Thoreau BASIC
GW-BASIC-compatible interpreter that boots on bare-metal UEFI machines, with a Windows version.
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What is Thoreau BASIC?
Thoreau BASIC is a GW-BASIC–compatible interpreter that runs on bare metal (UEFI) and Windows, with modern enhancements like 32/64-bit integers, graphics support, and multi-gigabyte memory on contemporary machines. It's designed for educational use and retro programming enthusiasts who want to run classic BASIC programs on modern hardware.
Thoreau BASIC pricing
Pricing model: Freemium
Name your own price (pay-what-you-want model, no mandatory cost)
Thoreau BASIC pros
- Runs on bare metal (UEFI) without OS overhead; also available for Windows
- GW-BASIC compatible for legacy code; supports large data structures and arrays with no 64KB memory ceiling
- Comprehensive graphics capabilities including 16-color EGA and 24-bit RGB color, bitmap blitting, and multiple text windows
- Full-screen editor with AUTO line numbering, RENUM command, and extensive built-in debugging features (TRACE, error trapping, line number renumbering)
Thoreau BASIC cons
- Still in active development (v1.4.1) with no stable 1.0 release
- Limited to BASIC language which has minimal practical use in modern software development
- Primarily educational/hobbyist tool; no professional IDE features or modern language conveniences
Frequently asked questions about Thoreau BASIC
What systems does Thoreau BASIC run on?
It runs on bare metal via UEFI boot (BOOTX64.efi) and also has a Windows version. The data segment scales to available RAM (gigabytes on modern machines).
Is it really GW-BASIC compatible?
Mostly yes—it supports classic GW-BASIC syntax, control flow (GOSUB, ON…GOTO, error trapping), and most standard commands, but it also adds modern features like 32/64-bit integers and 24-bit color.
Can I use it for serious programming?
It's designed for educational and retro purposes. While technically capable (arrays in billions of elements, graphics, file I/O), BASIC is not practical for modern production software.