Atari 8-bit computer software
Encyclopedia
This article covers various significant pieces of software available for the Atari
8-bit home computers
(400/800, XL and XE series).
For coverage of the operating system
, please refer to the section within the main article.
After Atari's 8-bit machines entered the realm of retrocomputing
in the late 1990s, cross platform development tools such as XASM, TASM, and cc65
, most commonly run on PCs
, have been much used by enthusiasts to do programming intended for the machines.
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
8-bit home computers
Atari 8-bit family
The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit home computers manufactured from 1979 to 1992. All are based on the MOS Technology 6502 CPU and were the first home computers designed with custom coprocessor chips...
(400/800, XL and XE series).
For coverage of the operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
, please refer to the section within the main article.
Available programming languages
- Action!Action programming languageAction! is a programming language, with integrated editor, debugger, and 6502 compiler, for the Atari 8-bit family of microcomputers. Action! was created by Clinton Parker and released on cartridge by Optimized Systems Software in 1983...
– A product of Optimized Systems SoftwareOptimized Systems SoftwareOptimized Systems Software was a small company producing operating systems and programming languages for the Atari 8-bit and Apple II computer families...
. A high performance language that compiled to machine code, with good support for Atari's hardware. While it was popular with hobbyists, it never attained widespread acceptance, particularly since it was limited to the Atari 8-bit platform. - Assembly languageAssembly languageAn assembly language is a low-level programming language for computers, microprocessors, microcontrollers, and other programmable devices. It implements a symbolic representation of the machine codes and other constants needed to program a given CPU architecture...
- Atari Assembler EditorAtari Assembler EditorThe Atari Assembler Editor cartridge was a program used to edit, compile and debug assembly language programs for the Atari 8-bit computers. It was programmed by Kathleen O'Brien of Shepardson Microsystems, Inc.- Details :...
– A 6502MOS Technology 6502The MOS Technology 6502 is an 8-bit microprocessor that was designed by Chuck Peddle and Bill Mensch for MOS Technology in 1975. When it was introduced, it was the least expensive full-featured microprocessor on the market by a considerable margin, costing less than one-sixth the price of...
assembler editor and compiler was released by Atari in a ROM cartridge. - Atari Macro Assembler (AMAC) – A macro assembler released by Atari Program ExchangeAtari Program ExchangeAtari Program Exchange was a division of Atari, Inc. that distributed software for the Atari 8-bit family of home computers through a quarterly mail-order catalog. APX, the brain-child of Dale Yocam, started in February 1981 and guided by Fred Thorlin. APX published quarterly catalogs until 1984,...
(APX) in disk form. Copy protected. - MAC/65MAC/65MAC/65 was an assembler produced by Optimized Systems Software for the Atari 8-bit family of microcomputers. It was a direct descendent of OSS's EASMD. Much like the Atari Assembler Editor cartridge, MAC/65 combined a line editor, assembler, and debugger into a single package. MAC/65 was notable...
– 6502 macro assembler/editor developed by Optimized Systems SoftwareOptimized Systems SoftwareOptimized Systems Software was a small company producing operating systems and programming languages for the Atari 8-bit and Apple II computer families...
. Released in disk and cartridge forms. - Synassembler – Assembler from Synapse Software. Written by Steve Hales. Not compatible with XL/XE computers without patching.
- Macro Assembler/Text Editor (MAE) – Assembler from Eastern House Software by Carl Moser.
- ATMAS II
- Atari Assembler Editor
- BASIC dialects.
- Atari BASICAtari BASICAtari BASIC is a BASIC interpreter for the Atari 8-bit family of 6502-based home computers. The interpreter originally shipped on an 8 KB cartridge; on later XL/XE model computers it was built in, with an option to disable it, and started when the machines were booted with no other cartridges...
– This was the original BASIC for the Atari 8-bit family. Came as a ROM cartridge with the Atari 400/800 models, but was built into the computer's ROM in later models. In the XL/XE models, BASIC could be disabled by holding down the OPTION key while booting. - Atari Microsoft BASICAtari Microsoft BASICThe Atari Microsoft BASIC and Atari Microsoft BASIC II variants of the BASIC programming language were cartridge or floppy disk packaged versions of the Microsoft BASIC dialect ported to the Atari 8-bit machines....
– A version of BASIC for the Atari 8-bit family released by AtariAtariAtari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
that was more compatible with Microsoft BASICMicrosoft BASICMicrosoft BASIC was the foundation product of the Microsoft company. It first appeared in 1975 as Altair BASIC, which was the first BASIC, and the first high level programming language available for the MITS Altair 8800 hobbyist microcomputer....
. It was initially released on disk only. Microsoft BASIC II was the same except it was in a ROM cartridge plus extension disk. - Turbo Basic XL – An improved version of Atari BASIC released by a third party that is not only faster, but offers many more commands. There is also a compiler that makes Turbo-BASIC XL programs even faster by compiling them into machine-language binaries.
- BASIC A Plus — An extended BASIC from Optimized Systems SoftwareOptimized Systems SoftwareOptimized Systems Software was a small company producing operating systems and programming languages for the Atari 8-bit and Apple II computer families...
- BASIC XL — An improved BASIC from Optimized Systems SoftwareOptimized Systems SoftwareOptimized Systems Software was a small company producing operating systems and programming languages for the Atari 8-bit and Apple II computer families...
http://www.atariarchives.org/cfn/05/10/0018.php - BASIC XE — An enhanced version of BASIC XL from Optimized Systems SoftwareOptimized Systems SoftwareOptimized Systems Software was a small company producing operating systems and programming languages for the Atari 8-bit and Apple II computer families...
http://www.atariarchives.org/cfn/05/10/0018.php - Advan BASIC – This BASIC was written by William Graziano (Advan Language Designs) which was a full featured BASIC with advanced sound and player-missile support. There is also a BASIC compiler, Screen Design, and Utility package. This software was released to public domain in 2006 by William Graziano http://advan.oldos.net
- Atari BASIC
- C (Programming Language)
- Deep Blue CDeep Blue CThe Deep Blue C is one of the few C compilers for the Atari 8 bit. John H. Palevich is the author of this compiler. The syntax supported by DBC is close to the ANSI C with significant limitations.- Limitations :...
– A CC (programming language)C is a general-purpose computer programming language developed between 1969 and 1973 by Dennis Ritchie at the Bell Telephone Laboratories for use with the Unix operating system....
compiler. Written by John Palevich, APX. Based on Ron Cain's popular Small-CSmall-CIn computing, Small-C is both a subset of the C programming language, suitable for resource-limited microcomputers and embedded systems, and an implementation of that subset...
compiler.
- Deep Blue C
- LISPLispA lisp is a speech impediment, historically also known as sigmatism. Stereotypically, people with a lisp are unable to pronounce sibilants , and replace them with interdentals , though there are actually several kinds of lisp...
- INTER-LISP/65
- LOGO
- Atari LOGOAtari LOGOAtari LOGO was a programming language for the Atari 8-bit computers.Atari LOGO was developed by Logo Computer Systems, Inc. in Quebec, Canada. Since LCSI wrote Apple Logo, the Atari version maintained strong compatibility with it. Atari LOGO also featured commands that supported the Atari 8-bit...
- Atari LOGO
- PILOTPILOTProgrammed Instruction, Learning, Or Teaching is a simle historic programming language developed in the 1960s.Like its younger sibling LOGO programming language, it was an early foray into the technology of computer assisted instruction ....
- Atari PILOT
- Pascal
- Atari PascalAtari PascalAtari Pascal is a program released by Atari in 1982. It was the first version of Pascal available for the Atari 8-bit computers.Because it was released through Atari Program Exchange, Atari Pascal was unsupported by Atari. It also required two disk drives.-External links:* - Review of Atari Pascal...
– Required two drives. - Draper Pascal
- Kyan Pascal
- Atari Pascal
- Forth
- Antic Forth
- ES-Forth
- fig Forth
- gForth
- mforth
- QS-Forth
- ValForth
- VolksForth
- X-Forth
After Atari's 8-bit machines entered the realm of retrocomputing
Retrocomputing
Retrocomputing is the use of early computer hardware and software today. Retrocomputing is usually classed as a hobby and recreation rather than a practical application of technology; enthusiasts often collect rare and valuable hardware and software for sentimental reasons...
in the late 1990s, cross platform development tools such as XASM, TASM, and cc65
Cc65
-External links:***...
, most commonly run on PCs
IBM PC compatible
IBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC architecture, facilitated by various manufacturers' ability to...
, have been much used by enthusiasts to do programming intended for the machines.