The loc of a Sprite

Date:    Sun, 5 Mar 1995 19:52:50 +0000
From:    Peter Small <peter@GENPS.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject: Why haven't they told us about the loc, Dr. Watson?

To position a sprite, I've always used:

  set the locH of  sprite theSprite to integerNumber
  set the locV of  sprite theSprite to anotherIntegerNumber
  UpdateStage

I now discover that I can use a term "the loc"

Put a pause in the exitFrame handler of the frame script and try out the following with a rectangular bit map in channel 1:

  set the loc of sprite 1 to point(320,240)
  updatestage

The sprite dutifully moves to the point 320,240

Then Try:

  put the loc of sprite 1

Into the messagebox pops:

  point(320,240)

Now put another bit mapped rectangle into channel 2 and try:

  set the loc of sprite 2 to the loc of sprite 1
  updateStage

The channel 2 rectangle jumps into the center of the channel 1 rectangle.

Now look in the manual and look up "loc". It isn't there. What's going on? Have I lost a page in my manual? Is this an undocumented feature? A secret feature? A feature which will not be supported in future updates?

I like this "new" feature I've "discovered". It is so much better than having to use two lines to alter locH and locV separately every time I want to move a sprite?

Please somebody, tell me all about it?