Category:Arabic BASIC
Contents |
Description
Arabic BASIC is a BASIC extension that is provided on most Arabic MSX1/MX2 computers or with an Arabic cartridge.
However, this extension is not available on the Arabic versions of the Spectravideo SVI-728 and SVI-738 computers. These machines include instead a 16kB ROM allowing to use MSX-BASIC directly in Arabic language.
Versions
There are several versions of this extension:
Sakhr versions
- 1.00 on Sakhr AH-200, Sakhr AX-100, Arabic/English Sakhr AX-200
- 1.01 on Al Fateh 100, Al Fateh 123, Sakhr AX-170, Sakhr AX-230, Sakhr AX-330, Sakhr AX-660, Sakhr AX-990, probably on Arabic/French Sakhr AX-200
- 1.01 or 1.02 on Sakhr AX-150
- 2.00 on Sakhr AX-350 with menu different from AX-350II menu (needs to be checked)
- 2.01 on Sakhr AX-500
- 2.02 on Sakhr AX-350II and most Sakhr AX-350 (same firmware menu as AX-350II menu)
- 2.03 on Sakhr AX-370 with built-in version of Arabic Sakhr Basic (Arabic/English toggle: F7 key)
Note: The two following cartridges (128kB Megaroms) can be used only on Arabic machines, they are designed for the programmers who want to easily toggle between Arabic and English when using MSX-BASIC (by pressing F7):
- Arabic Sakhr Basic - MSX1 version (صخر بيسيك)
- Arabic Sakhr Basic - MSX1/2 version (صخر بيسيك)
Bawareth Perfect versions
Known versions on Bawareth Perfect MSX1 and Bawareth Perfect MSX2:
- 1987 versions (3.21 - 3.30) - similar to Sakhr 1.01 with some differences
- 1990 version - many extra instructions, compared to 1987 versions
Most Sakhr MSX2 instructions are not available on Bawareth Perfect MSX2.
Barq version
The Arabic Barq Basic (برق - بيسيك) cartridge can be used to add Arabic BASIC to a non-Arabic MSX computer. This 32kB ROM contains only a little part of the Sakhr MSX1 instructions.
Instructions (general info)
Arabic BASIC modifies the working of the cursor on text screens, the SCREEN instruction for the printer type and adds a variable number of new instructions:
- 19 or 20 new instructions on Sakhr MSX1 computers
- 30 or 31 new instructions on Sakhr MSX2 computers
- 19 new instructions on Bawareth Perfect machines with 1987 version of Arabic Basic
- 28 new instructions on Bawareth Perfect machines with 1990 version of Arabic Basic
- 8 new instructions with the Barq cartridge.
Check the alphabetic order section to know which instructions are available according the version.
Notes:
- CALL can be replaced by the character underscore (_). A space is not required after this character. See CALL for more info
- The extra instructions linked to a built-in software (CALL CALENDAR, CALL FATEEN, CALL MENU, CALL PAINT, CALL SBASIC, CALL SFILES, CALL SWP, CALL TEDIT) are not part of the Arabic BASIC instructions.
Instructions (ordered per category)
Clock & Timing
| Instruction | Generation | Function |
|---|---|---|
| CALL GREG | MSX2 | Returns the current Gregorian date as used in the international calendar |
| CALL HIJRI | MSX2 | Returns the current Hijri date as used in the Islamic calendar |
| CALL TIME | MSX2 | Returns the current time in the format "HH:MM:SS" |
| CALL TOGREG | MSX2 | Converts a Hijri date (Islamic calendar) into a Gregorian date (International calendar) |
| CALL TOHIJRI | MSX2 | Converts a Gregorian date (International calendar) into a Hijri date (Islamic calendar) |
Display
| Instruction | Generation | Function |
|---|---|---|
| CALL ARB | MSX1 | Selects the font type to be used for the Arabic characters on text screens |
| CALL ARBNUM | MSX1 | Uses West Arabic Numerals for ASCII characters &HB0-8HB9 |
| CALL ARBVAL | MSX1 | Uses West Arabic Numerals for ASCII characters &H30-8H39 (numbers 0 to 9) |
| CALL DCOLOR | MSX1 | Restores or 'forces' the default colors (15, 4, 7) in text screens, with an extra in screen 1: Arabic characters in gray on black background, other characters in white on blue background |
| CALL GPRINT | MSX1 | Displays a string of normal characters on graphic screens (2 to 8) without need to use OPEN |
| CALL INDNUM | MSX1 | Uses Eastern Arabic Numerals for the ASCII characters &HB0-8HB9 |
| CALL INDVAL | MSX1 | Uses Eastern Arabic Numerals for the ASCII characters &H30-8H39 (numbers 0 to 9) |
| CALL NOCON | MSX1 | Disables the Code Concatenation Analysis (CCA) for the display of Arabic characters |
| CALL QPAINT | MSX1 | Fills the zone of a drawing in screen 2 without effect outside this zone |
| CALL RECON | MSX1 | Enables the Code Concatenation Analysis (CCA) for the display of Arabic characters |
| CALL SIZE | MSX1 | Sets height and width of characters to be displayed on graphic screen 2 with CALL TEXT |
| CALL SPAINT | MSX1 | Fills the zone of a drawing in screen 2 without effect outside this zone |
| CALL TEXT | MSX1 | Displays a text on graphic screen 2 with the characters in white on a red background without need to use first OPEN |
| CALL VPRINT | MSX2 | Displays a string of bold characters on graphic screens (2 to 8) without need to use OPEN |
Keyboard
| Instruction | Generation | Function |
|---|---|---|
| CALL ENGL | MSX1 | Goes back to the International way to input characters (from left to right) |
| CALL FNKEY | MSX1 | Restores the specific contents of the function keys in Arabic mode |
| CALL LATIN | MSX1 | Goes back to the International way to input characters (from left to right) |
Printer
| Instruction | Generation | Function |
|---|---|---|
| CALL APRT | MSX1 | Selects an Arabic printer |
| CALL CHCOPY | MSX1 | Prints a 'clear tinted' hardcopy of a graphic screen 2, 4 or 5 |
| CALL DARB | MSX1 | ? Selects the font type to be used for the Arabic characters on printer |
| CALL EPRT | MSX1 | Selects an International printer |
| CALL HCOPY | MSX1 | Prints a 'graycaled' hardcopy of a screen 0, 1, 2, 4 or 5 |
| CALL OPTIONS | MSX2 | Launches a special screen where you can select printer options (width, printer type) |
| CALL SYS | MSX1 | ? Re-initialises the printer connected to the MSX computer |
RAM Access
| Instruction | Generation | Function |
|---|---|---|
| CALL LSCRN | MSX1 | Restores a graphic screen 2 previously saved in RAM with CALL SSCRN |
| CALL SSCRN | MSX1 | Saves a graphic screen 2 in the computer memory |
Sakhr MSX2 System
| Instruction | Generation | Function |
|---|---|---|
| CALL ARABIC | MSX2 | Enables fully the Arabic mode after booting in international mode or enables again Arabic firmware + menu after booting in Arabic mode and CALL ARAB OFF |
| CALL ARAB OFF | MSX2 | Disables the Arabic firmware + menu after booting in Arabic mode |
| CALL ARAB ON | MSX2 | Same effects as CALL ARABIC |
| CALL SYSTEM | MSX2 | Resets the computer inside the Arabic MSX-BASIC mode |
String Handling
| Instruction | Generation | Function |
|---|---|---|
| CALL ASTR | MSX1 | Returns a string after conversion of International characters to Arabic characters |
| CALL COMPRESS | MSX1 | Returns a string after compression of lām characters followed by ʾalif character |
| CALL ESTR | MSX1 | Returns a string after conversion of Arabic characters to International characters |
| CALL PRESEND | MSX1 | Returns a string after expansion of lām-ʾalif ligatures into lām character +ʾalif character |
| CALL PRESORT | MSX1 | Returns a string modified by two processes in order to conform to ASMO specifications: CALL PRESEND effect + deletion of diacritics and taṭwīl character |
Instructions (alphabetical order)
| Instruction | Sakhr MSX1 | Sakhr MSX2 | Perfect 1987 | Perfect 1990 | Barq | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CALL APRT | - | - | - | x | - | Printer |
| CALL ARABIC | - | x | - | - | - | Sakhr MSX2 System |
| CALL ARAB OFF | - | x | - | - | - | Sakhr MSX2 System |
| CALL ARAB ON | - | x | - | - | - | Sakhr MSX2 System |
| CALL ARB | x | x | x | x | x | Display |
| CALL ARBNUM | x | x | x | x | x | Display |
| CALL ARBVAL | x | x | x | x | - | Display |
| CALL ASTR | x | x | x | x | - | String Handling |
| CALL CHCOPY | x | x | - | - | - | Printer |
| CALL COMPRESS | x | x | x | x | - | String Handling |
| CALL DARB | - | - | - | x | - | Printer |
| CALL DCOLOR | x | x | x | x | x | Display |
| CALL ENGL | x | x | x | x | x | Keyboard |
| CALL EPRT | - | - | - | x | - | Printer |
| CALL ESTR | x | x | x | x | - | String Handling |
| CALL FNKEY | x | x | x | x | - | Keyboard |
| CALL GPRINT | x | x | x | x | - | Display |
| CALL GREG | - | x | - | - | - | Clock & Timing |
| CALL HCOPY | x | x | x | x | x | Printer |
| CALL HIJRI | - | x | - | - | - | Clock & Timing |
| CALL INDNUM | x | x | x | x | x | Display |
| CALL INDVAL | x | x | x | x | - | Display |
| CALL LATIN | x (*) | x | x | x | - | Keyboard |
| CALL LSCRN | - | - | - | x | - | RAM Access |
| CALL NOCON | x | x | x | x | x | Display |
| CALL OPTIONS | - | x | - | - | - | Printer |
| CALL PRESEND | x | x | x | x | - | String Handling |
| CALL PRESORT | x | x | x | x | - | String Handling |
| CALL QPAINT | - | - | - | x | - | Display |
| CALL RECON | x | x | x | x | x | Display |
| CALL SIZE | - | - | - | x | - | Display |
| CALL SPAINT | x | x | - | - | - | Display |
| CALL SSCRN | - | - | - | x | - | RAM Access |
| CALL SYS | - | - | - | x | - | Printer |
| CALL SYSTEM | - | x (**) | - | - | - | Sakhr MSX2 System |
| CALL TEXT | - | - | - | x | - | Display |
| CALL TIME | - | x | - | - | - | Clock & Timing |
| CALL TOGREG | - | x | - | - | - | Clock & Timing |
| CALL TOHIJRI | - | x | - | - | - | Clock & Timing |
| CALL VPRINT | - | x | x | x | - | Display |
(*) Not available on Sakhr AH-200, AX-100 and AX-200 (Arabic/English version)
(**) Only on Sakhr AX-350 with firmware v.2.02, AX-350II and AX-370
Pages in category "Arabic BASIC"
The following 41 pages are in this category, out of 41 total.
C |
C cont. |
C cont.
S |