BASIC

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As ''Creative Computing'' was nearing the end of its run, other magazines were just getting started. One was ''RUN,'' (1984-1992) a monthly magazine published by IDG Communications that is significant in the current context for including a version of 10 PRINT in its pages. Like many later-phase microcomputer magazines, ''RUN'' was platform specific: It focused on the Commodore 64 and VIC-20. A German edition of ''RUN'' was published as well, and ''ReRUN'' disks made programs in the magazine available for purchase in machine-readable format. Another home computer magazine of this era was ''Compute!'' (1979-1994), which began as ''Pet Gazette,'' a 1978 magazine put together by Len Lindsay that was specific to the Commodore PET computer. In July 1983, that magazine launched a spin-off publication, ''COMPUTE!'s Gazette,'' which was for Commodore 64 and VIC-20 owners specifically and included programs for these computers. In the UK there were several other magazines for Commodore users, including ''Zzap! 64'', ''Commodore User'', and ''Commodore Format''. The last of these, which focused on the Commodore 64, did not start publishing until October 1990. This magazine was not about BASIC or learning to program, however. It focused on gaming and offered game news, reviews, and cheats, with its "Powerpack" tape including full games and demos for subscribers to run.

−

Almost every book transmitting information on BASIC in the 1970s could be characterized as educational, although few of them were written for use in formal classes. These books explained, illustrated, and provided code for applications that users could enter, test and alter.

+

While magazines were ready and regular sources of new programs, many also found enjoyable code in books. David H. Ahl's influential and early compilation, ''101 Basic Computer Games'', was first published in 1973 by the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). Though not the first book of computer games, it was the first to collect only games in BASIC. It contains a listing of games, a sample run of each game, and usually a short description of each game. It also acknowledges who wrote each game (there were many contributors) and names earlier sources, if any, for games. The program's "computer limitations" are described so users understand the hardware requirements. Illustrations, courtesy of ''Mad Magazine'' among others, punctuate the presentation -- a rather playful presentations for a corporate publication from a 1970s computer company. The game's titles are abbreviated into names that look rather cryptic today but could be generally used as filenames, since they did not exceed six letters. For instance, there was ACEYDU for "Acey Ddeucy CArd Game"; AMAZIN for "Draw a Maze"; or POET for "Random Poetry (Haiku)." The preface makes a point of teasing out the educational value of playing and creating games and the need for "unguided learning." DEC continued to publish a version of this book after Ahl left in 1974 -- just without Ahl's name on it.

−

David H. Ahl's influential compilation, ''101 Basic Computer Games'', was first published in 1973 by the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). Though not the first book of computer games, it was the first to collect only games in BASIC. It contains a listing of games, a sample run of each game, and usually a short description of each game. It also acknowledges who wrote each game (there are many people who contributed code) and lays out other sources if the game had been transformed from a previously known game. The program's "computer limitations" are also described so users understand the hardware requirements. Illustrations, courtesy of ''Mad Magazine'' among others, punctuate the presentation, usually between this modicum of contextual information and the program's listing. The game's titles are abbreviated into names that can be used as filenames and are no longer than six characters long -- e.g. ACEYDU for "Acey Ddeucy CArd Game"; AMAZIN for "Draw a Maze"; or POET for "Random Poetry (Haiku)." The book's table of contents comprises three columns: a list of game name tags in alphabetical order, a column bearing a single-line description of the game, and a page number where the game's actual title accompanies the game's name tag along the top of the page. The book’s preface makes a point of teasing out the educational value of games, the need for “unguided learning,” especially if one considers the value of creating games, not just playing them.

+

That wasn't the end of the book's publishing history, though. The first printing of ''Basic Computer Games, Microcomputer Edition'' in January 1978 signaled the fact that, at the time of the first publication of ''101 Computer Games'', microcomputers had not yet been introduced. The preface of this "Microcomputer Edition" differs significantly from the preface in the DEC editions. It begins with a dictionary definition (from an unnamed dictionary) of the word "game." It then provides a cursory history of sports and games moving from the ancient Chinese and Egyptians to the 1970s in little more than a paragraph and a half, only to emphasize that games offer recreational, breaks from the "realities of life," and also have other "important redeeming virtues." The next two sections of the preface emphasize games as an educational tool and computer games in particular. The Preface also explains to users that the programs in this book ''all'' run on what must have been considered the gold standard of microcomputer BASICs: MITS Altair 8K BASIC, Rev. 4.0. Some new programs replace those that were deleted because they "could not be converted or weren’t worth converting to MITS BASIC." (p. ix)

−

As indicated in the preface of the January 1978 edition of the book published by Ahl's Creative Computing Press, David H. Ahl left DEC in 1974. Despite his departure, DEC continued to publish its version -- just without Ahl's name on it. The first printing of ''Basic Computer Games, Microcomputer Edition'' in January 1978 reflects the fact that, at the time of the DEC publication of ''101 Computer Games'', microcomputers hadn't been manufactured yet, and programmers using the BASIC language were still running code on time-sharing machines or on minicomputers.

+

This first non-DEC printing drops the game's six-character tags and uses the game's full title in the table of contents, which is no longer organized alphabetically, but rather by game category -- e.g. Introductory Fun; Educational; Plotting and Pictures; Number and Letter Guessing; Remove an Object; Matrix Manipulation; Logic; Space; Sports Simulation; Gambling Casino; Card and Board; Combat; etc. Perhaps these categorizations relate to later, well-recognized computer game genres. But it would be hard to fit 10 PRINT into any category except "Introductory Fun" or (as ''RUN'' did) "One-Liner."

−

The preface of ''Basic Computer Games, Microcomputer Edition'' differs significantly from the DEC edition. It is newly conceived and re-written. With this edition, the goal appears to be to spell out the value of games within broader contexts. The preface begins with a dictionary definition (from an unnamed dictionary) of the word "game." It then provides a cursory history of sports and games moving from the ancient Chinese and Egyptians to the 1970s in little more than a paragraph and a half, only to emphasize that games offer recreational, breaks from the "realities of life," and also have other "important redeeming virtues." The next two sections of the preface emphasize games as an educational tool and computer games in particular. The Preface also explains to users that the programs in this book all run on MITS Altair 8K BASIC, Rev. 4.0. Some new programs replace those that were deleted because they “could not be converted or weren’t worth converting to MITS BASIC.” (p. ix)

+

No doubt aware of the momentum building in the growing community of users of the BASIC language, Ahl encouraged his the programmers who were reading his book to submit games for publication in books and future issues of his magazine, ''Creative Computing''. He urged those who wish to submit programs to "Please send the following: program listing, one or two sample runs, descriptive notes, paper tape and self-addressed stamp envelope. The listing and run should be on white, unlined paper and should be done in fresh black ribbon. The paper tape should be wrapped in kitchen plastic wrap or aluminum foil to prevent oil seepage from damaging other enclosures. The descriptive notes should be double-spaced."

−

This first non-DEC printing drops the game's six-character tags. Instead it uses the game's title in the table of contents, which is no longer organized alphabetically, but rather by game category -- e.g. Introductory Fun; Educational; Plotting and Pictures; Number and Letter Guessing; Remove an Object; Matrix Manipulation; Logic; Space; Sports Simulation; Gambling Casino; Card and Board; Combat; etc.), helping aficionados of certain types of games gain easier access to them.

−

No doubt aware of the momentum building in the growing community of users of the BASIC language, Ahl encourages his reading programmers to submit games for publication in books and future issues of his magazine, ''Creative Computing''. He urges those who wish to submit programs to “Please send the following: program listing, one or two sample runs, descriptive notes, paper tape and self-addressed stamp envelope. The listing and run should be on white, unlined paper and should be done in fresh black ribbon. The paper tape should be wrapped in kitchen plastic wrap or aluminum foil to prevent oil seepage from damaging other enclosures. The descriptive notes should be double-spaced.”

Later in 1978, Workman Publishing took on further publication of Ahl's evolving compilation under the title of ''Basic Computer Games, Microcomputer Edition. 101 Great Games to Play on Your Home Computer. By yourself or with others. Each complete with programming and sample run.'' The lengthy title arguably reflects the publisher's attempt to reach always for broader audiences. It further translation into German, as ''Basic-Computer-Spiele Bd. 1. 101 fantastische Spiele für Ihren Mikrocomputer in BASIC geschrieben mit Listing und Probelauf'', in 1982 (and reprinted in 1983) also suggests that the apparatus of a major publisher helped disseminate games in BASIC abroad.

−

There were other paths used to disseminate BASIC in books. Bob Albrecht's large-format ''What To Do After You Hit Return, or P.C.C.’s first book of Computer Games'' was first published in 1975 by People's Computer Company. It was handed off to a series of other publishing entities and underwent several printings. Hayden Books began printing it in 1977; its 5th printing in 1979 was still printed inexpensively on newsprint paper.

+

Another significant volume was Bob Albrecht's large-format ''What To Do After You Hit Return, or P.C.C.’s first book of Computer Games,'' first published in 1975 by People's Computer Company. It was handed off to a series of other publishing entities and underwent several printings. Hayden Books began printing it in 1977; its 5th printing in 1979 was still printed inexpensively on newsprint paper.

−

Given the growing popularity of BASIC and computers among hobbyists, it is not surprising to see other, even simpler presentations of BASIC such as ''The Little Book of BASIC Style. How to write a program you can read'', which was written by John M. Nevison (and self-published by John M. Nevison Associates, 1978) and seeks to echo the simplicity of the ''Elements of Style'' by E. B. White, whom the author invokes in his Preface.

+

Given the growing popularity of BASIC and computers among hobbyists, it is not surprising to see other, even simpler presentations of BASIC such as ''The Little Book of BASIC Style. How to write a program you can read'', which was written by John M. Nevison (and self-published by John M. Nevison Associates, 1978) and seeks to echo the simplicity of the ''Elements of Style'' by E. B. White, whom the author invokes in his preface.

On the other hand there are introductions to BASIC that make extensive use of BASIC as the language of choice: ''Programming for Poets. A Gentle Introduction Using BASIC'', written by Richard Conway and James Archer and published in 1979 by Winthrop Publishers of Cambridge, MA., which is a simplified textbook; and ''BASIC With Style. Programming Proverbs'' by Paul Nagin and Henry F. Ledgard (Hayden Book Co., 1978). Among these are also many more typical textbooks.

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@@ Line 182: / Line 182: @@
 As ''Creative Computing'' was nearing the end of its run, other magazines were just getting started. One was ''RUN,'' (1984-1992) a monthly magazine published by IDG Communications that is significant in the current context for including a version of 10 PRINT in its pages. Like many later-phase microcomputer magazines, ''RUN'' was platform specific: It focused on the Commodore 64 and VIC-20. A German edition of ''RUN'' was published as well, and ''ReRUN'' disks made programs in the magazine available for purchase in machine-readable format. Another home computer magazine of this era was ''Compute!'' (1979-1994), which began as ''Pet Gazette,'' a 1978 magazine put together by Len Lindsay that was specific to the Commodore PET computer. In July 1983, that magazine launched a spin-off publication, ''COMPUTE!'s Gazette,'' which was for Commodore 64 and VIC-20 owners specifically and included programs for these computers. In the UK there were several other magazines for Commodore users, including ''Zzap! 64'', ''Commodore User'', and ''Commodore Format''. The last of these, which focused on the Commodore 64, did not start publishing until October 1990. This magazine was not about BASIC or learning to program, however. It focused on gaming and offered game news, reviews, and cheats, with its "Powerpack" tape including full games and demos for subscribers to run.
-Almost every book transmitting information on BASIC in the 1970s could be characterized as educational, although few of them were written for use in formal classes. These books explained, illustrated, and provided code for applications that users could enter, test and alter.
+While magazines were ready and regular sources of new programs, many also found enjoyable code in books. David H. Ahl's influential and early compilation, ''101 Basic Computer Games'', was first published in 1973 by the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). Though not the first book of computer games, it was the first to collect only games in BASIC. It contains a listing of games, a sample run of each game, and usually a short description of each game. It also acknowledges who wrote each game (there were many contributors) and names earlier sources, if any, for games. The program's "computer limitations" are described so users understand the hardware requirements. Illustrations, courtesy of ''Mad Magazine'' among others, punctuate the presentation -- a rather playful presentations for a corporate publication from a 1970s computer company. The game's titles are abbreviated into names that look rather cryptic today but could be generally used as filenames, since they did not exceed six letters. For instance, there was ACEYDU for "Acey Ddeucy CArd Game"; AMAZIN for "Draw a Maze"; or POET for "Random Poetry (Haiku)." The preface makes a point of teasing out the educational value of playing and creating games and the need for "unguided learning." DEC continued to publish a version of this book after Ahl left in 1974 -- just without Ahl's name on it.
-David H. Ahl's influential compilation, ''101 Basic Computer Games'', was first published in 1973 by the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). Though not the first book of computer games, it was the first to collect only games in BASIC. It contains a listing of games, a sample run of each game, and usually a short description of each game. It also acknowledges who wrote each game (there are many people who contributed code) and lays out other sources if the game had been transformed from a previously known game. The program's "computer limitations" are also described so users understand the hardware requirements. Illustrations, courtesy of ''Mad Magazine'' among others, punctuate the presentation, usually between this modicum of contextual information and the program's listing. The game's titles are abbreviated into names that can be used as filenames and are no longer than six characters long -- e.g. ACEYDU for "Acey Ddeucy CArd Game"; AMAZIN for "Draw a Maze"; or POET for "Random Poetry (Haiku)." The book's table of contents comprises three columns: a list of game name tags in alphabetical order, a column bearing a single-line description of the game, and a page number where the game's actual title accompanies the game's name tag along the top of the page. The book’s preface makes a point of teasing out the educational value of games, the need for “unguided learning,” especially if one considers the value of creating games, not just playing them.
+That wasn't the end of the book's publishing history, though. The first printing of ''Basic Computer Games, Microcomputer Edition'' in January 1978 signaled the fact that, at the time of the first publication of ''101 Computer Games'', microcomputers had not yet been introduced. The preface of this "Microcomputer Edition" differs significantly from the preface in the DEC editions. It begins with a dictionary definition (from an unnamed dictionary) of the word "game." It then provides a cursory history of sports and games moving from the ancient Chinese and Egyptians to the 1970s in little more than a paragraph and a half, only to emphasize that games offer recreational, breaks from the "realities of life," and also have other "important redeeming virtues." The next two sections of the preface emphasize games as an educational tool and computer games in particular. The Preface also explains to users that the programs in this book ''all'' run on what must have been considered the gold standard of microcomputer BASICs: MITS Altair 8K BASIC, Rev. 4.0. Some new programs replace those that were deleted because they "could not be converted or weren’t worth converting to MITS BASIC." (p. ix)
-As indicated in the preface of the January 1978 edition of the book published by Ahl's Creative Computing Press, David H. Ahl left DEC in 1974. Despite his departure, DEC continued to publish its version -- just without Ahl's name on it. The first printing of ''Basic Computer Games, Microcomputer Edition'' in January 1978 reflects the fact that, at the time of the DEC publication of ''101 Computer Games'', microcomputers hadn't been manufactured yet, and programmers using the BASIC language were still running code on time-sharing machines or on minicomputers.
+This first non-DEC printing drops the game's six-character tags and uses the game's full title in the table of contents, which is no longer organized alphabetically, but rather by game category -- e.g. Introductory Fun; Educational; Plotting and Pictures; Number and Letter Guessing; Remove an Object; Matrix Manipulation; Logic; Space; Sports Simulation; Gambling Casino; Card and Board; Combat; etc. Perhaps these categorizations relate to later, well-recognized computer game genres. But it would be hard to fit 10 PRINT into any category except "Introductory Fun" or (as ''RUN'' did) "One-Liner."
-The preface of ''Basic Computer Games, Microcomputer Edition'' differs significantly from the DEC edition. It is newly conceived and re-written. With this edition, the goal appears to be to spell out the value of games within broader contexts. The preface begins with a dictionary definition (from an unnamed dictionary) of the word "game." It then provides a cursory history of sports and games moving from the ancient Chinese and Egyptians to the 1970s in little more than a paragraph and a half, only to emphasize that games offer recreational, breaks from the "realities of life," and also have other "important redeeming virtues." The next two sections of the preface emphasize games as an educational tool and computer games in particular. The Preface also explains to users that the programs in this book all run on MITS Altair 8K BASIC, Rev. 4.0. Some new programs replace those that were deleted because they “could not be converted or weren’t worth converting to MITS BASIC.” (p. ix)
+No doubt aware of the momentum building in the growing community of users of the BASIC language, Ahl encouraged his the programmers who were reading his book to submit games for publication in books and future issues of his magazine, ''Creative Computing''. He urged those who wish to submit programs to "Please send the following: program listing, one or two sample runs, descriptive notes, paper tape and self-addressed stamp envelope. The listing and run should be on white, unlined paper and should be done in fresh black ribbon. The paper tape should be wrapped in kitchen plastic wrap or aluminum foil to prevent oil seepage from damaging other enclosures. The descriptive notes should be double-spaced."
-This first non-DEC printing drops the game's six-character tags. Instead it uses the game's title in the table of contents, which is no longer organized alphabetically, but rather by game category -- e.g. Introductory Fun; Educational; Plotting and Pictures; Number and Letter Guessing; Remove an Object; Matrix Manipulation; Logic; Space; Sports Simulation; Gambling Casino; Card and Board; Combat; etc.), helping aficionados of certain types of games gain easier access to them.
-No doubt aware of the momentum building in the growing community of users of the BASIC language, Ahl encourages his reading programmers to submit games for publication in books and future issues of his magazine, ''Creative Computing''. He urges those who wish to submit programs to “Please send the following: program listing, one or two sample runs, descriptive notes, paper tape and self-addressed stamp envelope. The listing and run should be on white, unlined paper and should be done in fresh black ribbon. The paper tape should be wrapped in kitchen plastic wrap or aluminum foil to prevent oil seepage from damaging other enclosures. The descriptive notes should be double-spaced.”
 Later in 1978, Workman Publishing took on further publication of Ahl's evolving compilation under the title of ''Basic Computer Games, Microcomputer Edition. 101 Great Games to Play on Your Home Computer. By yourself or with others. Each complete with programming and sample run.'' The lengthy title arguably reflects the publisher's attempt to reach always for broader audiences. It further translation into German, as ''Basic-Computer-Spiele Bd. 1. 101 fantastische Spiele für Ihren Mikrocomputer in BASIC geschrieben mit Listing und Probelauf'', in 1982 (and reprinted in 1983) also suggests that the apparatus of a major publisher helped disseminate games in BASIC abroad.
-There were other paths used to disseminate BASIC in books. Bob Albrecht's large-format ''What To Do After You Hit Return, or P.C.C.’s first book of Computer Games'' was first published in 1975 by People's Computer Company. It was handed off to a series of other publishing entities and underwent several printings. Hayden Books began printing it in 1977; its 5th printing in 1979 was still printed inexpensively on newsprint paper.
+Another significant volume was Bob Albrecht's large-format ''What To Do After You Hit Return, or P.C.C.’s first book of Computer Games,'' first published in 1975 by People's Computer Company. It was handed off to a series of other publishing entities and underwent several printings. Hayden Books began printing it in 1977; its 5th printing in 1979 was still printed inexpensively on newsprint paper.
-Given the growing popularity of BASIC and computers among hobbyists, it is not surprising to see other, even simpler presentations of BASIC such as ''The Little Book of BASIC Style. How to write a program you can read'', which was written by John M. Nevison (and self-published by John M. Nevison Associates, 1978) and seeks to echo the simplicity of the ''Elements of Style'' by E. B. White, whom the author invokes in his Preface.
+Given the growing popularity of BASIC and computers among hobbyists, it is not surprising to see other, even simpler presentations of BASIC such as ''The Little Book of BASIC Style. How to write a program you can read'', which was written by John M. Nevison (and self-published by John M. Nevison Associates, 1978) and seeks to echo the simplicity of the ''Elements of Style'' by E. B. White, whom the author invokes in his preface.
 On the other hand there are introductions to BASIC that make extensive use of BASIC as the language of choice: ''Programming for Poets. A Gentle Introduction Using BASIC'', written by  Richard Conway and James Archer and published in 1979 by Winthrop Publishers of Cambridge, MA., which is a simplified textbook; and ''BASIC With Style. Programming Proverbs'' by Paul Nagin and Henry F. Ledgard (Hayden Book Co., 1978). Among these are also many more typical textbooks.