Re: PEEKs and POKEs for IIgs's

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

Jon Bettencourt <jonINTERNETrelayCHAT@napaVALLEYnet.CLARInet> wrote:

> I just got a ROM 3 IIgs and I need PEEKs and POKEs for the following:
> 
> * Data to and from the serial ports

You can't do this safely with peeks and pokes.  The IIgs has a rather
complex interrupt architecture, not to mention the complexity of the
serial chip itself.  You should use the serial firmware, which has more
features than you are ever likely to need from Applesoft BASIC.

It is a lot more powerful than the Super Serial Card's firmware.  In
particular, the IIgs serial firmware can buffer transmit and receive
data automatically.

> * Position of the ADB mouse

You can't PEEK this either.  You can use the mouse firmware, if you have
slot 4 set to Mouse.  (If not, your only option is to use machine code
and call the Miscellaneous Toolset.)

> * Activating and drawing on the Super HiRes screen

Third time no luck either.  You may be able to display the SHR screen,
but you can't draw to it without help from machine code.

For all of these tasks, you are likely to be better off getting GSoft
from ByteWorks.  It is a IIgs native BASIC, which runs under GS/OS, and
has full access to the capabilities of the IIgs.  Applesoft BASIC can't
do much more than it would be able to do on a IIe, without help from a
fair amount of machine code.

> Being a reader of this newsgroup for quite some time, I just _know_ I'm
> going to get that "Since you are new to the IIgs..." post.

I can hardly wait.  :-)

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P O Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand