editing a variable in qbasic

[harrybrunton]

hi, I am new to message boards, so I hope I am doing the right thing, I some years ago wrote a simple qbasic program to input the contents of a label, so several could be printed for dispatch purposes. I now want to allow the users to edit the address details rather than always start from a new label. I can't find or perhaps understand how you edit an existing variable, please help

[Mikrondel]

Well, it may have helped if you posted your program.

Still, I'll try as best as I can to assist.

What I think you want to do is, more or less, have INPUT start off with something that you can edit.

Sorry friend, but INPUT is garbage. I practically never use it.

The alternative is tough, however. There is a function, INKEY$, which returns a single keypress. You can use it to construct something better than INPUT, but it's far from easy. Even if you're experienced it takes quite a bit of coding and debugging.

I really don't have the time to do something like that, however I've dug up an old subroutine of mine, that I don't trust (as I made it a very long time ago) but may be sufficient for you. Give me some feedback and report any bugs, and maybe I'll change it for you.

'   ************************************
'  *                                    *
' *  Serious Input-v1.1 - A.Budzynowski  *
'  *                                    *
'   ************************************
' Specs:
' GetInput <string to edit>, <maximum length>, <top row of edit box>, <leftmost column of edit box>, <bottom row>, <rightmost column>
' For a 1-line input, set top and bottom row to the same thing.

DECLARE SUB GetInput (Strng$, size AS INTEGER, startrow AS INTEGER, startcol AS INTEGER, endrow AS INTEGER, endcol AS INTEGER)

CLS
Edit$ = "Well, here's a nice long sample for you, I hope you understand how it works. More or less usable."
GetInput Edit$, 110, 2, 2, 4, 22


LOCATE 10
PRINT Edit$

END

SUB GetInput (Strng$, size AS INTEGER, startrow AS INTEGER, startcol AS INTEGER, endrow AS INTEGER, endcol AS INTEGER)

IF LEN(Strng$) > size THEN Strng$ = LEFT$(Strng$, size)
IF startrow < 1 THEN startrow = 1
IF startcol < 1 THEN startcol = 1
IF endrow < 1 THEN endrow = 1
IF endcol < 1 THEN endcol = 20

HL = endcol - startcol + 1
VL = endrow - startrow + 1

CursorPos = LEN(Strng$) + 1
StartPos = LEN(Strng$) - VL * HL + 1
IF LEN(Strng$) < size THEN StartPos = StartPos + 1
IF StartPos < 1 THEN StartPos = 1

COLOR 7, 1
Old$ = "   "
LOCATE , , 1, 31, 31

DO
Key$ = INKEY$



IF LEN(Key$) = 2 THEN
SELECT CASE RIGHT$(Key$, 1)

CASE "H"
CursorPos = CursorPos - HL: IF CursorPos < StartPos THEN StartPos = StartPos - HL: CursorPos = StartPos
CASE "K"
CursorPos = CursorPos - 1
CASE "M"
IF CursorPos <= LEN(Strng$) THEN CursorPos = CursorPos + 1
CASE "S"
IF CursorPos <= LEN(Strng$) THEN Strng$ = LEFT$(Strng$, CursorPos - 1) + RIGHT$(Strng$, LEN(Strng$) - CursorPos)

CASE "G"
IF CursorPos - StartPos > 0 THEN CursorPos = StartPos ELSE StartPos = 1: CursorPos = 1
CASE "O"
IF VL * HL < LEN(Strng$) THEN IF CursorPos - StartPos + 1 < VL * HL THEN CursorPos = StartPos + VL * HL - 1 ELSE StartPos = LEN(Strng$) + 2 - VL * HL: CursorPos = StartPos + VL * HL - 1: IF LEN(Strng$) = size THEN StartPos = StartPos - 1
IF VL * HL >= LEN(Strng$) THEN CursorPos = LEN(Strng$) + 1: IF LEN(Strng$) >= size THEN CursorPos = CursorPos - 1

CASE "R"
insrt% = 1 - insrt%: IF insrt% = 0 THEN LOCATE , , 1, 31, 31 ELSE LOCATE , , 1, 0, 31
END SELECT

IF CursorPos < StartPos THEN StartPos = StartPos - 1
IF CursorPos - StartPos + 1 > VL * HL THEN StartPos = StartPos + 1
END IF
IF LEN(Key$) = 1 THEN
IF ASC(Key$) <> 254 AND NOT ((ASC(Key$) < 32 AND ASC(Key$) > 23) OR (ASC(Key$) < 14 AND ASC(Key$) > 6)) THEN
IF insrt% = 0 THEN IF LEN(Strng$) < size THEN Strng$ = LEFT$(Strng$, CursorPos - 1) + Key$ + RIGHT$(Strng$, LEN(Strng$) - CursorPos + 1): CursorPos = CursorPos + 1: IF LEN(Strng$) - StartPos + 1 >= VL * HL AND LEN(Strng$) <= size THEN StartPos =  _
StartPos + 1
IF insrt% = 1 THEN
IF StartPos + CursorPos - 1 < LEN(Strng$) THEN IF LEN(Strng$) < size THEN Strng$ = LEFT$(Strng$, CursorPos - 1) + Key$ + RIGHT$(Strng$, LEN(Strng$) - CursorPos): CursorPos = CursorPos + 1: IF LEN(Strng$) - StartPos + 1 >= VL * HL AND LEN(Strng$) <  _
size THEN StartPos = StartPos + 1
END IF
END IF
IF Key$ = CHR$(8) THEN IF CursorPos > 1 THEN Strng$ = LEFT$(Strng$, CursorPos - 2) + RIGHT$(Strng$, LEN(Strng$) - CursorPos + 1): CursorPos = CursorPos - 1: IF CursorPos < StartPos THEN StartPos = StartPos - 3: IF StartPos < 1 THEN StartPos = 1

IF ASC(Key$) = 13 THEN EXIT DO
END IF



IF Old$ <> Key$ THEN
IF CursorPos < 1 THEN CursorPos = 1
IF StartPos < 1 THEN StartPos = 1

LOCATE startrow
FOR i = 0 TO VL - 1
 LOCATE , startcol
 PRINT MID$(Strng$, StartPos + i * (HL), HL);
 IF POS(0) <= endcol THEN PRINT SPACE$(endcol - POS(0) + 1);
 PRINT
NEXT i
END IF


IF Old$ <> Key$ THEN
LOCATE startcol + INT((CursorPos - StartPos) / HL), startcol + ((CursorPos - StartPos) MOD HL)
END IF

Old$ = Key$

LOOP
LOCATE , , 0, 31, 31
END SUB




Anyway I hope that helped in some way, and you solve your problem.

Mikrondel