This manual is an alphabetical reference to GW-BASIC instructions: statements, functions, commands, and variables. The name and type of each instruction is listed at the top of the page, and is followed. GW-BASIC is an interpreted language which means that it isn't compiled. You type the program in or copy and paste it into a text (Notepad) file saved with the name and a.BAS suffix, surrounded by quotation marks. Entering 'run' will start the program.
GW-BASIC is compatible with Microsoft/IBM BASICA, but was disk based and did not require the ROM BASIC. Microsoft bundled GW-BASIC with MS-DOS operating systems on IBM PC compatibles. Microsoft also sold a BASIC compiler, BASCOM, compatible with GW-BASIC, for applications requiring more speed. GW-BASIC is a BASIC interpreter derived from IBM’s Advanced BASIC/BASICA (a port of Microsoft BASIC) You can check out the source code of Microsoft GW-BASIC on GitHub today. The source code of GW-BASIC is written in assembly language. Here’s why Microsoft is open sourcing GW-Basic. BASIC is an acronym for Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. The primary purpose of this project is to reproduce the overall experience provided by the original GW-BASIC (Microsoft Corporation circa 1983-1988); preserving this important chapter in computing history and making it available for future generations to enjoy. Microsoft today announced that it is open sourcing GW-BASIC. In 1983, Microsoft released GW-BASIC for the IBM PC XT and compatibles. GW-BASIC is a BASIC interpreter derived from IBM’s Advanced BASIC/BASICA (a port of Microsoft BASIC) You can check out the source code of Microsoft GW-BASIC on GitHub today. The source code of GW-BASIC is. (G ee W hiz-BASIC) A BASIC interpreter that accompanied MS-DOS in versions prior to 5.0.
| Developer | Microsoft |
|---|---|
| First appeared | 1983; 37 years ago |
| Stable release | |
| OS | DOS |
| License | Proprietary MIT License (v1.0)[1] |
| Influenced by | |
| IBM Cassette BASIC, IBM Disk BASIC, IBM BASICA | |
| Influenced | |
| QBasic, QuickBasic, MSX BASIC | |
GW-BASIC is a dialect of the BASICprogramming language developed by Microsoft from IBM BASICA. Functionally identical to BASICA, its BASIC interpreter is a fully self-contained executable and does not need the Cassette BASIC ROM found in the original IBM PC. It was bundled with MS-DOSoperating systems on IBM PC compatibles by Microsoft.
The language is suitable for simple games, business programs and the like. Since it was included with most versions of MS-DOS, it was also a low-cost way for many aspiring programmers to learn the fundamentals of computer programming.[2][3] Microsoft also sold a BASIC compiler, BASCOM, compatible with GW-BASIC, for programs needing more speed.
According to Mark Jones Lorenzo, given the scope of the language, 'GW-BASIC is arguably the ne plus ultra of Microsoft's family of line-numbered BASICs stretching back to the Altair--and perhaps even of line-numbered BASIC in general.'[4]
With the release of MS-DOS 5.0, GW-BASIC's place was taken by QBasic, the interpreter part of the separately available QuickBASIC compiler.[5]
On May 21, 2020, Microsoft released the 8088 assembler source code for GW-BASIC 1.0 on GitHub under the MIT License.[1]
Features[edit]
IBM BASICA and GW-BASIC are largely ports of MBASIC version 5.x, but with added features specifically for the IBM PC hardware. Common features of BASIC-80 5.x and BASICA/GW-BASIC include:
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- WHILE...WEND loops
- Variable names of up to 40 characters
- OPTION BASE statement to set the starting index of array variables as either 0 or 1
- Dynamic string space allocation
- LINE INPUT, which allowed field separator characters like comma to be ignored
- CALL statement for executing machine language routines
- CHAIN and MERGE commands
- Ability to save programs in either tokenized binary format or ASCII text
The ability to 'crunch' program lines by omitting spaces, a common feature of earlier Microsoft BASIC implementations, was removed from BASIC-80 5.x and BASICA/GWBASIC.
BASIC-80 programs not using PEEK/POKE statements run under GW-BASIC. BASICA adds many features for the IBM PC such as sound, graphics, and memory commands. Features not present in BASIC-80 include the ability to execute the RND function with no parameters and the ability to also save programs in a 'protected' format, preventing them from being LISTed. BASICA also allows double-precision numbers to be used with mathematical and trigonometric functions such as COS, SIN, and ATN, which wasn't allowed in 8-bit versions of BASIC. This feature was normally not enabled and required the optional parameter /D at startup, i.e., GWBASIC /D. BASIC's memory footprint was slightly increased if it was used.
Microsoft did not offer a generic version of MS-DOS until v3.20 in 1986; before then, all variants of the operating system were OEM versions. Depending on the OEM, BASIC was distributed as either BASICA.EXE or GWBASIC.EXE. The former should not be confused with IBM BASICA, which always came as a .COM file. Some variants of BASIC has extra features to support a particular machine. For example, the AT&T and Tandy versions of DOS include a special GW-BASIC that supports their enhanced sound and graphics capabilities.
The initial version of GW-BASIC is the one included with Compaq DOS 1.13, released with the Compaq Portable in 1983, and was analogous to IBM BASICA 1.10. It uses the CP/M-derived file control blocks for disk access and does not support subdirectories. Later versions support subdirectories, improved graphics, and other capabilities.
GW-BASIC 3.20 (1986) adds EGA graphics support (no version of BASICA or GW-BASIC had VGA support) and is the last major new version released before it was superseded by QBasic.
Buyers of Hercules Graphics Cards received a special version of GW-BASIC on the card's utility disk that is called HBASIC, which adds support for its 720×348 monochrome graphics. Other versions of BASICA/GW-BASIC do not support Hercules graphics and can only display graphics on that card through the use of third-party CGA emulation, such as SIMCGA.
GW-BASIC has a command line-based integrated development environment (IDE) based on Dartmouth BASIC. Using the cursor movement keys, any line displayed on the screen can be edited. It also includes function key shortcuts at the bottom of the screen. Like other early microcomputer versions of BASIC, GW-BASIC lacks many of the structures needed for structured programming such as local variables, and GW-BASIC programs executed relatively slowly because it was an interpreted language. All program lines must be numbered; all non-numbered lines are considered to be commands in direct mode to be executed immediately. Program source files are normally saved in binary compressed format with tokens replacing keywords, with an option to save in ASCII text form.[6]
The GW-BASIC command-line environment has commands to RUN, LOAD, SAVE, LIST the current program, or quit to the operating SYSTEM; these commands can also be used as program statements. There is little support for structured programming in GW-BASIC. All IF/THEN/ELSEconditional statements must be written on one line, although WHILE/WEND statements may group multiple lines. Functions can only be defined using the single line DEF FNf(x)=<mathematical function of x> statement (e.g., DEF FNLOG(base,number)=LOG(number)/LOG(base)). The data type of variables can be specified with a character at the end of the variable name: A$ is a string of characters, A% is an integer, etc. Groups of variables can also be set to default types based on the initial letter of their name by use of the DEFINT, DEFSTR, etc., statements. The default type for undeclared variables not identified by such typing statements, is single-precision floating point (32-bit MBF).[7]
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GW-BASIC allows use of joystick and light pen input devices. GW-BASIC can read from and write to files and COM ports; it can also do event trapping for ports. Since the cassette tape port interface of the original IBM PC was never implemented on compatibles, cassette operations are not supported. GW-BASIC can play simple music using the PLAY statement, needing a string of notes represented in a music macro language, e.g., PLAY 'edcdeeL2edfedL4c'. More low-level control is possible with the SOUND statement, which takes the arguments of a frequency in hertz and a length in clock ticks for the standard internal PC speaker in IBM machines. Consequently, sound is limited to single channel beeps and whistles as befits a 'business' machine. Home-based PCs like the Tandy 1000 allow up to three channels of sound for the SOUND and PLAY commands.[7]
Name[edit]
There are several theories on what the initials 'GW' stand for. Greg Whitten, an early Microsoft employee who developed the standards in the company's BASIC compiler line, says Bill Gates picked the name GW-BASIC. Whitten refers to it as Gee-Whiz BASIC and is unsure if Gates named the program after him.[8] The Microsoft User Manual from Microsoft Press also refers to it by this name.[citation needed] It may have also been nicknamedGee-Whiz because of its numerous graphics commands.[8] Other common theories as to the initials' origins include 'Graphics and Windows', 'Gates, William' (Microsoft's president at the time), or 'Gates-Whitten' (the two main designers of the program).[9][10]
See also[edit]
- Microsoft Binary Format (MBF)
References[edit]
- ^ abTurner, Rich. 'Microsoft Open-Sources GW-BASIC'. Windows Command Line. Microsoft. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- ^'KindlyRat'. 'GW-BASIC'. Archived from the original on 2005-07-26. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
- ^'Leon'. 'GWBASIC Games & Other Programs'. Archived from the original on 2009-10-26. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
- ^Lorenzo, Mark (2017). Endless Loop: The History of the BASIC Programming Language. Philadelphia: SE Books. p. 122. ISBN978-1974-27707-0.
- ^'Microsoft BASIC version information'. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
- ^'GW-BASIC Documentation and Utilities'. Archived from the original on 2007-12-17.
- ^ ab'GW-BASIC User's Guide'. 1987. Retrieved 2008-06-28.
- ^ abGregory Whitten (2005-04-13). 'GW-BASIC'. Archived from the original on 2008-09-20. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
- ^'Linux Dictionary:G'. Retrieved 2008-06-28.
- ^'GW-BASIC'. 2005-04-13. Archived from the original on 2008-06-29. Retrieved 2008-06-28.
External links[edit]
- Classic Basic Games Page, a resource for BASIC games and other programs
- Back to BASICs, another BASIC resource site
- GW-BASIC interpreter program and files download site at the Wayback Machine (archived October 27, 2009)
- Gary Beene's Information Center regarding BASIC, with timeline dates for DOS, Windows and BASIC dialects
- GW-BASIC - Gee Whiz! Cory Smith's site devoted to GW-BASIC.
- PC-BASIC - a GW-BASIC emulator for modern operating systems.
- GW-BASIC – A resource for GW-BASIC, gathered from various sources.