Atari Pascal

The Atari Pascal Language System (usually shortened to Atari Pascal) is a version of the Pascal programming language released by Atari, Inc. for the Atari 8-bit family of home computers^[1] in March 1982.^[2] Atari Pascal was published through the Atari Program Exchange as unsupported software instead of in Atari's official product line.^[3] It requires two disk drives, which greatly limited its potential audience. It includes a 161-page manual.^[2]

Development[edit]

Atari Pascal was developed by MT Microsystems, which was owned by Digital Research. It's similar to MT/PASCAL+ from the same company.^[3] The compiler produces code for a virtual machine, as with UCSD Pascal, instead of generating machine code, but the resulting programs are as much as seven times faster than Apple Pascal.^[3] MT Microsystems wrote Atari Pascal with a planned "super Atari" 8-bit model in mind, one with 128K of RAM and dual-floppy drives (similar to a common configuration of the 1983 Apple IIe).^[3] This machine never materialized, but the software was released because of pressure within Atari, though only through the Atari Program Exchange.

Atari's 1980 in-store demonstration program mentions Pascal as one of the available programming languages, despite Atari Pascal not being released until 1982.

Other Pascal implementations[edit]

Draper Pascal was released in 1983^[4] and Kyan Pascal in 1986.^[5] Each works with a single floppy drive, a point emphasized in Draper Pascal magazine ads.