From: Frank R. Borger

	  To: Basic Users

	  Subject: Summary of changes to Michael Reese Basic      June 1985 
 
 
	  The following  changes have  been made  to make basic work nicely
	  with lower case input:
 
          This version of basic automatically converts all lower case char-
          acters  to  upper case, thus Program source may be in lower case.
          saving a program via the "save" command will  result  in  an  all
          upper  case  version.   Case conversion does not take place under
          the following conditions:
 
               1.  During string input via a regular "INPUT" command.
 
               2.  During "INPUT LINE".
 
               3.  On source text enclosed in quotes. (This includes prompt
		   strings and variables, which now may be lower case.)
 
               4.  On source text in a comment field.

	  Note that string comparisons are still case sensitive. To  enable 
	  input of commands, etc. in lower case a new SET command has  been
	  added, SET UPPER ON/OFF.  The following  is an enhanced (and cor-
	  rected) description of the SET command.
 
          3.14  SET PROMPT/TRACE/PASS-ALL/ECHO/UPPER ON/OFF
 
          This statement is used to set or clear a number of system  condi-
          tions.  The number of conditions is likely to increase in the fu-
          ture as functionality is added.  Conditions now serviced include:
 
          TRACE:  Default is OFF.
          SET TRACE is equivalent to the TRACE verb and should be  used  in
          preference  to it because the TRACE verb is expected to disappear
          in future releases of this interpreter.
 
          PROMPT:  Default is ON.  
          The PROMPT condition is used to turn the  INPUT  and  INPUT  LINE
          question  mark  prompt  on  or off.  The OFF mode is designed for
          special screen or page formatting and may be used in  conjunction
          with the BREAK command.
 
          UPPER:  Default is OFF.
          Causes string variables read with an "INPUT" statement to be con-
          verted  to  upper  case.   Useful for command parsers, specifying
          file names, etc.




 
          PASS-ALL-INPUT:  Default is OFF.
          Causes reads to be done  with  TF.RAL  set.   Note  that  ctrl-C,
          ctrl-O,  ctrl-Q,  ctrl-S  and ctrl-X will have their usual effect
          from a terminal, unless the terminal is set to be BINARY.  Turned
          OFF when program STOPS.
 
          PASS-ALL-PRINT:  Default is OFF.
          Causes writes to be done with TF.WAL set.  Note that no  carriage
          control  characters will be added to any output.  Turned OFF when
          program STOPS.  ,fg 1 ECHO:   Default  is  ON.   If  turned  off,
          causes  terminal  reads to be done with TF.RNE.  No input will be
          echoed.  Turned OFF when program STOPS.
          Example:
               210 SET PROMPT OFF
               220 SET TRACE ON


	  The following change has been made to the INPUT command. (Previo-
	  usly the INPUT command rejected  lower case ascii data, and  only
	  the INPUT LINE command could read lower case.
 

               INPUT V1,V2,V3 etc.

          Where N is an optional file number and V1, V2, V3 etc.  are legal
          string  or  numeric  variable names.  The second form follows the
          rules for  random  access  described  for  the  PRINT  statement.
          Numeric  data  must  be separated by commas or spaces, successive
          string variables must be separated by a comma after the  required
          number  of  characters  have been typed in.  A character legality
          check is performed to ensure that all characters are between  oc-
          tal  ASCII  codes  40  and 137 inclusive and 11 (tab).  If a "SET
          UPPER ON" command has been issued, lower case ascii will be  con-
          verted to upper case.