Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site inuxd.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!houxm!ihnp4!inuxc!inuxd!porter From: porter@inuxd.UUCP (J Porter) Newsgroups: net.micro Subject: Re: [Chris Jarocha-Ernst: How can I write BASIC lines >80 chars on C64?] Message-ID: <480@inuxd.UUCP> Date: Sun, 11-Mar-84 21:48:26 EST Article-I.D.: inuxd.480 Posted: Sun Mar 11 21:48:26 1984 Date-Received: Mon, 12-Mar-84 05:43:44 EST References: <17294@sri-arpa.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Consumer Products Div., Indianapolis Lines: 24 Yes there is a way to put more that 80 characters on a BASIC line on the 64. The technique is covered in a series of articles in COMPUTE! back before the 64 was born. Specifically, Sept/Oct 1980 (The original compactor for PET written in BASIC) and it's companion uncompactor in the May 1981 issue (both by Robert Baker) and the third is a machine language compactor in the July 1982 issue. Both compactors create a new disk file based on an old disk file - so two drives are important. It would take more than a casual once over to convert them to a single drive compactor. The theory of operation is there. You can now get 256 characters on the same line. It is hell to edit, since the screen editor works only with 80, but that is why you have uncompactor programs. The 4040 dual disk and the 1541 have nearly identical operating systems and you should not have to go to any conversion for the disk commands unless you start modifying the DOS in the drive. I'm sure this program is planned for a future COMPUTE! issue. I would also expect a really good basic aid soon from COMPUTE! If you can't find back issues, I could send you xerox copies. Jeff Porter (inuxd!porter) AT&T Consumer Products Indianapolis