LINE

Syntax	LINE [#chan,] [x,y] [TO x1,y1] *[[;xi,yi] [TO xj,yj] ]*
Location	QL ROM

This command is part of the QL’s graphics repertoire and allows you to draw a straight line in the specified channel (default #1) in the current INK colour between any two points. As with all of the other graphics commands, the exact size and position of the line depends upon the current SCALE. Unfortunately, there is no way of making the line any thicker, other than by drawing parallel lines. Although the above syntax may seem rather complex, this can be explained as follows:

If the separator TO appears between any two sets of co-ordinates, then a line will be drawn between those two co-ordinates.

If however the two sets of co-ordinates are the same, nothing will be drawn, eg: LINE 10,10 TO 10,10 has no effect.

If the start co-ordinates are not specified, then the current graphics cursor is used as the one end of the line, eg: LINE 10,10 TO 15,10 TO 20,20 will draw a line between the points (10,10) and (15,10) and then a line between (15,10) and (20,20). The graphics cursor is placed at the last set of co-ordinates.

If the separator TO does not appear, then no line is drawn and the graphics cursor is moved to the last set of co-ordinates. For example: LINE 10,10 and LINE 20,20,10,10 have exactly the same effect - they both place the graphics cursor at the point (10,10).

Any part of the lines which lie outside of the specified channel will not be drawn, but no error will be reported.

Example

A simple demonstration program:

100 MODE 8 110 WINDOW 448,200,32,16:PAPER 0:CLS
120 SCALE 100,0,0
130 OVER -1
140 REPeat loop
150   xstep=RND
160   INK RND(7)
170   FOR i=1 TO 360 STEP xstep
180     ix=RAD(i)
190     LINE 50,50 TO 50+COS(ix)*50,50+SIN(ix)*50
200   END FOR i
210 END REPeat loop

NOTE

On a MG ROM, you may find that the last point is not always plotted.

CROSS-REFERENCE

LINE_R is very similar. See also ELLIPSE, CIRCLE, ARC, POINT and SCALE.