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[ Introduction | Licence | Interpreters | Extensions | Compilers | Manuals | Articles | Source ]
INTRODUCTION
Sinclair BASIC is a popular version of the BASIC (Beginner’s All purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) programming language. Originally written for the ZX80, it is now available for a wide range of computers in native versions or via emulation.
LICENCE
Sinclair BASIC is copyright © 1980-81 Nine Tiles Networks Ltd, © 1982-87 Amstrad PLC, © 1983 Sinclair Research Ltd, © 1983 Timex Corporation.
The copyright is horribly complicated because Sinclair never owned the rights to Sinclair BASIC. All rights remained with Nine Tiles until Amstrad bought the ZX Spectrum rights. After the sale, the ZX80 and ZX81 rights stayed with Nine Tiles, the Interface I rights stayed with Sinclair and the TS2000 BASIC rights stayed with Timex. The upshot of which is that the Spansih version of the Spectrum 128 ROMs is technically owned, in part, by all of the above companies.
Nine Tiles Networks permits distribution under the GNU GPL. Sinclair has not stated its position, but has not sought to prevent distribution. Timex permits distribution. Amstrad permits distribution in software only providing it is accompanied by an equivalent of the following statement:
“Amstrad has kindly given its permission for the redistribution of its copyrighted material but retains that copyright”
INTERPRETERS
- BASin by Paul Dunn – A complete Sinclair BASIC IDE for Windows/Wine including an advanced editor, graphics tools, and the complete set of manuals in the online help. [13/10/08]
- Sparky eZX BASIC by Richard Kelsh – A 24-bit version of Sinclair BASIC for the eZ80 architecture. [09/07/07]
- ROMU6 by Cesar and Juan Hernandez – A Sinclair BASIC interpreter for the MSX. [06/06/94]
- Spectrum 48 by Whitby Computers Ltd – A Sinclair BASIC interpreter for the Commodore 64.
- Sinbas by Pavel Napravnik –A Sinclair BASIC interpreter for DOS. [26/06/00]
- Basic by Philip Kendall – A Sinclair BASIC interpreter for Unix (80% finished). [11/08/02]
EXTENSIONS
- Beta Basic by Dr Andrew Wright – A vast number of extensions that later became SAM Basic.
- Gosh Wonderful by Geoff Wearmouth – A replacement ROM that fixes the bugs and adds a tokenizer, stream lister, delete and renumber commands.
- YS MegaBasic by Mike Leaman – Extensions and a Sprite Editor from Your Spectrum magazine.
COMPILERS
MANUALS
- ZX Spectrum Introduction booklet
- ZX Spectrum BASIC Programming manual
- ZX Spectrum 128K manual
- ZX Spectrum 128 +3 manual
- ZX Interface I and Microdrive Manual
- TS2068 Technical Manual
- ZX80 Operating Manual
- ZX81 BASIC Programming manual
- Timex TC2068 Portuguese user manual
- Beta Basic 4.0 manual
- YS MegaBasic manual
- HiSoft BASIC manual
ARTICLES
- Sinclair BASIC History by Andrew Owen – A look at the evolution of the language. [04/08/08]
SOURCE
- The Complete Spectrum ROM Disassembly by Drs. Ian Logan and Frank O’Hara – The original English language disassembly of the Spectrum ROM. [01/01/83]
- Spectrum Shadow ROM Disassembly by Gianluca Carri – Disassembly of the ZX Interface I ROM (code from which was reused in the Spectrum 128). [01/01/85]
- ZX ROMs Assembly Files Collection by Geoff Wearmouth et. al. – Original and enhanced assembly files for the ZX80, ZX81, Spectrum and Interface I. [06/02/05]
- Incomplete 128K ROM Disassembly by Matthew Wilson et. al. – Disassembly of the editor ROM from the UK Spectrum 128. [08/10/08]