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GW-BASIC
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<p>GW-BASIC is a dialect of the <a href="/facts/BASIC/VYMl5TmA">BASIC</a> <a href="/facts/Programming_language/cWTYbgWa">programming language</a> developed by <a href="/facts/Microsoft/nGIDDXdx">Microsoft</a> from <a href="/facts/IBM_BASICA/aTec7AQY">IBM BASICA</a>. Functionally identical to BASICA, its <a href="/facts/BASIC_interpreter/AbVeR56f">BASIC interpreter</a> is a fully self-contained executable and does not need the <a href="/facts/Cassette_BASIC/aTec7AQY">Cassette BASIC</a> ROM found in the original. It was bundled with <a href="/facts/MS-DOS/fVrrz1uN">MS-DOS</a> <a href="/facts/Operating_system/8XTuvMh2">operating systems</a> on <a href="/facts/IBM_PC%25E2%2580%2593compatible/zGUpl7Sh">IBM PC–compatibles</a> by Microsoft. </p><p>The language is suitable for simple games, business programs and the like. Since it was included with most versions of MS-DOS, it was also a low-cost way for many aspiring <a href="/facts/Programmer/WGTS1Jv9">programmers</a> to learn the fundamentals of <a href="/facts/Computer_programming/QmSsFnu0">computer programming</a>. Microsoft also sold a BASIC <a href="/facts/Compiler/WNfCDFJe">compiler</a>, BASCOM, compatible with GW-BASIC, for programs needing more speed. </p><p>According to Mark Jones Lorenzo, given the scope of the language, "GW-BASIC is arguably the <i><a href="/facts/List_of_Latin_phrases_(N)/ruBJNs0s">ne plus ultra</a></i> of Microsoft's family of line-numbered BASICs stretching back to <a href="/facts/Altair_BASIC/sVh7yKyt">Altair BASIC</a> — and perhaps even of line-numbered BASIC in general." </p><p>With the release of MS-DOS 5.0, GW-BASIC's place was taken by <a href="/facts/QBasic/yxMVNxCs">QBasic</a>, a slightly abridged version of the interpreter part of the separately available <a href="/facts/QuickBASIC/pfbnC5RX">QuickBASIC</a> interpreter and compiler package. </p><p>On May 21, 2020, Microsoft released the <a href="/facts/X86_assembly_language/GTUtvkMm">8088 assembler</a> source code for GW-BASIC 1.0 on <a href="/facts/GitHub/n1hNCsc3">GitHub</a> under the <a href="/facts/MIT_License/8llAQtlk">MIT License</a>. </p>