View source for Software:SuperBASIC

{{Short description|Sinclair QL variant of the BASIC programming language}}
{{Infobox software
| name                   = SuperBASIC
| screenshot             = 
| caption                = 
| released               = {{Start date and age|1984}}
| developer              = [[Company:Sinclair Research|Sinclair Research]], Jan Jones
| latest release version = 
| latest release date    = 
| operating_system       = [[Software:Sinclair QDOS|QDOS]] 
| platform               = [[Engineering:Sinclair QL|Sinclair QL]] [[Microcomputer|microcomputer]] 
| genre                  = second-generation BASIC
| license                = [[Proprietary software|Proprietary]]
}}
'''SuperBASIC''' is an advanced variant of the BASIC programming language with many [[Structured programming|structured programming]] additions. It was developed at [[Company:Sinclair Research|Sinclair Research]] by Jan Jones during the early 1980s. 

Originally SuperBASIC was intended as the [[Software:BASIC interpreter|BASIC interpreter]] for a [[Engineering:Home computer|home computer]] code-named ''SuperSpectrum'', then under development. This project was later cancelled; however, SuperBASIC was subsequently included in the [[Read-only memory|ROM]] [[Firmware|firmware]] of the [[Engineering:Sinclair QL|Sinclair QL]] [[Microcomputer|microcomputer]] (announced in January 1984), also serving as the command line interpreter for the QL's [[Software:Sinclair QDOS|QDOS]] [[Operating system|operating system]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Illustrating Super-BASIC on the Sinclair QL |url=http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/12985/Illustrating-Super-BASIC-on-the-Sinclair-QL/ |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=Computing History}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Apostolo |first=Alberto |title=Sinclair QL: mistakes, misfortune and so many regrets |url=https://issuu.com/retromagazineworld/docs/retromagazine_00_eng/s/11179075 |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=RetroMagazineWorld |language=en}}</ref>

It was one of the first second-generation BASICs to be integrated into a microcomputer's operating system (unlike [[BBC BASIC]] which preceded it in 1981), making the OS user-extendable—as done by Linus Torvalds in his formative years.

== Advanced features ==

* RESPR for resident [[Function (computer programming)|procedures]], e.g. to extend QDOS
* choice of parameters passed to procedures
* procedures return parameters as chosen
* <code>IF</code> - <code>THEN</code> - <code>ELSE</code> - <code>END IF</code>
* <code>FOR</code> - <code>NEXT</code> - <code>EXIT</code> - <code>END FOR</code>
* <code>REPeat</code> - <code>NEXT</code> - <code>EXIT</code> - <code>END REPeat</code>
* <code>SELect ON</code> - <code>ON</code> - <code>REMAINDER</code> - <code>END SELect</code>
* arbitrarily <code>RETurn</code> from within procedures & functions
* [[Type conversion|data type coercion]] between [[Variable (computer science)|numeric]] and [[String (computer science)|string variables]]
* actual parameters passing data type to formal parameters
* [[Array (data structure)|array]] operations: slicing, joining etc.
* <code>LOCal</code> arrays & (string) variables
* <code>AUTOmatic</code> line numbering
* relative <code>RESTORE</code> & <code>DATA</code>

The function below illustrates the last eight of these features. After having <code>RUN</code> it, entering

       PRINT weekdays$(Iso("19631122",1))

will print <samp>FRI</samp> to the screen. Until cleared (e.g. by entering <kbd><code>NEW</code></kbd>), the function {{mono|Iso}}<ref>gopher://sdf.org/0/users/retroburrowers/TemporalRetrology/QL/JG</ref> will act like an extension to the operating system. Similarly, according to the QL User Guide, "many of the operating system commands are themselves defined as procedures."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Berry |first=Stephen |url=http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/docs/ebooks/olqlug/QL%20Manual%20-%20Keywords.htm#datareadrestore |title=QL User Guide |publisher=Sinclair Research Ltd |year=1984 |edition=2nd |location=Cambridge}}</ref>

== Example ==

 AUTO 11,2
 
   DEFine FN Iso(S,O)
   LOCal y%,m%,d%,i$,n%,w%
 
   REM Step 0 - to isolate components of date-stamp S="YEARMoDa"
   LET y%=S(1TO 4) : m%=S(5TO 6) : d%=S(7TO 8)
 
   REM Step 1 - to initiate [[Determination of the day of the week#Keith|Lachman's Congruence]]<ref>{{Citation |title=Motorola 68000 |date=2023-01-11 |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motorola_68000&oldid=1132884334 |work=Wikipedia |language=en |access-date=2023-02-06}}</ref>
   LET i$=m%*2.56+ 193 : S=S(1TO 6)- 3
 
   REM Step 2 - to compute the day-number within the week
   LET w%=(S(1TO 2)&"32"DIV 16+ S(1TO 4)DIV 4+ y%+ i$(2TO 3)+ d%)MOD 7
  
   REM Step 3 - to return result
          SELect ON O
                 ON O= 5 : n%=i$(2TO 3)
                 ON O= 4 : n%=y%
                 ON O= 3 : n%=m%
                 ON O= 2 : n%=d%
                 ON O= 1 : n%=w%
                 ON O= REMAINDER : n%=-1
          END SELect
   RETurn n%
 
   REM data statements
   DIM weekdays$(6,3)
   RESTORE 190
   FOR count=0 TO 6 : READ weekdays$(count)

{{keypress|ctrl|space}}
<source lang="basic">
 100 DIM month$(12,9)
 110 RESTORE 
 120 REM QL User Guide's "Data Read Restore" example ii
 130 REM appropriately amended relative to example i
 140 FOR count=1 TO 12 : READ month$(count) 
 150 DATA "January","February","March"
 160 DATA "April","May","June"
 170 DATA "July","August","September"
 180 DATA "October","November","December"
 190 DATA "SUN","MON","TUE","WED","THU","FRI","SAT"
 199 END DEFine Iso
</source>

== Bibliography ==

* Donald Alcock: ''Illustrating Superbasic on the Sinclair QL.'' Cambridge University Press, 1985. {{ISBN|0-521-31517-4}}
* Roy Atherton: ''Good Programming with QL Superbasic.'' Longman Software, 1984. {{ISBN|0-582-29662-5}}
* A. A. Berk: ''QL SuperBasic''. Granada Publishing, 1984. {{ISBN|0-246-12596-9}}
* {{Cite web|url=http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseekid.cgi?id=2000180|title=Illustrating Superbasic on the Sinclair QL - World of Spectrum|website=www.worldofspectrum.org|access-date=2016-04-11}}
* Jan Jones: ''QL SuperBasic: The Definitive Handbook''. McGraw-Hill, 1984 {{ISBN|0070847843}} ([[E-book|e-book]] reissue 2014)
* Dick Meadows, Robin Bradbeer, Nigel Searle: ''Introduction to Superbasic on the Sinclair QL.'' Hutchinson Computer Publishing, 1984. {{ISBN|0-09-158951-7}}
* Dick Meadows, Robin Bradbeer, Nigel Searle: ''Making the Most of the Sinclair QL: QL Superbasic and Its Applications.'' Hutchinson Computer Publishing, 1985. {{ISBN|0-09-160561-X}}
* Andrew Nelson: ''Exploring the Sinclair QL: An Introduction to SuperBasic.'' Interface Publications, 1984. {{ISBN|0-907563-84-8}}
* John K. Wilson: ''QL Superbasic: A Programmer's Guide.'' Micro Press, 1984. {{ISBN|0-7447-0020-5}}

== References ==
<references/>

== External links ==

* [http://www.nvg.ntnu.no/sinclair/computers/ql/ql_sst.htm ''The Quantum Leap - to where?'']: a chapter from ''Sinclair and the 'Sunrise' Technology''

{{BASIC}}

[[Category:BASIC interpreters]]
[[Category:BASIC programming language family]]

{{Sourceattribution|SuperBASIC}}