Editing Apple II (original) (section)

==Programming languages==
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Initially, the Apple II was shipped with Integer BASIC encoded in the motherboard [[read-only memory|ROM]] chips. Written by Wozniak, the interpreter enabled users to write software applications without needing to purchase additional development utilities. Written with game programmers and hobbyists in mind, the language only supported the encoding of numbers in 16-bit integer format. Since it only supported integers between -32768 and +32767 (signed 16-bit integer), it was less suitable to business software, and Apple soon received complaints from customers. Because Steve Wozniak was busy developing the Disk II hardware, he did not have time to modify Integer BASIC for floating point support. Apple instead licensed Microsoft's 6502 BASIC to create [[Applesoft BASIC]].

Disk users normally purchased a so-called Language Card, which had Applesoft in ROM, and was located below the Integer BASIC ROM in system memory. The user could switch between either BASIC by typing {{code|FP}} or {{code|INT}} in BASIC prompt. Apple also offered a different version of Applesoft for cassette users, which occupied low memory, and was started by using the {{code|LOAD}} command in Integer BASIC.

As shipped, Apple II incorporated a [[machine code monitor]] with commands for displaying and altering the computer's RAM, either one byte at a time, or in blocks of 256 bytes at once. This enabled programmers to write and debug machine code programs without further development software. The computer powers on into the monitor ROM, displaying a {{code|*}} prompt. From there, {{key press|Ctrl|B}} enters BASIC, or a machine language program can be loaded from cassette. Disk software can be booted with {{key press|Ctrl|P}} followed by {{key press|6}}, referring to Slot 6 which normally contained the Disk II controller.

A 6502 assembler was soon offered on disk,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hyde |first=Randall |title=Using 6502 Assembly Language: How Anyone Can Program the Apple II |year=1981 |publisher=Datamost |isbn=9780881900033 |edition=1st}}</ref> and later the [[UCSD Pascal|UCSD compiler and operating system]] for the [[Pascal (programming language)|Pascal]] language were made available. The Pascal system requires a 16&nbsp;KiB RAM card to be installed in the language card position (expansion slot 0) in addition to the full 48&nbsp;KiB of motherboard memory.