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The pages on this site contain documentation for very old MS-DOS software,
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SCREEN Statement Details - Adapters
◄Details► ◄Adapters► ◄Modes► ◄Color Attributes►
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Screen Modes, Adapters, and Displays
Scroll through the tables in this topic, which list the screen modes
available for each adapter. If the display device is also a factor in
choosing a screen mode, it is listed.
MDPA Screen Modes
The IBM Monochrome Display and Printer Adapter (MDPA) can be used only with
a monochrome display. Only SCREEN 0, text mode, can be used with the MDPA.
Rows and
Mode Columns Attributes Colors Resolution Pages
0 80x25 16 3 720x350 1
Hercules Adapter Screen Modes
Rows and
Mode Columns Attributes Colors Resolution Pages
0 80x25 16 1 720x348 2
3 80x25 16 1 720x348 2
CGA Screen Modes
The IBM Color Graphics Adapter (CGA) and Color Display are typically
paired. This combination permits running text-mode programs, and both
medium-resolution and high-resolution graphics programs.
Rows and
Mode Columns Colors Resolution Pages
0 40x25 16 320x200 8
80x25 " 640x200 4
1 40x25 4 320x200 1
2 80x25 2 640x200 1
EGA Screen Modes
The IBM Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA) may be used with either the IBM
Color Display or the Enhanced Color Display. In modes 0, 1, 2, 7, and
8, these pairings produce similar results, except for the following
possible differences:
1. The border color cannot be set on an Enhanced Color Display
when it is in 640 x 350 text mode.
2. The text quality is better on the Enhanced Color Display (an
8 x 14 character box for Enhanced Color Display versus an 8 x 8
character box for Color Display).
Mode 9 takes full advantage of the capabilities of the Enhanced Color
Display. Mode 9 provides for the highest resolution possible for the
EGA/Enhanced Color Display configuration. Programs written for this
mode will not work for any other hardware configuration except the
VGA.
The table below summarizes the screen modes that can be used with an
EGA.
Rows and Page
Mode Columns Display(a) Attributes Colors Resolution Size Pages
0 40x25 C 16 16 320x200 N/A 8
40x25 E " 64 320x350 " "
40x43 E " 64 320x350 " "(b)
80x25 C " 16 640x200 " "(b)
80x25 E " 64 640x350 " "(b)
80x25 C " 16 640x200 " "(b)
80x25 M " 3 720x350 " "(b)
80x43 E " 64 640x350 " 4(b)
80x43 M " 3 720x350 " 4(b)
1 40x25 N/A 4 16 320x200 16K 1
2 80x25 N/A 2 16 640x200 16K "
7 40x25 N/A 16 16 320x200 32K (c)
8 80x25 N/A 16 16 640x200 64K (c)
9(d) 80x25 E 4 64 640x350 64K 1
80x43 E 4 64 640x350 64K 1
80x25 E 16 64 640x350 128K (c)
80x43 E 16 64 640x350 128K (c)
10 80x25 M 4 9 640x350 64K (e)
80x43 M 4 9 640x350 64K (e)
___________________________________________________________________
(a) Color display,
E Enhanced color display,
M Monochrome display,
N/A Not applicable (either color display or enhanced color display)
(b) Pages=Screen memory divided by page size. Eight page maximum,
one page minimum.
(c) Pages=Screen memory divided by 2 divided by page size. Eight
page maximum, one page minimum.
(d) Number of pages is halved with 64K.
(e) The first two entries under mode 9 are for an EGA with 64K
of screen memory. The next two entries assume more than 64K
of screen memory.
EGA and VGA Adapters with Monochrome Display: SCREEN 10
Only the EGA and VGA can be paired with the IBM Monochrome Display
to run programs in Mode 10. This mode can be used to display monochrome
graphics at a very high resolution.
The following two tables summarize the default attributes and colors
for screen mode 10 used with a monochrome display.
Default Attributes: SCREEN 10, Monochrome Display
Attribute Displayed
Value Pseudocolor
0 Off
1 On, normal intensity
2 Blink
3 On, high intensity
Color Values: SCREEN 10, Monochrome Display
Color Displayed
Value Pseudocolor
0 Off
1 Blink, off to on
2 Blink, off to high intensity
3 Blink, on to off
4 On
5 Blink, on to high intensity
6 Blink, high intensity to off
7 Blink, high intensity to on
8 High intensity
VGA Screen Modes
The IBM Video Graphics Array (VGA) adapter offers significantly enhanced
text and graphics in all modes.
Rows and Page
Mode Columns Attributes Colors Resolution Size Pages
0 40x25 16 64 360x400 N/A 8
40x43 " " 320x350 " "
40x50 " " 320x400 " 4
80x25 " " 720x400 " 8
80x43 " " 640x350 " 4
80x43 " 3 720x350 " "
80x50 " 64 640x400 " "
80x50 " 3 720x400 " "
1 40x25 4 16 320x200 16K 1
2 80x25 2 " 640x200 " "
7 40x25 16 " 320x200 32K (a)
8 80x25 " " 640x200 64K (a)
9 80x25 " 64 640x350 128K (a)
80x43 " " " " (a)
10 80x25 4 9 " 64K (b)
80x43 " " " " (b)
11 80x30 2 256K 640x480 " 1
80x60 " " " " "
12 80x30 16 " " 256K "
80x60 " " " " "
13 40x25 256 " 320x200 64K "
_____________________________________________________________________
(a) Pages=Screen memory divided by page size. Eight page maximum.
(b) Pages=Screen memory divided by 2 divided by page size. Eight
page maximum.
See the ◄PALETTE statement details► for a description of how the VGA
calculates color values.
MCGA Screen Modes
The IBM Multicolor Graphics Array (MCGA) combines the modes of the CGA with
the very high resolution and 256K color modes of the VGA to provide enhanced
text and graphics in all modes.
Rows and Page
Mode Columns Attributes Colors Resolution Size Pages
0 40x25 16 N/A 320x400 N/A 8
80x25 " " 640x400 " "
1 40x25 4 " 320x200 16K 1
2 80x25 2 " 640x200 " "
11 80x30 " 256K 640x480 64K "
80x60 " " " " "
13 40x25 256 " 320x200 " "
The MCGA uses the same color values as the VGA. For a description of how
the MCGA calculates color values, see the ◄PALETTE statement details►.