If you're interested in using your ST for graphics and animation, then you probably own Antic Publishing's Cyber Studio, containing CAD-3D 2.0. its companion control language Cyber Control is a simple BASIC-like language that can generate complex animations. However, if you're having trouble debugging new Cyber Control code, you can use your printer to monitor your program:

At the start of the program, make the print monitor optional:

@pr:input "Print status?
   No(Ret) Yes(1)?",p
if p.<0|p>1 then
  bell:goto pr

(The second line uses the logical or operator in an lf/Then statement to limit the allowable input and return the user to the input line in case of error.)

Then, wherever you need to monitor your program's progress, insert a statement using Cyber Control print format:

if p then? "Generating
 spline with",key,
 "keypoints and",ff,
 "segments."

Cyber Control uses typical BASIC print statement format. Strings are in quotes and separated from variables by commas, and the question mark is shorthand for print.

Watch for The Cyber Corner in the next issue of START for more hints, tips and how-to's!

Cyber Control, $59.95, Antic Software, 544 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107, (415) 957-0886; (800) 234-7001.