Editing MSX BASIC (section)

== Versions of MSX BASIC ==
Every new version of the MSX computer was bundled with an updated version of MSX BASIC. All versions are [[backward compatible]] and provide new capabilities to fully explore the new and extended hardware found on the newer MSX computers.

=== MSX BASIC 1.0 ===
* Bundled with [[MSX]]1 computers
* 16 KB in size
* No native support for floppy disk requiring the Disk BASIC cartridge extension (4 KB overhead)
* Support for all available screen modes:
** Screen 0 (text mode 40 x 24 characters)
** Screen 1 (mixed text mode 32 x 24 characters, sprites and colored custom characters)
** Screen 2 (high resolution graphic mode 256 x 192 pixels, 16 colors)
** Screen 3 (low resolution graphic mode 64×48 - 4×4 pixel blocks over the screen 2 resolution)
* Full support for hardware sprites and [[interrupt]]-driven automatic [[collision detection]]
* Full support for the [[General Instruments AY-3-8912|General Instruments AY-3-8910]] [[Programmable Sound Generator]] (PSG)

Note that the Brazilian MSX "clones" by Sharp and Gradiente show other versions of MSX BASIC (on the Sharps even called HOT-BASIC), but they're basically just unlicensed MSX BASIC 1.0.

=== MSX BASIC 2.0 / 2.1 ===
* Bundled with [[MSX]]2 computers
* 32 KB in size (First 16 KB directly available, second 16 KB in other slot and has to be paged in/out for usage)
* Added support for new available screen modes, including graphic modes with 212 progressive or 424 interlaced lines:
** Updated Screen 0 (text mode 80 x 24)
** Screen 5 (graphic mode 256 x 212/424 pixels, 16 colors out of 512)
** Screen 6 (graphic mode 512 x 212/424 pixels, 4 colors out of 512)
** Screen 7 (graphic mode 512 x 212/424 pixels, 16 colors out of 512)
** Screen 8 (graphic mode 256 x 212/424 pixels, 256 colors, no palette)
* Added support for multicolored sprites (16 colors)
* Added support for hardware accelerated graphics functions (copy, fill, blitting, etc.)
* Added support for using the lower 32K RAM of the computer (not directly visible because the BIOS and BASIC interpreter ROMs take over the addressing space) as a limited RAM disk (only certain types of files could be saved). MSX BASIC 2.1 supports using the memory mapper (if available on the machine) to expand this RAM disk to almost 90 KB.

MSX BASIC 2.1 exists on computers like the Philips MSX2 machines (except for the VG 8230), the Yamaha YIS-805<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.leningrad.su/museum/show_calc.php?n=218|title=Yamaha YIS-805 (Soviet Digital Electronics Museum)|author=Sergei Frolov|accessdate=2011-04-06|date=April 2011}}</ref> and Sanyo MPC-2300.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.leningrad.su/museum/show_calc.php?n=396|title=Sanyo MPC-2300 (Soviet Digital Electronics Museum)|author=Sergei Frolov|accessdate=2011-04-06|date=April 2011}}</ref>

=== MSX BASIC 3.0 ===
* Bundled with [[MSX2+]] computers
* 32 KB in size (First 16 KB directly available, second 16 KB in other slot and has to be paged in/out for usage)
* Added command '''<code>SET SCROLL</code>''' for smooth, hardware based scrolling in BASIC
* Added support for new available screen modes:
** Screen 10 (graphic mode 256 x 212/424 pixels, 12499 YJK at once + 16 colors out of 512 RGB in ML)
** Screen 11 (graphic mode 256 x 212/424 pixels, 12499 YJK at once + 16 colors out of 512 RGB)
** Screen 12 (graphic mode 256 x 212/424 pixels, 19268 YJK at once)

=== MSX BASIC 4.0 ===
* Bundled with the Panasonic FS-A1ST [[MSX turbo R]] model
* Added '''_PAUSE''' command to make delays in BASIC independent of the current CPU and clock
* Added extra commands for the [[Pulse-code modulation|PCM]] device ('''<code>_PCMPLAY</code>''', '''<code>_PCMREC</code>''')

=== MSX BASIC 4.1 ===
* Bundled with the Panasonic FS-A1GT [[MSX turbo R]] model
* Added [[MIDI]] extensions