The original source code of Microsoft GW-BASIC from 1983
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The original source code of Microsoft GW-BASIC from 1983
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Re: The original source code of Microsoft GW-BASIC from 1983
#2For more information on why this happened check out Richard's blog post: https://devblogs.microsoft.com/commandline/microsoft-open-so...
Re: The original source code of Microsoft GW-BASIC from 1983
#3Wow, what a blast from the past. I learned to program with BASICA.EXE and GW-BASIC as a kid in the late 80's.
I just noticed that microsoft has also released the source to MS-DOS 2.0: https://github.com/microsoft/MS-DOS
I don't think I ever imagined that I'd be able to "look behind the curtain" like this, let alone that Microsoft would come to embrace open source.
From there I moved on to Turbo Pascal 3.0, and then Borland Pascal 7.0 (which I loved - super fast compiler and superb IDE - many examples and comprehensive documentation - which were a must in the pre-Internet era), then Borland C. And then Linux and gcc for the following two decades.
Re: The original source code of Microsoft GW-BASIC from 1983
#4Oh, interesting. I wonder what implications this will have for the MS Basic disassembly project:
Re: The original source code of Microsoft GW-BASIC from 1983
#5Wow, what a blast from the past. I learned to program with BASICA.EXE and GW-BASIC as a kid in the late 80's. I just noticed that microsoft has also released the source to MS-DOS 2.0: https://github.com/microsoft/MS-DOS I don't think I ever imagined that I'd be able to "look behind the curtain" like this, let alone that Microsoft would come to embrace open source. From there I moved on to Turbo Pascal 3.0, and then B…
You and I both - first time I ever touched an IBM PC XT (in my Dad's office), I immediately fired up BASIC and went to town (had already been programming BASIC for 18 months by that time).
It was the first time I ever saw him just stare in awe at me like I was an alien's child! :)
Re: The original source code of Microsoft GW-BASIC from 1983
#6This is great! But it makes me think that Microsoft need to add a BASIC compiler as standard in all Windows distributions. They did that Small Basic thing a while back, but it was too encumbered in .NET-isms, a kind of Visual Basic .NET lite. It would be great if there was just a easy to understand BASIC that you could hack away with that could produce interesting programs without the .NET cruft or the barrier that is dealing with Windows APIs.
Re: The original source code of Microsoft GW-BASIC from 1983
#7It's really enjoyable to look at the source. These days one I feel it's quite rare to see assembly code not as an output from a tool like IDA Pro.
If I remember correctly, the size of a compiled GWBASIC.EXE file was about 80 kB.
What feels weird though is seeing all the files on GitHub last modified "38 years ago," which by the way, also includes the file CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md.
Re: The original source code of Microsoft GW-BASIC from 1983
#8That's awesome. I actually have GW Basic from my first computer available. Copied from the old 5.25 inch floppy to a 3.5 inch floppy via a 486 and then to a USB hard drive about 20 years ago into a folder i called "Diskette Collection".
Re: The original source code of Microsoft GW-BASIC from 1983
#9It's really enjoyable to look at the source. These days one I feel it's quite rare to see assembly code not as an output from a tool like IDA Pro. If I remember correctly, the size of a compiled GWBASIC.EXE file was about 80 kB. What feels weird though is seeing all the files on GitHub last modified "38 years ago," which by the way, also includes the file CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md.
You think there weren't codes of conduct back in 1983? ;)
Re: The original source code of Microsoft GW-BASIC from 1983
#10It's really enjoyable to look at the source. These days one I feel it's quite rare to see assembly code not as an output from a tool like IDA Pro. If I remember correctly, the size of a compiled GWBASIC.EXE file was about 80 kB. What feels weird though is seeing all the files on GitHub last modified "38 years ago," which by the way, also includes the file CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md.
You think there weren't codes of conduct back in 1983? ;)
Markdown itself is from 2004 but the .md extension/suffix wasn't used for it until sometime later (not really sure where it appeared first).