Basic

This document provides an introduction and operational guide for OS/78 BASIC, an interactive programming language designed for scientific and business environments. It details the four main components of the BASIC subsystem: the Editor, Compiler, Loader, and Run Time System.

The guide explains how to enter the BASIC subsystem and provides a comprehensive overview of the BASIC Editor's functionality, including:

• Initialization: Instructions for starting new programs (NEW) or retrieving existing ones (OLD).
• Program Management: How to use commands like LIST and LISTNH to view code and SAVE to store work on a diskette.
• Workflow: A visual summary (Figure 6-1) illustrating the typical cycle of creating, modifying, reviewing, preserving, and executing programs.

The text emphasizes that many commands can be shortened to their first two letters and notes that the RETURN key is required to execute all editor commands.