15
votes
Positive/negative 16-bit integer formats in 8-bit systems?
In real machines with two's complement representation, there's only one integer format. The decision of whether 0xffff means -1 or 65535 is dependent on the use it's put to. Output code needs to ...
- 33.5k
14
votes
Accepted
Extensions to Apple BASIC with ampersands
After a bit of research, it turns out it was Applesoft.
The interpreter had a feature where, if it encountered an ampersand during execution of the program, it would unconditionally jump to a ...
- 4,594
12
votes
Accepted
Odd tokenizing in Integer BASIC
It does not appear it saves times or memory in either the encode or decode, but maybe I'm missing something?
Well, it kind of simplify decoding. The values $B0..$B9 are exactly what's uses to mark up ...
- 213k
12
votes
Accepted
Using Integer Basic on Apple II Plus without a Language Card?
TL;DR;
Was it possible to load integer basic and use it without a language card
No, at least not as an official Apple product.
DOS 3.3 only supplied an Integer BASIC image to be loaded into Language ...
- 213k
10
votes
How were binary subroutines embedded in Integer BASIC programs?
In this Integer BASIC disassembly, 202/203 ($CA/$CB) is PP - "ptr: start of program". It looks like they're changing the "start of program" location, then re-running it by doing a GOTO 0.
My guess is ...
- 1,005
10
votes
Positive/negative 16-bit integer formats in 8-bit systems?
→ Does anyone know of an 8-bit era system that did this?
Integer BASIC exists to be very small, just fast enough to develop games on, and out in time for the Apple launch. Syntax niceties would make ...
- 20.6k
9
votes
Extensions to Apple BASIC with ampersands
While paxdiablo answered the question confirming that it was AppleSoft, I can point out three things related to it as an extension:
When you load your extension, it should attempt to relocate itself ...
- 15.8k
9
votes
How to make a maximally compatible Integer BASIC (Apple II) game disk for the Internet Archive?
Is there some way to easily set up a disk to boot an Integer Basic program regardless of Apple II?
Only if that Apple is equipped with a language card, as DOS can quite well simply run an Integer ...
- 213k
9
votes
How were binary subroutines embedded in Integer BASIC programs?
Generally, this involves some very careful work, where you overwrite part of the tokenized BASIC program with the binary data, or add the binary data to the tokenized BASIC code while carefully ...
- 958
8
votes
Did the Apple II Integer BASIC use SWEET16?
Essentially various sides of the same reason:
SWEET16 came too late. Incorporating it into Integer BASIC would have postponed the ROM production further.
Integer BASIC was working as is, doing a ...
- 213k
8
votes
How were binary subroutines embedded in Integer BASIC programs?
The technique that zellyn describes above for having the Monitor process a command from the input buffer was, as he said, devised for Applesoft. In fact, one of its crucial elements is specific to ...
- 133
7
votes
Positive/negative 16-bit integer formats in 8-bit systems?
Does anyone know of an 8-bit era system that did this?
No, at least not the way the question proposes, which is essentially turning 16 bit values into 17 bit. Something no (BASIC) system supports. ...
- 213k
5
votes
Extensions to Apple BASIC with ampersands
A little late to the party but I remember doing this back in the early 80's, it was definitely the & "extension" used in Applesoft. Like Patrick mentioned I also remember combining ...
- 51
5
votes
Positive/negative 16-bit integer formats in 8-bit systems?
As far as I understand your question, I guess the ZX Spectrum BASIC could be an answer: it stores all numbers in 5-byte format, FPs as well as integers (see more here). This BASIC could store unsigned ...
- 5,487
5
votes
How to make a maximally compatible Integer BASIC (Apple II) game disk for the Internet Archive?
To make a disk that starts up directly into an Integer BASIC program on a system with Applesoft in ROM and a language card (][+, //e, etc), do this:
Make a copy of the DOS 3.3 System Master disk. ...
- 8,775
3
votes
Motivation for DOS 3.3 using I/O hooks rather than ampersand-hook
As usual History and compatibility.
The Apple II was originally only released with Integer BASIC in ROM. Applesoft BASIC had to be loaded to RAM - not to mention that it was far from what we know, for ...
- 213k
3
votes
Positive/negative 16-bit integer formats in 8-bit systems?
BBC BASIC, one of the later and more powerful microcomputer BASICs, supported both 40-bit floating point and 32-bit signed integers.
Variables in the latter format had a % suffix, analogous to the $ ...
- 16.7k
2
votes
Using Integer Basic on Apple II Plus without a Language Card?
It was, in fact possible to load Integer BASIC into RAM without the Language Card, and without purchasing a modified variant. Back in the day there was a magazine article (Creative Computing, Byte, ...
- 21
2
votes
Using Integer Basic on Apple II Plus without a Language Card?
Integer BASIC as shipped by Apple in the original ROMs or on DOS diskettes was intended only to run at address E000 to F7FF. On the original Apple II this was ROM which held Integer BASIC. With the ...
- 13.6k
1
vote
How were binary subroutines embedded in Integer BASIC programs?
Bob Bishop helped us with a Machine Control program using the Apple ][ as a Machine Controller with GREAT Graphics. Late '70 and early 80's
He showed me the trick where you insert the Machine Code in ...
- 11
1
vote
How were binary subroutines embedded in Integer BASIC programs?
I can't speak directly to Apple Integer BASIC, but I know that TRS-80 BASIC programs could encode machine language in DATA statements (as in Leo Christopherson's Android NIM) or even in literal ...
- 2,826
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