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https://github.com/robhagemans/basicode

A collection of BASICODE programs by various authors
https://github.com/robhagemans/basicode

8bit basic collection history retrocomputing

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A collection of BASICODE programs by various authors

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README 

        
BASICODE

========



BASICODE was a 1980s-era cross-platform BASIC standard designed to allow software transmission by radio.

It consisted of the following elements:



- A subset of classic Microsoft BASIC common to the BASIC dialects of the target platforms

- A standard set of subroutines to provide functionality for which no common BASIC syntax exists

- An audio modulation format intended to be readable by data cassette players



See the `summary of the BASICODE specification`_ for details.



.. image:: http://robhagemans.github.io/basicode/zwart1.jpg



This repository is a collection of BASICODE programs. You can run these in the

`online BASICODE interpreter`_, for which the `source code`_ is also available.



.. _summary of the BASICODE specification: BASICODE.rst

.. _online BASICODE interpreter: http://robhagemans.github.io/basicode

.. _source code: https://github.com/robhagemans/basicode-interpreter



Background

----------



BASICODE was developed

in 1980 by Dutch broadcaster *NOS* for its hobby-electronics radio programme Hobbyscoop.

Its purpose was to enable radio transmission of software to owners of numerous

mutually incompatible 8-bit platforms.



BASICODE users would tape record the modulated program from the radio. They would need a native *translation program*

for their platform, which would decode the common audio format and supplement the BASICODE program with the platform

implementation of the standard subroutines. If everything went well, they would then be able to run and use the program.



The *NOS* started BASICODE transmissions in 1982 on medium wave Dutch radio. Other broadcasters followed suit:

the Dutch *TROS*, the British *BBC*, the West German *WDR* and

the East German *Radio DDR* all at one time or another performed regular BASICODE transmissions.

In re-unified Germany, *Deutschlandsender Kultur* continued to transmit BASICODE until around 1992.



BASICODE programs were also distributed on collection recordings: mostly these were cassette tapes, but there were audio CDs and

gramophone records as well, as well as diskette sets. Many of these sources additionally contained translation programs for one

or more platforms.



While the authors and broadcasters retained copyrights on the programs, they encouraged them to be shared widely

for non-commercial purposes.



Contents

--------



This repository contains BASICODE programs from a number of sources. I have decoded them from

the original audio recordings, where available, and corrected transmission failures using context,

alternative sources and checksums. I have concentrated on the portable BASICODE sources and have

omitted platform-specific code such as translation programs. The following titles are included:



==================================  ==========  ===== ==================  ==================

Title                               Medium      Year  Standard            Language

==================================  ==========  ===== ==================  ==================

`Chip Shop BASICODE 2`_             Tape        1984  BASICODE-2          English

`Wiegand & Fillinger - Basicode`_   Tape        1984  BASICODE-2          German

`BASICODE-2A`_                      Tape        1985  BASICODE-2          English and Dutch

`SIG/M volume 235: BASICODE`_       Diskette    1985  BASICODE-2          English and Dutch

`The Best of BASICODE 1`_           Tape        1985  BASICODE-2          Dutch

`The Best of BASICODE 2`_           Tape        1985  BASICODE-2          Dutch

`The Best of BASICODE 3`_           Tape        1986  BASICODE-2          Dutch

`The Best of BASICODE 4`_           Tape        1987  BASICODE-2          Dutch

`The Best of BASICODE 5`_           CD          1988  BASICODE-2          Dutch

`The Best of BASICODE 6`_           Diskette    1991  BASICODE-2          Dutch

`The Best of BASICODE 7`_           Diskette    1992  Text only           Dutch

`BASICODE-3`_                       Tape        1986  BASICODE-3          Dutch

`BASICODE-3 Verzamelcassette 1`_    Tape        1987  BASICODE-3          Dutch

`BASICODE-3 Verzamelcassette 2`_    Tape        1987  BASICODE-3          Dutch

`BASICODE-3 Verzamelcassette 3`_    Tape        1988  BASICODE-3          Dutch

`BASICODE-3 Verzamelcassette 4`_    Tape        1988  BASICODE-3          Dutch

`BASICODE-3 Verzamelcassette 5`_    Tape        1989  BASICODE-3          Dutch

`BASICODE-3 Verzamelcassette 6`_    Tape        1989  BASICODE-3          Dutch

`BASICODE-3 Verzamelcassette 7`_    Tape        1990  BASICODE-3          Dutch and German

`BASICODE-3 Verzamelcassette 8`_    Tape        1990  BASICODE-3          Dutch and German

`BASICODE-3 Verzamelcassette 9`_    Tape        1990  BASICODE-3          Dutch and German

`BasiCode Sammelsurium`_            Diskette    1998  BASICODE-2, 3, 3C   German

`Software-Archiv des KC-Clubs`_     Web         2002  BASICODE-2, 3, 3C   German

==================================  ==========  ===== ==================  ==================



Also included are a few `BASICODE programs from various sources`_ such as radio recordings.



.. _BASICODE-2A: Basicode-2a/

.. _Chip Shop BASICODE 2: Chip_Shop_Basicode_2/

.. _Wiegand & Fillinger - Basicode: Wiegand_Fillinger_Basicode_2/

.. _`SIG/M volume 235: BASICODE`: SIGM-235/

.. _The Best of BASICODE 1: Best_of_Basicode_1/

.. _The Best of BASICODE 2: Best_of_Basicode_2/

.. _The Best of BASICODE 3: Best_of_Basicode_3/

.. _The Best of BASICODE 4: Best_of_Basicode_4/

.. _The Best of BASICODE 5: Best_of_Basicode_5/

.. _The Best of BASICODE 6: Best_of_Basicode_6/

.. _The Best of BASICODE 7: Best_of_Basicode_7/

.. _BASICODE-3: Basicode-3/

.. _BASICODE-3 Verzamelcassette 1: Verzamelcassette_1/

.. _BASICODE-3 Verzamelcassette 2: Verzamelcassette_2/

.. _BASICODE-3 Verzamelcassette 3: Verzamelcassette_3/

.. _BASICODE-3 Verzamelcassette 4: Verzamelcassette_4/

.. _BASICODE-3 Verzamelcassette 5: Verzamelcassette_5/

.. _BASICODE-3 Verzamelcassette 6: Verzamelcassette_6/

.. _BASICODE-3 Verzamelcassette 7: Verzamelcassette_7/

.. _BASICODE-3 Verzamelcassette 8: Verzamelcassette_8/

.. _BASICODE-3 Verzamelcassette 9: Verzamelcassette_9/

.. _`BasiCode Sammelsurium`: Sammelsurium/

.. _`Software-Archiv des KC-Clubs`: KC-Club/

.. _`BASICODE programs from various sources`: Various/



Acknowledgements

----------------



A big thank you to **Janny Looyenga**, **Jan Bredenbeek**, **André van der Leeden**, **Thomas Rademacher**, **Victor Reijs**

and many others for history, BASICODE recordings and background information!



Publications

------------



- Hans G. Janssen (ed.), *BASICODE Hobbyscoop 2*, Nederlandse Omroep Stichting, Hilversum, 1983.

- Trevor Taylor (ed.), *The Chip Shop BASICODE-2*, Broadcasting Support Services, London, 1984.

- Jacques Haubrich (ed.), *Het BASICODE-3 Boek*, Kluwer Technische Boeken, Deventer, 1986.

- Michael Wiegand, Heike u. Manfred Fillinger, *BASICODE. Mit Programmkassette*, Ravensburger Buchverlag, Ravensburg, 1986.

- 'basicode-2', *Elektuur* **10** 1983.

- Prof. Dr. Horst Völz, '`Datenaustausch mit BASICODE`_', *Radio Fernsehen Elektronik* **1** 1990.

- Frank Veraart, 'Basicode: Co-Producing a Microcomputer Esperanto', *History of Technology* **28** 2008



Online resources

----------------



- Janny Looyenga, `BASICODE`_.

- Victor Reijs, `Overview of BASICODE-3`_.

- Lennart Benschop, `BASICODE: an example of Dutch computer folklore`_.

- Thomas Rademacher, `BasiCode – Software für alle`_.

- Jan Bredenbeek, `BASICODE wiki`_.



.. _BASICODE: http://www.nostalgia8.nl/basicode.htm

.. _`Datenaustausch mit BASICODE`: http://www.kc85emu.de/scans/rfe0190/Basicode.htm

.. _`BASICODE: an example of Dutch computer folklore`: https://lennartb.home.xs4all.nl/basicode.html

.. _`Overview of BASICODE-3`: http://www.iol.ie/~geniet/eng/BASICODE3sub.htm

.. _`BasiCode – Software für alle`: http://www.joyce.de/basicode/

.. _`BASICODE wiki`: https://github.com/janbredenbeek/Basicode-wiki/wiki