XPost: alt.lang.basic   
   From: markw@abs.net   
      
   Phred wrote:   
     > One problem with translating to GWBASIC, for example, is that Tandy   
   > BASIC programs could be written without spaces between variables and   
   > key words etc.  So a line such as 10 FORI=1TO10 would be legal.   
   >   
   > Not saying that *everyone* did this, but saving 20% of typing effort   
   > was worth it to those of us who had never learnt to type. :-)   
   > And after doing it for awhile, it was quite easy to read those   
   > programs!  [Remember the two-line "games" etc. published in mags such   
   > as _80 Micro_ at the time? :-)]   
   >   
   > Cheers, Phred.   
   >   
   Phred ,   
   	This was also common as it increased speed in long programs.   
   Early basics' read lines faithfully expanding spaces and all, which   
   took aditional time, if they were present. This practice also saved   
   memory space for 2 reasons. First the space itself ,second the line   
   numbers took 2 bytes (3 if you count the LF) each.   
   	When converting a system (30 programs) from tandy model 3   
   basic to model 16 XENIX basic ,I wrote a small basic program to   
   expand the spaces. Also the program changed things like the form   
   of the MID$ command ,maby some other things (it's been 20 years).   
   	If you search the internet you will find programs that   
   directly read the tokenized basic and do most of this stuff for you.   
   Hopefully we can inspire james to convert his old files ,and get   
   back into programming.   
   	Hopefully helpful,   
   		Mark Whitlock.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)