[Coco] DECB emulator/virtual implementation in NitrOS9

[Frank Swygert]

In other words, write a line number BASIC for OS-9 that made disk calls within BASIC. That would make for some easier programming/transition for those used to DECB. BASIC-09 was always a bit of a chore to learn for me, since it was totally different than DECB... more akin to "C" or Pascal.

Frank Hogg did attempt to write (or have written) a DECB "compatibility mode" (emulator? re-written DECB for OS-9?) for the TC-9, but processor speed was a problem. Of course he wanted it to run existing CoCo3 programs -- all of them. Writing a line number BASIC similar to DECB should be doable, having it 100% compatible is a different story, especially if you throw machine language programs in the mix. Something that you would have to make a few changes to a DECB listing shouldn't be too difficult.

But then I attempted to convert a GWBASIC genealogy program to SDECB (CoCo3). I ended up re-writing 90% of the code. In the credits I put "based on xxxx" (name and author of original program) rather than "converted from xxxx". It was a good framework/outline to work from, but that was about it. Still, that was 25% of the work. OS-9 "DECB" might end up similar.

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Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2010 17:05:14 -0800
From: Steve Bjork<6809er at srbsoftware.com>

It would be easier to write a DECB from the ground up that run under
NitrOS9.

The way DECB was coded would not let OS-9 running at the same time.

I thing you better off writing DECB for a modern computer.  Just think
of speed your program would run.

But this was the idea behind my Super Color BASIC project from a few
years back.

Steve Bjork

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Frank Swygert
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