Atari ST BASIC
Encyclopedia
Atari ST BASIC was the first dialect
of BASIC that was produced for the Atari ST
line of computers. It was bundled with all new STs in the early years of the ST's lifespan, and quickly became the standard BASIC for that platform. However, many users disliked it, and improved dialects of BASIC quickly came out to replace it. ST BASIC became famous for its abundance of bugs. It was possible to crash ST BASIC with the following line of code:
PRINT 75.3
commissioned MetaComCo
to write a version of BASIC that would take advantage of the GEM
environment on the Atari ST. This was based on a version already written for Digital Research
called DR-Basic, which was bundled with DR's CP/M-86 operating system. The result was called ST BASIC. At the time the ST was launched, ST BASIC was bundled with all new STs. A further port of the same Basic ended up being supplied for a time with the ST's bitter rival, the Amiga
.
consisted of four windows
. An edit-window in which one could enter the source code
, a list-window where the entire source code could be browsed, a command/debug-window where instructions were entered that were immediately executed, and the output-window.
However, the windows could only be selected with the mouse, this became cumbersome.
, then using ST BASIC would maximise the number of people who could run the program.
However, many people found it inadequate for their needs. Although many people who had just upgraded from an 8-bit
home computer
found it to be faster than the BASIC for their old computer, and were impressed with the ST's graphical abilities, and the ability to have the program's output display in a different window than the program-listing, they soon realised that not only did it contain several bugs, but that once other BASICs started to come out on the ST, they realised just how slow ST BASIC was, and that the use of GEM was more of a hindrance once the novelty wore off (the fact that GEM on the ST was limited to four windows and that the ST BASIC interface already used four windows did not help).
were two of the first of these third-party BASICs to be released. As these BASICS were not free, a program written in one of these BASICS could only be listed and run if the user had that BASIC. However, compiler
s and run-time executables started to appear for these BASICS that produced executable code that could run on all STs, and type in programs became less fashionable, so there was no longer a need for a standard BASIC. By then, HiSoft BASIC, Omikron BASIC and STOS BASIC
had appeared. Some of these BASICs even started to be bundled with new STs in the later years.
Programming language dialect
A dialect of a programming language is a variation or extension of the language that does not change its intrinsic nature. With languages such as Scheme and Forth, standards may be considered insufficient, inadequate or even illegitimate by implementors, so often they will deviate from the...
of BASIC that was produced for the Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
line of computers. It was bundled with all new STs in the early years of the ST's lifespan, and quickly became the standard BASIC for that platform. However, many users disliked it, and improved dialects of BASIC quickly came out to replace it. ST BASIC became famous for its abundance of bugs. It was possible to crash ST BASIC with the following line of code:
PRINT 75.3
Origins
AtariAtari
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...
commissioned MetaComCo
MetaComCo
MetaComCo was a computer systems software company started in 1981 and based in Bristol, England by Peter Mackeonis and Derek Budge.MetaComCo's first product was an MBASIC compatible interpreter for IBM PC's, which was licensed by Peter Mackeonis to Digital Research in 1982, and issued as the...
to write a version of BASIC that would take advantage of the GEM
Graphical Environment Manager
GEM was a windowing system created by Digital Research, Inc. for use with the CP/M operating system on the Intel 8088 and Motorola 68000 microprocessors...
environment on the Atari ST. This was based on a version already written for Digital Research
Digital Research
Digital Research, Inc. was the company created by Dr. Gary Kildall to market and develop his CP/M operating system and related products. It was the first large software company in the microcomputer world...
called DR-Basic, which was bundled with DR's CP/M-86 operating system. The result was called ST BASIC. At the time the ST was launched, ST BASIC was bundled with all new STs. A further port of the same Basic ended up being supplied for a time with the ST's bitter rival, the Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
.
Appearance on screen
The user interfaceUser interface
The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...
consisted of four windows
Window (computing)
In computing, a window is a visual area containing some kind of user interface. It usually has a rectangular shape that can overlap with the area of other windows...
. An edit-window in which one could enter the source code
Source code
In computer science, source code is text written using the format and syntax of the programming language that it is being written in. Such a language is specially designed to facilitate the work of computer programmers, who specify the actions to be performed by a computer mostly by writing source...
, a list-window where the entire source code could be browsed, a command/debug-window where instructions were entered that were immediately executed, and the output-window.
However, the windows could only be selected with the mouse, this became cumbersome.
The use of ST BASIC
As it came standard with many early STs for several years, it rapidly became the standard BASIC for the ST. If a computer magazine was to publish some code, or if someone was to distribute a BASIC fileComputer file
A computer file is a block of arbitrary information, or resource for storing information, which is available to a computer program and is usually based on some kind of durable storage. A file is durable in the sense that it remains available for programs to use after the current program has finished...
, then using ST BASIC would maximise the number of people who could run the program.
However, many people found it inadequate for their needs. Although many people who had just upgraded from an 8-bit
8-bit
The first widely adopted 8-bit microprocessor was the Intel 8080, being used in many hobbyist computers of the late 1970s and early 1980s, often running the CP/M operating system. The Zilog Z80 and the Motorola 6800 were also used in similar computers...
home computer
Home computer
Home computers were a class of microcomputers entering the market in 1977, and becoming increasingly common during the 1980s. They were marketed to consumers as affordable and accessible computers that, for the first time, were intended for the use of a single nontechnical user...
found it to be faster than the BASIC for their old computer, and were impressed with the ST's graphical abilities, and the ability to have the program's output display in a different window than the program-listing, they soon realised that not only did it contain several bugs, but that once other BASICs started to come out on the ST, they realised just how slow ST BASIC was, and that the use of GEM was more of a hindrance once the novelty wore off (the fact that GEM on the ST was limited to four windows and that the ST BASIC interface already used four windows did not help).
Alternatives to ST BASIC
The relatively low quality of ST BASIC quickly opened up a market for third-party BASICs on the ST. FaST BASIC and GFA BASICGFA BASIC
GFA BASIC is a dialect of the BASIC programming language, by Frank Ostrowski. The first version was finished in 1986. In the mid and late 80s, it became very popular for the Atari ST homecomputer range . Later, ports for the Commodore Amiga, DOS and Windows were marketed...
were two of the first of these third-party BASICs to be released. As these BASICS were not free, a program written in one of these BASICS could only be listed and run if the user had that BASIC. However, compiler
Compiler
A compiler is a computer program that transforms source code written in a programming language into another computer language...
s and run-time executables started to appear for these BASICS that produced executable code that could run on all STs, and type in programs became less fashionable, so there was no longer a need for a standard BASIC. By then, HiSoft BASIC, Omikron BASIC and STOS BASIC
STOS BASIC
STOS BASIC is a dialect of the BASIC programming language implemented on the Atari ST computer. STOS BASIC was originally developed by Jawx by François Lionet and Constantin Sotiropoulos and published by Mandarin Software ....
had appeared. Some of these BASICs even started to be bundled with new STs in the later years.
Books
- Understanding Atari ST BASIC Programming — By Tim Knight, copyright 1986, ISBN 0-89588-344-9
- Atari ST BASIC Quick Reference Guide — By Atari, copyright 1986, revision A. {DDB-G22}
- ST BASIC Sourcebook and Tutorial — By Atari, copyright 1986, Revision B. {DDB-G22}
Sources
- http://www.ntrautanen.fi/marko/sao/stklubi/91/91_03/stoorit/english/basic/basic0.htm
- http://www.tobias-jung.de/colohome/atatrash.htm#stbasic