I need some suggestions for good beginner Basic Books.

[DavidMil]

Well, this is kind of embarrassing, but I need some suggestions for good beginners Atari basic programing books. I used to do a lot of it and

didn't need the beginners books any more, so I gave them all away. Now all my books are about memory locations, calling machine language

subroutines, and graphics. These books all assume you know all the beginners stuff. So..... Help please!

 

Here's a list of what I have:

 

Computes first and second book of Atari

Your Atari Computer (a guide to Atari 400/800)

Mapping the Atari

Player Missile Graphics

Scrolling Made Easy

and several books on Assembly Language.

 

Thanks for any suggestions,

DavidMil

[spookt]

If you're looking for something pretty basic (pun intended) there's this:

 

http://www.atariarchives.org/basic/

 

This one appears to be XL specific but could be useful as a general reminder:

 

http://www.atariarchives.org/basicxl/

 

The way I learned a lot back when was by typing in BASIC listings and working out how they did stuff, fiddling with them (and working out what I broke!). There are a few books of BASIC listing on http://www.atariarchives.org which would probably be a good place to start.

Edited September 14, 2016 by spookt

[+bob1200xl]

"Kids and the Atari" is my favorite. Starts at a very basic level. Gets you into intermediate usage.

 

Bob

[+therealbountybob]

Atarimania Manuals

I started on the Atari 130XE Owner's Manual - some fun programs that are fairly short to type in! Probably any of the Atari supplied manuals? Also checkout Atari's "Invitation to Programming" series and the magazines - e.g. Page 6 for beginning programming articles

[+slx]

https://archive.org/details/ataribooks-atari-sound-and-graphics

 

Atari Sound and graphics teaches BASIC using the Atari's capabilities from the outset and thus May be a bit more engaging than those books that followed the usual BASIC curriculum.

 

 

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[russg]

Well, this is kind of embarrassing, but I need some suggestions for good beginners Atari basic programing books. I used to do a lot of it and

didn't need the beginners books any more, so I gave them all away. Now all my books are about memory locations, calling machine language

subroutines, and graphics. These books all assume you know all the beginners stuff. So..... Help please!

 

Here's a list of what I have:

 

Computes first and second book of Atari

Your Atari Computer (a guide to Atari 400/800)

Mapping the Atari

Player Missile Graphics

Scrolling Made Easy

and several books on Assembly Language.

 

Thanks for any suggestions,

DavidMil

 

You've already got the best books. Your Atari Computer has a list of all BASIC reserve words. I started with YAC.

[+Larry]

"Atari Basic Faster and Better" has a wealth of info, and the program disks are also available also at Atarimania.

 

But as Russg says, YAC is "the book."

 

While at Atarimania, download the Analog Computing Pocket Reference Card and print it out. Makes it very easy to find useful quick examples of how the reserved words and commands work.

 

-Larry

[DavidMil]

YAC is the one I have almost always used the most. The book unfortunately shows it. It's almost like having a bunch of loose leaf pages in a very dog eared cover.

There are so many cryptic notes in there that I just shake my head in wonder (and confusion). I could download the books but I like to have them in my hands when

I'm other places besides in front of the computer. Plus reading from an electronic screen seems to give me headaches after a while. That makes me grumpy and

even the dog avoids me then.

Anyway, thanks for all the tips. I'm going to buy several that have been suggested and a better copy of Your Atari Computer.

 

Thanks again,

DavidMil

Kingwood, Texas

[adam242]

One of the first BASIC programming books I was given as a kid was Atari Games and Recreations. I found it very entertaining and informative back then.

[+MrFish]

I started on the Atari 130XE Owner's Manual - some fun programs that are fairly short to type in!

 

I started with the Atari 130XE Owner's Manual too.

 

From there I went to Compute's First Book of Atari Graphics and Mapping the Atari.

 

After that, I started digging into the many Compute magazines that were at my local library and obtained a copy of De Re Atari. I'd suggest any of the good Atari-specific magazines too, like Antic and Analog. These, along with Compute, have a high focus on instructive BASIC programming and routines that are usable in your own BASIC programs.

 

I started using Turbo-BASIC XL instead of Atari BASIC at some point too. You don't need to know anything about Turbo-BASIC XL specifically to begin using it to write Atari BASIC programs, as it fully supports Atari BASIC. You'll get the immediate benefit of having your programs run many times faster, use of it's built in DOS functions, and you can grow into its other commands when you feel like it.

 

Oddly enough, I don't think I ever owned a copy of the Atari BASIC Reference Manual back in the day. Having used it in recent years, though, I'd suggest it as one of the first pieces of reference to have handy when working in Atari BASIC, or any other compatible variant like Turbo-BASIC XL.

Edited September 15, 2016 by MrFish

[fujidude]

@OP: I notice you listed that you have "Mapping the Atari." That's good, but make sure you have the later edition which includes XL/XE information. Anyway, I know that book does not solve your goal to relearn the basics of BASIC, but I just wanted to say that I think it is an invaluable book for Atari software development no matter what language is used.

[Flojomojo]

My favorites are the Usborne kids books.

http://boingboing.net/2016/02/07/usborne-releases-free-pdfs-of.html

[Kylev]

I found Basic Atari Basic quite useful back when I was getting started with my new 800XL. HTH.

[+kheller2]

https://archive.org/details/ataribooks-inside-atari-basic-2is what I learned on.