Author: Jonathan Harston
Category: Christmas Challenge
System: Any system that can run BBC BASIC
Language: BBC BASIC
Source length: 79 bytes
File length: 79 bytes
Executable length: 79 bytes
Instructions:
On any system that can run BBC BASIC, CHAIN "xmas2024a".
Description:
Plain text output, no centring. Simple enough to be a one-line
program. The image shows the program running on BBC BASIC on a
ZX Spectrum.
The code leverages the STRING$() function to make multiple copies
of the strings needed to be displayed. Each half of the parcel is
created with STRING$(), and then each half is then doubled with
STRING$() to create the whole line. The final character has to be
output manually.
Each line is generated from a loop from 0 to 5, with even lines
outputting a single 'string', and odd lines outputting eight lines
of 'wrapping paper'. The AND to determine odd/even is written
backwards to stop the tokeniser running the variable into the AND.
