Version Histories for Basic Compiler, PDS for MS-DOS and OS/2 (45167)

SUMMARY

Below are the version histories of Microsoft Basic Compiler for MS-DOS and MS OS/2 and Microsoft Basic Professional Development System (PDS) for MS-DOS and MS OS/2, sold retail by Microsoft.

Microsoft has licensed other Basic compiler versions under contract to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that support those versions. If another company's name appears in the copyright notice in addition to Microsoft (in the manual or on the screen when you run the compiler), then it is an OEM version licensed to and supported by that other company.

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Microsoft Basic Compiler

   Version  Operating System     Date         Changes
   --------------------------------------------------------------------

   5.35     MS-DOS               3/17/83      * First version for MS-DOS

   5.36     MS-DOS               4/26/84      * Problem corrections

   6.00     MS-DOS and MS OS/2   2/20/88      * Addition of:
                                                - Graphics, color
                                                - Communications
                                                - Multiple-modules
                                                - Dynamic arrays > 64K
                                                - MS OS/2 support
                                                - QuickBasic environment
                                                - Microsoft Editor (M,MEP)
                                              * Problem corrections
                                                (fixlist6.00)

   6.00b   MS-DOS and MS OS/2    7/12/88      * SCREEN 4 added for
                                                AT&T 6300 Series and
                                                Olivetti graphics.
                                              * Problem corrections
                                                (fixlist6.00b)

Microsoft Basic Professional Development System (PDS)

   Version  Operating System     Date         Changes
   ------------------------------------------------------------------------

   7.00     MS-DOS and MS OS/2   11/9/89      * Addition of:
                                                - ISAM files for MS-DOS
                                                - Linker code overlays
                                                - Better size and speed
                                                  optimizations
                                                - CURRENCY data type
                                                - Local error handling
                                                - Arrays in user TYPEs
                                                - Far strings
                                                - Expanded memory
                                                - 80286 instructions
                                                - QuickBasic Extended
                                                - Date/time, financial,
                                                  format libraries
                                                - Matrix math toolbox
                                                - User Interface toolbox
                                              * Problem corrections
                                                (fixlist7.00)

   7.10     MS-DOS and MS OS/2   6/24/90      * Addition of:
                                                - ISAM for OS/2
                                                - ISAM faster than 7.00
                                                - Programmer's WorkBench
                                                  (PWB)
                                                - C 6.00 compatibility
                                                - More-efficient QBX.EXE
                                                  expanded memory usage
                                                  (1K granularity for
                                                  procedures < 16K)
                                                - REDIM PRESERVE
                                                - CALL by value for SUB/ 
                                                  FUNCTION parameters
                                                - Pass fixed-length string
                                                  arrays as parameters
                                              * Problem corrections
                                                (fixlist7.10)

NOTE: The release dates shown above are taken from the following files on the product distribution disks: the BC.EXE compiler file from versions 6.00, 6.00b, 7.00, and 7.10 and the BASCOM.EXE compiler file from versions 5.35 and 5.36.