1265

Add $2.00 shipping per software order in continental
U.S. Add $5.00 shipping per software order (or AK. HI.
FPO-APO. Add $1000 or 15% (whichever is greater) per
software order for non-U. S. Call for cost of hardware
shipping. Calif, residents add 6Vi% sales tax. Cashiers
checks or money orders filled within '24 hours for items
in stock. Personal checks require 4 weeks to clear.
MasterCard and Visa OK for software only within conti-
nental U.S.. add 3% surcharge. Include card no., expira-
tion date and signature. Due to our low prices, all sales
are final. All defective returns must have a return
authorization number Please call to obtain one before
returning goods for replacement or repair. Prices &
availability subject to change.

L- CBM 64 CALL

1541 DISK DRIVE . .. $239

1701 Color Monitor . $255

1525 Printer $239

1520 Color Ptr $169

Card ? (Infc) $60

Light Pon $29

Cassatle Infc $29

Card ? Software $16

1530 Recorder $59

1600 Modem $59

1650 Auto Modem . .. $158
CMB 6x Ret Guide $18

The Connection (lnfc| ..$85

MSD Disk Drive $339

PTI 45 Lot Board $59

Large Selection of

64 Software at

Great Prices

SOFTWARE

ACCESS SOFTWARE

Neutral Zone (C/D) ... $26
Sprite Master (C/D) ... $27
AVALON HILL
81 Nuc. Bomber (C) $12

Nukewar (C) $12

Planet Miners (C) $12

Androm. Conquest (C) $14
Midway Campaign (_C) $12
North All Convoy (C) . $12
Comp. Stcks/8nds(C) $15
Computer Football (C> $12

Telengard(C) $16

BATTERIES INCLUDED

Paper Clip (D) $89

BRODERBUND

Cnoplifter(R) $29

Serpentine (R) $27

Seatox (R) $27

David's Midnight (0) . . $23

COMMODORE

Easy File iD) $75

Easy Finance (D) . . . $38

Easy Mail (D) $38

Easy Script (D) $75

Easy Schedule (0) .. $59

Logo (R) $75

Pilot (D) $75

Assembler (D) $38

Music Machine (D) ... $25
Music Composer (D) .. $25

Meza Music (D) $75

Video/Music Supt.(D) $38
Jupiter Lander (R) . . . $25
Radar Rat Race(R) . $25

Sea Wolf (R) $25

Kickman(R) $25

COMM. DATA

Pakacuda . (C)$14 (D)$18
Escp.MCP . <C)$14(D)$18
Centropods (C) $14 ID) $18
COMPUTERMAT
Arcade-Pak (C) $18

EducationPak(C) . . $18

CREATIVE SOFTWARE

Moondus! (R) $25

Trashman(R) $25

Save New York (R) ... $25

Aslroblltz(R) $25

Household Fin. (D) . $25

DATA 20

Video Pak 80 $139

Z80 Video Pak $229

EN-TECH

Finance Calc 64 .. ..$56

Data Base 64 $56

Invoice Ease 64 $34

EPYX

Temple of APS (D) . . $27
Upper Reach. APS (D) $14
Jumpman(D) $27

HES

HES Modem $59

6502 Prof. Dev.Sys. (C) . $22

Hesmon64(R) $27

Turtle Graplcs II (R) . . $41
Heswriter64.(R) . . . . $32

Gridrunner(R) $27

RetrobalMR) $27

INFOCOM

Zorkl. II or III (D) $27

Deadline (D) $35

Starcross(D) $27

JIN SAM

Mini-Jini(R) $75

LITTLE WIZARD

Pro.Mall.List (C)$22(D)$25
Stockmaster

(Inventory) (C)$25 (D)$28
LOGISTIC

Dalacalc64 (C)$55(D)$59
Home Journal (D) ....$55

MICROSPEC

Payroll System (D) ... $73
Inventory Pkg(D) .... $73
General Ledger (D) . . . $73

Disk Data Mgr(D) $62

Mail List Mgr(D) $41

Checkbook Mgr(D) . . $39
MSOFT

M-File(D) $89

ON. LINE

Ftogger(D) $23

Jawbreaker(D) $17

PACIFIC COAST SOFT.
PCS (80 Col BD. word Proc.
D. Base, Spreadsheet) CALL
Account PAC (C/D) ... $25

FilePAC(D) $30

Editor PAC (D) $39

Inquire PAC (D) $57

Happy Tutor Typng(D) $18
PROFESS. SOFTWARE
WordPro 3 + /64(D) ... $68
QUICK BROWN FOX
Prof.Word Proc. (R) ... $50
RAINBOW

Writers Assistant .... $95
Spreadsheet Assist. . . $95

File Assistant $95

SIRIUS
Blade/8lackpoodle(D) $27

Type Attack (D> $27

Repton(D) $27

Critical Mass (D) $27

Snake Byte (D) $23

Way Out (D) $27

Fast Eddie (D) $23

Turmoil (D) $23

Spider City (D) $27

SquishEm(D) $23

Final Orbit (D) $27

Alpha Shield (D) $27

SKYLES ELEC. WORKS

Busicalc(C/D) $52

Busiwriter(D) $72

SPINNAKER

Snooper Troops 1 (D) $29

Pacemaker (D) $23

Kindercomp(D) $20

Hey Diddle (D) $20

Most Amaz. Thing (D) . $27

SYNAPSE

Fort Apocalypse (C/D) $23

Survivor (C/D) $23

Drelbs(C/D) $23

Pharoh's Curse (C/D) . $23

Protector II (D) $23

Morgal (D)' $23

Shamus(D) $23

TAYLORMADE
Touch Typing Tutor

3.0(D) $21

TIMEWORKS

Rbbrs/Lost Tomb (C/D) $21

Wall Street (C/D) $21

Money Manager (C/D) $21
Data Master (C/D) ... $21
Dungeons ot Alg.

Dragons (C/D) $21

TOTL

Text 2.6 . .. (C)$32(D)$34

Label2.6 . . (C)$15(D)$17

Time Manager 2.6(C) .$24

Time Manager 2.6(D) . $27

Resrch Assist. 2.0(C) . $24

Resrch Assist. 2.0(D) $27

UMI

Motor Mania (C) ... . $20

Renaissance (C) $27

VICTORY

Annlhllator(C/D) .. $16
Kongo Kong (C/D) .... $16

TreklC/D) $13

Adv. Pack «1 (C/D) ... $16
Adv. Pack «2 (C/D) ... $16
Grave Robbers (C/D) . . $13
Chomper Man(CJD) .. $18

Circle No. 49
Commander September 1983/93

4§

1. Show the different hours on
the clock face and guide your
child through by explaining the
functions of the long and short
hand. This is a good time to ex-
plain clockwise. Use section 1
when explaining the above con-
cepts and section 2 to
demonstrate how the small hand
moves in relation to the big hand.
Allow your child to practice in
section 3.

2. Utilizing section 2, count by
fives from 12 to 6. Do this as many
times as necessary until the child
can do this on his/her own. Ex-
plain to your child that each
number on the clock face repre-
sents five minutes.

3. Explain to your child the
meaning of half-past. Show ex-
amples using section 1. Allow
your child to practice in section 4.

4. Using section 2, count by
fives from 12 to 3, from 3 to 6,
from 6 to 9, and from 9 to 12.
Again do this as many times as
necessary until the child can do
this on his own.

5. Explain the meaning of
quarter-past and quarter-to using
section 1. Allow your child to
practice in section 5.

6. Count by fives from 12 back
to 12 using section 2. Insure the
child understands each number
on the clock face represents five
minutes. Provide examples of dif-
ferent times using section 1.
Allow your child to practice in
section 6.

Note: It will be beneficial at
times to review sections already
accomplished.

A big advantage of the Super
Expander cartridge is it provides
users with additional instructions
devoted to graphics. Without the
Super Expander, one can still
work with graphics using CBM
BASIC or machine language. But
CBM BASIC when applied to
graphics is cumbersome and
slow; machine language, which is
by far more efficient, is difficult to
use. The Super Expander is a
good compromise. It will not pro-
vide the smooth animation of
machine language but is much

94/Commander September 1983

1 PGKE36879 , 60 : RC=8 : W=0

2 PR I NT " C CLEAR 3 C BLACK ] - 1 - SELECT " : PR I NT
"-2- BY 5"

5 PR I NT "PROBLEMS"

7 PR I NT "-3- HR": PR I NT "-4- 1/2 HR":PRIHT
"-5- 1/4 HR": PR I NT "~6~ 5 HIM": PRINT

8 PR I NT " -7- END " : W\=m ■ H=l 2 : 1 NPUTCH$ : I F
CH*<" 1 "0RCH*>"7"THEN2

9 IFCH$="7"THEN9999

20 GRAPH I C2= COLORS, 4, 0,4

38 CIRCLED 51 1,51 1,488, 500

40 CHAR1 , 9, " 12" : CHARS, 13, " 1 " : CHAR6, 15, "

2" :CHAR10, 16, "3" :CHAR14, 15, "4" :CHRR17, 1

3 "5"

100 CHAR1S, 10, "6" :CHAR17,6, "7" :CHAR14,4

, "8":CHAR10,3, "9" :CHAR6,3, " 18" : CHARS, 5,

"11"

155 A= 1 •■ X=5 1 1 ■■ V= 1 60 : X 1 =X ■ V 1 =V

160 GOSUB1800

1 65 A= 1 = X=5 1 1 : V=300 : X2=X ■ V2=V

170 GOSUB20U0 : CHRR8, 15, "12 : 88" ■ t'FCH*>"2
"THEN:CHRR0 J 15,"KX:XX"

1 7 1 I FCH*= " 2 " THENGOSUB7808 '• GOTO 1 82

1 72 I FCH#> " 2 " THEHOOSUB8S00 : GOTO 1 85

173 CHAR1,15,". ":GETHU : IFH1*=""TH
EN 173

174 IFH1$="X"THEH9936

175 CHAR 1,1 5," . "•|jETH2*:IFH2f=""THE
N175

176 CHAR1..15," . "

177 GETHir-IFMl*=""THEN176

178 CHAR1,15,"

179 GETM2*-IFM2*=""THEN17S

181 H*=H 1 *+H2* : H*=M 1 *+M2t ■' H= V AL < m J : M= V
RL<Mt>

182 IFCH*>"2"AHDF=0THEHGOSUB6000

1 S3 I FCH*> " 2 " AND ( HR$=H*AND^R*=M* ) THEHGG
TO9580

1 84 I FCH*> " 2 " AND (. HR$OH*ORI1R*<>ri* ) THENG
OTO9708

1 85 B= I NT ( M/5 ) *30 : 1 FCH$< " 3 " AND < H> 1 20RH<
OTHEN9700

1 86 I FCH*< " 3 " AND ( M/5<> I NT < M/5 > 0RN>55 > TH
EN9700

1 87 I FCH*< " 3 " THENGOSUB6080

1 90 A=0 : X=X 1 : V=V 1 ■' GOSUB 1 088

200 C=35 1 : GOSUB3800 = GOSUB 1 008 : X 1 =X : V 1 = V

■' D=H*38+M/60*30 : A=0 = X=X2 : V=V2 : 6OSUB2009

230 C=2 1 1 : GOSUB3088 ■' GOSUB2088 : X2=X : V2=V

:X=Xl:V=Vl: GOSUB I860

390 IFCH*>"2"AHBF=1THENF=0 : G0T0173

400 G0T0171

999 END

1000 DRAW.A,511,511TOX,V:DRfiUA,508,511T
OX-10,V: RETURN

2080 DRAWA ,511,51 1 TOX , V = DRAWA ,511,51110

X, V: RETURN-

3088 A=l : IFDO30THEN3080

3040 IFD<=98THEN30S8

3850 I FDO 1 80THEHD= 1 S0-D : G0TO3 1 28

3060 I FDC=278THEHD=D~ 1 88 : G0T03 1 68

3870 IFD<=360THEHD'=360-D ; GOT 03 20 8

3880 GOSUB4000

3090 GOSUB5080 : RETURN

To be continued on page 96

Write For Free Vic Catalog

NEW

Write For Free 64 Catalog

VIC™ Software VIC

CRICKET

PARATROOPER

s t

MOW

ALIEN
INVASION

CRICKET - From the company that brought you Asteroidz, Munchman and a host of other
blockbusters. We now present CRICKET. This is a challenging game with a cast of characters you
will love and hate. All you have to do is get Cherp from one side of the road to the river and then
across the river. Not so fast though. First you have to figure out how to dodge the traffic and get to
\ the center. Then how are you going to get across the river? Look here comes a log — even a turtle.
Hitch a ride across the river and jump from one to the other. Keep a sharp eye out for Ade the Gator.
He loves to have crickets for lunch. How many times can you get across the road and river. You will
have to work as fast as you can. Time limit and bonus. You will find this game addictive and
challenging and it will entertain you with hours of fun and enjoyment. $14.95

BUG BLAST - If you think Centipede was fun — look out for BUG BLAST. A new and fast action
arcade game with realistic smooth action, quality hires graphics and trouble. Its very calm as the
first wave attacks. Only a few bugs to kill. Jast shoot thru the cactus and wipe them out. After a few
attacks you feel you have everything under control. Now the attacks really start. Those protection
areas have to go. Blast away. Will they ever stop? OK — the BUGS got me this time. Now its my
turn, Just one more time — BUG BLAST — Now its your turn to get even. $14.95

BOMB'S AWAY - Can you stop him? The crazy bomber drops the bombs from the top of the
screen. You get 3 buckets to catch them. Before you know it bombs are falling so fast you wonder
when he will stop. Just when you think you have him under control your bucket gets smaller. Is your
hand quicker than your eye? Special $9.95

PARATROOPER - You are the only one left to stop them. The sky is full of enemy choppers.
Paratroopers keep dropping into your area with nonstop barrage of enemy troops. They are out to
destroy you. This new game is an unbeatable blend of arcade action and quick thinking strategy.
You must make every shot count — don't be to fast on the trigger. Every time you hit a chopper or
paratrooper you get extra points. Wait until you see the climax of this game — you won't believe it!
This is a multiple skill level game with razor-sharp graphics and sound. $19.95

MOW - Get ready for the fast and furious action of the craziest mower you have ever seen. How
much grass can you cut? Joystick moves your mower around as fast as you dare. Watch out for
granny's dafodils and grandpa's radio antenna. $14.95

COSMIC CRUZER - Bring the coin-op game into your VIC 3 Scenarios. Your Cruzer moves over
a mountainous landscape & into a tunnel of surface - to - air missle, silos and ground - to - air
weapons. If you can make it in and out of the tunnel you fly into the asteroid field. Drop bombs and
fire missiles at the fuel dumps to keep your fuel supply up. If you are really good you can get to the
base and try, to destroy it. We don't know of any one that has hit the base yet. Maybe you will be the
1st. Cosmic Cruzer is a fun filled magnificently rendered home video game that will last for months
of challenge. Highly addicting. Hi-Res Graphics, Color & Sound. SPECIAL PRICE - $14.95

SPACE PAK - Can you survive? 3 space games with the sights and sounds of arcade games. The
excitement builds as the action is unending. Blast away at everything in sight. The alien attacks will
stop at nothing to destroy you. Prepare for battle, there is no escape, unless you can help. Can you
survive? Hi-Res, Color, Graphic & Sound. Joystick or keyboard. $19.95

ALIEN INVASION - Invaders from space are attacking your home planet. Hurry and man your
lasers and prepare your robot forces for the inevitable attack of the Alien Invaders. The excitment
builds as you command a battery of missile bases in a bunker. Each invader has a laser aimed right at
you. Will they ever stop. Only you can save the Galaxy. You can compete with 4 people in the solar
system. There are 20 levels of play. If you destroy the Aliens in the correct order you will receive
bonus points. Can you get the top score? $14.95

TARGET COMMAND - The whole West Coast is being bombarded and only you can save it. You
are at the controls of the missile launcher and hold the destiny of our country in your hands. It takes
a cooj head, not hand and fast reflexes to zap those missiles right out of the air. Get ready to
pulverize — atomize and vaporize them. Oh, my God, those warheads are heading right for our
ammo dumps. They are everywhere. NO ONE CAN SAVE US — EXCEPT YOU. You must move
your laser into position and fire as fast as you dare. Time limit with arcade style excitement. Protect
your ammo at all costs. 10 levels of play. $14.95

SNAKEOUT - Slip your snake into position and score by chomping the blotks. Watch the way you
slither because your escape routes get smaller. 2 Bonus games included. $14.95

HEAD-ON - Please do not buy this game if you are the type that says Til play it just one more time".
Players have been known to start playing HEAD ON at 8:30 p.m. and at 2 a.m., wonder where the
time went? Have you ever tried to explain to someone why you played a game for five and a half
hours. We know of no remedy for the addiction to HEAD ON except to beat the VIC on ievel 9. No
one has done it, YET, will you? We think not. Move your car as fast as you can dare around the
tracks. You get 3 cars and MUST avoid the computer car. Points for the most dots covered. Bonus
cars, nine levels of play. $14.95

SNAKE OUT

BUG BLAST

TARGET
COMMAND

COSMIC
CRUZER

SPACE PAK

ComputerMat • Box 1664B • Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403 Circle No. 12 Add $1.00 For Shipping

HEAD ON

Commander September 1983/95

faster and requires fewer instruc-
tions for graphic representations
than CBM BASIC. Try the circle
program listed in your program-
mer's reference manual and com-
pare it to the CIRCLE instruction
used by the Super Expander to
see what I mean.

Some disadvantages of the
Super Expander are you cannot
print string or numeric variables
when in the graphics mode. How-
ever, string constants can be
displayed in the high resolution
mode only. This is why lines 6000
to 6900 are structured the way
they are. Using the INPUT state-
ment while in the graphics mode
can cause strange and inconsist-
ent things to happen. After work-
ing with the INPUT statement for
a while and getting nowhere, I
finally reverted to using the GET
statement. This explains why you
must enter four characters when
inputting time. If anybody has
successfully used the INPUT
statement in the graphics mode,
please write and tell me how you
did it.

Even with the disadvantages I
mentioned, the ease with which
one can create graphic displays
and the additional 3K of memory
more than justifies having one. If
you have any comments on this
program or suggestions for future
articles, do not hesitate to write. I
will be glad to hear from you.

Address all correspondence to:
Art Dudley, c/o Commander, P.O.
Box 98827, Tacoma, WA 98498.

If you desire a copy of the
listed program, please send me a
blank cassette and $2.00 to cover
shipping and duplicating. □

yw^ L j jij

wmt

> ^p>» rwjr

Continued from page 94

3120

GOSUE4008:VV=VY*-1

3130

GOSUB5808 RETURN

3160

GOSUE4008 : VV=VV*-1 : XX*K

*:*~i

3179

GOSUB5008 : RETURN

3200

G0SUB4000:XX=KX*-1

3210

GOSUB5008: RETURN

4000

KX= K £ I H < D/57 . 3 > *C ) / 1 . 3

4810

VV=CGS(L/57.3>*C

4620

RETURN

5000

X=511+KX

5010

V=51i-W:RETURN

6000

REM

6061

6003

I FN I Ii$ < : H$ , 1 , 1 3 = " " RNBCHf < " 3 " THEN 1 7

IFH*="12"THEN

CHARS, 15,

"12"

6810

1FH*=" 1"THEH

CHflR8,15,

" 1"

6820

IFH*=" 2" THEN

GHAR8. 15 ^

6830

IFH$=" 3 "THEN

CHARS > 1,5,

11 '-J 11

6840

IFH$=" 4 "THEN

CHAR 8,15..

II ^11

6858

IFH*=" 5 "THEN

CHflR0,15,

|| 5 „

6063

1FH*=" 6 "THEN

CHAR8, 15,

11 gll

6878

IFH*=" 7 "THEN

CHAR0, 15,

II ~f"

6838

IFH*«" S"THEN

CHARG, 15,

M o »*

6890

IFH£=" 9 "THEN

CHARS, 15,

II §.,

6168

IFH$="18"THEH

CHfiR.0, 15,

"10"

6118

IFH*="11"THEN

CHHR9, 15,

" 1 1 "

6208

IFH*="00"THEN

CHRRSj 18,

"00"

6285

IFN*="05"THEH

CHfiR0,18,

II Qcr II

6210

IFM$="18"THEN

CHHR0, 18,

"18"

6215

I'FMS="15"THEN

CHAR8, 18,

"15"

6220

IFt1$="20"THEN

CHRR8, IB,

"20"

IFM*="25"THEN

CHflR6,18,

"25"

6238

IFM$="30"THEN

CHRR8, 18,

"30"

IFM*-"35"THEN

CHHR0,18,

II 9c tl

6248

XFM*="48"THEN

CHRR0, la,

"48"

6245

I FH*=" 45 "THEN

CHRR8, 18,

"45"

6250

IFM*="58"THEN

CHRR8,18,

"58"

6255

IFM*="55"THEN

CHHR8, 13,

"55"

6880

CHARS, 17, ,! : "

6989

RETURN

7000

GETXX* : IFKX$=" "THEN7008

7001

IFXX$="X"THEH3930

7062

M=M+5 : 1FM>55THENM=8 : GOTO7830

7018

G0T07838

7030

IFH=12THENH=1 GGT07S38

7035

IFH<12THEHH=H+1

7838

G0SUB900S

7850

RETURN

8800

H=INT<RND<1>*133

S810

N=INT'::RNIi<1>*12)*5

sail

IFH=0THENGOTG8608

S812

IFCH$="3"THENM=08

8813

I F CHf = " 4 " T HENM= I NT < M / 30

■i*30

8015

I FCH*« " 5 " THENM= I NT < IV 1 5

3*15

8826

GGSUB9808

8030

HR$=H$ : MR$=h$ : F= 1

8100

RETURN

9000

M*=MID$CSTR$<M),2,2> : IFLEH<N*;' = 1TH

ENM*=

-••'&" +m

9010

Hf=MID.fC3TR*(H>,2,2> : IFLENXHfJ-lTH

96/Commander September 1983

Continued from page 94

EHH*=" "+H*

9028 RETURN

9040 END

9500 PQKE3687S .-15: FORL= 1 TO 1 5 : FORM- 1 T039

: PQKE36S76 ,215: F0RN= 1 TO 1 5 : NEKTN

9505 P0KE36S76 , : NEXTM

95 1 GOTO0 , 1 5 , " XX : XX " ■ flC»flC+ 1

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9999 PR I NT " C CLEAR 3 " : P0KE36879 , 27

Tbw

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Commander September 1983/97

t* Bus\ne* s

Part One

/by Kirk G. Anderson

My first experience with
business came with the lemon-
ade stand and continued on
through my college days when I
found myself holding, instead of
a pitcher of lemonade, a degree in
business administration. Need-
less to say, it was good to get
away from the old lemonade out-
fit and into something more
stable. After a few years as a pro-
fessional managerial type, and
having acquired a personal com-
puter, I started noticing the
business programs for personal
computers are a desirable pro-
duct for more than just business
organizations and MBA's. Every-
one wants to be more profitable.
Whether it's an organization or an
individual, improving one's finan-
cial security and position is just
plain smart. The only problems
for many seem to be "how do I get
the expertise to answer my finan-
cial questions and where do I find
the time?". Not everyone cares to
know how answers to certain
financial questions are arrived at,
but only how to put the answers
to work in order to become more
profitable. This is where the per-
sonal computer is revolutionaliz-
ing the way individuals and
organizations are viewing and

98/Commander September 1983

performing accounting functions.
More people are now realizing
that personal computers can
bring to their fingertips the ser-
vices of a myriad of accounting
clerks and financial analysts
diligently recording and for-
mating information for accurate
analysis and interpretation. When
the time to prepare tax returns ar-
rives, some of the more fortunate
personal computer users need
only spend a half hour or so with
their computers and the dirty
work is done. But even the less
fortunate users have an oppor-
tunity to increase the efficiency
and accuracy of their bookkeep-
ing and gain a much more in-
timate understanding of how to
manipulate their finances.

Beginning to emerge into the
software marketplace are a
notably diversified array of
business related program pack-
ages. Some of these are quite im-
pressive, performing a number of
valuable analytical functions and
offering bookkeeping Systems as
an integral part of the program. A
definite advantage for any
organization is the business ap-
plication software for the Com-
modore 64 which is beginning to
become more available and

relatively inexpensive. Compared
to outlays you would be facing for
some of the more expensive per-
sonal computer systems you
simply cannot afford to overlook
the amazing things that can be
done with a Commodore 64. If
you're an individual user like me
you probably wouldn't mind hav-
ing a high quality business
oriented accounting system at
your disposal. This being the
case, you should be prepared to
pay much more than the going
rate for the home accounting
packages that are presently on
the shelf. Both individuals and
organizations should consider
that even if you purchase some of
the top line business accounting
programs you are still paying far
less than someone who has the
more expensive, personal com-
puter, and getting just as much (if
not more) in capability. If you own
a Commodore 64 or VIC 20 you
have the most affordable and yet
one of the most powerful per-
sonal computers on the market
today. If you find it difficult
locating business software for
your Commodore that satisfies
your palate, just hang tight.
There's plenty about to come
your way and this portion of Com-

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Circle No. 34

mander will be dedicated to infor-
ming you of these new programs,
as well as some older ones, and
their potential uses.

One company that is working
hard at developing business ap-
plications software is Southern
Solutions located in McKinney,
Texas (address and telephone are
noted at the end of this article).
Southern Solutions has devel-
oped a program we'll be looking
at entitled The Business Man™,
written by Chuck Stuart of
Southern Solutions. The program
retails for $99.95. In a nutshell,
the program is a general ledger
recordkeeping system and does a
good job at what it's designed to
do. It's menu driven and totally
self-contained. If you are looking
for a general ledger accounting
system for your 64 you may find
The Business Man™ relatively
flexible and "user-friendly" (to
use an old phrase). The program
does have a budgeting capability
that impressed me due to its flex-
ibility and simplicity. It provides
you monthly, quarterly, or year to
date options for reporting and
comparison for all financial
statements, and prints individual-
ly formated reports. Without
jumping rudely ahead in our
review of the program, I think I
can safely wrap up our nutshell
preview by saying that the pro-
gram is a quality product, pro-
bably not the best on the market,
but presumably better than a
good portion of it. If you want to
use a real live accounting system
for your personal finances and
would like to know how, stay tun-
ed because that's what this first
article is going to address. If
you're an individual looking for a
slick way to computerize your
bookwork, or, simply looking for
an analytical tool to aid in finan-
cial decisions, I don't think the
program would interest you.
However, if you're an organization
or an individual that desires a
high quality format for accoun-
ting information and wishes to
use, or learn to use, a general
ledger recordkeeping system,

100/Commander September 1983

then you may do well to consider
The Business Man™.

Getting Started

The Business Man™ is an ac-
counting program designed for
use on the Commodore 64 with a
variety of peripheral equipment.
The program is an actual general
ledger bookkeeping system, but
does not allow designation or use
of individual subsidiary ledgers
as one may have in manual
general ledger systems. Before
proceeding I should mention that
The Business Man™ does
assume a working knowledge of
some basic accounting prin-
ciples. For those of you with little
or no accounting background, or,
if you have little or no experience
with computers, please don't
panic. If I can learn these basics
then so can you. Besides, I am
not going to use exotic ter-
minology or address important
concepts unless somewhere in
the article I plan on explaining
them to you. As previously men-
tioned, this is the first article of
two that will be devoted to review-
ing The Business Man™ by
Southern Solutions. In this first
article we are going to spend
some time becoming a little
familiar with some of the basic
accounting rules, terminology,
and concepts that are necessary
and/or helpful for us to better
evaluate and use The Business
Man™. For those of you already
familiar with accounting
methods, and using a general
ledger system, you may wish to
lightly breeze over this month's
article as a refresher before we
explore The Business Man™
more fully in next month's issue.
For those of you who would like
to have just a small peek at what
can be done using a general
ledger system, please, read on.

Accounting 101

A general ledger system of
recordkeeping, or bookkeeping,
is a means whereby your financial
data is input and handled within a
series of journals and ledgers
that accumulate related informa-

tion on transactions. The process
of inputting transaction related
data is called "journalizing" or
"posting". This posted or record-
ed information is then classified
into specified categories or
groupings and then summarized
in financial reports. This entire
series of operations is what is
known as the Accounting Pro-
cess. In other words, the whole
purpose of any and all accounting
system(s) is to perform the follow-
ing three basic functions or
steps.

1). Recording information
2). Classifying information
3). Summarizing information
These three steps are all part of
creating accounting information
which can then be used to better
understand your financial posi-
tion. Once you have a jbetter pic-
ture of your financial position and
structure, more profitable deci-
sions concerning where to use
the money you've earned can be
confidently made.

Defining Some Terms

For us to proceed in any mean-
ingful and expeditious fashion we
need at this time to consider
some new terms. Some of them
I'm certain you may have heard
before, but as related to accoun-
ting you may well find the term
has a whole different meaning.
Therefore, it may well be best to
assimilate information just as if
you've never heard the term
before. This helps prevent any
headaches over wondering why
the accounting definition of a cer-
tain term may differ from that of
some other discipline, or for that
matter, even common sense.

An ASSET is defined as an eco-
nomic resource that has value
and is owned by an individual, a
business, or some form of organi-
zation, whereby, the asset is ex-
pected to contribute to and
benefit future and/or present
operations. The first most logical
example of an asset is cash.
Whether in a savings account,
checking account, stocks or
other marketable securities it rep-

resents what is often called the
most "liquid" asset. The concept
of liquidity is very important in
that assets are classified in order
of liquidity. To illustrate briefly,
cash in your savings account is
fairly liquid because all you must
do to obtain the usable cash is go
into your bank and ask for the
funds in your account. Depending
on the proximity of your bank
(which also affects liquidity) you
can typically have your cash im-
mediately, or at least at the end of
the same business day in which
you requested the funds. Now,
compare this to attempting to
cash in your automobile which
has a blue book value of, let's say
$6000.00. Typically, unless you
wanted to take less than your
established base value (blue
book) it would take you much
longer to convert your automobile
into cash available for your use.
Both the automobile and the
money in your savings account
are assets, but the savings ac-
count is a far more liquid asset

than the automobile. For this
reason, the cash in the savings
account would be called a "cur-
rent asset". A current asset is an
asset that can be converted into
cash ready for use within a
relatively short period of time
without disrupting normal opera-
tions. In most accounting opera-
tion that segregate current assets
from other assets, the period of
time designated for this conver-
sion into cash is dependent upon
what is called "the operating cy-
cle" of the organization. The
operating cycle is simply the
average (mean) amount of time
between the acquisition of
goods, or merchandise, and the
transformation of these goods
back into cash. An operating cy-
cle is often a basis for determin-
ing efficiency in the use of funds.
As an individual you may not ac-
tually go out and purchase goods
for resale, per se', but you do pur-
chase dollars with your time. Your
"operating cycle" may well be
defined as the average amount of

time for you to convert those
earned dollars into income
generating dollars and back into
earned dollars as a return on your
initial investment. The process
that you may designate to
achieve that return and generate
your operating cycle could well
be defined as your cycle of "nor-
mal operations".

Moving Right Along

Now we have an example of a
framework within which to iden-
tify those of your assets that
would qualify as current assets.
Other assets might be insurance
policies, retirement and pension
plans, real property such as your
house or any rental property, and
maybe even accounts receivable.
For an organization that extends
loans and credit on merchandise
purchased, or has outstanding in-
voices that are unpaid, accounts
receivable represents a
somewhat liquid asset; often
times classified as a current
asset. For an individual the same

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Circle No. 9

Commander September 1983/101

may be true. If you had a rental
house and your tenant was two
months behind in paying the rent,
you would show an accounts re-
ceivable for the amount in ar-
rears. The accounts receivable for
an individual, though, would be
considered somewhat less liquid
than those of an organization due
to the ability of organizations to
take their "high quality" receiv-
ables to a bank and either sell
them to the bank (which is called
"factoring") or putting them up as
collateral for a loan. An individual
can rarely claim receivables of
high enough quality to use these
options. (By the way, "high quali-
ty" receivables are those that
have a very good chance of ac-
tually being paid back in full.)

The next category that we are
going to take a brief look at con-
tains what are called "LIABILI-
TIES". These are plainly the debts
of an organization or an indivi-
dual. These debts, or obligations,
are classified in much the same
fashion as the assets we just
discussed. The important thing to
remember about a liability is it is
a claim, held by the person to
whom you owe money, who is
called a "creditor", against the
assets that you hold. A creditor
may have a claim not only against
the asset you owe them money on
(such as your car), but against all
your assets, if need be, in order to
satisfy an amount you may owe to
them plus any fees they had to in-
cur in collecting it.

Liabilities are also classified in-
to current and noncurrent cate-
gories. A current liability is a debt
that must be paid usually within
one (1) year or the operating cy-
cle, whichever is longer. Obliga-
tions that are of a longer term
than current liabilities are often
called "long term liabilities". An
example of a current liability for
an individual would be a gas com-
pany credit card billing. These
obligations are usually required
to be paid in full each month or
you incur substantial service
charges and fees. If you con-
tinually fail to pay the balance
upon demand the company may
well decide against granting you
credit and take away your ability
to use the credit card. A current
liability for an organization might
be something called "accounts
payable". Accounts payable are
usually short term or current debt
obligations that the company has
incurred by purchasing goods or
services on credit. The unique
thing about corporate accounts
payable is that the credit extend-
ed on the purchase usually bears
no interest charges or fees. This
is sometimes liberally referred to
as "trade credit". This type of
credit is often negotiated and it is
important to pay the obligation in
a timely fashion. If an organiza-
tion loses its trade credit then it
becomes extremely difficult to
purchase needed goods and ser-
vices any other way except "cash
over the counter". This can be

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tremendously cumbersome and
one usually will find that
organizations jealously guard
their access to trade credit.

Examples of long term liabili-
ties for an organization would be
called "notes payable". These are
different from accounts payable
in that this is not just extended
credit against purchases but a
formal arrangement to use a
given amount of borrowed funds
for a specified period of time
which is usually greater than one
year. A note payable is often
represented by a formal written
promise to pay and includes a
fee, paid by the organization bor-
rowing the funds, called interest.
An example of an individual's
long term liability would be the
mortgage on your house or the
loan on your automobile.

Equity Funds

The last basic category of ac-
counting information is called
"Equity". Equity is the guts of any
operation because it represents
the available resources that have
been invested by the principals
(or owners) of the organization. A
company has a couple of ways in
which to raise funds, or capital,
for planned operations. It could
borrow the funds, using debt
(notes payable). It could ac-
cumulate reserves from opera-
tions (this would usually take too
much time to rely upon fully). Or,
it could sell shares of ownership
interest in the company to the
public. This is called a stock
issue and is the most common
way that American business
raises capital. For an organization
this paid-in capital received from
the sale of stock becomes the
equity share of the business. The
more stock you own in a company
the more of its assets you own.
But, your claim to those assets,
should anything go wrong, is not
before the claims of the creditors
of the organization. You would be
entitled to whatever was left after
the claims of creditors were
satisfied. This is why you find in-
vestors always watching the debt

102/Commander September 1983

composition of the firms they
hold stock in. Too much debt is
unstable and erodes the claims of
stockholders against the assets
that their invested dollars helped
purchase. For an individual, equi-
ty would represent the amount of
any asset that you hold that is ac-
tually "owned" or financed by you
personally. For example, you pur-
chase a house, and let's assume
that the total purchase price is
$100,000. You have been saving
for this day for quite some time
and have $30,000 in cash to give
the seller. You talk to your banker
friend who agrees to loan you the
remaining $70,000 at a 12% an-
nual interest rate for 30 years.
You close the deal and go home
to post the transaction on your
computerized bookkeeping sys-
tem. The $30,000 cash you paid to
the seller represents your "equi-
ty" while the $70,000 represents
your "liability" which is a long

term note payable. The house you
just purchased represents a
$100,000 asset. The inter-
relationship of these factors is
expressed in a very short cardinal
rule of accounting: EQUITY =
TOTAL ASSETS - TOTAL LIA-
BILITIES. Thus, in the preceeding
example, the equation would be
represented as such:

$30,000 (equity) = $100,000
(asset) - $70,000 (liability)

The following equation il-
lustrates the summarization of
these three accounting classifi-
cations into a single accounting
report called a balance sheet. It's
called a balance sheet because
the accounting equation of EQUI-
TY = TOTAL ASSETS - TOTAL
LIABILITIES must always be true.
If it isn't then the books are out of
balance and there is an error
somewhere. Before we take a
look at a balance sheet we need
to touch on one more concept.

The definition and difference bet-
ween DEBIT and CREDIT.

Learning Left and Right

Those in the accounting world
have thought of new names for
left and right. I suppose the first
accountants thought the words
"right" and "left" seemed a bit
simplistic so they called left
"debit" and right "credit". So
began the horrors of many an ac-
counting student.

Actually, if you remember debit
and credit represent left and
right, you should have no trouble
understanding how to post to the
different journals and accounts in
a general ledger accounting
system.
Putting It All Together

Now let's see if we can record
something in a general ledger
system. Each basic classification
of accounts, asset, liability, and
equity, has either a debit or a

Figure 1

♦♦ASSETS**

♦♦LIABILITIES**

Cash 6,000 Notes Payable 70,000
Automobi 1 e 5, OOO
House 100,000

♦♦EQUITY**

Owner equity 41,000

TOTAL TOTAL EQUITY

ASSETS 111,000 8< LI ABILITIES 1 1 1 . OOO

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CASH

DEBIT * CREDIT
**********************
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Commander September 1983/103

credit balance. This is actually
determined by the logic of the ac-
counting equation we discussed
earlier. As we also discussed,
these three main classifications
are summarized in a financial
report called a balance sheet. In
looking at a balance sheet one
will notice the assets on the left
hand side of the report while the
liabilities and equity are listed on
the right hand side (refer to
Figure #1). Notice the total of the
assets equal the total of the
liabilities and equity. This is ex-
actly what our accounting equa-
tion tells us should happen when
everything is correct and in
balance. Now, the accounts listed
on the balance sheet (automobile,
etc..) have the account balance
listed on the report. The account
balance is arrived at through
posting transaction data to the
account ledger from a journal.
(We will talk about journals later
in the article.)

Each account that appears on
the balance sheet has either a
debit or credit balance depending
upon whether it is an asset,
liability, or equity account. When
entries are made to an account
you either debit or credit the ac-
count. In other words, you either
record the amount of the transac-
tion on the left or the right hand
side of the account ledger. A sim-
ple account ledger can be repre-
sented by the "T account" in
Figure #2. If an account is an
asset account, then it has a debit
balance. Any entries to increase
the balance of the account would
be recorded on the left hand side
of the ledger account. Therefore,
to increase (add to) an asset ac-
count you debit it. To decrease an
asset account you would do the
opposite of increasing it. This
means that you would credit the
account ledger by entering the
amount on the right hand side of
the ledger. To arrive at an account
balance that would be transferred
to the balance sheet you would
first prove your debit and credit
entries by using a "trial balance".
A trial balance is a way to make

104/Commander September 1983

sure that all of your debits equal
all of your credits. If they don't,
then your books are out of
balance and you've most likely
made a posting or addition error.
Your debits must equal your
credits because a general ledger
accounting system uses what is
termed the "double entry
method" of entering transac-
tional data. The basic rational is
that every transaction that takes
place affects at least two or more
accounts. If only two accounts
are affected then one is debited
and one is credited. If more than
two accounts are involved the
sum of the debits must equal the
sum of the credits. For example,
let's use our home purchase il-
lustration again . Instead of hav-
ing to go for a loan of your house
purchase you just happen to have
$100,000 on hand from last year's
sale of mineral rights on some
raw land that you own in Saudi
Arabia. Therefore, you walk in and
place the entire amount in the
seller's hand and, after he
recovers, you go home and enter
the transaction on your computer-
ized bookkeeping system. You
call up your cash journal and
enter a $100,000 credit to your
cash account and create a new
asset of $100,000 called "house",
which you appropriately debit for
$100,000. At the end of the
posting, your credits equal
$100,000 and your debits equal
$100,000. This transaction result-
ed in no net change to your total
assets because your already had
the cash on hand of $100,000
(previously recorded from the
sale of mineral rights), and you
"exchanged" that $100,000 cash
asset for a $100,000 house asset.
Therefore, if you remember our
balance sheet, no entry to equity
is called for because the asset
base was not increased. But, let's
look at a second example. One in
which the transaction involves
more than two accounts.

You are back in your original
situation where you have been
able to scrape up $30,000 for a
down payment on that $100,000

dream house. You have borrowed
the remaining $70,000 and closed
the deal. Now, at home, you're
entering the transaction into your
computer. You properly credit
(decrease) your cash account by
$30,000 and then you debit (in-
crease) a new asset account call-
ed "house" for $100,000. Wait,
you're not done. Your debits of
$100,000 do not equal your
credits of $30,000. You must
come up with a $70,000 credit to
make your books balance. You do
this by crediting (increasing) the
LIABILITY account'called "notes
payable". Remember, you had to
borrow that $70,000 and the credit
to notes payable accounts for
that debt and balances your
books! In applying this back to
our accounting equation, you
now have a $100,000 asset for
which you paid $30,000, which
becomes your equity, and is
represented by the $100,000 asset
less the $70,000 liability.

So, now you should be able to
understand what is meant when
we say that your debits must
equal your credits. It is all based
upon one simple equation and the
trial balance is just the check
point in a general ledger system
to make certain that you have
posted all your credits and debits.

Definitions. . .Again!

You undoubtedly noticed that I
previously have made mention of
a "journal". Well, I do believe an
explanation is in order. A journal
is what accountants call an origi-
nal book of entry. It's a daily
record showing the various debit
and credit changes which affect
the several ledger accounts. It is
quite standard for a journal to in-
clude a description or explana-
tion of the transaction. If you are
confused about the distinction
between a journal and a ledger ac-
count, the easiest way to remem-
ber the difference is to think of
the journal as organized
specifically for recording and
maintaining a record of transac-
tions. The ledger, instead, is

organized to maintain the ac-
counts themselves. At periodic
intervals (for example, once per
month) the transactions recorded
in the journal(s) are posted to the
ledger and the appropriate ac-
counts are debited and credited.
The journal also has debit and
credit entries that are made when
transactions are recorded. In a
manual journal there is a column
for debits as well as credits. If you
were recording a trip to the
grocery store you would, after
entering the date, enter your tran-
saction information using the
same rules for debit and credit
that we have already discussed.
Food is an expense and expenses
have debit balances because they
decrease equity. The cash you
used to buy the food evidences a
decrease in cash which would be
a credit. In entering transactions
to a journal it is customary to
always enter the debit first, then
the credit, with the explanation of
the transaction following. When
you go to post from the journal,
you would pick up the credit to
cash and credit the cash account

for that amount. Likewise, you
would post the debit to the food
account.

The journal provides a link be-
tween several debit and credit en-
tries in the various accounts,
showing which are related to
which transaction. As in our food
example, if you were to look at the
accounts "cash" or "food" you
would have some difficulty con-
necting the given cash expen-
diture with food, unless you had a
very good memory. Therefore, the
journal is a vitally important tool
in an accounting system.

The General Ledger

The Business Man™, by
Southern Solutions, is a "general
ledger record keeping system". In
other words, the basis for the pro-
gram's accounting system and
processing of financial informa-
tion is a general ledger.

A general ledger is defined as
an accumulation register for all
types of accounts. Transactions
are entered in the journal(s) and
then posted to the various ac-

counts in the ledger. At the end of
the accounting period the ac-
counts are "closed" and the
balances used to prepare the
financial reports. This is the fun-
damental operation of the pro-
gram that we will be reviewing in
part two of this series. Remem-
bering this process will help you
tremendously not to lose per-
spective when we start talking
about what The Business Man™
can do.

The Business Man™ has two
journals (original books of entry).
One is called the "general jour-
nal" and the other the "cash jour-
nal".

The General Journal

This is often called the easiest
journal to work with, so, it is a
good place to begin. A manual
general journal has a column for
debits, credits, account titles, ex-
planations, and the date. You will
also find a thin reference column
with the heading "LP". This
stands for "ledger page" and
helps provide that link we talked

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C64-FORTH

for the Commodore 64

FORTH SOFTWARE FOR THE COMMODORE 64

C64-FORTH (TM) for the Commodore 64 - $99.95

• Fig Forth-79 implementation with extensions

• Full feature screen editor and macro assembler

• Trace feature for easy debugging

• 320x200, 2 color bit mapped graphics

• 16 color sprite and character graphics

• Compatible with VIC peripherals including disks, data set, modem,
printer and cartridges

• Extensive 144 page manual with examples and application screens

• "SAVETURNKEY" normally allows application program distribution
without licensing or royalties

C64-XTEND (TM) FORTH Extension forC64-FORTH - $59.95
(Requires original C64-FORTH copy)

• Fully compatible floating point package including arithmetic,
relational, logical and transcendental functions

• Floating point range of lE+38 to 2E-39

• String extensions including LEFT$, RIGHT$, and MID$

• BCD functions for 10 digit numbers including multiply, divide, and
percentage. BCD numbers may by used for DOLLAR. CENTS
calculations without the round-off error inherent in BASIC real
numbers.

• Special words are provided for inputting and outputting
DOLLAR.CENTS values

• Detailed manual with examples and applications screens

{Commodore 64 is a trademark of Commodore)

TO ORDER- Specify disk or cassette version

- Check, money order, bank card, COD's add $1.50

- Add $4.00 postage and handling in USA and Canada

- Mass. orders add 5% sales tax

- Foreign orders add 20% shipping and handling

- Dealer inquiries welcome

PERFORMANCE MICRO PRODUCTS

770 Dedham Street. S-2

Canton, MA 02021

(617) 828-1209

Commander September 1983/105

"■■■'CQflPU SEIMSEi

■ I

VIC-20™ & C-64™ Hardware

VIC-1541
VIC-1530
VIC-1515
VIC-1010
VIC-1311

VIC-1312

Disk Drive

Datasette

Printer

Expansion Module

Joystick

Wico Joystick

Game Paddles

Telephone Modem

Terminal Emulator (64)

Tape
Disk
40x25 Terminal Emulator VIC
VIC-1210 VIC 3K Memory Expander Cart.

Plugs directly into the VIC's expansion port. Expands to 8K RAM total.
VIC-1110 VIC 8K Memory Expander Cart.

8K RAM expansion cartridge plugs directly into the VI.
CM 1 02 24K Memory Expander Cart.

VIC-1 01 1 A RS232C Terminal Interface

347.00

67.50

334.95

139.95

9.95

28.00

19.95

99.95

9.95

15.95

40.95

34.95

52.50

119.95
39.95

Provides interface between the VIC-20"

Connects to VIC's user port.

PETSPEED —

Basic Compiler for Commodore

Vic Rabbit Cartridge

C-64- Rabbit

Star G-10 Printer

Mura Modem

Smith Corona TP-1 Printer

and RS232 telecommunications modems.

140.O0
35.00
35.00
360.00
120.00
650.00

Cardco Inc.

Sale
Price

Cardboard 6 $87.50

An expansion interface for the VIC-20'" allows expansion to 40K or accepts up
to six games. May be daisy chained for more versatility.

Cardboard 3 $35.95

Economy expansion interface for the VIC-20'".

Card "?" Card/Print $76.oo

Universal Centronics Parallel Printer Interface for the VIC-20'" or C-64'". Use an
Epson MX-80 or OKIDATA or TANDY or just about any other.

Cardette $30.95

Use any standard cassette player/recorder with your VIC-20'" or C-64'".

Cardriter $29.95

A light pen with six programs to use with your VIC-20'" or C-64'".

Cardram16 $50.50

A 1 6K memory expansion cartridge for the VIC-20'" personal computer.

Cardprinter/LQ1

Letter quality daisy wheel printer for VIC & C 64.

Cardprinter/DM1

Impact dot matrix 40 character/line printer VIC & C 64.

Cardboard/6

VIC 20 only 6-slot expansion board.

Cardram/16

1 6K memory card for the VIC 20, fully switched.

Cardprint/a

VIC 20 & C 64 Parallel input printer interface.

Cardboard/5

Five slot expansion interface for the C 64.

Write Now

Word processor on a cartridge for the C 64.

Mail Now

Mailing list program on disk works with Write Now/C 64.

Write Now

Word processor on a cartridge for the VIC 20.

Cardkey/1

Sixteen numerical key pad with software for the VIC & C 64.

Cardboard/3s

VIC 20 only 3-slot expansion board.

Cardette/ 1

VIC 20 & C 64 Universal cassette interface.

$599.95

$149.95

$79.95

$60.50

$76.00

$69.95

$49.95

$39.95

$35.95

$30.95

Cardriter/ 1

VIC 20 & C 64 Light pen with switch, & programs.

Printer Utility Programs

Tape software & screen dump VIC & C 64.

$29.95
$19.95

Fantasy Software for C-64™

Suggested Sale
Retail Price

Disk 17.95 15.95

Flight 64 Tape 15.95 13.95

YOU are the pilot in this realistic flight simulation. Your mission is to make an IFR
flight, avoiding treacherous mountains and other hazards.

Disk 17.95 15.95

Datafile Tape 15.95 13.95

A data-base management program which lends itself well to address lists, col-
lections, club lists, etc. Records can be SORTED, FOUND, SAVED, EDITED,
and UPDATED.

Disk 17.95 15.95

Sprite Gen Tape 15.95 13.95

This program allows you to easily design sprites for use in your own programs.

Disk 17.95 15.95

Loan Calc Tape 15.95 13.95

Long and short term loans, mortgages, educational loans; all computed in sec-
onds and displayed in an easy to understand format.

Disk 17.95 15.95

CompullO Tape 15.95 13.95

This is a colorful adaptation of the popular game of Othello for the 64.

Disk 17.95 15.95

Gunslinger Tape 15.95 13.95

An old west shoot-out for two players featuring color sprite animation and sound
effects. Take cover behind a cactus and watch the bullets fly!! Requires joy-
sticks.

Hes Software for VIC-20™ & C-64 1

6502 Professional Development
System

Suggested
Retail

29.95

Sale
Price

24.95

Vic Forth vic-20"- & c-64" 59.95 54.95

Is a powerful language for those who want to go beyond BASIC programming. It
is an interactive language that is very memory efficient and much faster than
BASIC, yet easier to use than assembly language

Hes Mon VIC-20" & C-64™ 39.95 34.95

Allows serious program development on the VIC-20'". HES MON is a 6502

machine language monitor, with a mini-assembler, that is indispensible for ail
assembly language programmers.

Hes Writer vic-20- 39.95 34.95

Hes Writer c-64" 44.95 40.95

Is a sophisticated, time-saving word processing tool for your VIC-20'". Now you
can produce professional-quality letters, memos and manuscripts with ease.

Turtle Graphics vic-20- 39.95 34.95

Turtle Graphics II C-64- 59.95 54.95

It is the ideal way for computer novices to learn programming. It is fun, easy-to-
use computer language that lets even beginners master the computer in just a
few minutes.

Games for VIC-20™

Aggressor

Synthesound

Shamus

Proctor

Robot Panic

Pirate Peril

Retro Ball

Gridrunner vic-20™ & c-64-

39.95

34.95

59.95

54.95

39.95

34.95

43.95

40.95

39.95

34.95

39.95

34.95

39.95

34.95

39.95

34.95

UMI Software for VIC-20™

Suggested Sale

Retail Price

Cassette 24.95 20.00

Cartridge 39.95 36.00

Destroy the robots to escape.

Amok

Prisoner of the Amok Robots

Spides Of Mars Cartridge 39.95 36.00

You are Martian Space Fly. You battle: evil forces of interplanetary space.

Renaissance Cartridge 39.95 36.00

Use your intellect against the computer s logic; 1 000 years ago.

Meteor Run Cartridge 39.00 36.95

Command the Flagship of Solar. Your mission . . . conquer Aldebaron.

Outworld Cartridge 39.95 36.00

Insure safe passage for supply freighter. Outworld depends on you.

Satellites and Meteorites Cartridge 39.00 36.95

Survival: depends on quick reactions against meteorites and satellites.

Alien Blitz Cartridge 29.95 26.00

Your nerves of steel, prevent intruders from demolishing your city.

Cloudburst Cartridge 29.95 26.00

Save earth: Destroy cloudhoppers and violent storms.

Sub Chase Cassette 24.95 20.00

Attention Commander: Destroy the enemy submarines; VIC-8K.

Kozmic Kamikazee Cassette 24.95 20.00

Defend earth: against a hoard of Alien Attackers. VIC, 3K-8K.

Renaissance for C-64™ Cassette 17.96 15.96

Use your intellect against the computer's logic; 1000 years ago.

Motormania for C-64™ Cassette 17.96 15.00

Drive your car through or around different obstacles.

EPYX Software

Suggested Sale

Temple of Apshai C-64- 39.95 36.00

A fantasy world — magic, monsters, doomed cities and damsels in distress.

Upper Reaches of Apshai c-64"* 19.95 16.00

Horrible Monsters — gardens — berry patches and caverns; purchase Temple
of Asphai to play.

Curse of Ra c-64" 19.95 16.00

A journey into the deserts of Egypt. Purchase "Temple'' to play.

The Datestones of Ryn vic-20" 19.95 16.00

Your mission: recover the Datastones, before the clock stops.

Sword of Fargoal vic-20™ & c-64" 29.95 26.00

Search for the Sword in bottomless Dungeons.

Ricochet vic-2o ,m 19.95 16.00

The strategy game with bounce. Challenge the computer or friends.

Platter Mania vic-20- 39.95 36.00

Great circus performers — spinning plates on rods. Test your skills.

Monster Maze vic-20™ 39.95 26.00

Trapped in chamber of horrors. Find vitamins; Reach for gold.

Jump Man c-64" 39.95 36.oo

A fantastic game

Midwest Micro Software for C-64™

64 Terminal 29.95 25.00

(Terminal Emulator) Same impressive features as TERMINAL-40; smooth-scroll-
ing, 40-character lines, VIC printer dump, etc. Plus, GIANT 24K Receiver Buffer
and UPPER/lowercase text. No memory exp. required. Requires '64 and
modem.

64 Grafix Sampler 19.95 17.00

Indulge in the graphics splendor of the '64. Interact with demos of techniques
such as plotting of points, lines and 3-D objects in the hi-rez mode; animating
sprites; plus assorted graphics displays. Routines may be extracted for use in
your own programs.

64 Panorama 19.95 17.00

Explore pictures graphics on the amazing '64! Nineteen fascinating digitized
pictures PLUS hi-rez draw routine for your joystick AND hi-rez dump to VIC
printer. Capture our pics or your creativity on paper.

Midwest Micro Software for VIC-20™

Suggested Sale
_ ._, Retail Price

Terminal 40 Tape 29.95 25.00

(Terminal Emulator 8K Required) Terminal telecommunications program with
40-character lines and smooth scrolling text for easy reading! All software-no
expensive hardware to buy. 4K (or larger). Receive Buffer with optional dump to
VIC printer. Function key access to frequently-used modes. Fully programmable
Baud, Duplex, Parity, Wordsize, Stopbit, and Linefeed: supports control charac-
ters With 24 p. manual and Bulletin Board directory. Requires VIC-20'". 8K (or
larger) mem exp. and modem.

ViC-PiCS 19.95 17.00

Nineteen fascinating high-resolution digitized pictures plus hi-rez drawing with
your joystick plus hi-rez dump to VIC printer.

Ticker Tape 14.95 12.00

Watch your message glide smoothly across the screen. Adds motion and inter-
est to any message display. Two built-in character sets; standard and BOLD (or
use custom sets from Library Vol. 1 ). Programming experience recommended.

Library Vol. 1 14.95 12.00

Six full sets of custom character fonts each with UPPERCASE, lowercase, nu-
merals, punctuation. May be used with Tickertape. Programming experience
recommended.

Disassembler 14.95 12.00

Fast disassembly to screen or printer with handy hex/dec and dec/hex conver-
sion. Includes key VIC addresses to study. VIC or RS-232 printer. Programming
experience recommended.

Total Software for VIC-20™

Suggested Sale
Retail Price

*..,■_ 2.5 Tape 35.00 30.00

Total Text Disk 39.00 34.00

All of the features of Total Text BASIC with 3K additional working memory for edit-
ing, footnoting, right margin justification, and up to 4 heading lines per page.
Req. 8K exp.

_ 2.1 Tape 20.00 16.00

Total Label 2.1 Disk 24.00 20.00

A mailing list and label program which will sort either alphabetically or numeri-
cally. Will print any or all stored labels at your command and has a browse func-
tion. Req. 8K exp.

,,,..,., 2.1 Tape 30.00 26.00

Total Time Manager 2.1 Disk 34.00 29.00

Creates personal or business schedules, calendars of events, and checklists of
activities. Describe each activity, the person responsible, project codes, dates,
times and comments. Req. 8K exp.

2.0 Tape 30.00 26.00

Research Assistant 2.0 Disk 34.00 29.00

This is a set of programs which allows you to keep track of reference data and
create keyword cross reference lists. Requires 8K expansion.

Total Software for C-64™

Total Text 2.6 Disk 44.00 40.00

Total Label 2.6 Disk 24.00 20.00

Total Time Manager 2.6 Disk 39.00 34.00

Research Assistant 2.0 Disk 39.00 34.00

ii'-'ta/DPU 5ei\i$ei:/

TO ORDER:

P.O. BOX 768

WICHITA, KS 67201

(316) 263-1095

Handling charges $3.00

C.O.D. (Add $2.00)

Personal checks allow 3 week delivery

Prices subject to change

VIC-20'" & Commodore 64'" are registered trademarks of Commodore Business System, Inc

about earlier. When you post to
the ledger from the journal you
would normally place the page of
the ledger that contains the
posted account in the "LP" col-
umn next to the debit or credit
you are posting. This leaves what
accountants like to call "tracks".
This way you can later follow
where you've been and what
you've been doing. This step is
absolutely necessary for a proper
audit trail. Any computerized
system that doesn't have some
way to trace the journal entry to
the ledger has failed a very impor-
tant test. There is absolutely no
value in using a "full-blown" ac-
counting system that doesn't
leave a proper audit trail. If your
books are ever looked at by some-
one else (say the IRS) and they
run into this kind of trouble you
will have a difficult time explain-
ing yourself. (If this ever happens
to you, what good did all that
money you spent on the program
do you?) Be very careful to watch
for this before you buy any ac-
counting software. I cannot
stress this point enough.

Subsidiary Journals

The general journal is for all
types of transactions and can
reference any account; that's why
it's called a general journal. But if
you want to segregate your cash
transactions into one place, for
whatever reason, you would use a
"cash journal".

In manual ledger systems there
are two cash journals. One is call-
ed the "cash receipts journal"
and the other the "cash payments
journal". Obviously their respec-
tive purposes are quite clear. The
former records all receipts of
cash while the latter records all
transactions resulting in dis-
bursement of cash. The Business
Man™, by Southern Solutions,
uses the cash journal as both a
cash receipts and payments jour-
nal. When you call up the cash
journal from the program menu
the first thing asked is if you are
recording transactions dealing

108/Commander September 1983

with either receipts of cash or
disbursements. The net result is
the same. Transactions represen-
ting receipts of cash are segrega-
ted from those of disbursements.
For most individuals, a general
journal serving as the original
book of entry would do just fine.
For business organizations, more
detail in recording transactions
affecting either the balance sheet
accounts or the income state-
ment accounts (to be defined
later) is often required. Subsidiary
journals and ledgers provide this
detail which is an important justi-
fication of the general ledger ac-
count balance. As discussed, the
general ledger contains all asset,
liability, equity, revenue, and ex-
pense accounts. These general
ledger accounts are often called
"control accounts", because they
contain the sum of all the related
subsidiary ledger accounts. For
example, in your general ledger
you would have an accounts
payable control account. The
balance of this control account
would be comprised of the in-
dividual balances of all your sub-
sidiary, or, individual accounts
payable. Therefore, posting
would occur from the journal to
the subsidiary ledger to the
general ledger; each one pro-
viding a check upon the other.

The Income Statement

We're going to wrap up this
first article with a look at the so
called "bottom line" and the ac-
counting statement that provides
the perspective for that look.

The balance sheet that we look-
ed at earlier shows us the overall
financial position of the person or
firm we're looking at. In contrast,
the income statement shows us
the actual revenue from opera-
tions. Revenue is the gross
amount of asset value received
through operations. It would in-
clude both cash and accounts
receivable (credit sales). There is
often a tendency to call all cash
brought into the operation reve-

nue. This is not proper. Not every
receipt of cash is revenue. For in-
stance, when we borrowed
$70,000 to purchase the dream
house earlier, the $70,000 was
brought into our "operation" but
it is not revenue. The distinction
here is that the equity did not
change (increase) due to the bor-
rowing transaction itself which
brought the funds into the organi-
zation. A second example would
deal with collection of an outstan-
ding debt (account receivable)
you may have. The revenue is pro-
perly recorded at the time the
receivable is created so when the
funds are collected and received,
it simply results in the decrease
of the asset "accounts receiv-
able" and an increase in the asset
"cash". The net effect is no
change in the total asset/equity
position.

The most important concept
behind the income statement is
that it shows revenue over certain
periods of time. If I were to tell
you I made $200,000, that
wouldn't give you much informa-
tion. But if I told you I made
$200,000 over the last ten years,
then you have an idea as to my
financial position. This is the im-
portance of relating income and
expense data to time.

I'm sure you've heard of a
"fiscal year". This represents a
period of time used to accumu-
late, segregate, and identify
financial data. An "accounting
period" is the length of time
covered by the income statement.
It is also a period of time by which
you schedule your financial
reporting. This can be monthly,
quarterly, semiannually, or an-
nually. Within this period you
would usually perform your final
postings and close out your
books.

The actual definition of a fiscal
year now becomes meaningful.
Any period of time adopted by a
business or individual that covers
twelve (12) full months is known
as a "fiscal year". An accounting
period, therefore, is defined
within your fiscal year.

The Business Man™ has dif-
ferent options for accounting
periods. It allows you to choose
between monthly, quarterly and
annually. In using the system you
can generate full accounting
reports by accounting period. The
Business Man™ also has a
budget feature. The budget can
be compared by accounting
period to your actual performance
so that you may evaluate where
you stand as compared to where
you wanted to be.
Revenue Vs. Expense

The accounts which adorn the
income statement are called
either revenue or expense ac-
counts. The difference is so sim-
ple it will surprise you. Revenue
accounts increase the equity
(remember the balance sheet)
while expenses decrease the
equity. The convention for the
debit and credit balances of these
accounts follows the same debit

and credit logic we discussed
before. Equity accounts have a
credit balance because they are
listed on the right hand side of
the balance sheet. To increase an
account with a credit balance you
credit it, while debiting the ac-
count decreases it. Revenue ac-
counts increase the equity,
therefore, a revenue account
would have a credit balance. Ex-
pense accounts, on the other
hand, decrease the equity. Conse-
quently, an expense account
would have a debit balance.

Account ledgers are kept for
revenue and expense accounts
just as for asset, liability, and
equity accounts. Transactions are
recorded and postings made to
the accounts in the same fashion.

I'm sure that you can see ac-
counting in a general ledger
system is fairly straightforward
and consistent. After all this in-
formation we've gone through in

the first part of our review you
should have no trouble under-
standing and working with most
general ledger accounting
systems including The Business
Man™. As you work with them,
your knowledge and understan-
ding will continue to grow and
before long you'll be an expert.

For our purposes of evaluating
The Business Man™ this
background will help us in part
two of this series to concentrate
on the capabilities of the program
instead of "accounting". I
sincerely hope that you find this
information helpful and useful in
other areas besides evaluating
software. I look forward to next
month when we will scrutinize
Southern Solutions' Business
Man™.D

Quadra-Rom

• A unique space making device
for CBM® computers.

• Allows up to 4 roms to reside in
the same address.

• Also available with
switches.

external

Available from:

PUG

Software &
Accessories

777 Warden Avenue
Scarborough Ontario Mil 40
Phone. (4lc) 755 SOW

Wloste ,C

or your CBM® dealer

CBM Registered Trademark

Suggested List Price $39.95

Circle No. 24

Bougttf

A primer for the Commodore
1540/1541 Disk Drive
by ft. G. Partner

In the July issue of COM-
MANDER MAGAZINE I covered
the use of a program oh the TEST/
DEMO DISK enclosed with the
1540/1541 disk drives titled: VIC-
WEDGE. This program 'WEDGES'
into memory above user basic,
allowing the user to access most
of the DISK COMMANDS. Since it
does 'WEDGE' above basic you
are able to load BASIC programs
into the computer without losing
the ability to perform disk com-
mands at the touch of a key (or
two). While monitoring informa-
tion on the new 1541 disk drives I
discovered that Commodore was
not including the 'WEDGE' pro-
gram on some of the new TEST/
DEMO disks. A short time later
they began including two pro-
grams titled: C-64 WEDGE and
DOS 5.1. C-64 WEDGE is a
LOADER program, i.e., it loads
the program DOS 5.1.

If you have a 1540 disk drive or
the 1541 disk drive and find the
TEST/DEMO disk does not in-
clude VIC-WEDGE or the C-64

1 10/Commander September 1983

WEDGE/DOS 5.1, check with your
local Commodore dealer. He may
be able to help you out. Now let's
see what new things we can learn
about the 1540/1541 disk drive.

I have included in this article
two programs. These programs
should help out those of you who
may have need to change the
NAME (or HEADER) on your disk
(see figure 1 & 2) and a program to
allow you to change the disk ID
number (see figure 3 & 4). A good
friend, Jack Marx, did some trans-
lating and re-writing so they
would work on the VIC. I re-wrote
those sections that were applica-
ble to the C-64. I include both ver-
sions at the end of this article and
hope that they may be of help for
those of you needing to make
some changes on your disks.
C-64 WEDGE

This 'WEDGE' has many
features that the VIC-20 'WEDGE'
does not have. It supports all the
disk commands found in the Disk
Operating System and in BASIC.

This makes it an extremely
powerful tool to have in place
when operating the disk. Unlike
the VIC 20 WEDGE the C-64 gives
no hints about use after loading.
It simply gives a title line and a
credit line to the writer and a
READY indication. The DISK

DRIVE BOOK is of little help; in
fact one Disk Drive Book I have
makes no mention of it at all.
Many of the same commands that
were available with the VIC
WEDGE are the same on the C-64
WEDGE. There are, however,
many new commands which
make the C-64 WEDGE much
more powerful and versatile.

The following is a description
of the C-64 WEDGE commands:

The '@' and '>' symbols are us-
ed interchangeably. I find the '>'
(greater than symbol) easier to
use many times. The main disad-
vantage is that the shift key must
be pressed to access it. The '@'
(commercial at symbol) does not
require a shift to reach it but it is
not a key I am used to hitting
when typing. Use whichever one
is comfortable to you.

©—This symbol used alone
will provide the user with the cur-
rent disk status. It performs the
same function as typing in the
following BASIC code:

10 OPEN 15,8,15

20 INPUT#15,A,B$,C,D

30 PRINT A;B$;C;D

I am sure you can see a slight
time savings using this com-
mand.

@$ or $— This is the 'READ
DISK DIRECTORY COMMAND'. It

To be continued on page 112

Figure 1

SCREEN MEM
" : NEXT

1 REM—

2 REM 20. HEW ID

3 REM REVISED BY JRCK MARX

4 REM WRAPPED BV R.G. PARTNER

5 REM ■

10 OPEN 9, 0,0 'OPEN 15,3,15
15 POKE 36879,233

20 REM POKE 59468, 12= REM

36 MD$=" [HOME]" : FORI =1 TO

DOWN]": NEXT

40 FOR 1=1 TO 39:BL*=BL$+"

50 PS$= " l CLEAR ] [ DOWN ] t DOWN 3 [ DOWN 3 C R I GHT

][RIGHT][REV][REB]DISK I D # CHANGER:

60 RE$=" C BLACK] PRESS [REV ] RETURN

70 DATA2,OUT OF RANGE, TOO LONG

80 READ R:DIM EM*<fl> =FORI=l TO A = READ E

M*<I):HEKT

99 GOTO 1000

100 IHPUT#15,ER:IF ER=8 THEN RETURN
110 INPUT#15,ER,EM$,ET$,ES$

120 PRINTMD$"CREV]DISK ERROR! [OFF] #"ER

11 "EM* ET$", "ES$

130 END

200 INP!JT#3,Q$:PRINT:Ql*=LEFT$<ia$, 1) :RE

TURN

300 CLOSE 2: CLOSE 15: POKE 59468, PK=PRIN

T" [CLEAR]": PRINT" [RIGHT] [RIGHT] [RIGHT] [

RIGHT] [RIGHT] [RIGHT3END": END

400 PRINT LEFT*<MD*,ME)BL*: PRINT BL$

410 PRINT LEFT$(MD*,MD>j : RETURN

500 MD=21 :GOSUB400

510 PRINT" [REV] UNACCEPTABLE ENTRY — "E

M$(EM>

520 PRINT RE$:GOSUB 200:GQSUB 400

530 RETURN

1000 F=0:PRINTP0*

1020 DV=0

1040 PRINT P0*= PRINT" C DOWN 3 PLACE DISK I
N DRIVE"DV"[DOWN]"

1041 REM CCDHCD3

1050 PRINT RE$:QOSUB 200

1060 PRINT#15, "I"+STR*<DV) =eOSUB

1070 OPEN 2,8.2,"#":PRINT J #15,"U1
'M8,0":GOSUB 100

100

2 m ;dv;

will NOT overwrite a program in
memory. This is the same com-
mand that is used for obtaining a
directory with the VIC-WEDGE ex-
cept that the commercial '©'
symbol is used instead of the '>'
symbol. You may add a semicolon
and then specify a file you are
searching for. Another bonus is
that you may add an '*' after the
FILENAME. You may then add a
second command which I will call
RECORD.

This allows you to set up files
with a RECORD number/ charac-
ter and search for ONLY those
files with a specific RECORD
number.

Here is an example:

@$0:FILENAME* RECORD

@SO:FILENAMEand

@SO:FILENAME*RECORD
—This command has remained
the same. It will scratch the file
specified by the FILENAME. You
may specify a particular RECORD
within a particular FILE if you use
the second example.

@RO:NEWFILE NAME = OLD
FILENAME— This command
RENAMES an existing disk file.
You must specify the NEW FILE-
NAME first then the ' = ' and OLD
FILENAME remains the same as
with the VIC-WEDGE.

QU1— This command resets
the Disk Drive DOS.

@IO— This command updates
the Directory and BAM (Block
Availability Map) in the disk drive.
If you should find yourself with
two diskettes having identical ID
numbers or characters this com-
mand can be used to update the
Disk Directory and the BAM
(Block Availability Map).

@Q— Use this command if you
wish to quit using the 'WEDGE'.

/FILENAME— This will load the
program specified by 'FILE-
NAME' into the computer. It will
NOT load MACHINE LANGUAGE
programs to the proper address. It
will load all programs at the start
of C-64 Basic. On the C-64 this
will be at $0800 or decimal 2048.
The VIC loads at $1200 or decimal
4096/4606). It will also load pro-
grams that Boot from Basic.

Commander September 1983/111

%FILENAME— This is one of
the new commands added to the
wedge. With this command you
can load machine code programs
at their OWN LOAD ADDRESS. If
you were doing this from BASIC it
would look like this:

LOAD"FILENAME",8,1; press
RETURN

(up arrow) FILENAME— This
is what I call the AUTO RUN com-
mand. It will load a BASIC pro-
gram and once loaded automati-
cally run it without you typing the
command RUN. I must stress
again that this will ONLY WORK
WITH BASIC PROGRAMS OR
PROGRAMS THAT ARE BOOTED
FROM BASIC.

As you can see this has greatly
enhanced the value of the
'WEDGE' particularly in loading
and saving programs from the
'WEDGE'. One of my pet com-
plaints about the VIC-WEDGE
was that I could not load Machine
Code programs from the
'WEDGE'.

Advanced Disk Commands

As I promised, we are going in-
to some of the more advanced
disk commands. Those of you
who are more adventurous can
type in the accompanying code
and have some fun learning more
about your disk drive operation. I
would highly recommend that you
DO NOT USE a good disk (i.e., a
disk with good programs on it) for
your experimentation:

U1 or B-R— BLOCK READ com-
mand has been replaced by the
command U1.

This command allows you to
read any block on a normally for-
matted disk. This disk must have
been formatted in the same way
that the drive reads it. An example
of different formatting is trying to
read a disk formatted on an 8050
drive using your 1541 drive. The
tracks are formatted differently
and you will be unable to read
those disks. Ui or B-R may some-
times be used to recover informa-
tion stored on a disk which may
have been destroyed during the
save operation. Sometimes this

1 12/Commander September 1983

Continued from page 111

1080 PR I NT# 1 5 , " B-P : 2 , 1 62 " : GOSUB 1 80 : DN$
_ ii ii

1096 FOR 1 = 1 TO 16:GET#2,flf :DH$=BNf-+fi$:

1100 MD=10= GOSUB 400: IF F THEN RETURN

1110 PR I NT "C BLUE] THE DISK ID # ISC BLACK

1120 PRINT TAB (5) CHR*<34) DNS CHR3K34)

1138 rai-13

1178 MB=16
1175 PRINT" C RED 3 ENTER"
1180 PRINT" C BLACK 3 NEW DISK ID #": PRINT"
LIMIT TO 2 CHARACTERS [REV 3"
1 1 90 GOSUB 280 : I FLEN ( Q* ) >2THEN EM=2 : GOS-
UB 508 :MD=1S: GOSUB 400: GOTO 1190
1280 NDN*=LEFT$<Q$+BL*, 2)
1210 MD-21: GOSUB 489
1220 PR I NT "SHALL I SEND CREV3"NDN$

1230 PR I NT "TO THE DISKETTE ON DRIVE"DV"
? (.WAV) [REV 3";

1231 INPUT E*

1232 IF E$=="N"THEN300
1248 GOTO 1270

1250 IFQl*O n N"THEN GOSUB 480: MD=18 = GOT

1170

1260 GOTO 1210

1270 rlD=21:pRINT"BE PATIENT...

1288 PRINT#15, !, B-p: 2,162": GOSUB igg

1290 PRINT#2,NDN$; : GOSUB 188

1 300 PR I NT# 1 5 , " U2 : 2 " ; DV J " , 18,8": GOSUB 1

1318 PR I NT# 1 5 , " I " +STR$ < D V > : GOSUB 1 88 : CL

OSE 2

1320 F=l: PRINT P8$: GOSUB 1868-F=8

1338 PR I NT "THE NEW DISK NAME IS =

1340 PRINT CHR*-::34> DN$ CHPJK34)

1358 CL0SE2:riD=21: GOSUB 488:pRINT"D0 VO

U WISH TO DO

1368 PR I NT "ANOTHER DISKETTE? CVXN) [REV
3"

1369 INPUT U*

1370 IFU$="Y"THEN 1848
1380 IFU$="N"THEN 388
1390 GOTO 1361

Figure 2

1 REM —

2 REM 20. NEW NAME

3 REM REVISED BV JACK MARX.

4 REM WRAPPED BV R.G. PARTNER

5 REM

To be continued on page 114

Commodore 64
and
VIC-20

G0^

DRAW

with your joystick!

Now, you can create high-resolution pictures

on-screen with your joystick as a "pen." Design critters,
objects, pie-charts — whatever your imagination wishes!
SAVE your creations to tape or disk, and PRINT
them on a VIC printer. Educational and fun!

Draw narrow or wide lines, curvy or straight; set points;
add captions; create background patterns; change
picture, background, and border colors; reverse colors for
a negative; even connect dots with straight lines
automatically! You control every dot on the screen.

A large "Picture Library" is included to get you started,
plus a 20-page instruction manual. Joystick required. VIC
printer and disk drive optional. On cassette.

For the Commodore 64:

'64 Panorama S29.95

For the VIC-20:

VIC-PICS S29.95

(Full features need 8K mem exp: reduced
version Included for unexpanded VIC.)

Available for other printers— Call!

"FLY" from Picture Library

PRINT (the unprintable) . . .
with Smart ASCII Plus -$59.95

Now, print the unprintable Commodore graphics on
your dot-addressable parallel printer* with Smart
ASCII Plus. This powerful, low-cost software

interface converts your user port into a fast, intelligent
port for "Centronics" protocol printers, and we even
supply the cable!

Six flexible print modes: GRAPHICS, TRANSLATE,
DaisyTRANSLATE, CBM ASCII, True ASCII, PIPELINE.
GRAPHICS mode creates actual VIC/64 keyboard
graphics. TRANSLATE converts normally unprintable
control-codes into text: (CLR), (RVS), (BLU), etc., with an
extended mode for Daisywheel printers. Convenient
set-up menu and simplified operation. Compatible with
most application programs: WordPro 3+. EasyScript,
Quick Brown Fox (for the VIC), Writer's Assistant, etc.
Complete with connecting cable for printer and
instruction manual. On cassette. Copy to your disk for
quick loading. (Upgrades available for original Smart
ASCII owners.)

"Requires dot-addressable printer such as: Epson FX-80 or MX-80/100
with Graftrax; Okidata Microline 84; C. Itoh Prowriter I & 2: Star
Micronics Gemini-10 or 15. Other printers — Call!

333-7200

MIDWEST
MICRO mc

Send lor a free brochure.
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VIC* OWNERS

TELGAMES SOFTWARE PRESENTS:

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Using keys or the joy-stick,

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combined with the speea of machine language makes this a

great game.- $17.95

TELEGAMES SOFTWARE

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Canadian or U.S. Funds Visa. M/C. M/C, Check Shipping & Handling add $1.75
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INTRODUCTORY

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You are a shuttle pilot in the depths of space. Avoid and
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Battle your friends in one of very few 2 player Vic games.
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ALIEN VADERS

A two-dimensional spin-off of an old favorite. Machine
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BREAKTHROUGH

Use your high resolution paddle to break through the
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Send $1 9.95 (B.C. residents add tax) or a self addressed
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# 1 25 - 1 450 Johnston Road
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Dealer Inquires Invited

Circle No. 82

command can be used to re-
construct a partially destroyed
sector.

Here is an example of the syn-
tax:

PRINT#15,"U1";Channel
number;drive;track;sector
OR:

PRINT#15,"U1":a string of four
characters which represent Chan-
nel; Drive; Track; Sector.

When the BLOCK-READ com-
mand is encountered in the pro-
gram the command is read into
the buffer and the buffer pointer
is set to the beginning bit of the
buffer. This is so that the first bit
of information may be read from
the beginning. The buffer pointer
may be set to read at any Byte by
using the B-P Command.

Here is a short Basic routine to
read 256 characters from any sec-
tor and display it to the screen:

10 OPEN 1,8,2,"#":OPEN
15,8,15

20 INPUT "DRIVE, TRACK,
SECTOR";D,T,S

30 PRINT#15,"U1";2;D;T;S

40GET#1;X$:IFST=64
GOTO 20

50 PRINT X$;: GOTO40
With a slight modification this
could allow you to daisy chain
sectors together.

B-P— BUFFER POINT com-
mand:

This command controls the
pointer position to a buffer which
is used by the BLOCK com-
mands. This command must be
used when PRINTING data to a
buffer and when reading data
from a buffer. Here is an example
of the syntax:

There are only two parameters
needed for BLOCK POINTER to
work.

(1) The buffer channel number

(2) Byte position which is usual-
ly a number between 1 and 255.
Thus we have the command:

PRINT#15,"B-P";channel
number; byte position
With this information and the fact
that each file's data occupies 32
bytes we should be able to write a
program that will read any sector
from the directory so here we go:

1 1 4/Commander September 1983

Continued from page 1 12

1 OPENS ,0,0: OPEN 15,8,15: PQKE36879 ,127
20 P0KE53468,12

30 MD*="EH0r1EJ" :FORI*lT02eJMB*=MD*+"CDG

UN]": NEXT

40 F0RI«1T039 : BL**BL*+" " : NEXT

50 P0$=" [CLEAR] [DOWN] C DOWN ] C BLACK] DIS

K NAME CHANCER

60 RE*= " PRESS [ REV ] C BLUE ] RETURN C OFF ]

70 DATA2,0UT OF RANGE, TOO LONG

80 REflDfl:DIMEM*<fi) :FORI=lTOR:REflDEM*<I)

: NEXT

99 GOTO 1000

100 IHPUT#15,ER: IFER=0THENRETURN
110' INPUT* 15. ER, EN$, ET$, ES$

120 PRINTMD*" [REV] DISK ERROR! [OFF] #"ER

11 "EM$" "ET$", "ES$
130 END

200 INPUT#9,Q$:PRINT:Ql*=LEFT$CQ$,n:RE

TURN

300 CL0SE2 : CLOSE 1 5 : P0KE594S8 , PK : PR I NT " C

CLEAR]": END

400 PRIHTLEFT*aiD$, MD)BL* : PR INTEL*

410 PRINTLEFTSCMD*, MD> / = RETURN

500 MD=2l:GOSUB400

510 PR I NT "[REV] UNACCEPTABLE ENTRY — "E

M*<EM)

520 PR I NTRE* : GOSUE200 : GGSUB400

530 RETURN

1000 F=0:PRINTP0$

1005 PRINT" [DOWN] ON WHICH DRIVE FOR CHA

NOES? C 0/ 1 ) [ REV ] " .: : I NPUTQ*

1020 DV=VAL<Q$>:REN IFDV<G0RDV>1THENEM=

1= GOTO 1000

1 030 I FDV=0ANDQ 1 $<> " 8 " THENEM= 1

1040 PR I NTP0*= PR I NT "[DOWN] PL ACE DISK IN

DRIVE"DV"[D0WN]"

1 050 PR I NTRE* : GGSUB200

1060 PRINT#15, "T"+STR$CDV? :GOSUE100

1070 0PEN2,8,2, *'#" :PRINT#15, "Ul : 2" J DV; "

,13,0" :GOSUB100

1080 PRINT#15, "B-P : 2, 144" : GOSUB108 : DH*=
H ii

1 090 FOR I = 1 TO 1 6 : GET#2 , A* : BN*=BH*+ A* : NEX

1100 MD=10:GOSUB400:IF F THEN RETURN

1110 PR I NT "THE PRESENT DISK NflME IS" =PR

I NT" [BLACK]"

1120 PRINTTAB(5>"[ BLACK] "CHR$<34)DN*CHR
$<34)

1130 MD=13

1140 PRINT" [BLUE] DO YOU WISH TO CHANGE
IT? < Y/N ) [ REV ] " ; : GOSUB280
1150 IFQ1$="N"THEN1350

To be continued on page 116

64K let VIC 20

-fl-MM

SELECT ft RAM

STANDARD FEATURES

• 8K BLOCKS SELECTABLE FROM THE
KEYBOARD OR BY SOFTWARE COMMAND

• TWO EXPANSION SLOTS

• WRITE PROTECTION

• RESET SWITCH

• EXPANDABLE TO 192K WITH ADDITION
OF 64K EXPANSION MODULES

• COMPATIBLE WITH ROM CARTRIDGES

• ONE YEAR WARRANTY ON PARTS
AND LABOR

• 15 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE

SELECT-A-RAM $169.

64K

EXPANSION MODULE ....$149.

TRADE-INS ACCEPTED

3K $5 8K$10 16K-$20

OPTIONAL POWER SUPPLY FOR USE
WITH ADDITIONAL 64K RAM MODULES OR
MULTIPLE EXPANSION SLOTS $25.

VIC 20 IS A TRADEMARK OF COMMODORE
ELECTRONICS LIMITED

512-441-3202 PO BOX 43006 Austin, Tx. 78745-0001

ADVANCED-PROCESSOR-SYSTEMS

Circle No. 89

VISA*

10 REM DIRECTORY TRACK

IS=18SECTORS=19
20 OPEN 1,8,2,"#": OPEN

15,8,15
30 INPUT"DRIVE, SECTOR";

D,S
40PRINT#15,"U1",2,D,18,S
50 INPUT'WHICH FILE ";F
60 PRINT#15,"B-P";2;32*F-31

:REM THE POINTER MUST
BESET AT 1,33,65,97

:ETC. IT MUST BE A
MULTIPLE OF 32.
70 PRINT CHR$(34);
80 FOR J=1 TO 32
90GET#1,X$: PRINT X$
100 NEXT J
110 GOTO 50

These two short programs
together with NAME DOCTOR
and ID DOCTOR should keep you
busy exploring some of the more
advanced features of your disk
drive.

There are some additional ad-
vanced commands available for
disk use; however, I think until
you master the use of these it
would be best to avoid their use.
One command will allow you to
write directly to a block on the
disk; this is the BLOCK-WRITE
(replaced by U2) command. There
is a BLOCK-ALLOCATE com-
mand which when used prevents
a sector on the disk from being
overwritten by data or program.
There is a BLOCK-EXECUTE com-
mand which is like the LOAD-
RUN feature of Basic. It loads a
specified sector into the buffer
then in machine language jumps
to the start of the buffer and ex-
ecutes the program until it en-
counters a RTS command (that's
like a GOSUB and RETURN com-
mand in Basic). When it finds the
RTS command it returns to the
Basic program using the B-E com-
mand. You will find this command
seldom used as it requires a very
detailed knowledge of the Disk
Operating System ROM. Few pro-
grammers have that detailed
knowledge and that is one bit of
information Commodore has not
shared with us yet. As you can
see what you bought as a simple

116/Commander September 1983

Continued from page 114

1170 MB- 16

1189 PR I NT" ENTER NEW DISK NAME" : PRINT "L

I MIT TO 16 CHARACTERS [REV 3"

1 130 GOSUB200 : lFLENCQ$»16THENEM-2 : G0SU

E5S0 : MD=18 : GOSUB400 : GOTO 1 190

1200 HDN$=LEFT$'::Q$+BL$, 16)

1219 MB=2l:GOSUB400

1220 PR I NT "SHALL I SEND [REV]"NDN$
1230 PRIHT"T0 THE DISKETTE ON DRIVE"DV"
? <V/N> [REV]"; ••GOSUE200

1240 GO TO 1270

1250 IFQ1* O"N"THEHGO3UE400 : MD»lfi: G0T01

170

1260 GOTO 1210

1270 MD=2 1= PR I NT "BE PATIENT...

1280 PRINT* 15. "B-P:2, 144" : GOSUB 100

1290 PRINT#2,NBN$; : GOSUB ISO

1 300 PR I NT* 1 5 j " U2 = 2 " ; DV ;'M8, " : GOSUB 1

1310 PRINT#15, "I"+STR*':DV> : GOSUB 100: CL0

SE2

1320 F=l : PRINTPB* : GOSUB 1060 : F=0

1330 PR I NT "THE HEW DISK NAME IS :

1 340 PR I NT " I BLUE ] " CHR* C 34 >BN£CHR* < 34 >

1350 CL0SE2 : MD=21 : GOSUB400

1360 PR I NT "LBLACK ] ANOTHER DISKETTE? W

N> [REV3"; : IHPUTF*

1370 IFF$="V"THEN1040

1380 IFF*="N"THEN300

1390 GOTO1049

Figure 3

1 REM-

REM
REM
REM
REM

64. NEW ID
REVISED BV JACK MARX
WRAPPED By R.G. PARTNER

6 REM-

10 OPEN9,0,0:QPEN15,8,15

15 PQKE53280,14:REM BORDER COLOR

16 POKE 53231,1: REM SCREEN COLOR

30 MD$= " [ HOME 3 " : FOR I * 1 T032 = MD$=MD*+ " [ DO

WN]":NEXT

40 F0RI-lT03^:BL$-BL$+ ,, " :NEXT

50 P0$- " C CLE AR ] [ DOWN ] [ DOWN ] [ DOWN J [ R I GHT

] [RIGHT] [REV] [REDJDISK I D # CHANGER:

60 RE$=" CBLACK]PRESS [REV]RETURN

70 DAT fl2, OUT OF RANGE /TOO LONG

80 RERDfl : DIMEM$< A> : FORKTOA : READEMSC I )

:NEXT

To be continued on page 118

Circle No 45

COMMODORE USERS

Join the largest, active Commodore users group.
Benefit from:

— Access to hundreds of public domain
programs on tape and disk for your
Commodore 64, VIC 20 and PET/CBM.

— Informative monthly club magazine
THE TORPET.

Send $1 .00 for Program & Information Catalogue.

(Free with membership).

Membership
Fees for
12 Months

Canada — $20 Can.
U.S.A. — $20 U.S.
Overseas — $30 U.S.

Toronto Pet Users Group Inc.

Department "D"

1912A Avenue Road, Suite 1

Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5M 4A1

* LET US KNOW WHICH MACHINE YOU USE *

]..

2..
3..

WE WILL MEET

OR BEAT ANY

ADVERTISED

PRICE.*

Catalog available for $3.00
Please specify computer

PRODUCT NAME

SUBTOTAL

TAX

SHIPPING

TOTAL

P.O. Box 1075
Glendale, CA 91209
Phone (213) 247-6484

For Fast Delivery, send certified or
cashier checks, money orders, or di-
rect bank wire transfers. Personal
checks allow 2 lo 3 weeks to clear.
Prices reflect a cash discount only
and are subject to change. Shipping
— Software (S2.00 Minimum). Hard-
ware ($5.00 Minimum). California res-
idents add sales tax.
VISA and MASTERCARD Accepted.

Circle No. 80

*That is not below our cost.

MV°

GOSUB

<*<

INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED

Features:

19 Keys, each of which may have 3 sep-
erate definitions!

Complete documentation including pro-
gram listings!

Works on the VIC20 (Expanded) and C-64
computers!

Compatible with most existing software!

Great for use with business programs and
electronic spread sheets!

Ideal for machine language programmer!

VISA & MASTERCARD WELCOME
Prices subject to change

"C-64 and VIC 20 are registered trademarks of Commodore International

Dealer Inquires Invited - (316) 265-9858

GOSUB lnternational-501 E. Pawnee- Suite 430

Wichita. Kansas 67211

Circle No. 84

Commander September 1983/117

disk drive has far greater capabili-
ty than you may have expected.
You can spend many interesting
hours looking into the internal
workings of your disk drive.

Those of you who have a 1540
and are contemplating the pur-
chase of a C-64 need not despair.
RELIABLE SOURCES tell me that
an UP-GRADE ROM has been
manufactured but not released
yet. I have been attempting to
confirm this with Commodore
directly. To date they have been
reluctant to confirm or deny the
ROM. The 1540 disk drive will
work with the C-64. The one hitch
is not really a hitch at all. You
simply need to turn off the screen
while loading in a program.

This is accomplished as
follows:

POKE 53265,11

LOAD"PROGRAM NAME",1
(or ,8 for disk drive)

You are addressing the VIC
(Video Interface Chip) control
register with this POKE. The
screen will blank out while the
program loads. Once the loading
process has been completed you
will need to type in the following
command: (you will be typing
'blind', i.e., with no lettering on
the screen, so be careful)

POKE 53265,27

That completes the process,
am sure you can write a short rou
tine to reside in protected mem
ory. Once that is done you can for
get about typing it in each time
Perhaps you could use the func
tion keys to perform the com
mands.D

Continued from page 116

33 GOTO 1000

100 INPUT#15,ER: IFER-BTHENRETURN

110 INPUT#15,ER,EM*,ET$,ES$

120 PRINTMB$"[REV]DISK ERROR! [OFF] #"ER

" "Em" "ET$", "ES$

130 END

260 INPUT#9,Q$ : PRINT : Q1$=LEFT*(Q$, 1 > : RE

TURN

300 CL03E2 : CLOSE 1 5 : P0KE594S8 , PK - PR I NT " I

CLEAR]" :PRINT" [RIGHT] [RIGHTHRIGHTHRIG

HT3[RIGHT3[RIGHT3END":END

400 PRINTLEFTSCMB*, MD)BL$ : PRINTBL*

410 PRIHTLEFT*<MD*,ME>; : RETURN

500 ND=21 :GO3UB400

510 PRINT" [REV 3 UNACCEPTABLE ENTRY — "£

M*

520 PRINTRE$:GOSUB200:GOSUB400

530 RETURN

1000 F=0:PRINTP0*

1020 DV«0

1640 PRINTP0$:pRINT"EDQWN]PLACE DISK IN
DRIVE !i BV"[DQWN3"
1 050 PR I NTRES : GOSUB200
1060 PRINTttlS; "I M +STR*(DV> :GOSUB1D0
1070 0PEN2, 3/ 2/ "#" : PRINT#15, "Ul • 2"; DV; "
a3,0":GOSUB100
1080

1090

1100

1110

1120
1130
1170
1175
1188
LIMIT

PRINT#15,"B-P:2,162'

F0RI=1T016:GET#2,A$:

ND-10:GOSUB400:IF F
PRINT" [BLUE 3 THE DISK

:GOSUB100:DN*=

BN$=DN$+A$ : HEX

THEN RETURN
ID # ISEBLACK

PRINTTAB<5)CHR$(34>DN$CHR$C34)
MB»13

MD-16

PRINT" [RED] ENTER"
PRINT" [BLACK 3 NEW DISK ID #"■' PRINT"
TO 2 CHARACTERS [REV 3"

1 190 GOSUE200 : IFLEN<Q$»2THENEM=2 : GOSUB

500 :MB*18 : GOSUB400 : GOTO 1 190

1200 NDN**LEFT*CQ*+BL*,2)

1210 MD=21:GGSUB400

1220 PRINT"SHALL I SEND [REV]'

1230 PR INT" TO THE DISKETTE ON
? <V/N) [REV3";

1231 GETE$:IFE$-""THEN1231
IFE$«"N"THEN300
GOTO 1270

NDH*
DRIVE"DV"

1232

1240

1250

170

1250

1270

1280

IFQ1$O"N , 'THENGQSUB400 = MD-1S = G0T01

GOTO1210

MD*2l:PRINT"BE PATIENT...

PRINT#15, "B-P : 2/ 162" : GOSUB 180

To be continued on page 120

1 1 8/Commander September 1983

If you like adventure
you will love

Gothmog's Lair

Journey through forests, a swamp, the haunted mansion
and its dungeon in your quest for the fabulous Arkenstone
diamond, one of many treasures hidden in Gothmog's
vast world. Battle with the dreaded Giant Spider and
Baron Ahriman's undead army . . . can your gnome
friend help you outwit the Old Man or recover the chest
of antique coins from a shark-infested lake? You may
even find the enchanted elven sword and slay Gothmog
himself! But don't let the Thief and Cutthroat get to the
treasures before you do I

Prepare for one of the most
will ever undertake as your

GOTHMOG'S LAIR features full-color animated
graphics, sound effects, and two selectable levels of
play — for the novice and the seasoned veteran. It's a
"real-time" adventure ... the longer you take to find
the treasures, the more time you allow the Thief and
Cutthroat to get them before you!

A thoroughly illustrated manual with a fold-out map is
provided to explain the wide variety of options available
to you during play. Your success in GOTHMOG'S LAIR
will depend on your skill and resourcefulness. NOT on
your luck at guessing the right words to say.

challenging adventures you
enter . . .

GOTHMOG'S LAIR

For the Commodore 64. Suggested Retail Price is $39.95.

To order, send check or money order to: Galactic Software, P.O. Box 10516, San Jose, CA 95157

or phone (408) 247-4434 for COD
or see your local dealer (dealer inquiries invited) circle no is

Continued from page 118

1310 PRINTttlS, " I "+8TR#<DV> : GOSUB109 : CLO
SE2

1 320 F= 1 : PR I HTPB* : GOSUE 1 060 : F«8
1330 PR I HT" THE HEW DISK NAME IS 1 -
1 340 PR I HTCHR$ ( 34 ) DN$CHR* ( 34 )
1 350 CL0SE2 : HD=2 1 : GG3UE400 = PR I NT " EG VOU
WISH TO DO

1360 PR I NT "ANOTHER DISKETTE? CV/H) CREV
]"

1361 GETU*: IFU*=""THEN1361
1378 IFU$="Y"THEN1040
1330 IFU*- ,, N"THEN300

1390 GOTO 1361

Figure 4

1 REM- —

2 REM 64. NEW NAME

3 REN REVISED BV JACK MARX

4 REM WRAPPED BV R.G. PARTNER

5 REM

10 OPENS , , : OPEN 1 5 , 8 .■ 1 5 : PQKE53230 > 1 4 ■ P

OKE 53281,15

20 PQKE59468, 12

38 MD$=" [HOME] " : FORI=1TO20 : MD$=MD$+" EDO

UN] "J NEXT

40 FOR I = 1 T039 : EL*=BL* + " " : NEXT

50 P0$=" [CLEAR] E DOWN] [DOWN] [BLUE] DISK

NAME CHANGER
60 RE*=" PRESS EREV] EBLUE] RETURN C OFF]
70 DAT R2, OUT OF RANGE, TOO LONG
30 RERDfl = D I MEM* C A ) : FOR I = 1 TOA : RE ADEM* C I )
: NEXT

99 GOTO 1000

1 00 I NPUTft 1 5 , ER : I FER=0THENRETURN
110 1 NPUT# 1 5 , ER , EM$ , ET$ , ES$

120 PRINTMD$' , [REV3DISK ERROR! EGFFJ #"ER

" "EMS" "ET*", "ESS

130 END

200 INPUT#9, Q* : PRINT : Q1**LEFT*<Q*, 1 ) ' RE

TURN

300 CL0SE2 : CLOSE 15 : P0KE59468, PK : PRINT" [

CLEAR ] " '■ END

480 PRINTLEFT*a<1D*,MD)BL*:pRINTBL*

4i0 PRINTLEFT3KMD$,MD); = RETURN

500 MD=2i:GOSUB400

510 PRINT" [REV] UNACCEPTABLE ENTRY — "E

M*

5""'

PR I NTRE* : GOSUB200 : GOSUB400

To be continued on page 122 530 RETURN

120/Commander September 1983

King of the
mountain!

Workhorse solutions
for tough questions

When Southern Solutions acquired the exclusive marketing
rights for the CMS Accounting System, the first (and the best)
accounting system for the Commodore computer; we offered
dealers who were dissatisfied with their current accounting
software the opportunity to swap ... ours for anyone else's,

WOW! We were covered with the others . . . MAS, BPI,
EBS, etc ... all trading for CMS. We provide the only
complete coverage of real software for Commodore
computers:

THE PREMIER . . . SYSTEM IV. Real
accounting. More like a mini, yet priced for the
Commodore. SuperMath™ gives precision to
$1 billion. No one else comes close.
General ledger, accounts receivable,
accounts payable, payroll, inventory,
mailing list Plus important vertical
products: oil accounting, pharmacy
management encumbrance
accounting, church records and
more.

THE STANDARD...
SYSTEM III. Similar to
System IV but lower priced.
G/L, A/R. A/P, P/R, mailing list

Commodore 64*.
Complete line of bookkeeping
record keeping, personal and
household management
Usually sells for under $100.
Uses one or two drives, just about
any printer.

Peripherals. Monitors, monitor
cables, blank cassettes.

All software has FileGuard™. Never
lose data files. EVEN IF YOU LOSE
ELECTRICITY! Compatible with almost any
computer disk drive and printer
combination. User-definable reports. Fast
file access.

Sold only through professional
computer dealers.

To become a Southern Solutions
dealer or for the name of your nearest
retailer, call or write our General
Manager Bill Swingler

Dealer Hotline: 1-800-S27-4S48

'Commodore 64 is a registered
trademark of Commodore

$3herfi
\ufwns

PO. Ban P, M l 'Kitmey, Texas 7506$ - (214) 542-027$

Continued from page 120 j 000 p=0 . pR j HTp0$

1085 PR INT "t DOWN 3 OH WHICH DRIVE FOR CHfl
NOES? < 0/ 1 ) C REV 3 " ; : I NPUTQ*
102O DV=VAL(Q$) :REM IFDVC0QRDV>1THENEM=
1 : GOTO 1 000

1 030 I FD V=0flNDQ 1 $0 " 9 " THENEM* 1
1 O40 PR I NTP0* : PR I NT " L DO WN 3 PLACE D I SK I N
i:iRIVE"DV"[D0WM3"
1 850 PR I NTRE* : GOSUE2O0
1 068 PR I NT# 15, "I" +STR* < DV ) ' GOSUE 1 00
1070 0PEN2,8,2,"#" :PRINT#15,"U1 :2%DV; "
> 18,8" : GOSUE 100
1 08O PR I NT# 15," B-F ■ 2, 144" = GOSUB 1 00 : DH$=

M ii

1 090 FOR I = 1 TO 1 6 : GET#2 , A* : DN$=DN$+R$ : NEK

1100 riD=10:GOSUE400:IF F THEN RETURN

1110 PR I NT "THE PRESENT DISK NAME IS": PR

INT" [BLACK 3"

1 1 20 PR I NTTAB ( 5 ) " C BLACK 3 " CHR* ( 34 ) BN$CHR

$<34>

1130 MB* 13

1140 PRINT" [BLUE 3 DO VOL! WISH TO CHANGE

I T? < V/'N > C REV 3 " J : GOSUB280

1150 IFQ1$="N "THEN 1350

1 1 60 REN I FQ 1 $<> " V " THEN 1 1 30

1170 MD=16

1180 PR I NT "ENTER NEW DISK NAME" : PR INT" L

I NIT TO 16 CHARACTERS [REV 3"

1 1 90 GOSUE200 : I FLEN ( Q$ > > 1 6THENEN=2 : GOSU

B500 : MD-1S : GOSUB400 : GOTO 1 19W

1200 NHN$=LEFT$<Q$+BL$, 16)

1210 MB=21 :GOSUB400

1220 PR INT "SHALL I SEND CREV3"NDN$

1230 PR I NT "TO THE DISKETTE ON DRIVE "DV"

? ( V/N > C REV 3 " ; : GOSUE20O

1240 GO TO 1270

1250 IFQ1$O"N"THENGOSUB400 : MD=18 = G0T01

170

1260 GOTO1210

1270 MD«21 : PRINT" BE PATIENT...

1280 PRINTttlS, "B--p:2, 144" : GOSUB 1 00

1 290 PR I NT#2 , NDN$ J : GOSUB 1 08

1380 PRINTM5, "U2:2";DV; " , 18, 0" : GOSUB10

1 3 10 PR I NT# 1 5 , " I " +STR$ i DV ) : GOSUB 1 OS : CLO

SE2

1320 F=l : PRINTP0$ : GOSUB 1060 : F*0

1330 PR I NT "THE NEW DISK NAME IS:

1 340 PR I NT " C BLUE 3 " CHR$ < 34 ) DNJCHR* < 34 >

1350 CL0SE2 : ND=21 : GOSUB400

1360 PRINT" CBLRCK 3 ANOTHER DISKETTE? <V/

N) [REV3", :INPUTF$

1370 IFF$="V"THEN1040

1388 IFF*="N"THEN300

1390 GOTO 1040

122/Commander September 1983

(Advertisement)

Growing computer industry
expands authors' choices

The rapidly expanding personal computer industry
offers greater opportunities for the software pro-
grammer and author in search of a publisher.

Yet the growth poses its own problem - the choice of
a publisher.

Here is a list of questions to consider when looking
for the publisher best-suited for your product:
-How large is the publisher's distribution network?
A publisher with international connections can offer
more exposure than companies limited to regional or
national sales.

-How will your product be marketed and advertised?
No matter how good the program is, if people don't
know about it, it won't sell. Look for a publisher with
a marketing budget large enough to give individual
attention to the program.

-Does the publisher market programs for more than
one computer? The days of limited selection in
hardware are long gone. Limiting programs to one or
two computers can limit sales and profits. Authors can
increase their share of the marketplace by looking for
a publisher devoted to converting programs to a
variety of popular computers.
-Does the publishing house lend technical support to
authors? Some publishers only accept programs ready
for the marketplace. A lot of good ideas are lost in the
long run. The publisher that offers assistance invests a
greater stake in the product, the author and the success
of the product.

-Does the publisher offer complete product support
to consumers? In these times of consumer awareness,
the company that has established a network to answer
customer questions about its products fares better
than those who do not offer this support.

Each of these services leads to greater sales which in
turn lead to greater profits for the individual
programmer.

Sierra On-Line, Inc. is committed to paving the way
for an author's success.

Sierra On-Line's product line is distributed
worldwide with production facilities in the United
States, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom and
South Africa.

Sierra On-Line employs a well-financed, in-house
marketing and advertising staff with a knack for
creating tailor-made campaigns for products.

Each program is evaluated by experts, who may
suggest enhancements to improve the product and to
increase its appeal to customers.

Further, Sierra On-Line isn't limited to a single
computer. The company closely monitors computer
trends and makes existing products available for the
most popular lines - all to the author's benefit.

A packet for authors with more information about
the software submission process and our company is
available by writing Sierra On-Line, Inc., Sierra On-
Line Building, Coarsegold, CA 93614, or by
contacting David Siri or Howard Luthy by phone at
(209)683-6858. circle no. 39

BASIC ELECTRONIC BUSINESS SYSTEMS, INC.

SOFTWARE FOR 8032 WITH 2031 OR 8050

General Ledger $129.95

300 Chart Accounts * 700 J/E ' Detail G/L &
Income Statement " Budget Variance Stmt. * Trial
Bal. * Cash Flow Analysis " Bal. Sheet Journals *

Payroll System $129.95

300 Employees YTD * Emp. Wage Analysis * Emp.
Time Card Lists ' W-2 Forms * 941 Reports * Pre-
payment Register " LaPels Work. Comp. Report &
Check Register " Payroll checks " 50 Hourly
Employees *

Accounts Payable $129.95

Open invoices (300) " Vendor Report " Pur-
chases Journal " Pre-Payment Register * Cash
Need Projection "

Accounts Receivable $129.95

Customer List (300) " Sales Journals * Customer
Sales History * Statements * LaPels * Open In-
voice (300) " Invoice Income Projection *

Client Accounting $199.95

Everything a Pookkeeper needs to keep Pooks for
a typical small business client. Includes all features
on G/L plus the ability to produce disbursement
registers, 941-B Forms and W-2 Forms.

Each module includes the logic to allow posting to
the G/L. Each module may be used as a stand alone
system or a total system. These systems will operate
on a 4032 or 8032 with 2031, 4040 or 8050 Please
specify format.

8032 Business Computer $595

B-128-80 (128k) Computer $795

B-256-80 (256k) Computer $995

2031 IEEE Single Disk $295

8050 IEEE Dual Disk lmg $995

8250 IEEE Dual Disk 2 mg $1,245

1701 Color Monitor with sound $259

6400 Letter Quality Printer $1,395

8023P150cps Printer $585

4023 P 80 cps Printer $379

Typewriter interface to allow 64 or Vic-20 to be used
with TEC TW IOOO, Swintec-all models, Olivetti series
30, 35, 40 Olympia Compac and Royal
Price $179

TO ORDER CALL (713) 530-2515

M.C. or Visa Add 3%

BEB SYSTEMS, INC.

11430 Bissonnet, C-7, Houston, TX 77099

DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED

Circle No. 68

Commander September 1983/123

Critics P age

The Lost Tomb of Egypt has
finally been uncovered! As senior
member of the archeological
team, you, Dr. P. Ramid, have
been chosen to explore the tomb.
Your mission is to find and return
four sacred golden tablets hidden
within the tomb. After making a
few changes to your will and say-
ing goodbye to your friends you
head for the tomb, determined to
succeed.

You enter the tomb armed only
with a supply of magic knives.
While descending a ladder to the
first level you notice that the en-
tryway has been sealed off. A
brief message tells you the only
way out now is to find the four
golden tablets and bring them
back to this room. Each tablet has
a magic word inscribed upon it,
and saying these words will
reopen the entrance. Until then
you are trapped inside the tomb.

Upon taking a look around you
notice that there are three doors
leading to other rooms. Floating
inside each doorway is the num-
ber of the room the door leads to,
to aid you in finding your way.
Helpful, these ancient Egyptians.
Not sure where to go you pick a
door at random and find yourself
in room 9. This room has a ladder
going down to the next level so
you make a 'mental note of this
and continue your explorations.

124/Commander September 1983

by Eric Giguere

You hear the hiss of a snake from
one of the adjoining rooms. Not
sure where it comes from you
again pick a room at random. As
you enter room 2 you realize this
wasn't such a good choice: a
snake attacks you. Whipping out
one of your magic knives you
move back and throw it at the
snake. Got it! The snake falls
dead on the floor, one less thing
to worry about. You then notice a
draft coming from one of the adja-
cent rooms, indicating a pit in one
of them. It can't be from room 9,
you just came from there. Feeling
adventurous you choose room 17
and then wish you hadn't. You fell
down the pit and landed on the
second level. Luckily, you were
only a bit dazed by the fall. You
continue your search. Where are
those tablets?
Robbers of the Lost Tomb

The above is a typical scene
from the game Robbers of the
Lost Tomb. Produced by Time-
works, Inc., for the Commodore
64 on both cassette and disk,
Robbers of the Lost Tomb (no
similarity to Raiders of the Lost
Ark) offers a change of pace for
those tired of arcade-style games.
Instead of fighting off alien

marauders you must watch out
for snakes, ghosts, mummies and
bottomless pits while trying to
find the four sacred tablets. The
use of graphics and real-time ac-
tion makes Robbers of the Lost
Tomb more enjoyable than regu-
lar, non-graphical adventure
games. It's impressed Comman-
der enough to use it for the
September/October game con-
test. See the Game Contest col-
umn on page 152 for details.

Description

As was previously mentioned,
your objective in Robbers of the
Lost Tomb is to retrieve four
sacred tablets found within the
tomb and to achieve this in the
least time possible. The tomb has
five levels of 20 rooms, giving you
a total of 100 rooms to explore.
Using the keyboard or a joystick
you must move your on-screen
character throughout the tomb in
search of the treasures. Each
room you enter has three doors
leading to other rooms: one on
the left, one in the middle and one
on the right. The rooms are de-
signed to give a 3D perspective,
as if you were looking from one of
the walls into the center of the

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Plan to visit us soon. Can't visit? Then you can order from our gigantic catalog. Just write for your personal copy

today, just $ 3.00 per copy.

pace

For: COMMODORE VIC-20

RIVER RESCUE Thorn-EMI. Save the ex-
plorers from the jungle as you dodge a va r-
ietyof hazards. 2 variations fori or2 players.
4325-022001 Cartridge SALE $31 .95
GRIDRUNNER HES. Avoid a variety of
alien weapons while destroying the advan-
cing legions. Multiple level.
4428-000312 Cartridge SAL £ $31 .95
SPIDERS OF MARS UMI You are the Mar-
tian Space Fly protecting your home from
Web-throwing Martian spiders and Satuhan
bats. Plutonian dragonfhes and Jovian hor-
nets. 256 skill levels!
4850-001604 Cartridge SALE $31 .95

AMOK UMI. Four levels of treacherous pass-
ages laced with deadly robots. Save the

humans, if you're fast enough!
4850-001611 Cartridge SALE $23.95

AGGRESSOR HES. Fast paced arcade-
style action in the Avenger' vein.
4428-000305 Cartridge SALE $31 .95
INTRUDER SCRAMBLER American Per-
ipherals. Avoid the mountains, bomb the
targets and avoid the missiles. Multilevel.
4125-000428 Cassette SALE $15.95
GAME 6 PAC American Peripherals. A set
of 6 games for your vie*: Galaxy Wars; Cat
Has 9 Lives; Maze of Dragons; Othello; Am-
bulance; and Barricade.
4125-100006 Cass. (6) Sal t $31 .95
DEVELOP-20 French Silk Smooth Ware.
The game programmer's tool kit Includes:
Book, Decoder. Editor, Assembler. Loader
and Monitor. Requires minimum 5K memory.
4365-004020 Cassette/Book $4g.95

MASTERING THE VIC-20 Wiley & Sons.
With little knowledge of BASIC, book will
teach you to write programs, make music,
create pictures and learn to communicate

with 6502 machine language
4925-088892 Book, 178 Pgs $14.95

VIC-20* USER GUIDE Osborne/McGraw
Hill. How to operate, including peripherals,
programming, color graphics and sound.

plus more!
4665-000086 Book, 388 Pgs $14.95

TYPING TUTOR Academy Software. Teach
yourself to type with this easy to use. four

level program.
4005-000001 Cassette $12.95

DATA MANAGER Micro Spec Create,
write and read files. You can 'browse'.
search and maintain with this data manager

Requires 16K memory expansion.
4538-000016 Cassette. 1 1 K $19.95

WORDCRAFT 20 UMI Great

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VIC BASIC Prentice-Hall Auser-tnendly
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4690-008378 Book $12.95

VIC-20* PROGRAMMER'SREFERENCE
GUIDE Commodore Business Machines.
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4760-021948 Book, 290 Pgs $16.95
COMPUTERS) FIRST BOOK OF VIC*
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4105-000007 Book,212Pgs $12.95

KIDS AND THE VIC Datamost. Written
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CARDBOARD6Cardco. Expansion inter-
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CARDETTE 1 Cardco. Universal cassette
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TURTLE GRAPHICS HES. Probably the
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commands. (Many games are written in
this programming system.).
4428-000303 Cartridge $39.95

SYNTHESOUND"" HES. State-of-the-art
technical musical ability and special effects
for the VIC-20* user. Make it a synthesizer*
4428-000306 Cartridge $59.95

6502 PROFESSIONALDEVELOPMENT
SYSTE M HES. A cassette based assembler
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assembler that uses standard MOS mne-
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4428-000101 Cassette $29.95

NEW NEW NEW NEW m

rnvsuuee it s easy: jusi yei your r fOflfleefrorn I he bottom of t^fl

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leaves. Eight levels, with crocodiles snakes and other neat stuff
out to do you in! Uses Joystick. Needs no memory expansion
4180-020001 For 3K VIC-20* (Cassette) $29.95

4180-064001 For Commodore" 64' (Cassette) $29.95

CENTIPOD Fast paced, decending bugs, falling projectiles, boun-
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4180-020002 For 3K VIC-20* (Cassette) $29.95

MOTOR MOUSE Up and down the grandfather clock, pickmg-up
the cheese But. watch out! There are cats hiding in the cheese 1 7
progressively haroer levels and a time factor to beat. Very fast paced
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4180-020003 For3KVIC-20 s (Cassette) $29. 95

For: COMMODORE 64'

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4702-000100 For VIC-20' $65.00

For: COMMODORE 64"

THE ELEMENTARY 64From
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TURTLE GRAPHICS II HES Advanced „„..,,. ,„„- ,., „

version of David Malmberg's program.de- QUICK BROWN FOX Word processor,
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WORD MACHINE/NAME MACHINE Com

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For notes 10 kids, letters to friends, etc.
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SPEECH SYNTHESIZER

TYPE-N-TALK * Votrax Text to speech syn-
thesizer. Self-contained, easy to program.
Interfaces w/computer. modem or any RS-
232 compatible serial device Contains: low
data rate Votrax' SC01 : phoneme-based
speech synthesizer CMOS chip w/uniimi ted
vocab, and a microprocessor based text-to-
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Has a one-watt audio amplifier 7 50 charac-
ter buffer data switching capability: Baud
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Unit requires cables, (sold below).
4900-003900 (Less Cables) $249.00

NOTE: Although TYPE-'N-TALK" can be
used with a serial printer, (on the same port),
M cannot be used with a parallel printer, or
on a parallel port In addition. you MUSThave^™
the follow equipment to make il operate | £
i) Special Card, as noted: 2) An RS-232J
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ith all Commodore printers or any 4365-064014 DWt/BoolT $39 95

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DESCRIPTION

TYPE-'N-TALK CABLES (ONLY)

4900001007 For VIC-20 $34.9ol

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room. Consequently you can
move the character away from or
towards you, as well as left and
right. And each time you move
your character a measure of
music is played. These things
make the game far more interest-
ing than a simple text adventure
with no graphics.

Of course, there are other
features to the game. To go up or
down a level simply find a room
with a ladder in the proper direc-
tion (a down ladder is indicated
by an opening in the floor) and
walk over to it. The program takes
over and automatically moves you
up or down as the case may be. It
should be noted that once start-
ed, you cannot stop your ascent
or descent until you are back on
the floor. If there are any hazards
in the room above or below, you
had better be prepared to face
them.

Aside from ladders you may
find other helpful items in the
rooms. Once in a while a magic
knife will appear in a room. Move

quickly to grab it, for if you enter
another room and then return, it
will have disappeared. To grab it
simply pass over it and it will be
included with your present arsen-
al, though you won't see it being
carried. Another useful object is
the blue ruby. If picked up it will
immediately kill the mummies in
any room you enter. The last
useful items you will find are the
golden tablets themselves. They
are scattered throughout the
maze, with no clues as to their
locations. They don't have any
special powers but they do bring
you that much closer to your goal
of finding all four.

So things aren't too easy,
several perils may be found in the
rooms. Pits are probably the most
vexing. Entering a room with a pit
causes you to fall to the next level
down. They don't really do you
any harm, just frustrate you—
unless you happen to fall in a pit
on level 5. Pits here are bot-
tomless and you will find yourself
falling and falling forever and

C-64/VIC 20/PET/CBM OWNERS

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ROADTOAD - Hop your toad across 5 lanes of traffic, avoid
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Each time you park 5 toads, you enter a tougher level where the action is
faster and the toad-eaters are more numerous. ROADTOAD is written in
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Circle No. 30

C 64/VIC 20/PET/CBM OWNERS

ever, with no end in sight. You are
effectively dead and will be asked
if you want to play again. Too bad.
Note: If you enter a room with a
pit nearby the message "I FEEL A
DRAFT" will flash on the screen,
warning you of any potential
perils. Unfortunately, it doesn't
say in which room (none of the
messages do) so be careful and
use your judgement in deciding
which room is safe.

Mummies also walk about the
tomb. They're probably the most
dangerous creatures you can
face. If you enter a room and spot
the mummy fast enough you can
either throw a magic knife at it or
flee. But most of the time you're
too close to do either and you get
killed. The warning "I SMELL A
MUMMY" will be displayed if a
mummy is in a room nearby. Of
course, if you have the blue ruby
then you don't have to worry
about the mummies* at all —
they're killed the instant you set
foot in the room. Pretty good, eh?

Snakes can also be deadly, but
rarely so. If you enter a room with
a snake a simple press of the fire
button (or the space bar) will
launch a knife and kill the snake
— providing it's not too close,
otherwise you have to run. Most
of the time you can easily outrun
it. The warning message for
snakes is "I HEAR SNAKES".

Last and least of the hazards
are the ghosts. More of an an-
noyance than a threat, these
mischievous creatures spirit you
away to another room on the
same level. Usually it is harmless,
but sometimes they can deposit
you in a room with a mummy.
Even if it doesn't you still have to
retrace your steps— sometimes
across other ghosts. A ghosts
supersedes mummies and
snakes. Entering a room with a
ghost automatically freezes you
and the other creatures until it
carries you off to another room.
The message "GHOSTS NEAR-
BY" warns you of the presence of
ghosts.

126/Commander September 1983

Other Features

SKILL LEVELS: Upon loading
the game (a couple of minutes
with disk, 15-16 minutes with
tape) you will be asked what skill
level you want to play at (1-10).
Levels 1 to 9 are all preprogramm-
ed with differing numbers of
hazards but level 10 lets you
choose how many of each you
want. After deciding, you will be
asked if you want moving mum-
mies. A yes here means that any
mummies in the maze will con-
tinually wander throughout the
rooms and you won't know where
they will show up next. It makes
the game harder, but also a bit
more exciting.

SAVING A GAME: In my opin-
ion this is one of the best features
of the game. Having the ability to
stop and save the game on disk or
tape to continue later on where
you left off is a great feature. It is
useful in case something unex-
pected comes up or the game
takes longer than you thought
and you simply have to stop. It

also makes it easy to "cheat": if
you mess up in a game you simp-
ly reload the saved part and con-
tinue from there, sort of like hav-
ing a backup. Useful.

Documentation

The program comes with an
eight-page manual that explains
how to load and play the game
and gives a bit of strategy on how
to finish. It is quite sufficient and
I cannot see anything else that
could have been included in it. (In
case you're wondering, both disk
and cassette come with a backup
copy of the program.)

Strategy

The best strategy for Robbers
of the Lost Tomb is to scour every
room and keep a map of each
level. The latter is very important.
Keeping maps allow you to avoid
hazards, know where you've been
and find the quickest way out
when you have the last tablet. It
doesn't matter how you keep your
maps as long as they are deci-

pherable. Apart from this there is
really no other specific advice on
strategy that I can give you.

Finishing the Game

Once you've found the fourth
tablet you must make your way as
quickly as possible to the en-
trance on the first level and climb
out. You will then see yourself
walk out of the tomb at night,
jumping for joy. Congratulations
are given, your time in hours,
minutes and seconds is dis-
played, and you are asked if you
want to play again. It's a proud
feeling when you make it out, but
I guess you always feel that you
can do it better, in less time. Time
to try again.

Recommendations

Robbers of the Lost Tomb is a
game I heartily recommend for
any Commodore 64 owner. Time-
works Inc. has produced a piece
of quality software and I hope
they continue to do so. I give this
game a 10 out of 10 rating. □

M'FILE is a powerful data management program designed specifically for the Commodore 64 Computer. The package is extremely
powerful yet friendly enough for the first time user. Menu driven operation eliminates the need for continuous reference to the printed
documentation.

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS: • Commodore 64 • Commodore 1541 • Commodore 1525 or 1515 Printers • Most Properly Inter-
faced Parallel Printers

PRODUCT OF: Double E Electronics, Inc., 12027 Pacific Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68144, Phone 402-334-7870.
Suggested Retail $109.95. For more information contact your local Commodore dealer.

Circle No. 67

Commander September 1983/127

Count Lines: A Utility
You Can Count On

^by Howard Rotenberg:

The program count lines is a
fairly simple one that may only be
needed once in a blue moon. I
have had the need for many
reasons to use it quite often
though, so I thought that I might
pass it on to others who might
find it useful. The title of the pro-
gram explains exactly what it
does, COUNT LINES. It is used to
count the number of lines in one
or a series of BASIC programs. It
counts the lines from the pro-
grams on disk. I will briefly ex-
plain how the program works.
Initialization:

Line 70 pokes a small machine
language subroutine into the first
cassette buffer that will scan
through a program line after its
number has been picked up.
Lines 80 through 190 get the
number of programs to work on,
their names, drive number, and
output device. A few strings are
set up and the files are opened.

The Load Address:

When the file is opened suc-
cessfully, line 200 checks the ad-
dress that the program starts at.
This is the first two bytes that are
stored on a disk for a program. If
it is not 1025 on any CBM com-
puter that preceeds the VIC then
it is not a BASIC program. At this
point it closes that file arid in-
forms you that the program is not
in BASIC, so no lines are counted.
The Link Address:

The next two bytes are the link
address to the next line. This is
picked up in line 270. If this num-
ber is zero then we know that we
have come to the end of the pro-
gram and we close the file and
put the number of lines counted
into an array. This information
will be displayed or printed at the
end of the program.

128/Commander September 1983

The Line Number:

The next two bytes that are
picked up in line 330 are the line
number. In this line we print out
the line number just to show that
the program is working. We also
count the lines at this point. I
have always added N$ which was
defined as CHR$(0) at the beginn-
ing of the program for the follow-
ing reason: if you try to print out
an ASC value that is zero, you will
get an illegal quantity error. Since
there are very likely to be many
zeros in the line numbers or links,
the CHR$(0) allows us to display
them.

Machine Language:

The small machine language
subroutine in line 400 is used to
quickly get through the rest of the
line. The actual code used is:
LDX#$01 ; GET THE FILE

NUMBER
JSR $FFC6 ; SET THE INPUT

DEVICE
GETCH JSR$FFE4; GET A

CHARACTER
PHA ; SAVE IT
LDX $96 ; GET THE STATUS
BNEOUT; IF NOT THEN

GET OUT
PLA ; RESTORE CHARACTER
BNE GETCH ; NOT END OF

LINE— GET ANOTHER
OUT RTS ; RETURN TO BASIC

The BASIC equivalent to this rou-
tine is as follows:
400 get#1,a$: if st 64 and
asc(a$+n$) then 400
If you substitute this for line 400
you will see a significant de-
crease in speed.

The Finishing Touch:

The last part of the program
just displays the program name,
number of lines in each program
and the time it took to count the
lines. If you wanted to you could
put an additional counter in line
440 to keep track of the total lines
of all the program lines you have
counted.

Conclusion:

As mentioned earlier, this pro-
gram may not be needed very
often but it beats counting the
lines by hand if this information is
needed. If you are programming
for somebody and part of your
remuneration is a result of the
number of lines of code that you
write, then this program will
come in very handy. Even if you
do not use it as such, it shows
how a program is stored on disk
and will allow you to do some of
your own experimenting. □

REM

* , 1 , a'»Pn'T**TW"T*"T*T*******

REM

* COUNT

LINES

REM

* BY HOWARD

ROTENBERG

REM

*A* *Ai ?A* *^*^ *A* *Ai '■** "^ "^ "^* ^* *^ "^ *^* *A* '■A'tfa aIj *A» *A* »X> *te*±t *£a

REM

FOR

J=0TO17:REflDfl

PDKE634+J,

ft-

INPUT "HOW MflNV PROS TO WORK

'•;p:m

MF*(P),

L2

To be continued

on page 130

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Circle No. 61

Commander September 1983/129

Continued from page 128

I NPUT " PROGRAM NAME " i F$ < J >

N=0:R1$=
OR P

= IFB

90 FORJ=lTOP

NEXT: 1=1

1 08 I NPUT " DR I VE " ; D '• N$=CHR* < 9 )

CHRSC 18) : R2*=CHR$< 146) : DV=3

110 I NPUT "SEND FINAL OUTPUT TO CRT

RINTER C [ LEFT H LEFT] CLEFT] " ; DV$

1 20 I FLEFT$ C DV$ , 1 > = " P " THENDV-4

130 TI**"000000 ,, :FOR#l,<F*a>),D<D)

STHENPRINTBS* = NEXT : G0T0440

140 REM

rem m^mmmmmmmmmmmw.

REM # CHECK LOAD ADDRESS #
REM * AND ABORT IF NOT BASIC *

rem mMmwmmMmmwvmmm

REM

GET# 1 , A* , B$ = K=ASC < fl$+N* ) + ASC < B$+N$ >
'A1 flO<=mJCWWFii*T : G0T0430

150
160
170
180
130

200

*256

210

220

230
240
250
260

IFKO1025THENNEXT
REM
REM

REM
REM
REM
REM

CHECK LINK ADDRESS *
AND QUIT IF END OF PRG #

SCAN THROUGH REST OF
PROGRAM LINE IN ML

*
*

270 GET#1,A*,B$: IFHSCtfl*+N*>+ASC<B$+N*>
=NTHENNEXT : G0T0440
280 REM

290 rem *mwmmMmw*MMmM#.w

300 REM * PRINT LINE NUMBER #

310 rem mmm*mmm*wmw*w*m

320 REM

330 GET# 1 , A$ , B$ : L= ASC C fl*+N* > + ASC ( B$+N* >

*256:PRIHTLi =L1*L1+1 :REMLINE

340 REM

350 REM

360 REM

370 REM

380 REM

390 REM

400 SVS634

410 REM

420 GOTO 270

430 PRINT F$<I)J" PROGRAM STARTS AT"K:P

R I NT" IT IS NOT A BASIC PROGRAM"

440 PRINT : PRINTLr'LINES" = L2=L1 = T*< I)

=TI*= 1 = 1 + 1 : IFKP+1THENL1=0:GOTO130

450 0PEN4,DV

460 PRINT: FOR K*1TQP:PRINT#4,R1*F$<K>R2

*; SPCa7~LEN(F$(K; > > " HflS"L2<K) "LINES" ;

470 PRINT#4," AND TOOK ",MID$a$<K>,3,2

■>;" MINUTES AND "RIGHT*<T*<IO,2>;

480 PRINT" SECONDS TO COUNT. ": NEXT :CL0S

490 DATA162, 1 , 32, 198, 255, 32, 228, 255, 72,

174, 150, 0, 208, 3, 104, 208, 244, 96

READV.

1 30/Commander September 1983

ZARCON

By Steven Prentiss

Destined to be one of the best arcade style games
on commodore computers. Can you in your
Zarcon Fighter shoot all the alien formations
while flying through an asteriod field!

5 Levels of excitement

Joystick required

Vic-20 cassette 9.95

Commodore 64 cassette 9.95

SHROOMS

Subterranean Encounter
By Michael Koberstein

Inner Earth has invaded the surface world. The
mutant spiders and the moles have taken
humans captive and changed them into mus-
srooms. To rescue them you must enter the
caverns. You are their only hope. Good Luck!
Vic-20 & 8K Expander, -Joystick-cass 9.95

SPHINX

3-D ADVENTURE

By Cory Christensen

You the Adventurous Explorer are looking for
the lost treasure of the Sphinx. It is rumored to
be in the Ancient Pyramid of RA. Beware of
deadly traps and hidden passage ways.
Commodore 64-cassette 9.95

You are the commander of squadron of laser
ships. It is your duty to defend the cities of earth
against incoming alien attack. Spectacular Hi-
Res graphics and machine code for super fast ac-
tion.
Joystick Vic-20 cassette 9.95

1m*a

M3EACDMMAME*

SEE YOUR LOCAL DEALER TO SEE OUR FINE PRODUCTS

Dealer inquiries invited Software Distribution Available Program* wanted

(714)
778-5455

Data Equipment Supply Corp.
8315 Firestone Blvd., Downey, CA 90241

(213)
923-9361

VIC-20". COMMODORE", COMMODORE 64". and CBM" are trademarks of Commodore Business Machines. Inc.

Circle No. 13

Commander September 1983/131

Educational
Reviews

^= by Maryanne Dodd i

Introduction

Summer vacation is over.
September is here and another
school year is just around the cor-
ner. Whether you are a veteran
with the computer or you are just
taking the plunge into the murky
waters of computer learning you
will find some useful software in
this month's column.

At the beginning of the year
students will be starting to pro-
gram in BASIC. For the young
elementary student there is COM-
MODORE'S GORTEK AND THE
MICROCHIPS. For the more
mature person I have THE
ELEMENTARY COMMODORE 64
by William B. Sanders from DATA-
MOST.

For those preparing lesson
plans for the new year I have from
GREENWOOD SOFTWARE, GEN-
ESIS, a computer assisted author-
ing program. To keep track of the
lessons and to aid in doing
research I have TOTL'S RE-
SEARCH ASSISTANT 2.0 which
turns your computer into an ad-
vanced automated index for "3 x
5" filing cards. Then last of all I
will comment on a products
resource guide for the COMMO-
DORE 64 called WHAT'S FOR
THE '64 by Richard V. Mucci.

1 32/Commander September 1983

j^E|\

GORTEK AND THE

MICROCHIPS

COMMODORE 64

Cassette

Commodore

$24.95

When you think of kids and
computers, what is the first thing
that comes to mind? Space
games of course! With this in
mind COMMODORE designed a
space adventure game for ten to
thirteen year olds called GORTEK
AND THE MICROCHIPS. Gortek
is a robot that trains a cadet corps
known as Microchips to program
a computer called Creativity. The
Microchips must program Crea-
tivity in order to save the planet
Syntax from Zitrons who are in-
tent on destroying every planet
but their own.

Coincidentally while the
planets are being saved the
youngsters are being introduced
to programming.

Games Mixed With
Programming

The two cassettes are accom-
panied by a full color forty two
page book. Intertwined in the
story are directions for using the
computer and programming in
BASIC. The student begins by
reading a few pages in the manual
then is prompted to load from the
cassette a game that reinforces
skills presented in the text. An ex-
ample of the game is ANNIHILA-
TION. The student attempts to
wipe out all of the letters the
Zitrons are firing. ANNIHILATION
is a good keyboard familiarization
drill. Another game is called
BOXES. To play this the student
must be able to sort strings and
variables.

Introductory Knowledge

After a student has finished
GORTEK AND THE MICROCHIPS
he will be able to wear the "I PRO-
GRAM WITH GORTEK" badge.
He will also be able to use the
computer and have an introduc-
tory knowledge of BASIC. Some
of the concepts learned include:
list, writing input and output
statement, introduction to string
variables, goto and for next loops.

I would recommend GORTEK
AND THE MICROCHIPS for the
younger students. I am fascinated
by the novel approach that the
authors, Heather Scott, Stuart
Alexander and Gary Bowie, used
to design GORTEK AND THE
MICROCHIPS for introducing
children to the computer.

THE ELEMENTARY
COMMODORE 64
William B. Sanders
DATAMOST
$14.95

Chalk up another winner for
Datamost. ELEMENTARY COM-
MODORE 64 introduces in plain
English the Commodore 64 com-
puter. The book is written for the
beginner. I knew I liked William
Sanders when I read his philoso-
phy in the preface. He feels that
to use computers you don't need
to know everything about how
they work. After all, how many
people learn how to drive a car
and do so for a lifetime without
understanding the internal com-
bustion principle of the
automobile. With this in mind
Sanders has written a book for
the person that wants to learn
how to work their Commodore 64
computer and to program in
BASIC, not build a computer.

Terms Are Defined

The ten chapters each start
with an introduction followed by
the text and then a summary.
Before a computer term is used in
the text it is defined. The author
does not assume that the reader
knows anything about compu-
ters. I think having the terms
defined is an asset because it
eliminates doing one of two
things. Reading and thinking that
you understand the technical
terms when you don't or sitting
with a dictionary or reference
guide and looking up each new
term.

Beware of Rundy

Interspersed throughout the
book are paragraphs outlined

with rectangles. Written within
the rectangles are hints and tips
on programming and common er-
rors that beginners most often
make. These tips are written in a
very light manner that is often
humorous. For example, "The
Parentheses Dungeon" is the title
of one block Sanders uses to ex-
plain how math operations are
performed within the paren-
theses. In the analogy the
prisoners are the math opera-
tions. The parentheses are the
cells. The prisoners must break
out of the inner most cells first.
All math operations are ex-
ecuted—so the prisoners die
while escaping. Sanders also cau-
tions the reader to watch out for
"Rundy". "Rundy" occurs when
run is typed over the ready pro-
mpt. "Rundy" is a common error
of people who are familiar with
other computers.

The illustrations in the book are
cartoons with a style very similar
to the political cartoons found on
the editorial pages of newspa-
pers. The cartoons are very clever
and emphasize either a point or a
common misconception.

Computer Does
Not Bite

The first chapter starts out
assuring you that the computer
will not "bite". It is to be used the
same as any other piece of elec-
tronic equipment "with care but
without fear". Sanders really
starts at the very beginning by
describing hardware, then telling
the user how to hook it up and
then turn it on.

The chapters and materials
following are arranged in sequen-
tial order so that the user does
not have to skip around in the
book or refer to another section
for special applications or more
information.

For Those Afraid of Math

Since a lot of people think they
would not be able to program
because their math skills are
undeveloped, one chapter is
devoted to the Commodore 64

memory. ASCII values, CHR$
functions, POKES and PEEKS are
introduced in a way that people
who are afraid of math are not in-
timidated by binary numbers and
algorithms.

Another chapter introduces
screen and sprite graphics. The
user is given some simple ap-
plications and there are sugges-
tions for exploring more difficult
animation and creating some ori-
ginal demonstrations and saving
them.

Hints and Helps

The final chapter in the book
presents some hints and helps. It
covers user groups, publications,
languages, and programming
tricks not previously covered.
Sanders also discusses some of
the ways the Commodore 64 can
be used— word processing, data
base programming and business
applications.

ELEMENTARY COMMODORE
64 is an excellent choice for
someone that is thinking of buy-
ing a Commodore 64 or has
recently bought one and is having
difficulty using it. Even though
the book was written for adults,
the style is straightforward and
simple enough that the book
could be used by students as
young as junior high school.

GENESIS

PET, 8032

Commodore 64

8K VIC 20

5K VIC 20 (Abbreviated)

Disk or Cassette

$20

Greenwood Software

GENESIS is a computer
assisted instruction (CAI) author-
ing system that allows parents or
teachers to prepare their own
lessons for drills or evaluation. It
can be used to create any instruc-
tional program that asks ques-
tions where there are one or two
word definite answers.

GENESIS is well documented
and user friendly. The program is
menu driven. Lessons are pre-

Commander September 1983/133

pared by choosing options on a
master menu. Upon loading
GENESIS the instructor is given
the choice of: title, instructions,
questions, edit, new, format, run
and save.

Format Options

After preparing the lesson
there are several choices for the
format of the lesson to be pre-
sented. The questions may be
presented in random order with a
time limit for the exercise or se-
quential order with the questions
presented in sequence. The ques-
tions may be presented in lower-
case, capitals or uppercase.
Another featureof the format sec-
tion is the capability of formatting
the lesson so it will allow the
students to type their name at the
beginning of the lesson. The com-
puter then records the number of
questions attempted, number
correct and the percentile. The
computer will accept a class list
of up to thirty names.

GENESIS is designed so that
the students do not see the
master menu nor do they have ac-
cess to the scores of other
members of the class. If the
students do learn how to enter
the menu the code words can be
changed.
Complete Documentation

The manual accompanying
GENESIS is complete and even
gives examples of lessons that
can be prepared. The program can
be used by people that have no
previous programming experi-
ence. For the more experienced
programmer, technical informa-
tion containing the program
outline and a list of the string
variables are contained in the
manual. This allows the program
to be modified and fit unique
situations or individual needs.

Lessons prepared with the pro-
gram are pure CAI. There are no
graphics involved. There is a
positive reinforcement consisting
Of the word "correct" flashing on
the screen accompanied by
sound when the proper response
is entered.

134/Commander September 1983

Utilization

I feel that GENESIS would be
beneficial to parents and teach-
ers that want to create unique and
individualized lessons. The les-
sons could be tailored to a par-
ticular remedial need or they
could be presented sequentially
to gradually introduce new mate-
rial. Lessons requiring drill or rote
memory would be particularly
suited to GENESIS especially
with the questions presented in
random order.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT
COMMODORE 64
Cassette or Disk
TOTL

$35.00 Tape
$39.00 Disk

With September here and
school starting there are new
beginnings and papers to be writ-
ten. If you own a computer you no
longer need to file your informa-
tion on those bulky "3 x 5" cards
which tend to get dog-eared,
smudged, or even worse, the rub-
ber band breaks or the box spills
and you have instant chaos.
Specialized Data Base

RESEARCH ASSISTANT 2.0 by
TOTL is a specialized data base
system. It takes the place of the
"3 x 5" file cards and stores infor-
mation from books, journals,
magazines and newspapers on
tape or disk. It sorts and searches
on the basis of keywords and data
ranges. Then, it will print out
detailed source and reference
data. A printer is required to take
full advantage of all the features
of the program.
Contains Two Programs

RESEARCH ASSISTANT 2.0
contains two programs: RA.
BUILD AND RA. XREF BUILD. RA.
BUILD allows the user to enter
reference data and to print both
reference and cross reference
data files in order to produce a
permanent copy for easy refer-
ence.

RA. XREF BUILD reads data
files created by RA. BUILD and

creates a cross reference list in
sorted keyword order. With RA.
XREF BUILD inquiries can be
done on combinations of key-
words, dates, or information can
be saved to disk or tape to be
printed later.

RA. BUILD

RA. BUILD is menu driven. The
choices given on the main menu
are: new file, update/append file,
change I/O, print RA. file, print
RAX. file and quit.

When you first choose new file
you will be able to build reference
records. Each reference record is
like a"3 x 5" card. Each card is
given a reference number from 1
to 9999. The next item on the card
is pages. Pages accepts free form
data of any notation up to 40
characters in length. Next we see
comments, which is the body of
the notes. In this section, data up
to 1020 characters may be
entered. The last section is key-
words. Each reference may have
up to twelve keywords forty
characters long. If the data is time
sensitive a beginning and ending
date may be entered.

Update/append file can only be
used if a disk drive is used for in-
put and output. Existing records
may be updated or new files may
be inserted.

Another option allows you to
change your input/output option
(I/O). This is for changing devices
from disc to tape. The main menu
also allows printing the RA. files
and the RAX. files.

RA. XREF BUILD

The RA. XREF BUILD program
is also menu driven. The options
available are: set dates/new
XREF. BUILD, save XREF. load
XREF. inquiry and quit.

Set dates/new XREF. is design-
ed to clear all keyboard data cur-
rently in memory and to allow the
user to do the necessary setup
before building the cross refer-
ence table. Up to twenty date
periods, each defined by its end-
ing date may be entered.

H commodore

NEW COMMODORE PRODUCTS

The Executive 64 Call

CBMC128-80 $ 795

CBM BX700 2990

B Series Software Call

CBM 1520 Plotter 169

CBM 1526 Printer 349

SOFTWARE FOR CBM 64S
BUSINESS

Word Processing (WordPro 3+) S 69

Quick Brown Fox 56

Writers Assistant 99

Spell Master 75

Calc Result 125

Busicalc II 95

Spread Sheet Assistant 99

Data Manager 70

M File (merge with WordPro) 89

Into Mast 139

64 Mailing List 28

The Manager 50

Home Accountant (continental) 75

Finance Assistant 45

Stock (investment analysis) 80

Agricultural Management Call

General Ledger, A/R, A/P, P/R, Inv . . . Call

RECREATION
Assembler Package (cassette or disk,

compiled, includes editor, loader,

disassembler) 39

Sprite Master (access) 30

Neutral Zone (access) 35

Space Bett 19

Pet Emulator 30

Coco II (build your own games) 40

Vic Tree (programmers utilities) 75

Micro-Term (save to printer,disk) 39

Hesmon 35

Synthesound 45

Gothmogs Lair 30

Road Toad 15

Commodore Games Call

INTERFACES & ACCESSORIES

80 Column Expander $1 59

VIC 1600 Modem 95

VIC 1 650 (auto answer, auto dial). . . 1 50

VIC 1525 Graphic Printer 225

VIC 1 530 Datasette Recorder 65

VIC 1541 Disk Drive 249

VIC Switch (connect 8 64's or Vies

to printer, dd) 1 49

PET-IEEE cable 33

IEEE-IEEE cable (2m) 49

Parallel Interlace (Epson, Okidata,

IDS, NEC) 70

Programmers Reference Guide 18

Verbatim Diskettes (10 per box) 26

Hes Modem 75

ADA 1450 149

ADA 1800 (new) 129

Numeric Keypad 65

VIC PRODUCTS & ACCESSORIES
8K RAM Memory Expansion Cartridge ... $ 40

16KRAM 70

24KRAM 105

VIC 3 Slot Expander 27

VIC 6 Slot Expander 70

Cassette Interface 30

Gorf (64also) 30

Omega Race 30

Arcade Joystick - Heavy duty w/2 firing

buttons! Great for the VIC or 64 25

Auto Clock 125

MONITORS - GREAT
RESOLUTION (64 OR VIC)

CBM 1701 Color Monitor $ 249

Amdek Color Plus 299

Panasonic TR-1 20 (w/speaker) 1 55

Panasonic CT-160 279

BMC (green screen) 95

Transtar 20 (high resolution

green phosphor) 129

Video/Audio Cable 15

PRINTERS - LETTER QUALITY

CBM 6400, 40 cps $1450

Diablo 620, 25 cps 949

Transtar 140 (serial) 1395

Transtar 130, 16 cps (auto load,

wp features!) 769

NEC 3500 Series 1600

NEC 7700 Series 2350

PRINTERS ■ DOT MATRIX

CBM 8023, 150 cps/graphics . . S 545

CBM 4023 Printer 395

Epson FX Printer, 1 60 cps 549

Epson MX-80 FT w/graftrax Call

Epson FX-100 859

Okidata 82A, 120 cps (serial

and parallel) 429

NEC 8023A (parallel) 429

Okidata 92 559

Star Gemini, 10 329

Star Gemini, 15 499

Transtar 315 (hi-res, color) 575

COMMODORE BUSINESS
SERIES
SuperPet (5 languages,

2 processors) S1059

CBM 8032 Computer, 80 Column . . . 595

CBM Memory Expansion, 64K 259

CBM 8050, 1 mg. Dual Drive 995

CBM 8250, 2 mg. Dual Drive 1295

CBM D9060, 5 mg. Hard Disk 1995

CBM D9090, 7.5 mg. Hard Disk .... 2250
CBM 2031, 170K Single Drive (New) 395

DC Hayes Smart Modem 220

BUSINESS SOFTWARE-8032

WordPro 4* or 5* $ 309

InfoPro 219

Administrator 489

VlsiCalc (expanded) 199

BPI A/R, G/L, Job Cost, Inventory,

Payroll ea.325

MasterCard, Visa,

Money Order, Bank Check
COD (add $5) accepted.
Add 3% surcharge for credit cards.
In stock items shipped within 48 hours.
F.O.B, Dallas, Texas

All products shipped with manufacturer's warranty.
Prices are subject to change without notice.

TO ORDER

CALL TOLL FREE

800-527-4893

800-442-1048

(Within Texas)

Business Hours

Mon.- Fri. 8 to 6, Sat. 10-2

Write for free catalog.

GAME OF THE MONTH

Adventu-Writer (make your
own adventure games) Join the
Adventu-Wrtter Club $ 49

PRODUCT OF THE MONTH

INTERPOD (intelligent IEEE
RS232, serial interface
forVICorC64) $ 179

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2803 THOMASVILLE RD. E. ■ CAIRO. GA. 31728 §

BUILD XREF. adds data to the
cross reference table in memory
from the RA. file. The only limit to
size is the amount of memory left
in the computer.

Inquiry allows the user to inter-
rogate the cross reference table
in memory. One or several key-
words or dates are entered and
then the source number and
reference number of any refer-
ence which contains all the key-
words and date periods will be
displayed.

Documentation

RESEARCH ASSISTANT 2.0 is
very well documented. Prior com-
puter knowledge is not neces-
sary. This program could be the
user's first experience with the
COMMODORE 64 and there
would be little difficulty en-
countered. The manual even ex-
plains how to format and initialize
disks and how to use the program
with a printer otherthan the COM-
MODORE printer. The programs
are written in BASIC; therefore
backups and modifications can
be made without difficulty. The
manual suggests some modifica-
tions that the user might want to
make to suit his individual needs.

TOTL Support

One quality that really impress-
ed me in this software package
was TOTL's support to the regis-
tered owner of the package. If a
problem is encountered or the
user desires technical assistance
TOTL offers to provide help with
only $2.00 for postage and handl-
ing required. If the user has made
modifications it is requested that
a disc/tape with the modifications
be enclosed. Having struggled
with programs that didn't work or
contained bugs, I really appreci-
ate a company that offers this
kind of service and actually adver-
tises it in their manual.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT 2.0
could be used by those doing
original research or writing
papers. It could also be used by
anyone that needs to catalog col-
lections or cross reference infor-

mation. As a teacher I would find
RESEARCH ASSISTANT particu-
larly useful in indexing materials
used when preparing new units or
organizing supplies.

WHAT'S FOR THE 64
Richard V. Mucci
Commodore 64
$15.00

WHAT'S FOR THE 64 is a pro-
ducts resource guide for the
COMMODORE 64 computer. With
the sale of computers by the
mass merchants there are quite a
few people with a COMMODORE
64 and no idea of the support of-
fered or software and peripherals
available. Richard Mucci was in
this predicament a short while
back. He decided to gather all the
diverse and nebulous information
into an ordered and meaningful
file for the COMMODORE 64.
After compiling all the informa-
tion, Mucci decided that he would
share these resources with
others in the form of a book.

What's In The Book

In the book WHAT'S FOR THE
64 you will find listings of: soft-
ware; enablers (compilers, emula-
tors, interfaces, etc.); peripherals;
books, magazines and periodical
articles; user groups and sources.

If you are new to the COM-
MODORE 64 the index of periodi-
cal articles written for the 64 and
the lists of magazines and books
supporting the 64 would be par-
ticularly useful. Both oldtimers
and newcomers will find the
directory of sources which con-
tains addresses and phone
numbers very helpful.

A Living Resource

Another interesting feature of
the WHAT'S FOR THE 64 is that
Richard Mucci envisions the book
to be a living source which will
grow with the COMMODORE 64.
Addends and supplements will be
published and readers are asked
to participate with input and sug-
gestions. □

Reviews
for the C-64

Meteor Madness
Rated ****

by R. G. Partner

Are you ready for many hours of
excitement? If you are, then
Meteor Madness is for you. Are
you ready for a real challenge?
Then Meteor Madness is just the
game to keep you on the edge of
your chair! Get a co-pilot or two;
in fact up to FOUR people can
play this one. After loading this
DISK game, you find yourself in
outer space, miles above earth.
Suddenly you are confronted with
the absolute blackness of space,
in front of you is a gun sight
cross-hair, your thumb rests gent-
ly on the fire button of your
Nuclear Powered Laser. You are
in control of robot drone ships.
All you can see in the blackness
of space is the light from hun-
dreds of stars. Somewhere out
there are huge clusters of deadly
meteors headed toward civiliza-
tion. You wait, uneasy, knowing
the danger you're confronting.
You MUST protect earth at all
costs. You scan the view screen,
nothing, nothing but stars, but
wait, as you watch several seem
to get larger and larger until you
realize THIS is one of the
METEORS which will destroy
earth if you don't get it first!

The screen begins to fill with
METEORS, different colors and
sizes moving in different direc-
tions. If you have a quick hand
and a quick eye you can bring the
cross-hair of your NUCLEAR
POWERED LASER CANNON to
bear on a meteor; there, it's
centered in the sight, NOW push
the fire button. The meteor is
destroyed! But look out, there is a
large one moving in on your ship!
Swing around quick! Fire! Fire!
Wheeeewwww, almost missed
that one! There are more coming,
you must complete your mission!
Life on earth depends on it! Good
luck!

This is just level ONE of many
levels. Then there are the
CHALLENGE levels. Each one
more difficult than the one
before. Points gained for blasting
the meteors vary with the size of
the meteor. Very small meteors
count more than medium sized
ones and very large ones count
almost as much as the very small.
The large meteors (large enough
to fill your laser sight) count
bonus points. That is because
they are about to explode and if
you happen to have your laser
trained on one when it explodes
IT'S ALL OVER FOR YOU!!

As you go from level to level
there are more meteors and they
get larger quicker so you must be

faster with moving the laser can-
non on target and firing. My son
and I have gotten to level 8 and
that has been a real challenge.

This game created by SOFT-
PLUS in Lawrence, Kansas,
should keep anyone who enjoys a
challenge occupied. Be prepared
to lose some games in the begin-
ning however. If you are patient
and improve your skill you can ad-
vance on to the next level. I don't
know how many levels there are
so let us know how you are doing.
Remember EARTH MUST BE
PRESERVED AT ALL COSTS. . .
THE METEORS MUST BE
DESTROYED! !D

Tyler's Dungeons
Rated ****

by R. G. Partner

From Creative Equipment in
Miami, Florida comes the first
3-dimensional graphic cartridge
game. All machine language for
fast action, this combines the fun

Commander September 1983/137

of the 'ADVENTURE TYPE
GAMES' with the excellent
graphics of the C-64.

Two hundred and fifty rooms
(that's right 250) to search
through while looking for eight
treasures. Now that sounds easy
enough, right? Let me tell you
that you're in for a surprise. While
looking for this treasure you must
avoid surprise cave-ins!

Yep, there you are hurrying
through a room and all of a sud-
den it caves in and you find
yourself trapped in a little tiny
space with no place to go and run-
ning out of air.

If that's not enough to keep you
from playing, how about SNAKE
PITS! I thought that might do it!!
Yes, there are snake pits and
worst of all you don't know where
they are or when they will appear!
You cannot see them until sud-
denly you are confronted with a
SNAKE! Now I don't mean some
dinky slithering snake. This is a
BIG snake with fangs and every-
thing and it seems that you are
his favorite attraction. Some
rooms have snake pits and you
can enter the room and look
around but trying to exit is a dif-
ferent matter. Not easily done!

Oh, I didn't mention the

LURKS, did I? Let's see no, I

guess I didn't. Well, let me tell
you about LURKS! There is one
Lurk in each of the two hundred
fifty rooms. That's right, two hun-
dred and fifty LURKS. They are
the keepers of the rooms and they
are indestructible! It does not
matter what you do, there is
always a LURK following you,
always pursuing. The snakes
don't stop him, the cave-ins don't
stop him. Nothing stops him. A
LURK'S touch is deadly, so be
careful!

I guess I didn't mention
elevators yet. The dungeon is
made up of four levels. To travel
from level to level, you must find
the elevators. An elevator looks
like a small checkerboard sec-
tion. Which one goes up and
which one goes down? I will let
you figure that one out. I will tell

1 38/Commander September 1983

you that a DOWN elevator will
transport you to the next lower
level. There will not be an UP
elevator directly underneath or
vice versa. One more hint, make
sure you have thoroughly ex-
plored the level you are on before
entering an elevator.

** Treasures ** Treasures

If you manage to evade the
dangers and acquire all eight
treasures, A SPECIAL MESSAGE
will appear on the screen. Follow-
ing those directions will make
you eligible for a random drawing
on April 1, 1984. The ONE winner
will receive $500.00 for his or her
efforts. NOW THAT'S WHAT I
CALL REAL TREASURE!!

Good luck with the game.

P.S. I'm still trying to find away
out of one of the snake pit rooms

they just don't want to let

me through and oh,

no, here comes a LURK

hhhheeeeeeellllllppppppp! □

FROGGER

by Eric Giguere

Author: Chuck Benton

Available from: Sierra On-Line,
Inc., 36576 Mudge Ranch Road,
Coarsegold, CA 93614

For use with: Commodore 64
(disk or cassette)

If you're a person who likes to
frequent arcades then you pro-
bably noticed the game FROG-
GER a few months back. This
"cute" game with its enchanting
graphics and catchy soundtrack
is now available for the Com-
modore 64 as an official licensed
version from Sega. Produced by
Sierra On-Line, Inc., FROGGER is
the best arcade game that I've
seen for the C64. Smooth, colour-
ful graphics and a faithful repro-
duction of the soundtrack make
this game a must for C64 owners.

Description

The basic idea behind FROG-
GER is very simple: jump your
frog across the highway, through
the river and into one of his
"homes" before the clock runs
out. Life isn't easy for the poor

frog, though. The highway has a
steady stream of bulldozers, race
cars and trucks driving across,
usually at high speeds. Careful
timing here is a must if Herbie
(my nickname for the frog) is to
survive and attempt the river. If he
does survive he may rest a while
on the river bank, although watch
out for roving snakes at higher
levels! Crossing the river is the
hardest part of Herbie's act
because, strangely enough, Her-
bie cannot swim in the river. I
assume this is because the river
is polluted with some poison
deadly only to frogs. In any case,
Herbie must instead use the
floating logs and swimming
turtles, jumping from the back of
one onto the back of another. He
may then jump into one of his
home bases, finishing (for awhile)
his ordeal.

Each time Herbie makes it to
one of his home bases he leaves
behind an image of himself (his
way of saying "Herbie was here")
and starts all over again at the
bottom. If he succeeds in visiting
all five bases Herbie advances to
the next level where there are five
new, empty lairs and faster
hazards. Ah, well! No one said
that being a frog was easy. . .

Loads of Features

FROGGER could have probably
been an average game if it didn't
have any special features. What
makes it stand out from the
crowd are the options. You can
select between a SLOW mode
and a FAST mode depending
upon your skill. If you are using
the keyboard you can choose
which keys you want to represent
up, down, left and right, a pretty
nice feature. Another option is
the ability to shut off the back-
ground music, leaving Herbie's
leaps as the only sound heard.
Something I really like is the
pause feature which enables you
to freeze the game if you need to
take a break or answer a phone
call. This ensures you don't have
to blow a perfect game because
of a useless distraction.

WHEELE R

SOFT GUIDE

NEWSLETTER

TMP

VIC 20

MMODORE 64

You don't have to buy JUNK!

Ever spend $30 fora disappointing program?
All of us have — But never again. For less than
the price of one program, you can have 12
issues per year of SOFT-GUIDE Newsletter. We
don't carry any advertising so we can tell you the
whole truth about all the latest software — games ,
educationa I, personal and home applications.

For Commodore 64 or Vic 20 owners only No need to wade

through all the rest. THE CALL IS FREE SUBSCRIBE NOW!

VISA-MASTERCARD ORDERS ONLY

call 1-800-835-2246 EXT.271

TOLL

FREE Kansas 1 -800- 362-2421 Ext. 271

J.H.Wheeler & Co.
(209)432-063 3

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City

State

Fill in & mail ■■__■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■

49 74 N. Fresno St. , Suite 303

Fresno CA 93726

{ Please check y

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■ Zip-

. Country

Card No.

Expiration date.

Four digits above name — Master Charge only

Signature , Date

Plaaaa allow dfMwHki Mr praffcig, TtMftk jrau.

rates/yr/computer u.s. funds

D Check enclosed

D VIC20 D C-64
D BOTH

□ U.S. $19.95

□ Canada 2 5.
a Mexico 25.

□ Foreign Surf 36.

□ Foreign Air 50.

CHARTER
SUBSCRIBERS

fo&l CfCOft

'VIC 20 1 Commodore 64 are trademark* el

Coma

■MHIMCHM&MC.

Circle No. 96

The graphics on FROGGER are
what I would call superb. The
background objects like the logs
are finely detailed, beautifully col-
oured and smooth-scrolling. The
frog is a sprite (an albino— it's
white) and there is absolutely no
flicker whatsoever when it moves.
Sometimes I just sit there and
stare at what's passing on the
screen, or I just sit there listen-
ing, I'm so impressed. The back-
ground music must be heard to
be believed. It makes full use of
the SID chip inside the C64 and
reminds me of the arcade version
itself, it's so good. Good music
and charming graphics are ano-
ther reason FROGGER is a super
deal.

Recommendations

If you like arcade-style games
then FROGGER is a definite must
for your software library. The
quality of the game makes it a
sure winner for anyone. It's the
best game I've seen so far for the
Commodore 64. My advice: get it.

A Review of
John F. Zacharias'
L. D. Menu Program For
Commodore Computers

by Lanny Hertzberg

One of the more frustrating
things for teachers who use
microcomputers is trying to find

.<•*>

»<®

MASTERCARD
DINERS CLU6
CARTE BLANCHE

the right title of a program on a
disk, so that you can load it into
the computer. When you have
students who are unfamiliar with
the workings of computers, and
yet want to use those programs
as well, it can turn into a night-
mare.

I teach Computer Science in a
high school in the Elk Grove
School District (south of
Sacramento). I have a lab of 20
Commodore 64's with both indivi-
dual disk drives (VIC 1541s) for
each computer as well as a net-
working system (Commodore
8250). I have over 5000 programs,
700 of which I use with some
regularity. Because many of my
students are using computers for
CAI, it was necessary to put the
most used programs together on
as few disks as possible (thus the
networked 8250). Commodore's
method of letting you get a direc-
tory (or catalog) is to load the
directory as a program and then
list it. The list then scrolls down
the screen the same way a pro-
gram would. If you want to stop
the list before it finishes, you can,
but you cannot back the list up.
The user then has to load the pro-
gram by typing the load command
followed by an exact name of the
program. A missed space, com-
ma, colon, whatever will all result
in a "FILE NOT FOUND" error.

A program that would list your
disk directory one page (screen)
at a time, let you go back and
forth from page to page, and load
a program by just typing the
number in front of the program
would be a boon. Such programs
exist; they are called MENU pro-
grams, because they are similar
to restaurant menus. Unfortunate-
ly, every one I have seen has been
written in BASIC and suffers from
four faults:

1. They are slooowww.

2. They only work on one type
of computer and/or disk drive.

3. They will not work for any
device number other than 8 (Com-
modore uses "intelligent" disks
that have device numbers, typi-
cally number 8. The computer can

be hooked up to as many as eight
disks at the same time numbered
from 8 to 15.)

4. They usually store their
directory information as data
files, either within the program or
as a sequential/relative file on the
disk. Both of these options take
up disk space and require a
periodic "updating" of the file to
keep the directory accurate.

The L. D. Menu program takes
care of all those problems, plus
has some nice additional fea-
tures. It is written in machine lan-
guage, so it is fast (10 seconds to
load a 200 program directory from
the 2 megabyte floppy disk). It will
work with every Commodore com-
puter, including the VIC, except
for the original 1.0 rom PET. It will
work with any Commodore floppy
disk drive, with the drive set to
any device number from 8 to 15. In
fact it will read all 8 drives at
once, if you have such hooked up
to your computer. It does not
store the directory as a file on the
disk or in the program. Instead it
reads the disk directory directly
and stores it in a buffer in the
computer, displaying it in a 14
program page.

The additional features include
the ability to "hide" programs
(make them not appear on the
menu) by placing an exclamation
point as the first character in the
name. The menu program itself is
unlistable, so you don't have peo-
ple using the menu to load the
menu ad nauseum. You can re-
load the menu from within the
program (so that you could re-
place a disk and read the new
directory) by pressing the equal
sign. Programs may be booted
(loaded and started running) or
just loaded. Machine code pro-
grams can be loaded into their
proper memory location also from
the menu.

The cost is a reasonable $20.00
for the program and a very com-
prehensive manual. Further infor-
mation can be obtained by writ-
ing: John Zacharias, 10004
Vanguard Drive, Sacramento, CA
95827. □

140/Commander September 1983

Computer Media Directory

A reference book for marketing
communications and public rela-
tions personnel in the computer
industry.

The first section of the direc-
tory includes listings of computer
media and allied publications
such as those concerned with off-
ice automation, word processing,
office equipment and data com-
munications.

Included are the names of top
editors, reporters or editors
responsible for specialized cate-
gories of subject matter, bureau
chiefs and correspondents in
other cities. Direct telephone
numbers and addresses for off-
ices outside the headquarters are
provided as available.

Computer Media Directory also
carries a section listing computer
editors or special reporters on
major daily newspapers and
general and business magazines,
as well as feature and news ser-
vices.

A third section, which will be
expanded in updates and future
editions, lists accredited free-
lance writers whose computer-
related articles have appeared in
established publications.

Cost of the directory is $99.95,
or $149.95 with quarterly updates.

News
Releases

Orders and additional publication
and free-lance listing can be plac-
ed with Computer Media Direc-
tory, 2518 Grant Street, Houston,
Texas 77006. □

N.E.C.L.

The National Educational Com-
puter Library is calling for papers
on behalf of an educational com-
puter conference it is sponsoring
on November 5, 6 and 7 of 1983 at
the McCormick Inn in Chicago.
The conference proceedings and
papers will afterwards be publish-
ed and made available to any in-
terested party. All interested
speakers should submit a brief
outline of their proposed presen-
tation. For further information
contact the: National Educational
Library, P.O. Box 293, New
Milford, CT 96776, Telephone
203-354-7760.

In addition to the seminars this
major educational conference
will feature exhibits, hands on
demonstrations and workshops.
The National Educational Com-
puter Library is a non-profit
educational organization which
seeks to promote learning and
education in grammar and high

school students through the use
of computers and educational
computer programs. □

Micro Software
International to Distribute
Software Arts Products
In England, Europe

MicroSoftware International of
Newton, Upper Falls, Massachu-
setts, the marketing and distribut-
ing firm recently formed in the
U.S. by Robert Shapiro, has an-
nounced that it will be the exclu-
sive distributors for Software Arts
programs in Great Britain, France,
Germany, and the Benelux coun-
tries.

The announcement comes
after several months of negotia-
tion between MicroSoftware
International and Software Arts.
TK Solver™ — Software Arts'
highly acclaimed equation-
solving program for the IBM/PC,
will be the initial program
marketed overseas by MSI.

According to MSI's Executive
Vice President Shapiro, "We fore-
see a bright future for Software
Arts in the European business
market. We are augmenting the
distribution with marketing and
advertising backup, and project
that the product will be on Euro-

Commander September 1983/141

pean store shelves by June 30,
1983."

In addition to Software Arts,
MSI also is the worldwide distri-
butor for Computer Software
Associates products.

Additional information can be
obtained by contacting Micro-
Software International, Inc., The
Silk Mill, 44 Oak Street, Newton,
Upper Falls, MA 02164; telephone
(617)527-7510.

European inquiries can be
directed to Marketing Micro Soft-
ware Ltd., Goddard Road, White-
house Industrial Estate, Ipswich,
Suffolk, England; telephone
(0473) 462-721. D

PRACTICALC 64 WINS BIG
AT CONSUMER
ELECTRONICS SHOW

PractiCalc 64, the spreadsheet
program from Computer Software

COMPUTER BUGS

THE "PET" OF THE COMPUTER AGEI!

ftw^*?'

VJC.M U ^

*5T.trt«sr

REAL COMPUTER CHIPS!!
TIE TACK/DECORATIVE PIN

You've had bugs in your pro-
grams and bugs in your system.
But, what happens to these
evasive creatures when they
are "worked out"? Some hang
around to pester you again, but
a few are caught and taught
manners*

We proudly present the
FRIENDLY Computer Bug - I.C.
Mite. These once bothersome
pests have been transformed
into friendly, talented pets that
you can train and display with
pride. You. the owner, are
supplied with a comprehensive
Care and Training Manual that
answers such pressing ques-
tions as:

— What do I.C.
Mites eat?

— Can computer bugs swim?

— And, how fast can they run?

These computer pets make
great gifts. And, when ordered
in families of 3 or more, you'll
save $1.00 each. So, when or-
dering your Friendly Computer
Bug, order one for each of your
friends and save I

TO ORDER
SEND:

• $3.50 each for 3 or more OR $4.50
each for leu than 3.

• Check or Money Order. COD's
add $1.50.

• Add $1.00 for postage and han-
dling.

• California orders add 6% sales
tax.

• Please be sure to Include your
Name, Address, Zip Code, and
full payment with your order.

• Have fun with your new pet.

ORDER TODAYI

H&H ENTERPRISES

P.O. BOX 2272

FULLERTON.CA 92633

DEALER INQUIRIES: (714) 525-8745 / (714) 992-2137

Associates garnered an impres-
sive "win" at the Summer Con-
sumer Electronics Show recently
held in Chicago. PractiCalc 64
was singled out as the only pro-
gram in the Home Management
category in the CES Software
Showcase to be worthy of cita-
tion. The selection was made by a
panel of six judges, who are
editors in the computer industry.

In all, there are nine software
categories: the aforementioned
home management, word pro-
cessing, education, adventure, ar-
cade, maze, space, strategy and
"other". A total of 62 prizes were
awarded from over 180 entries.
The competition was open to
software written for all com-
puters, and only five other awards
were presented to publishers of
Commodore 64 software.

"Although PractiCalc 64 is writ-
ten for the Commodore 64, its
'sister program', PractiCalc Plus
has clearly been recognized as
the most powerful spreadsheet
program for the VIC," says Sandy
Ruby, author of the PractiCalc
series and President of Computer
Software Associates, "and the
award for the '64' version con-
firms that as well for '64' owners.
We're extremely pleased that our
industry colleagues were so im-
pressed with the program."

PractiCalc Plus and PractiCalc
64 are both spreadsheet pro-
grams that offer high- and low-
resolution graphics, alpha-
numeric sort and search, as well
as mathematical and trigono-
metric functions. Both programs
are available in either cassette or
disk version. Suggested retail
prices are: PractiCalc 20 $39.95-
cassette, $44.95-disk; PractiCalc
Plus (for the VIC 20) $49.95-
cassette, $54.95-disk; PractiCalc
64 (for the Commodore 64) $54.95-
cassette, $59.95-disk.

Additional information can be
obtained by writing to Micro Soft-
ware International, Inc., 44 Oak
Street, The Silk Mill, Newton Up-
per Falls, MA 02164; (617)
527-751 0.D

1 42/Commander September 1983

Circle No. 85

NEW PRODUCTS

THREE NEW
SOFTWARE PROGRAMS
FOR COMMODORE 64

Three NEW informative pro-
grams have just been made avail-
able nationally by TIMEWORKS,
INC., Deerfield, Illinois, indepen-
dent publisher of personal com-
puter software. Created specifi-
cally for the popular COM-
MODORE 64 computer, these
new programs are some of the
eleven new TIMEWORKS' Com-
modore 64 programs.

The programs include THE
ELECTRONIC CHECKBOOK, a
check recording, sorting, and
balancing system; DUNGEON of
the ALGEBRA DRAGONS, an ad-
venture-in-learning game which
provides a challenging and en-
joyable way to develop algebra
skills; and PROGRAMMING KIT I,
a practical "How-to" learning ap-
proach to basic programming.
The package includes TIME-
WORKS' exclusive eight-step ap-
proach to program design, easily
and fully explained.

The caliber of programming
(usually found in much more ex-
pensive programs) and the ease
of understanding of TIME-

-COMVOM

commodore
tA eameams ,

ssssy

TimeujcRKS.

'rtlqcUni TittflOH. _ n Kill ™ 9

.,,; The Electronic *.

U4^ <,' Checkbook L-V>

WORKS' programs have proven
outstanding in these four cate-
gories: Entertainment, Education,
Programming and Home/Small
Business. Suggested retail price

of each program is $24.95.

Each program is packaged in
attractive four-color boxes with
an overview, and at-a-glance pro-
gram parameters. And a compre-

Commander September 1983/143

hensive, easy-to-understand
manual is included.

For further information write or
call TIMEWORKS, INC., 405 Lake
Cook Road, Building A, Deerfield,
IL 60015, (312) 291-9200, TW
#607. D

NEW BOOK FOR THE 64

A book devoted just to pro-
ducts available for the use of the
Commodore 64 Computer; NOT A
MAIL ORDER COMPANY CATA-
LOG!

Over 120 pages of PROGRAMS
& SOFTWARE, PERIPHERALS,
INTERFACES, BOOK TITLES,
MAGAZINES catering to the 64,
and 64 USER GROUPS.

Contains a DIRECTORY of
SOURCES strongly supporting
the COMMODORE 64 in all areas.

Contains a MAGAZINE ARTI-
CLE BIBLIOGRAPHY of literature
and written programs since the
inception of the COMMODORE
64.

ONLY $15.00 plus $2.00 shipp-
ing. (Florida residents include 5%
sales tax.) Send a Check or
Money Order TO: What's? FOR
THE 64, 3494 Chickasaw Circle,
Lake Worth, FL 33463.
REMEMBER TO INCLUDE YOUR
NAME AND ADDRESS
PLEASE! □

PAL 64— PERSONAL
ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE
FOR THE COMMODORE 64

Written by BRAD TEMPLETON,
author of POWER and other PET
products.

PAL 64 is a new program for the
Commodore 64 that allows you to
easily write machine language
programs. With PAL 64, you can
type in machine language pro-
grams in symbolic form and
quickly assemble them into real
machine language for the com-
puter to run. It was the first, and is
still the fastest and most easy to
use, assembler for your Commo-
dore 64.

With PAL 64, you type your
assembler program in with the
standard Basic program editor
that is well known to all Com-
modore 64 users. There is no
change of environment and there
are no new tricks to learn. Tools
like POWER can be used to help
in this task if desired. PAL 64 can
work entirely from memory, tak-
ing a "source" program from
RAM and assembling it into a run-
ning program in another area of
RAM. These two abilities allow
PAL 64 to be used with a mini-
mum of fuss and a maximum of
speed.

Although PAL 64 is fast and
compact, it also is loaded with
big assembler features, in-
cluding:

1. Relocatable output with re-
locating loader

2. Conditional assembly

3. Loading and saving symbol
tables from disk

4. User customization of out-
put, pseudo-ops and expressions

5. File chaining for large pro-
grams

You can express your values to
PAL 64 in all kinds of handy ways.
Expressions can be highly com-
plex, including parentheses.
There are 7 different operators,
and values can be given in
decimal, hexadecimal, binary and
several other methods. Symbols
can be up to 8 characters long.

One of the best features of PAL
64 is the ability to produce pro-
grams that are a combination of
Basic and machine language.
With PAL 64, you can write a
Basic program that calls machine
language routines by their sym-
bolic name, and PAL 64 will figure
out the addresses for you, creat-
ing a program than can be LOAD-
ed and RUN. This is especially
good for beginners who wish to
start with Basic and move slowly
to machine language, letting PAL
(Continued on page 146)

NUMERIC KEYPAD FOR COMMODORE-64 AND VIC-20

Computer Place introduces a
numeric keypad for Commo-
dore-64 and VIC-20. The keypad is
designed with top quality, low
profile key switches for smooth^
reliable and low-cost data entry. It
lets you zip through your numeric
work sheet, input your numbers
and figures comfortably, quickly,
and more easily than ever before.

The keypad easily connects in
parallel with the existing key-
board connector. The setup is
simple. The usage is comfortable.
And the price is very affordable at
only $69.95.

Contact W. Huang of Computer
Place, 23914 Crenshaw Blvd., Tor-
rance, CA 90505/(213) 325-4754. □

i2i£q_wj2zif \

144/Commander September 1983

Take COMMAND by patronizing our advertisers who support the
wide selection ot products tor the Commodore computer line.
COMMANDER Magazine would appreciate you mentioning our
name when dealing with these organizations.

Advertising Index

Circle No. Page No.

1 Aardvark 73

69 Abacus 48

2 Academy Software 97

89 Advanced Processor Systems 115

37 Apropos Technology 51

68 Basic Electronic Business Systems, Inc. .123,85

3 Boston Educational Computing, Inc 31

50 Bytes and Pieces #1 48

90 Bytes and Pieces #2 9

5 Century Micro 29

6 CGRS Micro Tech 151

20 City Software 9

43 Codeworks 31

7 Comm* Data Software 1,78-79

8 Commodore 64 Users Group 76

Compu-sense 106,107,63,70

10 Computer Alliance 31,59

41 Computer Learning Center 65

11 Computer Marketing 41,155

12 ComputerMat 95,91

27 ComputerOutlet 25

91 Computer Software 23

49 Cosmic Computers 93

44 Creative Software 86

13 Data Equipment Supply Corp 131

92 Data20Corp 17

72 DC Circuits 31

67 Double E Electronics 127

93 Dynamic Tech 81

14 Eastern House 148

15 Electronic Specialists, Inc 24

40 Fabtronics 22

51 Fox Fire Systems 27

17 FrenchSilk .' 2

18 Galactic 89,47,119

19 GloucesterComputer, Inc 27

84 GOSUB 117

16 GOSUBofSlidell 63,129

85 H & H Enterprises 142

94 Hanna Enterprises 77

95 ICD Corporation 16

52 Info Designs 3

87 Integrated Controls 76

21 Intelligent Software 84

96 J. H.Wheeler and Co 139

97 JMD 38

53 Journal/20 90

22 Leading Edge BackCover

70 LynnComputers 61,81

98 M & M ComputerSystems 140

Circle No.

Page No.

99 M'Agreeable 59

26 Micro Ed 35, 53

100 Micro Management 136

28 Micro Spec 105

29 Micro Systems Development 36,37

55 Microware Distributors 33,156

25 Midwest Micro 113

4 Mirage Concepts 154

56 Mystic Software 24

23 National VIC Assoc 52

30 Nibbles and Bits, Inc 126

31 Optimized Data Systems 102

71 PACE 125

57 Parr Programming 30

32 Performance Micro Products 105

75 Phantom Software 75

33 Precision Technology, Inc 69

58 Progressive Peripherals and Software 22

76 Proline . 63, 69

34 Protecto 99

35 Psycom Software 103

47 Public Domain 25

24 Pug Software 109

36 Quantum Data 85

77 Rees Software Lab 57

59 SAVE 59

39 Sierra On-Line 123

60 SJB Distributors 135

38 Skylight Software 72

65 The Software Clearing House 38

78 Software International 71

9 Software International 101

62 Southern Solutions 121

55 Southwest Micro 55

Synapse Software Inside Front Cover

61 Systems Management Associates 129

79 T&FSoftware 5

42 Tamarack Software 67

66 Telegames Software 113

73 TNW 81

45 Toronto Pet Users Group 117

46 TOTLSoftware 69

81 Texas Technical Services 129

82 Tronic 113

80 Users Group Warehouse 117

86 Videobook 19

48 Victory Software Inside Back Cover

63 WAVE Computers, Inc 91

74 Webber Software 90

88 What's? For the 64 38

64 take care of the nitty-gritty.

There's lots more the PAL 64,
including a complete manual.

See your nearest Commodore
or software dealer for complete
details.

ALSO AVAILABLE FOR THE
COMMODORE 8000 AND 9000
SERIES. D

APPLICATION TEMPLATES
FOR HAM RADIO
OPERATORS

JINI MICRO-SYSTEMS, Inc. an-
nounces the first of 24 MINI JINI
ready-to-use application pack-
ages. This premier package con-
tains 12 templates for the ham
radio operator plus easy-to-follow
directions. The templates include
applications for contests like
DXCC, WAC, WAS, SATELLITE
1000 plus templates for inventory,
logs, mail lists, magazines, pro-
jects, hamfest shopping and
more.

Most hamshack management
systems consist of logbooks,
QSL cards stuffed in drawers or
on the wall, wrinkled bills and
warranties, tons of magazine
modifications, shoe boxes of
parts and slips of paper. Now
ORGANIZE THE HAMSHACK
makes hamshack recordkeeping
a breeze.

Features:

12 ready-to-use templates for
ham radio operator contests,
logs, magazines, QSL's, inven-
tory, projects

Easy-to-follow directions for
alphabetizing, calculations, print-
ing labels, printing reports,
searching
Requires:

VIC 20 or Commodore 64
Disk drive or tape player
MINI JINI Record Keeper

Optional

Printer (1515/1525, serial or
parallel)

Price

$14.95

Contact Nancy Iscaro at (212)
796-6200 for further information.

146/Commander September 1983

NEW SCIENCE AND
ENGLISH EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAMS

Pet

The Skeletal System, Word
Functions, and Classes of Nouns,

new science and English educa-
tional software programs design-
ed to run on Commodore PET®
computers and supplement class-
room studies, are now available
from BrainBank, Inc. All three
titles, in 16K, represent Brain-
Bank's high-quality courseware.

The Skeletal System contains
five programs, each covering a
different part of the system. They
are entitled: "A Bone to Pick",
"Major Skeletal Bones", "Joints,
Ligaments and Cartilage", and a
Review/Test. This title is the first
follow-up to the popular BBI title:
The Human Body, An Overview,
which has received rave reviews
for its fine graphics and student
effectiveness. This follow-up title
is equally well-crafted and ex-
citing. The Skeletal System is
available on disk or cassette for
$70 and $32 each for back-up
copies, and includes an extensive
documentation package with line
drawings and a Teacher Guide.

Word Functions is available on
two disks or cassettes, contain-
ing a total of nine separate pro-
grams in two parts. Part I on one
disk includes "Homonyms",
"Homonyms Matching Game",
"Synonyms", and "A Synonym
Matching Game". Part II, on the
second disk, includes "Anto-
nyms", "More Antonyms",
"Troublesome Words (to, too,
two)", "Troublesome Words (it's,
its)", and a Review/Test. This title
contains a matching game in a
maze format, wherein a sentence
appears missing one word which
the student has to find and cor-
rectly place. It can be played com-
petitively between two players.
Word Functions is available for
$99 and $37 for each back-up set,
and includes documentation and
Teacher Guide.

Classes of Nouns helps teach
recognition of common nouns,
proper nouns and special classes

of nouns. This user-friendly, inter-
active title is designed for high
school English students. Its five
programs are: "Proper Nouns",
"Capitalization: Titles Are
Tricky", "Special Classes of
Nouns", "Common Nouns", and
a Review/Test. With extensive
documentation and Teacher
Guide, Classes of Nouns is
available for $60 and $22 each for
back-ups on either disks or
cassettes.

"The Skeletal System, Word
Functions and Classes of Nouns
have been designed to educate as
well as offer fun and diversion,"
said Ruth Landa, founder and
president of BrainBank. "The pro-
grams contain lively graphics, in-
teractive features, and like all BBI
BrainWare, are pedagogically
sound."

Additional, information on
these three new BrainBank titles,
as well as BBI's other educational
courseware and games, is avail-
able by writing to BrainBank, Inc.,
220 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
10001, or by telephoning (212)
686-6565. □

POWER 64

A Commodore 64 program-
mer's utility package written by
Brad Templeton with a compre-
hensive manual by Jim Butter-
field.

Why Power 64?

— Power 64 produces a spec-
tacular improvement in the ease
of Basic programming on the
Commodore 64. It is easy to learn
and fast to use.

What Does Power 64 Do?

— Power 64's features include:
— automatic line numbering

and re-numbering

— complete tracing func-
tions

— single stepping through
programs

— definition of keys as
BASIC keywords

—de-bugging ease with a
"Why" command

—addition of auto repeat
function to cursor keys

— text search and replace
functions

—ability to merge basic pro-
grams

— listing and scrolling up
and down of BASIC programs in
memory

— hexadecimal and decimal
conversions

— and much, much more

How Does Power 64 Work?

— Power 64 contains a series of
new commands and utilities
which are added to the screen
editor and BASIC interpreter. Us-
ing only 4K of memory, Power
64's collection of special editing,
programming and software de-
bugging tools are not found in
any other microcomputer BASIC.

How Much Does
Power 64 Cost?

— Only $99.95; from your Com-
modore Dealer.

HOW MUCH IS YOUR TIME
WORTH?! D

MUSIC AND SOUND
EFFECTS SYNTHESIS
SOFTWARE WITH ALL
GRAPHICS ENTRY
AND EDITING

Two new programs, Note Pro I
and Note Pro II, allow creation
and play of music and sound ef-
fects on a treble clef musical
staff. A third new program, Note
Pro Bridge is a package for the
beginneror experienced program-
mer. It is a set of copyable
MACHINE LANGUAGE Programs
which play Note Pro music/sound
effect files and can be added to
any program. End users can use
Note Pro I or Note Pro II to enter
and play music and sound ef-
fects. Programmers can use Note
Pro Bridge to add music and
sound effects to their entertain-
ment or educational programs.

Note Pro II is loaded with uses
and features. It allows you to
enter or edit an eight measure
section of music on each screen
using a special five line musical
staff. Each voice has a full eight
octave range. Notes can be
strung together to create note

durations of unlimited length, or
kept separate (staccato). Two-
hundred and fifty-four gradations
of tempo allow speeds ranging
from one to four-hundred and fifty
notes per second. ADSR, wave
shape, and filter settings can be
manipulated and saved. Best of
all, Note Pro II allows you to AR-
RANGE your music independent-
ly of its actual sequence in
memory. You can repeat sections,
switch their order of occurrence,
and even play music backwards!
Note Pro II was field tested in a
rock band which now uses it
along with the 64 in its regular
performances.

Note Pro I offers one measure
of treble clef per screeen, two-
hundred and fifty-five gradations
of tempo, and control of ADSR
and wave shape. Each voice is
given a two octave range, pro-
viding you with bass, tenor, and
soprano melody lines.

Note Pro Bridge provides the
beginner or expert programmer
with control overthe SID chip that
isn't possible in BASIC. Note Pro
Bridge actually makes music and
sound effects part of your com-
puter's operating system. The
programmer controls Note Pro

COMMODORE
AUTOMODEM FEATURES
PARALLEL PRINTER PORT

The Microperipheral Corp. has
just announced a low cost
modem for the VIC-20 and Com-
modore 64. The unit features both
an autodial and autoanswer capa-
bility. In addition, it has a built in
Centronics compatible parallel
printer port.

The new product, called an
AutoPrint-Microconnection,
retails for $149.94 and is enclosed
in a professional quality extruded
aluminum case. It operates at 300
baud (Bell 103) in either originate
or answer mode and is FCC Type
Accepted. The combination
modem and printer interface
plugs directly into the computer
without the need for additional in-
terface devices. Telecommunica-
tions software is provided in the
user manual.

The printer port permits con-
necting conventional parallel
printers such as the Epson and
Oki. With the modem connected
to the phone line, the printer will
simultaneously provide hard copy
of whatever appears on the
screen. Word processing soft-
ware is available which routes

text to the printer via the modem.
The unit measures 5" x 6" x 2"
and weighs 2 pounds. For addi-
tional information, contact
Norene Scott, Director of Sales,
The Microperipheral Corp., 2565
152nd Ave. N.E., Redmond, WA
98052. Telephone (206) 881-7544.

Commander September 1983/147

NEW DEALERS

Massachusetts

Microcron Software Center
Woburn Mall
Woburn, MA 01801

Illinois

The Book Baazare
Eastland Shopping Center
Bloomington, IL 61701

Arizona

Copperstate Cash Register Co.
3125 E. McDowell
Phoenix, AZ 85008

LCA

679 Washington St.

Norwood, MA 02062

New Jersey

Software City
102 Cranford Road
Cherry Hill, NJ 08003

Computer Clinic
560 N.St. #203
Springfield, IL 61704

Texas

Microbase

8525 Stella Link Rd. #5

Houston, TX 77025

California

Kens Computer & Video
263 S. Western Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90004

Software Center
8324 Wilshire Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90211

Software Center

372 Hwy 18

East Brunswick, NJ 08816

Video Rama

2425 Bay Area Blvd.

Houston, TX 77058

Access To Software

4720 Geary Blvd.

San Francisco, CA 94118

New York

Software City

187 Main St.

Mt. Kisco, NY 10549

Computers Plus +
2350 E. Southcross Blvd.
San Antonio, TX 78223

Idaho

Oregon

80 Plus

4535 SE Soodstock

Portland, OR 97206

Florida

Sunshine Software

956 NE62nd St.

Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33334

Friendly Computers
3655 Gov't Way Suite 5
Cour D'Alene, ID 83814

Utah

ICS

1700 N. State #21

Provo, UT 84603

Rainy Day Bookshop
643 SE Jackson St.
Roseburg, OR 97470

Canada

Alabama

Software City
7771 E. Wood Mall
Birmingham, AL 35210

Interactive Computer Systems
554 Queen Street
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Canada E3B 1W9

<t^v STC p_ 30fl/1200Baud

Standard Terminal Communications Package

•PFO"IOD OOA CP<DI>D2 BELL - 12:30:0010:14:36

Don'i settle tor non-standard Communications Protocol!
Access Micro Net. Source. Bulletin Boards, Local Main-
frame, etc.

/ • Complete Package — Includes RS232 Imer-
1 tace Board and software (does not include
§ modem)
■ • Communicates in Industry Standard ASCII

^ • Upload/Download to/from Disk

• Automatic File Translation

• Can be controlled from keyboard or user sup-
plied basic or machine language program

Specify 3.0 or 4.0 ROMS or 8032 Commodore Computer
4040 or 8050 or PEDISK II Disk or CBM64 on 1541.

Price: $129.95

ATARI AND PET
EPROM PROGRAMMER

Programs 2716 and 2532
EPROMs. Includes hardware
and software. PET = $75.00-
ATARI (includes sophisticated
machine language monitor! =
$119.95

Prownter Pnnler - Excellent dot matrix prim Parallel = $489 00
Serial - $600.00. IEEE = $589 00

VIC RABBIT CARTRIDGE
AND CBM 64 RABBIT CARTRIDGE

NEW FEATURE!

DATA FILESI ff -

"Highspeed /f.^/

Cassette ff ^.

Load and Save!"

$39.95

(includes cartridge
and manual)

for VIC

Don't waste your Life away waiting to LOAD
and SAVE programs on Cassette Deck
Load or Save 8K in approximately 30 seconds!
Try it— your Un-Rabbitized VIC or 64 takes
almost 3 minutes. It's not only fast but VERY
RELIABLE.

Almost as fast as 1541 Disk Drive! Don't be fool-
ish — Why buy the disk when you can get the
Rabbit for much, much less!
Allows one to APPEND Basic Programs!
Easy to install — just plugs in.
Expansion Connector on rear of the VIC Rabbit.
Works with or without Expansion Memory.
Works with VIC or 64 Cassette Deck.
12 Commands provide other neat features.
Fast Data Files - two data file modes.
Also Available for 2001, 4001. and 8032.

TRAP 65

TRAP 65 is a hardware device that

plugs into your 6502s socket. Prevents

execution of unimplemented opcodes

and provides capability to extend the

machines' instruction set.

For PET/APPLE/SYM.

Reduced from 1149.95 to $69.95

DC Hayes Smart Modem » $235.00
DC Hayes Micro Modem II a $289.00

Rana Disk Drive - 375
4 Drive Controller - 114

It's a

Professionally

Designed

Software

Development

System

MAE

More than just an Assembler/Editor!
Now for the "64" A

-K

"for

PET

APPLE

ATARI

5*69S&

New

Price

$99.95

Blast off with the software used on the space
shuttle project!

• Designed to improve Programmer Productivity.

• Similar syntax and commands — No need (o relearn
peculiar syntaxes and commands when you go
Irom PET to APPLE to ATARI.

• Coresidant Assembler/Editor -- No need to load
the Editor then the Assembler then the Editor, etc.

• Also includes Word Processor, Relocating Loader,
and much more.

• Options: EPROM Programmer, unimplamented
opcode circuitry.

• STILL NOT CONVINCED: Send tor tree spec sheet!

554 INCH SOFT
SECTORED DISKETTES

Highest quality. We use them on
our PETs, APPLEs, ATARIs, and other
compute rs. $22.50/10 or $44.50/20

EPR0MS 2716 = $4.50 2532 = $7.50

Over 40 Commodore Programs by Baker (on 4040) =

$25.00

3239 Linda Dr.
Winston-Salem. N.C. 27106
(919)924-2889 (919)748-8446
Send for free catalog!

148/Commander September 1983

Circle No. 14

User Clubs

Massachusetts

Masspet Commodore User Group
P.O. Box 307
East Taunton, MA 02718
Contact— David A. Rogers

New Hampshire
TBH VIC-NIC CLUB
P.O. Box 961
Salem, NH 03079
Contact— J. Newman
Publication— VIC-NIC NEWS
Interests— VIC-20 Exclusively

C-64 U.S.E.R.S. (User Software
Exchange Resources)
P.O. Box 4022
Rochester, NH 03867
Publication— Companion
Interests— All 64 uses.

New Jersey

Somerset Commodore User's Club
6 Lilac Lane
Somerset, NJ 08873
Contact— Marty Skoultchi
President
(201) 846-2866

New York

JINSAM User's Group

P.O. Box 274

Riverdale, NY 10463

Contact— Nancy Iscaro

(212) 796-6200

Publication— JINSAM Newsletter

Interests — For users of JINSAM

Data Managers and the MINI JINI

series published by JINI MICRO

Systems, Inc. (for all

CBMWIC2WC64)

National VIC Association
9 Crabapple Lane
Nanuet, NY 10954
Contact— Michael Kleiner!
(914)623-8929

North Carolina

Micro-Computer Users Club
P.O. Box 17142
Bethabara Station
Winston-Salem, NC 27116
Contact— Joel D. Brown
Interests— VIC-20 & CBM 64
Newsletter— The "VIC"
Connection

Georgia

VIC-DATASWAPPERS

1 794 Alabama Ave.

Albany, GA 31 705

Contact— David L. Via

(912) 436-5596

Interests— All uses of the VIC-20

Florida

Miami 2064

1291 1 SW 49th Street

Miami, FL 33175

Contact— Jim Luftman

(305)226-1185

Kentucky

The Commodore Connection
1010 South Elm
Henderson, KY 42420
Contact— Jim Kemp
(502)827-8153
Interests- VIC, CBM 64, PET

Ohio

Central Ohio PET User's Group
107 South West moor Avenue
Columbus, OH 43204
Contact— Philip H. Lynch
(614) 274-0304
Interests— Support of all
Commodore Products

Commodore Youths of Ohio

9729 Lawndell

Navarre, OH 44662

Contact— Todd Archlnal

(216) 767-3514

Interests— Com mod o re U sers

under 20

SW Ohio VIC Users Club
659 Carthage Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45215
Contact— Tom E. Harris
761-7510

Indiana

The V1C Indy Club
P.O. Box 1 1543
Indianapolis, IN 46201
Contact— Linda Kropzer
(317) 878-3342

Michigan

Michigan's Commodofe-64

Users Club

14342 Stephens

Warren, Ml 48089

Contact— Doug Schwartz

(313) 776-5835 or

Chuck Ciesliga

(313) 7736302

Newsletter— Sprite 64 (monthly)

Interests— All uses of

Commodore 64

South Dakota

VIC-64 Users Club
608 West 5th
Pierre, SD 57501
Contact— Larry J. Lundeen
(605) 224-4863

Illinois

The Fox Valley PET User's Club

833 Willow Street

Lake In the Hills, IL 60102

Contact— Art Dekneef

(312)658-7321

Chicsgoland C-64 Users Club
190 Oakwood Drive
Woodale, IL 60191
Contact— Russ Hurlbut
(312)860-2015

Vic Users, Salem

306 S. Marion

Salem, IL 62881

Contact— John McConnell

(618) 548-6904

Newsletter — Published in

near future

Interests— VIC software library

information exchange

Missouri

The Commodore Users Group

of Saint Louis
Box 6653

St. Louis, MO 63125-0653
Membership Director-
Dan Weidman
(314) 968-4409 (after 5 pm)
Interests— For all Commodore
Users and Educators using
microcomputers.
Publication— Monthly 24-page
Magazine

Kansas

Commodore Users Group
of Wichita
Route 1, Box 115
Viola, Kansas 67149

Nebraska

Greater Omaha Commodore 64
Users Group
2932 Leawood Drive
Omaha, NE 68123
Contact— Bob Quisenberry
(402) 292-2753

Texas

Mid Cities Commodore Club
413 Chisolm Trail
Hurst, Texas 76053
Contact— Garry Wordelman
President

Commodore (Houston)
Users Group
8738 Wildforest
Houston, TX 77088

Colorado

Computer Clubs of America,

Denver Chapter 1

4979 W. 44th Ave.

Denver, CO 80212

Contact— Office: Jim McTaggart

(313) 455-4200 or

Library: Pat Cummings

(303) 424-8841

Newsletter— CCA Newsletter

Support for New Users— Classes

in Microsoft Basic, etc.

California

SFVCUG (San Fernando Valley
Commodore Users Group)
21208 Nashville
Chatsworth, CA 91311
Contact — Thomas Lynch
(President)

(213)889-2211 X2015 Days
(213) 709-4736 Nights
Newsletter— Monthly
Interests— All Commodore
Products

Commodore Interest Association
c/o Computer Data
1 4660 La Paz Drive
Vlctorville, CA 92392

20/64 Users Group

P.O. Box 18473

San Jose, CA 95158

Contact— Don Cracraft, President

Membership— Thirty

Founded— 1983

Meetings— First Sunday, 6 pm

Mercury Savings

859 Blossom Hill Rd.

San Jose, CA

Features— Large library, with copy

facilities at local computer

store. Discounts of merchandise

and a swap/sell period after

each meeting.

Amateurs and Artesian
P.O. Box 682
Cobb, CA 95426
Contact— B. Alexander KR6G

Washington

Queen City Computer Club
P.O. Box 19597
Seattle, WA 98109
Contact— Dr. Ted Cooper
(206) 282-3271

A.T.S. VIC-20 Computer Club
7906-34th Avenue SW
Seattle, WA 98126
Contact— Ken Gazaway
(206) 935-2697
Publication— For VIC-20 only

Whidbey Island

Commodore Computer Club

P.O. Box 1471

Oak Harbor, WA 98277

Contact— Michael Clark

(206)875-4815

Donald Sims

(206) 675-0301

Newsletter— Chips 'N Bits

CBM Users Group

803 Euclid Way

Centralia, WA 98531

Contact— Rick Beaber

(206) 736-4085

Special Interests— Programming

and sharing ideas.

Central Washington Commodore

User's Club

1222 South 1st Street

Yakima, WA 98902

Contact— Bob Wood or

Tim McElroy

Commodore 64 Users
West 1918 Boone Avenue
Spokane, WA 99201
Contact— Terrv or Sara Voss
(509) 327-7202

Canada

Winnipeg PET Users
9-300 Ennls Kilieo
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Canada R2V 0H9
Contact— Larry Nevfeld

Commander September 1983/149

Bridge by poking into its special
registers to control tempo, note
duration, wave shape and more.
The package includes sample
programs written in easy to read
BASIC which shows you how to
load and play Note Pro music and
tone setting files, or create music
and sound effects from within
your programs. Note Pro Bridge is
interrupt driven. This means that
you can add sound and music to
existing programs without affect-
ing their execution.

All three packages are docu-
mented in detail, and come with
sample compositions and tone
settings. N.P. I and N.P. Bridge
sell for $24.95 on tape and $27.95
on diskette. N.P. II, the full func-
tion music editor, sells for $46.95
on tape and $49.95 on diskette.
For information contact ELEC-
TRONIC LAB INDUSTRIES, 100
W. 22nd st - box 7167, Baltimore,
MD 21218 or phone 301-366-8138.

A GRADE & ATTENDANCE
MANAGEMENT PACKAGE

GradeCalc is a grade and atten-
dance management package de-
signed to free the teacher from
many of the time consuming
tasks of record keeping. Grade fil-
ing and reporting are set up in a
flexible manner to accomodate
any teacher's existing gradebook
format.

With GradeCalc the teacher
has on file all the raw grades and
assignment information. This file
can then average grades using a
variety of methods. These meth-
ods range from percentage
scores to symbolic (letter) grades.
In addition to averaging, a number
of useful reports can be genera-
ted. For example, the teacher can
easily obtain a cumulative listing
of missing assignments. Other
reports include grade totals,
averages, grade book listings,
assignment summaries, and
more.

GradeCalc also maintains at-
tendance records in the same
flexible manner as grade records.
The teacher can recover a variety
of reports based on the atten-
dance records. These reports in-
clude cumulative totals of all at-
tendance records and problem
reports based on excessive
absences or other problems.

The GradeCalc package is
available on disk for Commo-
dore-64, the 40 or 80 column CBM
or PET computer. The price is
$29.95.

Contact TAMARACK SOFT-
WARE, INC., Water St., Darby,
Montana 59829, (406) 821-4596 for
further information. □

MASTER MATH

PMI, Inc. of Buckfield, Maine
has introduced a new software
package, MASTER MATH, that is
a comprehensive program for
teaching high school level math.

High resolution color graphics
and games are used to build in-
terest and enthusiasm. MASTER
MATH is comprised of six inde-
pendent discs with 50 specific
tutorial or problematic subjects
including Algebra, Geometry,
Trigonometry, Statistics and
Basic Accounting. The program is
self-paced and allows the student
to determine the most comfort-
able learning rate.

MASTER MATH sells for $150
(for the entire six disc or cassette
package) or $30 per disc, and is
accompanied by support mater-
ials. It is currently compatible
with the Commodore PET, Com-
modore 64 or CBM 8032.

Additionally, MASTER MATH 4
and/or 5 (which consists of a com-
prehensive exam package) are
available on cassette for the VIC
20.

For more information, contact:
PMI Inc., P.O. Box 87, Buckfield,
Maine 04220, (207) 336-2500. □

A NEW EXPANSION UNIT
FOR COMMODORE VIC-20
PERSONAL COMPUTER

Computer Place has announc-
ed the release of a new VIC-20 Ex-
pander. It differs from the others
as it has such built-in quality
features as:

* Four high quality positively
keyed connector slots for full
memory expansion and utility car-
tridges.

* Gold-plated contact fingers
for solid, long-lasting connection.

* An on-board RESET button
that allows the restart of the
VIC-20 without turning off the
computer.

* Four individual slot ON-OFF

control switches which are ar-
ranged for easy access and
designed with fingertip control
rather than pentip.

* An external power supply
hook-up provision with a two-way
power source switch.

* A fuse block for overload and
short protection.

This VIC-20 Expander truly is
the one all the VIC users have
been waiting for. It incorporates
all the features the users have
ever asked for. It enhances the
VIC-20 computer system for many
various applications. It is priced
at $54.95.

Contact W. Huang of Computer
Place, 23914 Crenshaw Blvd., Tor-
rance, CA 90505/(213) 325-4754. □

1 50/Commander September 1983

"BUSINESS PACK"
ON DISK FOR THE
COMMODORE 64 AND
VIC 20 (8K)

Contained within the software
package are the most widely used
and popular business utility pro-
grams including:

*THE ACCOUNTANT-General
Ledger, Income Statement and
Balance Sheet

'ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE/
PAYABLE— Journal for current &
paid accounts

*THE EDITOR — Full feature
word processor

'SPREAD SHEET CALC—
Complete spread sheet/
calculating program

'BUSINESS INVENTORY— In-
ventory control system

'CHECKBOOK MATE—

Checkbook maintenance and
writer

*THE MAILMAN— Address file
with sorting

*PLUS 6 UTILITY PROGRAMS^
Profit Margin Calculator;
Business Calendar & Data Base;
Program Evaluation Review
Technique (PERT); Linear Regres-
sion Analysis; Depreciation; and
Amortization programs

The software package has full
printer capabilities and comes
complete with a detailed
reference manual including pro-
gram examples and a hard bound
binder. Programming assistance
in utilizing the software is also of-
fered during specified hours.

The entire package is now be-
ing offered on an introductory
basis of $100.00.

Information may be obtained by
writing or calling SUPERBYTE
SOFTWARE at 2 Chipley Run,
West Berlin, New Jersey 08091,
Telephone (609) 346-3063. D

Commander's Toll Free

Subscription Number is

1-800-426-1830

Commodore 64

HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE

MASS STORAGE:

pmaisKii

gh Performance FLOPPY DISK
for Commodore 64

PEDISK directly transfers data to computer memory. This and the
250000 bps transfer rate means performance up to 10 times fasterthan
a serial bus disk.

Model C340-2 Dual 3'. . . $995.00 ModelC877-1 Single8'. . . $1095.00
Model C540-2 Dual 5'. . . $895.00 Model C877-2 Dual 8' . . . $1695.00

80 COLUMN VIDEO:

Screenmaker so column video board $1 79.95

Give the 64 a screen full of characters. Screenmaker gives a complete
set of characters (80X24) in a 2K Video RAM. Software to link the system
is included.

WORD PROCESSING:

COPY-WRITER Professional Word Processor $145.00

The next logical step in the evolution of Word Processors. Copy-Writer
has the features found in the best and more. Double columns, shorthand,
the works!

COMMUNICATIONS:

COM PACK Intelligent Terminal Package $1 29.95

A complete communications control center- record/read to/from disk-
convert files ASCII, BASIC, BINARY, MAE - print incoming data. Complete
with software, port board and cable.

LANGUAGES:

fllllFORTH+ enhanced fig Forth forCommodore 64. . . $100.00
Strings, floating point, editor, conditional assembler, interpreter, and
more are included in fullFORTH +. Target Compiler is also available for
$50.00

KMMM PASCAL forCommodore64byWilserve.... $85.00
One of the newest HL languages, KMMM PASCAL isatruecompilerthat
generates machine code from PASCAL source. . . FAST! Editor, Compiler,
Translator included.

UTILITIES:

Copymaker single disk backup routine $30.00

Copymaker allows a 1541 owner to quickly backup an entire floppy disk
on ONE DRIVE! Sim pie swap prompting and full use of memory make this
easy to use and essential for any disk owner.

MAE Macro Assembler Editor from EHS $ 99.95

MAE has become the standard of the 6502 industry by providing the
powerandeaseof use needed by the best assembly programmers. MAE
is a complete development system including a word processor and lots
of source goodies.

MICROTECH is your complete 64 center. Dealer inquiries invited.

Cm cgrs ^^^^^^^B^^^^M^^H^^HMIk
MICROTECH]

P.O. BOX 102

LANGHORNE.PA 19047
215-757 0284

Circle No. 6
Commander September 1983/151

GAME CONTEST

The Game Contest is a continuing feature of
Commander Magazine aimed at providing enter-
tainment for and promoting competition among
our readers. TIMEWORKS has graciously
provided us with this Game Contest.

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES
NOVEMBER 1, 1983

ROBBERS OF THE LOST TOMB may be

purchased from

TIMEWORKS

405 Lake Cool Road

Building A

Deerfield, IL 60015

1-312-291-9200 inside Illinois

1-800-323-9755 toll free outside of Illinois

152/Commander September 1983

Terms for
Game Contest

First prize will be awarded to
the person with the highest
score. The winning entry must
contain a photograph of the
highest score of the game along
with a ROBBERS OF THE LOST
TOMB package front and proof of
purchase.

Entries must be mailed to Com-
mander, TIMEWORKS Contest,
P.O. Box 98827, Tacoma, WA
98498. All entries must be mailed,
as postmarks are required to
determine the earliest winning
entry. In the event of a tie,
duplicate prizes will be awarded.
Employees of TIMEWORKS and
their families may not participate.
First prize will be $100, second
prize $50, third prize $25 in mer-
chandise.

The contest will run until
November 30.

Only COMMANDER will do all this

Reports that give you hands-on, user oriented information on the entire range of
Commodore Computers • More comparison charts, diagrams, instructional illustra-
tions, and how-to photos than any other publication in the field • Articles written
by the top working experts in the field.

Innovative ways to use your computer equipment— from self-improvement
to home security • Valuable tricks and practical advice on how to get the most from
your investment in the high tech field of computers • In depth and unbiased analyses
of the latest in educational software.

Fascinating glimpses into the wonders of the computer future • Profiles of
the industry's most creative people • Provocative discussions on the impact com-
puters will have on you and your family.

Critical comparisons of the Commodore Computers • Exactly how your
computer equipment works • What those computer "buzz words" mean and ex-
pensive "special features" do • Useful trouble-shooting & maintenance advice.

An expanded directory of the latest programs on ROM-PAK, tape and disc
• New product previews of the latest and best equipment on the market • Exciting
technologies in development for tomorrow • Important applications of computers
for health, education, business, and the public good • New directions in computers
• Much More . . .

Subscribe now and take advantage of our Limited Offer of $4 off the one year subscriptions

GUIDE

INSTRUCT

ENTERTAIN

SIMPLIFY

INFORM

Subscription Orders Only-
Toll Free Number: 1-800-426-1830
(except WA, HI, AK)

COMMANDER

PO BOX 98827
TACOMA, WASHINGTON 98498

□ 1 YR. $22 □ 2 YR. $40

□ 3 YR. $58

(Prices do not include $4 discount)

Prices in U.S. Funds

Washington residents please add 7.8% sales tax

Allow 5-6 weeks for delivery.

DON'T MISS OUT

on the most informative
magazine dedicated to the
COMMODORE COMPUTERS

HAVE YOU GOT WHAT
IT TAKES TO BE A

©UNSANDER

For All

Walks of Life

MIRAGE CONCEPTS offers you a step in the right direction by
presenting the All New DATABASE MANAGER and ...
WORD PROCESSOR programs, the most powerful and easy to
use software available for the Commodore 64.

DATABASE MANAGER

The Most Powerful

Database Management System

• 100% Machine Language

• Free Form Design and Input

• Sort on Any Field/Any Level

• Calculated Fields

• Max. Record size = 2,000
Characters

WORD PROCESSOR

80 Column Screen Display
Without Additional Hardware

• 100% Machine Language

• Over 70 Single Keystroke Commands

• Printed Page/Line/Character Counters

• True Word Wrap

• Search, Replace and Block
Operations

FOR THE COMMODORE 64

mRAGE concEPn, inc.

'A Step Ahead!

2519 W. Shaw, Suite 106 / Fresno, CA 93711 / Customer Support: (209) 227-8369
Order Number: (800) 641-1441 Order Number (in Calif.): (800) 641-1442

( software ab

J i uiii|i.iiiv 111 thr I >.i I, id on ii tittup-

The Commodore 64
Spreadsheet that
puts you a
million miles ahead

CALC RESULT. The one spreadsheet guaranteed to turn
your Commodore Into a powerful financial tool.
Offering you every feature found on other more
expensive programs for much less the cost.
Flexible.. .you can view four different areas at once
Versatile... customize your own print formats
Distinctive... display beautiful color graphics
CALC RESULT Advanced Is a three-dimensional
spreadsheet with built-in HELP function and 32 pages
of memory. For the Commodore 64 $149.95. For the
CBM™8032 $199.00.

For first time users CALC RESULT Easy gives you a fasl way
to perform financial calculations— easily. For the
Commodore 64 $79.95.

For a down to earth demonstration of either version visit
your local dealer today.

Distributed b

Computer
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Iilllll tl>1 I" .1 I', Mr

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75£ J

The quality and amazing visual displays of these software
packages adds the extra dimension other programs don't
have. And at an affordable price ...

KEY QUEST

With arcade action and adventure intrigue, multiple players
explore the many levels of an ancient dungeon. Collect
treasure and destroy monsters while searching for the
magical Key. Its power unlocks the doors to deeper
dungeon levels $34.95

ZAP!

This multi-player arcade/action game uses keyboard or
joystick control. Players work their men up the many levels of
corporate structure while avoiding the constant obstacles
which can Zap your chances for success. Dare you try for
brownie points? $29,95

WORD WIZARD

An advanced word processing system, everyone can use
with ease. Features include: Edit, Search, Delete, Insert, and
retrieve text. Page layouts with T/B/L/R margins. Justify,
Center, and Embeded print commands can be used with
Centronics type printer $34.95

Dealer and Distributor
Inquiries Invited

2tM-m-SC2?

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[ «2B Knife 23. Buller, NJ 07)0

DISTRIBUTING INC

Key Quest, Zap!, Word Wizard '-' 1983 by COMPUTER;applicaiions. Inc
Vic-20 is a registered trademark of Commodore Business Machines

; ■■■..■■. v.

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$19.95

»u o

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THE KEY

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TRUNKS FOR THE

Introducing the most logical place to store
Elephant Memory Systems® (or lesser brands
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With its alphabetized library index, you can
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The Trunk is made of durable molded
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which disks despise.

And, it's portable. Because the lid doubles
as a carrying handle so your Elephant Memory
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There's a model for 5V4" and 8" floppies, as
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The Trunk is an open-and-shut case.

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A full line of top-quality floppies, in virtually every 5W and 8' model, for ccrmpatibility with virtually et'erj computer on the market.

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Marketed exclusively by Leading Edge Jrt/ormatiVm Systems and Supplies Division, 55 Providence Highway, Norwood Massachusetts 02062
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