Thinking in Code: Mastering Logic with OSS BASIC XL

BASIC is an old language for sure, but it’s still important. It’s a language that takes your brain and makes it engage. It opens pathways that haven’t been used in a really long time, and it creates new futures that you haven’t even dreamt of yet. As you discover new programs, you amaze your family—but honestly, you amaze yourself just as much.

This is Article #4 in the series “THINKING IN CODE: MASTERING LOGIC WITH OSS BASIC XL.” For more articles like this, subscribe to the Atari Insights newsletter.

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BASIC XL Toolkit & Runtime Package

The BASIC XL Toolkit and Runtime Package from OSS offers beginner-friendly sample programs, robust documentation, and powerful extended commands for Atari developers. This review explores how the toolkit enhances BASIC XL with new sorting and procedure commands, teaches practical programming techniques, and includes a runtime environment for distributing your own programs without the full cartridge. Great for learners and hobbyists alike.

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Beginning with BASIC

This reprint from the Portland Atari Club features a step-by-step BASIC programming curriculum used in high school classrooms. Written by Bob Pettapiece, it walks beginners through hands-on assignments to build programming skills using Atari BASIC—covering math operations, randomization, user interaction, and custom feedback. Perfect for educators, students, and retro computing fans looking to learn or teach BASIC.

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