CTRL+Z Embedded in Source Truncates BC.EXE Compilation (36576)

SUMMARY

The QB.EXE editor allows you to embed control characters into a source file by pressing CTRL+P followed by CTRL+<desired key>. This information is documented in a table on Page 135 of the "Microsoft QuickBasic 4.0: Learning and Using" manual for versions 4.0 and 4.0b, and on Page 204 of the "Microsoft QuickBasic 4.5: Learning to Use" manual for version 4.5.

When using this technique, do not type CTRL+Z into the source file if the file is saved as text. For a file saved as text, CTRL+Z marks the end of the file (EOF) for BC.EXE and other Microsoft compilers. (This feature is a carryover from the end-of-file standard required for text files in MS-DOS versions 1.x.) You must save in fast load format for BC.EXE to accept embedded CTRL+Z characters.

A CTRL+Z byte appears on the screen as a right-arrow symbol. To print a right-arrow symbol on the screen, use the statement PRINT CHR$(26) instead of embedding a CTRL+Z in a string constant.

MORE INFORMATION

BC.EXE stops compiling text source files when it reaches a CTRL+Z (ASCII value 26) byte. The program below demonstrates this behavior and terminates BC.EXE with a "Label Not Defined" error message.

GOSUB lab
PRINT "Here is a right-arrow character:"
PRINT "[Press CTRL+P followed by CTRL+Z here in the QB.EXE 4.00 editor.]"
END
lab: PRINT "Test"
RETURN

The following equivalent program compiles successfully in BC.EXE:

GOSUB lab
PRINT "Here is a right-arrow character:"
PRINT CHR$(26)
END
lab: PRINT "Test"
RETURN