BASIC Keywords

Notes on Source:

• Says where this particular keyword was first used.

• Abbreviations used: "AB" = A-BASIC; "Plus" = A-BASIC Plus.

Notes on Switches:

• The column entry shows the compiler switch(es) required to enable this feature.

• When more than one switch is listed, "or" is implied—i.e., just one of the switches is required.

Keyword	Source	Switches	Description
ABS	AB		See Numeric Functions.
.ACCOUNT	A-Shell	X:2	See Dot Variables.
ACS	AB		See Trigonometric Functions.
ALLOCATE	AB		Allocate a random file.
AMOS	Plus	X:1	Execute AMOS commands as subroutines.
AND	AB		See Expressions.
.ARGCNT	A-Shell	X:2	See Dot Variables.
.ARGSIZ	A-Shell	X:2	Returns the size of the specified argument passed to the current SBX, function, or procedure.
.ARGTYP	A-Shell	X:2	Returns the type of the specified argument passed to the current SBX, function, or procedure.
ASC	AB		See String Functions.
ASN	AB		See Trigonometric Functions.
ATN	AB		See Trigonometric Functions.
AUTO_EXTERN	A-Shell	X:2	Enables or disables the visibility of variables defined globally.
AUTOCAP	d/BASIC		See String Functions.
BYTE	AB		BYTE(X) reads memory-mapped ports.
CALL	AB		Unstructured subroutine call.
CASE	Plus	X:1, RC	Label option within SWITCH.
CHAIN	AB		Provides the ability to pass command line arguments. CHAIN <string expr> is supported in all compiler modes, including the ability to include command line arguments in the <string expr>, which must start with a program name, optionally followed by an arbitrary string of arguments, e.g. CHAIN "progxx /hard and /fast". Use CMDLIN or LSTLIN.SBR to retrieve the parameters in the target program.
CHR$	AB		See String Functions.
.CLEAR	A-Shell	X:2	Removes all the elements of the array without destroying the array itself.
CLOSE	AB		Close file.
CMDLIN	Plus	X:1	Retrieve command line.
COS	AB		See Trigonometric Functions.
DATA	AB		List of data elements with program.
DATE	AB		See System Functions.
.DATE	A-Shell	X:2	See Dot Variables.
DEBUG	A-Shell	X:2	See TRACE and DEBUG Statements.
DEFAULT	Plus	X:1, RC	Default label option within SWITCH.
DEFINE	Plus	X:1, RC	Define a symbolic constant.
DEFSTRUCT	A-Shell	X:2	Define a structure.
DEFTYPE	A-Shell	X:2	Defines an alias for a data type.
.DEVICE	A-Shell	X:2	See Dot Variables.
DIM	AB		Dimension an array at runtime. Deprecated; use DIMX.
DIMX	A-Shell	X:2	Enhanced dynamic array allocation. See Dynamic Arrays (DIMX).
DIVIDE’BY’0	Plus	X:1	Treat division by zero as zero rather than error. See NO'DIVIDE'BY'0.
DO	Plus	X:1, RC	Repeat loop while (or until) a condition is (or becomes) true. See DO / WHILE / UNTIL.
Dot Variables	A-Shell	X:2	Read-only system variables.
DPRINT	A-Shell	X:2	Like PRINT but creates a static text control using the current default GUI (proportional) font and with the sunken attribute. Intended for displaying data fields.
ECHO	Plus	X:1	Set terminal echo mode; same as XCALL ECHO.
EDIT$()	Plus	X:1	See String Functions.
++ELIF...			See Conditional Compilation.
ELSE	AB		Final alternative clause within IF statement, which see.
ELSEIF	A-Shell	X:2, RC	Intermediate alternative clauses within IF statement. See ELSEIF Clauses .
END	AB		Terminate execution of program.
ENDFUNCTION	A-Shell	X:2	Marks end of a function.
ENDIF			See IF … ENDIF.
ENDPROCEDURE	A-Shell	X:2	Marks end of a procedure.
ENDSTRUCT	A-Shell	X:2	See DEFSTRUCT.
ENDSWITCH	Plus	X:1, RC	End of SWITCH statement.
EOF	AB		See File-Related Functions.
EQV	AB		See File-Related Functions.
ERF	AB		See File-Related Functions.
ERR	AB		See System Functions.
ERRMSG	Plus	X:1	See System Functions. Returns the text of the error message associated with the specified error number from the sys:errmsg.xxx file.
++ERROR	A-Shell	X:2	Force error within compilation. Also see ++MESSAGE.
$EXIT	A-Shell	X:2	Special exit label within function / procedure.
EXIT	Plus	X:1	Exit from inner-most loop or block (DO, FOR, SWITCH).
EXITFUNCTION	A-Shell	X:2	Exit the current function.
EXITPROCEDURE	A-Shell	X:2	Exit the current procedure.
EXP	AB		See Numeric Functions.
.EXPERIENCE	A-Shell	X:2	See Dot Variables.
.EXTENT	A-Shell		Returns the "extent" of the subscript number.
++EXTERN	A-Shell	X:2	Exposes individual global variables.
FACT	AB		See Numeric Functions.
.FALSE	A-Shell	X:2	See Dot Variables.
FILEBASE	AB		Set numeric offset for first file record.
FILL$()	Plus	X:1	Copies the given expression, partially or multiple times, up to the specified length. See String Functions.
FIX	AB		See Numeric Functions.
FOR	A-Shell	X:2	See FOR … NEXT.
FOR	AB		See FOR … NEXT.
FOREACH	A-Shell	X:2	Used to iterate through Ordered Maps.
FUNCTION	A-Shell	X:2	Begin definition of function.
GETKEY()	Plus	X:1	Input a character.
GOSUB	AB		Same as CALL.
GOTO	AB		Jump to specified line number or label.
IF	AB		Traditional form of IF statement.
IF	Plus	X:1, RC	Block-structured form of traditional IF statement; see IF … ENDIF.
++IF			See Conditional Compilation.
++INCLUDE	AB		Include specified file at compile time; see INCLUDE.
++INCLUDE	A-Shell	X:2	Include specified file at compile time; see INCLUDE.
INPUT			Input field(s) from keyboard or file; see INPUT.
INSTR	AB		Substring search; see INSTR().
INSTR	A-Shell	X:2	Extended version substring search; INSTR().
.INSTRR	A-Shell	X:2	Searches a string for a pattern, like INSTR(), but in reverse.
INT	AB		See Numeric Functions.
IO	AB		IO(X) pseudo reads from memory-mapped I/O port.
.ISNULL	A-Shell	X:2	Tests for the NULL condition. See Ordered Maps > Special ORDMAP Functions.
.JOBNAME	A-Shell	X:2	See Dot Variables.
.KEY	A-Shell	X:2	Returns the key associated with the element currently indexed by the iterator. See Ordered Maps > Special ORDMAP Functions.
KILL	AB		Delete a file.
.LAST_LABEL	A-Shell	X:2	See Dot Variables.
.LAST_ROUTINE	A-Shell	X:2	See Dot Variables.
LCS$	AB		See String Functions.
LEFT$	AB		See String Functions.
LEN	AB		See String Functions.
LET	AB		Assignment statement.
.LINENO	A-Shell	X:2	See .LINENO, .PAGENO.
LOG	AB		See Numeric Functions.
LOG10	AB		See Numeric Functions.
LOOKUP	AB		Return size of file in blocks. See File-Related Functions.
LOOKUP ("fspec")			Function version of LOOKUP statement.
LOOP	Plus	X:1, RC	See DO / WHILE / UNTIL.
MAP Statement	AB		Variable declaration.
MAX	AB		See Expressions.
MEM	AB		See System Functions.
++MESSAGE	A-Shell	X:2	Output message during compilation. Also see ++ERROR.
MID$	AB		See String Functions.
MIN	AB		See Expressions.
.MONTH	A-Shell	X:2	See Dot Variables.
.NEST_LEVEL	A-Shell	X:2	See Dot Variables.
.NEXT	A-Shell	X:2	See Ordered Maps > Special ORDMAP Functions.
NO’DIVIDE’BY’0	Plus	X:1	Force divide by zero to generate error 10 (default). See DIVIDE'BY'0.
NOECHO	Plus	X:1	Set terminal noecho mode. Same as XCALL NOECHO.
NOT	AB		See Expressions.
.NULL	A-Shell	X:2	See Ordered Maps > Special ORDMAP Functions.
ODTIM()	Plus	X:1	See String Functions.
.OFFSET	A-Shell	X:2	Returns the offset to the specified member variable within the specified structure.
.OFFSIZ$	A-Shell	X:2	Returns the combination of the specified structure member's offset and size.
ON - GOSUB	AB		Call one of list of subroutines, based on value.
ON - GOTO	AB		Goto one of list of labels, based on value.
ON ERROR GOTO			Specify error handling routine.
OPEN	AB		Open file.
OPEN for APPEND	Plus	X:1	Enhancement to OPEN #CH, FSPEC, APPEND.
OR	AB		See Expressions.
PAD	AB		See String Functions.
PAD()	A-Shell	X:2	Pad a string with spaces (function).
.PAGENO	A-Shell	X:2	See .LINENO, .PAGENO.
.PGMNAME	A-Shell	X:2	See Dot Variables.
.PGMVERSION	A-Shell	X:2	See Dot Variables.
POP	d/BASIC		Pops the current GOSUB return address from the stack. Deprecated.
++PRAGMAs	Plus	X:1	Compiler Directives.
PRINT	AB		Output variables and expressions to screen or file.
PROCEDURE	A-Shell	X:2	Start definition of a procedure.
PROGRAM	AB		Program header declaration.
RANDOMIZE	AB		Initialize Random Number Generators—both RND(x) and RND2()—using a randomly selected seed.
READ	AB		Read from file.
READL	AB		Read record and lock. See file access statements
READ'ONLY			File open mode modifier. See OPEN.
REDIMX		X:2	Re-dimensions an array originally created with Dynamic Arrays (DIMX).
REPEAT	Plus	X:1, RC	Jump to top of loop structure to begin next iteration.
RESTORE	AB		Reset DATA access pointer to beginning.
RESUME	AB		Resume to line after last error.
RESUME WITH ERROR	A-Shell	X:2	Special version of resume used with functions and procedures.
RETURN	AB		Return from unstructured subroutine (see GOSUB, CALL).
RETURN	A-Shell	X:2	Return value from XFUNC.
RIGHT$	AB		See String Functions.
RND	AB		See Numeric Functions.
RND2	A-Shell	X:2	See Numeric Functions.
RTRIM	AB		See String Functions.
SCALE	AB		Declare scaled arithmetic.
SGN	AB		See Numeric Functions.
SIGNIFICANCE	AB		Set output/format significance of floating point values.
SIN	AB		See Trigonometric Functions.
.SIZEOF	A-Shell	X:2	Returns size of previously mapped variable.
SLEEP	Plus	X:1	Sleep for specified seconds. Same as XCALL SLEEP.
SPACE	AB		See String Functions.
SQR	AB		See Numeric Functions.
SRND2	A-Shell	X:2	See Numeric Functions.
STEP	AB		Set loop counter increment. See FOR … NEXT.
STOP	AB		Program stop, wait for CR to continue.
STR$	AB		See String Functions.
STRSIZ	AB		Sets the default length of string variables.
STRIP	AB		See String Functions.
STRIP	Plus	X:1	Returns var with all trailing spaces removed. Also STRIP$(var).
STRSIZ	AB		Sets the default length of string variables.
SWITCH	Plus	X:1, RC	Conditional execution based on value of an expression.
TAB(X,Y,Z)	A-Shell	X:2	Extension of tab(x,y) with z indicating attributes to assign to the subsequent text.
TAN	AB		See Trigonometric Functions.
.TERMINAL	A-Shell	X:2	See Dot Variables.
THEN	AB		Separates IF condition from statement. See IF.
TIME	AB		See System Functions.
TO	AB		See FOR … NEXT.
TPRINT	A-Shell	X:2	See Expressions.
TRACE	A-Shell	X:2	See TRACE and DEBUG Statements.
.TRUE	A-Shell	X:2	See Dot Variables.
UCS$	AB		See String Functions.
UNLOKR	AB		Release lock on file or record.
UNTIL	Plus	X:1, RC	Repeat loop while (or until) a condition is (or becomes) true. See DO / WHILE / UNTIL.
.USERNAME	A-Shell	X:2	See Dot Variables.
USING	AB		See Expressions.
VAL	AB		See Numeric Functions.
VXCALL	A-Shell	X:2	Varition of XCALL that uses a string expression for the subroutine name, rather than a literal.
WEND	d/BASIC	/D	Same as ENDIF.
WHEN	d/BASIC	/D	Same as IF.
WHILE	Plus	X:1, RC	Repeat loop while (or until) a condition is (or becomes) true. See DO / WHILE / UNTIL.
WORD	AB		WORD(X) reads memory-mapped ports.
WRITE	AB		Write to random file.
WRITECD	A-Shell	X:2	Output comma delimited values.
WRITEL	AB	X:1	Write record not previously locked.
WRITELN	Plus	X:1	Same as WRITEL but leave record locked.
WRITEN	Plus	X:1	Same as WRITEL but leave record locked.
WRITETD	A-Shell	X:2	Deprecated; see WRITECD for important note.
XCALL	AB		Call external subroutine.
XFUNC	A-Shell	X:2	Call an external (SBX) function.
XGETARG(S)	A-Shell	X:2	Retrieve subroutine parameters. See X-ARGs.
XOPEN	A-Shell	X:2	Variation on OPEN statement fo ISAM-A.
XOR	AB		See Expressions.
XPUTARG	A-Shell	X:2	Return subroutine parameters. See X-ARGs.
XREAD, XWRITE, XUNLOKR	A-Shell	X:2	Allow record access via explicit record numbers.
.YYMMDD	A-Shell	X:2	See Dot Variables.