ZBasic
Encyclopedia
Compiler
A compiler is a computer program that transforms source code written in a programming language into another computer language...
first released by Simutek (Tucson, AZ) in 1980. The combined efforts of Andrew Gariepy, Scott Terry, David Overton, Greg Branche, and Halbert Laing lead to versions for MS-DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
, Apple II
Apple II series
The Apple II series is a set of 8-bit home computers, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977 with the original Apple II...
, Macintosh, CP/M
CP/M
CP/M was a mass-market operating system created for Intel 8080/85 based microcomputers by Gary Kildall of Digital Research, Inc...
and TRS-80
TRS-80
TRS-80 was Tandy Corporation's desktop microcomputer model line, sold through Tandy's Radio Shack stores in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The first units, ordered unseen, were delivered in November 1977, and rolled out to the stores the third week of December. The line won popularity with...
computers. ZBasic was a very fast, efficient and quite advanced BASIC
BASIC
BASIC is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages whose design philosophy emphasizes ease of use - the name is an acronym from Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code....
compiler with an integrated development environment
Integrated development environment
An integrated development environment is a software application that provides comprehensive facilities to computer programmers for software development...
. It aimed to be used as a cross-platform
Cross-platform
In computing, cross-platform, or multi-platform, is an attribute conferred to computer software or computing methods and concepts that are implemented and inter-operate on multiple computer platforms...
development system, where the same source code could be compiled to different platforms without any modifications.
ZBasic featured device independent graphics: the same compiled code could work on different display resolutions and colors, and even in text mode. Original PC versions included graphical support up to EGA for MS-DOS.
A special feature of ZBasic was BCD (binary coded decimal) math with accuracy up to 54 digits. Another special feature was INDEX$ array, an array of variable length strings that could be easily sorted, searched etc.
In 1991, Harry Gish and 32 Bit Software Inc. (Dallas, TX) purchased the MS-DOS version. Nando Favaro expanded it to include 16 and 32 bit specific machine code as well as VGA and VESA
VESA
VESA is an international standards body for computer graphics founded in 1989 by NEC Home Electronics and eight other video display adapter manufacturers.VESA's initial goal was to produce a standard for 800×600 SVGA resolution video displays...
video. Zedcor concentrated on the Apple Mac market and renamed it FutureBASIC
FutureBASIC
FutureBasic is a free BASIC compiler for Apple Inc.'s Macintosh.It consists of an integrated development environment , editor, project manager, etc. for both PowerPC and Intel microprocessors. Since 1 January 2008, the package contains a translator, FBtoC, that converts the FutureBasic syntax to C...
.