Easy Programming with the TI-99/4A, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1984

Welcome to the world of computer programming. Your Texas Instruments TI-99/4A is a real 16-bit microcomputer, complete with sound and color graphics. Making these features do what you want may seem impossible at fIrst, but don't worry; there's nothing mysterious about computer programming. Learning to program computers simply means learning a new language-in this case, TI BASIC (for Beginner's All­ purpose Symbolic Instruction Code), a version of the most popular language used on today's microcomputers. This book will teach you, step by step, how to tell your machine what you wish it to do-in other words, how to program it. But that's not all. You'll also find chapters on general microcomputer principles, cassette deck use, the TI-99/4A as a terminal for much larger systems, options for expansion, and a list of resources for getting the most out of your home computer. With the 99/4A you have access to a large library of programs, or software, already written by someone else. Without knowing anything about programming, you can use this software to play games, learn math, or store addresses. But at some point you'll want to make your personal computer really personal. You might want to create your own video game or compose a tune. And that's when you'll want to learn programming.

1 Microcomputers in Brief.- Of Bits and Bytes.- Storing Information.- Elementary Computer Architecture.- Computer Languages.- 2 Cassette Deck Notes.- Cassette Decks.- Cassette Interface Cable.- Loading and Saving Programs.- 3 Keyboard Guide.- Enter Key.- Shift and Alpha Lock.- Special Symbols.- Mathematical Operators.- Control Keys.- Function Keys.- Automatic Repetition.- Using the Screen Editor.- 4 Introducing TI BASIC.- Commands, Functions, and Statements.- Immediate Mode.- Using the PRINT Command.- CALL Commands.- Command Mode Calculator.- Variables.- Functions.- Math Functions.- TAB Function.- Statement and Program Lines.- GOTO.- 5 Tools for Building Programs.- Line Numbering.- RESEQUENCE.- Editing Programs.- LIST.- Edit Mode.- Starting and Stopping Programs.- Diamond Track.- RUN.- CONtinue.- BREAK and UNBREAK.- END and STOP.- REMark Statements.- 6 Working with Numbers.- Order of Arithmetic Operations.- Relational Expressions.- 7 Variables.- Numeric Variables.- Naming Numeric Variables.- String Variables.- The Role of Variables in Programming.- 8 Using PRINT.- The PRINT System.- Quotation Marks.- Print Separators.- The TAB Function.- The Sick Rose.- 9 Branching Statements.- The Unconditional Branchers.- GOTO.- GOSUBroutine.- Conditional Branching Statements.- ON-GOTO.- ON-GOSUB.- IF-THEN-ELSE.- 10 Data Anyone?.- INPUT.- The READ/DATA Statements.- Setting Up a Data Bank.- Checking Variable Status.- Multiple-Variable READ/DATA Statements.- RESTORE.- Using Counters To Manipulate Data.- Using Data Flags.- 11 The FOR-NEXT Loop.- Entering Data with FOR-NEXT Loops.- Defining Loops With STEP.- Nested Loops.- 12 Debugging Programs.- Error Messages.- TRACE and UNTRACE.- PRINT Debug.- 13 Numeric Functions.- INTeger.- RANDOMIZE and the Random Number Function — (RND(X)).- Other Numeric Functions.- ABS(X).- ATN(X).- COS(X).- SIN(X).- TAN(X).- EXP(X).- LOG(X).- SQR(X).- SGN(X).- User-Defined Functions.- 14 Computer Sound and Music.- The Sound Chip.- CALLing Sound.- Noise Settings.- Negative Duration Values.- Programming a Song for One Voice.- RESTORE for Repeats.- A Song for Three Voices.- Sound Effects.- 15 BASIC Graphics.- The Screen.- BASIC Graphics Statements.- CALL CHAR.- CALL CLEAR.- CALL HCHAR and CALL VCHAR.- CALL COLOR.- CALL SCREEN.- The RANDOM Character Generator.- Combining Characters in Space: White Knight.- Combining Characters in Time: Running Man.- 16 Interacting with Your Computer: Keyboard and Joystick.- CALL KEYboard.- Key-Unit.- Return Variable.- Status Variable.- Mazemaker.- CALL JOYSTick.- Joystick Mazemaker.- 17 Arrays.- Subscripted Variables and Simple Arrays.- Using READ/DATA To Load Arrays.- OPTION BASE 1 and the DIM Statements.- Two-Dimensional Arrays.- 18 String Functions.- ASCII Value—ASC.- Character—CHR$.- Value—VAL.- String Number—STR$.- Length—LEN.- Position—POS.- String Segment—SEG$.- 19 More Graphics.- FOR-NEXT Looping.- CALLing COLOR.- Strings and String Functions.- Using PRINT.- Using SEGment and LENgth String Functions.- Printing Text with HCHAR.- Using Arrays in Graphics.- 20 Live Time on the Keyboard.- Links in a Chain.- 21 Your Home Computer as a Terminal.- 22 System Options.- Extended BASIC.- Speech Synthesizer.- Peripheral Expansion Box.- RS232 Card.- Disk Drive Controller Card.- 32K Memory Expansion Card.- P-CodeCard.- Disk Drives.- Printers.- Telephone Modems.- The Fully Configured System.- Alternatives to the Peripheral Expansion Box System.- Word Processing.- Microsoft Multiplan™.- UCSD p-System™.- LOGO.- Machine Language.- FORTH.- Voice Recognition.- Winchester Hard Disk.- 23 Resource List.