An Introduction to Programming the ACORN ELECTRON

• The Electron was developed from the very popular and successful BBC microcomputer, and it has most of the features of that machine, including almost unlimited scope for expansion. It has an excellent version of the BASIC computer language which makes it ideal for anyone wishing to learn computer programming.

• However, Electron BASIC includes a large number of instructions and learning to program this machine proficiently can be a daunting prospect for a beginner, but provided things are taken one step at a time mastering the Electron is not as difficult as it might at first appear.

• In this book, programming is taken one step at a time, with many examples being used to demonstration not just what various instructions and functions do, but just as importantly, how they can be applied in practice. In this way the reader can, with reasonable care, gain a practical understanding of most aspects of BASIC programming on the Electron.

• The text is divided into the following chapters: 1. Variables and Arrays; 2. Print Formatting and Tab; 3. Input, Inkey and Get; 4. Procedures and Functions; 5. Sound Generator; 6. Hexadecimal and Binary; 7. Graphics 1 - Modes and Colours; 8. Graphics 2 - Lines and Shapes; 9. Graphics 3 - Soft Sprites; 10. Interfacing; 11. Data File Handling