File LIFE.HL (help file)

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LIFE.HL      6/4/76
LIFE - GROWTH PATTERNS: DEVISED BY JOHN CONWAY OF CAMBRIDGE U.
       AND DESCRIBED BY MARTIN GARDNER IN THE MATHEMATICAL GAMES
       COLUMN OF SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN OCTOBER 1970.

"THINGS" THAT CAN CHANGE ARE PLACED IN LOCATIONS ON A SURFACE THAT IS
DIVIDED LIKE A CHECKERBOARD. RESPONDING TO THEIR NEIGHBORS PRESENCE
OR LACK OF IT, THEY REPLICATE, DIE, OR SURVIVE IN THE NEXT GENERATION
ACCORDING TO THE RULES OF LIFE.

IN THE PDP-12 VERSION, THE POPULATION OF EACH GENERATION IS 
DISPLAYED IN TURN ON THE OSCILLOSCOPE SCREEN.

RULES OF LIFE:-

BIRTH.......AN EMPTY LOCATION ADJACENT TO EXACTLY THREE LIVE NEIGHBORS
WILL CONTAIN A NEW LIVE THING IN THE NEXT GENERATION.

DEATH......1) BY OVERPOPULATION...IF THE THING HAS 4 OR MORE NEIGHBORS.
           2) BY ISOLATION...IF THE THING HAS 1 OR 0 NEIGHBORS.

SURVIVAL....NO GROWTH IF THE THING HAS 2 OR 3 NEIGHBORS


PROGRAM STARTS WITH A DOT CURSOR IN THE UPPER LEFT CORNER OF THE SCREEN.

              ****** TTY KEY ACTION *****

(A)  MOVE THE DOT ON THE SCREEN 

INCREMENT  DOWN...D
           UP.....U
           LEFT...B
           RIGHT..G

RIGHT SIDE........E
LEFT      ........F


(B) FIX "THINGS" IN PLACE ON THE BOARD

DROP A COLUMN.....V
ERASE IT.....CTRL V

DRAW A ROW
     LEFT.........N
     RIGHT........R
 ERASE IT....CTRL R
         ....CTRL N

PLACE ONE THING....A PERIOD(.)
ERASE ONE THING....RUBOUT

START COMPUTING AND DISPLAY....SHIFT 3

STOP COMPUTING ................SHIFT 5

ERASE DISPLAY.....K



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