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Turbo Basic XL versions?


Philsan

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First of all I want to say that Turbo Basic XL is fantastic; thank you Frank Ostrowsky!

 

My question is: which is the latest version?

 

I have 2 versions.

In one the message "Setting up your 130XE ram disk" appears and then Turbo-Basic 1.5 logo.

In the other one, between these 2 messages, the attached screen appears.

 

Which version should I use?

post-12528-1191071408_thumb.png

Edited by Philsan
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First of all I want to say that Turbo Basic XL is fantastic; thank you Frank Ostrowsky!

 

My question is: which is the latest version?

 

I have 2 versions.

In one the message "Setting up your 130XE ram disk" appears and then Turbo-Basic 1.5 logo.

In the other one, between these 2 messages, the attached screen appears.

 

Which version should I use?

 

I think it does not matter.

 

The version that init's your ramdisk... that seems to be a boring boot sequence all the time.

I have a bootdisk Turbo Basic XL 1.5 (red boot screen).

 

Turbo Basic is great indeed, but I never use it :))

 

Marius

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Hi,

 

There are 2 versions official

 

1 version for the 800 (48Kb) and the XL 1.5 for the XL/XE (64Kb)

 

Then there is also a version combined with spartados 3.x custom made.

 

This version you show is the normal 1.5 XL only copies automaticly the runtime.obj and compiler to the ramdisk so it works much faster....

 

Turbobasic is pretty good only the compiler s*#$*&* because not all code can be compiled and you always need to load the big runtime.obj first.

 

A compiler that would compile to 100% machine language would rule...

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I have a bunch of versions:

 

TurboBasic 3.2q : SpartaDOS version of TurboBasic

Frost Basic 1.4 : 400/800 version of TurboBasic

TurboBasic XL 1.5 : XL/XE DOS2&compatibles

TurboBasic XL 2.0 : XL/XE DOS2&compatibles

 

In my experiments with 3.2q it seems to be lacking the functionality of 1.5/2.0 (BRUN statements do NOT work, get an error 255). Never used FrostBasic as I've never owned a 400/800 (and why would I when I have 1.5/2.0?). When I do play around with TB (for quick prototyping), I use 1.5 the most...

Edited by dwhyte
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Can you attach a copy of Turbo-Basic XL 2.0?

What are the differences between 1.5 and 2.0?

 

I've included the TurboBasic 2.0 & 2.1 in the attached file. Not sure of the actual differences between 1.5 and 2.0... 2.1 is a Turbo2000 version with a little minidos in it... Other than that they're basically the same as 1.5...

Turbo_Basic_XL_2.0.atr.zip

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First of all I want to say that Turbo Basic XL is fantastic; thank you Frank Ostrowsky!

 

My question is: which is the latest version?

 

I have 2 versions.

In one the message "Setting up your 130XE ram disk" appears and then Turbo-Basic 1.5 logo.

In the other one, between these 2 messages, the attached screen appears.

 

Which version should I use?

 

In addition to the differences mentioned, there was another change for NTSC computers. The splash screen still on mine says 1.5, but the "READY" prompt is changed to "TURBO". This version has the 50 Hz timing changed to 60 HZ so that TIME and related functions are correct on NTSC machines. I think this is the most common version distributed in the US.

 

Also, various other example/utility programs were released with some distributions. One of the best was Ron Fetzer's full English documentation + examples which I believe was serialized in the Old Hackers' Newsletters.

 

Another good disk release was the MWPD series which has several additional nice utility/demo programs. There are surely still others, but I'm not aware of any additional good Turbo Basic collections.

 

Afterthought -- the TBXL Compiler/linker program is also outstanding, making stand-alone .EXE files that can be directly loaded from Dos.

 

-Larry

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Larry,

 

how do you convert a compiled TBXL to a stnadalone .exe file? is there a utiliuty for that?

the way i do it is using a hex editor and append the runtime to the compibled file

 

Ndary

 

The linker can be found on Holmes CD#2. Look in Programming/Turbo Basic/TB_XL.ARC. I have used it several times, and thus far, it works perfectly.

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An additional TBXL "version" is the cartridge from Video 61. It is a nice product that works well on my system. I presume that this is the regular 1.5 TBXL version. A nice feature is that you can return to your TBXL program intact by using the "M" (run at address) command at $2080. The only conflict that I have found with MyDos 4.50 using this "feature" is that if you have selected a new subdirectory (the R prompt), the system reverts to the drive-only default (D1:, D2:, etc.) as soon as you return to TBXL. I don't know about other Dos versions.

 

-Larry

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I have a bunch of versions:

 

TurboBasic 3.2q : SpartaDOS version of TurboBasic

Frost Basic 1.4 : 400/800 version of TurboBasic

TurboBasic XL 1.5 : XL/XE DOS2&compatibles

TurboBasic XL 2.0 : XL/XE DOS2&compatibles

 

In my experiments with 3.2q it seems to be lacking the functionality of 1.5/2.0 (BRUN statements do NOT work, get an error 255). Never used FrostBasic as I've never owned a 400/800 (and why would I when I have 1.5/2.0?). When I do play around with TB (for quick prototyping), I use 1.5 the most...

 

With 3.2q using the XIO 40 command is the same as the BRUN command.

1.5 has a small bug when using the CTRL+R character as the last character in a string. :roll: The author of Atari++ emulator might have the fix for this problem.

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  • 8 years later...

An additional TBXL "version" is the cartridge from Video 61. It is a nice product that works well on my system. I presume that this is the regular 1.5 TBXL version. A nice feature is that you can return to your TBXL program intact by using the "M" (run at address) command at $2080. The only conflict that I have found with MyDos 4.50 using this "feature" is that if you have selected a new subdirectory (the R prompt), the system reverts to the drive-only default (D1:, D2:, etc.) as soon as you return to TBXL. I don't know about other Dos versions.

 

Is the attached file the Video 61 version you speak of?

 

This version is a curious beast to me. It doesn't seem work with any disk based DOS, but obviously provides a DOS 2.x compatible file system via the cart itself. Yet, it provides no DUP to load up and use. I've also found it incompatible with certain things that work fine with DOS 2.x (filenames specified in lower, for instance).

 

What is the origin of this cartridge; did Vid61 create it, or is it something they've usurped for reproduction?

 

Turbo-BASIC XL Switchable XEGS.rom

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The first time i used TurboBasic was the tape version that i bought from the Dutch S.A.G. Atari club. It had BL/C loader in front of it. Took about 30 mins to load. But then I could program in Turbobasic using my XC-12 recorder. In the begin I didnt have a diskdrive.

 

I guess, not many Atarians used Turbobasic on tape....

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I guess, not many Atarians used Turbobasic on tape....

I did, but used a XC11 Turbo bringing the loading time down to approx. 70 seconds.

 

The original distribution disk from "Markt & Technik" with Turbo-BASIC XL 1.5 is the only one ever published. All other "versions" floating around are kind of hacks, sometimes helpful, sometimes source of problems.

Edited by GoodByteXL
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The first time i used TurboBasic was the tape version that i bought from the Dutch S.A.G. Atari club. It had BL/C loader in front of it. Took about 30 mins to load. But then I could program in Turbobasic using my XC-12 recorder. In the begin I didnt have a diskdrive.

 

I guess, not many Atarians used Turbobasic on tape....

 

I did too. I bought the Turbo Basic tape on one of the SAG meetings and used it quite a bit until I saved enough money to buy a 1050. For those interested, the Turbo Basic tape is attached.

 

Robert

Turbo Basic XL 1.5 (Happy Computer).zip

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I never knew something about XC11 TURBO.

 

A hardware/software combo (homebrew) accelerating the operations of Atari program recorders. Software available on cartridge, cassette and disk. Used that also with the XC12. Very common in the late 1980s in Europe and a good alternative to FDDs. The software provided compression, indexing, file names and gave much more stability than the standard format at higher speeds up to 6,000 Baud. A C-60 could hold up to 2 MiB of programs. Used with XC12 and 1010 also.

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Is the attached file the Video 61 version you speak of?

 

This version is a curious beast to me. It doesn't seem work with any disk based DOS, but obviously provides a DOS 2.x compatible file system via the cart itself. Yet, it provides no DUP to load up and use. I've also found it incompatible with certain things that work fine with DOS 2.x (filenames specified in lower, for instance).

 

What is the origin of this cartridge; did Vid61 create it, or is it something they've usurped for reproduction?

 

attachicon.gifTurbo-BASIC XL Switchable XEGS.rom

 

No, the one I refer to is just a regular A8 cartridge. Williams bank-switch, I think. Has TBXL and compiler in it. $29.95, IIRC.

 

-Larry

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No, the one I refer to is just a regular A8 cartridge. Williams bank-switch, I think. Has TBXL and compiler in it. $29.95, IIRC.

 

-Larry

 

Alright, thanks for the info Larry. I guess I've never seen this before then. Do you have a dump of it?

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  • 3 months later...

Thanks, I guess?

 

Does anyone use Turbo Basic XL from SDX (Side 2) without emulators? Which version of TBXL? What *.com *.xex *.whatever file are you launching?

 

TBXL 1.5 ATR (which loads DOS 2.5 and runs fine when booted from SIO2SD) file has RAMDISK.COM, COMPILER.COM, RUNTIME.COM, and that's it executable wise (some .TUR and DOS 2 related .SYS files).

 

When the disks contents are copied to SDX /TBXL directory however:

 

RUNTIME.COM locks up or says "179 Memory Conflict", COMPILER.COM loads to a splash screen and just sits there, RAMDISK.COM brings up the SDX formatter (already have a ram disk anyways...).

 

I'm it's something stupid that "everybody" knows ... everybody but me apparently. Just want to run TBXL from SDX.

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X COMPILER.COM does in fact run the compiler. How do I run the interpreter to type in basic? I don't see an executable for it. It's a 130XE, currently set to 320K compy, but even with ext RAM disabled the results don't change. I think I'm just seriously missing something stupid simple. Kinda new to SDX if you couldn't tell that.

 

Is turbo_basic_xl_1.5 in fact the optimum version to use with SIDE2/SDX? Thanks for the input!

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