Why Save First?

I am a new computer user, and I'm confused about something I read in your magazines. You often say Save a copy of the program before you run it. I find that I can run a program and save it later if I like the program. Could you please explain why it's important to save first?

John Huda

In most cases, it is possible to save a BASIC program after you've run it. However, some programs modify or delete parts of themselves when they are run. If you save at that point, you may not get the entire program. Other programs POKE a machine language program into memory. If you've mistyped even one number in the machine language portion, the computer may lock up, requiring you to turn the machine off and back on to regain control. Whenever you turn off the power, you lose whatever was previously in the computer's memory. To avoid losing your work by accident, it's always a good idea to save a program before you try it out for the first time.