How to copy and paste BASIC programs between the Winape Amstrad emulator and your Windows host machine

See how to export Amstrad BASIC program code from an emulator as a text file so you can share it as a listing, or post it online. I'll also show you how to paste code into the Winape emulator.

Using an emulator, you're working in a strange machine within a machine, and aside from loading discs it's not obvious how to move data between the emulated machine and the host computer that is running the emulator. Sometimes, you might want to get your BASIC programs out of the emulator in a form you can use on your Windows computer. Other times, you might see code snippets on a web page that you want to input into the emulator.

Although there is no obvious copy and paste between the Amstrad emulator and your Windows host machine, Winape does provide methods to move BASIC code between the emulator and the host machine.

How to turn a BASIC program in an Amstrad emulator into a text file

When you're using the Winape Amstrad CPC emulator, there might be times when you want to export your BASIC program as a text file so you can post it online, or contribute it to a magazine (of which there are several at the moment).

To do that, follow these steps:

1. In Winape, open the Settings menu.
2. Choose Other.
3. In the printer settings, set the option to print to a File. Enter the filename you'd like to use.

   

4. Click OK
5. At the BASIC Ready prompt, enter: LIST #8 The # character is [SHIFT]+3.
6. Your program listing will now be written to your chosen text file.
7. If you enter the LIST #8 command again without changing the filename in the printer settings, your new listing will be added to the end of the previous one. Anything sent to the printer (#8) is added to the end of the text file.

How to use Auto Text to paste BASIC programs into the Winape Amstrad CPC emulator

Winape also provides a feature you can use to paste in BASIC program code and instructions. It's called Auto Type, and it's handy if you see BASIC programs in forums online that you want to try in your emulator.

With the ability to export and import text files in Amstrad BASIC, you can also use sophisticated text processing tools on your program in Windows, such as search and replace for variable names using Notepad. Your program can still be saved in an Amstrad-native format, ready to run, when you've finished editing.

1. From the file menu, choose Auto Type. You can also use the shortcut Ctrl+F5.
2. Use the Load button to load a text file.



3. Alternatively, you can paste or type your instructions into the window.
4. Click OK.
5. The emulator will now automatically type the text from the Auto Type window into the emulator. This may take some time, depending on the length of the listing.

More Amstrad CPC tutorials and software

Find all my Amstrad CPC tutorials here, and download my updated software disc here!