Atari Pascal

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The Atari Pascal Language System (usually shortened to Atari Pascal) is a version of the Pascal programming language released by Atari, Inc. for the Atari 8-bit computers [1] in March 1982. [2] Atari Pascal was published through the Atari Program Exchange as unsupported software instead of in Atari's official product line. [3] It requires two disk drives, which greatly limited its potential audience. It includes a 161-page manual. [2]

Contents

Development

Atari Pascal was developed by MT Microsystems, which was owned by Digital Research. It's similar to MT/PASCAL+ from the same company. [3] The compiler produces code for a virtual machine, as with UCSD Pascal, instead of generating machine code, but the resulting programs are as much as seven times faster than Apple Pascal. [3] MT Microsystems wrote Atari Pascal with a planned "super Atari" 8-bit model in mind, one with 128K of RAM and dual-floppy drives (similar to a common configuration of the 1983 Apple IIe). [3] This machine never materialized, but the software was released because of pressure within Atari, though only through the Atari Program Exchange.

Atari's 1980 in-store demonstration program mentions Pascal as one of the available programming languages, despite Atari Pascal not being released until 1982.

Other Pascal implementations

Draper Pascal for the Atari 8-bit computers was released in 1983 [4] and Kyan Pascal in 1986. [5] Each works with a single floppy drive, a point emphasized in Draper Pascal magazine ads.

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References

  1. "Atari Pascal Language System". Atari Mania.
  2. 1 2 "Atari Pascal Language System Reference & Operations Manual" (PDF). Atari Mania.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Tillman, Raymond T. (May 1983). "Atari PASCAL - A Good Product?". ANALOG Computing. No. 11. p. 42.
  4. "Draper Pascal". Atari Mania.
  5. "Kyan Pascal". Atari Mania.