On 2021-Apr-21, at 1:49 AM, Christian Corti via cctalk wrote: > I'm trying to find out if the BASIC dialect that was available for the MINCAL > computers (aboutn 1971) was something derived from another "system" or > whether it was an own dialect. > > Some characteristic instructions that I can't find somewhere else are: > - Formatted output with PRINT FOR(<FORTRAN like description>) > Example: PRINT FOR(F5.0)500.1 > - Computed GOTO with GOTO <expression> OF n1,n2,... > Example: GOTO A+B+1 OF 100,20,50 > - Presence of "DEF FN", lack of RESTORE for DATA/READ constructs. > > This BASIC must have been around 1970-1972.
It's not clear what you're looking for: 1. A possible predecessor/origin for the source code or design of the MINCAL interpreter, 2. or, earlier BASIC implementations that had the language features you mention. If 2: - HPBASIC for the late-60s HP2100 machines (2115,2115,2114) has DEF FN. (Date of source reference: 4/70). - the HP9830 (released 1972) has both DEF FN and computed goto (as well as computed gosub). - The 9830 has very Fortran-ish WRITE and FORMAT statements. DEF FN was nothing new, it was apparently in the original Dartmouth.
