Getting a keypress without waiting for the key to be released

[tbman]

I'm writing a game clone (pac man) and everything runs fine until the user holds down one of the arrow keys. My code is

if keypressed then ch := readkey; (readkey gets the character from the buffer)

I'm not sure if its the keypressed call or the readkey that freezes things until the key is released. Is there an interrupt than can be used (in line assembly) to get the keypressed character without waiting for the key to be released?

 

[tbman]

I found this, but it still delays things

mov ah, 00
int 16h

this returns the key code in AL

 

[WhiteCube]

I used to have a book called DOS programming: the complete reference by Kris Jamsa. Your answer is in there.

Threw it away many years ago, along with all my other manuals. I figured that if I needed some esoteric fact, I could look it up online.

That was a different internet. Few adverts and no subscriptions.

The modern world wide web is a big *&%!!$ disappointment to me.

Oh well, live and learn.

 

[tbman]

I used to have a book called DOS programming: the complete reference by Kris Jamsa. Your answer is in there.

Threw it away many years ago, along with all my other manuals. I figured that if I needed some esoteric fact, I could look it up online.

That was a different internet. Few adverts and no subscriptions.

The modern world wide web is a big *&%!!$ disappointment to me.

Oh well, live and learn.

Ok, thanks. Here's some videos of the clones I've been working on. None are finished yet.

Space invaders:

Pacman

Centipeed:

 

[WhiteCube]

I was a big fan of line graphics. The only game I wrote was a 2d space game with very minimal shapes, but the movement was smooth.

The game started out as a simple "my ship versus the program's fleet" game.

The game went through many versions over time. When I won, I gave it better smarter ships. When it won, I found its weakness, or gave myself better equipment. Around and around I went.

In a way I was playing both sides. Modifying the game was more fun than playing it.

 

[tbman]

Here's an update to the PacMan clone. My keyboard "problem" has been solved. It wasn't the keyboard routine holding things up. Just one of another stupid human tricks I do from time to time.

 

[WhiteCube]

I don't normally watch videos, because I'm on a budget, but that was ... different.

From the sound of it, you're hitting a key for every movement. Every version I've played only required a key press for a change of direction.

The strangest version I've played was called Spider's Web, on the Fountain home video game system. They went to an extreme to get around any copyright issue.

 

[tbman]

I don't normally watch videos, because I'm on a budget, but that was ... different.

From the sound of it, you're hitting a key for every movement. Every version I've played only required a key press for a change of direction.

The strangest version I've played was called Spider's Web, on the Fountain home video game system. They went to an extreme to get around any copyright issue.

Thanks I'll look at that.