[net.micro.pc] parsing functions in BASIC

jmdavis@ihuxy.UUCP (Davis) (11/07/86)

I have written a program in machine language (for the APPLE) that calls
the BASIC parsing and evaluation routines so that I am able to type
in a function through an INPUT statement and evaluate it as though
the function was entered as a DEF FN statement.  (There are some
important differences, see below).

I have a need for a similar feature for the IBM PC.  Such a program
would allow someone to enter a function through an INPUT statement
and have the BASIC program plot the function (for example).  The
advantage of this method over modifying the BASIC program to take
the function and insert it into the BASIC program appending a
DEF FN infront of it is that any change to a BASIC program erases
current values of the variables (at least in APPLESOFT).  This
is UNDESIRABLE for a plotting program since the graphing parameters
would need to be re-entered everytime the function was changed.

Please send any thoughts that you might have on how to do this
to me via E-Mail (since I rarely read this group).
The answer does not need to be executable in BASIC but
a BASIC solution is desirable for ease of porting.  ( I hear
that Turbo-Pascal has/sells a function evaluation package.)

If there is sufficient interest if how to do this then I will
post solutions to the net.

			Thanks
			Mike Davis
			ihnp4!ihuxy!jmdavis