CTBASIC

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CTBASIC is a compiled Sinclair BASIC inspired language imagined by User:Salpynx targeting a cyclic tag system "fantasy console" architecture.

The language is written using high-level output commands and compiled into a range of cyclic tag dialects, such as CT {0, 1, ;}, or BCT {0, 1}.

Data string output convention

The key feature of the CTBASIC architecture is a particular set of output conventions which distinguish a CTBASIC machine from a plain cyclic-tag interpreter. This output feedback assists writing and evaluating cyclic tag system programs.

Byte strings can be encoded and recognised within the data-string:

• 8 bit bytes are encoded within a 10 bit data-frame with start-bit 1 and end-bit 0.
• A string is a series of 10-bit frames beginning with the ASCII C0 STX character (0x02), and terminated by the ETX character (0x03).
• When a valid string is completed, (i.e. the stop-bit 0 of the ETX is appended to the right of the data-string) the complete string is sent to output.

Output is a serial byte-stream, with flexible destinations.

• The CTBASIC language has drawing commands which when compiled produce serial byte output that can be recognised by wikipedia:Tektronix_4010 compatible terminals.
• Non-graphical serial terminals are also intended to be supported for character output.

Commands are effectively macros to simplify forming output using the provided conventions.

• PRINT, CHR$, CLS, PLOT, DRAW, and INK for output.
• BIN, DATA, FILL, ZFILL, ASM for internal data.
• CLEAR unconditionally clears bits from the data string.

All control flow is provided by the underlying cyclic tag mechanism.

Examples

REM Hello, World! output example.
PRINT "Hello, World!"

External resources

• CTBASIC cyclic-tag compiler and interpreter with graphical (Tektronix 4010 / xterm) output examples, including looping animations.