This is version 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 . It is not the current version, and thus it cannot be edited.

Back to current versionRestore this version

Basic XE#

OSS, 1984

Basic XE is the ultimate development of the original Atari BASIC code, after it was taken over by Optimized Systems Software (OSS). It was a further expansion of Basic XL that made use of the XE machine's extended memory. Like Basic XL, it included a number a features that improved Atari BASIC's notoriously slow performance, added new commands for player/missile graphics and other features, all while remaining backwardly compatible with the original Atari BASIC and running it's programs much faster.

The changes between Basic XE and Basic XL are minor, mostly related to handling the increased RAM capabilities of the XE series. However, it did not include the AUTORUN runtime library found in Basic XL, meaning that programs that used Basic XE's functionality could not run on machines that did not also have a Basic XE cartridge. However, programs that used only the Basic XL extensions could be written in XE and then linked to the XL's AUTORUN runtime library.

The release of TURBO-BASIC XL at roughly the same time as Basic XE meant that Basic XE was largely forgotten in the market. Turbo-Basic had all the features of Basic XE and many more, and also shipped with a compiler that not only made stand-alone programs but ran them dozens of times faster as well.

BASIC XE source code#

BASIC_XE_4.2-1_master_with_DOS_2.0D.atr ; please use with OSS MAC/65; Yotta-thanks to all who help us here
BASIC_XE_4.2-2_slave_with_DOS_2.0D.atr ; please use with OSS MAC/65; Yotta-thanks to all who help us here
BASIC_XE_4.2-3_fp_with_DOS_2.5.atr ; please use with OSS MAC/65; Yotta-thanks to all who help us here

To enable building BASIC XE 4.2 for M091 cartridges, a change has to be made in the D1:MASTER2 file: in line 290, change the value of _27128 to 1. Then follow the normal assembly steps. It results in an object file that loads the four banks to the $3000-$6FFF area in the "1M09" order. Retrieving the bank data in a correct order results in an M091 ROM image.

Thank you so much Tomasz 'Kr0tki' Krasuski for the info in building the runtime, we owe you so much. :-)))

CAR-Image#

Basic XE 4.1.car
Basic_XE_4.2.car ; '034M'-version created by a good soul from AtariAge ; thank you so much good soul! :-)))

ROM-Images#

BASIC XE 4.1.rom
OSS Basic XE 7.2 (universal).rom Should work with SpartaDOS

BIN-Image#

Basic_XE_v4.2_(1986-02-09)(Lawrow,_Stephen_D.)(US)(034M).bin ; '034M'-version created by a good soul from AtariAge ; thank you so much good soul! :-)))
Basic_XE_v4.2_(1986-02-09)(Lawrow,_Stephen_D.)(US)(043M).bin ; just runs in Altirra with OSS '043M' ; thank you so much Tomasz 'Kr0tki' Krasuski for building the 1st runtime, we owe you so much. :-)))
Basic_XE_v4.2_(1986-02-09)(OSS)(US)(M091).bin ; 'M091'-version created by Tomasz 'Kr0tki' Krasuski; thank you so much Tomasz 'Kr0tki' Krasuski for building the runtime, we owe you so much. :-)))

ATR-Image#

BASIC XE Extension Disk.atr
Some example programs ; thanks to Charlie Chaplin from AtariAge. :-)

Manual#

• OSS-Basic XE Reference Manual 39.0 MB, OCR, onesided, incredible quality made by GoodByteXL. Thank you so much GoodByteXL, you really make the best PDF-files available. Please go ahead with your outstanding work! :-)))
• Optimized Systems Software, Inc. - SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT ; thanks to Atarimania

XEP80 driver for BASIC XE#

xep80bxe.arc ; this is the driver for the XEP80 to work with OSS BASIC XE (.COM file)
XEP80_BASIC_XE.atr ; same as above on an atr-image

Info#

• Basic XE Information on Wikipedia

Picture#

OSS BASIC XE 4.2 - startscreen