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Contents

4 How a computer works
6 Giving the computer instructions
8 Writing programs
10 First words in BASIC
12 Giving the computer information
14 Using INPUT
16 Doing things with PRINT
18 How computers compare things
20 Programs with lots of BASIC
22 Drawing pictures
24 Playing games
26 Making loops
28 Tricks with loops
30 Subroutines
32 Doing things with words
34 Graphs and symbols
36 More graphics
38 Funny poems program
42 Programming tips
44 Puzzle answers
46 BASIC words
48 Going further and Index

About this book

This isa guide to wnting computer
programs 1n BASIC for absolute
beginners. BASIC is the language
used on most home computers. Itis
a way of writing instructions fora
computer ina form the computer
can understand.

You do not need a computer to
use this guide, though of course 1t
helps you to understand the
programs ifyou can try them outon
a computer. Different makesof
computer use slightly different
versions of BASIC. Nearly all the
terms in this book, though, will
work on most microcomputers, and
the few that are not standard are
clearly marked.

At the beginning there are some
guidelines to programminga
computer. Then, as you read
through the book, the main BASIC
wordsare introduced one by one,
with short programs to show how
they work.

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To give you some practice in
writing programs there are
program puzzles to solve and
suggestions for programs to wrile
and for useful alterations you can
make to the programs In this guide.
The answers to the program
puzzles are on pages 44-45
At the end of the guide there isa

listof BASIC terms and other
computer words with bnef
explanations. There are also some
guidelines to help you write
programs, anda list of "bugs' - the
mistakes in programs which stop
them working - with hints to help
you s en "a

Ifyou have a micro, try out the
programs 1n this guide, then, to find
out more about how your micro
works, look up the BASIC terms in
your manual. You may find that
some of the rules given here are
not necessary on your micro. The
best way to learn BASIC is to try out
lotsof programs from books and
magazines, thenalter thema little
to see what happens. From there
you will soon be writing your own

programs.

-— no - o —e m >

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