Extended BASIC 3

News Release:

EXTENDED BASIC III To Ship

While there have been many revisions to TI Extended BASIC over the years, none is so extensive or fundamental as Extended BASIC III by Winfried Winkler.

Rewritten and revised in the native language of Extended BASIC, GPL, XB3 features substantial improvements in the language itself, not just added calls and functions. Unlike other Extended BASIC's, this one offers tangible benefits to people who are casual XB users, as well as the hardcore programmers. Why? Because this version of Extended BASIC is the only one that will run virtually your entire library of Extended BASIC programs, without modification, up to 50% faster then the original version of TI Extended BASIC. Unlike Myarc Extended BASIC - this version of Extended BASIC is compatible with virtually all TI Extended BASIC programs and add-on utilities.

Additionally, bugs that cause other Extended BASICs to occasionally crash (and the infamous graphics screen show that, while interesting, certainly didn't help your programs) have been eliminated. XB3 is rock-solid and dependable - great for anyone running programs for hours or days at a time (BBS', etc.).

If you are interested in writing new programs, XB3 also offers a wide range of added functions, calls, modifications and conveniences - many of the best offered in other variations along with a number of unique changes. These include:

* Allows character definitions up to code 159 - in fact, XB3 is fully compatible with TI-BASIC

* The GOTO and GOSUB statements will allow you to jump to a variable (as in GOTO X)

* Enhancements to the IMAGE command to allow more flexible formatting

* Extensions to the CALL MOTION command that allows you to stop and start all sprites at once

* The RESTORE command will reverse a RESequence

* The assembly LOADer recognizes a wider range of utilities including GPL utilities for manipulating a stack, RADIX-100 math, and so forth for use in your assembly subroutines. The loader also will load Compressed format assembly files with REFerences - and adds a wide range of new REFerences available for called subroutines

* A range of new calls including:

• ALL(N) - Fills the entire screen with the specified ASCII code
• ALOCK(N)- Tests whether the Alpha Lock is set - returns a value
• BYE - Now legal within a running program
• CHAR ALL- For controlling the character set
• CHIMES - Sounds a chime
• CLRS - Clears only the text area (columns 3-30)
• COLOR - Now accepts the colorset description "All"
• FIND - Will find the specified string within an array of strings
• GPEEK - GPL Peek command
• GPOKE - GPL Poke command
• HONK - Produces a "honk" sound
• KEYS - Waits for the keys specified in the string l$ and returns the value P with the keys position in the string
• MLOAD - Loads a memory-image file into the specified memory location
• MOVE - Move ranges of memory between RAM, VRAM, ROM and GROM
• MSAVE - Save a portion of memory to disk in memory- image file format
• NEW - Now legal within a program
• PRNTPAT - Print a character definition to an Epson compatible printer
• QUIT - Turn on/off the QUIT key
• SCREEN - Turn off and on the screen
• VPEEK - VDP RAM peek
• VPOKE - VDP RAM poke
• WAIT - Pause program for a specified period

* A new range of functions have also been added:

• ASC - Will handle an empty string without crashing a running program
• CLOSE - Will now close all open files at once
• DEF - All user defined functions may be used outside of a running program at the command line
• DATE$ - Returns the current date with a clock card
• HEX$ - Returns the Hexadecimal equivalent of a decimal number
• LWRC$ - Converts a string to lower case
• TIME$ - Returns the current time with a clock card U
• PRC$ - Converts a string to upper case
• VAL - Will now convert a hex string into a numeric value

* Virtually all math functions and floating-point math routines (COS, SIN, etc.) have been re-written and are typically 100% to 200% faster. Extensions have been made to the RND function to allow ranges and more randomization

* A range of new commands available at the command-line, including:

• # - Displays a catalog of the device in quotes after the function
• APPEND - Defines all Control characters in inverse video
• ERASE - Allows you to delete a range of lines
• OUTPUT - Saves the range of line numbers specified to disk in Merge format
• PERMANENT- Allows you to turn off or on the true-lower- case character set as well as deactivate lower case letters
• SAVE - The "Protected" option now truly protects a program from being listed
• SIZE - Displays the amount of Low Memory space available as well as other space
• USING - Lists all CALL statements in a program
• VARIABLE- Lists all the variables in a program

While many of the features and all of the speed enhancements in Extended BASIC III are unique to this cartridge, it is compatible to some degree with Mechatronics Extended BASIC.

Extended BASIC III is currently available in disk form for those users with a Mechatronics GRAM-KARTE for $39.95.

A 96K cartridge version that requires only a console and 32K memory expansion is expected to be available by June 15, 1993 for $74.95.

Finally, available by April 15, 1993, the XB3 SUPER MODULE. This 256K module has built into it:

* Extended BASIC III

* The TE2 cartridge - allowing you to perform true text-to- speech in XB3 WITHOUT any additional software(!)

* The Editor/Assembler cartridge

* TI-Writer, it's Editor and Formatter

* The Remind-Me! appointment program

* Mass-Transfer

* A full disk manager

* various other miscellaneous utilities

For a list price of $99.95. This cartridge is an entire productivity package all-in-one module - plug it in and you may never have to unplug it again. This version requires 32K and a disk system.

Send all inquiries to:

Asgard Software, 1423 Flagship Dr., Woodbridge, VA 22192

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XB3 v1.0 Super Module Benchmark

Time (Seconds) Benchmark XB3 1.0 TI XB Difference

GRAPHICS/DISPLAY:

Print "Hello" 1000 times 61 91 +44.4%

Draw 100 random bars 21 44 +109.5% (HCHAR & VCHAR test)

Create 28 sprites 5 times 40 47 +17.5% with a pause between incidents

Without a pause 10 13 +30.0%

Program to walk a character 16 20 +25.0% across the screen __________ +45.2%

FILE I/O:

Read 1000 lines of a text 55 63 +14.5% file from an HFDC

Write 1000 lines of text 69 76 +10.1% to an HFDC __________ +12.3%

MATH FUNCTIONS:

Count from 1-1000 and 43 52 +20.9% 1000-1

Calc Sin/Cos/Tan 0-360 156 188 +20.5% degrees

Calculate SQRT of 1-100 12 17 +41.6%

Generate 1000 random 37 81 +218.9% numbers from 1 to 100 __________ +75.4%

STRING FUNCTIONS:

Build 100 strings by 9 12 +25.0% adding a character at a time from 1-250

Parse 1-250 characters 25 32 +28.0% from 100 strings __________ +26.5%

Average of 13 Benchmarks: +77.3% faster

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