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A GUIDE TO THE

INPUT

COMPUTER

PROGRAMMING

COURSE

INTRODUCING

INPUT

THE GREAT NEW WAY TO GET

GRIPS WITH YOUR COMPUTER

Computers are one of the most powerful

forces in the modern world – and they are

becoming more influential all the time.

And now that home computers are readily

and cheaply available, there's plenty of

opportunity for everyone to enter the fasci-

nating world of computing.

INPUT is the exciting new way to learn

about computers. Learning to program a

computer is a bit like learning to play foot-

ball. You could spend ages reading all

about the game first, but sooner or later

you have to get out on the field and play. If

you learn through actually doing it, it's

likely to be far quicker and much more

enjoyable, too. It's just like that with com-

puter programming. As soon as you start

to type in your first program, you begin to

learn. With the right sort of programs,

you'll have fun, too.

With INPUT, you get straight into

the world of computers. In each issue,

you'll find the next part of a complete

INPUT lets you into the

secrets of the professional

programmers. And you won't

just be learning dull facts and

utility programs. There'll also

be an insight into your

computer's limitless potential

for fun.

INPUT is full of ideas for

graphics and games programs*

There are lots of routines for

popular graphic characters,

plus the knowledge you need to

create your own. And there's a

guide to the techniques of

games programming —

movement, scoring, strategy

and fascinating new programming

course. With it, you'll be able to delve

deeper and deeper into new and ever

more exciting areas of making the

computer work for you.

The INPUT course concentrates on

the aspects of programming that most

people want to know — things like

educational programs, data systems,

record keeping, games programs and

graphics. And it gives you an exciting

new way to learn programming —

written specially for your computer

Anyone can learn programming.

You do not need to be an expert

mathematician, although natural

mathematical ability may well make

you a better programmer. And, con-

trary to popular belief, there is NO age

barrier.

INPUT is designed to give you real com-

puter knowledge without making it

boring. That's why the course is in easy

stages, to take you forward at the pace that

suits you.

Anyone can use a computer, but many

users never get beyond the simplest level of

control. INPUT will take you beyond... On

the next few pages, there's a guide to some

of the fascinating subjects that you'll be

able to learn about in future issues.

INPUT's structured guide ensures that

your knowledge builds up issue by issue, so

that you learn at your own pace. But you'll

and adventure themes* Many

of these are in the form of short

routines that you can store on

tape and add to your own ideas

to create games and screen

pictures of growing subtlety

and skill.

BASIC PROGR

MING

This is where INPUT gives you the nuts

and bolts of writing your own programs*

BASIC is a computer language that's easy

to understand and easy to use. That's why

all home computers are designed to use it,

and that's why INPUT ensures that you'll

learn how to get the most from all the com-

mands that are at your disposal. Each issue

includes interesting programs to try out

what you've just learned, or to make better

use of what you already know.

away to start putting your computer to

use* Whether you're interested in how

computers can be used to store informa-

tion, or want to try business programming

or text editing, INPUT gives you the

answers, plus lots more ideas.

PERIPHERALS

An occasional series that shows you how to

get the most out of computer add-ons.

There's information on storage systems,

joysticks for games control, printers

GAMES PROGRAMM

ING

Here's how you can write your own games

programs and join in the fun with fresh

ideas of your own* Each issue contains

games routines that you can try at once,

plus ideas that you can save up and add to

your growing skills

PLUS..

HINTS AND TIPS

Whatever the subject, there's always

bound to be more that you would like to

know. So INPUT's packed with useful

hints and tips, plus answers to many of the

questions that so often just get overlooked.

You'll find them in each of the sections

above, clearly marked in colour so you

know straight away where to look

On the next few pages, you'll fmd a guide

to many of the fascinating subjects you'll

see featured in each of INPUT's five

departments — a course that will help you

through every stage of programming.

MACHINE CODE

also be able to put it to use, at once. It has

been written to include eight of today's

most popular home computers, so you can

be sure that what you are learning is not

just the theory — it's practical pro-

gramming that will help you to get to know

your own machine better* And at the same

time you'll become familiar with com-

puting in general — vital if you ever

want to work with computers*

•Each

issue of INPUT is divided into five

departments that cover the different

aspects of learning to use a computer*

Learn to tackle your computer on its own

level by understanding how it operates and

how to get it to work to your advantage* No

dull subject, this — machine code is the

almost automatic choice for top class

games programming* INPUT takes you

through the techniques and the theory

stage by stage so you don't need to digest

huge slabs of boring mathematics* Starting

straight away, there are plenty of routines

to practise and put your skills to work

APPLICATIONS

What are home computers for? This is the

section where you will find out, with exam-

ples of programs that you can type in right

there are also sections in most articles

which are specific to your own computer.

To help you to find your way around,

each computer has been given its own

symbol, and you'll find these wherever

there is a section for a particular machine.

On the back page of this guide there is a

handy reference chart.

The program listings themselves have

been specially designed and printed for

clarity, as it is vital that they are typed in

exactly as written. Even the smallest error,

such as a comma that's missed out, can

upset the whole program and prevent it

from running properly. All the programs

in INPUT have been checked on the com-

puters for which they were written, so if

you find that a program doesn't work first

time, the first thing you should do is to

check that it has been entered into the

computer exactly as printed.

You won't find many lengthy sections of

text in INPUT. That's because learning to

use a computer is best done by using the

computer, not by reading about it in isola-

tion. So a majority of the text is concerned

with explaining a piece of programming

that you have just tried out. That's why

you'll find two typefaces in the text.

BASIC keywords and commands — words

like RUN, PRINT, GOTO — are printed in the

same type whether they appear in the text

or in a program listing, and this is different

from the rest of the text. And when the

text is telling you to press a particular key,

you'll see it printed like this:' RETURN

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT

INPUT

There are some aspects of learning to pro-

gram a computer which are common to all

machines — like learning to understand

binary, for example. But some things

which will work on one computer won't

work on another.

INPUT is written specifically to suit five

popular home computers — the Sinclair ZX

Spectrum, Commodore 64, Acorn Electron

and BBC B, and the Dragon 32. Many

programs are also suitable for the Sinclair

ZX81, Commodore Vic 20 and Tandy

Colour Computer in 32K.

This means that while there is general

text explaining systems and procedures

which are common to all the machines,

BASIC PROGRAMMING

The best possible way to learn good

programming is by writing good

programs yourself! Here's where Input

shows you the techniques at their

most fundamental, by giving you the

basics of BASIC, the easy to

understand high-level language that

all home computers use.

IF...THEN

Two key words that make the computer

make a decision

FOR...NEXT

INPUT

A simple device to make the computer

do part of a program over and over again

STEP

How to get the computer to ask you

questions

The program statement that controls the

rate a loop is executed

GOTO

How to get the computer to give you

answers

READ ...DATA

You'll learn all about the different

commands, statements or functions that

your computer recognizes — what each

one does and when to use it. And since

there's no point in learning the theory if

you don't know how to apply it, each

article includes lots of programs for you

to try out, then modify ... and loads of

ideas for your own experiments.

Beginning with simple programs and

working progressively up to longer ones,

Input shows you how to put your know-

ledge together Among the topics you'll

encounter are:

Make the computer skip to any line you

specify

Subroutines

How to feed information into your

computer

RND

Small, self-contained parts of program

designed to perform one function several

times

Variables and strings

Get your computer to throw dice or pick

a number

Concatenation

A valuable tool to help you write a letter

Number crunching

The way computers deal with numbers

and words

Slicing strings

How words, sentences and other data

can be cut up and put back together

Taking the drudgery out of arithmetic,

by getting your computer to do the sums

for you

Dry run and TRACE

Squeeze the bugs out of your BASIC

programs

Arrays

How to input large amounts of data in

one go

NEW

The command that clears out one

program and lets you start again

REM

How to 'flag' parts of the program so you

remember what you're doing

ASCII codes

The standard codes that computers use

to communicate with each other

CHR$, VDU

How to call up the ASCII characters and

print them on the screen

RUN

The command that starts the program

running

RESTORE

The statement which enables the

computer to deal with more than one set

of data at a time

GET, GETS

Two ways to call up information at the

touch of a key

LOTS OF TIPS AND HINTS

TO HELP MAKE IT EASY

Look for these fact-packed panels throughout the pages of Input They're

your handy guides to get you straight to the heart of computing problems

INKEY, INKEY$

Two ways to feed in information at the

press of a key

PEEK

Look directly into the computer's

memory via its own assembler

POKE

Feed information directly into specific

locations in the computer's memory

MODE

The statement used to select which

display mode the computer is about

to use

MOVE

How to move the graphics cursor to any

point on the screen you specify

DRAW

The statement that defines the end of a

line the computer is to draw

PLOT

The multi-purpose point, line and

triangle drawing statement in BASIC

POINT

How to find out the colour of any position

on the screen

RENUMBER

How to

renumber your program lines

SAVE

The command given to SAVE a program

VERIFY

How to make certain that the program

has been stored properly

DEF FN

Tell the computer that a function is

about to be defined

GCOL

Set the colour that you want

to use in

your graphics

ELSE

What the computer should do if a

condition has not been fulfilled

AND

How to extend the conditions when the

computer is making decisions

TIME

Set or read the computer's

internal timer

Microtip —

the panel

that shows you how to

streamline your

programs and make

sure that they RUN.

There are tips on the

differences between

individual computers,

and the way in which

they handle languages

like BASIC and

machine code*

Q & A —

here's where

you'll find short

answers to baffling

problems, plus

explanations of new

ideas, computer terms

and systems* You'll

find useful

information on

common errors,

alternative methods

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