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timeline.md

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Home • VB 7+ • VB 1-6 • FB • QB64 • QB45 • GW-BASIC • Micro • Retro

Time Line

A somewhat impossible, but "why not?", attempt to outline some sort of time line of BASIC dialects.

  • May 1, 1964 BASIC (aka Dartmouth BASIC "First Edition")
    • October 1964 BASIC "Second Edition"
      • 1966 BASIC "Third Edition"
        • 1968 BASIC "Fourth Edition"
          • 1968 DEC BASIC-8 (David Ahl)
            • 1970 DEC BASIC-PLUS
              • 1975 Altair BASIC
              • Microsoft BASIC
                • 1977 Commodore BASIC (PET BASIC, CBM-BASIC)
                  • 1983 Simons' BASIC
                  • 1986 Walrusoft BASIC 8
                  • 2022 Vision BASIC
                • 1981 Atari Microsoft BASIC
                  • 1982 Atari Microsoft BASIC II
        • 1970 BASIC "Fifth Edition"
        • 1971 BASIC "Sixth Edition"
        • 1976 Dartmouth Structured BASIC (aka SBASIC)
        • 1980 BASIC "Seventh Edition"
          • 1985 True BASIC
        • 1982 BASIC "Eighth Edition"
        • 1987 "Standard BASIC" X3.113-1987 ratified.
      • 1967 SDS BASIC
        • 1976 SCELBAL (SCientific ELementary BAsic Language)
      • 1969 HP Time-Shared BASIC (2000A)
        • 1976 Apple BASIC
          • 1977 Applesoft BASIC
        • 1971 MAI Basic/Four
          • Data General Business Basic
            • 1978 Cromemco BASIC
              • 1979 Atari BASIC
                • BASIC A+
                • BASIC XL
                • BASIC XE
                • Turbo-BASIC XL
            • Transoft's Universal Business Basic
            • 1986 B32 Business Basic
        • 1977 North Star BASIC
          • BaZic
          • Megabasic
          • S.A.I.L.B.O.A.T.
      • 1975 Tiny BASIC
        • Denver Tiny BASIC
        • Enhanced 6800 Tiny BASIC
        • MINOL
        • National Industrial Basic Language
        • Palo Alto Tiny BASIC
          • 1977 Level I BASIC
          • 1977 GRASS3 / ZGRASS
            • 1978 Bally (Astro) BASIC
        • 6800 Tiny BASIC
        • TBI68K
        • Tiny BASIC Extended

Limitations in this tree structure immediately arise in the fact that some dialects are influenced by multiple other dialects. Where this occurs, a single "more influential" dialect is chosen.

Multiple "versions" or "editions" of the same dialect are only included if they are clearly a "major" release and are only done so in the event that another dialect is based on a specific release version.

One of the key deciding factors in determining branch position for an early BASIC dialect is whether or not it supported string functionality; as string support wasn't added to Dartmouth BASIC until "Third Edition".