Editing BASIC (section)

== IBM PC and compatibles ==
[[File:IBM Cassette BASIC.png|thumb|[[IBM Cassette BASIC]] 1.10]]

When IBM was designing the [[IBM PC]], they followed the paradigm of existing home computers in having a built-in BASIC interpreter. They sourced this from Microsoft – [[IBM Cassette BASIC]] – but Microsoft also produced several other versions of BASIC for [[MS-DOS]]/[[PC DOS]] including [[IBM Disk BASIC]] (BASIC D), [[IBM BASICA]] (BASIC A), [[GW-BASIC]] (a BASICA-compatible version that did not need IBM's ROM)<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=Back to BASICs |url=http://peyre.sqweebs.com/GWBASIC/index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091026133328/http://peyre.sqweebs.com/GWBASIC/index.htm |archive-date=2009-10-26 |access-date=2023-02-25 |website=peyre.sqweebs.com}}</ref> and [[QBasic]], all typically bundled with the machine. In addition they produced the [[QuickBASIC|Microsoft QuickBASIC]] Compiler (1985) for power users and hobbyists, and the Microsoft BASIC Professional Development System (PDS) for professional programmers. [[Turbo Pascal]]-publisher [[Borland]] published [[Turbo Basic]] 1.0 in 1985 (successor versions were marketed under the name [[PowerBASIC]]).

On [[Unix-like]] systems, specialized implementations were created such as [[XBasic]] and X11-Basic.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.linuxfocus.org/English/January2003/article277.shtml|title=BASIC programming with Unix|first=John|last=Perr|website=[[LinuxFocus (magazine)|LinuxFocus]]|date=2003-01-01|access-date=2023-09-26}}</ref> XBasic was ported to [[Microsoft Windows]] as [[XBLite]], and [[cross-platform]] variants such as [[SmallBasic]], [[yabasic]], [[Bywater BASIC]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ossblog.org/bwbasic-bywater-basic-interpreter/|title= bwBASIC: The Bywater BASIC Interpreter |website=OSS Blog|date= August 25, 2018 |access-date=2023-09-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://opensource.com/article/21/6/freedos-bywater-basic|title=Program on FreeDOS with Bywater BASIC|first=Jim|last=Hall|date=2021-06-23|access-date=2023-09-30|website=[[Opensource.com]]}}</ref> nuBasic,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eantcal.eu/home/nubasic/why-nubasic|title=Why nuBASIC|first=Antonia|last=Calderone|access-date=2023-09-30}}</ref> MyBasic,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.codeproject.com/Articles/5202/MyBasic-A-Custom-BASIC-language-interpreter-writte|title=MyBasic - A Custom-BASIC language interpreter written in C++|first=Liu Xue|last=Song|date=2003-10-12|access-date=2023-09-30|website=[[Code Project]]}}</ref> Logic Basic,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.maxissoft.com/logicbasic/|title=LOGIC BASIC - Free programming language |access-date=2023-10-07}}</ref> [[Liberty BASIC]], and [[wxBasic]] emerged. [[FutureBASIC]] and [[Chipmunk Basic]] meanwhile targeted the [[Apple Macintosh]], while yab is a version of [[yaBasic]] optimized for [[BeOS]], [[ZETA (operating system)|ZETA]] and [[Haiku (operating system)|Haiku]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://besly.de/index.php/development/yab-2/yab-beginners-tutorial|first=Christian|last=Albrecht|title=yab Beginners tutorial|website=BeSly - BeOS, Haiku & Zeta|date=2022-10-02|access-date=2024-02-25|others=Translation by Luc Schrijvers (Begasus)}}</ref>

These later variations introduced many extensions, such as improved [[string manipulation]] and graphics support, access to the [[file system]] and additional [[data type]]s. More important were the facilities for [[structured programming]], including additional [[control structures]] and proper [[subroutine]]s supporting [[local variable]]s.<ref name="GBvsQB" /> The addition of an [[integrated development environment]] (IDE) and electronic Help files made the products easier to work with and supported learning tools and school curriculum.

In 1989, [[Microsoft Press]] published ''[[Learn BASIC Now]]'', a book-and-software system designed to teach BASIC programming to self-taught learners who were using [[IBM-PC compatible]] systems and the Apple Macintosh. ''Learn BASIC Now'' included software disks containing the Microsoft QuickBASIC Interpreter and a programming tutorial written by [[Michael Halvorson]] and David Rygmyr. Learning systems like ''Learn BASIC Now'' popularized structured BASIC and helped QuickBASIC reach an installed base of four million active users.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Halvorson |first1=Michael J. |title=Code Nation: Personal Computing and the Learn to Program Movement in America |date=2020 |publisher=ACM Books |location=New York, NY |page=146 |isbn = 978-1-4503-7757-7}}</ref>

By the late 1980s, many users were using pre-made applications written by others rather than learning programming themselves, and professional developers had a wide range of advanced languages available on small computers. [[C (programming language)|C]] and later [[C++]] became the languages of choice for professional [[Shrink wrap contract|"shrink wrap"]] application development.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lGRpeBZQYPoC|title=The Class Of Java|last=Pravin|first=Jain|date=2011|publisher=Pearson Education India|isbn=9788131755440|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fysh.org/~zefram/gne/c_programming_language/|title=GNE: the C programming language|website=fysh.org|access-date=June 14, 2017|quote=During the 1980s, C compilers spread widely, and C became an extremely popular language.}}</ref>

A niche that BASIC continued to fill was for hobbyist [[video game development]], as [[game creation system]]s and readily available [[game engine]]s were still in their infancy. The [[Atari ST]] had [[STOS BASIC]] while the [[Amiga]] had [[AMOS BASIC]] for this purpose. Microsoft first exhibited BASIC for game development with [[DONKEY.BAS]] for [[GW-BASIC]], and later [[GORILLA.BAS]] and [[NIBBLES.BAS]] for [[QuickBASIC]]. [[QBasic]] maintained an active game development community,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.techwalla.com/articles/easy-to-make-qbasic-games|title=Easy to Make Qbasic Games|first=Michael|last=Dance|website=Techwalla|access-date=2023-09-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://games.phatcode.net/|website=Phatcode|title=QBasic Games Directory|access-date=2023-09-30}}</ref> which helped later spawn the [[QB64]] and [[FreeBASIC]] implementations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://games.freebasic.net/|title=FreeBASIC Games Directory|website=[[FreeBASIC]]|access-date=2023-09-30}}</ref> An early example of this market is the QBasic software package Microsoft Game Shop (1990), a hobbyist-inspired release that included six "arcade-style" games that were easily customizable in QBasic.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Halvorson |first1=Michael J. |title=Code Nation: Personal Computing and the Learn to Program Movement in America |date=2020 |publisher=ACM Books |location=New York, NY |pages=153–156 |isbn = 978-1-4503-7757-7}}</ref>

In 2013, a game written in [[QBasic]] and compiled with [[QB64]] for modern computers entitled ''Black Annex'' was released on [[Steam (software)|Steam]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/457418/black-annex-is-the-best-qbasic-game-youve-ever-seen.html|website=[[PC World]]|title=Black Annex is the best QBASIC game you've ever seen|first=Alex|last=Cocilova|date=2013-04-16|access-date=2023-09-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/06/577447/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130624055203/http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/06/577447/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 24, 2013|website=[[Kotaku]]|title=The Australian Who Built A Video Game Using QBASIC|first=Mark|last=Serrels|date=2013-06-24|access-date=2023-09-30}}</ref> [[Blitz Basic]], [[Dark Basic]], [[SdlBasic]], Super Game System Basic,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiedb.com/games/super-game-system-basic|title=Super Game System Basic|website=[[IndieDB]]|date=November 21, 2017 |access-date=2023-09-30}}</ref> PlayBASIC,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://playbasic.itch.io/|website=[[itch.io]]|title=PlayBasic|access-date=2023-09-30}}</ref> CoolBasic,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiedb.com/engines/coolbasic|website=IndieDB|title=CoolBasic|date=December 6, 2005 |access-date=2023-09-30}}</ref> [[Allegro (software library)|AllegroBASIC]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://allegrobasic.pulsar2d.org/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115113443/http://allegrobasic.pulsar2d.org/|title=AllegroBASIC Homepage|website=AllegroBASIC|access-date=2023-10-07|archive-date=2018-11-15}}</ref> ethosBASIC,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://shareapp.net/ethos-game-basic_download/|title=Ethos Game Basic 1.3|website=shareApp|access-date=2023-09-30}}</ref> [[GLBasic]] and [[Basic4GL]] further filled this demand, right up to the modern RCBasic,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.moddb.com/engines/rc-basic|title=RC Basic|website=[[ModDB]]|date=August 18, 2015 |access-date=2023-09-30}}</ref> NaaLaa,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.softpedia.com/get/Programming/Coding-languages-Compilers/NaaLaa.shtml|title=NaaLaa|first=Andrei|last=Fercalo|date=2014-08-08|website=[[Softpedia]]|access-date=2023-10-01}}</ref> [[AppGameKit]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gamefromscratch.com/a-closer-look-at-appgamekit-2/|title=A Closer Look At AppGameKit 2|date=2015-06-12|access-date=2023-09-30|website=GameFromScratch}}</ref> Monkey 2, and Cerberus-X.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gamefromscratch.com/cerberus-x-2018-08-10-released/|title=Cerberus X 2018-08-10 Released|website=GameFromScratch|date=2018-08-10|access-date=2023-09-30}}</ref>