Star Micronics SR-10/I5 user manual Controlling, Some Basics about Basic

CHAPTER 4

CONTROLLING

SR-lo/15 WITH BASIC

Throughout the rest of this book we will be teaching you how to use SR-lo/15 ‘s features using the BASIC programming lan- guage in our examples. It is easy to communicate with SR-lo/15 from BASIC and, though it has its detractors, BASIC is the nearest thing to a universal language among users of personal

computers. But remember that it’s not the only way to com- municate with SR-10/15, as we have already seen.

Subjects covered in this chapter include:

•Listing BASIC programs on the printer

•Printing from BASIC

•CHR$ function

•Problem codes

•Command syntax used in this manual

•Selecting the right software mode

All of the examples in this manual are written in Microsoft BASIC (specifically, Microsoft BASIC for the IBM Personal

Computer). With minor modifications, the examples can be adapted to run in any version of BASIC. In this chapter, we’ll tell you what modifications need to be made and how to do it. In this chapter we assume that you have some familiarity with

BASIC.

SOME BASICS ABOUT BASIC

Probably the simplest thing to do with your printer in BASIC is to list a program on the printer. But in this world of proliferating microcomputers even this presents a problem. It seems that every

computer uses a different system of communicating with the printer. We are going to tell you about some of the more common