---
title: "Bug in Saving Variables"
type: "article"
slug: "bug-in-saving-variables"
url: "http://localhost/article/bug-in-saving-variables/"
markdown_url: "http://localhost/article/bug-in-saving-variables.md"
published_at: "2022-09-14T02:42:50+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-07-04T00:09:27+00:00"
featured_image:
  url: "http://localhost/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/20230809-041332.jpg"
excerpt: "I ran into something I thought was strange. Try this: 10 LET a$=\"sample string\" 20 SAVE \"sample\" DATA a$() Run, then rewind the tape, then NEW. 10 LOAD \"\" DATA a$() 20 PRINT a$ 30 PRINT a$() This does not work. For some reason, if you SAVE a string using the DATA token, the string…"
category:
  - name: "LISTing Newsletter"
    slug: "listing-newsletter"
    taxonomy: "category"
    url: "http://localhost/category/periodicals/listing-newsletter/"
post_tag:
  - name: "Best of Timex/Sinclair 2068 Articles and Documents"
    slug: "ts2068best"
    taxonomy: "post_tag"
    url: "http://localhost/tag/ts2068best/"
  - name: "TS 2068"
    slug: "ts2068"
    taxonomy: "post_tag"
    url: "http://localhost/tag/ts2068/"
model:
  - name: "Timex/Sinclair 2068"
    slug: "ts-2068"
    taxonomy: "model"
    url: "http://localhost/model/ts-2068/"
publication_r:
  id: 38992
  title: "LISTing Newsletter"
  type: "periodical"
  url: "http://localhost/periodical/listing-newsletter/"
issues_articles:
  - id: 40115
    title: "LISTing Newsletter April 1985"
    type: "issue"
    url: "http://localhost/issue/listing-newsletter-april-1985/"
pages: "19"
pubdate: "April 1985"
archive_link: false
---

# Bug in Saving Variables

I ran into something I thought was strange. Try this:

```
   10 LET a$="sample string"
   20 SAVE "sample" DATA a$()
```

Run, then rewind the tape, then NEW.

```
   10 LOAD "" DATA a$()
   20 PRINT a$
   30 PRINT a$()
```

This does not work. For some reason, if you SAVE a string using the DATA token, the string is saved and then can be loaded back into the computer, but not in a form that can be used.

There is a simple patch that solves this problem by putting the string into a one-dimensional array:

```
   20 DIM t$( LEN a$)
   30 FOR i=1 TO LEN a$
   40 LET t$(i)=a$(i)
   50 NEXT i
```

If you SAVE t$, when you LOAD it back in, it can be use as a normal string. Do not ask me why.