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QuickBASIC 2.0 and the Tandy 1000
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Some of you with Tandy 1000's may have been contemplating the
purchase of Microsoft's new BASIC compiler, as well you might.
More than just a compiler for interpreted BASIC programs, this
new product transforms BASIC into a serious program development
system. Just consider these new features :
1) A complete programming environment with integrated editor,
debugger, and "compile to memory" options.
2) The elimination of mandatory line numbers in the BASIC source
code. Line numbers are now optional; needed only for GOTO or
GOSUB statements. In fact, in lieu of line numbers, alpha
labels may be substituted, thus allowing for easily
recognizable routines. (E.G. GOSUB HEADER for a routine that
clears the screen and prints a title for the option selection
instead of, say, GOSUB 40000.) The system even comes with a
utility (written in QB 2.0 and provided in source code form)
which will remove unneeded line numbers from old interpreted
programs.
3) Multi-line IF statements. This function, combined with the
already available WHILE ... WEND statement (which, for the first
time, can be executed without line numbers) at last gives
BASIC a structured look and "feel" similar to languages like
PASCAL while still retaining compatibility with older
interpreted programs.
4) The availability of SUB-PROGRAMS to further aid modular
programming completes BASIC's graduation to adulthood.
Variables assigned within a sub-program are "private" to that
section of code. This allows BASIC to become a serious
development system since a main program can be written with
calls to sub-program "stubs", and various programmers can be
assigned responsibility for each stub.
5) As in Turbo Pascal, the compiler can call up the built-in
editor and position the cursor at the source of a possible
compile error. Unlike Turbo, however, the compiler will make
a complete run through the source code, noting errors as they
occur, (up to a maximum of 25) and then present them one by
one for correction via the editor. As each error is
encountered, a "Error-Message" window opens at the bottom of
the screen with a (usually) comprehensive explanation of the
error.
6) The built-in debugger (activated with our old friends TRON
and TROFF) provides a variable DEBUG WINDOW at the bottom of
the screen which indicates the currently executing line of
source code. The speed of the debugging action can be
continuously varied, and the size of the debug window can be
increased to show additional lines of code.
7) The system comes with a beautiful 600 page manual outlining
all the new features and providing a "Statement and Function
Reference" that clearly lists all compiler deviatons from the
interpreter on a statement by statement basis. And the whole
package lists for only $99.95 retail.
There are also a number of additional enhancements (such as
support for EGA graphics, LOCK and UNLOCK functions for the Tandy
VIANET and IBM NET, a fix for the notorious QB 1.0 "Child of
Basic" bug, etc.) which are too numerous to go into here. In
short, this is the BASIC everybody has dreamed of since that
first 4K paper tape Microsoft "Tiny BASIC" was loaded into the
Altair 8800's shaky Parisitic Engineering memory board some 10
years ago.
Ah, but for us Tandy 1000 owners, has this BASIC really arrived ?
The fact of the matter is that trying to run this system on a
1000 amounts to masochistic torture. Here are the main problems
which constitute the proverbial "flys in the ointment" for our
machine :
1) There is no support for the Tandy's arrow keys from within
the editor. Instead, the 8-2-4-6 diamond on the numeric
keypad must be substituted.
2) The QB editor doesn't recognized the status of the Tandy CAPS
LOCK key. The only way to tell if one is in caps mode is to
reference the on-screen indicator in the upper right-hand
corner of the screen. If one is in CAPS, and then switches to
lowercase, it will generally take several presses of the CAPS
key to finally get back to uppercase.
3) If SideKick is called upon while working from within the QB
2.0 environment and the Tandy arrow keys are used to, for
example, page through the ASCII table, one will find QB 2.0
totally locked-up upon leaving SideKick. This condition can
sometimes be cured by pressing ALT-SPACEBAR and then ESC.
4) Many of you will also be upset by the lack of support for the
Tandy's (and, incidentally, PC Jr's) enhanced CGA graphics
modes.
These all seem like minor problems, and, in fact, if an
outboard editor more compatible with the T1K is utilized in lieu
of the QB 2.0's built-in editor, then the problems disappear
entirely. The problem is that if you opt to do that then you lose
the integrated programming enviornment you thought you had
purchased. Also, Turbo Pascal (which Microsoft has obviously
aimed this product at) has no problems with any aspect of the T1K
keyboard, and, of course, works well with SideKick.
Why should the large body of Tandy 1000 owners have to put
up with these anomalies when it's obvious that we don't have to ?
And why has Microsoft (seemingly) forgotten its roots ? Before
there was an IBM PC there was the TRS-80 MODEL I with Microsoft
BASIC in ROM. That's right ! Radio Shack was the _very first_
company to include MS BASIC in ROM. (The original Apple II came
with a Woz-produced integer BASIC in ROM; MS BASIC was available
only on cassette tape until the advent of the II+). Indeed, the
popularity of the Model I helped propel Microsoft BASIC to its
dominant position as the standard BASIC for micro-computers, and
thereby eventually led to its liaison with IBM. THIS COMPANY
OWES US ONE !
I suggest that we let Microsoft know, in no uncertain terms,
that we are very displeased with the current implementation of
this package on the Tandy 1000 and that we want a QB 2.0 tailored
for our machines. Current estimates indicate that there are now
close to as many Tandy 1000 owners as there are owners of the
Macintosh. If we all get together on this it's quite possible
that we can persuade Microsoft of the economic feasibility of
releasing a Tandy 1000 QuickBASIC 2.0. --- Joseph