Q39732: In QB.EXE 4.50 on Tandy 1000 SX, "\" Key Acts Like HOME Key

Article: Q39732
Product(s): See article
Version(s): 4.50
Operating System(s): MS-DOS
Keyword(s): ENDUSER | SR# S881130-17 | mspl13_basic
Last Modified: 14-DEC-1989

It has been reported that the Tandy 1000 SX with a standard keyboard
does not work correctly with the QuickBASIC Version 4.50 editor or the
QBX.EXE environment provided with Microsoft BASIC PDS Version 7.00.
The BACKSLASH (\) key, which is needed to specify a directory path,
does not function correctly. Instead, the BACKSLASH key acts the same
as a HOME key.

According to reports, the BACKSLASH key works correctly in QuickBASIC
Versions 4.00 and 4.00b on the Tandy 1000 SX.

It has also been reported that the pipe character (|), which is the
same as SHIFT+BACKSLASH, does not work correctly in the QB.EXE
environment of QuickBASIC 4.50 or in the QBX.EXE environment of BASIC
PDS Version 7.00.

Tandy has supplied a keyboard driver with Tandy DOS Version 3.20 that
corrects this problem. It converts the scan code of the key pressed to
the IBM standard scan code. The driver can be installed by placing the
following line in your CONFIG.SYS file if the file KEYCNVRT.SYS is in
the root directory:

   device=KEYCNVRT.SYS

If it is in a subdirectory, you must supply a full pathname, or move
the file to the root directory. After the CONFIG.SYS file is modified,
reboot the computer.

Note: This KEYCNVRT.SYS is applicable only to Tandy DOS.

To work around this problem, if you have a Tandy 1000 with PC-DOS or
MS-DOS, press ALT+92 (where NUM LOCK must be active, and 9 and 2 must
be typed on the numeric keypad while holding down the ALT key) to type
a backslash character in the QB.EXE editor. (The ASCII value for a
backslash is 92. You can create an ASCII character by pressing up to
three digits on the numeric keypad while holding down the ALT key.)

To get a pipe character (|), press ALT+124 (where NUM LOCK must be
active, and 1, 2, and 4 must be typed sequentially on the numeric
keypad while holding down the ALT key).