Mallard BASIC
| Industry | Software |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1980s |
| Products | Mallard BASIC, LocoScript |
Mallard BASIC is a BASIC interpreter designed for CP/M, created by Locomotive Software. It was distributed with the Amstrad PCW business machines, the ZX Spectrum +3 edition of CP/M Plus, and the Acorn BBC Micro equipped with a Zilog Z80 second processor.
During the 1980s, including a BASIC interpreter was standard practice for microcomputers. While the PCW primarily functioned as a dedicated word processor running the LocoScript software, it operated on the CP/M operating system. In contrast to other CP/M BASIC variants like Digital Research's CBASIC and third-party ZBasic, which necessitated separate text editing and compilation steps, Mallard BASIC featured an integrated editor specifically designed for the PCW’s distinctive 90-column screen, reflecting the home computer approach where BASIC acted as the main user interface.
Although the PCW possessed robust monochrome graphics capabilities akin to the Hercules Graphics Card used on IBM PC compatibles, Mallard BASIC did not include built-in graphics features. Instead, Locomotive Software tailored it for business use, incorporating comprehensive ISAM random-access file support to facilitate database programming tasks. The interpreter was optimized for performance and named after the LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard steam locomotive—the fastest of its kind—aligning with Locomotive Software’s railway-themed branding.
The Acorn variant was aimed at small business accounting applications bundled with Acorn’s Z80 second processor and introduced the Jetsam B*-tree keyed access filing system to improve upon earlier data management techniques.
Though graphical functionality could be introduced through the cumbersome GSX extension available for CP/M, most BASIC developers preferred third-party enhancements such as Lightning Extended BASIC (LEB). LEB patched Mallard BASIC to provide advanced graphics commands while preserving its business-oriented efficiency.
One notable application of Mallard BASIC was RPED, the text editor supplied with the PCW. Created quickly by Roland Perry, Amstrad’s computer product development manager, RPED filled the gap left by CP/M-80’s lack of a practical full-screen editor and supported essential file editing operations. Separate assembly language versions of RPED were also developed for IBM-compatible Amstrad machines running DOS.
Mallard BASIC continues to be offered as an MS-DOS application from LocoScript Software, available as a licensed disc-only package complete with full documentation and compatible with Windows systems.
See also
External links
- Mallard BASIC – manual included in the Spectrum +3 CP/M Plus distribution
- PCW: Streamlined BASIC by Geoffrey Childs, creator of LEB (PCW-World, 1990)