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From: braner@batcomputer.TN.CORNELL.EDU (braner)
Newsgroups: net.micro.atari16
Subject: Re: A couple of questions (compilers & BASIC)
Message-ID: <980@batcomputer.TN.CORNELL.EDU>
Date: Sat, 6-Sep-86 22:10:56 EDT
Article-I.D.: batcompu.980
Posted: Sat Sep  6 22:10:56 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 7-Sep-86 20:23:10 EDT
References: <8609050441.AA07794@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Reply-To: braner@batcomputer.UUCP (braner)
Organization: Theory Center, Cornell University, Ithaca NY
Lines: 40
Keywords: HBASIC
Summary: A great incrementally compiled BASIC coming soon!

[]

Kevin J. Burnett wrote:
>What are good inexpensive ... compilers for the ST?
>Also, ... in ST BASIC...

Well, it took me very little time to abandon ST BASIC - it's got 3 windows
too many (it is faster to retype one line than use the "screen" editor,
and so on) and in the 250 page manual I couldn't find any hint on using
the RS232 port (I'm sure it's possible, though) and it's SLOOOOOW, etc...

Those of you interested in BASIC, the langauge and/or the interactive
environment, will be happy to know that an incrementally compiled,
BASIC-like language is about to come out for the ST.  Incrementally
compiled means that each line is compiled immediately upon entry (which is
so fast that you don't notice it) (and decompiled if you LIST, again fast -
THAT is what the magic power of the 68000 is for) - and when you want to
RUN the program the compiled code is ready to run, and run FAST!  (The
infamous SIEVE - n=8192, 10 iterations - takes about 25 seconds, or about
30 times faster than ST-BASIC, and faster than all the BASIC compilers too.)

The language, called HBASIC, is not quite standard BASIC, though.
(It is not a GEM program nor a GEM-compatible system, either!)
Data types include integers and reals (distinct!), strings, and arrays.
Floating point is double-precision but FAST.  I don't know what graphics
capabilities will be included in the early package, if any.  Disk access
bypasses TOS and is VERY FAST.  A RAM-based assembler will be bundled with
it, and there's access to assembled routines from HBASIC.

This is NOT vaporware, it is running now and the first public release is
scheduled in about two months.  It is a descendent of HALGOL, the language
that runs on the 68000 add-on boards called "Dtack Grounded", that attach
to Apple ]['s and IBM PC's.

All of these HW/SW products are made by Digital Acoustics, inc., with
which I am not at all associated.  The price will be about $50, but I'm
not sure if that will include the assembler.  This info is out of the
newsletter they sent to some of their old-time customers.

- Moshe Braner