Microsoft BASIC 80 was used in several systems, for example in well known TRS-80 Model 100. So my question is whether is was just another BASIC interpreter or an entire Operating System?
Its just the interpreter, the OS in such systems was ROM based and without the system ROMs the MS BASIC interpreter was useless.
TrashPanda wrote on 2022-09-10, 13:13:Its just the interpreter, the OS in such systems was ROM based and without the system ROMs the MS BASIC interpreter was useless.
Microsoft BASIC was also part of the ROM. Here is a Model 100 ROM layout:
If Microsoft BASIC wasn't an Operating System, considering that Microsoft BASIC had some commands that have pretty similar usage as commands of such an Operating Systems as MS-DOS for example, is it correct to say that Microsoft BASIC was the same time an Interpreter and a TUI (Text-based User Interface)?
I think so, it in itself wasn't an OS however as it did need the system ROMs, most of the systems I've seen with MS Basic built in had the System ROMs standalone as they were more often than not IBM or some other propriety setup with MS Basic coming on its own smaller ROM or a separate Disk.
IF we are including other types of Basic then it gets a bit fuzzy since the C64/Vic20 and Apple had it as a core part of the Boot Roms so I guess in that case it could be said to be the OS.
I can't speak for BASIC-80 or BASCOM, but generally speaking..
BASIC, as an interpreted language, has two modes, a programming mode (10, 20, 30.. RUN) and an intermediate mode (PRINT "HELLO WORLD").
The intermediate mode is a bit like a very simplistic firmware or a monitor.
A monitor program is an old type of software.
It felt out of favor sometime in the early-mid '80s.
It was like a combination of a bootstrap loader, an assembler/hex editor for program manipulation, a diagnostics program etc. It also held rudimentary function calls for applications.
Often, a monitor was below a real firmware (say, PC BIOS) and written in assembly for speed and small size.
Edit: The Basic versions found in VIC-20 and C64 were among of the worst ever made. Users hated each of it right from the start.
CBM Basic v7, as found on the C128, was about the first version of Basic by Commodore to be "okay".
The old PET Basic wasn't great, either, I suppose.
Edit: Edited.
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