gwbasic
====== Microsoft GW-BASIC ======
{{tag>gwbasic}}

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== Keywords ==
**{{backlinks>.#keywords}}**
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If it was not the last, GW-BASIC was certainly the most advanced evolution of the original, [[linenumbered|line-numbered]], first-generation [[ms80basic|Microsoft BASIC-80]]. Its original source-code has been open by Microsoft and it has at least one modern, open-source implementation for modern operating systems, so it can still be considered an active BASIC which can make old-time programmers "feel at home".

===== Where it is/was used =====
/* TO DO: Machines and emulators which ran this BASIC. */
  * IBM-PC and compatibles with DOS 3.22 or later

===== Noteworthy characteristics =====
/* TO DO: a list or prose text about this BASIC's features, quirks, Easter eggs, tricks, singularities... */


===== Environment and usage =====

/* TO DO: notes about the REPL or IDE used, keyboard shortcuts and commands, command-line options for compiling and linking, environment variables which might be set... */
GW-BASIC's interpreter was an executable in the MS-DOS floppy disk which could be started from DOS with ''gwbasic''. Command-line options could be given to redirect input or output, to set the maximum number of open files and the size of their buffers and records (like the [[:keywords:MAXFILES]] keyword), to determine memory block size and highest address, and to force some mathematical functions to return double-precision values instead of single-precision values. Also, the command-line can be used for running a BASIC program file (''.BAS'' extension) without the REPL environment being shown.

The environment is very similar to previous [[ms80basic|Microsoft BASIC-80]]-derived ones: a standard REPL interface where commands and statements can be used in direct mode, or numbered lines can be entered to be stored as part of a program. Overwriting, inserting or deleting content of a listed line will change the stored contents as long as RETURN is pressed after the modification.

The bottom line of the interpreter screen shows commands or statements that can be entered by pressing function keys (Fn), just like in the [[msx|MSX BASIC]] environment. Likewise, such shortcuts can be edited. 

===== Extensions =====
/* TO DO: Famous libraries tools and extension packages made for this BASIC */


===== Curiosities =====
/* TO DO: Historical notes, anecdotes, what people said about it */


===== Related to... =====
/*   * **[[basicTagName|basicTitle]]** - TO DO: a brief description of the relation they have with this one */


==== Influenced by ====
/*  * **[[basicTagName|basicTitle]]** - TO DO: which are the noticeable or assumed influences */


==== Influence for ====
/*  * **[[basicTagName|basicTitle]]*** - TO DO: which are the noticeable or assumed influences */


===== Versions and successors =====
/*
  No much need of prose here, just links. Notice the different patterns to create the links:
    * **[[basics:versionTagName|versionTitle]]** - for versions (created under this page)
    * **[[successorTagName|successorTitle]]** - for a successor (created as sibling of this page)
*/

  * [[https://github.com/robhagemans/pcbasic/|PC-BASIC]] is a self-proclaimed "bug for bug" implementation of GW-BASIC and its versions in Python for modern machines running Windows, GNU/Linux and Mac. It actually does much more than that, by emulating different PC hardware of GW-BASIC's time, such as EGA/VGA/Hercules video cards and Tandy 3-voice sounds, and by happily working with Unicode and a number of DOS codepages. Its [[https://robhagemans.github.io/pcbasic|website]] has a fairly extensive documentation with a complete keywords reference.


===== References =====
/*
  If the ((citation)) syntax was used elsewhere, they will be listed below this section.
  You can prepend this with a list of books, magazines and web pages with information
  used in this page
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  * https://hwiegman.home.xs4all.nl/gw-man/index.html - an online, HTML version of Microsoft's //GW-BASIC User's Guide// and //GW-Basic User's Reference//


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