Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!tank!ncar!mailrus!cornell!batcomputer!sun.soe.clarkson.edu!walshm
From: walshm@sun.soe!clutx.clarkson.edu (Matthew S. Walsh)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Re: wanted - basic compiler
Message-ID: <2652@sun.soe.clarkson.edu>
Date: 13 Mar 89 15:39:05 GMT
References: <1168@ncrcce.StPaul.NCR.COM>
Sender: news@sun.soe.clarkson.edu
Reply-To: walshm@sun.soe!clutx.clarkson.edu.UUCP
Distribution: all
Lines: 25

From article <1168@ncrcce.StPaul.NCR.COM>, by young@ncrcce.StPaul.NCR.COM (Todd Young):
> Does anyone have a -good- basic compiler they might be interested in selling?
> A nominal amount of speed, and compatability with either Atari, or basic XL
> would certainly be a plus. 
> 
>
There have been two compilers for Atari BASIC which I know of.  One was the
ABC compiler, and the other name escapes my memory at this time.  

The problem with these compilers is that the speed of your program will only
increase marginally, and the file size will increase substantially for all the
"Runtime" packages needed for screen drawing, math, etc.

I think if you need speed, but like the interactive style of basic, I'd take
a look at ACTION!, which was supposedly the fastest 8-bit language ever 
developed.  It was put out by OSS on a supercartridge, just like BASIC XL.
However, I remember a disk version of ACTION that someone cracked. (of
course I never had it, wink wink).

But I guess if you don't care about size or speed and you just need 
something to run from DOS, look for the ABC compiler.

Matt "Mr. Atari" Walsh
Clarkson University
Potsdam NY