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Chinese BASIC (Chinese:中文培基;pinyin:Zhōngwén Péijī) is the name given to severalChinese-localized versions of theBASICprogramming language in the early 1980s.
At least two versions of Chinese BASIC were modifiedApplesoft BASIC that accepted Chinese commands and variables. They were built into someTaiwan-madeApple II clones. One of these was shipped with the best-selling MultitechMicroprofessor II (known asAcer today). Another version was shipped withMiTAC's Little Intelligent Computer (小神通).[1][unreliable source?]
Multitech also developed aZilog Z80-based port of the Chinese BASIC for its own line of high-end computers.
In a typical Chinese BASIC environment, Chinese and English commands are interchangeable. It may also accept Chinese andLatin alphabet variables. For example, you may usePRINT A in line 50,印 A in line 200 and? A in line 250. They all do the same thing—to print out the value ofA on screen.
| Chinese BASIC commands are printed inblue | Applesoft BASIC | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 卜=0 | 10Y=0 | |
| 20入 水, 火 | 20INPUTE,F | |
| 30從 日 = 水到 火 | 30FORA=ETOF | |
| 40 卜 = 卜+對數(日) | 40Y=Y+LOG(A) | |
| 50下一 日 | 50NEXTA | |
| 60印 卜 | 60PRINTY |
This program calculates the sum oflog (E) + log (E+1) + log (E+2) + ... + log (F). TheChinese characters used asvariables are the 24 radicals of theCangjie method, one of the earliestQWERTY keyboard-compatibleChinese input methods.
The significant length of an Applesoft BASIC variable name is restricted to twobytes. Therefore, the variablesTHISNUMBER andTHATNUMBER are treated as the same. In Multitech's Chinese BASIC, a variable can be 3 bytes long (one Chinese character + one numeral).
