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

BASICODE interpreter in Javascript
https://github.com/robhagemans/basicode-interpreter

8bit basic bbc c64 emulator interpreter javascript msx retrocomputing trs-80 zx-spectrum

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BASICODE interpreter in Javascript

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README 

        
BASICODE interpreter

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



This is a BASICODE interpreter in Javascript, compatible with BASICODE versions 2, 3 and 3C.

It's free & open source, released under the Expat MIT licence.

There is `a live demo `_

and `a collection of programs `_.



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



.. image:: https://robhagemans.github.io/basicode/basicode-arabesque.png



*Screenshot taken from* `Arabesque `_,

*a 1987 BASICODE-3 program by Ch. W. Brederode.*



Quick start

-----------

::



    

    

    

        

    

    

        

            1010 PRINT "Hello, world!"

        

    

    



Deployment

----------



The package consists of a single Javascript file. To embed one or more interpreters in an HTML5 document, link the script in the header.

It will scan the HTML for any ```` elements , replace them with newly created canvases and execute the BASICODE

in the script content or ``src=`` text file. Enjoy!



Settings

--------



A number of options can be set through the dataset attribute of the ``script`` element:



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

Attribute             Setting

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

``data-columns``      Number of text columns

``data-rows``         Number of text rows

``data-speed``        Number of cycles per second in ``FOR`` loops (roughly)

``data-font``         Font to use for text (see below)

``data-color-0``      Set the colour value for black (background)

``data-color-1``      Set the colour value for blue

``data-color-2``      Set the colour value for red

``data-color-3``      Set the colour value for magenta

``data-color-4``      Set the colour value for green

``data-color-5``      Set the colour value for cyan

``data-color-6``      Set the colour value for yellow

``data-color-7``      Set the colour value for white (foreground)

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



Fonts

-----



The following fonts are available:



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

Font           Size  Description

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

``smooth``           Browser's native monospace font

``tiny``       6x4   A very small bitmap font

``apple``      7x8   Apple-II font

``msx``        7x8   MSX font

``atari``      8x8   Atari 8-bit font

``bbc``        8x8   Acorn BBC Micro font

``c64``        8x8   Commodore 64 font

``cpc``        8x8   Amstrad/Schneider CPC font

``exidy``      8x8   Exidy Sorcerer font

``genie1``     8x8   EACA Colour Genie 1st font

``genie2``     8x8   EACA Colour Genie 2nd font

``kc85``       8x8   Robotron KC85/1 font

``pcw``        8x8   Amstrad PCW/Schneider JOYCE font

``spectrum``   8x8   Sinclair ZX Spectrum font

``vic``        8x8   Commodore PET and VIC-20 font

``cga``        8x8   IBM CGA font

``thin``       8x8   IBM CGA thin stroke font

``pcjr``       8x8   IBM PCjr font

``tandy``      8x8   Tandy 1000 font

``tandy2``     8x8   Tandy 1000 font, later version

``p2000``      8x10  Philips P2000T font

``coco``       8x12  Tandy TRS-80 CoCo v1&2 font

``coco3``      8x12  Tandy TRS-80 CoCo v3 font

``mpf``        8x12  Multitech Micro-Professor MPF-I font

``ega``        8x14  IBM EGA font

``mda``        9x14  Hercules and IBM MDPA font

``olivetti``   8x16  Olivetti M24 and AT&T 6300 font

``vga``        9x16  IBM VGA font

``wyse-serif`` 16x16 Wyse WY-700 serif font

``wyse-sans``  16x16 Wyse WY-700 sans serif font

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



Compatibility

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



The interpreter should work on reasonably recent, standards-compliant browsers.

You need a keyboard, so it will be difficult to use on mobile.

I've superficially tested it on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Opera.

It probably works fine on Edge, but I haven't tried. It mostly works on Internet Explorer 11 (except sound) but not at all on older versions.



Acknowledgements

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



There's a similar, earlier implementation of `BASICODE in JavaScript by Steven Goodwin <https://github.com/MarquisdeGeek/basicode>`_.

His implementation and mine are completely independent; however, he got there first.



The bitmap fonts were drawn based on various sources:



- Damien Guard's `overview of system fonts in 8- and 16-bit systems <https://damieng.com/blog/2011/02/20/typography-in-8-bits-system-fonts>`_

- John Elliott's `Vintage PC Pages <http://www.seasip.info/VintagePC/>`_

- Exidy Sorcerer page on `The Trailing Edge <http://www.trailingedge.com/exidy/>`_

- Z9001 page on `Homecomputer DDR <http://hc-ddr.hucki.net/wiki/doku.php/z9001:versionen>`_

- Ulrich Zander's `character sets for the KC85 <http://www.sax.de/~zander/z9001/ex/zsatz.html>`_



BASICODE support for original and retro platforms

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



Originally, BASICODE tape reader and conversion programs were sold by broadcasters and publishers. Many of these are still available on retrogaming archives. A few can also be found on `BASICODE-Software für alle <https://www.joyce.de/basicode/>`_.



A few authors have published their own source code for conversion programs. I'm aware of:



- `BASICODE-3 for ZX Spectrum, by Jan Bredenbeek <https://github.com/janbredenbeek/ZXSpectrum-Basicode>`_

- `BASICODE-3 v2 for Sinclair QL, by Jan Bredenbeek <https://github.com/janbredenbeek/QL-Basicode>`_

- `BASICODE-2 for C64 and Commander x16, by Iljitsch van Beijnum <https://www.iljitsch.com/2020/beeldkrant250/basicode2.c64.txt>`_

- `BASICODE-3 for MS-DOS, by Jac Goudsmit <https://github.com/jacgoudsmit/Basicode>`_

- `BASICODE-3 for KC85/3-5, by M. Leubner <https://github.com/maleuma/BASICODE>`_



Other BASICODE interpreters for modern platforms

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



- `BASICODE in JavaScript, by Steven Goodwin <https://github.com/MarquisdeGeek/basicode>`_

- `BASICODE in Java, by Michael Haupt <https://github.com/mhaupt/basicode>`_