Table of Contents

TURBO-BASIC XL#

TURBO-BASIC XL is a fast Basic Interpreter for the Atari 8bit XL/XE. Written by Frank Ostrowski and first published by German Happy Computer magazine. TURBO-BASIC XL is fully compatible to Atari Basic with an extended set of commands. There is also a TURBO-BASIC XL Compiler. A handbook (in German) can be found at http://www.strotmann.de/~highland/bib/bibindex.html

TURBO-BASIC XL is compatible with Atari BASIC, but it runs three to four times faster when interpreted and has advanced program control and I/O commands. Using the TURBO-BASIC XL compiler makes programs run 15-20 times faster than Atari BASIC and it will compile Atari BASIC programs too!

TURBO-BASIC XL will only work on XL and XE computers with at least 64K. Ostrowski is also the author of GFA BASIC for the Atari ST, which is being distributed in the U.S. by MichTron.

TUREX.COM is the enhancement for TURBO-BASIC XL you are looking for. So, load TURBO-BASIC XL, then BLOAD or BRUN the TUREX.COM file. You now have an extended version of TURBO-BASIC XL with various new commands. Take a look at the TUREX.TXT file, it is the german documentation which shows all available extra commands...

As mentioned before, all *.XTB files are only examples for the TURBO-BASIC XL enhancement. (The "Extended TURBO-BASIC XL" was originally released as an *.ARC file, I also put this file on the disk together with Unarc.COM; but you already find all unarced files on the disk, so the ARC file is kinda redundant and just there for archiving purposes.)

Afair, XTB had been created by Thorsten Karwoth, he is also the author of Atari Macro Assembler 4.32, Atari Macro Assembler XE 2.1, Power Packer, Packer and Linker, Megablast, MyDOS Batchfile Enhancement, Laser Duell, Soundmonitor Professional and a few other programs. Thank you so much Thorsten, for giving your work into PD. We really owe you very much. The community is deep in your debt!

Pictures form Frank Ostrowski#

Frank Ostrowski around 1985

Article of Frank Ostrowski's Turbo-Basic XL from 12/1985

Frank Ostrowski and his boss in the mid 80's

Source Code#

After years of investigation and paying government fees in 3 digits amount, AtariWiki can disclose, that the author of TURBO-BASIC XL, Frank Ostrowski, has left us in 2011 at age 50 due to a severe disease. Deep investigations, regarding his brother, his sisters, his colleagues and so on, come to the conclusion, that the source code is lost in time. Even the enhanced version from Thorsten Karwoth is lost, because of a water damage in Thorsten's home, which destroyed all listings and diskettes. That is a very sad status, but there is still hope. If someone out there in the galaxy can build a source code out of this marvelous program from the original object code, like Lorenz did with Star Raiders Star Raiders source code by Lorenz Wiest, we can rebuild it, we have the capability to build the best Basic for Atari ever, faster, stronger, better. We call the six million dollar Basic just simple Ultimate Basic. With all the source codes now in PD: Source Codes it should be possible. Stay tuned.

Frank, wherever you are, you really did a man's job, so outstanding and far ahead of your time. Germany is deep in your debt and so is the worldwide Atari community. We will never forgot your work and your contribution to the world. You belong to those, who are not replaceable and will never be forgotten. May god bless you, wherever you are now.

Well, sometimes miracles happen, so today: 5/22/17 ; Somewhere out there in the galaxy a very good soul (who prefer to stay in the dark) with a great heart at the right place had the source code und we can offer it now with the permission of the Ostrowski family. Here we go:
  • TBXL_DSDD_DOS_XE.atr(info) ; size: 368 KB ; complete source on one disk image (DSDD) with DOS XE ; the ACTION! cartridge can read in the source code and the Bibo Assembler
  • TBXL_SSDD_DOS_2.0D-1.atr(info) ; size: 184 KB ; complete source on two disk images (SSDD) with DOS 2.0D part 1/2 ; the ACTION! cartridge can read in the source code
  • TBXL_SSDD_DOS_2.0D-2.atr(info) ; size: 184 KB ; complete source on two disk images (SSDD) with DOS 2.0D part 2/2 ; the ACTION! cartridge can read in the source code
  • TEXT.zip(info) ; size: 683 KB ; complete source code in one folder as text files. Please take into account, that the tokens in file #11 are with special characters, therefore, we made some screenshots of these letters on an original Atari.
  • Atari_Ampel_Decoder_0.09.zip(info) ; typed-in object codes from the Happy Computer magazines as text files regarding the interpreter, compiler, runtime etc. including an Ampel decoder. Ampel is a Basic program for typing in object code with checksums in order to verify the typed-in listing.

CAR-Images#

ROM-Images#

There is only one byte difference between the headers in the two files above, which is in the cartridge type definition section of the header. The Altirra CAR has the correct byte of "55" for a SIC cart, whereas the Atari800MacX CAR has "30", which is the type defined for a MegaCart 256 KB. Thank you MrFish from AtariAge for your help! :-)

ATR-Images#

XEX-File#

CAS-File#

Manuals#

Images#

TURBO-BASIC XL - startscreen

TURBO-BASIC XL - TURBO-BASIC XL 1.5, Compiler 1.1, Runtime and Linker in just one single cartridge

TURBO-BASIC XL - TURBO-BASIC XL 1.6 ; thank you so much THOR! We really appreciate your help, especially with Basic++

TURBO-BASIC XL - TURBO-BASIC_XL Compiler Version 1.1 - intro

TURBO-BASIC XL - TURBO-BASIC_XL Compiler Version 1.1 - main

Ron Fetzer

This particular version was published on 29-May-2017 17:00 by Roland B. Wassenberg.  Top