JR-BASIC

Last updated
JR-BASIC
Paradigm imperative, algorithmic
Developer Matsushita Communication Industrial Co., Ltd.
First appeared1981;43 years ago (1981)
Stable release
5.0
OS Matsushita JR series
Dialects
BASIC
Influenced by
Microsoft BASIC
Influenced
None

JR-BASIC is a dialect of the BASIC programming language running on the Matsushita JR series of microcomputers. [1]

Contents

Although it's its own dialect, it was designed to be mostly compatible with Microsoft BASIC. Since it was developed for low-cost entry-level machines, it featured as few functions as possible, in order to save computer resources. Nevertheless, the interpreter was intended to be compact and efficient, with a feature-rich screen editor supporting direct execution of BASIC instructions.

Commands were input by keywords [2] - by pressing a combination of control and alphabet keys, a full command word would be entered. This was faster and more comfortable than typing words letter by letter, as the computer keyboard was poor (chiclet keyboard).

JR-BASIC 1.0

JR-BASIC 1.0 is the original version present on the JR-100 computer, released in 1981. [3]

Specifications

Constants Integer (-32767 to +32767); Hexadecimal; String
Integer variables Alphabet or alphabet + number (ex: A, B1)
String variablesAlphabet + $ (ex: D $, W $); Up to 32 characters
Arrays One dimension (ex: E (5)); Two dimensions (ex: F (X, Y))
CalculationsAddition (+), Subtraction (-), Multiplication (*), Division (/), Remainder (MOD)
Commands and Statements AUTO,BEEP,CLEAR,CLS,CONT,DATA,DIM,END,FIND,FOR-NEXT,GOSUB-RETURN,GOTO,HCOPY,IF-THEN,INPUT,LET,LIST,LLIST,LOAD,LOCATE,LPRINT,MLOAD,MSAVE,NEW,OPTION,PICK,POKE,PRINT,READ,REM,RESTORE,RUN,SAVE,STOP,VERIFY
Functions ABS,ASC,CHR$,FRE,FLD,HEX$,HPOS,VPOS,LEFT$,LEN,MID$,MOD,PEEK,RIGHT$,RND,SGN,SPC,TAB,USR,VAL
Line numbers 1 to 32767

Keyboard commands

Key combinations allowed the user to enter commands and control the onscreen basic interpreter. [2]

Standard input keyControl mapping
1(HOME)
2VERIFY
3SAVE
4LOAD
5(DELETE)
6(←)
7(↓)
8(↑)
9(→)
0(INSERT)
(RUBOUT)
QGOSUB
WRET
EEND
RRUN
TTHEN
YLOCATE
UIF
IINPUT
OOPTION
PPRINT
AAUTO
SSTOP
DDIM
FFOR
GGOTO
HPOKE
JRND (
KREAD
LLIST
;CHR $ (
 :REM
Z(L.INS)
X(CANCEL)
C(BREAK)
V(GRAPH)
BHCOPY
NNEXT
MCLS
,DATA
.PEEK (

JR-BASIC 5.0

The JR-200 model, released in 1983, [4] came with JR-BASIC 5.0 that added extended functionally like graphical commands such as COLOR, (which selected character color, background color and display mode) and PLOT which permitted direct addressing of the low resolution graphics mode (64×48, using text semigraphics characters, which represented pixel blocks that used one-quarter of each character). Eight colors were available for the background and foreground use: blue, red, magenta, green, cyan, yellow, white and black. By re-programming a part of the character-set a limited high resolution graphics mode was achievable with a resolution of 256×192.

See also

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References

  1. "JR-100". 計算機室. May 28, 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Operating Instructions - Personal Computer JR-100U" via Internet Archive.
  3. "OLD-COMPUTERS.COM : The Museum MATSUSHITA National JR 100". www.old-computers.com.
  4. "Creative Computing Magazine (May. 1983) Volume 09 Number 05". May 10, 1983 via Internet Archive.