Introduction


The alpha mode lets you display characters ranging from uppercase and lowercase letters to special signs and symbols. The exercises in this chapter demonstrate how to use the alpha mode.


What is the Alpha Mode?

The alpha mode causes the calculator to interpret most keystrokes as alphabetic and punctuation characters rather than as calculator functions. The scientific-calculator functions are not accessible while the calculator is in alpha mode.

The primary keys you use in the alpha mode are arranged in the same pattern as those on a standard typewriter (also knows as a QWERTY layout).

Uses of the Alpha Mode

You can use the alpha mode anytime you want your program to display a message.

For example, you can display a message that:
  • Shows the title of a program.
  • Gives operating instructions as the program runs.
  • Prompts you for keyboard entries.
  • Identifies the result of a calculation.

If you have a printer connected (enabled) to the calculator, you can print alpha messages.

Redisplaying an Alpha Message

Messages that you create using the alpha mode are cleared by subsequent numeric operations. If you want to redisplay the last alpha message, press [ OLD ]. ( [ OLD ] also restores the last user-defined function key menu, if any, as described in the next chapter of this guide.)

The Alpha Mode Keyboard

When the calculator is in the alpha mode, most keys produce an alpha character. The keys have primary and secondary characters.

On the left side of the keyboard, the alpha character for each key is printed in blue above the key. For these keys, pressing [ 2nd ] before pressing the key changes the character from upper to lower case, or vice versa, depending upon the lowercase lock status of the keyboard.

For two of these keys, the primary alpha character is printed above and to the left of the key, and the second alpha character is printed above and to the right of the key.
  • The primary alpha character for the [ FUNC ] key is a comma. Pressing [ 2nd ] [ FUNC ] produces a double-quote ( " ).
  • The primary alpha character for the [ LIST ] key is a period. Pressing [ 2nd ] [ LIST ] produces a single-quote ( ' ).

For most of the keys on the right side of the keyboard, the character printed on the face of a key is the key's primary alpha character. The second alpha character for each key is printed in blue above the key ( the real TI-95 has the second alpha characters printed in gray instead of blue ).

Two keys have primary alpha characters that are not printed on the keyboard.
  • The primary character for the [ EE ] key is reverse-single quote ( ` ).
  • The primary character for the [ +/- ] key is the vertical-bar ( | ).


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