Getting Started with Blitz BASIC

Blitz BASIC is a compiler: it turns your source text into an Amiga program before running it. We’ll use AmiBlitz3, a descendant of Blitz BASIC 2, and its PED editor. Original Blitz BASIC 2 used an editor called Ted; its controls differ.

The setup used here

The first greeting, a changed greeting and an error-and-repair exercise were checked with this configuration:

This is a checked first-program route. It does not establish that every later lesson works in AmiBlitz or that original Blitz BASIC 2 behaves identically.

Get the parts

Install FS-UAE for your computer. Windows users can also use WinUAE, though its controls and settings differ from this route.

You need both Kickstart firmware and Workbench operating-system disks. Obtain them from your own Amiga or a licensed source such as Amiga Forever. The emulator download does not supply them. Keep the Workbench and matching Fonts disk available.

Download AmiBlitz v3.13.0b from its official release page. The package is an LHA archive containing files and drawers, not a bootable disk image. Extract the complete archive with an LHA-capable archive tool.

The release README specifies a 68020, at least 8 MB RAM for small programs and 35 MB of disk space for the IDE. It recommends 12 MB RAM for larger work. It also requires Workbench 2.1, or 2.04 with locale.library, and the included wizard.library. These are requirements for the development tools; requirements of programs you compile depend on those programs. The named setup above uses Workbench 3.1.

Give the Amiga a Tools drive

Create a folder called Tools on your computer. Inside it, create AB and place the extracted AmiBlitz3.13 drawer there. Keep its contents together, including Libs, BlitzLibs, System and Debug.

In FS-UAE’s configuration, mount your computer’s Tools folder as an Amiga hard drive labelled Tools, with boot priority -10. The Amiga will see it as Tools:. Boot from the Workbench disk in DF0, with Fonts in DF1. Use the machine and memory settings above.

Using a plain-text editor on your computer, save this file as start-blitz directly inside Tools:

CD Tools:AB/AmiBlitz3.13
Assign LIBS: Tools:AB/AmiBlitz3.13/Libs ADD
AmiBlitz3 -PED

The first line selects the package drawer. The second makes its libraries available without copying them into Workbench. The last opens PED; starting the executable from a command without -PED shows command-line help instead.

On the Workbench desktop, choose Workbench → Execute Command, or press right-Amiga+E, and enter:

Execute Tools:start-blitz

Wait for PED to open. If it asks for Fonts, check the matching disk is in DF1. If the script reports “file is not executable”, check that the command begins with Execute.

FS-UAE’s keyboard guide explains host-key mapping. On macOS, its full keyboard emulation mode lets the right Command key reach the guest as right-Amiga. On other keyboards, check the mapping before using shortcuts. If the editor shortcut is awkward, use its named menu command.

Ready for the greeting

Type, compile and run your first greeting →

That lesson prepares a plain-text .ab3 file, keeps its first output visible without the runtime debugger, and takes you through a real compile error and repair.