IBM Personal Computer BASIC Compiler Version 2.00
IBM Corporation
Circa 1986
Computer Language Series
For IBM PC and Compatible Computers / DOS
Vintage IBM BASIC programming reference set consisting of two complementary volumes from IBM’s Computer Language Series.
Included:
BASIC Compiler 2.00 – Fundamentals
BASIC Compiler 2.00 – Language Reference
Original 5.25-inch diskette associated with the Fundamentals package
These manuals document IBM’s BASIC Compiler for the IBM Personal Computer, a compiled implementation of BASIC that allowed programmers to turn BASIC source code into faster standalone executable programs.
Unlike interpreted BASIC, compiled applications did not require the IBM BASIC interpreter to be present when the finished program was run.
Why It Matters:
BASIC was one of the foundational programming languages of the early personal-computer era, and IBM’s BASIC Compiler represented an important step beyond the interpreted BASIC environment built into early IBM PCs.
Compiling BASIC programs allowed developers to create faster applications and distribute executable software without exposing the original source code.
IBM’s BASIC Compiler was based on Microsoft compiler technology and reflects the close IBM/Microsoft relationship during the formative years of the IBM PC software ecosystem.
Version 2.00 dates from the mid-1980s, shortly before IBM and Microsoft expanded their development tools to support the emerging OS/2 environment.
The combination of the Fundamentals manual, Language Reference, and original 5.25-inch software media makes this a particularly nice surviving development-software set for collectors of early IBM programming tools.
A strong addition for enthusiasts of IBM PC history, BASIC programming, Microsoft development technology, DOS software, and vintage programming-language documentation.
