Computing Dictionary
Microsoft Basic definition
language (MS-BASIC) A dialect of
BASIC from
Microsoft, originally developed by
Bill Gates in a garage back in the
CP/M days. It was originally known as GWBasic, then QBASIC and finally MS-BASIC.
When the
MS-DOS operating system came out, it incorporated the GWBASIC.EXE or BASICA.EXE interpreters. GWBASIC ("Gee Whiz") incorporated graphics and a
screen editor and was compatible with earlier BASICs.
QBASIC was more sophisticated. Version 4.5 had a full screen editor, debugger and compiler. The compiler could also produce executable files but to run these a utility program (BRUN44.EXE) had to be present. Thus
source code could be kept private.
From DOS 5.0 or 6.0 onward, MS-BASIC was standard.
Latest version: 1.1, also produces
stand-alone executables and can display graphics.
Usenet newsgroup:
news:comp.lang.basic.misc.
[Relationship to BASIC in ROM on first IBM PC?]
(1995-05-12)
