View Attach (1) Info

Add new attachment

Only authorized users are allowed to upload new attachments.

List of attachments

Kind Attachment Name Size Version Date Modified Author Change note
txt
 The Battle of The Basic_s-Tom ... 7.9 kB 1 06-May-2019 07:28 Roland B. Wassenberg The Battle of The Basic_s-Tom Hunt.txt

This page (revision-60) was last changed on 03-Feb-2023 16:21 by Andreas Tartz  

This page was created on 10-Apr-2010 13:34 by Carsten Strotmann

Only authorized users are allowed to rename pages.

Only authorized users are allowed to delete pages.

Difference between version and

At line 3 changed one line
In computer programming, BASIC (an acronym for Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of high-level programming languages. The original BASIC was designed in 1964 by John George Kemeny and Thomas Eugene Kurtz at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, USA to provide computer access to non-science students. At the time, nearly all use of computers required writing custom software, which was something only scientists and mathematicians tended to be able to do. The language and its variants became widespread on microcomputers in the late 1970s and 1980s.
[BASIC|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASIC] (an acronym for Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of high-level programming languages. The [original BASIC|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dartmouth_BASIC] was designed in 1964 by John George Kemeny and Thomas Eugene Kurtz at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, USA to provide computer access to non-science students. Many versions of BASIC, with widely differing features and syntax, emerged during the 1960s and 70s.
At line 5 changed one line
[Wikipedia on BASIC|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASIC]
The introduction of the [Altair 8800|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altair_8800] in 1975 led Gates and Allen to form Microsoft to make a BASIC interpreter for that platform. They were most familiar with [BASIC-PLUS|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASIC-PLUS] from the PDP-11, and patterned their new BASIC on that version. Many now-common features, like the LEFT/RIGHT/MID string handling, come from BASIC-PLUS. From that point on, Microsoft BASIC has been the standard by which all are measured.
At line 7 changed one line
Basic versions for the Atari Computers
The Atari 8-bit machines were originally game consoles but switched to be home computers while they were being designed. This led to a need for BASIC on the platform. Atari licensed MS BASIC, but could not get it to fit into an 8kB ROM, which was all that was available at the time. They turned to Shepardson Microsystems, who produced [Atari BASIC] to fill this need. Atari BASIC had many differences from the MS BASICs of the era, and the Atari was always unique in this regard.
At line 9 changed one line
* [Atari Basic]
Atari BASIC was ''very'' slow, much slower than BASIC running on other home computers that were (otherwise) slower than the Atari. This led to a profusion of new BASICs for the platform, perhaps unlike any other 8-bit machine of the era. The release of [Turbo-BASIC XL] in 1985 was something like a bomb going off, largely replacing Atari BASIC wholescale. There was really nothing similar in the Commodore or Apple II markets, where there were lots of basics but most remained obscure.
Development continues; [Altirra Basic], [Basic++] and [FastBasic] were all written in the 2010s, and they will likely not be the last.
!!Basic versions for Atari 8 bit computers in order of production year
* [Atari BASIC]
* [Microsoft Basic I]
* [Microsoft Basic II]
At line 11 removed 2 lines
* [Microsoft Basic I|Microsoft Basic I]
* [Microsoft Basic II|Microsoft Basic II]
At line 16 changed one line
* [TURBO-BASIC XL|TURBO-BASIC XL]
* [Turbo-BASIC XL|Turbo-BASIC XL]
At line 24 added one line
* [BASICODE]
At line 20 changed one line
* [Closer To Home FastBasic|FastBasic]
* [CTH-FastBasic]
At line 30 added 5 lines
* [FastBasic]
!!Basic related
* Ken's Super BASIC - loadable extensions for Atari BASIC, no longer available.
At line 36 added one line
* [TURBAN] ; TURboBAsic Nifty. Smartest IDE for BASIC for the Atari.
At line 38 added 2 lines
!!Basic references
At line 41 added 2 lines
* [The Battle of The Basic's by Tom Hunt 1992|The Battle of The Basic_s-Tom Hunt.txt]
* Some thoughts on the "[Ultimate Basic]"
Version Date Modified Size Author Changes ... Change note
60 03-Feb-2023 16:21 2.932 kB Andreas Tartz to previous
59 02-Jun-2021 20:06 2.918 kB Maury Markowitz to previous | to last
58 02-Aug-2020 22:37 2.87 kB Peter Dell to previous | to last
57 02-Aug-2020 22:36 2.902 kB Peter Dell to previous | to last
56 29-Jul-2020 23:57 2.917 kB Peter Dell to previous | to last TURBO-BASIC XL ==> Turbo-BASIC XL
55 18-Apr-2020 22:01 2.887 kB Roland B. Wassenberg to previous | to last
54 18-Apr-2020 22:00 2.902 kB Roland B. Wassenberg to previous | to last
53 18-Apr-2020 21:40 2.917 kB Roland B. Wassenberg to previous | to last TURBO-BASIC XX ==> TURBO-BASIC XL
52 18-Apr-2020 21:39 2.902 kB Roland B. Wassenberg to previous | to last TURBO-BASIC XL ==> TURBO-BASIC XX
51 24-Sep-2019 00:27 2.872 kB Roland B. Wassenberg to previous | to last
50 06-May-2019 07:29 2.832 kB Roland B. Wassenberg to previous | to last
49 10-Sep-2018 04:55 2.745 kB Roland B. Wassenberg to previous | to last
48 10-Sep-2018 04:55 2.749 kB Roland B. Wassenberg to previous | to last
47 10-Sep-2018 04:54 2.745 kB Roland B. Wassenberg to previous | to last
46 10-Sep-2018 04:53 2.743 kB Roland B. Wassenberg to previous | to last
45 15-May-2018 14:38 2.674 kB Maury Markowitz to previous | to last
44 15-May-2018 14:38 2.719 kB Maury Markowitz to previous | to last
43 14-May-2018 15:43 2.635 kB Maury Markowitz to previous | to last
42 14-May-2018 15:42 2.61 kB Maury Markowitz to previous | to last
41 14-May-2018 15:42 2.625 kB Maury Markowitz to previous | to last
« This page (revision-60) was last changed on 03-Feb-2023 16:21 by Andreas Tartz  
G’day (anonymous guest) My Prefs
Articles
Hardware
Software
Applications
Memory Map Topic list
MicroUSB
AllNews
FAQ
Index
Languages
Code
What's New?
Voice and Data Cassettes
Atari Program Exchange (APX)
Atari Learning System Software
PLATO (Programmed Logic for Automated Teaching Operation)
Podcasts
Official country specific Atari software
Thanks
Rarity 10
Statistics
© 2010-2021 AtariWiki
All content in the Wiki is licensed under Creative Commons Share Alike License, unless otherwise noted.
JSPWiki v2.8.3