.po 8 --- PILOT/80 DOCUMENTATION --- Program and text from Remark magazine, issue 39, page 28. Article by Kurt Albrecht. This file edited by Aaron Contorer. PILOT/80 (Programmed Inquiry, Learning, Or Teaching) was the first computer language dedicated to Computer-Aided Instruction (CAI). Developed in 1969 by John Starkweather, it has been implemented on mainframes down to micros. This interactive language enables a person with very little previous computer experience to construct and run simple structure and syntax, it has proven to be an excellent starter language for the novice programmer. The average person can be writing functional programs in about an hour after learning the language. Using PILOT, a teacher can present a student with a reading passage, give him time to study it, and then ask him multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, or true-false questions. The program can include responses keyed to the student's answer, and thus it can give comment or advice to the student. It can introduce a mathematical problem and offer the solution on a step-by-step basis or give the student an opportunity to discover as many of the steps as he can, with hints from the computer if needed. However, PILOT is a word and letter language, not a number cruncher. PILOT/80 is a full implementation of the PILOT language. PILOT/80 uses line numbers to identify individual program lines. Not all versions of PILOT do however. Line numbers are used for editing purposes only and are never used to branch within a program. They also painlessly prepare the novice the novice programmer for languages such as BASIC. Some versions of PILOT require the programmer to write his/her program with a text editor. But PILOT/80 contains its own editor, as well as disk handling functions, and full error reporting capabilities that explain in plain English what the user did wrong. A text editor may be used to write PILOT programs. But remember, the PILOT/80 editor will catch most errors as the program is being typed in. If you use a text editor, do not use line numbers (PILOT/80 automatically numbers a program upon loading), type all program lines in uppercase except those with the command T: or R:, and use the filename extension .PIL. --- DIRECT COMMANDS --- When PILOT/80.BAS is loaded and run a prompt will appear, (Request?). This prompt tells you that you are at the command level and that the computer is awaiting your instructions. .pa NEW--Erases any program memory and prints the line number 1. The computer then waits for the programmer to input. Upon receipt of a carriage return, the computer will jump to the next line and print the next line number. This process continues until the programmer types the word 'DONE' following a line number. LIST--Displays the program memory, line by line. If there is no program in the memory, the computer ignores this command. Sections of the program memory may be listed, as may individual lines. To list from one line number to another, type the two line numbers after the command 'LIST', separating them with a hyphen. To list from one line line number to the end of the program, type the line number after the command 'LIST' and follow it with a hyphen. To list an individual line, type the line number following the command 'LIST'. Examples: LIST --List the entire program LIST 1-5 LIST 1-5 --List from line one to line five LIST 5- LIST 5 --List from line five to the end of the program LIST 5 --List just line five EDIT--Gives the programmer the ability to re-write a program line that is already in the program memory. A line number follows the command 'EDIT'. The computer prints this line, then jumps to the next line where it prints the line number and waits for the programmer to type in the new program line. Upon receipt of a carriage return, the computer will jump to the next line where it prints the next line number.This process continues until the programmer types the word 'DONE' following a line number. INSERT--Inserts a new program line into the program memory. The new line number should follow the command 'INSERT'. All lines after the inserted line are moved down one line in the program memory. DELETE--Deletes a program line from the program memory. The line number to be deleted should follow the command 'DELETE'. All lines following the deleted line are moved up one line in the program memory. RUN--Executes a program if there is one in the program memory. If there is not a program in the memory, the computer will ignore the command. The program may be executed from any program line by typing the desired starting line number after the command 'RUN'. SAVE--Saves the program presently in the program memory onto disk. A file name must follow the command 'SAVE'. This file name is in the format [d:][.ext]. The extension of all PILOT files is .PIL. The extension is optional; if you don't type it the computer will. .pa LOAD--Loads a program from disk into memory. This command will erase whatever was in the program memory, so make sure this is what you want to do before you do something you'll regret! Filenames are specified as with the 'SAVE' command. BYE--Exits PILOT/80 and returns to the operating system. .po 4 PILOT/80 Command Syntax PILOT/80 Command Function MBASIC Equivalent ------------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW Enter a new program NEW EDIT Edit a program line EDIT INSERT Insert a line(s) into the Line numbers program DELETE Delete a line(s) from the DELETE program LIST Display program LIST LLIST Make a hardcopy listing SAVE "LP:",A SAVE Store program on diskette SAVE LOAD Retrieve program from diskette LOAD BYE Return to (Disk operating Syst) SYSTEM T: Type PRINT A: Ask for keyboard input LINE INPUT I: Input a single character INPUT$(1) M: Match (Set Y/N logic flag) IF-THEN-ELSE J: