Reference Section

Use this section as a source of reference information for using the alpha mode.

Alpha Mode

[ ALPHA ]

Activates or exits the alpha mode, depending on the state of the calculator. Pressing [ ALPHA ] when the alpha mode is not active displays the alpha mode menu and the ALPHA indicator. Any user alpha message in the display remains in the display when you activate the alpha mode. The cursor is positioned in the same column as the last time the alpha mode was activated. Pressing [ ALPHA ] when the calculator is already in the alpha mode exits the alpha mode and turns off the ALPHA indicator.

If the learn mode is active when you select the alpha mode, the characters and most alpha mode functions that you enter are stored in program memory. In this case, exiting the alpha mode returns to learn mode. The [ ALPHA ] key is not stored as a program instruction. In a program, alpha messages are displayed enclosed in single quotes.

Alpha Register

The calculator retains the most recent alpha message in an 80-character alpha register. When the calculator is first turned on, the default message stored in the register is RPD-95 KEYPRO. When the calculator is in the alpha mode, a message in this register can be redisplayed with the { RCA } [ = ] function. Outside of the alpha mode, you can redisplay the last alpha message by pressing [ OLD ]. ( [ OLD ] also restores the last user-specified definitions for the function keys F1-F5. )

If the message in the alpha register is not currently displayed when a new alpha entry is made, the register is cleraed and the entry starts a new alpha message.

If the message in the alpha register is displayed when a new alpha entry is made, the new entry is appended to the existing message, starting at the cursor position in the existing message.

[ ← ] and [ → ]

If the alpha mode is active, [ ← ] and [ → ] move the alpha cursor one position to the left or right.

If the alpha mode is not active, [ ← ] restarts the scrolling of any long (more than 16 characters) alpha message currently in the display. [ → ] bypasses any scrolling in progress by displaying the last 16 characters of the message.

[ ← ] and [ → ] can be used only as keyboard commands. You cannot store either key as a program instruction.

Delete Character

[ ALPHA ] { DEL }

Deletes the character at the current position of the cursor in a displayed alpha message. Any characters to the right of the cursor move left to fill the vacated position. If there are no characters to the right of the cursor, { DEL } places a space at the cursor position. { DEL } can be used as a keyboard command or as a program instruction.

Insert Mode

[ ALPHA ] { INS }

Allows insertion of characters in a displayed alpha message. An inserted character occupies the position of the cursor. Remaining characters, including the character previously located at the cursor position, are moved to the right. If the alpha display register already contains 80 characters, inserting a character causes the last character in the message to be discarded.

{ INS } can be used as a keyboard command or as a program instruction.

When you use { INS } as a keyboard command, the INS indicator appears, indicating you are inserting characters. Any keystroke that does not produce an alpha character cancels the alpha insert mode and turns off the INS indicator. (In a program, you can access the CHR function without cancelling the insert mode.)

Move Cursor to Column

[ ALPHA ] { COL } nn

Positions the alpha cursor at column nn in the displayed alpha message. The value nn must be in the range 01 to 80. { COL } can be used as a keyboard command or as a program instruction.

Merge Number into Alpha Message

[ ALPHA ] { MRG } nnn or X

Merges the numeric value stored in data register nnn or X with the displayed alpha message. [ ALPHA ] { MRG } [ = ] merges the number from the numeric display register with the displayed alpha message.

The number is merged to the left of the cursor, with the last digit (or the decimal point if the number is an integer) at the current cursor position. The cursor is then advanced to the next position. If the characters already exist in the positions required by the number, the characters are replaced by the corresponding digits of the number.

Note: If there are not enough character positions to the left of the cursor for the merged number, the affected digits of the number are not merged.

The format of the merged number is determined by the current display format. A number may require as many as 12 character positions (16 for unformatted display mode).

Either form of { MRG } can be used as a keyboard command or as a program instruction.

Recall Last Alpha Message

{ RCA } [ = ]

Displays the alpha message currently contained in the alpha register. If the existing message is not currently displayed, { RCA } [ = ] must precede any new alpha entry that is to be appended to the message. The cursor is positioned in the same column as when the message was last displayed. { RCA } [ = ] can be used as a keyboard command or program instruction.

Recall Stored Alpha Message

{ RCA } nnn or X

Displays the stored alpha message that begins in register nnn or X. The message replaces any message currently contained in the alpha register. The cursor is positioned immediately following the last nonblank character in the message. { RCA } nnn or X can be used as a keyboard command or as a program instruction.

Store Alpha Message

[ ALPHA ] { STA } nnn or X

Stores the alpha message currently contained in the alpha display register at data register nnn or X. The stored message is occupies 10 consecutive data registers. { STA } can be used as a keyboard command or as a program instruction.

Display Specified Character

[ ALPHA ] { CHR } nnn

Stores the character corresponding to the number nnn in the alpha register at the current cursor position and advances the cursor position to the next position. The number nnn must be in the range 000 through 255 decimal. (For a table of characters, refer to Appendix C.) { CHR } can be used as a keyboard command or as a program instruction.

Toggle Lowercase Lock

[ ALPHA ] { LC }

Turns lowercase lock on or off depending on the current state of the calculator. If lowercase lock is off (the default state), { LC } turns it on and displays the LC indicator. If the lowercase lock is on, { LC } turns it off and turns off the LC indicator.

The state of lowercase lock affects the case of letters you enter in an alpha message or an alpha field. When lowercase lock is on, pressing [ 2nd ] causes the next letter entered to be uppercase. When lowercase lock is off, pressing [ 2nd ] causes the next letter entered to be lowercase.

You can use { LC } in the learn mode for entering uppercase and lowercase letters, but you cannot store { LC } as a program instruction.

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