QBasic and VBDOS Screen Modes

At a Glance

The following table briefly summarizes each of the screen modes available in Q(uick)Basic and VB-DOS.

Many screen modes support more than one combination of rows and columns on the screen. See the WIDTH statement for more information about changing the number of rows and columns on the display.

Worth knowing

Useful and cross-version information about the programming environments of QBasic, QuickBasic and Visual Basic for DOS.

ASCII Code Tables
Keyboard Scan Codes
Syntax Conventions
Screen Modes
Color Attributes
Error Codes

MDPA, CGA, Hercules, Olivetti, EGA, VGA, or MCGA Adapters

SCREEN 0: Text mode only

40 x 25, 40 x 43, 40 x 50, 80 x 25, 80 x 43, or 80 x 50 text format, 8 x 8 character box (8 x 14, 9 x 14, or 9 x 16 with EGA or VGA)
16 colors assigned to any of 16 attributes (with CGA or EGA)
64 colors assigned to any of 16 attributes (with EGA or VGA)
Depending on the text resolution and adapter, 8 video memory pages (0-7), 4 pages (0-3), 2 pages (0-1), or 1 page (0)

CGA, EGA, VGA, or MCGA Adapters

SCREEN 1: 320 x 200 graphics

40 x 25 text format, 8 x 8 character box
16 background colors and one of two sets of 3 foreground colors assigned using COLOR statement with CGA
16 colors assigned to 4 attributes with EGA or VGA
1 video memory page (0)

SCREEN 2: 640 x 200 graphics

80 x 25 text format, 8 x 8 character box
16 colors assigned to 2 attributes with EGA or VGA
1 video memory page (0)

Hercules, Olivetti, or AT&T Adapters

SCREEN 3: Hercules adapter required, monochrome monitor only

720 x 348 graphics
80 x 25 text format, 9 x 14 character box
Usually 2 video memory pages (0-1); 1 page (0) if a second color display adapter is installed
PALETTE statement not supported
Invoke the Hercules driver MSHERC.COM before using screen mode 3

SCREEN 4:

Supports Olivetti Personal Computers models M24, M240, M28, M280, M380, M380/C, and M380/T and AT&T Personal Computers 6300 series
640 x 400 graphics
80 x 25 text format, 8 x 16 character box
1 of 16 colors assigned as the foreground color (selected by the COLOR statement); background is fixed at black
1 video memory page (0)
PALETTE statement not supported

EGA or VGA Adapters

SCREEN 7: 320 x 200 graphics

40 x 25 text format, 8 x 8 character box
Assignment of 16 colors to any of 16 attributes
If 64K EGA adapter memory, 2 video memory pages (0-1); otherwise, 8 pages (0-7)

SCREEN 8: 640 x 200 graphics

80 x 25 text format, 8 x 8 character box
Assignment of 16 colors to any of 16 attributes
If 64K EGA adapter memory, 1 video memory page (0); otherwise, 4 pages (0-3)

SCREEN 9: 640 x 350 graphics

80 x 25 or 80 x 43 text format, 8 x 14 or 8 x 8 character box
16 colors assigned to 4 attributes (64K adapter memory), or 64 colors assigned to 16 attributes (more than 64K adapter memory)
If 64K EGA adapter memory, 1 video memory page (0); otherwise, 2 pages (0-1)

EGA or VGA Adapters, Monochrome Monitor Only

SCREEN 10: 640 x 350 graphics, monochrome monitor only

80 x 25 or 80 x 43 text format, 8 x 14 or 8 x 8 character box
Up to 9 pseudocolors assigned to 4 attributes
2 video memory pages (0-1), 256K adapter memory required

VGA or MCGA Adapters

Screen 11 (VGA or MCGA)

640 x 480 graphics
80 x 30 or 80 x 60 text format, 8 x 16 or 8 x 8 character box
Assignment of up to 256K colors to 2 attributes
1 video memory page (0)

Screen 12 (VGA)

640 x 480 graphics
80 x 30 or 80 x 60 text format, 8 x 16 or 8 x 8 character box
Assignment of up to 256K colors to 16 attributes
1 video memory page (0)

Screen 13 (VGA or MCGA)

320 x 200 graphics
40 x 25 text format, 8 x 8 character box
Assignment of up to 256K colors to 256 attributes
1 video memory page (0)