05-21-2006, 08:35 AM
Recently, a friend from Australia presented a request for help in creating five-line-high numbers.
During my research into this, I found that, running the same, identical program, based exclusively on the standard 128 ASCII characters and the additional 128 IBM Extended Character Set, which SCREEN 0 uses with no trouble, while the other SCREENs reuired from 53 (SCREEN 2) to 797 (Screen 13) times as much time to run! Wow!, that shook me, and made me a believer in the high speed of SCREEN 0, as compared to the graphics screens.
Recomendation: For all programs where speed is of the escence, try to use SCREEN 0, if at all possible. Some "graphics" can be done with the 256 ASCII-type characters available in QuickBASIC. And, if graphics are absolutely required, then, if possible, use the SCREENs in this order, for maximum speed:
__________RELATIVE__________RELATIVE
.....SCREEN---SPEED____SCREEN---SPEED
..........0----------1...................0---------1
..........2--------53...................1-------218
........11--------89....................2--------53
........12--------89....................7------246
..........8------120....................8------120
..........9------182....................9------182
........10------182..................10------182
..........1------218..................11--------89
..........7------246..................12--------89
........13------797..................13------797
The above relative speeds are not set in concrete, and, different programming will undoubtly produce different results, but, the above results call for intensive testing with different SCREENs, if at all possible, when speed is of prime importance.
During my research into this, I found that, running the same, identical program, based exclusively on the standard 128 ASCII characters and the additional 128 IBM Extended Character Set, which SCREEN 0 uses with no trouble, while the other SCREENs reuired from 53 (SCREEN 2) to 797 (Screen 13) times as much time to run! Wow!, that shook me, and made me a believer in the high speed of SCREEN 0, as compared to the graphics screens.
Recomendation: For all programs where speed is of the escence, try to use SCREEN 0, if at all possible. Some "graphics" can be done with the 256 ASCII-type characters available in QuickBASIC. And, if graphics are absolutely required, then, if possible, use the SCREENs in this order, for maximum speed:
__________RELATIVE__________RELATIVE
.....SCREEN---SPEED____SCREEN---SPEED
..........0----------1...................0---------1
..........2--------53...................1-------218
........11--------89....................2--------53
........12--------89....................7------246
..........8------120....................8------120
..........9------182....................9------182
........10------182..................10------182
..........1------218..................11--------89
..........7------246..................12--------89
........13------797..................13------797
The above relative speeds are not set in concrete, and, different programming will undoubtly produce different results, but, the above results call for intensive testing with different SCREENs, if at all possible, when speed is of prime importance.
Ralph, using QuickBASIC 4.5 and Windows XP Home Edition and Service Pack 2, with HP LaserJet 4L printer.
