Functions can call other functions in BBC BASIC, so here we have functions to transmit an F-code to the player, and to transmit with a delay. It requires completely different code to do the transmission via serial than it does via SCSI, and it would be extremely messy and use up a lot of RAM to have to test which method was in use each time and execute the appropriate code. Instead of that, all we do is to have one function which reads the communication method variable and then calls the function for the right comms protocol.

Click here to go return to 1980s Index