computer science

TheDraw

TheDraw is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand TheDraw rather than just read about it. In short: TheDraw is a text editor for MS-DOS to create ANSI and animations as well as ASCII art. The editor is especially useful to create or modify files in ANSI format and text documents, which use the graphical characters of the IBM ASCII code pages, because they are not supported by Microsoft Windows anymore.

Key takeaways

TheDraw belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect TheDraw to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of TheDraw from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

TheDraw is a text editor for MS-DOS to create ANSI and animations as well as ASCII art. The editor is especially useful to create or modify files in ANSI format and text documents, which use the graphical characters of the IBM ASCII code pages, because they are not supported by Microsoft Windows anymore. The first version of the editor was developed in 1986 by Ian E. Davis of TheSoft Programming Services. The last public version of the editor was version 4.63, which was released in October 1993. TheDraw was one of the first ANSI editors that supported ANSIs longer than 25 rows. The limit in the latest available version is still 100 rows. Other editors, such as ACiDDraw are able to support ANSIs larger than 100 lines for a single ANSI/ASCII (ACiDDraw supports 1,000 lines). The animation mode is limited to 50 lines (rows). The column width can be extended from the standard 80 characters to 160, but this also reduces the row limit down to 50.

Compatibility with Microsoft Windows The program is stable in an MS-DOS Window on Windows XP and allows the user to maintain mouse control. Used with Windows Vista however, TheDraw performs with less predictable results. It works with DOSBox.

Significant features Some of the features of the editor include:

Mouse support to select blocks of text within the editor (even under Windows in window and full-screen mode) For the selected area/block exist a number of unique functions Fill function to change the color of a whole section of the text Copy/Move and Paste function to copy/move entire blocks of text within the document. Erase function that clears the selected area of any characters without the surrounding characters changing position. Replace function to replace the content of the selected area with the content of the TheDraw "clipboard". Load/Save function to save only the selected area or load an ANSI/ASCII from the hard disk into the selected area (replace). Font manager to create/modify and organize ASCII and ANSI fonts to be used within the editor Additional file formats in addition to ANSI (.ANS) and text (.ASC). The proprietary PCBoard (.PCB) and Wildcat! BBS (.BBS) file formats. The AVATAR (.AVT) file standard defined by FidoNet. Save files for various programming languages, including Assembly (.ASM), C (.H) and Turbo Pascal (.PAS). Ability to save ANSIs as .COM binary, .BIN and object code (.OBJ). Other supported formats: BSave (.BSV) and backup files (.BAK) Comprehensive help screens Preset transition animations to wipe or change the image ANSI animation support (creation and modification) The "Draw Mode" used automatically the appropriate character from the currently selected set to draw lines and corners by simply using the cursor keys (up/down/left/right) The default character sets can be modified and extended

See also ASCII art ANSI art List of text editors (ASCII and ANSI art section)

References

Further reading Chambers, M. (1994) Running a Perfect BBS, Que. ISBN 978-1-56529-919-1.

External links TheDraw V4.63 download page Interview with Ian Davis, creator of TheDraw, by RaD Man of ACiD Productions Example Source Code file containing TheDraw data

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with TheDraw

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what TheDraw claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to TheDraw before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about TheDraw ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of TheDraw

In research: TheDraw appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses TheDraw in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: TheDraw is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1986 software, ASCII art, Bulletin board systems, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for TheDraw outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study TheDraw in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what TheDraw means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain TheDraw out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is TheDraw in simple terms?

Why does TheDraw matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study TheDraw?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on TheDraw.