Article ID: 69045
Article Last Modified on 8/16/2005
APPLIES TO
- Microsoft GW-BASIC 3.2
- Microsoft GW-BASIC 3.22
- Microsoft GW-BASIC 3.23
- Microsoft QuickBasic 4.0
- Microsoft QuickBASIC 4.0b
- Microsoft QuickBasic 4.5 for MS-DOS
- Microsoft BASIC Professional Development System 7.0
- Microsoft BASIC Professional Development System 7.1
This article was previously published under Q69045
SUMMARY
Basic's TAB() function will blank out any characters that are being passed over on the screen. This feature is by design.
This information applies to Microsoft GW-Basic versions 3.20, 3.22, and 3.23; to Microsoft QuickBasic versions 2.00, 2.01, 3.00, 4.00, 4.00b, and 4.50; to Microsoft Basic Compiler 6.00 and 6.00b; and to Microsoft Basic Professional Development System (PDS) versions 7.00 and 7.10 for MS-DOS.
MORE INFORMATION
Consider the following code:
CLS
PRINT "1234567890"
PRINT "abcdefghij"
LOCATE 2,1
PRINT TAB(4); "DEF"
This program prints the following on the screen:
1234567890
DEFghij
The letters "abc", which TAB passed over, have been overwritten with blanks.
An exception to this behavior is if you trace (F8) in the QB.EXE editor of QuickBasic 4.00, 4.00b, or 4.50, or QBX.EXE of Basic PDS 7.00 or 7.10, where TAB does not erase passed-over text:
1234567890
abcDEFghij
Additional query words: QuickBas BasicCom
Keywords: KB69045
