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BASIC list handling software

Floppies_only said:
It is my intention to obtain this list from the internet, save it to 3 1/2" floppy, copy that to 5 1/4" floppy, and open the file with a word processor and assign the items (all 850 of them) to string variables.
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It struck me that you may want to do some sequential file handling instead of building a monster Basic program. That means you would write a program in Basic that sequentially loads your list in text format, and for each line assigns the value to a variable or rather array element. The list itself could be edited as much as you wish in your word processor without worrying about line numbers, variable names, quotes and other issues.

However I never figured out what you intend to do with the list once it is read into Basic. Perhaps that is a secret?
 
carlsson said:
It struck me that you may want to do some sequential file handling instead of building a monster Basic program. That means you would write a program in Basic that sequentially loads your list in text format, and for each line assigns the value to a variable or rather array element. The list itself could be edited as much as you wish in your word processor without worrying about line numbers, variable names, quotes and other issues.

However I never figured out what you intend to do with the list once it is read into Basic. Perhaps that is a secret?
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Anders,

At first I thought that I would keep the purpose of the program a secret, but when I thought about it I realized there really was no need to. I want to create a cryptography program. The "850 items" are the minimum list of words necessary to converse in English. I thought that I would assign each one to a three digit hexadecimal number that could be used to indicate it in a secret message. This type of cryptography is almost impossible to break if you change the list often enough. I don't know how often you need to change it, though.

I thought that I could use Microsoft Works' spreadsheet to change the alphabetization from the words to the three digit codes to create the table that you use to decode the message. If I could get the program to randomly select three digit codes but not use the same code twice and output the list separated by commas and carriage returns then Works could do the rest. I would like another program to format the list into multipule columns so it uses less paper.

I intend to share this program once it is written - then we could all have the "secret decoder ring" :) Could you tell me how to do what you suggested, or what commands are used so I can look them up myself? Somewhere in my "stacks" (a library term that describes my accumulation of computer manuals to a tee :)) is the manual to the BASIC that came with IBM DOS versions one and two. Also GWBASIC, but the disk with the program smells like cigarette smoke, so I'm afraid to use it.

Sean
 
Mike Chambers said:
wait a minute... something doesn't add up here. you can't be a computer nerd and have conquests of women at the same time. especially a vintage computer nerd. computer nerds can definitely be into women, but they're too big of losers to actually have conquests.


>[Let's stay on topic]




aw.... no fun
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These non-Shakespeareian types don't have to keep us from taking joy in discussing the finer nuances of the human expirience. I am splitting the thread. I continue to talk about the list handling program here but over in the "General Off Topic" forum I discuss nerds and geeks. Here's the link:

http://www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum/showthread.php?p=66281

Enjoy!

Sean
 
Sorry, I don't know the exact syntax for reading and processing a sequential file in the Basic dialect you're going to use. Something with OPEN AS perhaps?
 
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