SOLSYS.BAS
February 2000 by Marc Kummel aka Treebeard.
Contact mkummel@rain.org, http://www.rain.org/~mkummel/

 What is SOLSYS.BAS?
--------------------
If the Earth was a one-inch ball then what would the sun be and where?
SOLSYS is a small BASIC program I wrote one night as my answer for a Dunn 
Middle School science assignment (I'm the teacher) to figure and build a 
true scale model of the solar system.  You can enter a scale size for the 
Earth or for Pluto's orbit, and SOLSYS will figure the rest.  It can 
automatically use common units like inches and meters.  Simple, and useful. 
The message is that the solar system is a big empty place.  Treasure it!

For more info on the Solar System, check out The Nine Planets site at
<A HREF="http://www.seds.org/billa/tnp/">.


 Using SOLSYS.BAS
-----------------
SOLSYS is a simple DOS program.  Run it in DOS, or a Command session in 
Windows.  A simple menu appears with these choices:

  Enter scale size for:
    (1) Earth's Diameter
    (2) Pluto's Orbit
    (3) Solar System Tour
    (Q) Quit
  Choice <1,2,3,Q>

It's ok to include a unit in this list: mile|feet|inch|km|cm|mm|day|hour|sec.
  Press <1> to enter a scale size for the Earth and figure everything else.
  Press <2> to enter a scale size for the Solar System and figure everything 
            else.
  Press <3> for a very simple animation with every display column a thousand 
            miles.
  Press <Q> to quit the program


 The Files:
-----------
I wrote this program to solve a stumper.  You'll have to study the source 
code for more info.  I wrote it using MS Basic PDS v7.10, but it should 
work with any version of QBasic, QuickBasic, or PDF.

  SOLSYS.EXE         DOS executible
  SOLSYS.BAS         BASIC source code
  README.TXT         This file
  TBVAULT.TXT        Treebeard's Basic Vault info


 Conditions:
------------
This program and source code are yours to use and modify as you will, but 
they are offered as freeware with no warranty whatsoever.  Give me credit, 
but do not distribute any changes under my name, or attribute such changes 
to me in any way.  You're on your own!  

If you find this program or code useful, then let me know what you do with 
it, as a courtesy to a fellow programmer who still hacks for fun and glory.
Any suggestions or comments will be much appreciated.

Send comments and fixes to:

  Marc Kummel aka Treebeard
  mkummel@rain.org
  http://www.rain.org/~mkummel/
  http://www.treebeard.org/

For more interesting Basic software with source code, check out Treebeard's 
Basic Vault at <http://www.rain.org/~mkummel/basic/>.