(x)

One dimensional typewriter-style Tab to column x.

(x,y)

Two dimensional cursor positioning: row x, column y.

(-1,x)

Original Functions.

(-2,x)

Set Foreground Color. Tab(-2,x) is implemented very much as under AMOS, although most AMOS applications were monochrome and thus you may not be familiar with this command. Set the foreground color to x, where x normally ranges from zero to seven (0=black, 1=white, 2=blue, 3=magenta, 4=red, 5=yellow, 6=green, 7=cyan). You can also specify color values from 8 to 15 but these are equivalent to the "dim" versions of colors 0-7. (It is actually possible to define these all independently, either in A-Shell/Windows or in most color terminal emulators, so that "dim" may be a misnomer. But from a programming standpoint, Tab(-2,x);Tab(-1,11) is equivalent to Tab(-2,x+8). Color values beyond 15 are mapped to the modulo-8 equivalent. Note that color is a "mode" attribute, meaning that it takes up no space on the screen and it stays in effect chronologically (rather than spatially) until overridden by another color.

(-3,x)

Set the background color. Same as above, but for background color.

(-5,x)

Set Number of Rows. Tab(-5,x) sets the number of display rows to x. This was originally only available the AM65 and AM75 terminals, and x was essentially limited to 24 or 42. Under A-Shell, it is still limited to the display device, but in the case of A-Shell/Windows, the display device supports from 1 to 50 rows. In the case of ZTERM, it also supports from 1 to 50 rows. See Selecting a Terminal Emulation.

(-6,x)

Set Number of Columns. Tab(-6,x) sets the number of display columns to x. This is purely an A-Shell extension and only applies to A-Shell/Windows, which supports from 1 to 160 columns. Dumb terminals and emulators are typically limited to 80 and perhaps 132 columns, which the Tab(-1,80) and Tab(-1,81) commands are designed to switch between.

(-10,x)

ATE Functions.

(x,y,z)

"Three-D" Print Tab.