Lessson 8 - Input and InputStrng

    Input and Input string are invaluable.  Input can be used to make a cursor on a graph screen (AJAM shell) and InputStrng can be used for player names, etc.  First, Input.

    When the Ti-86 encounters Input in a program, it displays a cursor on the graph screen, preferably over a picture you have made.  When the cursor is moved, and Enter pushed, the Ti-86 updates the x and y coordinates of the pointer and continues through the program.  Using If and Then statments (Lesson 6) you can make the program run another program if the x and y are equal to something.  An example is as follows.  Don't forget to set the graph size.  This program will say Smile! if an area in the upper right hand corner of the screen is pushed.

:120->xMax               ;Establishes graph window
:1->xMin
:1->xScl
:60->yMax
:1->yMin
:1->yScl
:ClDrw                        ;Clears graph screen
:Lbl T
:RcPic BACKRND      ;Diplays your backround
:Input                          ;Places cursor
:If y>52                       ;When enter is pressed, the program checks if y is greater than 52.  If it isn't, it skips
:Then                             to the end of the then statement.  If y is greater than 52, then the program goes on
:If x>110                       to check if x is greater than 110.  If x is greater than 110, then it diplays the
:Then                             statement, otherwise, it continues to the end of its then statement and goes to "T"
:Disp "Smile!"
:End
:End
:Goto T

    This program establishes a "hotbox" in the upper right of the screen.  A programmer can make many of these boxes and therefore run many programs instead of displaying messages.  This technique is also very effective for maps on RPG games.  Have fun!

    There is also the InputStrng command which I use to store player names, etc.  This is the basic format:

:InpSt "Enter your name:",NAME1

    This will store whatever the user enters to the string NAME1.  You can analyze the length of this string using If and tell the user if their name is too long.  That's that.