Vidicode Argus Basic Programmers Reference Manual

ARGUS Programmable Modem 
BASIC Programmers Reference Manual 
© 1990 - 1997 Vidicode Datacommunicatie BV 
8
  
The quality of mercy is not strained..
Constants are so-called because they have a fixed value that does not change during program execution. 
 
The term variable is used to describe a named piece of data whose value can change during program execution.  For 
example: 
X=25
Quote$=The quality of mercy is not strained..
Here, X and Quote$ are variables which can be given different values at...

ARGUS Programmable Modem 
BASIC Programmers Reference Manual 
© 1990 - 1997 Vidicode Datacommunicatie BV 
9
  
Strings are sequences of up to 32767 characters enclosed in double quotes. 
String variables are assigned values using the equal = sign: 
Postcode$=GL53 7PJ
Title$=Introduction to Basic
Arrays of strings can also be defined: 
DIM Options$(8)
DIM Lines1$(200), Line2$(50)
Strings can be added using the + sign, or by just writing the one after the other; thus A$B$ is the same as A$+B$. 
 
When...

ARGUS Programmable Modem 
BASIC Programmers Reference Manual 
© 1990 - 1997 Vidicode Datacommunicatie BV 
10
  
GOSUB Mail
If you want to use a label with the same name as an existing command, you must always place a % sign in front of the label, 
e.g.: 
GOTO %Connect
GOSUB %Delete
Calculations & expressions 
Like any version of BASIC, Argus BASIC can be used for calculations; but as a result of the fact that only integer numbers 
are allowed, all mathematical operations give integer results. 
The...

ARGUS Programmable Modem 
BASIC Programmers Reference Manual 
© 1990 - 1997 Vidicode Datacommunicatie BV 
11
  
Argus BASIC also supports a full range of logical operators which are used to make comparisons between expressions, 
usually within conditional commands such as IF...THEN...ELSE, REPEAT...UNTIL etc. 
 
The logical operators are: 
 
AND 
: bitwise AND 
EOR 
: bitwise Exclusive OR 
FALSE 
: logical 0 
NOT 
: bitwise negation 
OR 
: bitwise OR 
TRUE 
: logical 1 
= 
: equal to 
> 
: greater than...

ARGUS Programmable Modem 
BASIC Programmers Reference Manual 
© 1990 - 1997 Vidicode Datacommunicatie BV 
12
  
ON BUTTON(1/2/3)
ON CONNECT
ON DTD
ON DTR
ON ERROR
ON ESCAPE
ON HANGUP
ON RESET
ON RING
ON SEQUENCE
ON SLASH
ON TIMEOUT
So, if you would like your modem to welcome you with a start-up message whenever you start your terminal program, you 
might include in your program: 
10 ON DTR GOSUB Welcome
1100%Welcome
1110 Print Hello there, this is your modem.
1120 RETURN
1.2 Writing programs 
There are...

ARGUS Programmable Modem 
BASIC Programmers Reference Manual 
© 1990 - 1997 Vidicode Datacommunicatie BV 
13
  
For reasons of speed, direct programming is best carried out at 19200 baud or 38400 baud.  If your terminal does not 
support 38400 baud, use the next highest speed that is available.  If your terminal is currently running at a slower speed, you 
may reconfigure the modem as follows: 
•  Enter the command WAIT FOR AT, or press the STOP button on the front panel.  This will put the modem into...

ARGUS Programmable Modem 
BASIC Programmers Reference Manual 
© 1990 - 1997 Vidicode Datacommunicatie BV 
14
  
  With line numbers:    Without line numbers: 
PBOT=&3000 PBOT=&3000
BUFFER OFF BUFFER OFF
NEW NEW
10 REM Program start AUTO
. REM Program start
..
..
Prior to downloading you should ensure that you have hardware handshaking (RTS/CTS), enabled within your terminal 
software to avoid losing characters during the transfer. 
 
Note: the modem uses hardware handshake by default, but software...

ARGUS Programmable Modem 
BASIC Programmers Reference Manual 
© 1990 - 1997 Vidicode Datacommunicatie BV 
15
  
30 WAIT 300
40 GOTO 20
If the RESET button is pressed immediately after this program has been entered (but before it has been run), nothing will 
happen.  After the program has been run once, the modem will return to BASIC mode after you press the RESET button, 
print You are in BASIC once again, and send asterisks to your screen. 
 
Pressing the RESET button will restart the program again from...

ARGUS Programmable Modem 
BASIC Programmers Reference Manual 
© 1990 - 1997 Vidicode Datacommunicatie BV 
16
  
with a specific start character is directly accessible, a sequential search of memory must be made to find other variables 
starting with the same letter.  For this reason you should try to use as many different start characters as possible when speed 
of operation is important. 
 
This method of storage results in the creation of up to 52 separate storage areas.  If no variables starting with...

ARGUS Programmable Modem 
BASIC Programmers Reference Manual 
© 1990 - 1997 Vidicode Datacommunicatie BV 
17
  
 
Port 2 is serial communications port 2 with asynchronous speeds up to 38400 baud. 
 
Port 3 is the telephone line and is only used if a modem connection is active. 
 
All data streams associated with these ports (receive and send for each), are managed by the modems operating system, 
using interrupt driven buffers.  All BASIC commands related to the receipt of data (INPUT, GET, etc.)...