The version that came with MS-DOS definitely had extensive help on the language as well as the editor. It was an interpreter though, and couldn't generate executables like the commercial version which was called QuickBasic IIRC.
> The version that came with MS-DOS definitely had extensive help on the language as well as the editor.
Are you sure about that? I may be wrong of course, but I remember pressing "F3" (which I think was meant to invoke help?) and getting nothing. That's actually why I bought a book, I think this one: http://www.amazon.com/Crash-Course-Qbasic-Greg-Perry/dp/1565... (quite a nice one! I remember reading it cover-to-cover during summer break on a beach, without any computer in at least 20km radius...)
But it's absolutely possible that I either had some ripped version or just couldn't find the right options. I mean, I was 8 at the time, knowing very little English, so that wouldn't surprise me at all :)
Yes, I'm pretty sure. That's the way I learned, from the included documentation. I just checked in a Windows 3.11 VM I have laying around and it's definitely there, though it's shift+F1 to access the help, or just F1 if the cursor is on a keyword.
