SOS Extended BASIC Interpreter
                ==============================

We were exstatic when the first BASIC interpreter was released to
Data General Nova users in 1970.  Although extremely primitive by
modern standards (and even standards of the day), this Stand-Alone
BASIC gave us another program development option besides assembler.

Data General software development accelerated and operating systems and
languages became available, including a "Stand-alone Operating System"
(SOS) for non-disk-based systems.  This eventually allowed a version of
DG's Extended BASIC to be run systems without a disk.

SOS and its Extended BASIC support was discontinued in 1976, but I have
created a legacy Stand-alone Extended BASIC file based on that last release.

This stand-alone executable program therefore runs a version of
Extended BASIC on Nova computers that have only a CPU, 16 K words of memory
and a main console.

It has extended features and capabilities beyond the original Stand-Alone
BASIC program that was introduced in 1970.  These include a string data
type, new output formatting features and additional device/file handling
that is compatible with other DG operating systems.



Hardware requirements
---------------------

Processor: Nova processor
Memory:    16 KW
Devices:
           TTI    Teletype In  [device code <010>]
           TTO    Teletype Out [device code <011>]

optional devices supported:

           RTC    Real-Time Clock   [device code <014>]
           PTR    Paper Tape Reader [device code <012>]
           PTP    Paper Tape Punch  [device code <013>]
           LPT    Line Printer      [device code <014>]



Operating Procedure
-------------------

load SOS_XBASIC.AB with binary loader

start program a 000377 (octal)

answer date and time question


sample program and user dialog:
    <start program at 0377>

    DATE: MM-DD-YY 04-25-22
    TIME: HH:MM 12:12
    
    04/25/22 12:12 SIGN-ON, SC

    *SIZE
    USED: 0  BYTES
    LEFT: 38762  BYTES
  
    *10 LET A = A + 1
    *20 GOTO 10
    *LIST
    0010 LET A=A+1
    0020 GOTO 0010
    
    *RUN
    
    STOP AT 0010
    
    *; A 275079
    
    *BYE
    04/25/22 12:13 SIGN-OFF, SC
    04/25/22 12:13 CPU-USED, 3
    04/25/22 12:13 I/O-USED, 0



References
----------

1) absolute binary file of program,
   SOS_XBASIC.AB

2) Data General Extended BASIC Users Manual,
   093-000065-05__Extended_BASIC_Users_Manual__1974.pdf



Contact
-------

Bruce Ray
Wild Hare Computer Systems, Inc.
PO Box 22475
Denver, Colorado  80222-0475
USA

e.mail:           bkr@WildHareComputers.com
museum  website:  www.NovasAreForever.org
company website:  www.WildHareComputers.com



Version history
---------------

	. added Contact section

0.0B	2022-Aug-08   bkr
	. added comments
	. changed SA_XBASIC references to SOS_XBASIC to minimize confusion

0.0A	2022-APR-25   bkr
	. initial release