Looking at Books

Reviewed by Cassie Stahl

ATARI LEARNING BY USING
by Thomas E. Rowley
Copyright by Inc. W. Hofacker GmbH
53 Redrock Lane
Ponoma, CA 91766

If you've finished your ATARI BASIC book by Albrecht and do not understand the Hardware/Software Manual yet, then this book may be for you. Thomas Rowleys' "ATARI BASICÑLearning by Using," will teach you some valuable techniques that will add a lot of diversity to your programs! This book is so thin you'd be apt to pass it up. Please don't. You'll be pleasantly surprised at the amount of information packed into these 73 pages.

The book gives you some simple sample programs. Type them into your ATARI and watch the action. These are deceptive programs to look at. They are so short that you won't be expecting the complex results.

One program illustrates how you can squeeze more colors out of Graphics 8 mode.

You'll also learn how to draw a circle and a star in graphics 7 & 8. Would a cover page add some extra pizazz to your program?

Would you like to try putting the console switches to use? It's easy with this book!!

Learn how to mix the graphic modes and use your Player / Missle graphics. Add a joystick or paddle controller to your games. Ask for input from the keyboard without interrupting the flow of the game. This technique can be used to do just about anything that you can think of.

There are several games in this book, yours free for the typing. Try them out and with a little study you'll learn even more.

Every page is packed full of information. You'll learn how to make the cursor disappear (POKE 752,1) and make it reappear (POKE 725,0). Flipping the text upside down and backwards is a snap (POKE 755,4) bringing it back is just as easy (POKE 755,0)! Are you lost on the screen? Try asking the computer for help. PRINT PEEK (84)) tells you which row you are on, (PRINT PEEK (85)) will tell you what column you are on. Would you like to put your cassette recorder to more use? POKE 54018,52 and stick in a muslc tape, when you are done POKE 54018,60 to turn the cassette motor off.

Well, I don't want to tell you everything. You will have to get a copy of the book for yourself. Sit down in front of your computer with this book and start hackin'! Good luck!!