# True BASIC

> variant of the BASIC programming language descended from Dartmouth BASIC

**Wikidata**: [Q489525](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q489525)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_BASIC)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/true-basic

## Summary

True BASIC is a variant of the BASIC programming language descended from Dartmouth BASIC, created in 1983 by John George Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz, the original creators of BASIC. It was developed as a modern, standardized implementation of the BASIC language that preserved the educational simplicity and interactive nature of the original Dartmouth BASIC while adding enhanced features for structured programming.

## Key Facts

- **Name**: True BASIC
- **Type**: Programming language (variant of BASIC)
- **Inception**: 1983
- **Designed by**: John George Kemeny
- **Creators**: John George Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz (originators of BASIC at Dartmouth College)
- **Logo**: Available at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/True_BASIC_logo.svg
- **Official Website**: http://www.truebasic.com/
- **FOLDOC ID**: True+BASIC
- **Freebase ID**: /m/07qb7
- **Library of Congress Authority ID**: sh88001554
- **National Library of Israel J9U ID**: 987007534345005171
- **Wikipedia Title**: True BASIC
- **Wikipedia Languages**: German (de), English (en), Italian (it), Korean (ko), Russian (ru), Chinese (zh)
- **Sitelink Count**: 6
- **Instance Of**: Programming language
- **Influenced By**: Dartmouth BASIC

## FAQs

**Who created True BASIC?**

True BASIC was created by John George Kemeny, a Jewish-Hungarian American mathematician, computer scientist, educator, and former President of Dartmouth College, along with Thomas E. Kurtz, an American computer scientist and educator who co-developed the original BASIC language at Dartmouth in 1964.

**When was True BASIC introduced?**

True BASIC was introduced in 1983 as a commercial implementation and modernization of the BASIC programming language, designed to provide a standardized version that maintained the interactive and educational qualities of Dartmouth BASIC while supporting structured programming practices.

**What is the relationship between True BASIC and Dartmouth BASIC?**

True BASIC is directly descended from Dartmouth BASIC, the original implementation of the BASIC programming language developed at Dartmouth College in 1964. Kemeny and Kurtz created True BASIC to preserve and extend the legacy of Dartmouth BASIC with improved language features while keeping it accessible for educational use.

**What are the defining characteristics of True BASIC?**

True BASIC is designed as a structured programming language that maintains the interactive, beginner-friendly nature of the original BASIC while incorporating modern programming concepts. It was developed to be a clean, standardized implementation that could serve both educational and practical programming purposes.

**What platforms does True BASIC support?**

While specific platform details are not provided in the source material, True BASIC was developed as a commercial programming language with official website support at http://www.truebasic.com/.

**How is True BASIC documented and referenced?**

True BASIC has a Library of Congress authority ID (sh88001554) and a National Library of Israel J9U ID (987007534345005171). It is documented in multiple language editions of Wikipedia including German, English, Italian, Korean, Russian, and Chinese, with a sitelink count of 6.

## Why It Matters

True BASIC represents a significant milestone in programming language history because it was created by the original inventors of BASIC specifically to preserve and modernize their creation. John George Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz developed BASIC at Dartmouth College in 1964 with the goal of making programming accessible to students and non-technical users. By 1983, many implementations of BASIC had proliferated across different platforms, often with incompatible extensions and departures from the original design philosophy.

True BASIC mattered because it provided a standardized, portable implementation that maintained the core principles of the original language while adding support for structured programming constructs. This made it particularly valuable for educational contexts, where consistency and clarity were essential. The language's design philosophy—emphasizing simplicity, interactivity, and accessibility—influenced how subsequent programming languages approached beginner-friendly education.

The creation of True BASIC also represented a response to the fragmentation of the BASIC ecosystem during the personal computer revolution of the late 1970s and early 1980s. By offering a canonical implementation, Kemeny and Kurtz sought to ensure that BASIC remained true to its educational roots while evolving to meet contemporary programming needs. This effort positioned True BASIC as both a nostalgic preservation of Dartmouth BASIC and a forward-looking attempt to keep the language relevant in a changing technological landscape.

## Notable For

- **Direct lineage to original creators**: True BASIC was created by John George Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz, the original inventors of BASIC at Dartmouth College, making it an authentic descendant of the language's founding vision.

- **Educational focus**: True BASIC maintained the original emphasis of BASIC on accessibility and education, designed specifically to be learnable by students and beginners while remaining useful for practical programming.

- **Standardized implementation**: As a commercial product with official documentation and a dedicated website, True BASIC provided a standardized, consistent implementation that contrasted with the fragmented landscape of BASIC dialects on personal computers.

- **Structured programming support**: True BASIC incorporated structured programming features while preserving the interactive, line-by-line execution model that characterized Dartmouth BASIC.

- **Historical significance**: The language represents a deliberate effort by its original creators to preserve the integrity of their invention and ensure it remained true to its educational origins.

- **Multi-language documentation**: True BASIC is documented in six different language editions of Wikipedia, reflecting its international recognition and relevance.

## Body

### History and Origins

True BASIC was introduced in 1983 as a commercial implementation of the BASIC programming language, conceived and designed by John George Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz, the original creators of BASIC at Dartmouth College. The language emerged in response to the proliferation of BASIC implementations during the personal computer revolution, many of which had diverged significantly from the original Dartmouth BASIC in incompatible ways.

John George Kemeny, born on May 31, 1926, was a Jewish-Hungarian American mathematician, computer scientist, educator, and eventually President of Dartmouth College. His contributions to computing extended beyond programming language design; he was a pioneer in making computing accessible to non-technical users. Thomas E. Kurtz, born February 22, 1928 and passing in 2024, was an American computer scientist, mathematician, statistician, and educator who worked alongside Kemeny to develop the original BASIC language in 1964. Both creators were deeply invested in educational computing, and True BASIC represented their effort to ensure their creation remained true to its educational roots.

The name "True BASIC" was chosen deliberately to emphasize that this implementation preserved the original spirit and design philosophy of Dartmouth BASIC, in contrast to the many modified versions that had appeared in the intervening years.

### Design Philosophy and Features

True BASIC was designed as a variant of BASIC that maintained the interactive, beginner-friendly characteristics of the original Dartmouth BASIC while incorporating modern programming concepts. The language supported structured programming constructs, allowing for cleaner code organization and better programming practices compared to earlier line-numbered BASIC implementations.

The design prioritized educational use, maintaining the simplicity that had made BASIC popular with students and educators while adding features that made it suitable for more sophisticated programming tasks. This balance between accessibility and capability defined the True BASIC approach.

### Documentation and References

True BASIC is catalogued in multiple major reference systems, reflecting its recognition as a significant programming language. The Library of Congress assigned it the authority ID sh88001554, while the National Library of Israel assigned the J9U ID 987007534345005171. The language is documented in the Freebase knowledge base under the identifier /m/07qb7 and in the Free Online Dictionary of Computing (FOLDOC) under the ID "True+BASIC".

The Wikipedia article "True BASIC" exists in six language editions: German (de), English (en), Italian (it), Korean (ko), Russian (ru), and Chinese (zh), demonstrating the language's international recognition and documentation.

### Ecosystem and Distribution

True BASIC was distributed as a commercial software product with official support resources. The official website at http://www.truebasic.com/ served as the primary hub for information and distribution. A logo for the language is preserved in Wikimedia Commons at the designated path, providing visual identity for the product.

The language exists within a broader ecosystem of BASIC variants and programming languages, influenced by and descended from the original Dartmouth BASIC. Its instance classification as a "programming language" places it within the broader category of languages for communicating instructions to machines.

### Connected People and Legacy

The two primary figures connected to True BASIC represent foundational contributions to computing education. John George Kemeny's career spanned mathematics, computer science, and academic administration, culminating in his presidency of Dartmouth College. His occupation categories include mathematician, computer scientist, university teacher, economist, university president, and educator, reflecting his multifaceted impact on academia and computing.

Thomas E. Kurtz's career focused primarily on computer science, mathematics, and statistics, with particular recognition as an inventor for his role in creating BASIC. His work spanned nearly the entire history of computing from the development of early time-sharing systems to modern educational computing. His passing in 2024 marked the end of an era for the original BASIC development team.

Both creators held United States citizenship, with Kemeny also retaining Hungarian citizenship reflecting his heritage. Their collaborative work on BASIC and True BASIC represents one of the most significant partnerships in programming language history, establishing foundational principles for accessible computing education that continue to influence language design today.

## References

1. [Source](https://github.com/JohnMarkOckerbloom/ftl/blob/master/data/wikimap)
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File