Atari 800

170 User's Handbook to the Atari 400/ 800 Computers
READ (REA.)
A READ statement is used to assign values to variables. The values
are taken
individually from DATA statements in the order they
appear in the
program .
CONFIGURATION
READ
Data items are assigned
to variables in the order in which they
appear in the program unless a RESTORE statement has been
executed.
The
type of variable in the READ statement must correspond to
the type specified in DATA. A numeric variable can only be
assigned a num eric value. However, a string variable can accept
any type
of characters or none at all.
String variables must be
correctly dimensioned before the READ
statement
for that variable is executed.
A
program must includ e at least as many data items as the
number of variables in its READ statements unless a RESTORE
statement is executed.
EXAMPLE
10 DIM X$(10)
20 READ X,X$
30 PRINT X$,X
40 END
50 DATA 12 , JONES
RUN
JONES 12
The preceding example contains a program that has a READ
statement. First, the string variable X$ is dimensioned . Next, at
line 20, the variables X and X$ are assigned the values from the
DATA statement at line 50. At line 30, the values of the two
variables are displayed.