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Extended Basic how many versions/revisions out there?


retroclouds

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TI Extended BASIC came in two flavors--Version 100, which was buggy, and Version 110, which corrected most of the problems (the remaining problems were corrected by Winfried Winkler's Extended BASIC III, which also added a whole lot more to the language). MicroPal Extended BASIC, Exceltek Extended BASIC, and Mechatronic Extended BASIC were all carbon copies of the TI Version 110 Extended BASIC cartridge.

 

Triton Super Extended BASIC (identifies itself as Version 120, IIRC, and generally known as SEB) added a lot of the GRAM Kracker extensions to TI Extended BASIC. J&KH Software's Super Extended BASIC (generally known as SXB) added a lot of routines to TI Extended BASIC using the lower memory space of the 32K card.

 

Myarc's Extended BASIC level IV came in two revisions that I know of for the TI: 2.11 and 2.12. The latter was also ported to the Geneve for use while waiting or Myarc Advanced BASIC to be finished (but was seriously buggy on the Geneve).

 

Myarc Advanced BASIC had several revisions, each more functional than the last.

 

Mechatronic Extended BASIC II Plus was TI Extended BASIC with the APESoft Expanded Graphics BASIC routines integrated into the cartridge. One could do the same using the original APESoft disks with TI Extended BASIC (in Europe) or using the Amerisoft Expanded Graphics BASIC routines (in the US).

 

TI Extended BASIC 2 was used by the TI-99/8--and based on information I gleaned from several programmers in the distant past, was also a goodly portion of the source code that went into Myarc Extended BASIC Level IV. I have one of the original programmer's hard disks (connected to a Myarc Personality Card).

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TI Extended BASIC came in two flavors--Version 100, which was buggy, and Version 110, which corrected most of the problems (the remaining problems were corrected by Winfried Winkler's Extended BASIC III, which also added a whole lot more to the language). MicroPal Extended BASIC, Exceltek Extended BASIC, and Mechatronic Extended BASIC were all carbon copies of the TI Version 110 Extended BASIC cartridge.

 

I cannot even remember the name of the package, but I think it came out sometime between 1986 and 1989. Is was a collection of assembly routines in a 'library' of sorts on disk that one could use CALL LINKs to give Extended BASIC more functionality. I used it for something, but even that is lost in time and from my grey matter.

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RXB is not even mentioned as one of the Versions of XB?

 

Nor is Miller Graphics XB that all the others are based upon mentioned?

 

By the way Miller Graphics XB using a GRAM KRACKER was the first (#1) updated version 110 XB for the TI99/4A I believe in 1983

 

The code was created in 1982 but not published till much later in 1984 in the Smart Programmer as far as I know by Craig Miller.

 

I do not know of another XB that came out before Miller Graphics XB so I could be wrong, but I do know that most of those later have the Miller Graphics updates in them and have found them in all versions.

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200607038013402&set=a.1248200260130.29061.1683172923&type=1&theater

Edited by RXB
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My apology on not mentioning RXB or the GRAM Kracker extensions that evolved into SEB, Rich. My family arrived for Christmas dinner while I was writing the post, so I had to break it off and send as it was. SEB did include the GRAM Kracker routines as you noted--but those routines were not what updated TI Extended BASIC to Version 110. That was released in the May-June 1982 timeframe by TI, and it was to fix a Randomization issue in Version 100, IIRC. I know the release timeframe quite well, as I ordered the module right about the time that the bug was identified--and had to wait nearly six months to get one of the updated ones (orders were backlogged the whole time, as they were replacing the Version 100 modules before fulfilling new orders, which only made the shortage appear to be worse).

 

I also didn't mention several other BASIC dialects for the TI: Cortex BASIC, which evolved from TI-990 PowerBASIC; Terminal Emulator II BASIC (adds a few commands, and I've seen a small number of programs written specifically for it); Personal Record Keeping BASIC (this has a very small library of programs written for it); Mini-Memory BASIC (this one actually has quite a few programs targeted to it from the European market); and Editor-Assembler BASIC (this one also only has a few programs specifically targeted to it). For completeness sake, one should also include the assembly support routines for the CorComp DSDD controller and the Myarc assembly support routines, as there were programs out there that looked for both of these extensions to BASIC.

 

This completely excludes such interesting objects as Gronos Assembly Translated BASIC, Torpedo BASIC, My Little Compiler, Harry Wilhelm's BASIC/XB compilers, the Kull compiler, or any of the other BASIC compilers out there (the names escape me at the moment).

Edited by Ksarul
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In answer to the Myarc Extended BASIC Level IV question, Retroclouds: it requires the 128K OS version of the Myarc 128K or 512K memory card--and it requires a loader cartridge to load the main parts of the program from disk and into the memory card. There are also variants of the Foundation 128K (can be modified to 512K) card using a specially-tailored version of the Myarc 128K OS DSR, but it also requires both module to load and a disk. As noted by Eric Bray, some of the loader cartridges use repurposed Pilgrim's Pride 6000+ circuit boards, while others were purpose-made for Myarc.

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I cannot even remember the name of the package, but I think it came out sometime between 1986 and 1989. Is was a collection of assembly routines in a 'library' of sorts on disk that one could use CALL LINKs to give Extended BASIC more functionality. I used it for something, but even that is lost in time and from my grey matter.

 

IIRC, this would be "The Missing Link" and it has popped up on eBay recently a couple of times.

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  • 4 years later...

...

 

TI Extended BASIC 2 was used by the TI-99/8--and based on information I gleaned from several programmers in the distant past, was also a goodly portion of the source code that went into Myarc Extended BASIC Level IV. I have one of the original programmer's hard disks (connected to a Myarc Personality Card).

 

Found this "old" thread again, but interesting nonetheless. I have a couple of questions regarding TI Extended BASIC 2

 

  1. Is there a user manual for TI Extended BASIC 2 around?
  2. Was it "faster" as TI Extended Basic on the TI-99/4a ?
  3. Was it very buggy or in a usable state ?
  4. Do any of the TI-99/8 owners on the forum have programs for TI Extended BASIC 2 ?
  5. Does the Tomy Tutor have Extended BASIC 2 as basic or do they have an own version ?
  6. What would it take to get TI Extended BASIC 2 running on a TI-99/4A ?

 

I know, a lot of questions. But hey it's Sunday morning and a good time to think what could have been. ;)

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Since the HX5102 floppy is now available in MAME, you can try Extended Basic II in the TI-99/8 emulation. It is faster for sure, but the 99/8 is the only machine where it is used, and a good part of the higher speed is just due to the 9995.

 

You can use the single density disk images that run on the TI-99/4A. Currently, DD is not recommended since it uses 16 instead of 18 sectors per track and will therefore not work with the current DD images.

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