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From: curtis@achilles.ctd.anl.gov (Jeffrey Curtis )
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Re: More BASIC programs
Message-ID: <1991Jun27.121832.19554@mcs.anl.gov>
Date: 27 Jun 91 12:18:32 GMT
References: <1991Jun27.003549.3197@clark.edu>
Sender: news@mcs.anl.gov
Organization: Computing and Telecommunications, Argonne National Laboratory
Lines: 35
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In article <1991Jun27.003549.3197@clark.edu> apollo@pro-hindugods.cts.com (System Administrator) writes:
>Ok, now this problem.  What I need to do is have my program remove the
>present contents of a text file, which is only one line and contains very few
>characters, then replace that line with a new string of charaters.  Like this:
>
>10 REM Another BASIC problem
>20 TS$ = "/hd.1/test"
>30 PRINT D$"DELETE "TS$:REM That deletes the file just fine...now...
>40 PRINT D$"OPEN "TS$:PRINT D$"APPEND "TS$:PRINT TEXT$:PRINT D$"CLOSE "TS$
>
>What that gives me is a syntax error.  I realise this much...there is no
>longer a file "hd.1/test" after it is deleted and the program cannot open a
>file that does not exist.  So, my question...how do I recreate the file...or
>better yet, how do I delete ONLY the first line of the file "test?"

	No, "OPEN" under both DOS 3.3 and ProDOS will create the file if it
doesn't exist.  What you might be having a problem with is the "APPEND"
rather than "WRITE".  Since you know the file is blank, there's no need to
have an APPEND.  Try it the other way.  If that doesn't work, separate line
40 into all of its components on different lines and see where the error
occurs.

	Actually, now that I look at it, if that's EXACTLY your program, the
problem is that "TEXT" in an AppleSoft reserved word and can't be used in
a variable situation.  If you list the program, it will actually print out as

40 PRINT D$"OPEN "TS$ : PRINT D$"APPEND "TS$ : PRINT  TEXT  $ : PRINT D$....

which should tip you off to that fact.

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+ Jeffrey S. Curtis (708)972-8585 B41801 AT ANLVM curtis@achilles.ctd.anl.gov +
*        Computing and Telecommunications, Argonne National Laboratory 	      *
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