MBASIC-2025 Documentation¶

Welcome to the complete documentation for MBASIC-2025, a Python implementation of MBASIC-80 for CP/M.

What is MBASIC-2025?¶

MBASIC 5.21 is a classic BASIC dialect from the CP/M era (late 1970s - early 1980s). MBASIC-2025 provides 100% compatibility with MBASIC 5.21 programs while offering modern user interfaces and cross-platform support.

Quick Links¶

Getting Started

Install MBASIC and write your first program in minutes

Installation Guide
Language Reference

Complete BASIC-80 language documentation with all 63 statements and 40 functions

Language Reference
User Interfaces

Choose your interface: Curses (terminal), CLI (command-line), Tkinter (GUI), or Web (browser)

UI Guides
Implementation Details

Learn about the interpreter architecture, features, and compatibility

MBASIC Docs
Compilers

Compile BASIC to CP/M executables OR JavaScript - TWO backends, 100% feature complete!

Compiler Guide
Games Library

Browse 113 classic BASIC games from the CP/M era - ready to run!

Games Library
Source Code

View the source, report issues, and contribute on GitHub

GitHub Repository

Key Features¶

✅ THREE Complete Implementations - Interactive interpreter AND two compiler backends (Z80/8080 + JavaScript)
✅ 100% MBASIC 5.21 Compatibility - Run authentic MBASIC programs unchanged
✅ Generates CP/M Executables - Compile to native .COM files for 8080 or Z80 processors
✅ Generates JavaScript - Compile to standalone JavaScript for browsers and Node.js
✅ Multiple User Interfaces - CLI, Curses terminal, Tkinter GUI, or Web browser
✅ Cross-Platform - Linux, macOS, Windows
✅ Zero Dependencies - Pure Python, no external libraries required for interpreter
✅ Hardware Access - Full PEEK/POKE/INP/OUT support in Z80/8080 compiled code
✅ Complete Documentation - Comprehensive help for every feature

Documentation Structure¶

This documentation is organized into four tiers:

1. User Interfaces (📘)¶

Interface-specific documentation for each UI:

Curses UI - Full-screen terminal interface
CLI - Classic command-line REPL
Tkinter GUI - Graphical interface
Web IDE - Browser-based interface

2. MBASIC Interpreter (📗)¶

Implementation-specific documentation:

Getting Started - Installation and first steps
Features - What's implemented
Compatibility - Differences from CP/M MBASIC
Architecture - How it works

3. MBASIC Compilers (🔧)¶

Compiler documentation for both backends:

Compiler Guide - Getting started with Z80/8080 and JavaScript compilers
Z80/8080 Setup - Installing z88dk for CP/M targets
Feature Status - 100% complete feature list
CP/M Emulator - Testing Z80/8080 compiled programs

4. BASIC-80 Language (📕)¶

Complete language reference:

Statements - All 63 BASIC-80 statements
Functions - All 40 built-in functions
Operators - Arithmetic, logical, relational
Appendices - Error codes, ASCII table

Quick Start¶

Installation¶

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/avwohl/mbasic.git
cd mbasic

# Create virtual environment (recommended)
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

# Install optional dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

Your First Program¶

Start the Curses UI:

mbasic

Type your program:

10 PRINT "Hello, World!"
20 END

Press Ctrl+R to run!

Example Programs¶

Classic "Hello, World!"¶

10 PRINT "Hello, World!"
20 END

FOR Loop¶

10 FOR I = 1 TO 10
20   PRINT I; "squared is"; I * I
30 NEXT I
40 END

User Input¶

10 INPUT "What is your name"; N$
20 PRINT "Hello, "; N$; "!"
30 END

File I/O¶

10 OPEN "O", #1, "output.txt"
20 PRINT #1, "This is a test"
30 CLOSE #1
40 PRINT "File written!"
50 END

Platform Support¶

Linux - Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Arch
macOS - 10.14+
Windows - 10, 11, WSL
Python - 3.8+ (3.10+ recommended)

Contributing¶

MBASIC is open source! Contributions are welcome:

Report issues on GitHub
Submit pull requests
Improve documentation
Share example programs

License¶

See the project repository for license information.

Ready to get started? Head to the Installation Guide or browse the Language Reference!