---
title: "VAL$ (2068)"
type: "article"
slug: "val-2068"
url: "http://localhost/article/val-2068/"
markdown_url: "http://localhost/article/val-2068.md"
published_at: "2022-10-07T12:24:35+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-08-09T14:17:53+00:00"
featured_image:
  url: "http://localhost/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/20230809-041332.jpg"
excerpt: "You will recall that at the NOV. meeting there was a discussion on the use of VAL$. Robert Ryan actively entered into the discussion, and offers this further demonstration. This program is a short demonstration of one use for VAL$. It inputs a name and then will print the first, last or middle name from…"
category:
  - name: "The Plotter"
    slug: "the-plotter"
    taxonomy: "category"
    url: "http://localhost/category/periodicals/the-plotter/"
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/"
  - name: "Type-in program"
    slug: "type-in-program"
    taxonomy: "post_tag"
    url: "http://localhost/tag/type-in-program/"
basic:
  - name: "VAL$"
    slug: "val-2"
    taxonomy: "basic"
    url: "http://localhost/basic/val-2/"
model:
  - name: "Timex/Sinclair 2068"
    slug: "ts-2068"
    taxonomy: "model"
    url: "http://localhost/model/ts-2068/"
volume: "4"
issue: "4"
issues_articles:
  - id: 39436
    title: "The Plotter v4 n4"
    type: "issue"
    url: "http://localhost/issue/the-plotter-v4-n4/"
pages: "5"
pubdate: "April 1986"
archive_link: false
---

# VAL$ (2068)

You will recall that at the NOV. meeting there was a discussion on the use of VAL$. [Robert Ryan](http://localhost/indiv/robert-ryan/) actively entered into the discussion, and offers this further demonstration.

This program is a short demonstration of one use for VAL$. It inputs a name and then will print the first, last or middle name from it. Lines 10-30 tell the computer how to get first, last, and middle names. Line 50-80 find where the breaks in the name are. Then line 98 finds out which name you want to print. When line 100 is executed the computer first tries VAL$ (z$+”$”). Depending on whether z$ is f, l, or m, VAL$ (z$+”$”) will be equal to the contents of string f$, l$, or m$, namely a$(a+3 TO b), a$( TO a), or a$(b+2 T0) so VAL$ VAL$ (z$+”$”) will be equal to the contents of a$(a+3 T0 b), a$( TO 0), or a$(b+2 TO ), namely the first, last or middle name from the name entered.

VALs behaves as if replaced by the contents of its argument, for example:

```
  10 LET B$="A$ (2 TO )"
  20 PRINT VAL$ (B$)
```

Thus VAL$(B$) would be the same as A$ ( 2 TO )

```
  10 LET f$="a$ ( a$+3 TO b)"
  20 LET l$="a$( TO a)"
  30 LET m$="a$(b+2 TO )"
  40 INPUT "Name (Last, First, Middle)", LINE a$
  50 FOR i=1 TO LEN a$
  60 IF a$(i)=" " THEN LET b=i-1
  70 IF a$(i)="," THEN LET a=i-1
  80 NEXT i
  90 INPUT "Print f)irst, l)ast, m)iddle name"; z$
 100 PRINT VAL$ VAL$ (z$+"$")
 110 GO TO 90
```