ST Basic ?

[LostCause]

I am booting from a Hard Drive and trying to chain basic files on the A Drive. This gives “file not found on specified drive”. Is there any way to specify a drive in ST Basic.

[LostCause]

Ok, looks like I have to run ST Basic From the A Drive.

Edited August 25, 2023 by LostCause

[TGB1718]

Just create a folder on your hard drive, copy all the files off the Floppy into the folder and run it from the folder

Edited August 25, 2023 by TGB1718

[LostCause]

Still seems like St Basic has to be run from the same folder and/or drive the basic files or in.

Edited August 25, 2023 by LostCause

[LostCause]

I was just trying to understand why I was getting this error from some basic source demos I downloaded. As I don’t expect to be chaining basic file that often, I suppose it doesn’t really matter.

 

Thanks for the help.

[+DarkLord]

Just wondering, why not try one of the more modern ST Basic's like GFA Basic?

 

It's still supported and is far more capable than ST Basic.  Just a thought.  

 

[LostCause]

I am new to Atari ST programming. I'm also working with STOS Basic and plan on giving GFA a shot. Right now I'm just learning the system.

 

Thank you.

Edited August 25, 2023 by LostCause

[zzip]

On 8/25/2023 at 7:41 PM, LostCause said:

I am new to Atari ST programming. I'm also working with STOS Basic and plan on giving GFA a shot. Right now I'm just learning the system.

 

Thank you.

On a lot of systems, the included BASIC is integral to the operation of the system.

 

But ST is not one of them,  I'd argue that ST BASIC is completely optional to the functioning of an ST,  I've never found anything of significance writing in it.   I agree with @DarkLord that if you want to learn BASIC programming on ST,  both STOS and GFA are much more popular and useful

[LostCause]

I know Basic. Basic is Basic regardless of dialect or system. If I brought home an Atari ST back in the 80’s, I don’t think I would be using GFA or STOS anytime soon. Is this Forum for Retro Systems and Programming or am I mistaken.

[Tillek]

1 hour ago, LostCause said:

I know Basic. Basic is Basic regardless of dialect or system. If I brought home an Atari ST back in the 80’s, I don’t think I would be using GFA or STOS anytime soon. Is this Forum for Retro Systems and Programming or am I mistaken.

Actually, you are kinda/sorta mistaken.

 

There is a sub forum specifically for ST programming.

 

Also, you seem to have some misconceptions about a few things based on what you just posted... which is why people are trying to steer you on a more productive course.  That said, follow your own path.  Just don't necessarily expect a lot of assistance with a programming language that pretty much no one used on the ST and know that people won't be able to resist "steering you right" since that seems to be how society works now.

 

(I mean, remember the days when journalism was about telling you what was going on and not tons of articles about how you're drinking the wrong water and breathing wrong?)

 

[+DarkLord]

3 hours ago, LostCause said:

I know Basic. Basic is Basic regardless of dialect or system. If I brought home an Atari ST back in the 80’s, I don’t think I would be using GFA or STOS anytime soon. Is this Forum for Retro Systems and Programming or am I mistaken.

 

Hmm, so okay - you're wanting to relive/simulate the moment a person opened up their brand spankin' new Atari ST and dived into the software that came with it, I take it?

 

Okay, I get that...but now, just like then, after playing around with ST Basic and realizing that it wasn't that good and had multiple problems, most users would be looking for something better, more capable and well supported. Hence the suggestions you've received for GFA Basic and STOS...

 

But it's your choice. By all means play around with ST Basic. Just be aware that there are better options out there, if you wish to pursue that path.

 

Here's hoping you have lots of fun...! 

 

[Forrest]

Back when the Atari ST was new, GFA Basic was very popular. Benchmarking quickly indicated it was far faster than ST Basic. 

[Zogging Hell]

5 hours ago, LostCause said:

I know Basic. Basic is Basic regardless of dialect or system. If I brought home an Atari ST back in the 80’s, I don’t think I would be using GFA or STOS anytime soon. Is this Forum for Retro Systems and Programming or am I mistaken.

A lot of STs in the UK came with First Basic in the box instead from about '88 and later on STOS Basic was a pack in as well, so kind of depends when you are purchasing your ST I think after about 89 or so you only got ST Basic as a throw in with some starter packs, and that was only because they had printed a lot of copies they needed to get rid of. First Basic (a cut down version of Hisoft Basic), really became the defacto pack in Basic (in the UK at least).

 

There are actually two main revisions of ST Basic, the first one (which had a blue theme to manual and disk) has some comedy bugs which were corrected in the second version (the pink one that most people had) so watch out if you are using source code. I got a few disks thrown in with my ST when I got it that had earlier ST Basic source code on but my version of ST Basic was the later one and they wouldn't run - cue much distress of 9 year old who had no idea... I believe the DEF SEG command was something that needed to be swapped in somewhere from my vague recollection. I think like most ST owners I dabbled with ST Basic, realised it was one of the worst implementations of basic ever written (even with the only prior experience of basic being on a Amstrad CPC and BBC Micro), and then moved swiftly on, but appreciate what you are trying to experience. I think the main useful things on the disk were the control panel and terminal emulator.

[TGB1718]

1 hour ago, Zogging Hell said:

control panel and terminal emulator.

👍👍👍

 

I dumped ST Basic very quickly and went for 68000 assembler and C

 

Edited August 29, 2023 by TGB1718