Specifications

Concepts - 3
Real time Multitasking
CAMBASIC can perform several kinds of tasks at assembly language speed while the program is running. See the
Multitasking Chapter for more information.
Reserved Words
CAMBASIC comprises a set of statements, commands and function names which are treated as reserved words and cannot
be used at the beginning of variable names. These are sometimes referred to as keywords.
Character Set
The CAMBASIC character set includes all characters which are legal in CAMBASIC commands, statements, functions and
variables. The set comprises alphabetic, numeric and special characters.
Alphabetic characters are automatically converted to upper case unless they are part of a string and enclosed in quotation
marks, or are part of a remark. Numeric digits are 0 through 9.
Any character, whether printable or not, may be used in a string. The following characters have special significance in
CAMBASIC:
Space or Blank
= Equals sign or assignment symbol
+ Plus sign for addition or string concatenation
– Minus sign for subtraction
Asterisk or multiplication symbol
*
/ Slash or division symbol
ˆ Caret, Control Key, or exponentiation
( Left parenthesis
) Right parenthesis
[ Left bracket
] Right bracket
% Percent or PRINT USING overflow indicator
# Binary number prefix or logical unit declaration
$ Dollar sign or string declaration
, Comma and print separation symbol
. Period or decimal point
; Semicolon or carriage return suppressor
: Colon or program line statement delimiter
< Less than
> Greater than and system prompt
& Ampersand or hexadecimal number prefix
@ Binary number prefix
<BKSP> Backspace and erase the previous character
<ESC> Escape input mode or halt execution
\ Back slash and integer divider
<ˆC> Control C to break an INPUT statement
<ˆS> Control S is XON code
<ˆQ> Control Q is XOFF code
.. Two periods or label prefix
<ENTER> Carriage return
<SPC> Space
' Apostrophe or remark