Turbo Pascal

Turbo Pascal. It is a software development system for the Pascal programming language, originally created by Borland under the leadership of Philippe Kahn. Launched in 1983, it revolutionized the microcomputer software market by combining a fast compiler, a capable text editor, and a debugger into a single, affordable package. Its speed, low price, and integrated environment made it immensely popular for both educational use and commercial software development on platforms like CP/M and DOS.

History

The project was initiated by Anders Hejlsberg in Denmark, who had written a Pascal compiler for the CP/M operating system called Blue Label Pascal. Philippe Kahn of Borland saw its potential, acquired the rights, and Hejlsberg was hired to refine it. The first version was launched at the COMDEX trade show in 1983, priced dramatically lower than competitors like Microsoft Pascal or UCSD Pascal. Its success was closely tied to the rise of the IBM PC and the DOS platform, with later versions adding support for protected mode and object-oriented programming. The final major release was part of the transition to Borland Pascal and ultimately Delphi.

Features

A key innovation was its remarkably fast one-pass compiler, which could compile directly to machine code in memory. It introduced the concept of units, a modular programming feature for creating libraries. Later versions added support for object-oriented programming through Object Pascal, inline assembly code using the ASM keyword, and 8087 math coprocessor support. The system included a comprehensive run-time library and offered extensive control over hardware, making it popular for developing video games and system software on the DOS platform.

Development environment

The integrated development environment combined a text editor, compiler, and debugger in a single, menu-driven interface. This was a stark contrast to the typical workflow involving separate tools like edlin, Microsoft Macro Assembler, and command-line compilers. The environment featured a fast edit-compile-run cycle, context-sensitive help, and, in later versions, a mouse-driven interface. For Microsoft Windows development, Borland released Turbo Pascal for Windows, which included a visual designer and support for the Windows API, foreshadowing the capabilities of Delphi.

Impact and legacy

It dramatically lowered the barrier to entry for software development, becoming a staple in computer science education and a key tool for hobbyist programmers. It influenced the design of many subsequent integrated development environments, including Microsoft QuickBASIC and Visual Basic. The language extensions pioneered in later versions formed the direct foundation for Object Pascal and the immensely successful Delphi RAD tool. Many notable commercial applications, such as early versions of Norton Utilities and WinFax, were written using it, cementing its role in the history of PC software.

Versions

Major releases began with version 1.0 for CP/M and DOS in 1983. Version 3.0 introduced units and graphics support, while version 5.0 (1988) added a built-in debugger and support for the 8087. Version 5.5 was a major update that introduced object-oriented programming. Version 6.0 (1990) featured a more advanced integrated development environment with support for mouse input and overlays. The final version, 7.0, released in 1992, included a Turbo Vision application framework and tools for protected mode development, bridging the gap to Borland Pascal 7.0.

Category:Borland software Category:Pascal (programming language) implementations Category:DOS software Category:Programming tools for Windows