Commodore 64 User Manual page 49

CONTROL KEY FOR COLORS
You may have noticed the abbreviations for
colors printed on the side face of the number
keys. When you use a number key in combina
tion with the CTRL (CONTROL) key, the cur
sor—and anything you care to type—turn the
color indicated on the key capl
Like the SHIFT, SHIFT LOCK, and C - keys, the
CTRL key does nothing unless pressed in com
bination with another key. CTRL plus a letter
key gives you the same letter as when the let
ter key is used by itself. CTRL plus a number
key is where you can really see the
CTRL PLUS NUMBERS 1-8:
CHANGING COLORS
Below is a chart showing the colors you can
display by using CTRL plus a number key. Try
using these key combinations on the screen
now, starting with the number I. If you wish,
you can type a few keys in each color; or,
simply watch the cursor change colors as you
try these commands.
Press
Press
Press
Press
Press
Press
Press
Press
CTRL
CTRL
CTRL
CTRL
CTRL
CTRL
CTRL
CTRL
and i
and 2
and 3
and 4
and 5
and 6
and 7
and 8
to get
to get
to get
to get
to get
to get
to get
to get
black
white
red
cyan
purple
green
blue
yellow
What happened when you pressed CTRL with
the number 2 key on the VIC, or CTRL with
the number 7 key on the 64? Did your cursor
or letters disappear? No, they are still there,
but they don't show because they are the
same color as the background: white on the
VIC and blue on the 64.
SCREENS 1 and 2
Do not clear the screen and do not turn off
the computer before going on to the next
exercise.
SCREEN 1
On the VIC, the CTRL key plus a number key
changes the color on the screen.
SCREEN 2
CTRL plus a number key changes color on
the 64, too.
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CONTROL key • NUMBERS 1-8 keys