Sinclair BASIC escape codes

Every escape that can be typed in ZX81 or Spectrum source, and the byte it stores. The three machines share a BASIC and not a character set, so each row is badged with the machines it belongs to and no code here is common to all of them. Filters can be prefilled with ?q= and ?cat= query parameters.

On the ZX81

The ZX81 charset applies everywhere in a line — block-graphics escapes, %c inverse video and raw \{NN} bytes work in strings, REM bodies and expressions alike.

On the Spectrums

Escapes are recognised inside string literals and REM bodies (48K and 128K — differences are tagged), and the control and UDG forms are also accepted in expressions so imported listings with embedded control bytes re-tokenize byte-exactly. A {...} that is not a recognised directive stays literal text.

See also the Sinclair BASIC reference and file formats.

		Description
`{=$HHHHHHHHHH}`Spectrum only	`0x0E + 5-byte form`	Raw form of a numeric override whose 5 stored bytes are not the canonical encoding of any decimal value.
`{=n}`Spectrum only	`0x0E + 5-byte form`	Numeric override after a literal: the hidden 5-byte form stored with the printed digits encodes n instead (protection tricks, e.g. 30 GO TO 20{=9999}). Emitted on import when the stored form disagrees with the digits.
`\'` parse-onlyZX81 only also: `▘`	`0x01`	Top-left quarter block.
`\ '`parse-onlyZX81 only also: `▝`	`0x02`	Top-right quarter block.
`\''`parse-onlyZX81 only also: `▀`	`0x03`	Top half block.
`\.` parse-onlyZX81 only also: `▖`	`0x04`	Bottom-left quarter block.
`\:` parse-onlyZX81 only also: `▌`	`0x05`	Left half block.
`\.'`parse-onlyZX81 only also: `▞`	`0x06`	Bottom-left and top-right quarters.
`\:'`parse-onlyZX81 only also: `▛`	`0x07`	All quarters except bottom-right.
`\!!`parse-onlyZX81 only also: `▒`	`0x08`	Grey (chequerboard) block.
`\!.`parse-onlyZX81 only also: `🮏`	`0x09`	Grey lower half.
`\!'`parse-onlyZX81 only also: `🮎`	`0x0A`	Grey upper half.
`{INK n}`Spectrum only	`0x10 n`	Embedded INK control: sets the text colour (n = 0–9) from this point in the string.
`{PAPER n}`Spectrum only	`0x11 n`	Embedded PAPER control: sets the background colour (n = 0–9).
`{FLASH n}`Spectrum only	`0x12 n`	Embedded FLASH control: n = 1 flashing, 0 steady.
`{BRIGHT n}`Spectrum only	`0x13 n`	Embedded BRIGHT control: n = 1 bright, 0 normal.
`{INVERSE n}`Spectrum only	`0x14 n`	Embedded INVERSE control: n = 1 inverse video, 0 normal.
`{OVER n}`Spectrum only	`0x15 n`	Embedded OVER control: n = 1 overprint mode, 0 normal.
`{AT r,c}`Spectrum only	`0x16 r c`	Embedded AT control: moves the print position to row r, column c.
`{TAB n}`Spectrum only	`0x17 n 0x00`	Embedded TAB control: moves the print position to column n (stored as a 16-bit little-endian operand).
`\\`Spectrum only	`0x5C`	A literal backslash (needed because a lone backslash opens a UDG escape).
`\{NN}`ZX81 only	`any`	Any raw byte as two hex digits - keyword tokens inside strings, control codes (e.g. \{76} NEWLINE), trailing REM spaces (\{00}) and every other byte with no printable form.
`{0xNN}`Spectrum only	`any`	Any raw byte as two hex digits - unassigned control codes, 0x80, keyword-token bytes inside strings and a control directive with its operands truncated. A {...} that is not a recognised directive stays literal text.
`\::`parse-onlyZX81 only also: `█`	`0x80`	Full block (inverse space).
`\.:`parse-onlyZX81 only also: `▟`	`0x81`	All quarters except top-left.
`\:.`parse-onlyZX81 only also: `▙`	`0x82`	All quarters except top-right.
`\..`parse-onlyZX81 only also: `▄`	`0x83`	Bottom half block.
`\':`parse-onlyZX81 only also: `▜`	`0x84`	All quarters except bottom-left.
`\ :`parse-onlyZX81 only also: `▐`	`0x85`	Right half block.
`\'.`parse-onlyZX81 only also: `▚`	`0x86`	Top-left and bottom-right quarters.
`\ .`parse-onlyZX81 only also: `▗`	`0x87`	Bottom-right quarter block.
`\\|\|`parse-onlyZX81 only also: `🮐`	`0x88`	Inverse grey block.
`\\|.`parse-onlyZX81 only also: `🮑`	`0x89`	Solid upper half over inverse grey lower half.
`\\|'`parse-onlyZX81 only also: `🮒`	`0x8A`	Inverse grey upper half over solid lower half.
`\{=$HHHHHHHHHH}`ZX81 only	`0x7E + 5-byte float`	Raw form of a numeric override whose 5 stored bytes are not the canonical encoding of any decimal value.
`\{=n}`ZX81 only	`0x7E + 5-byte float`	Numeric override after a literal: the hidden 5-byte float stored with the printed digits encodes n instead (protection tricks, e.g. 20\{=9999}). Emitted on import when the stored float disagrees with the digits.
`\a`parse-onlySpectrum only also: `🄰`	`0x90`	User-defined graphic A (CHR$ 144), written 🄰.
`\b`parse-onlySpectrum only also: `🄱`	`0x91`	User-defined graphic B (CHR$ 145), written 🄱.
`\c`parse-onlySpectrum only also: `🄲`	`0x92`	User-defined graphic C (CHR$ 146), written 🄲.
`\d`parse-onlySpectrum only also: `🄳`	`0x93`	User-defined graphic D (CHR$ 147), written 🄳.
`\e`parse-onlySpectrum only also: `🄴`	`0x94`	User-defined graphic E (CHR$ 148), written 🄴.
`\f`parse-onlySpectrum only also: `🄵`	`0x95`	User-defined graphic F (CHR$ 149), written 🄵.
`\g`parse-onlySpectrum only also: `🄶`	`0x96`	User-defined graphic G (CHR$ 150), written 🄶.
`\h`parse-onlySpectrum only also: `🄷`	`0x97`	User-defined graphic H (CHR$ 151), written 🄷.
`\i`parse-onlySpectrum only also: `🄸`	`0x98`	User-defined graphic I (CHR$ 152), written 🄸.
`\j`parse-onlySpectrum only also: `🄹`	`0x99`	User-defined graphic J (CHR$ 153), written 🄹.
`\k`parse-onlySpectrum only also: `🄺`	`0x9A`	User-defined graphic K (CHR$ 154), written 🄺.
`\l`parse-onlySpectrum only also: `🄻`	`0x9B`	User-defined graphic L (CHR$ 155), written 🄻.
`\m`parse-onlySpectrum only also: `🄼`	`0x9C`	User-defined graphic M (CHR$ 156), written 🄼.
`\n`parse-onlySpectrum only also: `🄽`	`0x9D`	User-defined graphic N (CHR$ 157), written 🄽.
`\o`parse-onlySpectrum only also: `🄾`	`0x9E`	User-defined graphic O (CHR$ 158), written 🄾.
`\p`parse-onlySpectrum only also: `🄿`	`0x9F`	User-defined graphic P (CHR$ 159), written 🄿.
`\q`parse-onlySpectrum only also: `🅀`	`0xA0`	User-defined graphic Q (CHR$ 160), written 🅀.
`\r`parse-onlySpectrum only also: `🅁`	`0xA1`	User-defined graphic R (CHR$ 161), written 🅁.
`\s`parse-onlySpectrum only also: `🅂`	`0xA2`	User-defined graphic S (CHR$ 162), written 🅂.
`\t`parse-only48K only also: `🅃`	`0xA3`	User-defined graphic T (CHR$ 163), written 🅃. On the 128K this byte is the SPECTRUM token, not a UDG - the tokenizer warns (non-fatally).
`\u`parse-only48K only also: `🅄`	`0xA4`	User-defined graphic U (CHR$ 164), written 🅄. On the 128K this byte is the PLAY token, not a UDG - the tokenizer warns (non-fatally).
`%c`ZX81 only	`0x8B–0xBF`	Inverse video: % before a letter, digit or punctuation character stores its inverse-video code, e.g. %A is inverse A.

Showing 58 of 58 escape codes

Applesoft BASIC

Atari BASIC

Atom BASIC

BASIC-G

BBC BASIC

Commodore BASIC

Dartmouth BASIC

Exidy Standard BASIC

Integer BASIC

Locomotive BASIC

Microsoft BASIC

MSX BASIC

SAM BASIC

Sinclair BASIC

TRS-80 Level II BASIC

ZX80 BASIC

Porting guide

Sinclair BASIC escape codes

On the ZX81

On the Spectrums

Sinclair BASIC escape codes ​

On the ZX81 ​

On the Spectrums ​

Sinclair BASIC escape codes

On the ZX81

On the Spectrums