This book investigates the implementation and utility of True BASIC as a structured, modern evolution of the original BASIC programming language. Authored by the creators of the original BASIC language, John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz, the text provides a formal framework for understanding how structured programming principles can be applied to the BASIC syntax. It serves as both a technical manual and a conceptual guide for users transitioning to a more rigorous, portable, and machine-independent programming environment.

Experts recognize this text as the definitive foundational manual for the True BASIC language, authored by its primary architects. Readers frequently note the technical clarity of the prose, which remains accessible to those familiar with earlier iterations of BASIC while emphasizing the shift toward modern software engineering standards.