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                  *** BASIC Now Available on MIAVX1 ***
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MCIS is pleased to announce that BASIC is again available on MIAVX1.  DEC
BASIC was one of the few packages not available on the Alpha platform when
we migrated from the VAX in May.
 
DEC BASIC on the Alpha has some changes from VAX BASIC on the VAX.  Some of
the significant changes are listed below.  A more complete list of changes
is available in the file: SYS$HELP:BASIC010.RELEASE_NOTES.
 
o DEC BASIC is now a compiler ONLY.  The interpreter available on the VAX by
  issuing the BASIC command with no filename is not available.  DEC
  currently has no plans to offer this in the future.  To run a BASIC
  program, you must compile, link, and run it.  For example, the following
  commands would compile, link, and run the program called TEST.BAS:
    $ BASIC TEST
    $ LINK TEST
    $ RUN TEST
o The help for the BASIC language that used to be available via the
  interpreter is no available by issuing the command:
    $ HELP/LIBRARY=BASICHELP
  Help on the DEC BASIC compiler is available by issuing the command:
    $ HELP BASIC
o Most of the graphics statements in VAX BASIC are not available in DEC
  BASIC.  DEC currently has no plans to offer these statements in the
  future.  Graphics should be implemented via the OpenVMS SMG routines.
o DEF* functions are not available in this release of the compiler.  They
  may be supported in a future version of the compiler.
o The DEC BASIC compiler is much more complete in it's checking for "bad"
  programming practices and in it's optimization techniques.  For example,
  the DEC BASIC compiler may detect unreachable areas of your code that the VAX
  BASIC compiler did not.
 
--
                                     Kent Covert, Software Coordinator
                                     Miami Computing and Information Services
                                     Miami University, Oxford, OH
                                     [log in to unmask]  (internet)
                                     kacovert@miavx1                 (bitnet)