Tools

Sinclair BASIC

The Spectrum's gateway

Sinclair BASIC came built into the ZX Spectrum ROM, providing the first programming experience for millions and launching countless careers.

Spectrum programmingbasicsinclair

Overview

Sinclair BASIC wasn’t an optional purchase—it was there when you turned on the Spectrum. The language handled everything from printing text to drawing graphics to playing sounds. While too slow for action games, it served perfectly as an introduction to programming concepts. Those who outgrew BASIC moved to assembly, but BASIC started the journey.

Fast facts

  • Platform: ZX Spectrum (and ZX81).
  • Location: 16KB ROM.
  • Author: Steve Vickers (based on Nine Tiles BASIC).
  • Commands: PRINT, INPUT, FOR/NEXT, IF/THEN, PLOT, DRAW, BEEP.
  • Single-key entry: keywords entered with one keypress.

Key features

What Sinclair BASIC offered:

  • Graphics commands: PLOT, DRAW, CIRCLE, INK, PAPER.
  • Sound: BEEP command for tones.
  • Input: INKEY$ for real-time keyboard.
  • Arrays: numeric and string arrays.
  • User-defined functions: DEF FN.

Learning path

Typical progression:

  1. Type listings: copy programs from magazines.
  2. Modify: change values, observe effects.
  3. Create: write original programs.
  4. Hit limits: games too slow.
  5. Assembly: move to machine code.

See also