GoKawiilThoreau BASIC 3.2 adds file browser commands and checkpointed state saves
A new release of Thoreau BASIC, a modernized dialect of the language, introduces built-in commands for file browsing (GETFILES) and interactive list selection (SELECTBOX) with mouse and keyboard support. It also adds STATEWRITE/STATELOAD for checksummed variable checkpointing, CRC32 and TEXTSTATS utilities, and a SYSTEMINFO$ function reporting CPU, AVX2/SSE2 support and build details. The update also includes JIT improvements for floating-point and complex/quaternion/octonion math, plus a RUN fix to avoid stack growth on restart.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
These additions suggest the project aims to make BASIC viable for building modern interactive tools and reliable data-persistence workflows, not just simple scripts. The focus on checksummed state saves and verified backups indicates an emphasis on robustness, which could appeal to hobbyists or engineers wanting a lightweight, dependable scripting environment. The hardware-aware JIT and SIMD detection hint at an ambition to compete on performance with more contemporary languages.
- Thoreau BASIC 3.2 adds native file-browsing and UI selection commands.
- New checkpointing and backup tools (STATEWRITE, FILECOMMIT, FILECOPY) target data reliability.
- JIT and SIMD detection improvements aim to boost numerical performance.
Source: thoreaubasic.com, 2026-10-03
Published there as: “Show HN: Thoreau BASIC – What if BASIC hadn't gone out of fashion?”
Read the original report → The summary and analysis above are GoKawiil's own, written from reporting by the source above. Facts and quotes belong to the original publisher.