The AMAL Editor accessory allows you to pack your AMAL programs into a single memory bank, so that routines can be entered directly from the keyboard and edited on screen. All of the AMAL Editor features are called up via drop-down menus, which include a built-in monitoring system for rapid debugging, and a movement-pattern recorder.
The AMAL Editor can be used as an accessory, in which case memory banks defined by your main program will be grabbed automatically, or it can be used as a normal AMOS Professional program.
Please select the AMAL Editor now, from the AMOSPro_Accessories disc.
The AMAL String Editor Screen
After loading, the AMAL Editor displays its main String Editor Screen, which is always allocated
to screen number seven, and which is where AMAL program strings are created for storing in
the AMAL bank. Please remember not to use this screen number for your own programs, when
using the Editor. The screen is divided into three horizontal zones, as follows:
The Information Line
At the top of the screen, a black Information Line lists the current mode and also displays the
AMAL channel number currently being edited. All of the drop-down menus are triggered by
clicking in this Information Line, using the right mouse button. By using the left mouse button
and then dragging the Information Line up and down, the entire String Editor Screen can be
moved vertically, to reveal the current program display.
The Selection Window
Below the Information Line, there is a grey Selection Window. This is where any of the AMAL
programs that are stored in memory can be selected for editing. In the centre of this window
there are two rows of characters, one above the other. These items are read vertically, so the
item on the left-hand side reads EE, which refers to the Environment Editor, which is explained
at the end of this Chapter. The Next item refers to channel 00, then channel 01, all the way along
to channel 15.
When one of these programs is selected with the left mouse button, it is highlighted in inverse video, and loaded to the Editor Window. There is a [Synchro On/Off] feature, which is explained later, and if the [Synchro Off] option is selected, the number of channels is extended from 16 to 62. In this case, only the first 16 of these routines can be performed using the standard AMAL interrupt system.
The Editor Window
This is the large orange panel that occupies most of the screen, and it operates in a similar way
to a normal AMOS Professional Edit window. AMAL programs can be entered at the current
cursor position directly from the keyboard, and the mouse can be used to move the position of
the editing cursor directly.