Msg: 4597 *Conference*

08-13-93 13:59:13

From: ROBERT BENSON

To : CARROLL LEWIS

Subj: REPLY TO MSG #4596 (FILE STORAGE)

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Carroll:
 
When you download or write a Basic program it's in a english syntex, that is it
uses words!  When you save a program to BASIC the words are converted to a
single byte or "token" of which there are a possible 256 (0 to 255).  These are
the same bytes that are used to generate alphanumeric characters, graphics
characters, code characters and control codes in TEXT however they are
interpreted as commands by BASIC except those that are within quotes which are
displayed as text.  It's not machine code however the same bytes are used for
instructions or "mnemonics" in machine language programs, the difference being
that you're addressing the CPU directly when running a machine language program
and not going through the Basic Interpreter.
 
Hope this helps, Robert