BASIC
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BASIC programs, from the beginning, circulated as ink on paper. There was no Web or even Internet to facilitate the digital exchange of programs. Some insights can be gained by considering the specific forms of printed matter that were used to communicate BASIC programs. In looking at the specifics of how BASIC was disseminated and traveled between and among different user communities, interesting signs are seen of the practices BASIC users developed, the habits they fell into, the culture that developed among them, and finally the trends they set that continue to inflect the history of computing. | BASIC programs, from the beginning, circulated as ink on paper. There was no Web or even Internet to facilitate the digital exchange of programs. Some insights can be gained by considering the specific forms of printed matter that were used to communicate BASIC programs. In looking at the specifics of how BASIC was disseminated and traveled between and among different user communities, interesting signs are seen of the practices BASIC users developed, the habits they fell into, the culture that developed among them, and finally the trends they set that continue to inflect the history of computing. | ||
| − | From the mid-1970s through the early 1980s, the transmission of BASIC in print took several paths: | + | From the mid-1970s through the early 1980s, BASIC was known in print not only through manuals and books that explicitly taught the language, but also through collections of programs that appeared in magazines and in books. |
'''MAGAZINES''' | '''MAGAZINES''' | ||
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''Creative Computing'' was an early magazine in the world of micro-computing. Founded by David H. Ahl, who also wrote some ground-breaking books [later], ''Creative Computing'' focused on publishing for the home computer hobbyist; launched in 1974, it survived until 1985. ''Run'' was a monthly magazine published by IDG Communications that didn’t start publication until 1984 and devoted itself to all things Commodore. There was also a German edition on ''RUN''. ''Rainbow'' Magazine was a monthly magazine for the TRS-80 Color Computer, and it was published from July 1981 to May 1993. Rainbow featured "Rainbow on Tape" and "Rainbow" on Disk services to supplement the type-in programs the magazine offered. The offerings of the magazines included type-in programs, recipes, and math games. ''Byte'' was a monthly magazine with wide-ranging coverage that appeared first in September 1975 on the heels of the early personal computers manufactured and sold as kits. It survived under several owners until 1998. | ''Creative Computing'' was an early magazine in the world of micro-computing. Founded by David H. Ahl, who also wrote some ground-breaking books [later], ''Creative Computing'' focused on publishing for the home computer hobbyist; launched in 1974, it survived until 1985. ''Run'' was a monthly magazine published by IDG Communications that didn’t start publication until 1984 and devoted itself to all things Commodore. There was also a German edition on ''RUN''. ''Rainbow'' Magazine was a monthly magazine for the TRS-80 Color Computer, and it was published from July 1981 to May 1993. Rainbow featured "Rainbow on Tape" and "Rainbow" on Disk services to supplement the type-in programs the magazine offered. The offerings of the magazines included type-in programs, recipes, and math games. ''Byte'' was a monthly magazine with wide-ranging coverage that appeared first in September 1975 on the heels of the early personal computers manufactured and sold as kits. It survived under several owners until 1998. | ||
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| − | ''Dr. DOBBS'' | ||
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| − | ''Sinclair User'' (UK) – from April 1982 thru April 1993 | ||
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| − | [More to come on magazines-- please feel free to add to these magazine entries. Question: does anyone know of any foreign magazines worth mentioning here besides ''Sinclair User''? Or any foreign editions of any of these besides ''Run''? I don't think we need to enumerate every magazine. In each case, we should ask what is special or interesting about the publication. Which ones had BASIC programs? Does the presence of a C64 magazine and a TRS-80 magazine mean that these are stratified by platform? (Hint: YES) Does that indicate that not just BASIC, but the flavor/dialect of BASIC is important? -nm] | ||
'''BOOKS''' | '''BOOKS''' | ||
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While many early books about BASIC are about pursuing hobbies (and games in particular), we would be remiss not to mention the types of books that help people organize their lives and keep their small businesses afloat. Charles D. Sternberg’s ''BASIC Computer Programs for the Home'' (1980) is one such book, whose specific aim was to satisfy “the practical requirements of the home.” The author wishes to address the user's desire not to “rely upon the availability of tape or disk-storage devices or any other features that may not be easily come by" and encourages the “modification of these programs to utilize features of your particular machine should present few difficulties." The programs in this book were tested on An Altair 8800b Microcomputer system. The author offers many reassurances of the ease with which programs can be entered, run, used, and even changed. Besides providing home financial programs, for example, and such “kitchen helpmates” as programs to convert recipe quantities, to plan meals according to various diets, to inventory your freezer’s contents, etc., this book provides descriptions of the purpose and functions of each program as well as some details about data entry, outputs, and other commentary. In the introduction the author explains that he eschews “highly efficient routines” in favor of increased “clarity” and a “modularity” which lends itself to easier alteration. | While many early books about BASIC are about pursuing hobbies (and games in particular), we would be remiss not to mention the types of books that help people organize their lives and keep their small businesses afloat. Charles D. Sternberg’s ''BASIC Computer Programs for the Home'' (1980) is one such book, whose specific aim was to satisfy “the practical requirements of the home.” The author wishes to address the user's desire not to “rely upon the availability of tape or disk-storage devices or any other features that may not be easily come by" and encourages the “modification of these programs to utilize features of your particular machine should present few difficulties." The programs in this book were tested on An Altair 8800b Microcomputer system. The author offers many reassurances of the ease with which programs can be entered, run, used, and even changed. Besides providing home financial programs, for example, and such “kitchen helpmates” as programs to convert recipe quantities, to plan meals according to various diets, to inventory your freezer’s contents, etc., this book provides descriptions of the purpose and functions of each program as well as some details about data entry, outputs, and other commentary. In the introduction the author explains that he eschews “highly efficient routines” in favor of increased “clarity” and a “modularity” which lends itself to easier alteration. | ||
| − | If 1977 and 1978 seem to be turning points in the explosion in the print transmission of BASIC, there are in the early 1980s more and more books about BASIC, in its many tweaked flavors, published explicitly with niche audiences in mind, as illustrated by Sterberg's book as well as Zuanich & Lipscomb's ''BASIC Fun with Graphics the Apple Way" and "BASIC Fun with Graphics the IBM/PC Way" (both Avon Books, 1983) for children. | + | If 1977 and 1978 seem to be turning points in the explosion in the print transmission of BASIC, there are in the early 1980s more and more books about BASIC, in its many tweaked flavors, published explicitly with niche audiences in mind, as illustrated by Sterberg's book as well as Zuanich & Lipscomb's ''BASIC Fun with Graphics the Apple Way" and "BASIC Fun with Graphics the IBM/PC Way" (both Avon Books, 1983) for children. |
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| − | '''MANUALS''' | ||
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| − | This manuals accompanying the microcomputers that came with BASIC (e.g. the APPLE II, the TR684, and the Commodore 64) included samples of BASIC code that users could key in and run. This often got most users started and whetted their appetite for other programs that would have to be found in other places. Some users also reported frequently turning to tape cartridges to supplement the materials that arrived pre-packaged with their computers. | ||
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| − | [More to come on Manuals, which I have still to consult for the first time] | ||
== BASIC Code in Human Memory == | == BASIC Code in Human Memory == | ||
