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First Basic

Hello,

Looking on the web, it's not clear. It would have been a help if you'd linked to the actual listing that you purchased from.

However, the product FirST BASIC does appear to be a HiSoft product, and I assume that this is version 1.? of their package, There was a later edition, which was 2.?, and this seemed to use the name HiSoft BASIC.

HiSoft produced a range of language compilers and I bought a number of their products for CP/M, and their packages were usually very good, including the manuals. I was not aware of them doing a BASIC, but my interest was regarding C and suchlike, and I was using an Amstrad PCW, and there were various BASIC languages available already, so maybe there was no need for another BASIC in that market.

I understand that version 2 of the BASIC was heavily based on Microsoft Quick Basic, and HiSoft may have substantially re-engineered an OEM version of that product to add various 'extras' for the ST, incl access to GEM. To what extent these things relate to version 1 as well I cannot tell.

However, I do have the PC version of QB, although a slightly later version) and this system is certainly a compiler, as an option. You can create your prog within the environment, and run it within involving a semi compile. Or you can fully compile to an .EXE which requires a BRUN module, or you can compile to a fully free-standing .EXE - again, it's not clear if these facilities were in FirST BASIC as well.

I'll dig some more if needed.

Geoff
 
Hello,

Thanks for the extra note. Yes, this ebay advert was one I found when looking earlier.

You might be interested in this review:

https://www.atarimagazines.com/analog/issue79/hisoft_basic.php

This confirms the connection to QB3. By the way, I have the full package incl manuals for QB4, then I got an upgrade (disks only) to 4.5, but the review says there are differences in the commands supported. The review also complains about the manual, but they are talking about a US supplied version, if your version is UK then the manual may be better.

Anyway, this is certainly the compiler, and could be the later (but still the same year ?) 2.1 version. No indication that the messing with the name (between FirST BASIC and HiSoft BASIC) counds for anything.

You'll know better about this when you get the package. See how things stand then.

Geoff
 
first basic is essential hisoft basic .........identical but stripped down in comparison to hisoft basic version 2
 
From the link you provided I read the obverse of the packaging, which mentions compatibility with MS QB3; an IDE with an optional compiler. The extension to QB3 seems to be the inclusion of GEM / TOS libraries. I think I'll obtain a copy.

Thanks

-CH-
 
I'm not reading you exactly, but I believe to a high degree it can compile qb sources. It likely has it's own ide, I presume. This seems to be a latwr version or a later repackage of Hisoft BASIC, which also was given away in some form with magazines. It's probably well worth the price. I really want an Atari ST C compiler though. Or Pascal. Oh and assembler. Assembler on a 68k must be pure joy.
 
In the good old days we used GfA Basic on the ST/STE and later on the TT. It was very fast, editor was also very fast and it compiled into nice standalone programs if needed.
No line numbers so no spaghetti code but (foldable) functions, procedures (callable by name only), parameters etc. You could 'INLINE' assembled code and/or (Degas) pictures and whatnot.
 
tipc said:
So you have no experience with, never heard of, or just don't care about Hisoft/First Basic Gertk?
Click to expand...

Well, yes we have tried the supplied Basic with the 260ST (was that FirST Basic?) and was disappointed by the cumbersome interface (especially on 320x200)
Coming from the 8-bit series the whole windowy thing was just in the way :)

We tried some alternatives but ended up with GfA Basic (+ compiler) and some assembly.
 
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