Q59403: BASIC &num Constant Defaults to &Onum (Octal), Not &Hnum (Hex)

Article: Q59403
Product(s): See article
Version(s): 1.00 1.01 1.02 2.00 2.01 3.00 4.00 4.00b 4.50
Operating System(s): MS-DOS
Keyword(s): ENDUSER | B_BasicCom B_GWBasicI B_GWBasicC B_MQuickB B_BasicInt | mspl13_basic
Last Modified: 15-MAR-1990

In all versions of Microsoft BASIC products, the base for a literal
constant that begins with an ampersand (&) alone (not &H, &h, &O, or
&o) defaults to octal (equivalent to &O or &o). Thus, if you type a
literal such as the following

   &700

then all versions of Microsoft BASIC will assume that this is an octal
literal equivalent to &o700.

In fact, many Microsoft BASIC Interpreters (such as GW-BASIC Versions
3.20 and later for MS-DOS; QuickBASIC Versions 4.00 and later for
MS-DOS; Microsoft BASIC Interpreter Versions 2.00, 2.10, and 3.00 for
the Apple Macintosh; and QuickBASIC Version 1.00 for the Apple
Macintosh) actually alter the literal to &o700 to show they are
making this assumption.

The octal default for a literal constant that begins with a lone
ampersand (&) occurs in the following products:

1. Microsoft QuickBASIC Version 1.00 for the Apple Macintosh

2. Microsoft BASIC Compiler Version 1.00 for the Apple Macintosh

3. Microsoft BASIC Interpreter Versions 1.00, 1.01, 2.00, 2.10, and
   3.00 for the Apple Macintosh

4. Microsoft QuickBASIC Versions 1.00, 1.01, 1.02, 2.00, 2.01, 3.00,
   4.00, 4.00b, 4.50 for MS-DOS

5. Microsoft BASIC Compiler Versions 5.35 and 5.36 for MS-DOS

6. Microsoft BASIC Compiler Versions 6.00 and 6.00b for MS OS/2 and
   MS-DOS

7. Microsoft BASIC Professional Development System (PDS) Version 7.00
   for MS-DOS and MS OS/2

8. Microsoft GW-BASIC Interpreter Versions 3.20, 3.22, and 3.23

To demonstrate this feature of BASIC, enter the following code into
the environment one of the BASIC interpreters, such as GW-BASIC or
Microsoft QuickBASIC:

   40 CLS
   50 PRINT &700    ' This will print out as 448 (decimal value)
   55 PRINT &o700   ' This will print out as 448 (decimal value)
   60 PRINT &H700   ' This will print out as 1792 (decimal value)
   70 END

In many Microsoft BASIC interpreters (such as GW-BASIC 3.20 or later
for MS-DOS; QuickBASIC 4.00 and later for MS-DOS; BASIC interpreter
2.00, 2.10, and 3.00 for the Apple Macintosh; or QuickBASIC 1.00 for
the Apple Macintosh), the editor automatically changes lines 50
and 55 to the following:

   50 PRINT &O700
   55 PRINT &O700

If you want a hexadecimal number, the & (ampersand sign) must be
followed with H, as in line 60 above.

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