AppleSoft BASIC PDL function
E736601
The AppleSoft BASIC PDL function is a built-in routine on Apple II computers used to read analog input values from game paddles and similar controllers.
All labels observed (1)
| Label | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| AppleSoft BASIC PDL function canonical | 1 |
How this entity was disambiguated
This entity first appeared as the object of triple T8471933 — resolving that mention is where its identity was fixed. The disambiguator weighed these candidate entities and picked the highlighted one (or “None”, minting a new entity). This is how homonymy is resolved: the same surface form can point to different entities.
NED1
Entity disambiguation (via context triple)
gpt-5-mini-2025-08-07
Target entity: AppleSoft BASIC PDL function Context triple: [Apple II paddles, operatingSystemSupport, AppleSoft BASIC PDL function]
-
A.
Sinclair BASIC
Sinclair BASIC is a compact, interpreted BASIC programming language developed by Sinclair Research for its home computers, most famously used on the ZX Spectrum.
-
B.
Microsoft BASIC
Microsoft BASIC is a family of early, widely distributed implementations of the BASIC programming language created by Microsoft for microcomputers in the 1970s and 1980s.
-
C.
Locomotive BASIC
Locomotive BASIC is a dialect of the BASIC programming language designed for and built into Amstrad home computers, noted for its speed and advanced features for its time.
-
D.
Dartmouth BASIC
Dartmouth BASIC is the original implementation of the BASIC programming language, developed at Dartmouth College in the 1960s to make computing more accessible to students and non-specialists.
-
E.
BASICs
BASICs are the key safety performance measures used by the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to evaluate and monitor motor carriers and drivers under its Compliance, Safety, Accountability program.
- F. None of above. chosen
- G. Unsure - the case is ambiguous/there is not enough information to decide.
NED2
Entity disambiguation (via description)
gpt-5-mini-2025-08-07
Target entity: AppleSoft BASIC PDL function Target entity description: The AppleSoft BASIC PDL function is a built-in routine on Apple II computers used to read analog input values from game paddles and similar controllers.
-
A.
Sinclair BASIC
Sinclair BASIC is a compact, interpreted BASIC programming language developed by Sinclair Research for its home computers, most famously used on the ZX Spectrum.
-
B.
Microsoft BASIC
Microsoft BASIC is a family of early, widely distributed implementations of the BASIC programming language created by Microsoft for microcomputers in the 1970s and 1980s.
-
C.
Locomotive BASIC
Locomotive BASIC is a dialect of the BASIC programming language designed for and built into Amstrad home computers, noted for its speed and advanced features for its time.
-
D.
Dartmouth BASIC
Dartmouth BASIC is the original implementation of the BASIC programming language, developed at Dartmouth College in the 1960s to make computing more accessible to students and non-specialists.
-
E.
BASICs
BASICs are the key safety performance measures used by the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to evaluate and monitor motor carriers and drivers under its Compliance, Safety, Accountability program.
- F. None of above. chosen
Statements (41)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Apple II system routine
ⓘ
AppleSoft BASIC feature ⓘ BASIC language function ⓘ |
| argumentName | paddle number ⓘ |
| argumentRange | 0–3 ⓘ |
| argumentType | integer expression ⓘ |
| availability | ROM-resident in AppleSoft BASIC ⓘ |
| category |
game programming feature
ⓘ
input function ⓘ |
| controllerCountSupported | 4 paddles ⓘ |
| documentation | AppleSoft BASIC Programmer's Reference Manual NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| environment |
AppleSoft BASIC immediate mode
ⓘ
AppleSoft BASIC program mode ⓘ |
| executionEnvironment | 8-bit 6502-based Apple II computers ⓘ |
| hardwareInterface | Apple II game I/O circuitry ⓘ |
| hardwareMechanism | measures RC timing of paddle potentiometer ⓘ |
| inputDevice |
analog joysticks
ⓘ
game paddles ⓘ paddle-compatible controllers ⓘ |
| introducedWith | AppleSoft BASIC interpreter ⓘ |
| languageFamily | Microsoft BASIC lineage ⓘ |
| platform |
Apple II Plus
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Apple II series NERFINISHED ⓘ Apple IIc NERFINISHED ⓘ Apple IIe NERFINISHED ⓘ Apple IIgs NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| primaryUse |
read analog input values
ⓘ
read game paddle positions ⓘ read joystick positions ⓘ |
| programmingLanguage | AppleSoft BASIC NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| relatedConcept | Apple II game port NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| relatedFunction | PREAD function (on some Apple II variants) ⓘ |
| requires | connected paddle or joystick for meaningful values ⓘ |
| returnRange | 0–255 ⓘ |
| returnType | integer ⓘ |
| sideEffect | reads current state of paddle timing hardware ⓘ |
| syntax | PDL(n) ⓘ |
| typicalUseCase |
read analog position for educational software
ⓘ
read player control in games ⓘ |
| value0Meaning | paddle at one extreme of travel ⓘ |
| value255Meaning | paddle at opposite extreme of travel ⓘ |
How these facts were elicited
The pipeline generated the facts above by prompting gpt-5.1 with this entity's name + description and the instruction below.
Instruction
You are a knowledge base construction expert. Given a subject entity and a description of it, return factual statements that you know for the subject as a JSON list of dictionaries(triples), where keys must be "subject", "predicate" and "object". The number of facts may be very high, between 25 to 50 or more, for very popular subjects. For less popular subjects, the number of facts can be very low, like 5 or 10. # Requirements - If you don't know the subject at all, return an empty list. - If the subject is not a named entity, return an empty list. - Include at least one triple where predicate is "instanceOf". - Do not get too wordy. - Separate several objects into multiple triples with one object.
Input
Subject: AppleSoft BASIC PDL function Description of subject: The AppleSoft BASIC PDL function is a built-in routine on Apple II computers used to read analog input values from game paddles and similar controllers.
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.