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The Electron is capable of supporting a wide range of graphics and text modes, better in fact than many machines costing much more. Imaginative programming can be carried out in Modes 0, 1 and 2, although many people would find the GCOL, MOVE, DRAW and PLOT statements difficult to plan for an involved drawing.

This program takes the difficulty away, substituting it with a series of simple commands with which complicated, colourful and concise artwork can be designed. Only Modes 0, 1 and 2 can be used, and the available colours are shown on a palette at the bottom of the screen. Should other colours than the default one by required it is simple to alter those available.

A flashing cross-hair cursor is used to position elements, and the co-ordinates are constantly updated on-screen. A number of built-in functions can be used, and each has an easily remembered mnemonic. B draws a box, C sets a circle, F fulfils a "fill" function, L produces a line while A initiates an arc. For all these, when the cursor is in the correct position, the Spacebar is the input necessary to start the procedure.

Text can be added at will on the screen, and so many applications spring to mind. Pie charts and histograms may be labelled and coloured to relay information, systems may be designed, and complicated maps and drawings transferred from graph paper. Pictures may be built up in a series of pages and may be stored onto cassette for future use.

One glaring omission, looking to the future, is that there seems to be no facility for a screen dump. A hard copy of the screen display would be a fitting final facility to this useful piece of software. It fulfils a large variety of purposes, and also stands on its own as great fun with which to experiment.

Phil Tayler