Named Subroutines In Microsoft BASIC

Microsoft BASIC supports named subroutines. Sort of. The following construction is legal:

GOSUB 1200, EVALUATE : IF X = 0 THEN PRINT "WHOOPEE!!"

After executing the GOSUB, BASIC returns to the end of the GOSUB line number and looks for the next colon or the beginning of a line. All else is ignored.

This is more useful than a REM, since you can place additional statements on the same line and it saves a byte of memory. It works on the Commodore PET, 64, and VIC computers.

Bill Baldock

Thanks for the tip. This may also work with other machines using Microsoft BASIC, but try it out before embedding it in a crucial program.