Re: Evil Conspiracy!

["Ben Yates" <nospam@home.net>]

Linards Ticmanis wrote in message <3C486E1D.6010301@coli.uni-sb.de>...
>Ben Yates wrote:
>
>> TI had very strict guidelines - the BASIC had to meet ANSI minimal
>
>> requirements. Therefore, there were syntax differences.
>
>
>Really? Ther IS an ANSI BASIC? I thought BASIC was the language used "By
>All Strange Idiosyncratic Computers"?


If you find TI brochure's (or even the back of a TI box) they mention it is
ANSI (or ANSI minimal). I don't think at the time the standard had been
finalized.

>
>Only the 6502 version, e.g. Apple and Commodore, is affected AFAIK. I
>assume the TI computers used a TI processor, didn't they?


Yes, they used a TMS9900. But Microsoft wouldn't have had to write in 9900
assembly, as TI provided an interpreter, GPL (Graphics Programming
Language). TI BASIC is mostly GPL code. I'd say GPL is closer in syntax to
other processors assembly language than 9900 is. But this also means the
BASIC interpreter which is interpreting your program is ALSO being
interpreted...
Anyway, there were references on the TI Online group to a book about
Microsoft and Bill Gates, which included references to their hand in TI
BASIC, and how they disagreed with TI's adherence to what TI thought would
become the standard.

>
>
>> "&" is the concatenation operator on the TI.
>
>
>Is that ANSI?


I don't know, but I find it in more modern versions (i.e. VB6)