BASIC extension: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 02:21, 2 November 2005

Revision as of 17:27, 15 November 2005

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'''BASIC toolkits''' (aka '''BASIC extensions''') - —not to be confused with [[toolkit|widget toolkits]] - —were a common type of program for 1980s 8-bit [[home computer]]s. Generally third-party extensions, they added additional features to thea computer's built-in [[BASIC programming language|BASIC]] [[interpreter (computing)|interpreter]].

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==Technical concept==

Toolkits ran as [[terminate and stay resident]] extensions to the BASIC interpreter supplied with the machine. At the time, such interpreters almost always came programmed into the [[Readread-only Only Memorymemory|ROM]] of the computer, making it impossible to modify or [[Patch (computing)|patch]] the [[computer code|code]]. It was also extremely rare for manufacturers to offer upgrades or bugfixes except as part of new models of machine.

As the original language was held in immutable ROM, it generally was difficult for a toolkit to directly extend the language, except by adding new keywords to perform functions not implemented by the original interpreter.

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==Examples==

*The [[Lightning BASIC]] toolkit extended the [[Amstrad PCW]]'s [[Mallard BASIC]] language with many new facilities - (see the Mallard BASIC article for details).

*The [[Beta BASIC]] extension to [[Sinclair BASIC]] on the [[ZX Spectrum]] computer started out as a simple toolkit but grew into ana full interpreter in its own right.

*The [[Super Expander]] was a [[cartridge (electronics)|cartridge]] for the [[Commodore VIC-20]]. It was designed to provide several extensions to the BASIC interpreter on the computer, mostly to help with programming [[computer graphics|graphics]] and [[sound effects|sound]].

The [[Beta BASIC]] extension to [[Sinclair BASIC]] on the [[ZX Spectrum]] computer started out as a simple toolkit but grew into an interpreter in its own right.

The [[Super Expander]] was a [[cartridge (electronics)|cartridge]] for the [[Commodore VIC-20]]. It was designed to provide several extensions to the BASIC interpreter on the computer, mostly to help with programming [[computer graphics|graphics]] and [[sound effects|sound]].

==See also==

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[[Category:BASIC extensions|*]]

[[Category:Home computer software]]

[[category:Software]]