---
title: "Line Input Improvement"
type: "article"
slug: "line-input-improvements"
url: "http://localhost/article/line-input-improvements/"
markdown_url: "http://localhost/article/line-input-improvements.md"
published_at: "2024-01-28T18:11:33+00:00"
modified_at: "2025-10-17T22:16:36+00:00"
featured_image:
  url: "http://localhost/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/20230809-041332.jpg"
excerpt: "I was using PRO/FILE to handle a file and print-out of one line sales transactions, but entering the data of varying length and still keeping all segments of lines properly aligned caused me grief as well as a lot of \"Data Too Long\" errors. This revision of line 552 and an added line 554 prints…"
category:
  - name: "Pro/File Updates"
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    taxonomy: "category"
    url: "http://localhost/category/periodicals/pro-file-updates/"
post_tag:
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indiv:
  - name: "Tom Kennedy"
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publication_r:
  id: 39136
  title: "Pro/File Updates"
  type: "periodical"
  url: "http://localhost/periodical/pro-file-updates/"
authors: "Tom Kennedy"
volume: "1"
issue: "2"
issues_articles:
  - id: 52730
    title: "Pro/file Updates v1 n2"
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pages: "7"
pubdate: "April 1984"
product_reviews:
  - id: 14729
    title: "ZX Pro/File"
    type: "product"
    url: "http://localhost/product/zx-pro-file-2/"
archive_link: false
---

# Line Input Improvement

I was using PRO/FILE to handle a file and print-out of one line sales transactions, but entering the data of varying length and still keeping all segments of lines properly aligned caused me grief as well as a lot of “Data Too Long” errors. This revision of line 552 and an added line 554 prints a guideline at the bottom of the screen that clearly shows the spacing allowed. It eliminates much guesswork.

```
552 PRINT AT 16,0," INPUT DATA. PRESS JUST ENTER       TO DELETE";Q$;Q$
554 PRINT AT 21,0," NAME TO HERE MM-DD $$$$$.$$"
```