PICTRE ------ INSTRUCTIONS AND EXAMPLES -General Comments- PICTRE is the poster program. It's main design was for making posters, but textual material can be typed in as well. You will be inputting command statements. A command statement is of the form: nsnsnsns... Where n is any legal BASIC PLUS number, provided it is not negative, (otherwise, you will get strange results) and s is any symbol you wish. PICTRE is so designed that it can be used by 'EDIT' and 'HELPER', two programs that might prove useful. When running PICTRE, the program generates line numbers, these correspond to the line number of your poster exactly. For example, if you had created a picture file of 'SUPERM.DAT', line 1 of it would correspond to line 1 of your command file. Your command file, which is default at 'COMAND.DAT' looks like: 1) nsnsnsns.... 2) nsnsnsns.... 3) nsnsnsns.... . . . X) nsnsnsns.... Where nsnsnsns... is the command statement you type in, and the other numbers are the line numbers of your command file as well as your picture file. Say you typed in the following for line one: 1) !27 3$4!5# As a result, you would get this exact line in your command file, 'COMAND.DAT' and the following in 'SUPERM.DAT': ! $$$!!!!##### One exclaimation point, 27 spaces, 3 dollar signs, 4 exclaimation points, and 5 pound signs. Notice that if you only have one symbol to print, you need only type that symbol, PICTRE automatically assumes a value of one for it, and thus prints it only once. Page 2 -Running The Program- The first question PICTRE asks you is: Do you want to continue a command file? [/H for help] You answer either YES, NO, or /HELP (Y, N, or /H is sufficient). /HELP gives you this text. 'NO' will proceed you onto the next section. And 'YES' will cause PICTRE to enter a routine which will allow you to add on to a previously created file. For example, say you had 5 lines finished in your command file, 'COMAND.DAT': 1) 2) THIS IS A TEST 3) 4) !20 4$5%() 5) Notice that if you have a blank line to print, merely hit the carriage return at the approriate line. The above would produce the following in 'SUPERM.DAT': THIS IS A TEST ! $$$$%%%%%() Now if you had answered 'YES' to the question, PICTRE would ask: Enter command file name--- Since your command file name was 'COMAND.DAT' you merely hit carraige return here, and PICTRE assumes a default value of 'COMAND.DAT' as the command file name. Also, if you had typed in 'COMAN2', PICTRE would assume an extension of '.DAT', and use that as your command file. After determining the file name, PICTRE would then print: At which line--- To which you respond with a number. PICTRE deletes all lines which occur after this number, (including the number) and begins numbering at this point. So if you had typed in '4', PICTRE would delete lines 4 and 5, and would come back with: 4) And wait for you to input a command statement. Let's say you typed in the following: Page 3 4) 5) HERE I AM AGAIN... 6) 7) 27 NEAT EH? 8) ^C In order to exit from PICTRE, you merely type a Control-C or Control-Z combination, which is what was done at line 8. Your command file now contains the new material. It looks like: 1) 2) THIS IS A TEST 3) 4) 5) HERE I AM AGAIN... 6) 7) 27 NEAT EH? Notice that the line at whcih you typed the exit command is not included in your command file. If you had answered 'NO' to the first question, PICTRE would then ask: Do you have a command file to be printed? (Y or N) You respond with either 'YES' or 'NO' (Y or N is sufficient). PICTRE will do two different things depending on your answer, but it will still ask the same question next: Type in picture file name--- If you had typed in 'YES' to question two, you would be signifying that you have a command file to be printed. So if you typed 'YES', you would then be printing your command file command statements to the file you specified in the next question. PICTRE has a feature which will allow you to output the results of your command file to your terminal or another unused terminal. To do this you merely type in: KB: or KBn: Where 'KB:' would output the results to your terminal, or 'KBn:' (n is any terminal number), would output the results to the terminal n, provided it is not being used. PICTRE would then print: Page 4 Enter the name of the command file--- To which you type in the name of your command file, again the default name is 'COMAND.DAT' and the default extension is '.DAT'. After PICTRE is finished printing the command file to the picture file or keyboard (KB:) you specified, it prints 'Finished' and exits from the program. If you had said 'NO' to question two though, PICTRE would still ask for your picture file name, but it would then be creating a command file for the first time. After typing the picture file name, PICTRE would then print: Your command file will be 'COMAND.DAT'. Now enter Each line of programming, the number of the line will appear to the right (^C to exit). 1) And wait for you to input a command statement. The command statement is automatically executed and output to the picture file name you specified. Also, your command statement is printed along with the line number and right paranthesis to your command file, 'COMAND.DAT'. -Miscellaneous Remarks- After you have finished a command file, you can use 'EDIT' to fix a mistake (if you find one) in your command statement. Then you can rerun PICTRE and using the printing option, can reprint your fixed command file to the terminal (KB: or KBn:) or another picture file. If you find you have a mistake in line numbering in your command file, you can use 'HELPER' and renumber your command file at any starting point, and any increment value you wish. However, a starting value of 1, and increment value of 1 is recommended so that you can compare your command file and your picture file line for line (in fact, you could lay them side by side). Or you can leave it, the line numbers are of no importance, unless you wish to use them for future reference.