Holiday Screen Saver
                           (filename: HOLDAY.ZIP)

                                     by

                                John T. Pape

                           CompuServe: 74676,2453
                               GEnie: J.PAPE1


Holiday Screen Saver is written in QBASIC.  QBASIC is the nifty successor 
to GW-BASIC and comes with all versions of MS-DOS starting with 5.  QBASIC 
is required to run this program.  VGA is also required (320x200x256).  Along 
with the file you are reading, you should also have:

HOLIDAY.BAS - The actual QBASIC source code
H.BAT       - A batch file to start HOLIDAY.BAS
HOLIDAY.ICO - A Windows 3.1 icon

The following instructions assume that QBASIC.EXE is in the \DOS directory 
on hard drive C:, and that you have a directory of batch files on drive C: 
called \BATCH.  If your setup differs, substitute the appropriate drive or 
directory names.  Put HOLIDAY.BAS in your \DOS directory, H.BAT in your 
\BATCH directory, and if you run WINDOWS 3.1, put HOLIDAY.ICO in your 
\WINDOWS directory.  

FROM DOS:

Edit H.BAT if necessary, and use it to run from your menu or shell.  If your 
batch directory is included in your PATH statement, you can type "h" from 
anywhere to start Holiday Screen Saver.

OR

Type C:\DOS\QBASIC /RUN C:\DOS\HOLIDAY.BAS.

Press a key while the program is running to return to the DOS prompt.


FROM WINDOWS 3.1:

Activate the program group where you wish to place Holiday Screen Saver.  
Select "New" from the Program Manager File Menu, then select "Program Item".  
The description should be Holiday Screen Saver, the command line should be 
C:\DOS\QBASIC /RUN C:\DOS\HOLIDAY.BAS, and the working directory should be 
C:\DOS.  Select "Change Icon" and then "Browse" the .ICO files.  Select 
HOLIDAY.ICO and exit to Program Manager.  You should now have a working 
icon.  Touching a key while the program is running will return you to 
Windows.


NOTES:

This program is optimized to run on my 386SX-25.  Program speed will vary 
with CPU speed, so some tweaking of the code may be required.  Timing
loops may have to be adjusted.  I have  already included two subroutines 
to slow down the execution of the program.  These are "pause" and "delay" 
(pause is the longer of the two).  These can be inserted as necessary into 
the code to slow it down for faster CPUs.  Conversely, shortening these 
routines can speed up the program.  In addition, there is a FOR/NEXT loop 
near the center of the "snow loop" that can be adjusted for smoothness.  
The program is heavily commented to ease modification.


                              Comments welcome!  
                               Happy Holidays!