|
Chapter 2 |
General Information
Starting the Editor
The Program Windows
Keyboard Assignment
Special Characters, Abbreviations & Name Completion
The Dialog Windows
The Built-in Screen Saver
The editor can be started in a variety of different ways:
1. Double-click on the OmikronBasic icon.
2. Select the icon with the mouse and then select the option 'Open' in the finder
menu.
3. Pull a *.BAS file to the OmikronBasic icon using the mouse.
In this case, the editor is started first and then the file *.BAS is loaded immediately
afterwards.
If you have less than 6 MB of memory available on your computer it may happen
that Omikron Basic cannot be started. In that case you should delete or rename the
file NEWOMBAS.INF. The program then starts with a minimal configuration. If this
does not solve the problem either, the only solution is to add additional RAM modules.
A dialog box prompting you to register appears during the first program start. To
register enter your name and the registration number listed on the CD.
The BASIC programs to be processed are managed by the editor in separate windows. The title bar shows the name of the respective program. If a program is modified the editor indicates this with an '*' in front of the title bar of the window. Of course, after the file has been saved the '*' is removed.
The info bar of a program window shows the cursor position as well as the program
size and the amount of memory reserved for this program and the amount still available.
A mouse click on the display 'Y=...' has the same effect as the menu option 'Go to
...'. A dialog box opens where you can enter a jump target location. If a syntax
error occurs, the edit line is marked in red (gray for monochrome monitors) and a
message specifying the error in more detail appears in the info line. Functions having
an effect on the programming code in windows always affect only the uppermost window.
The Omikron Basic folder contains a file named NEWOMBAS.INF. This file contains
all settings of the editor such as shortcuts, window dimensions, font attributes,
colors, debugger settings, etc. Of course, you can create additional files with special
settings. During the start up the editor always looks for a file named NEWOMBAS.INF.
By renaming a file of your choice to this name the program will use that file. It
is also possible to subsequently load the file using the menu option 'Load Settings
...' from the Mode menu.
The Keyboard Assignment in NEWOMBAS.INF
Caution: The keyboard assignment has been
changed slightly in version 6.5 to avoid conflicts with the other MAC keyboard combinations
for special characters. Since some MAC keyboards (Powerbooks) do not have the delete
key the use of this key was avoided in the default setting. Of course, you can also
continue to use the old NEWOMBAS.INF file.
Ctrl+Cursor left | Cursor one page to the left |
Ctrl+Cursor right | Cursor one page to the right |
Cmd+Cursor upward | Cursor one page up |
Cmd+Cursor downward | Cursor one page down |
Cmd+Cursor left | Cursor to beginning of line |
Cmd+Cursor right | Cursor to end of line |
Beginning | Cursor to program start |
End | Cursor to end of program |
Return | Insert a line below |
Shift+Return | Insert a line above |
Ctrl+Return | Split line |
Ctrl+Backspace | Delete rest of line |
Shift+Backspace | Delete cursor line |
Alternate+Backspace | Delete cursor line, rest moves up |
TAB | To the next tab |
Ctrl+A | Enter special character |
F1 | Preselection key for ASCII+64 |
F2 | Preselection key for ASCII+128 |
Ctrl+Insert | Switch between insert and replace mode |
Ctrl+TAB | Set indent pointer |
Ctrl+F1...F10 | Set marker 1 to 10 |
Shift+F1...F10 | Jump to marker 1 to 10 |
Note: The keyboard assignment can be adjusted as desired with 'Mode/Settings>Shortcuts...'.
Special Characters, Abbreviations, & Name Completion
Special Characters
If special characters are to be added to the editor, which normally would trigger
some sort of function, this can be achieved by first pressing [Ctrl]+[A]. The special
character, which is entered afterwards, will then not be interpreted as a shortcut
but represented in the editor instead.
Abbreviations
BASIC commands can also be abbreviated with a point. If the abbreviation is unambiguous,
the command is selected in alphabetical order.
Automatic Name Completion
Those users who like to work with long variable names can save him- or herself
a lot of typing time from hereon. For this purpose, the keys [0 to 9],[*],[-], and
[+] on the numeric keypad in connection with the [Ctrl] key or the combination [Shift]+[TAB]
are used. For example, instead of typing in "Customers_Addresses_Amount"
the user now only enters "Customers" and then presses [Ctrl]+[*] or [Shift]+[TAB].
The editor then searches in the variable table for entries that begin with "Customer".
If the editor finds an entry, the complete name is represented on the screen. If
the name is incorrect, that is, it actually reads "Customer_No" it is possible
to cause the editor to display the next suggestion by once more pressing [Ctrl]+[*]
and/or [Shift]+[TAB] or [Ctrl]+[+]. With [Ctrl]+[-] the user can search the variable
table backwards. The key combinations [Ctrl]+[0 to 9] have the same functions as
[Ctrl]+[*] and/or [Shift]+[TAB], except that one can determine the dimension of the
variable to be located via the digit.
Dialogs are all depicted in windows. Dialog windows can be moved with the title
bar. Omikron Basic uses so-called modal dialog boxes if input into a dialog box is
necessary for the program to continue. These have to be exited by clicking on one
of the two exit buttons before work can continue. Another option is to cancel the
dialog by pressing [ESC] or confirming it by pressing [RETURN].
All other dialog windows can be exited at any time by clicking in another window
with the mouse. These non-modal dialog windows thus can remain open during program
work.
Warning: Settings made in a non-modal dialog box do not become effective until clicking on [Execute] or the [RETURN] key. However, this does not automatically close the dialog box and additional settings can be entered.
Since most of the screen savers do produce pretty pictures or patterns but also place unnecessary stress on the computer and monitor (at least use energy), Omikron Basic features a sleep corner. If the mouse cursor is moved to the left bottom corner and left there for at least 0.5 seconds, the screen turns dark and Omikron Basic enters into a holding loop. The computer is not awakened with an alarm clock but by simply moving the mouse cursor out of the corner. The computer is not blocked during the holding loop, so that the program can continue with its computations although the monitor is dark.
Support | Order | Start | Home: http://www.berkhan.com |
© 1997-2001 ![]() |