Exploring BASIC Programming for the Atari 2600 - Part 2

This video is the second of a two-part series where we take a look at "BASIC Programming" for the Atari 2600 and discuss its usage, features, and limitations. In part 1 (linked below), we examine the programming environment, the keyboard controllers, and demonstrate the limited memory available for authoring programs.

In this video, we review the music, keypad input, and graphics features, as well as some debugging and code-optimizing techniques that help us work within the memory limitations of the programming environment.

Please use the following time-code index to jump to relevant sections in the video.

0:00 Introduction
0:46 Program #1 - Playing music (NOTE function)
3:07 Program #2 - Reading keypad input (KEY function)
4:26 Program #3 - Atari Piano, race condition, and fix
8:16 Program #4 - Overview of graphics functions (HOR, VER, HIT).
9:59 Program #5 - Solitaire-Pong
13:46 Program #6 - Atari Clock
16:38 Debugging/Optimizing: - Avoiding PRINT
18:31 Debugging/Optimizing: Immediate/temporary state initialization
21:21 Debugging/Optimizing: Scope of IF statement
24:06 Conclusions

Github for documents referenced in this video:
https://git.io/JL5kF

"Exploring BASIC Programming for the Atari 2600 - Part 1"
   • Exploring BASIC Programming for the Atari ...  

"Building a Universal Atari 2600 12-button "Star Raiders" Controller"
   • Building a Universal Atari 2600 12-button ...  

Atari 2600 BASIC Programming User Manual
https://archive.org/details/Basic_Pro...

"BASIC Programming: Atari Archive Episode 34"
   • BASIC Programming: Atari Archive Episode 34  

Program in closing comments: "Space Invaders" by Dave Britten
https://www2.gvsu.edu/brittedg/BasicP...