DOS / System

EN

ASIC 5

ASIC is an inexpensive (shareware) compiler that generates very compact, fast-running executable programs that run in a DOS environment. It is a subset of the BASIC language, lacking most of the more complex functions and graphics capabilities of QuickBasic or PowerBasic. The author of ASIC is David Visti of 80/20 Software, P.O. Box 2952, Raleigh, NC 27602-2952, U.S.A. (73065.1302@compuserve.com). The most recent release of the program is Version 5.0 (1994). The limited number of ASIC commands (about 80, but several of these are for experts only) makes it a particularly easy language in which to learn to write really useful stand-alone programs. The author's documentation is unusually well written and easily understood. Although they are DOS programs, ASIC executables can also be run from Windows, either in a DOS box or from the Run item of the File (Win 3.x) or Start (Win 9x/NT/2000) menu. A useful feature of ASIC is that it lets you write and compile object (.OBJ) files that can be linked with other ASIC programming code. There are two shareware libraries of useful routines written in assembler, and these too can be linked into .EXE files written with ASIC. The libraries are IBRARY by Tom Hanlin and ASILIB by Douglas Herr. Both are well documented; IBRARY is easier to use, but ASILIB is a larger collection. The routines in these libraries could not be written directly in a simple language like ASIC, and they greatly enhance the programs in which they are used. It is necessary to use an external linking program to incorporate .OBJ files or library items into a .EXE file compiled by ASIC. The LINK.EXE included with earlier versions of MS-DOS is ideal. See http://publish.uwo.ca/~jkiernan/asicinfo.htm

download