BASIC-DOS

BASIC-DOS Commands

BASIC-DOS has a single command shell for both DOS commands (eg, DIR) and BASIC statements (eg, PRINT), so any command can be typed at the prompt or used in a BASIC program. Commands are organized as follows:

• BASIC Commands: statements for variables, control flow, error handling, and memory
• BASIC Functions: numeric, string, and system functions, and predefined constants
• Device Commands: clock, keyboard, screen, graphics, and sound
• Disk Commands: copying, deleting, listing, loading, and displaying files
• External Commands: COM, EXE, BAT, and BAS programs
• System Commands: help, memory, program management, and system control

In the descriptions that follow, italics indicate values that you supply, brackets ([ ]) indicate optional items, and a vertical bar (|) separates alternatives.

As in MS-DOS, a DOS command typed as one word with a path (eg, CD\, CD\EXT, or DIR\HELP.TXT) doesn’t need a space before the path. Unlike MS-DOS, however, a command followed by a path that begins with . (eg, CD..) still needs a space (eg, CD ..).

Commands A-Z

| Command | Category | Command | Category | |———|———-|———|———-| | AUTO | System | LOAD | Disk | | CHAIN | BASIC | LOCATE | Screen | | CIRCLE | Graphics | LPRINT | Screen | | CLEAR | BASIC | MEM | System | | CLS | Screen | MERGE | Disk | | COLOR | Screen | MOUSE | Mouse | | COPY | Disk | MV | Disk | | DATA | BASIC | NEW | System | | DATE | Clock | NEXT | BASIC | | DEF | BASIC | ON | BASIC | | DEF SEG | BASIC | OPTION BASE | BASIC | | DEFDBL | BASIC | PAINT | Graphics | | DEFINT | BASIC | PLAY | Sound | | DEFSNG | BASIC | POKE | BASIC | | DEFSTR | BASIC | PRESET | Graphics | | DEL | Disk | PRINT | Screen | | DELETE | System | PSET | Graphics | | DIM | BASIC | PUT | Graphics | | DIR | Disk | READ | BASIC | | DRAW | Graphics | REM | BASIC | | ECHO | Screen | REN | Disk | | EDIT | System | RENAME | Disk | | END | BASIC | RESTART | System | | ERASE | BASIC | RESTORE | BASIC | | ERROR | BASIC | RESUME | BASIC | | EXIT | System | RETURN | BASIC | | FOR | BASIC | RUN | System | | GET | Graphics | SAVE | Disk | | GOSUB | BASIC | SCREEN | Screen | | GOTO | BASIC | SOUND | Sound | | HELP | System | STOP | BASIC | | IF | BASIC | TIME | Clock | | IOCTL | BASIC | TYPE | Disk | | KEY | Keyboard | VER | System | | KEYS | System | VIEW | Graphics | | LET | BASIC | WEND | BASIC | | LINE | Graphics | WHILE | BASIC | | LIST | System | WIDTH | Screen | | LLIST | System | WINDOW | Graphics | See BASIC Functions for the list of functions and predefined constants.

REN (RENAME) and MV share the same file and directory rename and move command; see REN.

Not Yet Supported

The following commands, statements, and functions from PC DOS and IBM PC BASIC aren’t supported yet:

• PC DOS commands: DISKCOMP and PRINT (background printing); the other PC DOS 1.00 utilities (eg, CHKDSK, DISKCOPY, FORMAT, and SYS) are BASIC programs in the EXT directory (see External Commands)
• BASIC statements: BEEP, BLOAD, BSAVE, CALL, CHAIN’s DELETE option, COMMON, CONT, DEF USR, OUT, PCOPY, RUN line (and RUN’s R option), TRON, TROFF, WAIT, WIDTH LPRINT, and event trapping (eg, ON TIMER(n) GOSUB)
• BASIC functions: INP, STICK, STRIG, TIMER, USR, VARPTR, and VARPTR$

Some features of PC DOS and IBM PC BASIC aren’t planned at all, such as PAUSE and the rest of PC DOS’s batch file syntax (BAT files are BASIC programs; see Batch Files), CTTY (see CONSOLE=), and PRINT USING (see How to replace PRINT USING).

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