Commodore VIC-20 User Manual page 53

CHAPTER
Operoti ng the
VIC 20
This chapter will introduce you to the basic operation of the VIC 20
and some of its peripheral devices: the data cassette, the 1540 disk drive, and
the 1515 printer.
It
is especially important for you to become comfortable
with the VIC's keyboard and display and to become familiar with the
computer's two modes of operation: immediate and program modes.
IMMEDIATE MODE
When you turn on the VIC 20 it is operating in immediate mode. The
flashing cursor signifies that the computer is waiting for instructions and
also shows where the next character you type on the keyboard will appear on
the screen.
In immediate mode, you can use the VIC 20 as you would a calculator.
You enter statements-instructions to display information, perform a calcu-
lation, or carry out some other function. When you enter a statement and
press the
RETURN
key, the VIC processes, or executes, the statement. First,
though, the VIC checks your entry for syntax-the correct combination of
characters in a statement. If the syntax is correct, the statement executes. If
it isn't correct, the following message appears:
?SYHTFIX
ERROR
READ ......
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