SuperBASIC: The Manual

SuperBASIC

Jerry Stratton

SuperBASIC

The Manual

For the TRS-80 Color Computer

©2020 Jerry Stratton

Published May 2020

ISBN 979-8-63-977180-4 (print)

ISBN 978-0-46-359456-8 (ePub)

hoboes.com/superbasic

SuperBASIC version 1.0.0

Today it seems like a kludge, but all technology looks inelegant 35 years later.—Wayne Lorentz, This TRS-80Getting Started

Where?

Download superBASIC and its sample files at hoboes.com/superbasic.

Why?

SuperBASIC is a preprocessor for creating Extended Color BASIC code using lengthy variable names, loops, and if/else/endif blocks. It should also work with Color BASIC.

SuperBASIC is not meant to hide BASIC behind a modern wall. It is meant as a superstructure that enhances BASIC. I wrote it specifically for the TRS-80/Tandy Color Computer, though it may well work with other old-school Microsoft BASICs. It adds to and does not subtract from Extended Color BASIC, with the exception of line numbers. Because line numbers are generated by the program, you cannot use GOTO statements in your code. You must use superBASIC’s loops and other blocks, so that every GOTO is generated with the correct line number.

If you provide superBASIC with nothing more than normal BASIC, you will get exactly what you provided, with line numbers added:

INPUT WHAT IS YOUR NAME?;A$

PRINT HELLO, ;A$

Run superBASIC on it:

superbasic hello.txt

10 INPUT WHAT IS YOUR NAME?;A$

20 PRINT HELLO, ;A$

30 END

The real power of superBASIC, however, are its loops and readable variable names.

loop

loop

%key$=inkey$

endloop unless (%key$=)

print asc(%key$)

endloop

Run superBASIC on this, and it converts the two loops into standard old-school BASIC. The first loop is a single line looking at INKEY$ until the user presses a key. The second loop reruns the entire program after displaying the ASCII value of the keypress:

superbasic keyboard\ values.txt

10 KE$=INKEY$:IF KE$= THEN 10

20 PRINT ASC(KE$)

30 GOTO 10

40 END