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  The five programming languages that we chose are really families in
  themselves. Various versions of each exist, and most are available from
  several sources. Fortunately, the differences between the versions are
  minor--minor enough that we don't need to think of them as separate
  languages in the same sense that BASIC and Pascal are separate languages.

  Assembly language. Our discussion of assembly languages will be based on
  version 5.0 of Microsoft's Macro Assembler. A number of other versions are
  available from Microsoft, from IBM, and from other computer manufacturers
  who have licensed the use of Microsoft's basic assembler. Newer versions
  of the assembler have many features not implemented in earlier versions,
  but in our discussion we'll stick to the fundamental features common to
  most, if not all, versions of this assembler.

  The C language. For our discussion of C, we will use the Microsoft C
  compiler version 5.0.

  Interpreted BASIC. The interpreted BASIC described in this chapter has
  taken on a thousand faces and minor variations. To IBM PC users, the
  version we'll discuss is known simply as BASIC or BASICA, and is further
  defined by version names associated with a DOS version number (such as
  C1.10, A2.10, or A3.30). Outside the IBM world, it may be known as BASIC,
  Microsoft BASIC, or GW-BASIC. We're not concerned with the differences
  here; we're concerned with the common elements.

  Compiled BASIC. For our discussion of compiled BASIC, we'll be guided by
  version 4.0 of Microsoft QuickBASIC.

  Pascal. For Pascal, we'll use Borland's Turbo Pascal version 4.0, a
  popular load-and-go Pascal compiler.