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1988-11-05
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Changes from previous versions of RAP
=====================================
Version 1.01 - 11/5/88
Fixes a bug in the handling of very long PATH lists and file names.
Version 1.00 - 11/2/88
This is the first formally-released version of RAP. It incorporates many
changes and additions over the field-test versions, including the following:
Command Comment
------- -------------------------------------------------------------------
a, ah These commands no longer use $readbuf; they now place the material
they read in the specified numeric or text variable only.
as This now places the character read in the specified variable
instead of in $readbuf. If that variable is a numeric one,
the ASCII code for the character read is placed there.
bye This now takes an optional argument, a number between 0 and 255
which is returned to DOS as the error code.
c Ordinary assignment has been supplemented with the increment
and decrement operators ++, --, +=, and -=, and with the
non-evaluating cs for faster assignment of constants.
cls Replaces the old ch command. The effect is the same (clearing
the screen), but the cls abbreviation is more standard.
close Replaces the old closef command, but works the same.
debug When displaying variables and subprogram labels, debug now shows
only user-defined variables and labels, unless the - prefix is
used. That prefix causes display of built-in symbols too.
else/ Parentheses are no longer required around the conditional
else if/ expressions in these statements.
exit if
get/ Load and run have replaced get, load, and run, as follows:
load/
run for this operation: command was: command is now:
------------------- ------------ ---------------
read in a program file get myfile load myfile
read it in and run it load myfile run myfile
run a loaded program run run
list The p option for printing is no longer supported.
loop Two new forms of loop have been added: loop <number> times,
and loop for <numvar> = <startval> to <endval>. These allow
counting loops to be more simply coded, and to run faster.
m The separate match command has been replaced by the string
comparison operators "has" and "contains". Both check for presence
of a pattern in a string; "contains" also sets variables to show
the string matched and its left- and right- context. Code using
these operators is simpler and more intuitive than that using
the match command. There is no longer a $readbuf variable.
The abbreviation \b in a match pattern now means backslash,
eliminating the need for \\\\. It becomes \\b instead.
*open This built-in function replaces the old openf command. New
access modes are supported, and the searching rules have been
extended.
read The read operation places material read into the specified variable,
and not into a built-in $readbuf variable.
return Parentheses are no longer required around a numeric argument.
If the return value argument is a string function or string
variable, quotes are no longer required around it.
rl This command has been removed.
poke The address argument to this command now specifies an absolute
address, rather than one relative to the current data segment.
proc, These three constructions have replaced the subroutine.
numeric function, You now explicitly identify a subprogram as returning
string function a number, returning a string, or not returning a value.
end proc, These commands have replaced "end subroutine".
end function
ts, tsh These non-evaluating forms of t and th have been added.
vsave, These commands now save and restore global user-defined variables
vrestore only, and not built-in or local ones.
Built-in
Functions
--------- -------------------------------------------------------------------
*envir This new built-in function retrieves the value of a DOS environment
variable.
*escape_symbols This was formerly called *txescape.
*fileymdt This new function returns the date and time of a file in a
sortable format.
*final_eval This was formerly called *txfinal.
*findpath This new function searches for a file using the current $path,
and returns the actual path by which it found the file.
*index This new function reports the position of the first occurrence
of a specified character in some string.
*memfree Thes new function reports the amount of free memory in bytes.
*peek The address argument to this function now specifies an absolute
address, rather than one relative to the current data segment.
Other
Features Comments
-------- -------------------------------------------------------------------
error There are more error and warning messages, and some of the
messages existing ones have been reworded for clarity.
numbers Previously, numbers were limited to a maximum of 32767. Now the
limit is 2.14 billion. This simplifies operations pertaining to
file length and memory size, since no scaling factor is now needed.
The #fscale variable is no longer used in file operations.
numeric The syntax for numeric expressions is now simpler. Several
expressions situations that formerly required parentheses no longer do.
This should help readability, and make it easier to write legal
programs.
The rem operator has been added, and mod now behaves correctly.
A single equals sign may be used as a comparison operator; RAP
no longer insists on a double equals.
program When searching for a program to be loaded, SmallRAP tries the
loading "RPS" extension before "RAP". LargeRAP tries the "RPL"
extension before "RAP".
screen You can specify screen type with a DOS environment variable
type named SCREENTYPE, which may be set to IBM, ANSI, or SHARP.
string Where string function calls are being used as terms in string
expressions comparisons, as calling arguments, or as return arguments, they
no longer need to be enclosed in quotes.
string When RAP has replaced a variable name or function call while
evaluating a string, it no longer rescans from the beginning
of the line. It just backs up one character from the start
of the new text, and continues scanning from there.