home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- %
- 3
- 10
- 1
- 38
- SAVING PROGRAMS
-
- In the last section, you wrote a
- computer program that prints four
- lines of heartfelt verse.
- ^
- %
- 3
- 8
- 1
- 38
- To review what your program looks
- like, type LIST.
- ^
- %
- 3
- 8
- 1
- 38
- There it is! Your famous first
- words. Right now, your program is
- stored in the computer's memory.
- ^
- %
- 3
- 10
- 1
- 38
- But if you or some unsuspecting
- friend turns off your computer,
- the program will be gone forever,
- or at least gone until you get
- around to retyping it.
- ^
- &
- Rather than having to retype your
- programs each time you turn off
- the computer, you can use the SAVE
- command to save your programs on a
- disk.
- ^
- &
- Then, when you're ready to run a
- program, you can use the LOAD
- command to load the program
- back into the computer's memory.
- ^
- &
- When you give the SAVE command,
- your computer copies the program
- in memory into a file on the disk
- in your disk drive.
- ^
- &
- To keep programs from getting
- mixed up when you store them on
- the disk, you must give each
- program a different name.
- ^
- %
- 3
- 9
- 1
- 38
- Let's name your program POEM. To
- store POEM on the disk, type...
-
- SAVE POEM (and press RETURN)
- ^
- %
- 3
- 9
- 1
- 38
- Good job! You've just saved a
- program. Notice that after you
- give the SAVE command, the disk
- use light turns on.
- ^
- &
- When the light turns off, you know
- your program is stored safely on
- the disk as well as in the
- computer's memory.
- ^
- &
- Press RETURN for a demonstration
- of what happens when you use the
- SAVE command.
- ^
- %
- 20
- 24
- 1
- 38
- This is a picture of an Apple //c
- with an external disk drive.
- ^
- &
- When you write your program, it
- goes into the computer's memory.
- ^
- &
- SAVE copies the program in memory
- onto the disk in the disk drive.
- ^
- &
- (The //c uses the built-in drive
- when there's no external drive.)
- ^
- &
- In either case, though, the
- program is still in memory.
- ^
- &
- The SAVE command doesn't erase
- the computer's memory.
- ^
- %
- 3
- 9
- 1
- 38
- But let's say you're basically a
- suspicious sort who wants hard
- proof that the program is really
- on the disk.
- ^
- &
- Well, lucky for you, your disk
- keeps track of all the programs
- it contains. It keeps them in a
- catalog.
- ^
- %
- 3
- 10
- 1
- 38
- CAT is the command you use to
- display the catalog. Try it now.
- Type...
-
- CAT (and press RETURN)
- ^
- %
- 3
- 11
- 1
- 38
- There's the catalog. As you can
- see, you've only saved one
- program (POEM) on your simulation
- disk so far. (Don't worry about
- the numbers after the names. They
- aren't important right now.)
- ^
- %
- 3
- 9
- 1
- 38
- Since your program is now saved
- on the disk, you can erase it from
- the computer's memory and it will
- remain on the disk.
- ^
- &
- You use the NEW command to erase
- a program from memory. It's
- called NEW because it lets you
- make room for a new program.
- ^
- &
- Why don't you try it now. Type
-
- NEW (and press RETURN)
- ^
- %
- 3
- 9
- 1
- 38
- There. Your program is no
- longer in memory. But don't take
- our word for it. Try running your
- program.
- ^
- %
- 3
- 7
- 1
- 38
- Surprise! Nothing happens because
- the program is gone from memory.
- ^
- &
- Press RETURN and we'll show you
- what happened to your program.
- ^
- %
- 20
- 24
- 1
- 38
- Your program was in memory
- and was also saved on the disk.
- ^
- &
- When you typed NEW, the program
- was erased from memory.
- ^
- &
- However, the copy of the program
- on the disk remains.
- ^
- %
- 3
- 11
- 1
- 38
- At this point you could start
- writing another program. But
- let's suppose that you're suddenly
- overcome with the desire to make
- your verse even more poetic.
- ^
- &
- Your first task is to get a copy
- of your program from the disk and
- put it in the computer's memory.
- To do this, you use the LOAD
- command, followed by the name of
- the program you want to work on.
- ^
- %
- 3
- 9
- 1
- 38
- You saved your program as POEM.
- So type:
-
- LOAD POEM (and press RETURN)
- ^
- %
- 3
- 9
- 1
- 38
- Excellent! Your POEM program
- is back in memory! Press RETURN
- and we'll show you how it got
- there.
- ^
- %
- 20
- 24
- 1
- 38
- Your POEM program was saved on
- the disk.
- ^
- &
- When you loaded it, a copy of the
- program was sent to memory.
- ^
- &
- But notice that the original
- program stayed on the disk.
- ^
- %
- 3
- 8
- 1
- 38
- Try listing your program now (to
- make certain that it's really
- there).
- ^
- %
- 3
- 9
- 1
- 38
- There it is, the same poem you
- saved at the beginning of
- this section. And remember, the
- original is still on the disk.
- ^
- %
- 3
- 10
- 1
- 38
- Now that your program is back in
- memory, why don't you change line
- 30 (press RETURN for a hint if you
- don't remember how to change a
- line).
- ^
- %
- 3
- 11
- 1
- 38
- Great job. Clearly this is a
- verse worth saving. You already
- have one program on the disk. If
- you were to save this program
- under the same name, the new pro-
- gram would replace the old one.
- ^
- %
- 3
- 9
- 1
- 38
- Because you want to save both
- programs, you should save this one
- under some other name. Go ahead,
- save your modified poem now.
- ^
- %
- 3
- 9
- 1
- 38
- Congratulations! Now catalog the
- disk just to make sure that both
- poems are tucked away safely on
- the disk.
- ^
- %
- 3
- 12
- 1
- 38
- Sure enough! Both programs are
- there. Just one small request
- before we go on. If you ever get
- either of these wonderful poems
- published, please give Apple
- credit for providing the
- inspiration.
- ^
- &
- You have learned a whole lot so
- far. You now know how to write
- and change simple BASIC programs,
- how to save them on a disk, how
- to check the contents of a disk,
- and how to load programs into
- memory.
- ^
- &
- At this point, you may want to
- continue with the next section, or
- you may want to stop and practice
- writing and saving some programs
- of your own.
- ^
- &
- If you want to practice,
- press ESC to go to the menu,
- then select Quit. Otherwise,
- press RETURN to learn more about
- programming in BASIC.
- ^
-