Possible documentation errors

[+Random Terrain]

I didn't see a thread about possible errors we might find in the documentation on the bAtari BASIC web site, so here it is. Below are possible errors that I found while reading. I'm bad at spelling and grammar, so some things I think are errors might be correct.

 

Help File

 

Under dim statement:

"Note that more than one alias may be mapped the the same variable."

(Did you mean "to the same"?)

 

Under rand function:

"You typically call this function by something line this"

(Did you mean "like this"?)

 

Under sound:

"There is no abtraction for sound in Batari Basic."

(Is "abtraction" a misspelling or just an uncommon word?)

 

Under variables:

"26 variables in not a lot, so you will use them up quickly."

(Did you mean "is not a lot"?)

 

Since it looks like there is supposed to be at least one blank line before each section, pfvline statement needs a blank line added before it.

 

Playfield needs a 'carriage return' after it so the text that follows is below it instead of next to it.

 

 

 

FAQ

 

"THis is by no means a complete FAQ and should be considered a work in progress just as Batari Basic is."

(Shouldn't "THis" be changed to "This"?)

 

"Basic is easy to learn and easy to compile, "everybody knows Basic" and it well-suited for the limitations of the 2600."

(Shouldn't "and it well-suited" be "and it's well-suited"?)

 

 

 

Readme File

 

When you look down the page, you can see where most lines were cut off at a certain point for easier reading, but there are two lines that were not. They are really loooooooong. They are easy to spot when you scroll down, just look on the right side if you want to break them up like the rest of the lines.

[vdub_bobby]

More substantially, parts of this are flat-out wrong:

Registers: NUSIZ0, NUSIZ1

Function: changes the size and/or other properties of player0/1 and missile0/1.

Value:              effect:

$0x (x means don't care) missile = 1 pixel wide 

$1x    missile = 2 pixels wide

$1x    missile = 4 pixels wide

$1x    missile = 8 pixels wide

$x0    one copy of player

$x1    two close copies of player

$x2    two medium copies of player

$x3    three close copies of player

$x4    two wide copies of player

$x5    double-sized player

$x6    three meduim copies of player

$x7    quad-sized player

 

Note that missile and player properties may be combined in a single write.

 

Example: NUSIZ0=$13 will make missile0 8 wide, plus make three close copies of player0.

 

 

Register: CTRLPF

Function: Changes properties of the playfield and/or ball

Value:    effect:

$0x (x means don't care) ball = 1 pixel wide 

$1x    ball = 2 pixels wide

$1x    ball = 4 pixels wide

$1x    ball = 8 pixels wide

Notably, the values for missile/ball width are obviously wrong and the player copies also apply to the missiles.

I.e., NUSIZ0 = $13 will make missile0 2 pixels wide and will make three close copies of player0 and missile0.

 

The values for ball/missile width are:

$0x   =   1 pixel wide
$1x   =   2 pixels wide
$2x   =   4 pixels wide
$3x   =   8 pixels wide

[+batari]

Thanks for pointing out the errors, RT and vb. Actually, I expect that more will be found, given that I typed all 36756 characters of the help file in a carpal-tunnel-aching four-hour marathon session.

[vdub_bobby]

Thanks for pointing out the errors, RT and vb.  Actually, I expect that more will be found, given that I typed all 36756 characters of the help file in a carpal-tunnel-aching four-hour marathon session.

899196[/snapback]

Actually, there aren't a lot of errors overall. It's a pretty good document.

 

Oh, one other thing: there is no description of the "goto" statement! "on...goto" has a description, but plain ol' "goto" doesn't.