VOGONS

Common searches


First post, by yevrowl

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

What a list of text and graphics modes for Q(uick)Basic would look like, in a dream. Please see the attached image.
P. S. Additions are welcome. ÷)

Attachments

  • screens.png
    Filename
    screens.png
    File size
    43.72 KiB
    Views
    1419 views
    File license
    Public domain

÷)

Reply 1 of 16, by leileilol

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

Before anyone on the internet finds this and mistakes it for an officially supported mode list (as the thread title currently implies), QBASIC only supports up to mode 13. There is no 5 or 6.

The following table summarizes screen modes:

ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄMDPA, CGA, Hercules, Olivetti, EGA, VGA, or MCGA AdaptersÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
SCREEN 0: Text mode only
þ 40 x 25, 40 x 43, 40 x 50, 80 x 25, 80 x 43, or 80 x 50 text format,
8 x 8 character box (8 x 14, 9 x 14, or 9 x 16 with EGA or VGA)
þ 16 colors assigned to any of 16 attributes (with CGA or EGA)
þ 64 colors assigned to any of 16 attributes (with EGA or VGA)
þ Depending on the text resolution and adapter, 8 video memory pages
(0-7), 4 pages (0-3), 2 pages (0-1), or 1 page (0)

ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄCGA, EGA, VGA, or MCGA AdaptersÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
SCREEN 1: 320 x 200 graphics
þ 40 x 25 text format, 8 x 8 character box
þ 16 background colors and one of two sets of 3 foreground colors
assigned using COLOR statement with CGA
þ 16 colors assigned to 4 attributes with EGA or VGA
þ 1 video memory page (0)
SCREEN 2: 640 x 200 graphics
þ 80 x 25 text format, 8 x 8 character box
þ 16 colors assigned to 2 attributes with EGA or VGA
þ 1 video memory page (0)

ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄHercules, Olivetti, or AT&T AdaptersÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
SCREEN 3: Hercules adapter required, monochrome monitor only
þ 720 x 348 graphics
þ 80 x 25 text format, 9 x 14 character box
þ Usually 2 video memory pages (0-1); 1 page (0) if a second color
display adapter is installed
þ PALETTE statement not supported
þ Invoke the Hercules driver MSHERC.COM before using screen mode 3
SCREEN 4:
þ Supports Olivetti Personal Computers models M24, M240, M28, M280,
M380, M380/C, and M380/T and AT&T Personal Computers 6300 series
þ 640 x 400 graphics
þ 80 x 25 text format, 8 x 16 character box
þ 1 of 16 colors assigned as the foreground color (selected by the
COLOR statement); background is fixed at black
þ 1 video memory page (0)
þ PALETTE statement not supported

ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄEGA or VGA AdaptersÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
SCREEN 7: 320 x 200 graphics
þ 40 x 25 text format, 8 x 8 character box
þ Assignment of 16 colors to any of 16 attributes
þ If 64K EGA adapter memory, 2 video memory pages (0-1); otherwise,
8 pages (0-7)
SCREEN 8: 640 x 200 graphics
þ 80 x 25 text format, 8 x 8 character box
þ Assignment of 16 colors to any of 16 attributes
þ If 64K EGA adapter memory, 1 video memory page (0); otherwise,
4 pages (0-3)
SCREEN 9: 640 x 350 graphics
þ 80 x 25 or 80 x 43 text format, 8 x 14 or 8 x 8 character box
þ 16 colors assigned to 4 attributes (64K adapter memory), or
64 colors assigned to 16 attributes (more than 64K adapter memory)
þ If 64K EGA adapter memory, 1 video memory page (0); otherwise,
2 pages (0-1)

ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄEGA or VGA Adapters, Monochrome Monitor OnlyÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Show last 23 lines
SCREEN 10: 640 x 350 graphics, monochrome monitor only
þ 80 x 25 or 80 x 43 text format, 8 x 14 or 8 x 8 character box
þ Up to 9 pseudocolors assigned to 4 attributes
þ 2 video memory pages (0-1), 256K adapter memory required

ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄVGA or MCGA AdaptersÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Screen 11 (VGA or MCGA)
þ 640 x 480 graphics
þ 80 x 30 or 80 x 60 text format, 8 x 16 or 8 x 8 character box
þ Assignment of up to 256K colors to 2 attributes
þ 1 video memory page (0)
Screen 12 (VGA)
þ 640 x 480 graphics
þ 80 x 30 or 80 x 60 text format, 8 x 16 or 8 x 8 character box
þ Assignment of up to 256K colors to 16 attributes
þ 1 video memory page (0)
Screen 13 (VGA or MCGA)
þ 320 x 200 graphics
þ 40 x 25 text format, 8 x 8 character box
þ Assignment of up to 256K colors to 256 attributes
þ 1 video memory page (0)

apsosig.png
long live PCem

Reply 2 of 16, by Jo22

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

+1

There's a patch to make SCREEN 4 work on non-Olivetti systems.
A friendly Vogons user told me about the modifications.
Could be useful for those PC emulators on Atari ST/Amiga supporting it.

Btw, the higher modes can perhaps be implemented by using a custom code module/library.
I remember that a Super VGA library (shareware) was available for QB45 in the early 90s..

"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

//My video channel//

Reply 4 of 16, by yevrowl

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

Olivetti M24
512 × 256 × 8
640 ×400 × 16

PC1512
640 × 200 × 16

ET2000
640×480 × 4

DCGA (Double Size CGA) — Toshiba J3100
640×400 × 2 (partially compatible with the Olivetti/AT&T 6300 graphics)

GDC — Goldstar GDC-212M
640×400 × 2

Last edited by yevrowl on 2023-09-04, 10:07. Edited 1 time in total.

÷)

Reply 8 of 16, by yevrowl

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

NEC µPD7220, 1981 year
1024 × 1024 pixels, 4-bit color (16 colors)

Hitachi LSI HD63484 (ARTC), 1984 year
4096 × 4096 pixels, monochrome
1024 × 1024 pixels, 16-bit color (65 536 colors)

https://www.computer.org/publications/tech-ne … hi-artc-hd63484

÷)

Reply 13 of 16, by Benedikt

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

IIRC, all of ATI's CGA-based Graphics Solution cards were initially advertised as "Small Wonder", even if the card itself did not always say that.

You can find links to more information and a small proof-of-concept bitmap viewer in one of my earlier posts.

Reply 15 of 16, by yevrowl

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

The updated table as an attachment. There are 40 graphics modes in total.

Attachments

  • Filename
    screens.7z
    File size
    8.14 KiB
    Downloads
    34 downloads
    File license
    Public domain

÷)