TRS-80 Model II BASIC is really nice!

[MHaensel]

I've been playing around with Model II BASIC and graphics basic (BASICG) over the last few days. This BASIC has some REALLY nice business-oriented features.

 

Error processing is pretty fancy for a 1980-era BASIC! When an error hits, you can . . .

  * Trap it with ON ERROR GOTO
  * Get the line number and error code using ERL and ERR
  * Deal with the problem programmatically and RESUME or RESUME <line number>
  * Test your error handling code by triggering error conditions using ERROR!

All together, this would make it possible to write professional applications in BASIC, since programs could recover gracefully from errors.

 

Other nice stuff:
  * Print Using has a really nice implementation
  * Print@ is incredibly useful - looking back, I cringe to think how I lived without it
  * Field-oriented file I/O
  * Statements to store/save numeric values directly without translating to/from strings:
      MKI$/VCI save integers to/read from strings
      MKS$/VCS for single-precsion values
      MKD$/VCD for double-precision values
  * Solid hires graphics board support: shape-drawing, arc, line, and fill functions almost tailor-made for business graphics
 
One feature that puzzles me: 40 column mode, on a TRS-80 Model II? It almost feels like a mistake. Did anyone ever use this? Why?

 

But overall I am impressed. This BASIC feels smooth and slick, especially for something copyright 1980.

 

[pski]

Thanks for posting about the Model II.  It is nice to see some appreciation for this machine.  There were a lot of business software packages written in Model II BASIC that supported many different businesses in the 1980s.  From accounting to inventory control, databases, tax software....you name it.  It was a real workhorse in these settings due to some of the advanced qualities that you have articulated.  I have seen the 40 col mode used a few times in kiosk oriented applications where the larger type makes sense.  But, yes, it was not widely used.  The Graphics board was another feature that was barely used, even by Tandy themselves, unfortunately.  It provides high quality graphics capability for the time.

[JamesD]

9 hours ago, MHaensel said:

I've been playing around with Model II BASIC and graphics basic (BASICG) over the last few days. This BASIC has some REALLY nice business-oriented features.

 

Error processing is pretty fancy for a 1980-era BASIC! When an error hits, you can . . .

  * Trap it with ON ERROR GOTO
  * Get the line number and error code using ERL and ERR
  * Deal with the problem programmatically and RESUME or RESUME <line number>
  * Test your error handling code by triggering error conditions using ERROR!

All together, this would make it possible to write professional applications in BASIC, since programs could recover gracefully from errors.

 

Other nice stuff:
  * Print Using has a really nice implementation
  * Print@ is incredibly useful - looking back, I cringe to think how I lived without it
  * Field-oriented file I/O
  * Statements to store/save numeric values directly without translating to/from strings:
      MKI$/VCI save integers to/read from strings
      MKS$/VCS for single-precsion values
      MKD$/VCD for double-precision values
  * Solid hires graphics board support: shape-drawing, arc, line, and fill functions almost tailor-made for business graphics
 
One feature that puzzles me: 40 column mode, on a TRS-80 Model II? It almost feels like a mistake. Did anyone ever use this? Why?

 

But overall I am impressed. This BASIC feels smooth and slick, especially for something copyright 1980.

 

Most of the non graphic commands are in LEVEL II BASIC on the Model 1, and the disk stuff is in it's DOS.
ON ERROR GOTO is missing on the CoCo.  I think the DOS is the same, and it has a bunch of graphics commands including a flood fill.

[Bruce Tomlin]

10 hours ago, MHaensel said:

Error processing is pretty fancy for a 1980-era BASIC! When an error hits, you can . . .

  * Trap it with ON ERROR GOTO
  * Get the line number and error code using ERL and ERR
  * Deal with the problem programmatically and RESUME or RESUME <line number>
  * Test your error handling code by triggering error conditions using ERROR!

All together, this would make it possible to write professional applications in BASIC, since programs could recover gracefully from errors.

Have you never used a TRS-80 before?: This was in the Model I Level II basic too. The CP/M versions went even beyond that.

And I see I was ninja'ed.

[MHaensel]

Interesting. I came from Commodore 64 BASIC v2.0. I like the Model II so that's what I play with in emulation.

 

> The CP/M versions went even beyond that.

 

Fair enough! What were some of the neat things in CP/M BASIC?

 

[JamesD]

On 10/8/2022 at 9:25 AM, Bruce Tomlin said:

Have you never used a TRS-80 before?: This was in the Model I Level II basic too. The CP/M versions went even beyond that.

And I see I was ninja'ed.

There was an add on for the Model I called Level III BASIC that added a line command, and some other stuff.  Not sure it sold well given the graphics resolution of the Model I

[Bruce Tomlin]

I recently fully dumped Level III BASIC and scanned all of its documentation. A few of the things in it are duplicated from Disk BASIC, but others aren't. But having it dumped and disassembled is one step closer to unifying it into some version of Disk BASIC.

 

http://xi6.com/files/trs80/lev3/