Applesoft

Applesoft II Basic Programming Reference Manual, Apple Computer, Inc., 1978 The 1982 Applesoft manual for the Apple IIe (also in an appendix) did not call it "improper", and said slightly more about it, adding to the "internal use" clause, ".

Apple III Microsoft BASIC additional new features *INPUT$() function to replace Applesoft's GET command.

Applesoft BASIC was supplied by Microsoft and its name is derived from the names of both Apple and Microsoft.

Applesoft II, which was made available on cassette and disk and in the ROM of the Apple II Plus and subsequent models, was released in 1978.

Applesoft, like Integer BASIC before it, does not come with any built-in commands for dealing with files or disks, other than a feature to save programs to, and load programs from, cassette tape.

A replacement garbage collector for Applesoft BASIC published in Call-A.

Both languages introduced a number of new or improved features over Applesoft II, some of the same features as each other, and some unique to each.

Both languages replace Applesoft II's single-precision floating-point variables using 5-byte storage with the somewhat-reduced-pecision 4-byte variables, while also adding a larger numerical format.

Donn Denman ported Applesoft BASIC to SOS and reworked it to take advantage of the extended memory of the Apple III.

The Applesoft license also saved Microsoft from near-bankruptcy when they licensed BASIC to Commodore for the PET in an agreement that proved unexpectedly costly for them.

The first version of Applesoft was released in 1977 only on cassette tape and lacked proper support for high-resolution graphics.

There are a few minor differences such as Applesoft's lack of bitwise operators; otherwise most BASIC programs that do not utilize hardware-dependent features will run on both BASICs.

Through several early models of the Apple II, Applesoft BASIC does not support the use of lowercase letters in programs, except in strings.

Unlike in Integer BASIC, Applesoft BASIC variable names are significant only to two letters; they can be made longer, but only the first two letters are used.

Users could thus load Integer BASIC into the language card from disk and switch between the Integer and Applesoft dialects of BASIC with DOS 3.3's INT and FP commands just as if they had the BASIC ROM expansion card.

When Applesoft II BASIC was initially released in mid-1978, it came on cassette tape and could be loaded into memory via the Apple II's machine language monitor.

When the enhanced Apple II+ replaced the original II in 1979, Applesoft was now included in ROM and automatically started on power-up if no bootable floppy disk was present.

Within the book, Crichton included many self-written demonstrative Applesoft (for Apple II ) and BASICA (for IBM PC compatibles) programs.